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Sample records for trace profiler based

  1. Developmental long trace profiler using optimally aligned mirror based pentaprism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barber, Samuel K.; Morrison, Gregory Y.; Yashchuk, Valeriy V.; Gubarev, Mikhail V.; Geckeler, Ralf D.; Buchheim, Jana; Siewert, Frank; Zeschke, Thomas

    2010-01-01

    A low-budget surface slope measuring instrument, the Developmental Long Trace Profiler (DLTP), was recently brought into operation at the Advanced Light Source Optical Metrology Laboratory (Nucl. Instr. and Meth. A 616, 212-223 (2010)). The instrument is based on a precisely calibrated autocollimator and a movable pentaprism. The capability of the DLTP to achieve sub-microradian surface slope metrology has been verified via cross-comparison measurements with other high-performance slope measuring instruments when measuring the same high-quality test optics. In the present work, a further improvement of the DLTP is achieved by replacing the existing bulk pentaprism with a specially designed mirror based pentaprism. A mirror based pentaprism offers the possibility to eliminate systematic errors introduced by inhomogeneity of the optical material and fabrication imperfections of a bulk pentaprism. We provide the details of the mirror based pentaprism design and describe an original experimental procedure for precision mutual alignment of the mirrors. The algorithm of the alignment procedure and its efficiency are verified with rigorous ray tracing simulations. Results of measurements of a spherically curved test mirror and a flat test mirror using the original bulk pentaprism are compared with measurements using the new mirror based pentaprism, demonstrating the improved performance.

  2. DNA profiling of trace DNA recovered from bedding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petricevic, Susan F; Bright, Jo-Anne; Cockerton, Sarah L

    2006-05-25

    Trace DNA is often detected on handled items and worn clothing examined in forensic laboratories. In this study, the potential transfer of trace DNA to bedding by normal contact, when an individual sleeps in a bed, is examined. Volunteers slept one night on a new, lower bed sheet in their own bed and one night in a bed foreign to them. Samples from the sheets were collected and analysed by DNA profiling. The results indicate that the DNA profile of an individual can be obtained from bedding after one night of sleeping in a bed. The DNA profile of the owner of the bed could also be detected in the foreign bed experiments. Since mixed DNA profiles can be obtained from trace DNA on bedding, caution should be exercised when drawing conclusions from DNA profiling results obtained from such samples. This transfer may have important repercussions in sexual assault investigations.

  3. A sensitive method to extract DNA from biological traces present on ammunition for the purpose of genetic profiling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dieltjes, Patrick; Mieremet, René; Zuniga, Sofia; Kraaijenbrink, Thirsa; Pijpe, Jeroen; de Knijff, Peter

    2011-07-01

    Exploring technological limits is a common practice in forensic DNA research. Reliable genetic profiling based on only a few cells isolated from trace material retrieved from a crime scene is nowadays more and more the rule rather than the exception. On many crime scenes, cartridges, bullets, and casings (jointly abbreviated as CBCs) are regularly found, and even after firing, these potentially carry trace amounts of biological material. Since 2003, the Forensic Laboratory for DNA Research is routinely involved in the forensic investigation of CBCs in the Netherlands. Reliable DNA profiles were frequently obtained from CBCs and used to match suspects, victims, or other crime scene-related DNA traces. In this paper, we describe the sensitive method developed by us to extract DNA from CBCs. Using PCR-based genotyping of autosomal short tandem repeats, we were able to obtain reliable and reproducible DNA profiles in 163 out of 616 criminal cases (26.5%) and in 283 out of 4,085 individual CBC items (6.9%) during the period January 2003-December 2009. We discuss practical aspects of the method and the sometimes unexpected effects of using cell lysis buffer on the subsequent investigation of striation patterns on CBCs.

  4. Tire traces - discrimination and classification of pyrolysis-GC/MS profiles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gueissaz, Line; Massonnet, Geneviève

    2013-07-10

    Tire traces can be observed on several crime scenes as vehicles are often used by criminals. The tread abrasion on the road, while braking or skidding, leads to the production of small rubber particles which can be collected for comparison purposes. This research focused on the statistical comparison of Py-GC/MS profiles of tire traces and tire treads. The optimisation of the analytical method was carried out using experimental designs. The aim was to determine the best pyrolysis parameters regarding the repeatability of the results. Thus, the pyrolysis factor effect could also be calculated. The pyrolysis temperature was found to be five time more important than time. Finally, a pyrolysis at 650°C during 15s was selected. Ten tires of different manufacturers and models were used for this study. Several samples were collected on each tire, and several replicates were carried out to study the variability within each tire (intravariability). More than eighty compounds were integrated for each analysis and the variability study showed that more than 75% presented a relative standard deviation (RSD) below 5% for the ten tires, thus supporting a low intravariability. The variability between the ten tires (intervariability) presented higher values and the ten most variant compounds had a RSD value above 13%, supporting their high potential of discrimination between the tires tested. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was able to fully discriminate the ten tires with the help of the first three principal components. The ten tires were finally used to perform braking tests on a racetrack with a vehicle equipped with an anti-lock braking system. The resulting tire traces were adequately collected using sheets of white gelatine. As for tires, the intravariability for the traces was found to be lower than the intervariability. Clustering methods were carried out and the Ward's method based on the squared Euclidean distance was able to correctly group all of the tire traces

  5. Effects of a long-acting trace mineral rumen bolus supplement on growth performance, metabolic profiles, and trace mineral status of growing camels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alhidary, Ibrahim A; Abdelrahman, Mutassim M; Harron, Raafat M

    2016-04-01

    A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a long-acting trace mineral rumen bolus (TMB) supplement on the productive performance, metabolic profiles, and trace mineral status of growing camels under natural grazing conditions. Fifteen 6-month-old growing male camels (average bodyweight 139.51 ± 26.49 kg) were used in a 150-day trial. Animals were individually housed in a shaded pen and randomly assigned to receive zero (control group, CON), one (TMB1), or two (TMB2) long-acting TMBs. Feed intake was measured weekly, and camels were weighed monthly. Blood samples were collected from all camels on days 1, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 to obtain metabolic profiles. Zinc, selenium, copper, cobalt, and manganese concentrations were determined in the diet, serum, and liver. In comparison with controls, giving camels one TMB increased the average daily gain (14.38%; P camels in the TMB2 group. These data indicate that TMB supplementation has positive effects on the growth performance and trace mineral profiles of camels. Different levels, sources, and synergistic combinations of trace minerals can be used in further studies to elucidate their abilities to increase productive variables as well as their availability and cost to the camel industry.

  6. Sediment trace metal profiles in lakes of Killarney Park, Canada from regional to continental influence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Belzile, Nelson; Chen Yuwei; Gunn, John M.; Dixit, Sushil S.

    2004-01-01

    The lakes in Killarney Provincial Park (KPP) located 40-60 km southwest of Sudbury, Ontario are beginning to recover after decades of being severely affected by acidification and atmospheric pollutants. Detailed profiles of acid-recoverable trace elements (As. Cd, Cu, Co. Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) were obtained after aqua regia digestion and ICP-OES analysis of sediment cores taken from six Park lakes. Results permitted the identification of two types of profiles. The first type applies to elements such as Fe, Mn, As and Co for which historical deposition and recent recovery are strongly masked by diagenetic remobilization. The second type of profile applies to elements such as Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn on which the history of industrialisation in North America and mining activities in Sudbury can be superimposed. Based on sediment data of trace elements less affected by diagenetic remobilization (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn), chemical recovery indices can be estimated from depth profiles. Indices of maximum (C p ) and surface (C s ) contamination were calculated by dividing the concentration of a given metal by the pre-industrial level. The ratio of the two indices provided a simple estimation of the chemical recovery of lakes that does not consider the influence of the watershed or the lake pH. Profiles of metals in sediment of KPP complement the water quality monitoring data and tend to indicate that this area is in transition from dominant influence of regional pollution sources to becoming controlled by continental atmospheric deposition. - Lakes in Killarney Park are in transition from being impacted by regional pollution to being controlled by continental atmospheric deposition

  7. A simple way of characterizing X-ray downwards-deflecting mirror-bender assemblies using the long trace profiler

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Assoufid, L.; Her, P.

    1999-01-01

    A simple device composed of a modular double-pentaprism system that enables the long trace profiler (LTP) to measure mirrors in nonconventional ways, i.e., in the vertical-downward and sideways positions, has been devised and implemented in the Advanced Photon Source (APS) long trace profiler (LTP II). The systems is very useful in calibrating mirror-bender assemblies. This paper describes the system and gives results of measurements performed with it on a mirror used at the APS

  8. Rapid Chemometric X-Ray Fluorescence approaches for spectral Diagnostics of Cancer utilizing Tissue Trace Metals and Speciation profiles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okonda, J.J.

    2015-01-01

    Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectroscopy is an analytical method for identification and quantification of elements in materials by measurement of their spectral energy and intensity. EDXRFS spectroscopic technique involves simultaneous non-invasive acquisition of both fluorescence and scatter spectra from samples for quantitative determination of trace elemental content in complex matrix materials. The objective is develop a chemometric-aided EDXRFS method for rapid diagnosis of cancer and its severity (staging) based on analysis of trace elements (Cu, Zn, Fe, Se and Mn), their speciation and multivariate alterations of the elements in cancerous body tissue samples as cancer biomarkers. The quest for early diagnosis of cancer is based on the fact that early intervention translates to higher survival rate and better quality of life. Chemometric aided EDXRFS cancer diagnostic model has been evaluated as a direct and rapid superior alternative for the traditional quantitative methods used in XRF such as FP method. PCA results of cultured samples indicate that it is possible to characterize cancer at early and late stage of development based on trace elemental profiles

  9. Topographic Correction of GPR Profiles Based on Laser Data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Di; Zhong, Ruofei; Li, Jia Cun; Zeng, Fanyang

    2014-01-01

    Data obtained by GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) are displayed as a continuous cross-sectional profile. Surface, generally, is not flat. As a result, the image becomes distorted and the depth calculated from the surface no longer represents the true and exact position of electrically distinctive layers and objects in materials. In order to get real geologic cross section, GPR data must be corrected. This is paper discusses a new method using the color point cloud data obtained by a Vehicle-borne laser scanning system to compensate for elevation fluctuate. Elevation profile can be extracted from topographic data of survey site acquired using laser scanner, which can then be used to offset the error of GPR data. Through the discrete points in the survey line, each trace of the profile has its own elevation value showing a vertical difference from the reference profile with maximum elevation, then time shifts value of traces vertical offset versus the reference trace of profile can be obtained. At last, the results of topographic correction for radargrams that look extremely like the real geologic cross section are presented, which allows us to get a better profile interpretation and position of the objects and layers in the subsurface

  10. Long-trace profiler for neutron focusing mirrors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Puzyrev, Yevgeniy S.; Ice, Gene E.; Takacs, Peter Z.

    2009-01-01

    A long-trace profiler (LTP) optimized for measuring the shape of large neutron supermirrors has been designed and built. This LTP can measure 1.6 m long mirrors in both vertically and horizontally deflecting geometries, which is essential to achieve best performance from bendable mirrors. The LTP suppresses the influence of angular deviations of the linear-stage carriage during translation with a pentaprism and a cylindrical lens. The stationary optical head and the carriage-mounted pentaprism are precisely aligned to rotate about the optical axis between the two components. This feature allows measurements to be made on mirrors mounted vertically, horizontally or at any angle in between. The LTP software allows for rapid optimization of parameters for dynamically bent elliptical mirrors. Here we describe the motivation for the LTP, the design, and a first application of the LTP to study the effect of gravity on a bent microfocusing neutron supermirror.

  11. Statistically sound evaluation of trace element depth profiles by ion beam analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmid, K.; Toussaint, U. von

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents the underlying physics and statistical models that are used in the newly developed program NRADC for fully automated deconvolution of trace level impurity depth profiles from ion beam data. The program applies Bayesian statistics to find the most probable depth profile given ion beam data measured at different energies and angles for a single sample. Limiting the analysis to % level amounts of material allows one to linearize the forward calculation of ion beam data which greatly improves the computation speed. This allows for the first time to apply the maximum likelihood approach to both the fitting of the experimental data and the determination of confidence intervals of the depth profiles for real world applications. The different steps during the automated deconvolution will be exemplified by applying the program to artificial and real experimental data.

  12. Portable long trace profiler: Concept and solution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qian, Shinan; Takacs, Peter; Sostero, Giovanni; Cocco, Daniele

    2001-08-01

    Since the early development of the penta-prism long trace profiler (LTP) and the in situ LTP, and following the completion of the first in situ distortion profile measurements at Sincrotrone Trieste (ELETTRA) in Italy in 1995, a concept was developed for a compact, portable LTP with the following characteristics: easily installed on synchrotron radiation beam lines, easily carried to different laboratories around the world for measurements and calibration, convenient for use in evaluating the LTP as an in-process tool in the optical workshop, and convenient for use in temporarily installation as required by other special applications. The initial design of a compact LTP optical head was made at ELETTRA in 1995. Since 1997 further efforts to reduce the optical head size and weight, and to improve measurement stability have been made at Brookhaven National Laboratory. This article introduces the following solutions and accomplishments for the portable LTP: (1) a new design for a compact and very stable optical head, (2) the use of a small detector connected to a laptop computer directly via an enhanced parallel port, and there is no extra frame grabber interface and control box, (3) a customized small mechanical slide that uses a compact motor with a connector-sized motor controller, and (4) the use of a laptop computer system. These solutions make the portable LTP able to be packed into two laptop-size cases: one for the computer and one for the rest of the system.

  13. Portable long trace profiler: Concept and solution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qian, Shinan; Takacs, Peter; Sostero, Giovanni; Cocco, Daniele

    2001-01-01

    Since the early development of the penta-prism long trace profiler (LTP) and the in situ LTP, and following the completion of the first in situ distortion profile measurements at Sincrotrone Trieste (ELETTRA) in Italy in 1995, a concept was developed for a compact, portable LTP with the following characteristics: easily installed on synchrotron radiation beam lines, easily carried to different laboratories around the world for measurements and calibration, convenient for use in evaluating the LTP as an in-process tool in the optical workshop, and convenient for use in temporarily installation as required by other special applications. The initial design of a compact LTP optical head was made at ELETTRA in 1995. Since 1997 further efforts to reduce the optical head size and weight, and to improve measurement stability have been made at Brookhaven National Laboratory. This article introduces the following solutions and accomplishments for the portable LTP: (1) a new design for a compact and very stable optical head, (2) the use of a small detector connected to a laptop computer directly via an enhanced parallel port, and there is no extra frame grabber interface and control box, (3) a customized small mechanical slide that uses a compact motor with a connector-sized motor controller, and (4) the use of a laptop computer system. These solutions make the portable LTP able to be packed into two laptop-size cases: one for the computer and one for the rest of the system

  14. Synchrotron radiation and precision mirror metrology with a long trace profiler

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qian, S.; Takacs, P.Z.

    1997-08-01

    The Long Trace Profiler (LTP) is in use at several synchrotron radiation (SR) laboratories throughout the world and by a number of manufacturers who specialize in making grazing incidence mirrors for SR customers. Recent improvements in the design and operation of the LTP system have reduced the slope profile error bar to the level of 0.3 microradians RMS over measurement lengths of 0.5 meter. This corresponds to a height error bar on the order of 20 nanometers. This level of performance allows one to measure with confidence the shape of large cylinders and spheres that have kilometer radii of curvature in the axial direction. The LTP is versatile enough to make measurements of a mirror in the face up, sideways, and face down configurations. The authors will illustrate the versatility of the current version of the instrument, the LTP II, and present results from two new versions of the instrument: the in-situ LTP (ISLTP) and the Vertical Scan LTP (VSLTP). Both of them are based on the penta-prism LTP (ppLTP) principle with a stationary optical head and moving penta-prism. The ISLTP is designed to measure the distortion of high heat load mirrors during actual operation in SR beam lines. The VSLTP is designed to measure the complete 3-dimensional shape of x-ray telescope cylinder mirrors and mandrels in a vertical configuration. Scans are done both in the axial direction and in the azimuthal direction

  15. Investigation on the trace elemental profile of sewage workers in Kolkata, an Indian megacity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rajlaxmi Basu

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Background. Environmental pollution has become a global health risk. Exposure to pollutants at the work place, i.e. occupational exposure, is one of the areas that need immediate attention. The civic drainage workers are exposed to pollutants present in the wastewater they handle and most of them are toxic heavy metals. Exposure to such pollutants may be a health hazard, since it can lead to the imbalance in nutrient elements status.§Design and Methods. In the present study, profiling of trace elements in the blood of drainage worker population from an Indian megacity, Kolkata, was carried out by energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (EDXRF and compared with the control group population of the same area. Results. The elements detected by EDXRF spectrometry include P, S, Cl, K, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Br, and Rb. By using ANOVA with 5% significance level, we observed significant alterations in the trace elements status, iron over loading, selenium deficiency, and in Cu-Zn ratio. Gender specific variations within the same population were also observed. Conclusions. The results indicate that the drainage workers have altered elemental profile in comparison to that of control population.

  16. Determination of trace metals in coastal seawater around Okinawa and its multielement profiling analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Itoh, Akihide; Ishigaki, Teruyuki; Arakaki, Teruo; Yamada, Ayako; Yamaguchi, Mami; Kabe, Noriko

    2009-01-01

    In the present study, trace metals in coastal surface seawater around Okinawa were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) with chelating disk preconcentration. As a result, the concentrations of V, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, Cd, Pb, and U were obtained in the range from 10 μgL -1 to 0.001 μgL -1 for 6 samples. In addition, multielement profiling analyses were carried out using analytical values obtained in order to elucidate the features of trace metals in each coastal sea area. For coastal surface seawater near an urban area, the analytical values for Zn, Cu, Mn, and Pb were higher by more than 10-fold the literature values for open-surface seawater, and those of Cd were also relatively high. Such a trend concerning the multi-element profile was almost similar to the literature values for coastal seawater of the main island of Japan. On the other hand, the analytical values of most elements for coastal surface seawater near a suburb area were in the range from 0.5 to 5 fold, compared to the literature values for open surface seawater. From multielement profiling analyses for nutrient type elements in marine chemistry, it was suggested that the concentrations of Zn and Cd in a coral sea area normalized to literature values for open surface-seawater were higher than those of Ni and Cu. (author)

  17. Modulatory role of vanadium on trace element profile in diethylnitrosamine-induced rat hepatocarcinogenesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chakraborty, A.; Selvaraj, S.; Sudarshan, M.; Dutta, R. K.; Ghugre, S. S.; Chintalapudi, S. N.

    2000-09-01

    Particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) analysis was employed in the present study to investigate the chemopreventive potential of vanadium in influencing trace elemental profile and antioxidant status in chemical carcinogenesis. The elements with Z=15-40 were studied. Data reveal remarkable alterations in elemental composition in the hepatic tissue of diethylnitrosamine (DENA)-induced Sprague-Dawley male rats (intraperitoneal (ip) dose: 200 mg/kg body weight) after four weeks of induction. Several elements like Mn, Cu, Zn, Rb showed large depletion while other elements like Fe, Ca, K, Br showed large enhancement in comparison to that of the normal control animals. These elements compete for binding sites in the cell, change its enzymatic activity and exert direct or indirect action on the carcinogenic process. Supplementary vanadium (0.5 ppm ad libitum in drinking water) has shown effective modulation by alteration in the concentration of trace elements in the tumorigenic tissue ( Pcomposition, antioxidant status in the initiation phase of carcinogenesis and the period of exposure to vanadium. The possibility of selecting vanadium as a therapeutic agent for chemoprevention is discussed in the light of its influence in maintaining trace elemental homeostasis, a parameter of importance in cancer prevention research.

  18. Improving the Automatic Inversion of Digital Alouette/ISIS Ionogram Reflection Traces into Topside Electron Density Profiles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benson, Robert F.; Truhlik, Vladimir; Huang, Xueqin; Wang, Yongli; Bilitza, Dieter

    2012-01-01

    The topside sounders of the International Satellites for Ionospheric Studies (ISIS) program were designed as analog systems. The resulting ionograms were displayed on 35 mm film for analysis by visual inspection. Each of these satellites, launched between 1962 and 1971, produced data for 10 to 20 years. A number of the original telemetry tapes from this large data set have been converted directly into digital records. Software, known as the Topside Ionogram Scalar With True-Height (TOPIST) algorithm, has been produced and used for the automatic inversion of the ionogram reflection traces on more than 100,000 ISIS-2 digital topside ionograms into topside vertical electron density profiles Ne(h). Here we present some topside ionospheric solar cycle variations deduced from the TOPIST database to illustrate the scientific benefit of improving and expanding the topside ionospheric Ne(h) database. The profile improvements will be based on improvements in the TOPIST software motivated by direct comparisons between TOPIST profiles and profiles produced by manual scaling in the early days of the ISIS program. The database expansion will be based on new software designed to overcome limitations in the original digital topside ionogram database caused by difficulties encountered during the analog-to-digital conversion process in the detection of the ionogram frame sync pulse and/or the frequency markers. This improved and expanded TOPIST topside Ne(h) database will greatly enhance investigations into both short- and long-term ionospheric changes, e.g., the observed topside ionospheric responses to magnetic storms, induced by interplanetary magnetic clouds, and solar cycle variations, respectively.

  19. Investigations of trace element profiles in e-waste by EDXRF

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Joseph, Daisy; Polumi; Kale, S.K.

    2010-01-01

    Full text: Electronic waste, e-waste, e-scrap, or Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) which means loosely discarded, surplus, obsolete, or broken electrical or electronic devices is good source of toxins in atmosphere. Environmental groups claim that the informal processing of electronic waste in developing countries causes serious health and pollution problems. Some electronic scrap components, contain contaminants such as lead, cadmium, beryllium, mercury, and brominated flame retardants. Activists claim that even in developed countries recycling and disposal of e-waste may involve significant risk to workers and communities and great care must be taken to avoid unsafe exposure in recycling operations and leaching of material such as heavy metals. Scrap industry and USA EPA officials agree that materials should be managed with caution, but that environmental dangers of unused electronics have been exaggerated by groups which benefit from increased regulation. To solve this debatable issue we have carried out EDXFR of e-waste for trace elemental profile investigations. E-waste from IT industry in the form of powder was analyzed by 109 Cd induced Energy Dispersive X-ray fluorescence. Elements such as Ca, Fe, Br, Sr and Zr were seen. The trace element significance of e-waste and its correlation to environmental toxicity is being looked into

  20. Trace element profiles in modern horse molar enamel as tracers of seasonality: Evidence from micro-XRF, LA-ICP-MS and stable isotope analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Winter, Niels; Goderis, Steven; van Malderen, Stijn; Vanhaecke, Frank; Claeys, Philippe

    2016-04-01

    A combination of laboratory micro-X-ray Fluorescence (μXRF) and stable carbon and oxygen isotope analysis shows that trace element profiles from modern horse molars reveal a seasonal pattern that co-varies with seasonality in the oxygen isotope records of enamel carbonate from the same teeth. A combination of six cheek teeth (premolars and molars) from the same individual yields a seasonal isotope and trace element record of approximately three years recorded during the growth of the molars. This record shows that reproducible measurements of various trace element ratios (e.g., Sr/Ca, Zn/Ca, Fe/Ca, K/Ca and S/Ca) lag the seasonal pattern in oxygen isotope records by 2-3 months. Laser Ablation-ICP-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analysis on a cross-section of the first molar of the same individual is compared to the bench-top tube-excitation μXRF results to test the robustness of the measurements and to compare both methods. Furthermore, trace element (e.g. Sr, Zn, Mg & Ba) profiles perpendicular to the growth direction of the same tooth, as well as profiles parallel to the growth direction are measured with LA-ICP-MS and μXRF to study the internal distribution of trace element ratios in two dimensions. Results of this extensive complementary line-scanning procedure shows the robustness of state of the art laboratory micro-XRF scanning for the measurement of trace elements in bioapatite. The comparison highlights the advantages and disadvantages of both methods for trace element analysis and illustrates their complementarity. Results of internal variation within the teeth shed light on the origins of trace elements in mammal teeth and their potential use for paleo-environmental reconstruction.

  1. New schemes in the adjustment of bendable, elliptical mirrors using a long trace profiler

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rah, S.

    1997-08-01

    The Long Trace Profiler (LTP), an instrument for measuring the slope profile of long X-ray mirrors, has been used for adjusting bendable mirrors. Often an elliptical profile is desired for the mirror surface, since many synchrotron applications involve imaging a point source to a point image. Several techniques have been used in the past for adjusting the profile measured in height or slope of a bendable mirror. Underwood et al. have used collimated X-rays for achieving desired surface shape for bent glass optics. Non linear curve fitting using the simplex algorithm was later used to determine the best fit ellipse to the surface under test. A more recent method uses a combination of least squares polynomial fitting to the measured slope function in order to enable rapid adjustment to the desired shape. The mirror has mechanical adjustments corresponding to the first and second order terms of the desired slope polynomial, which correspond to defocus and coma, respectively. The higher order terms are realized by shaping the width of the mirror to produce the optimal elliptical surface when bent. The difference between desired and measured surface slope profiles allows us to make methodical adjustments to the bendable mirror based on changes in the signs and magnitudes of the polynomial coefficients. This technique gives rapid convergence to the desired shape of the measured surface, even when we have no information about the bender, other than the desired shape of the optical surface. Nonlinear curve fitting can be used at the end of the process for fine adjustments, and to determine the over all best fit parameters of the surface. This technique could be generalized to other shapes such as toroids

  2. Trace-based post-silicon validation for VLSI circuits

    CERN Document Server

    Liu, Xiao

    2014-01-01

    This book first provides a comprehensive coverage of state-of-the-art validation solutions based on real-time signal tracing to guarantee the correctness of VLSI circuits.  The authors discuss several key challenges in post-silicon validation and provide automated solutions that are systematic and cost-effective.  A series of automatic tracing solutions and innovative design for debug (DfD) techniques are described, including techniques for trace signal selection for enhancing visibility of functional errors, a multiplexed signal tracing strategy for improving functional error detection, a tracing solution for debugging electrical errors, an interconnection fabric for increasing data bandwidth and supporting multi-core debug, an interconnection fabric design and optimization technique to increase transfer flexibility and a DfD design and associated tracing solution for improving debug efficiency and expanding tracing window. The solutions presented in this book improve the validation quality of VLSI circuit...

  3. Modulatory role of vanadium on trace element profile in diethylnitrosamine-induced rat hepatocarcinogenesis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chakraborty, A.; Selvaraj, S.; Sudarshan, M.; Dutta, R.K.; Ghugre, S.S.; Chintalapudi, S.N. E-mail: snc@iuccal.ernet.insnc@gamma.iuc.res.in

    2000-09-01

    Particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) analysis was employed in the present study to investigate the chemopreventive potential of vanadium in influencing trace elemental profile and antioxidant status in chemical carcinogenesis. The elements with Z=15-40 were studied. Data reveal remarkable alterations in elemental composition in the hepatic tissue of diethylnitrosamine (DENA)-induced Sprague-Dawley male rats (intraperitoneal (ip) dose: 200 mg/kg body weight) after four weeks of induction. Several elements like Mn, Cu, Zn, Rb showed large depletion while other elements like Fe, Ca, K, Br showed large enhancement in comparison to that of the normal control animals. These elements compete for binding sites in the cell, change its enzymatic activity and exert direct or indirect action on the carcinogenic process. Supplementary vanadium (0.5 ppm ad libitum in drinking water) has shown effective modulation by alteration in the concentration of trace elements in the tumorigenic tissue (P<0.001-0.005). Data reflect a definite correlation between elemental composition, antioxidant status in the initiation phase of carcinogenesis and the period of exposure to vanadium. The possibility of selecting vanadium as a therapeutic agent for chemoprevention is discussed in the light of its influence in maintaining trace elemental homeostasis, a parameter of importance in cancer prevention research.

  4. Upgrade of long trace profiler for characterization of high-precision X-ray mirrors at SPring-8

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Senba, Y.; Kishimoto, H.; Ohashi, H.; Yumoto, H.; Zeschke, T.; Siewert, F.; Goto, S.; Ishikawa, T.

    2010-01-01

    The long trace profiler (LTP) at SPring-8 has been upgraded to improve stability and resolution of slope measurement. The performances of the upgraded LTP at SPring-8 are presented by cross-checking measurements on a flat mirror with data obtained using Nanometer Optical Component Measuring Machine (NOM) at the Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin/BESSY-II.

  5. Conditioning of traced rock section for diffusion profile analyses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dewonck, S.; Auriere, C.

    2010-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. The French National Agency for radioactive waste management investigates for a high-level radioactive waste repository in deep geological formation. The Andra's disposal concept is based notably on the impermeable properties of the host rock barrier (the Callovo-Oxfordian mud-stone of the Eastern Paris Basin). Diffusion is assumed to be the main transport mechanism governing radionuclide migration through argillite. Diffusion properties were measured in situ, in the constrained rock, by experiments taken place at the Andra's Underground Research Laboratory. The diffusion experiments consist in injecting a traced solution as pulse, in a packed-off borehole interval, at a pressure similar of the hydraulic pressure of the rock. After several months of circulation, the traced solution is purged and the downhole equipment is dismantled. With a drilling machine, the overcoring of the rock section around the injection interval is performed to analyze the repartition of the radionuclides in the clay section. Totally new technical developments were necessary to make these tasks possible. This contribution reports on: - the method developed to going up the over-core from the gallery to the surface without damaging the traced clay section and avoiding any contamination of the underground installation by dust particles, - the specific room created to sampling the rock section in diffusion profiles with respect of radioprotection laws. In gallery, the over-core is extracted from the core barrel directly to a metallic box especially built to transport the clay section to the surface. This box is a good confining device avoiding all radioactive contamination of the galleries and the shaft. Moreover, this box made in iron decrease the dose equivalent rate and consecutively it's not necessary to have safety classification to transport the core. When the over-core is in the radioactive cutting room, technicians have

  6. Trace element profiles of the sea anemone Anemonia viridis living nearby a natural CO2 vent

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rael Horwitz

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Ocean acidification (OA is not an isolated threat, but acts in concert with other impacts on ecosystems and species. Coastal marine invertebrates will have to face the synergistic interactions of OA with other global and local stressors. One local factor, common in coastal environments, is trace element contamination. CO2 vent sites are extensively studied in the context of OA and are often considered analogous to the oceans in the next few decades. The CO2 vent found at Levante Bay (Vulcano, NE Sicily, Italy also releases high concentrations of trace elements to its surrounding seawater, and is therefore a unique site to examine the effects of long-term exposure of nearby organisms to high pCO2 and trace element enrichment in situ. The sea anemone Anemonia viridis is prevalent next to the Vulcano vent and does not show signs of trace element poisoning/stress. The aim of our study was to compare A. viridis trace element profiles and compartmentalization between high pCO2 and control environments. Rather than examining whole anemone tissue, we analyzed two different body compartments—the pedal disc and the tentacles, and also examined the distribution of trace elements in the tentacles between the animal and the symbiotic algae. We found dramatic changes in trace element tissue concentrations between the high pCO2/high trace element and control sites, with strong accumulation of iron, lead, copper and cobalt, but decreased concentrations of cadmium, zinc and arsenic proximate to the vent. The pedal disc contained substantially more trace elements than the anemone’s tentacles, suggesting the pedal disc may serve as a detoxification/storage site for excess trace elements. Within the tentacles, the various trace elements displayed different partitioning patterns between animal tissue and algal symbionts. At both sites iron was found primarily in the algae, whereas cadmium, zinc and arsenic were primarily found in the animal tissue. Our data

  7. Trace element profiles of the sea anemone Anemonia viridis living nearby a natural CO2 vent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horwitz, Rael; Borell, Esther M; Fine, Maoz; Shaked, Yeala

    2014-01-01

    Ocean acidification (OA) is not an isolated threat, but acts in concert with other impacts on ecosystems and species. Coastal marine invertebrates will have to face the synergistic interactions of OA with other global and local stressors. One local factor, common in coastal environments, is trace element contamination. CO2 vent sites are extensively studied in the context of OA and are often considered analogous to the oceans in the next few decades. The CO2 vent found at Levante Bay (Vulcano, NE Sicily, Italy) also releases high concentrations of trace elements to its surrounding seawater, and is therefore a unique site to examine the effects of long-term exposure of nearby organisms to high pCO2 and trace element enrichment in situ. The sea anemone Anemonia viridis is prevalent next to the Vulcano vent and does not show signs of trace element poisoning/stress. The aim of our study was to compare A. viridis trace element profiles and compartmentalization between high pCO2 and control environments. Rather than examining whole anemone tissue, we analyzed two different body compartments-the pedal disc and the tentacles, and also examined the distribution of trace elements in the tentacles between the animal and the symbiotic algae. We found dramatic changes in trace element tissue concentrations between the high pCO2/high trace element and control sites, with strong accumulation of iron, lead, copper and cobalt, but decreased concentrations of cadmium, zinc and arsenic proximate to the vent. The pedal disc contained substantially more trace elements than the anemone's tentacles, suggesting the pedal disc may serve as a detoxification/storage site for excess trace elements. Within the tentacles, the various trace elements displayed different partitioning patterns between animal tissue and algal symbionts. At both sites iron was found primarily in the algae, whereas cadmium, zinc and arsenic were primarily found in the animal tissue. Our data suggests that A. viridis

  8. 3-D x-ray mirror metrology with a vertical scanning long trace profiler

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takacs, P.Z.; Li, H.; Li, X.; Grindel, M.W.

    1996-01-01

    The long trace profiler (LTP) was originally developed at Brookhaven National Laboratory for the specific purpose of measuring the surface figure of large cylindrical mirrors used at grazing incidence in synchrotron radiation (SR) beamlines. In its original configuration, it could measure only along one line down the center of the cylinder. A single linear profile is often sufficient to gauge the quality of the optical surface on these kinds of mirrors. For some applications it is necessary to measure the topography of the entire surface, not just along one line but over a grid that covers the entire surface area. We have modified a standard LTP to enable measurement of the complete surface of Wolter telescope optics in a vertical configuration. The vertical scanning LTP (VSLTP) is capable of producing a complete 3-D map of the surface topography errors relative to the ideal desired surface on complete segments of paraboloids and hyperboloids. The instrument uses a penta prism assembly to scan the probe beam in the longitudinal direction parallel to the mirror symmetry axis and uses a precision rotary stage to provide scans in the azimuthal direction. A Risley prism pair and a dove prism are used to orient the probe beam in the proper direction for the azimuthal scans. The repeatability of the prototype instrument is better than 20 nm over trace lengths of 35 mm with a slope measurement accuracy of about 1 microradian. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics

  9. Improving the Automatic Inversion of Digital ISIS-2 Ionogram Reflection Traces into Topside Vertical Electron-Density Profiles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benson, R. F.; Truhlik, V.; Huang, X.; Wang, Y.; Bilitza, D.

    2011-01-01

    The topside-sounders on the four satellites of the International Satellites for Ionospheric Studies (ISIS) program were designed as analog systems. The resulting ionograms were displayed on 35-mm film for analysis by visual inspection. Each of these satellites, launched between 1962 and 1971, produced data for 10 to 20 years. A number of the original telemetry tapes from this large data set have been converted directly into digital records. Software, known as the TOPside Ionogram Scalar with True-height (TOPIST) algorithm has been produced that enables the automatic inversion of ISIS-2 ionogram reflection traces into topside vertical electron-density profiles Ne(h). More than million digital Alouette/ISIS topside ionograms have been produced and over 300,000 are from ISIS 2. Many of these ISIS-2 ionograms correspond to a passive mode of operation for the detection of natural radio emissions and thus do not contain ionospheric reflection traces. TOPIST, however, is not able to produce Ne(h) profiles from all of the ISIS-2 ionograms with reflection traces because some of them did not contain frequency information. This information was missing due to difficulties encountered during the analog-to-digital conversion process in the detection of the ionogram frame-sync pulse and/or the frequency markers. Of the many digital topside ionograms that TOPIST was able to process, over 200 were found where direct comparisons could be made with Ne(h) profiles that were produced by manual scaling in the early days of the ISIS program. While many of these comparisons indicated excellent agreement (inversion process: (1) improve the quality of the digital ionogram database by remedying the missing frequency-information problem when possible, and (2) using the above-mentioned comparisons as teaching examples of how to improve the original TOPIST software.

  10. An automatic scaling method for obtaining the trace and parameters from oblique ionogram based on hybrid genetic algorithm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Huan; Hu, Yaogai; Jiang, Chunhua; Zhou, Chen; Zhao, Zhengyu; Zou, Xianjian

    2016-12-01

    Scaling oblique ionogram plays an important role in obtaining ionospheric structure at the midpoint of oblique sounding path. The paper proposed an automatic scaling method to extract the trace and parameters of oblique ionogram based on hybrid genetic algorithm (HGA). The extracted 10 parameters come from F2 layer and Es layer, such as maximum observation frequency, critical frequency, and virtual height. The method adopts quasi-parabolic (QP) model to describe F2 layer's electron density profile that is used to synthesize trace. And it utilizes secant theorem, Martyn's equivalent path theorem, image processing technology, and echoes' characteristics to determine seven parameters' best fit values, and three parameter's initial values in QP model to set up their searching spaces which are the needed input data of HGA. Then HGA searches the three parameters' best fit values from their searching spaces based on the fitness between the synthesized trace and the real trace. In order to verify the performance of the method, 240 oblique ionograms are scaled and their results are compared with manual scaling results and the inversion results of the corresponding vertical ionograms. The comparison results show that the scaling results are accurate or at least adequate 60-90% of the time.

  11. The retrieval of profile and chemical information from ground-based UV-visible spectroscopic measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schofield, R.; Connor, B.J.; Kreher, K.; Johnston, P.V.; Rodgers, C.D.

    2004-01-01

    An algorithm has been developed to retrieve altitude information at different diurnal stages for trace gas species by combining direct-sun and zenith-sky UV-visible differential slant column density (DSCD) measurements. DSCDs are derived here using differential optical absorption spectroscopy. Combining the complementary zenith-sky measurements (sensitive to the stratosphere) with direct-sun measurements (sensitive to the troposphere) allows this vertical distinction. Trace gas species such as BrO and NO 2 have vertical profiles with strong diurnal dependence. Information about the diurnal variation is simultaneously retrieved with the altitude distribution of the trace gas. The retrieval is a formal optimal estimation profile retrieval, allowing a complete assessment of information content and errors

  12. Fully automated laser ray tracing system to measure changes in the crystalline lens GRIN profile.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, Chen; Maceo Heilman, Bianca; Kaipio, Jari; Donaldson, Paul; Vaghefi, Ehsan

    2017-11-01

    Measuring the lens gradient refractive index (GRIN) accurately and reliably has proven an extremely challenging technical problem. A fully automated laser ray tracing (LRT) system was built to address this issue. The LRT system captures images of multiple laser projections before and after traversing through an ex vivo lens. These LRT images, combined with accurate measurements of the lens geometry, are used to calculate the lens GRIN profile. Mathematically, this is an ill-conditioned problem; hence, it is essential to apply biologically relevant constraints to produce a feasible solution. The lens GRIN measurements were compared with previously published data. Our GRIN retrieval algorithm produces fast and accurate measurements of the lens GRIN profile. Experiments to study the optics of physiologically perturbed lenses are the future direction of this research.

  13. Geometry-invariant GRIN lens: finite ray tracing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bahrami, Mehdi; Goncharov, Alexander V

    2014-11-17

    The refractive index distribution of the geometry-invariant gradient refractive index lens (GIGL) model is derived as a function of Cartesian coordinates. The adjustable external geometry of the GIGL model aims to mimic the shape of the human and animal crystalline lens. The refractive index distribution is based on an adjustable power-law profile, which provides additional flexibility of the model. An analytical method for layer-by-layer finite ray tracing through the GIGL model is developed and used to calculate aberrations of the GIGL model. The result of the finite ray tracing aberrations of the GIGL model are compared to those obtained with paraxial ray tracing. The derived analytical expression for the refractive index distribution can be employed in the reconstruction processes of the eye using the conventional ray tracing methods. The layer-by-layer finite ray tracing approach would be an asset in ray tracing through a modified GIGL model, where the refractive index distribution cannot be described analytically. Using the layer-by-layer finite ray-tracing method, the potential of the GIGL model in representing continuous as well as shell-like layered structures is illustrated and the results for both cases are presented and analysed.

  14. EpiContactTrace: an R-package for contact tracing during livestock disease outbreaks and for risk-based surveillance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nöremark, Maria; Widgren, Stefan

    2014-03-17

    During outbreak of livestock diseases, contact tracing can be an important part of disease control. Animal movements can also be of relevance for risk-based surveillance and sampling, i.e. both when assessing consequences of introduction or likelihood of introduction. In many countries, animal movement data are collected with one of the major objectives to enable contact tracing. However, often an analytical step is needed to retrieve appropriate information for contact tracing or surveillance. In this study, an open source tool was developed to structure livestock movement data to facilitate contact-tracing in real time during disease outbreaks and for input in risk-based surveillance and sampling. The tool, EpiContactTrace, was written in the R-language and uses the network parameters in-degree, out-degree, ingoing contact chain and outgoing contact chain (also called infection chain), which are relevant for forward and backward tracing respectively. The time-frames for backward and forward tracing can be specified independently and search can be done on one farm at a time or for all farms within the dataset. Different outputs are available; datasets with network measures, contacts visualised in a map and automatically generated reports for each farm either in HTML or PDF-format intended for the end-users, i.e. the veterinary authorities, regional disease control officers and field-veterinarians. EpiContactTrace is available as an R-package at the R-project website (http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/EpiContactTrace/). We believe this tool can help in disease control since it rapidly can structure essential contact information from large datasets. The reproducible reports make this tool robust and independent of manual compilation of data. The open source makes it accessible and easily adaptable for different needs.

  15. Tropospheric chemistry over the lower Great Plains of the United States. 2. Trace gas profiles and distributions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luke, Winston T.; Dickerson, Russell R.; Ryan, William F.; Pickering, Kenneth E.; Nunnermacker, Linda J.

    1992-12-01

    Convective clouds and thunderstorms redistribute air pollutants vertically, and by altering the chemistry and radiative balance of the upper troposphere, these local actions can have global consequences. To study these effects, measurements of trace gases ozone, O3, carbon monoxide, CO, and odd nitrogen were made aboard the NCAR Sabreliner on 18 flights over the southern Great Plains during June 1985. To demonstrate chemical changes induced by vertical motions in the atmosphere and to facilitate comparison with computer model calculations, these data were categorized according to synoptic flow patterns. Part 1 of this two-part paper details the alternating pulses of polar and maritime air masses that dominate the vertical mixing in this region. In this paper, trace gas measurements are presented as altitude profiles (0-12 km) with statistical distributions of mixing ratios for each species in each flow pattern. The polar flow regime is characterized by northwesterly winds, subsiding air, and convective stability. Concentrations of CO and total odd nitrogen (NOy) are relatively high in the shallow planetary boundary layer (PBL) but decrease rapidly with altitude. Ozone, on the other hand, is uniformly distributed, suggesting limited photochemical production; in fact, nitric oxide, NO, mixing ratios fell below 10 ppt (parts per 1012 by volume) in the midtroposphere. The maritime regime is characterized by southerly surface winds, convective instability, and a deep PBL; uniformly high concentrations of trace gases were found up to 4 km on one flight. Severe storms occur in maritime flow, especially when capped by a dry layer, and they transport large amounts of CO, O3, and NOy into the upper troposphere. Median NO levels at high altitude exceeded 300 ppt. Lightning produces spikes of NO (but not CO) with mixing ratios sometimes exceeding 1000 ppt. This flow pattern tends to leave the midtroposphere relatively clean with concentrations of trace gases similar to those

  16. Forensic discrimination of copper wire using trace element concentrations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dettman, Joshua R; Cassabaum, Alyssa A; Saunders, Christopher P; Snyder, Deanna L; Buscaglia, JoAnn

    2014-08-19

    Copper may be recovered as evidence in high-profile cases such as thefts and improvised explosive device incidents; comparison of copper samples from the crime scene and those associated with the subject of an investigation can provide probative associative evidence and investigative support. A solution-based inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry method for measuring trace element concentrations in high-purity copper was developed using standard reference materials. The method was evaluated for its ability to use trace element profiles to statistically discriminate between copper samples considering the precision of the measurement and manufacturing processes. The discriminating power was estimated by comparing samples chosen on the basis of the copper refining and production process to represent the within-source (samples expected to be similar) and between-source (samples expected to be different) variability using multivariate parametric- and empirical-based data simulation models with bootstrap resampling. If the false exclusion rate is set to 5%, >90% of the copper samples can be correctly determined to originate from different sources using a parametric-based model and >87% with an empirical-based approach. These results demonstrate the potential utility of the developed method for the comparison of copper samples encountered as forensic evidence.

  17. Convolution based profile fitting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kern, A.; Coelho, A.A.; Cheary, R.W.

    2002-01-01

    Full text: In convolution based profile fitting, profiles are generated by convoluting functions together to form the observed profile shape. For a convolution of 'n' functions this process can be written as, Y(2θ)=F 1 (2θ)x F 2 (2θ)x... x F i (2θ)x....xF n (2θ). In powder diffractometry the functions F i (2θ) can be interpreted as the aberration functions of the diffractometer, but in general any combination of appropriate functions for F i (2θ) may be used in this context. Most direct convolution fitting methods are restricted to combinations of F i (2θ) that can be convoluted analytically (e.g. GSAS) such as Lorentzians, Gaussians, the hat (impulse) function and the exponential function. However, software such as TOPAS is now available that can accurately convolute and refine a wide variety of profile shapes numerically, including user defined profiles, without the need to convolute analytically. Some of the most important advantages of modern convolution based profile fitting are: 1) virtually any peak shape and angle dependence can normally be described using minimal profile parameters in laboratory and synchrotron X-ray data as well as in CW and TOF neutron data. This is possible because numerical convolution and numerical differentiation is used within the refinement procedure so that a wide range of functions can easily be incorporated into the convolution equation; 2) it can use physically based diffractometer models by convoluting the instrument aberration functions. This can be done for most laboratory based X-ray powder diffractometer configurations including conventional divergent beam instruments, parallel beam instruments, and diffractometers used for asymmetric diffraction. It can also accommodate various optical elements (e.g. multilayers and monochromators) and detector systems (e.g. point and position sensitive detectors) and has already been applied to neutron powder diffraction systems (e.g. ANSTO) as well as synchrotron based

  18. A Computer Library for Ray Tracing in Analytical Media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miqueles, Eduardo; Coimbra, Tiago A; Figueiredo, J J S de

    2013-01-01

    Ray tracing technique is an important tool not only for forward but also for inverse problems in Geophysics, which most of the seismic processing steps depends on. However, implementing ray tracing codes can be very time consuming. This article presents a computer library to trace rays in 2.5D media composed by stack of layers. The velocity profile inside each layer is such that the eikonal equation can be analitically solved. Therefore, the ray tracing within such profile is made fast and accurately. The great advantage of an analytical ray tracing library is the numerical precision of the quantities computed and the fast execution of the implemented codes. Although ray tracing programs already exist for a long time, for example the seis package by Cervený, with a numerical approach to compute the ray. Regardless of the fact that numerical methods can solve more general problems, the analytical ones could be part of a more sofisticated simulation process, where the ray tracing time is completely relevant. We demonstrate the feasibility of our codes using numerical examples.

  19. Metal, trace and rare earth element assessment in a sedimentary profile from Itupararanga Reservoir, São Paulo State, Brazil, by NAA

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Silva, Sharlleny A.; Henrique, Heloise A.R., E-mail: shasilva@sp.gov.br [Companhia Ambiental do Estado de São Paulo (ELAI/CETESB), São Paulo, SP (Brazil). Setor de Química Inorgânica; Fávaro, Déborah I.T., E-mail: defavaro@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), São Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2017-07-01

    In the present study the preliminary results for 2 sediment cores from the Itupararanga Reservoir are presented. Instrumental neutron activation analysis was also applied to the sediment samples to determine the total concentration of some metal, trace and rare earth elements. The results obtained were compared to the reference values NASC (North American Shale Composite). The enrichment factor (EF) was applied to the results obtained by using NASC (North American Shale Composite) and the concentration values of the last layer of this profile as reference values for sediment contamination index assessment. The EF calculated with the NASC values presented enrichment for As, Ce, Fe, La, Th and U in the two profiles Nd, Sm Hf and Tb, only present enrichment in the 2{sup nd} campaign. However, with respect to the base of the profile there was no element with enrichment. For semi metal As and for metals Cr and Zn the concentration values were compared to the oriented values from Environmental Canada (TEL and PEL). As and Cr presented values between TEL and PEL and Zn, values below TEL. The distribution pattern of light and heavy REEs was also verified in relation to the normatization of PAAS (Pos Archean Australian Shale). (author)

  20. Profile of Trace Elements in Selected Medicinal Plants Used for the Treatment of Diabetes in Eritrea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sium, Mussie; Kareru, Patrick; Keriko, Joseph; Girmay, Berhane; Medhanie, Ghebrehiwet; Debretsion, Semere

    This study was designed to investigate the profile of certain trace elements having therapeutic properties related to diabetes mellitus. The investigated plants were Aloe camperi , Meriandra dianthera , Lepidium sativum , Brassica nigra, and Nigella sativa . These plants are traditionally used in the management of diabetes in Eritrea. The elemental analysis was conducted using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS) techniques. The accuracy of the methods was verified using in-house reference materials (CRMs) and no significant differences were observed between the measured and certified values. The analysis displayed variable concentrations of the different trace elements including Zn, Cr, V, Mn, and Se in the plants. Moreover, the levels of major elements, such as Mg, Ca, K, Na, and Ba, and heavy metals, such as Fe, Cu, Ni, Co, As, and Pb, were determined and found to be in the permissible limit defined by WHO. Among the plants, Meriandra dianthera showed the highest levels of Mn, Cr, V, and other elements and the values were significantly different ( P < 0.05).

  1. A trace-based model for multiparty contracts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hvitved, Tom; Klaedtke, Felix; Zălinescu, Eugen

    2012-01-01

    In this article we present a model for multiparty contracts in which contract conformance is defned abstractly as a property on traces. A key feature of our model is blame assignment, which means that for a given contract, every breach is attributed to a set of parties. We show that blame...... assignment is compositional by de¿ning contract conjunction and contract disjunction. Moreover, to specify real-world contracts, we introduce the contract speci¿cation language CSL with an operational semantics. We show that each CSL contract has a counterpart in our trace-based model and from...... the operational semantics we derive a run-time monitor. CSL overcomes limitations of previously proposed formalisms for specifying contracts by supporting: (history sensitive and conditional) commitments, parametrised contract templates, relative and absolute temporal constraints, potentially in¿nite contracts...

  2. Efficient reconstruction of dispersive dielectric profiles using time domain reflectometry (TDR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Leidenberger

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available We present a numerical model for time domain reflectometry (TDR signal propagation in dispersive dielectric materials. The numerical probe model is terminated with a parallel circuit, consisting of an ohmic resistor and an ideal capacitance. We derive analytical approximations for the capacitance, the inductance and the conductance of three-wire probes. We couple the time domain model with global optimization in order to reconstruct water content profiles from TDR traces. For efficiently solving the inverse problem we use genetic algorithms combined with a hierarchical parameterization. We investigate the performance of the method by reconstructing synthetically generated profiles. The algorithm is then applied to retrieve dielectric profiles from TDR traces measured in the field. We succeed in reconstructing dielectric and ohmic profiles where conventional methods, based on travel time extraction, fail.

  3. Offset Trace-Based Video Quality Evaluation Network Transport

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Seeling, P.; Reisslein, M.; Fitzek, Frank

    2006-01-01

    Video traces contain information about encoded video frames, such as frame sizes and qualities, and provide a convenient method to conduct multimedia networking research. Although wiedely used in networking research, these traces do not allow to determine the video qaulityin an accurate manner...... after networking transport that includes losses and delays. In this work, we provide (i) an overview of frame dependencies that have to be taken into consideration when working with video traces, (ii) an algorithmic approach to combine traditional video traces and offset distortion traces to determine...... the video quality or distortion after lossy network transport, (iii) offset distortion and quality characteristics and (iv) the offset distortion trace format and tools to create offset distortion traces....

  4. New twist in the optical schematic of surface slope measuring long trace profiler

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nikitin, Sergey M.; Gevorkyan, Gevork S.; McKinney, Wayne R.; Lacey, Ian; Takacs, Peter Z.; Yashchuk, Valeriy V.

    2017-09-01

    The advents of fully coherent free electron lasers and diffraction limited synchrotron storage ring sources of x-rays are catalyzing the development of new, ultra-high accuracy metrology methods. To fully exploit the potential of these sources, metrology needs to be capable of determining the figure of an optical element with sub-nanometer height accuracy. Currently, the two most prevalent slope measuring instruments used for characterization of x-ray optics are the auto-collimator based nanometer optical measuring device (NOM) and the long trace profiler (LTP) using pencil beam interferometry (PBI). These devices have been consistently improved upon by the x-ray optics metrology community, but appear to be approaching their metrological limits. Here, we revise the traditional optical schematic of the LTP. We experimentally show that, for the level of accuracy desired for metrology with state-of-the-art x-ray optics, the Dove prism in the LTP reference channel appears to be one of the major sources of instrumental error. Therefore, we suggest returning back to the original PBI LTP schematics with no Dove prism in the reference channel. In this case, the optimal scanning strategies [Yashchuk, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 80, 115101 (2009)] used to suppress the instrumental drift error have to be used to suppress a possible drift error associated with laser beam pointing instability. We experimentally and by numerical simulation demonstrate the usefulness of the suggested approach for measurements with x-ray optics with both face up and face down orientations.

  5. Planar Laser-Based QEPAS Trace Gas Sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yufei Ma

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available A novel quartz enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS trace gas detection scheme is reported in this paper. A cylindrical lens was employed for near-infrared laser focusing. The laser beam was shaped as a planar line laser between the gap of the quartz tuning fork (QTF prongs. Compared with a spherical lens-based QEPAS sensor, the cylindrical lens-based QEPAS sensor has the advantages of easier laser beam alignment and a reduction of stringent stability requirements. Therefore, the reported approach is useful in long-term and continuous sensor operation.

  6. Determination of trace impurities in iron-based alloy using neutron activation analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zaidi, J.H.; Waheed, S.; Ahmad, S.

    2000-01-01

    A radiochemical neutron activation analysis procedure has been developed and applied to investigate 40 major, minor, and trace impurities in iron-based alloy. A comparison of RNAA and INAA indicated a significant improvement in the detection limits. The extensive use of these alloys in the heavy mechanical industry, manufacturing of aircraft engines, nuclear applications, medical devices and chemical equipment requires their precise characterization. The concentration of iron in the iron-based alloy was found to be 86.7%, whereas Ca, Cr, K, Mg, Mn, V and W were the other constituents of the alloy, which constituted to around 12.89%. The rest of the elements were present in minor or trace levels. Most of the rare earth elements were also present in trace amounts. (orig.)

  7. Comparison of slope and height profiles for flat synchrotron x-ray mirrors measured with a long trace profiler and a Fizeau interferometer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qian, J.; Assoufid, L.; Macrander, A.

    2007-01-01

    Long trace profilers (LTPS) have been used at many synchrotron radiation laboratories worldwide for over a decade to measure surface slope profiles of long grazing incidence x-ray mirrors. Phase measuring interferometers (PMIs) of the Fizeau type, on the other hand, are being used by most mirror manufacturers to accomplish the same task. However, large mirrors whose dimensions exceed the aperture of the Fizeau interferometer require measurements to be carried out at grazing incidence, and aspheric optics require the use of a null lens. While an LTP provides a direct measurement of ID slope profiles, PMIs measure area height profiles from which the slope can be obtained by a differentiation algorithm. Measurements of the two types of instruments have been found by us to be in good agreement, but to our knowledge there is no published work directly comparing the two instruments. This paper documents that comparison. We measured two different nominally flat mirrors with both the LTP in operation at the Advanced Photon Source (a type-II LTP) and a Fizeau-type PMI interferometer (Wyko model 6000). One mirror was 500 mm long and made of Zerodur, and the other mirror was 350 mm long and made of silicon. Slope error results with these instruments agree within nearly 100% (3.11 ± 0.15 (micro)rad for the LTP, and 3.11 ± 0.02 (micro)rad for the Fizeau PMI interferometer) for the medium quality Zerodur mirror with 3 (micro)rad rms nominal slope error. A significant difference was observed with the much higher quality silicon mirror. For the Si mirror, slope error data is 0.39 ± 0.08 (micro)rad from LTP measurements but it is 0.35 ± 0.01 (micro)rad from PMI interferometer measurements. The standard deviations show that the Fizeau PMI interferometer has much better measurement repeatability.

  8. Neutron transport study based on assembly modular ray tracing MOC method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tian Chao; Zheng Youqi; Li Yunzhao; Li Shuo; Chai Xiaoming

    2015-01-01

    It is difficulty for the MOC method based on Cell Modular Ray Tracing to deal with the irregular geometry such as the water gap between the PWR lattices. Hence, the neutron transport code NECP-Medlar based on Assembly Modular Ray Tracing is developed. CMFD method is used to accelerate the transport calculation. The numerical results of the 2D C5G7 benchmark and typical PWR lattice prove that NECP-Medlar has an excellent performance in terms of accuracy and efficiency. Besides, NECP-Medlar can describe clearly the flux distribution of the lattice with water gap. (authors)

  9. Real time ray tracing based on shader

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gui, JiangHeng; Li, Min

    2017-07-01

    Ray tracing is a rendering algorithm for generating an image through tracing lights into an image plane, it can simulate complicate optical phenomenon like refraction, depth of field and motion blur. Compared with rasterization, ray tracing can achieve more realistic rendering result, however with greater computational cost, simple scene rendering can consume tons of time. With the GPU's performance improvement and the advent of programmable rendering pipeline, complicated algorithm can also be implemented directly on shader. So, this paper proposes a new method that implement ray tracing directly on fragment shader, mainly include: surface intersection, importance sampling and progressive rendering. With the help of GPU's powerful throughput capability, it can implement real time rendering of simple scene.

  10. The Effectiveness of Trace DNA Profiling-A Comparison Between a U.S. and a U.K. Law Enforcement Jurisdiction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bond, John W; Weart, Jocelyn R

    2017-05-01

    Recovery, profiling, and speculative searching of trace DNA (not attributable to a body fluid/cell type) over a twelve-month period in a U.S. Crime Laboratory and U.K. police force are compared. Results show greater numbers of U.S. firearm-related items submitted for analysis compared with the U.K., where greatest numbers were submitted from burglary or vehicle offenses. U.S. multiple recovery techniques (double swabbing) occurred mainly during laboratory examination, whereas the majority of U.K. multiple recovery techniques occurred at the scene. No statistical difference was observed for useful profiles from single or multiple recovery. Database loading of interpretable profiles was most successful for U.K. items related to burglary or vehicle offenses. Database associations (matches) represented 7.0% of all U.S. items and 13.1% of all U.K. items. The U.K. strategy for burglary and vehicle examination demonstrated that careful selection of both items and sampling techniques is crucial to obtaining the observed results. © 2016 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  11. Trace and ultratrace level elemental and speciation analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arunachalam, J.

    2012-01-01

    Accurate determination of elements present at parts per million and billion levels in various matrices is a growing requirement in different fields. In environmental sciences various trace elements need to be analyzed so as establish the dispersal models of pollutants or the adequacy of effluent treatment prior to discharge into water bodies. The issues of bioaccumulation and magnification are important in aquatic systems. In nutrition and biochemistry one has to establish the bio-availability of essential and toxic elemental species as toxic elements prevent assimilation of essential elements. Fission and fusion technologies use a variety of structural materials requiring many trace elements to be present at levels strictly below the specified levels. Ultra-pure bulk semiconductor materials are required for fabrication devices. In metallurgy and materials sciences too, various trace elements are known to influence the properties. In the emerging fields like nanotechnology, it is necessary to understand the passage and accumulation of nano-particles inside the cells, through trace analysis. Many analytical techniques exist which can provide the concentration information in the bulk materials with good accuracy. They include ICP-AES, FAAS, and ICP-MS, which are solution based techniques. Direct solid state analytical techniques are Glow Discharge Mass Spectrometry (GDMS) and XRF. Accelerator based ion-beam analysis techniques can provide information on concentration and depth profiles of different elements in layered structures. Hyphenated techniques such as HPLC/lC-ICPMS, are helpful in identifying various chemical oxidation states in which a given element might be present in a matrix, which is termed as speciation analysis. This presentation will include the existing analytical competencies and the laboratory requirements for trace and ultra trace element elemental and speciation analyses and their applications. (author)

  12. Electricity transmission pricing: Tracing based point-of-connection tariff

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abhyankar, A.R.; Khaparde, S.A.

    2009-01-01

    Point-of-connection (POC) scheme of transmission pricing in decentralized markets charges the participants a single rate per MW depending on their point-of-connection. Use of grossly aggregated postage stamp rates as POC charges fails to provide appropriate price signals. The POC tariff based on distribution of network sunk costs by employing conventional tracing assures recovery of sunk costs based on extent of use of network by participants. However, the POC tariff by this method does not accommodate economically efficient price signals which correspond to marginal costs. On the other hand, the POC tariff, if made proportional to marginal costs alone, fails to account for sunk costs and extent of use of network. This paper overcomes these lacunae by combining the above stated desired objectives under the recently proposed optimal tracing framework. Since real power tracing problem is amenable to multiple solutions, it is formulated as linearly constrained optimization problem. By employing this methodology, consideration of extent of network use and sunk cost recovery are guaranteed, while objective function is designed such that the spatial pattern of price signals closely follows the pattern of scaled locational marginal prices. The methodology is tested on IEEE 30 bus system, wherein average power flow pattern is established by running various simulation states on congested and un-congested network conditions. (author)

  13. Stratospheric NO2 vertical profile retrieved from ground-based Zenith-Sky DOAS observations at Kiruna, Sweden

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Myojeong; Enell, Carl-Fredrik; Hendrick, François; Pukite, Janis; Van Roozendael, Michel; Platt, Ulrich; Raffalski, Uwe; Wagner, Thomas

    2014-05-01

    Stratospheric NO2 destroys ozone and acts as a buffer against halogen-catalyzed ozone loss through the formation of reservoir species (ClONO2, BrONO2). Since the importance of both mechanisms depends on the altitude, the investigation of stratospheric NO2 vertical distribution can provide more insight into the role of nitrogen compounds in the destruction of ozone. Here we present stratospheric NO2 vertical profiles retrieved from twilight ground-based zenith-sky DOAS observations at Kiruna, Sweden (68.84°N, 20.41°E) covering 1997 - 2013 periods. This instrument observes zenith scattered sunlight. The sensitivity for stratospheric trace gases is highest during twilight due to the maximum altitude of the scattering profile and the light path through the stratosphere, which vary with the solar zenith angle. The profiling algorithm, based on the Optimal Estimation Method, has been developed by IASB-BIRA and successfully applied at other stations (Hendrick et al., 2004). The basic principle behind this profiling approach is that during twilight, the mean Rayleigh scattering altitude scans the stratosphere rapidly, providing height-resolved information on the absorption by stratospheric NO2. In this study, the long-term evolution of the stratospheric NO2 profile at polar latitude will be investigated. Hendrick, F., B. Barret, M. Van Roozendael, H. Boesch, A. Butz, M. De Mazière, F. Goutail, C. Hermans, J.-C. Lambert, K. Pfeilsticker, and J.-P. Pommereau, Retrieval of nitrogen dioxide stratospheric profiles from ground-based zenith-sky UV-visible observations: Validation of the technique through correlative comparisons, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 4, 2091-2106, 2004

  14. Efficiency and Privacy Enhancement for a Track and Trace System of RFID-Based Supply Chains

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xunjun Chen

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available One of the major applications of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID technology is in supply chain management as it promises to provide real-time visibility based on the function of track and trace. However, such an RFID-based track and trace system raises new security and privacy challenges due to the restricted resource of tags. In this paper, we refine three privacy related models (i.e., the privacy, path unlinkability, and tag unlinkability of RFID-based track and trace systems, and clarify the relations among these privacy models. Specifically, we have proven that privacy is equivalent to path unlinkability and tag unlinkability implies privacy. Our results simplify the privacy concept and protocol design for RFID-based track and trace systems. Furthermore, we propose an efficient track and trace scheme, Tracker+, which allows for authentic and private identification of RFID-tagged objects in supply chains. In the Tracker+, no computational ability is required for tags, but only a few bytes of storage (such as EPC Class 1 Gen 2 tags are needed to store the tag state. Indeed, Tracker+ reduces the memory requirements for each tag by one group element compared to the Tracker presented in other literature. Moreover, Tracker+ provides privacy against supply chain inside attacks.

  15. Urban Intersection Recognition and Construction Based on Big Trace Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    TANG Luliang

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Intersection is an important part of the generation and renewal of urban traffic network. In this paper, a new method was proposed to detect urban intersections automatically from the spatiotemporal big trace data. Firstly, the turning point pairs were based on tracking the trace data collected by vehicles. Secondly, different types of turning point pairs were clustered by using spatial growing clustering method based on angle and distance differences, and the clustering methods of local connectivity was used to recognize the intersection. Finally, the intersection structure of multi-level road network was constructed with the range of the intersection and turning point pairs. Taking the taxi trajectory data in Wuhan city as an example, the experimental results showed that the method proposed in this paper can automatically detect and recognize the road intersection and its structure.

  16. A trace display and editing program for data from fluorescence based sequencing machines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gleeson, T; Hillier, L

    1991-12-11

    'Ted' (Trace editor) is a graphical editor for sequence and trace data from automated fluorescence sequencing machines. It provides facilities for viewing sequence and trace data (in top or bottom strand orientation), for editing the base sequence, for automated or manual trimming of the head (vector) and tail (uncertain data) from the sequence, for vertical and horizontal trace scaling, for keeping a history of sequence editing, and for output of the edited sequence. Ted has been used extensively in the C.elegans genome sequencing project, both as a stand-alone program and integrated into the Staden sequence assembly package, and has greatly aided in the efficiency and accuracy of sequence editing. It runs in the X windows environment on Sun workstations and is available from the authors. Ted currently supports sequence and trace data from the ABI 373A and Pharmacia A.L.F. sequencers.

  17. Metrology of variable-line-spacing x-ray gratings using the APS Long Trace Profiler

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheung, Janet; Qian, Jun; Sullivan, Joseph; Thomasset, Muriel; Manton, Jonathan; Bean, Sunil; Takacs, Peter; Dvorak, Joseph; Assoufid, Lahsen

    2017-09-01

    As resolving power targets have increased with each generation of beamlines commissioned in synchrotron radiation facilities worldwide, diffraction gratings are quickly becoming crucial optical components for meeting performance targets. However, the metrology of variable-line-spacing (VLS) gratings for high resolution beamlines is not widespread; in particular, no metrology facility at any US DOE facility is currently equipped to fully characterize such gratings. To begin to address this issue, the Optics Group at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne, in collaboration with SOLEIL and with support from Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), has developed an alternative beam path addition to the Long Trace Profiler (LTP) at Argonne's Advanced Photon Source. This significantly expands the functionality of the LTP not only to measure mirrors surface slope profile at normal incidence, but also to characterize the groove density of VLS diffraction gratings in the Littrow incidence up to 79°, which covers virtually all diffraction gratings used at synchrotrons in the first order. The LTP light source is a 20mW HeNe laser, which yields enough signal for diffraction measurements to be performed on low angle blazed gratings optimized for soft X-ray wavelengths. We will present the design of the beam path, technical requirements for the optomechanics, and our data analysis procedure. Finally, we discuss challenges still to be overcome and potential limitations with use of the LTP to perform metrology on diffraction gratings.

  18. A trace ratio maximization approach to multiple kernel-based dimensionality reduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Wenhao; Chung, Fu-lai

    2014-01-01

    Most dimensionality reduction techniques are based on one metric or one kernel, hence it is necessary to select an appropriate kernel for kernel-based dimensionality reduction. Multiple kernel learning for dimensionality reduction (MKL-DR) has been recently proposed to learn a kernel from a set of base kernels which are seen as different descriptions of data. As MKL-DR does not involve regularization, it might be ill-posed under some conditions and consequently its applications are hindered. This paper proposes a multiple kernel learning framework for dimensionality reduction based on regularized trace ratio, termed as MKL-TR. Our method aims at learning a transformation into a space of lower dimension and a corresponding kernel from the given base kernels among which some may not be suitable for the given data. The solutions for the proposed framework can be found based on trace ratio maximization. The experimental results demonstrate its effectiveness in benchmark datasets, which include text, image and sound datasets, for supervised, unsupervised as well as semi-supervised settings. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Trace element studies at University of Pittsburgh

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cohen, B.L.; Chan, K.C.; Shabason, L.; Wedberg, G.; Rudolph, H.

    1974-01-01

    Seven areas of research are discussed. A method was developed for analyzing samples for their major constituent elements by irradiating with protons and detecting prompt gamma rays, mostly produced in (p,p'γ) reactions. Among other applications, the method was used to analyze air particulates for C, N, O, Al, Si, S, Co, and Fe. Trace element analysis by proton or alpha particle induced x-ray fluorescence was used on thin samples in a study of the variations of Pb, Br, Fe, and Zn in air particulates as a function of time. Among other applications this method was also used in studying trace elements in rainwater. An x-ray fluorescence method that is effective in the analysis of thick samples was developed. A method based on measuring energies of elastically scattered protons was developed for the analysis of light elements. The use of proton and neutron activation analyses, as well as methods for studying depth profiles for hydrogen and helium in materials are discussed

  20. Trace Elements Profile among Alcohol Abusers in a Nigerian ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This showed that Mn, Fe and Cu were significantly increased while Zn was reduced significantly in alcohol abusers when compared with the control group of total abstainers. Excessive consumption of burukutu seems to significantly alter the trace elements status in abusers. Duration of intake and excessive use of burukutu ...

  1. Usage of ray tracing transfer matrix to mitigate the stray light for ITER spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kajita, S.; Veshchev, E.; Barnsley, R.; Walsh, M.

    2016-01-01

    Stray light formed by the reflection of photons on inner wall from a bright divertor region can be a serious issue in spectroscopic measurement systems in ITER. In this study, we propose a method to mitigate the influence of stray light using a ray tracing analysis. Usually, a ray tracing simulation requires a time consuming runs. We constructed transfer matrices based on the ray tracing simulation results and used them to demonstrate the influence of stray light. It is shown that the transfer matrix can be used to reconstruct the emission profile by considering the influence of the stray light without any additional ray tracing runs. Mitigation of the stray light in ITER divertor impurity monitor was demonstrated, and a method of prediction of the stray light level for the scrape off layer spectroscopy from divertor region was proposed. (copyright 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  2. Recent trends in nanomaterial-based microanalytical systems for the speciation of trace elements: A critical review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tseng, Wei-Chang; Hsu, Keng-Chang; Shiea, Christopher Stephen; Huang, Yeou-Lih

    2015-07-16

    Trace element speciation in biomedical and environmental science has gained increasing attention over the past decade as researchers have begun to realize its importance in toxicological studies. Several nanomaterials, including titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nano-TiO2), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), have been used as sorbents to separate and preconcentrate trace element species prior to detection through mass spectrometry or optical spectroscopy. Recently, these nanomaterial-based speciation techniques have been integrated with microfluidics to minimize sample and reagent consumption and simplify analyses. This review provides a critical look into the present state and recent applications of nanomaterial-based microanalytical systems in the speciation of trace elements. The adsorption and preconcentration efficiencies, sample volume requirements, and detection limits of these nanomaterial-based speciation techniques are detailed, and their applications in environmental and biological analyses are discussed. Current perspectives and future trends into the increasing use of nanomaterial-based microfluidic techniques for trace element speciation are highlighted. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. SYSTEMATIC ERROR REDUCTION: NON-TILTED REFERENCE BEAM METHOD FOR LONG TRACE PROFILER

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    QIAN, S.; QIAN, K.; HONG, Y.; SENG, L.; HO, T.; TAKACS, P.

    2007-01-01

    Systematic error in the Long Trace Profiler (LTP) has become the major error source as measurement accuracy enters the nanoradian and nanometer regime. Great efforts have been made to reduce the systematic error at a number of synchrotron radiation laboratories around the world. Generally, the LTP reference beam has to be tilted away from the optical axis in order to avoid fringe overlap between the sample and reference beams. However, a tilted reference beam will result in considerable systematic error due to optical system imperfections, which is difficult to correct. Six methods of implementing a non-tilted reference beam in the LTP are introduced: (1) application of an external precision angle device to measure and remove slide pitch error without a reference beam, (2) independent slide pitch test by use of not tilted reference beam, (3) non-tilted reference test combined with tilted sample, (4) penta-prism scanning mode without a reference beam correction, (5) non-tilted reference using a second optical head, and (6) alternate switching of data acquisition between the sample and reference beams. With a non-tilted reference method, the measurement accuracy can be improved significantly. Some measurement results are presented. Systematic error in the sample beam arm is not addressed in this paper and should be treated separately

  4. Compendium of NASA data base for the global tropospheric experiment's Transport and Atmospheric Chemistry Near the Equator-Atlantic (TRACE-A)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gregory, Gerald L.; Scott, A. Donald, Jr.

    1995-01-01

    This compendium describes aircraft data that are available from NASA's Transport and Atmospheric Chemistry near the Equator - Atlantic (TRACE-A) conducted in September/October 1992. The broad objectives of TRACE-A were to study chemical processes and long-range transport associated with South American and African continental outflow during periods of widespread vegetation burning, and to understand the ozone enhancements observed from satellite data measured over the southern tropical Atlantic Ocean during the September/October time period. Flight experiments were conducted from Brazil, South Africa, Namibia, and the Ascension Island. This document provides a representation of aircraft data that are available from NASA Langley's Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC). The data format of time series and altitude profile plots is not intended to support original analyses, but to assist the reader in identifying data that are of interest. This compendium is for only the NASA aircraft data. The DAAC data base includes numerous supporting data-meteorological products, results from surface studies, satellite observations, and data from sonde releases.

  5. Application of micro-PIXE analysis to investigate trace elements in deciduous teeth enamel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Igari, K.; Takahashi, A.; Ando, H.

    2010-01-01

    The early life environment has widespread consequences for later health and disease. To prevent the disease in later life, the assessment of fetal environment is very important. In Japan, birthweight has fallen rapidly during recent two decades. The reduction of birthweight represents reduced fetal nutrition. Deciduous tooth enamel contains pre- and postnatal enamel and its chemical composition reflects the status of metabolism of trace elements during formation period. Deciduous tooth enamel is considered to be a suitable indicator of trace elements exposure in utero. We applied micro-PIXE analysis to investigate the trace elemental content in deciduous tooth enamel. Two deciduous canines from one healthy Japanese boy were used for this study. The enamel section including pre- and postnatal enamel was prepared for micro-PIXE analysis. Five trace elements (Na, Mg, Cl, Zn, and Sr) were detected in the scanning area of tooth. The distribution profiles of 5 elements were obtained as X-ray maps. The distribution profiles of zinc and chlorine were specific, and showed higher concentration in surface enamel. No elements showed different profiles of X-ray maps between pre- and postnatal enamel in this sample. The results of this study suggested that micro-PIXE analysis would be able to estimate the trace elements in prenatal and postnatal enamel, respectively. (author)

  6. Measurement-based performance profiles and dynamics of UDT over dedicated connections

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Foster, Ian [University of Chicago; Kettimuthu, R. [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL); Wu, Qishi [University of Memphis; Yun, Daqing [Harrisburg University; Rao, Nageswara S. [ORNL; Liu, Qiang [ORNL

    2016-11-01

    Wide-area data transfers in high-performance computing and big data scenarios are increasingly being carried over dedicated network connections that provide high capacities at low loss rates. UDP-based transport protocols are expected to be particularly well-suited for such transfers but their performance is relatively unexplored over a wide range of connection lengths, compared to TCP over shared connections. We present extensive throughput measurements of UDP-based Data Transfer (UDT) over a suite of physical and emulated 10 Gbps connections. In sharp contrast to current UDT analytical models, these measurements indicate much more complex throughput dynamics that are sensitive to the connection modality, protocol parameters, and round-trip times. Lyapunov exponents estimated from the Poincare maps of UDT traces clearly indicate regions of instability and complex dynamics. We propose a simple model based on the ramp-up and sustainment regimes of a generic transport protocol, which qualitatively illustrates the dominant monotonicity and concavity properties of throughput profiles and relates them to Lyapunov exponents. These measurements and analytical results together enable us to comprehensively evaluate UDT performance and select parameters to achieve high throughput, and they also provide guidelines for designing effective transport protocols for dedicated connections.

  7. Network-based analysis of proteomic profiles

    KAUST Repository

    Wong, Limsoon

    2016-01-26

    Mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics is a widely used and powerful tool for profiling systems-wide protein expression changes. It can be applied for various purposes, e.g. biomarker discovery in diseases and study of drug responses. Although RNA-based high-throughput methods have been useful in providing glimpses into the underlying molecular processes, the evidences they provide are indirect. Furthermore, RNA and corresponding protein levels have been known to have poor correlation. On the other hand, MS-based proteomics tend to have consistency issues (poor reproducibility and inter-sample agreement) and coverage issues (inability to detect the entire proteome) that need to be urgently addressed. In this talk, I will discuss how these issues can be addressed by proteomic profile analysis techniques that use biological networks (especially protein complexes) as the biological context. In particular, I will describe several techniques that we have been developing for network-based analysis of proteomics profile. And I will present evidence that these techniques are useful in identifying proteomics-profile analysis results that are more consistent, more reproducible, and more biologically coherent, and that these techniques allow expansion of the detected proteome to uncover and/or discover novel proteins.

  8. Proteome Profiling Outperforms Transcriptome Profiling for Coexpression Based Gene Function Prediction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Jing; Ma, Zihao; Carr, Steven A.; Mertins, Philipp; Zhang, Hui; Zhang, Zhen; Chan, Daniel W.; Ellis, Matthew J. C.; Townsend, R. Reid; Smith, Richard D.; McDermott, Jason E.; Chen, Xian; Paulovich, Amanda G.; Boja, Emily S.; Mesri, Mehdi; Kinsinger, Christopher R.; Rodriguez, Henry; Rodland, Karin D.; Liebler, Daniel C.; Zhang, Bing

    2016-11-11

    Coexpression of mRNAs under multiple conditions is commonly used to infer cofunctionality of their gene products despite well-known limitations of this “guilt-by-association” (GBA) approach. Recent advancements in mass spectrometry-based proteomic technologies have enabled global expression profiling at the protein level; however, whether proteome profiling data can outperform transcriptome profiling data for coexpression based gene function prediction has not been systematically investigated. Here, we address this question by constructing and analyzing mRNA and protein coexpression networks for three cancer types with matched mRNA and protein profiling data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC). Our analyses revealed a marked difference in wiring between the mRNA and protein coexpression networks. Whereas protein coexpression was driven primarily by functional similarity between coexpressed genes, mRNA coexpression was driven by both cofunction and chromosomal colocalization of the genes. Functionally coherent mRNA modules were more likely to have their edges preserved in corresponding protein networks than functionally incoherent mRNA modules. Proteomic data strengthened the link between gene expression and function for at least 75% of Gene Ontology (GO) biological processes and 90% of KEGG pathways. A web application Gene2Net (http://cptac.gene2net.org) developed based on the three protein coexpression networks revealed novel gene-function relationships, such as linking ERBB2 (HER2) to lipid biosynthetic process in breast cancer, identifying PLG as a new gene involved in complement activation, and identifying AEBP1 as a new epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) marker. Our results demonstrate that proteome profiling outperforms transcriptome profiling for coexpression based gene function prediction. Proteomics should be integrated if not preferred in gene function and human disease studies

  9. ICRF power-deposition profiles and heating in monster sawtooth and peaked-density profile discharges in JET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bhatnagar, V.P.; Taroni, A.; Ellis, J.J.; Jacquinot, J.; Stuart, D.F.

    1989-01-01

    In this paper, we compare experimental results of electron and ion-heating in discharges that feature monster sawtooth with those in pellet-produced peaked-density profile discharges which were heated with ICRF. Also we carry out a comprehensive analysis of ICRF-heated peaked-density profile discharges by a transport code to simulate the evolution of JET discharges and to provide an insight into the improved heating and confinement found in these discharges. In this analysis, the ICRF power-deposition profile in the minority-heating scenario is computed by the ray-tracing code BRAYCO that self-consistently takes the finite antenna geometry, its radiation spectrum and the hot-plasma damping into account. The power delivered to ions and electrons is calculated based on Stix model. (author) 10 refs., 5 figs

  10. Recovery of Trace DNA on Clothing: A Comparison of Mini-tape Lifting and Three Other Forensic Evidence Collection Techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hess, Sabine; Haas, Cordula

    2017-01-01

    Trace DNA is often found in forensic science investigations. Experience has shown that it is difficult to retrieve a DNA profile when trace DNA is collected from clothing. The aim of this study was to compare four different DNA collection techniques on six different types of clothing in order to determine the best trace DNA recovery method. The classical stain recovery technique using a wet cotton swab was tested against dry swabbing, scraping and a new method, referred to as the mini-tape lifting technique. Physical contact was simulated with three different "perpetrators" on 18 machine-washed garments. DNA was collected with the four different DNA recovery methods and subjected to standard PCR-based DNA profiling. The comparison of STR results showed best results for the mini-tape lifting and scraping methods independent of the type of clothing. The new mini-tape lifting technique proved to be an easy and reliable DNA collection method for textiles. © 2016 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  11. Photoacoustic Techniques for Trace Gas Sensing Based on Semiconductor Laser Sources

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vincenzo Spagnolo

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available The paper provides an overview on the use of photoacoustic sensors based on semiconductor laser sources for the detection of trace gases. We review the results obtained using standard, differential and quartz enhanced photoacoustic techniques.

  12. Generalised tally-based decoders for traitor tracing and group testing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Skoric, B.; de Groot, W.

    2015-01-01

    We propose a new type of score function for Tardos traitor tracing codes. It is related to the recently introduced tally-based score function, but it utilizes more of the information available to the decoder. It does this by keeping track of sequences of symbols in the distributed codewords instead

  13. HMM based automated wheelchair navigation using EOG traces in EEG

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aziz, Fayeem; Arof, Hamzah; Mokhtar, Norrima; Mubin, Marizan

    2014-10-01

    This paper presents a wheelchair navigation system based on a hidden Markov model (HMM), which we developed to assist those with restricted mobility. The semi-autonomous system is equipped with obstacle/collision avoidance sensors and it takes the electrooculography (EOG) signal traces from the user as commands to maneuver the wheelchair. The EOG traces originate from eyeball and eyelid movements and they are embedded in EEG signals collected from the scalp of the user at three different locations. Features extracted from the EOG traces are used to determine whether the eyes are open or closed, and whether the eyes are gazing to the right, center, or left. These features are utilized as inputs to a few support vector machine (SVM) classifiers, whose outputs are regarded as observations to an HMM. The HMM determines the state of the system and generates commands for navigating the wheelchair accordingly. The use of simple features and the implementation of a sliding window that captures important signatures in the EOG traces result in a fast execution time and high classification rates. The wheelchair is equipped with a proximity sensor and it can move forward and backward in three directions. The asynchronous system achieved an average classification rate of 98% when tested with online data while its average execution time was less than 1 s. It was also tested in a navigation experiment where all of the participants managed to complete the tasks successfully without collisions.

  14. Trace elements in sera from patients with visceral leishmaniasis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mukhopadhyay, R.; Bhattacharya, A. [Department of Zoology, Calcutta University, Calcutta (India); Chakraborty, A.; Sudarshan, M.; Jal, P.K.; Chintalapudi, S.N. [Inter University Consortium for DAE Facilities, Calcutta Centre 3/LB-8, Bidhan Nagar, Calcutta (India); Dutta, R.K. [Schonland Research Centre for Nuclear Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (South Africa)

    2000-07-01

    Trace elements are known to have pivotal role in human health and disease. Present investigation employed PIXE analysis to probe into the elemental profile of patients suffering from visceral Leishmaniasis. Remarkable alternations were observed in concentration of elements like Cl, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn. The pattern of enhancement of elemental concentration corresponds to the progression of the disease. Additionally, our present data reflect probable correlation between alteration in trace elemental status and other pathological syndromes associated with Leishmaniasis. The possibility of considering trace elements as a diagnostic marker for a better understanding of the disease is discussed. (author)

  15. Trace elements in sera from patients with visceral leishmaniasis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mukhopadhyay, R.; Bhattacharya, A.; Chakraborty, A.; Sudarshan, M.; Jal, P.K.; Chintalapudi, S.N.; Dutta, R.K.

    2000-01-01

    Trace elements are known to have pivotal role in human health and disease. Present investigation employed PIXE analysis to probe into the elemental profile of patients suffering from visceral Leishmaniasis. Remarkable alternations were observed in concentration of elements like Cl, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn. The pattern of enhancement of elemental concentration corresponds to the progression of the disease. Additionally, our present data reflect probable correlation between alteration in trace elemental status and other pathological syndromes associated with Leishmaniasis. The possibility of considering trace elements as a diagnostic marker for a better understanding of the disease is discussed. (author)

  16. Progress of pharmacogenomic research related to minerals and trace elements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Mei-Zi; Tang, Jie; Liu, Zhao-Qian; Zhou, Hong-Hao; Zhang, Wei

    2015-10-01

    Pharmacogenomics explores the variations in both the benefits and the adverse effects of a drug among patients in a target population by analyzing genomic profiles of individual patients. Minerals and trace elements, which can be found in human tissues and maintain normal physiological functions, are also in the focus of pharmacogenomic research. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) affect the metabolism, disposition and efficacy of minerals and trace elements in humans, resulting in changes of body function. This review describes some of the recent progress in pharmacogenomic research related to minerals and trace elements.

  17. The spatial profile of visual attention in mental curve tracing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Scholte, H. S.; Spekreijse, H.; Roelfsema, P. R.

    2001-01-01

    In a curve-tracing task, subjects have to judge whether items are located on a single, continuous curve. Spatially separate segments of such a curve are related to each other through grouping criteria, like collinearity and connectedness. These grouping cues need to be exploited during curve

  18. Tracing contacts of TB patients in Malaysia: costs and practicality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atif, Muhammad; Sulaiman, Syed Azhar Syed; Shafie, Asrul Akmal; Ali, Irfhan; Asif, Muhammad

    2012-01-01

    Tuberculin skin testing (TST) and chest X-ray are the conventional methods used for tracing suspected tuberculosis (TB) patients. The purpose of the study was to calculate the cost incurred by Penang General Hospital on performing one contact tracing procedure using an activity based costing approach. Contact tracing records (including the demographic profile of contacts and outcome of the contact tracing procedure) from March 2010 until February 2011 were retrospectively obtained from the TB contact tracing record book. The human resource cost was calculated by multiplying the mean time spent (in minutes) by employees doing a specific activity by their per-minute salaries. The costs of consumables, Purified Protein Derivative vials and clinical equipment were obtained from the procurement section of the Pharmacy and Radiology Departments. The cost of the building was calculated by multiplying the area of space used by the facility with the unit cost of the public building department. Straight-line deprecation with a discount rate of 3% was assumed for the calculation of equivalent annual costs for the building and machines. Out of 1024 contact tracing procedures, TST was positive (≥10 mm) in 38 suspects. However, chemoprophylaxis was started in none. Yield of contact tracing (active tuberculosis) was as low as 0.5%. The total unit cost of chest X-ray and TST was MYR 9.23 (2.90 USD) & MYR 11.80 (USD 3.70), respectively. The total cost incurred on a single contact tracing procedure was MYR 21.03 (USD 6.60). Our findings suggest that the yield of contact tracing was very low which may be attributed to an inappropriate prioritization process. TST may be replaced with more accurate and specific methods (interferon gamma release assay) in highly prioritized contacts; or TST-positive contacts should be administered 6H therapy (provided that the chest radiography excludes TB) in accordance with standard protocols. The unit cost of contact tracing can be significantly

  19. Trace element analysis in silicon by accelerator SIMS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ender, R.M.; Suter, M. [Eidgenoessische Technische Hochschule, Zurich (Switzerland); Doebeli, M.; Synal, H.A. [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)

    1997-09-01

    The accelerator SIMS technique has been applied to Si samples implanted with different elements. It has been shown that concentrations of several trace elements can be analysed down to about 1 ppb in depth profiling mode. (author) 2 figs., 1 ref.

  20. Evidence-based medicine and hospital reform: tracing origins back to Florence Nightingale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aravind, Maya; Chung, Kevin C

    2010-01-01

    The use of reliable evidence to evaluate health care interventions has gained strong support within the medical community and in the field of plastic surgery in particular. Evidence-based medicine aims to improve health care and reduce costs through the use of sound clinical evidence in evaluating treatments, procedures, and outcomes. The field is hardly new, however, and most trace its origins back to the work of Cochrane in the 1970s and Sackett in the 1990s. Though she wouldn't know it, Florence Nightingale was applying the concepts of evidence-based reform to the medical profession more than a century before. She used medical statistics to reveal the nature of infection in hospitals and on the battlefield. Moreover, Nightingale marshaled data and evidence to establish guidelines for health care reform. Tracing the origins of evidence-based medicine back to Nightingale underscores how critical this movement is to improving the quality and effectiveness of patient care today.

  1. High-efficiency photorealistic computer-generated holograms based on the backward ray-tracing technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yuan; Chen, Zhidong; Sang, Xinzhu; Li, Hui; Zhao, Linmin

    2018-03-01

    Holographic displays can provide the complete optical wave field of a three-dimensional (3D) scene, including the depth perception. However, it often takes a long computation time to produce traditional computer-generated holograms (CGHs) without more complex and photorealistic rendering. The backward ray-tracing technique is able to render photorealistic high-quality images, which noticeably reduce the computation time achieved from the high-degree parallelism. Here, a high-efficiency photorealistic computer-generated hologram method is presented based on the ray-tracing technique. Rays are parallelly launched and traced under different illuminations and circumstances. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Compared with the traditional point cloud CGH, the computation time is decreased to 24 s to reconstruct a 3D object of 100 ×100 rays with continuous depth change.

  2. Trace explosives sensor testbed (TESTbed)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collins, Greg E.; Malito, Michael P.; Tamanaha, Cy R.; Hammond, Mark H.; Giordano, Braden C.; Lubrano, Adam L.; Field, Christopher R.; Rogers, Duane A.; Jeffries, Russell A.; Colton, Richard J.; Rose-Pehrsson, Susan L.

    2017-03-01

    A novel vapor delivery testbed, referred to as the Trace Explosives Sensor Testbed, or TESTbed, is demonstrated that is amenable to both high- and low-volatility explosives vapors including nitromethane, nitroglycerine, ethylene glycol dinitrate, triacetone triperoxide, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, pentaerythritol tetranitrate, and hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine. The TESTbed incorporates a six-port dual-line manifold system allowing for rapid actuation between a dedicated clean air source and a trace explosives vapor source. Explosives and explosives-related vapors can be sourced through a number of means including gas cylinders, permeation tube ovens, dynamic headspace chambers, and a Pneumatically Modulated Liquid Delivery System coupled to a perfluoroalkoxy total-consumption microflow nebulizer. Key features of the TESTbed include continuous and pulseless control of trace vapor concentrations with wide dynamic range of concentration generation, six sampling ports with reproducible vapor profile outputs, limited low-volatility explosives adsorption to the manifold surface, temperature and humidity control of the vapor stream, and a graphical user interface for system operation and testing protocol implementation.

  3. Trace elements in coloured opals using neutron activation analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McOrist, G D; Smallwood, A [Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW (Australia)

    1997-12-31

    Neutron activation analysis (NAA) is a technique particularly suited to analysing opals since it is non-destructive and the silica matrix of opals is not prone to significant activation. It was used to determine the concentration of trace elements in 50 samples of orange, yellow, green, blue and pink opals as well as 18 samples of colourless opals taken from a number of recognised fields in Australia, Peru, Mexico and USA. The results were then evaluated to determine if a relationship existed between trace element content and opal colour. The mean concentration of most of the elements found in orange, yellow and colourless opals were similar with few exceptions. This indicated that, for these samples, colour is not related to the trace elements present. However, the trace element profile of the green, pink and blue opals was found to be significantly different with each colour having a much higher concentration of certain trace elements when compared with all other opals analysed. 7 refs.

  4. Trace elements in coloured opals using neutron activation analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McOrist, G.D.; Smallwood, A.

    1996-01-01

    Neutron activation analysis (NAA) is a technique particularly suited to analysing opals since it is non-destructive and the silica matrix of opals is not prone to significant activation. It was used to determine the concentration of trace elements in 50 samples of orange, yellow, green, blue and pink opals as well as 18 samples of colourless opals taken from a number of recognised fields in Australia, Peru, Mexico and USA. The results were then evaluated to determine if a relationship existed between trace element content and opal colour. The mean concentration of most of the elements found in orange, yellow and colourless opals were similar with few exceptions. This indicated that, for these samples, colour is not related to the trace elements present. However, the trace element profile of the green, pink and blue opals was found to be significantly different with each colour having a much higher concentration of certain trace elements when compared with all other opals analysed. 7 refs

  5. Trace elements in coloured opals using neutron activation analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McOrist, G.D.; Smallwood, A. [Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW (Australia)

    1996-12-31

    Neutron activation analysis (NAA) is a technique particularly suited to analysing opals since it is non-destructive and the silica matrix of opals is not prone to significant activation. It was used to determine the concentration of trace elements in 50 samples of orange, yellow, green, blue and pink opals as well as 18 samples of colourless opals taken from a number of recognised fields in Australia, Peru, Mexico and USA. The results were then evaluated to determine if a relationship existed between trace element content and opal colour. The mean concentration of most of the elements found in orange, yellow and colourless opals were similar with few exceptions. This indicated that, for these samples, colour is not related to the trace elements present. However, the trace element profile of the green, pink and blue opals was found to be significantly different with each colour having a much higher concentration of certain trace elements when compared with all other opals analysed. 7 refs.

  6. Trace elements in precious and common opals using neutron activation analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McOrist, G.D.; Smallwood, A.

    1997-01-01

    Neutron activation analysis (NAA) was used to determine the concentration of trace elements in 44 precious and 52 common opals sampled from a number of recognised fields within Australia. The purpose of this study was to determine if precious and common opals of the same colour and location have the same or a different trace element profile. Similar numbers of black, white and grey samples were studied in each case. In most cases, common opals had a significantly higher concentration of certain trace elements when compared with precious opals. (author)

  7. The Survey of Serum Trace Element Profiles in Down's Syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leila Farzin

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: Immunological, endocrinological, haematological and neurological abnormalities are relatively common in people with Down's syndrome (DS. Zinc (Zn, copper (Cu, selenium (Se and manganese (Mn are elements that act in the maintenance of normal function of these systems. The present study aimed to evaluate the concentration of these elements on DS symptoms. Materials and Methods: This case-control study was done from April to October 2011. Serum trace elements including Zn, Cu, Se and Mn were determined by using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS in 56 patients with DS and 60 healthy subjects. Results: There was no significant difference in the values of Cu and Se between two groups (p>0.05. While, Zn and Mn levels were found to be significantly decreased in patients with DS compared to the control group (p<0.01 and p<0.001, respectively. Conclusion: Results of this study indicate zinc and manganese deficiency in more than 60% of DS patients. Some of the problems experienced by people with DS may be due to changed level of these trace elements.

  8. A New Curve Tracing Algorithm Based on Local Feature in the Vectorization of Paper Seismograms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maofa Wang

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available History paper seismograms are very important information for earthquake monitoring and prediction. The vectorization of paper seismograms is an import problem to be resolved. Auto tracing of waveform curves is a key technology for the vectorization of paper seismograms. It can transform an original scanning image into digital waveform data. Accurately tracing out all the key points of each curve in seismograms is the foundation for vectorization of paper seismograms. In the paper, we present a new curve tracing algorithm based on local feature, applying to auto extraction of earthquake waveform in paper seismograms.

  9. Combined adaptive multiple subtraction based on optimized event tracing and extended wiener filtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Jun; Song, Peng; Li, Jinshan; Wang, Lei; Zhong, Mengxuan; Zhang, Xiaobo

    2017-06-01

    The surface-related multiple elimination (SRME) method is based on feedback formulation and has become one of the most preferred multiple suppression methods used. However, some differences are apparent between the predicted multiples and those in the source seismic records, which may result in conventional adaptive multiple subtraction methods being barely able to effectively suppress multiples in actual production. This paper introduces a combined adaptive multiple attenuation method based on the optimized event tracing technique and extended Wiener filtering. The method firstly uses multiple records predicted by SRME to generate a multiple velocity spectrum, then separates the original record to an approximate primary record and an approximate multiple record by applying the optimized event tracing method and short-time window FK filtering method. After applying the extended Wiener filtering method, residual multiples in the approximate primary record can then be eliminated and the damaged primary can be restored from the approximate multiple record. This method combines the advantages of multiple elimination based on the optimized event tracing method and the extended Wiener filtering technique. It is an ideal method for suppressing typical hyperbolic and other types of multiples, with the advantage of minimizing damage of the primary. Synthetic and field data tests show that this method produces better multiple elimination results than the traditional multi-channel Wiener filter method and is more suitable for multiple elimination in complicated geological areas.

  10. Use of World Wide Web-based directories for tracing subjects in epidemiologic studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koo, M M; Rohan, T E

    2000-11-01

    The recent availability of World Wide Web-based directories has opened up a new approach for tracing subjects in epidemiologic studies. The completeness of two World Wide Web-based directories (Canada411 and InfoSpace Canada) for subject tracing was evaluated by using a randomized crossover design for 346 adults randomly selected from respondents in an ongoing cohort study. About half (56.4%) of the subjects were successfully located by using either Canada411 or InfoSpace. Of the 43.6% of the subjects who could not be located using either directory, the majority (73.5%) were female. Overall, there was no clear advantage of one directory over the other. Although Canada411 could find significantly more subjects than InfoSpace, the number of potential matches returned by Canada411 was also higher, which meant that a longer list of potential matches had to be examined before a true match could be found. One strategy to minimize the number of potential matches per true match is to first search by InfoSpace with the last name and first name, then by Canada411 with the last name and first name, and finally by InfoSpace with the last name and first initial. Internet-based searches represent a potentially useful approach to tracing subjects in epidemiologic studies.

  11. Paper based Flexible and Conformal SERS Substrate for Rapid Trace Detection on Real-world Surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singamaneni, Srikanth; Lee, Chang; Tian, Limei

    2011-03-01

    One of the important but often overlooked considerations in the design of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates for trace detection is the efficiency of sample collection. Conventional designs based on rigid substrates such as silicon, alumina, and glass resist conformal contact with the surface under investigation, making the sample collection inefficient. We demonstrate a novel SERS substrate based on common filter paper adsorbed with gold nanorods, which allows conformal contact with real-world surfaces, thus dramatically enhancing the sample collection efficiency compared to conventional rigid substrates. We demonstrate the detection of trace amounts of analyte (140 pg spread over 4 cm2) by simply swabbing the surface under investigation with the novel SERS substrate. The hierarchical fibrous structure of paper serves as a 3D vasculature for easy uptake and transport of the analytes to the electromagnetic hot spots in the paper. Simple yet highly efficient and cost effective SERS substrate demonstrated here brings SERS based trace detection closer to real-world applications. We acknowledge the financial support from Center for Materials Innovation at Washington University.

  12. Application of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP/MS) to detection of trace elements, heavy metals and radioisotopes in scalp hair

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ozturk, Yildirim; Benderli, Cihan

    2010-01-01

    Trace element analysis of human hair has the potential to reveal retrospective information about an individual's nutritional status and exposure. As trace elements are incorporated into the hair during the growth process, longitudinal segments of the hair may reflect the body burden during the growth period. it was evaluated the potential of human hair to indicate exposure or nutritional status over time by analysing trace element profiles in single strands of human hair. By using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), it was achieved profiles of 43 elements in single strands of human hair. It was shown that trace element analysis along single strands of human hair can yield information about essential and toxic elements and for some elements, can be correlated with seasonal changes in diet and exposure. The information obtained from the trace element profiles of human hair in this study substantiates the potential of hair as a biomarker

  13. Combined visualization for noise mapping of industrial facilities based on ray-tracing and thin plate splines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ovsiannikov, Mikhail; Ovsiannikov, Sergei

    2017-01-01

    The paper presents the combined approach to noise mapping and visualizing of industrial facilities sound pollution using forward ray tracing method and thin-plate spline interpolation. It is suggested to cauterize industrial area in separate zones with similar sound levels. Equivalent local source is defined for range computation of sanitary zones based on ray tracing algorithm. Computation of sound pressure levels within clustered zones are based on two-dimension spline interpolation of measured data on perimeter and inside the zone.

  14. Tracing Mantle Plumes: Quantifying their Morphology and Behavior from Seismic Tomography

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Farrell, K. A.; Eakin, C. M.; Jones, T. D.; Garcia, E.; Robson, A.; Mittal, T.; Lithgow-Bertelloni, C. R.; Jackson, M. G.; Lekic, V.; Rudolph, M. L.

    2016-12-01

    Hotspot volcanism provides a direct link between the deep mantle and the surface, but the location, depth and source of the mantle plumes that feed hotspots are highly controversial. In order to address this issue it is important to understand the journey along which plumes have travelled through the mantle. The general behavior of plumes in the mantle also has the potential to tell us about the vigor of mantle convection, net rotation of the mantle, the role of thermal versus chemical anomalies, and important bulk physical properties of the mantle such as the viscosity profile. To address these questions we developed an algorithm to trace plume-like features in shear-wave (Vs) seismic tomographic models based on picking local minima in velocity and searching for continuous features with depth. We apply this method to several of the latest tomographic models and can recover 30 or more continuous plume conduits that are >750 km long. Around half of these can be associated with a known hotspot at the surface. We study the morphology of these plume chains and find that the largest lateral deflections occur near the base of the lower mantle and in the upper mantle. We analyze the preferred orientation of the plume deflections and their gradient to infer large scale mantle flow patterns and the depth of viscosity contrasts in the mantle respectively. We also retrieve Vs profiles for our traced plumes and compare with velocity profiles predicted for different mantle adiabat temperatures. We use this to constrain the thermal anomaly associated with these plumes. This thermal anomaly is then converted to a density anomaly and an upwelling velocity is derived. We compare this to buoyancy fluxes calculated at the surface and use this in conjunction with our measured plume tilts/deflections to estimate the strength of the "mantle wind".

  15. Transparent Runtime Migration of Loop-Based Traces of Processor Instructions to Reconfigurable Processing Units

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    João Bispo

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The ability to map instructions running in a microprocessor to a reconfigurable processing unit (RPU, acting as a coprocessor, enables the runtime acceleration of applications and ensures code and possibly performance portability. In this work, we focus on the mapping of loop-based instruction traces (called Megablocks to RPUs. The proposed approach considers offline partitioning and mapping stages without ignoring their future runtime applicability. We present a toolchain that automatically extracts specific trace-based loops, called Megablocks, from MicroBlaze instruction traces and generates an RPU for executing those loops. Our hardware infrastructure is able to move loop execution from the microprocessor to the RPU transparently, at runtime, and without changing the executable binaries. The toolchain and the system are fully operational. Three FPGA implementations of the system, differing in the hardware interfaces used, were tested and evaluated with a set of 15 application kernels. Speedups ranging from 1.26 to 3.69 were achieved for the best alternative using a MicroBlaze processor with local memory.

  16. Ray Tracing for Real-time Games

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bikker, J.

    2012-01-01

    This thesis describes efficient rendering algorithms based on ray tracing, and the application of these algorithms to real-time games. Compared to rasterizationbased approaches, rendering based on ray tracing allows elegant and correct simulation of important global effects, such as shadows,

  17. Vertex shading of the three-dimensional model based on ray-tracing algorithm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Xiaoming; Sang, Xinzhu; Xing, Shujun; Yan, Binbin; Wang, Kuiru; Dou, Wenhua; Xiao, Liquan

    2016-10-01

    Ray Tracing Algorithm is one of the research hotspots in Photorealistic Graphics. It is an important light and shadow technology in many industries with the three-dimensional (3D) structure, such as aerospace, game, video and so on. Unlike the traditional method of pixel shading based on ray tracing, a novel ray tracing algorithm is presented to color and render vertices of the 3D model directly. Rendering results are related to the degree of subdivision of the 3D model. A good light and shade effect is achieved by realizing the quad-tree data structure to get adaptive subdivision of a triangle according to the brightness difference of its vertices. The uniform grid algorithm is adopted to improve the rendering efficiency. Besides, the rendering time is independent of the screen resolution. In theory, as long as the subdivision of a model is adequate, cool effects as the same as the way of pixel shading will be obtained. Our practical application can be compromised between the efficiency and the effectiveness.

  18. A new method to analyze copolymer based superplasticizer traces in cement leachates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guérandel, Cyril; Vernex-Loset, Lionel; Krier, Gabriel; De Lanève, Michel; Guillot, Xavier; Pierre, Christian; Muller, Jean François

    2011-03-15

    Enhancing the flowing properties of fresh concrete is a crucial step for cement based materials users. This is done by adding polymeric admixtures. Such additives have enabled to improve final mechanicals properties and the development of new materials like high performance or self compacting concrete. Like this, the superplasticizers are used in almost cement based materials, in particular for concrete structures that can have a potential interaction with drinking water. It is then essential to have suitable detection techniques to assess whether these organic compounds are dissolved in water after a leaching process or not. The main constituent of the last generation superplasticizer is a PolyCarboxylate-Ester copolymer (PCE), in addition this organic admixture contains polyethylene oxide (free PEO) which constitutes a synthesis residue. Numerous analytical methods are available to characterize superplasticizer content. Although these techniques work well, they do not bring suitable detection threshold to analyze superplasticizer traces in solution with high mineral content such as leachates of hardened cement based materials formulated with superplasticizers. Moreover those techniques do not enable to distinguish free PEO from PCE in the superplasticizer. Here we discuss two highly sensitive analytical methods based on mass spectrometry suitable to perform a rapid detection of superplasticizer compounds traces in CEM I cement paste leachates: MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, is used to determine the free PEO content in the leachate. However, industrial copolymers (such as PCE) are characterized by high molecular weight and polymolecular index. These two parameters lead to limitation concerning analysis of copolymers by MALDI-TOFMS. In this study, we demonstrate how pyrolysis and a Thermally assisted Hydrolysis/Methylation coupled with a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer, provides good results for the detection of PCE copolymer traces in CEM I cement paste

  19. Epidemic contact tracing via communication traces.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katayoun Farrahi

    Full Text Available Traditional contact tracing relies on knowledge of the interpersonal network of physical interactions, where contagious outbreaks propagate. However, due to privacy constraints and noisy data assimilation, this network is generally difficult to reconstruct accurately. Communication traces obtained by mobile phones are known to be good proxies for the physical interaction network, and they may provide a valuable tool for contact tracing. Motivated by this assumption, we propose a model for contact tracing, where an infection is spreading in the physical interpersonal network, which can never be fully recovered; and contact tracing is occurring in a communication network which acts as a proxy for the first. We apply this dual model to a dataset covering 72 students over a 9 month period, for which both the physical interactions as well as the mobile communication traces are known. Our results suggest that a wide range of contact tracing strategies may significantly reduce the final size of the epidemic, by mainly affecting its peak of incidence. However, we find that for low overlap between the face-to-face and communication interaction network, contact tracing is only efficient at the beginning of the outbreak, due to rapidly increasing costs as the epidemic evolves. Overall, contact tracing via mobile phone communication traces may be a viable option to arrest contagious outbreaks.

  20. Epidemic contact tracing via communication traces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farrahi, Katayoun; Emonet, Rémi; Cebrian, Manuel

    2014-01-01

    Traditional contact tracing relies on knowledge of the interpersonal network of physical interactions, where contagious outbreaks propagate. However, due to privacy constraints and noisy data assimilation, this network is generally difficult to reconstruct accurately. Communication traces obtained by mobile phones are known to be good proxies for the physical interaction network, and they may provide a valuable tool for contact tracing. Motivated by this assumption, we propose a model for contact tracing, where an infection is spreading in the physical interpersonal network, which can never be fully recovered; and contact tracing is occurring in a communication network which acts as a proxy for the first. We apply this dual model to a dataset covering 72 students over a 9 month period, for which both the physical interactions as well as the mobile communication traces are known. Our results suggest that a wide range of contact tracing strategies may significantly reduce the final size of the epidemic, by mainly affecting its peak of incidence. However, we find that for low overlap between the face-to-face and communication interaction network, contact tracing is only efficient at the beginning of the outbreak, due to rapidly increasing costs as the epidemic evolves. Overall, contact tracing via mobile phone communication traces may be a viable option to arrest contagious outbreaks.

  1. Occurrence of trace elements and antibiotics in manure-based fertilizers from the Zhejiang Province of China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qian, Mingrong; Wu, Huizhen; Wang, Jianmei; Zhang, Hu; Zhang, Zulin; Zhang, Yongzhi; Lin, Hui; Ma, Junwei

    2016-01-01

    The occurrence of seven trace elements and forty three antibiotics was investigated in manure-based fertilizers from the Zhejiang province of China. These trace elements included copper, zinc, arsenic, chromium, mercury, lead and cadmium. The targeted antibiotics included four groups: sulfonamides, tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones and chloramphenicols. The median amounts of copper, zinc, arsenic, chromium, mercury, lead and cadmium in the analyzed samples were 160, 465, 7.9, 21.2, 0.3, 8.1 and 0.6 mg·kg"−"1, respectively. Seventeen antibiotics were detected. Enrofloxacin was the most frequently detected compound, with a detection rate of 39.3% and concentrations ranging from 6.7 μg·kg"−"1 to 4091 μg·kg"−"1. Based on the referred loading rates in agricultural soil, 10% of the collected manure-based fertilizer samples might pose a high potential ecological risk due to the presence of antibiotics. - Graphical abstract: Occurrence of seven trace elements and forty three antibiotics was investigated in manure-based fertilizers in Zhejiang province of China. The trace elements included copper, zinc, arsenic, chromium, mercury, lead and cadmium; the targeted antibiotics included four groups: sulfonamides, tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones and chloramphenicols. The medium values of copper, zinc, arsenic, chromium, mercury, lead and cadmium in the analyzed samples were 160, 465, 7.9, 21.2, 0.3, 8.1 and 0.6 mg·kg"−"1, respectively. Seventeen antibiotics were detected. Enrofloxacin was the most frequently detected compound with the detection rate of 39.3% and the concentrations ranged from 6.7 μg·kg"−"1 to 4091 μg·kg"−"1. Based on the referred loading rates, 10% of the collected manure-based fertilizers might pose a high potential ecological risk after their application onto agriculture soil due to the presence of antibiotics. - Highlight: • Antibiotics and trace elements were investigated in manure-based fertilizers. • 64% of manure-based fertilizers

  2. Occurrence of trace elements and antibiotics in manure-based fertilizers from the Zhejiang Province of China

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qian, Mingrong [Institute of Quality and Standard for Agro-products, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, MOA Key Laboratory for Pesticide Residue Detection, Hangzhou 310021 (China); Wu, Huizhen [College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014 (China); Wang, Jianmei; Zhang, Hu [Institute of Quality and Standard for Agro-products, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, MOA Key Laboratory for Pesticide Residue Detection, Hangzhou 310021 (China); Zhang, Zulin [The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH (United Kingdom); Zhang, Yongzhi [Institute of Quality and Standard for Agro-products, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, MOA Key Laboratory for Pesticide Residue Detection, Hangzhou 310021 (China); Lin, Hui [Environmental Resources and Soil Fertilizer Institute, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021 (China); Ma, Junwei, E-mail: majw@mail.zaas.ac.cn [Environmental Resources and Soil Fertilizer Institute, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021 (China)

    2016-07-15

    The occurrence of seven trace elements and forty three antibiotics was investigated in manure-based fertilizers from the Zhejiang province of China. These trace elements included copper, zinc, arsenic, chromium, mercury, lead and cadmium. The targeted antibiotics included four groups: sulfonamides, tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones and chloramphenicols. The median amounts of copper, zinc, arsenic, chromium, mercury, lead and cadmium in the analyzed samples were 160, 465, 7.9, 21.2, 0.3, 8.1 and 0.6 mg·kg{sup −1}, respectively. Seventeen antibiotics were detected. Enrofloxacin was the most frequently detected compound, with a detection rate of 39.3% and concentrations ranging from 6.7 μg·kg{sup −1} to 4091 μg·kg{sup −1}. Based on the referred loading rates in agricultural soil, 10% of the collected manure-based fertilizer samples might pose a high potential ecological risk due to the presence of antibiotics. - Graphical abstract: Occurrence of seven trace elements and forty three antibiotics was investigated in manure-based fertilizers in Zhejiang province of China. The trace elements included copper, zinc, arsenic, chromium, mercury, lead and cadmium; the targeted antibiotics included four groups: sulfonamides, tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones and chloramphenicols. The medium values of copper, zinc, arsenic, chromium, mercury, lead and cadmium in the analyzed samples were 160, 465, 7.9, 21.2, 0.3, 8.1 and 0.6 mg·kg{sup −1}, respectively. Seventeen antibiotics were detected. Enrofloxacin was the most frequently detected compound with the detection rate of 39.3% and the concentrations ranged from 6.7 μg·kg{sup −1} to 4091 μg·kg{sup −1}. Based on the referred loading rates, 10% of the collected manure-based fertilizers might pose a high potential ecological risk after their application onto agriculture soil due to the presence of antibiotics. - Highlight: • Antibiotics and trace elements were investigated in manure-based fertilizers. • 64% of

  3. Computer ray tracing speeds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robb, P; Pawlowski, B

    1990-05-01

    The results of measuring the ray trace speed and compilation speed of thirty-nine computers in fifty-seven configurations, ranging from personal computers to super computers, are described. A correlation of ray trace speed has been made with the LINPACK benchmark which allows the ray trace speed to be estimated using LINPACK performance data. The results indicate that the latest generation of workstations, using CPUs based on RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) technology, are as fast or faster than mainframe computers in compute-bound situations.

  4. Adaptive Sensing Based on Profiles for Sensor Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoshiteru Ishida

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available This paper proposes a profile-based sensing framework for adaptive sensor systems based on models that relate possibly heterogeneous sensor data and profiles generated by the models to detect events. With these concepts, three phases for building the sensor systems are extracted from two examples: a combustion control sensor system for an automobile engine, and a sensor system for home security. The three phases are: modeling, profiling, and managing trade-offs. Designing and building a sensor system involves mapping the signals to a model to achieve a given mission.

  5. Using Pteropod Shells to Trace Aragonite Dissolution: Toward a Multi-Basin Calibration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mekik, F. A.

    2013-12-01

    We developed a new proxy for tracing aragonite dissolution in marine sediments. The core tops we used are from the tropical and subtropical latitudes of two ocean basins: Atlantic and Pacific. This allows for a multi-basin calibration for our proxy which is based on the fragmentation trend of pteropod shells. The ratio of fragmented pteropod shells to whole plus fragmented pteropod shells within our core tops has an excellent relationship with the aragonite saturation of bottom waters. Combining our pteropod-based aragonite dissolution proxy with the Globorotalia menradii Fragmentation Index, which is a calcite dissolution proxy, allows tracing carbonate chemistry of bottom waters for the entire ocean depth profile including regions well above the calcite saturation horizon. We also present new data on size normalized weights of pteropod shells which supports the aragonite dissolution trend seen in the pteropod fragmentation data. Unlike previous findings with other proxies, both aragonite and calcite dissolution data from a high resolution core in the western equatorial Pacific reveal no evidence of a degacial carbonate preservation maximum.

  6. Reverse ray tracing for transformation optics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Chia-Yu; Lin, Chun-Hung

    2015-06-29

    Ray tracing is an important technique for predicting optical system performance. In the field of transformation optics, the Hamiltonian equations of motion for ray tracing are well known. The numerical solutions to the Hamiltonian equations of motion are affected by the complexities of the inhomogeneous and anisotropic indices of the optical device. Based on our knowledge, no previous work has been conducted on ray tracing for transformation optics with extreme inhomogeneity and anisotropicity. In this study, we present the use of 3D reverse ray tracing in transformation optics. The reverse ray tracing is derived from Fermat's principle based on a sweeping method instead of finding the full solution to ordinary differential equations. The sweeping method is employed to obtain the eikonal function. The wave vectors are then obtained from the gradient of that eikonal function map in the transformed space to acquire the illuminance. Because only the rays in the points of interest have to be traced, the reverse ray tracing provides an efficient approach to investigate the illuminance of a system. This approach is useful in any form of transformation optics where the material property tensor is a symmetric positive definite matrix. The performance and analysis of three transformation optics with inhomogeneous and anisotropic indices are explored. The ray trajectories and illuminances in these demonstration cases are successfully solved by the proposed reverse ray tracing method.

  7. Trace conditioning in insects-keep the trace!

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dylla, Kristina V; Galili, Dana S; Szyszka, Paul; Lüdke, Alja

    2013-01-01

    Trace conditioning is a form of associative learning that can be induced by presenting a conditioned stimulus (CS) and an unconditioned stimulus (US) following each other, but separated by a temporal gap. This gap distinguishes trace conditioning from classical delay conditioning, where the CS and US overlap. To bridge the temporal gap between both stimuli and to form an association between CS and US in trace conditioning, the brain must keep a neural representation of the CS after its termination-a stimulus trace. Behavioral and physiological studies on trace and delay conditioning revealed similarities between the two forms of learning, like similar memory decay and similar odor identity perception in invertebrates. On the other hand differences were reported also, like the requirement of distinct brain structures in vertebrates or disparities in molecular mechanisms in both vertebrates and invertebrates. For example, in commonly used vertebrate conditioning paradigms the hippocampus is necessary for trace but not for delay conditioning, and Drosophila delay conditioning requires the Rutabaga adenylyl cyclase (Rut-AC), which is dispensable in trace conditioning. It is still unknown how the brain encodes CS traces and how they are associated with a US in trace conditioning. Insects serve as powerful models to address the mechanisms underlying trace conditioning, due to their simple brain anatomy, behavioral accessibility and established methods of genetic interference. In this review we summarize the recent progress in insect trace conditioning on the behavioral and physiological level and emphasize similarities and differences compared to delay conditioning. Moreover, we examine proposed molecular and computational models and reassess different experimental approaches used for trace conditioning.

  8. GRay: A MASSIVELY PARALLEL GPU-BASED CODE FOR RAY TRACING IN RELATIVISTIC SPACETIMES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chan, Chi-kwan; Psaltis, Dimitrios; Özel, Feryal [Department of Astronomy, University of Arizona, 933 N. Cherry Ave., Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States)

    2013-11-01

    We introduce GRay, a massively parallel integrator designed to trace the trajectories of billions of photons in a curved spacetime. This graphics-processing-unit (GPU)-based integrator employs the stream processing paradigm, is implemented in CUDA C/C++, and runs on nVidia graphics cards. The peak performance of GRay using single-precision floating-point arithmetic on a single GPU exceeds 300 GFLOP (or 1 ns per photon per time step). For a realistic problem, where the peak performance cannot be reached, GRay is two orders of magnitude faster than existing central-processing-unit-based ray-tracing codes. This performance enhancement allows more effective searches of large parameter spaces when comparing theoretical predictions of images, spectra, and light curves from the vicinities of compact objects to observations. GRay can also perform on-the-fly ray tracing within general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic algorithms that simulate accretion flows around compact objects. Making use of this algorithm, we calculate the properties of the shadows of Kerr black holes and the photon rings that surround them. We also provide accurate fitting formulae of their dependencies on black hole spin and observer inclination, which can be used to interpret upcoming observations of the black holes at the center of the Milky Way, as well as M87, with the Event Horizon Telescope.

  9. Aroma profile of Garnacha Tintorera-based sweet wines by chromatographic and sensorial analyses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noguerol-Pato, R; González-Álvarez, M; González-Barreiro, C; Cancho-Grande, B; Simal-Gándara, J

    2012-10-15

    The aroma profiles obtained of three Garnacha Tintorera-based wines were studied: a base wine, a naturally sweet wine, and a mixture of naturally sweet wine with other sweet wine obtained by fortification with spirits. The aroma fingerprint was traced by GC-MS analysis of volatile compounds and by sensorial analysis of odours and tastes. Within the volatiles compounds, sotolon (73 μg/L) and acetoin (122 μg/L) were the two main compounds found in naturally sweet wine. With regards to the odorant series, those most dominant for Garnacha Tintorera base wine were floral, fruity and spicy. Instead, the most marked odorant series affected by off-vine drying of the grapes were floral, caramelized and vegetal-wood. Finally, odorant series affected by the switch-off of alcoholic fermentation with ethanol 96% (v/v) fit for human consumption followed by oak barrel aging were caramelized and vegetal-wood. A partial least square test (PLS-2) was used to detect correlations between sets of sensory data (those obtained with mouth and nose) with the ultimate aim of improving our current understanding of the flavour of Garnacha Tintorera red wines, both base and sweet. Based on the sensory dataset analysis, the descriptors with the highest weight for separating base and sweet wines from Garnacha Tintorera were sweetness, dried fruit and caramel (for sweet wines) vs. bitterness, astringency and geranium (for base wines). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Trace metal fluxes to ferromanganese nodules from the western Baltic Sea as a record for long-term environmental changes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hlawatsch, S.; Garbe-Schonberg, C.D.; Lechtenberg, F.; Manceau, A.; Tamura, N.; Kulik, D.A.; Suess, E.; Kersten, M.

    2002-03-12

    Trace element profiles in ferromanganese nodules from the western Baltic Sea were analyzed with laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (LA-ICP-MS) and synchrotron-based micro-X-ray radiation techniques (fluorescence: mSXRF, and diffraction: mXRD) at high spatial resolution in growth direction. Of the trace elements studied (Zn, Cu, Cd, Ni, Co, Mo, Ba), Zn showed the most significant enrichment, with values in the outermost surface layers of up to six-fold higher than those found in older core parts. The high-resolution Zn profiles provide the necessary temporal resolution for a dating method analogous to dendrochronology. Profiles in various samples collected during two decades were matched and the overlapping sections used for estimation of the accretion rates. Assuming a continuous accretion of these relatively fast growing nodules (on average 20 mm a-1) over the last century, the Zn enrichment was thus assessed to have commenced around 1860/70 in nodules from the Kiel Bight and in 1880/90 from Mecklenburg Bight, reflecting the enhanced heavy metal emissions with rising industrialization in Europe. Apart from the obvious success with Zn, only As and Co show significant but only 1.5-fold enrichments in the most recent growth layers of the nodules. Other anthropogenic trace metals like Cu and Cd are not at all enriched, which, together with the distinct early-diagenetic Fe/Mn banding, weakens the potential of the nodules for retrospective monitoring.

  11. Trace metal fluxes to ferromanganese nodules from the western Baltic Sea as a record for long-term environmental changes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hlawatsch, S.; Garbe-Schonberg, C.D.; Lechtenberg, F.; Manceau, A.; Tamura, N.; Kulik, D.A.; Suess, E.; Kersten, M.

    2002-01-01

    Trace element profiles in ferromanganese nodules from the western Baltic Sea were analyzed with laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (LA-ICP-MS) and synchrotron-based micro-X-ray radiation techniques (fluorescence: mSXRF, and diffraction: mXRD) at high spatial resolution in growth direction. Of the trace elements studied (Zn, Cu, Cd, Ni, Co, Mo, Ba), Zn showed the most significant enrichment, with values in the outermost surface layers of up to six-fold higher than those found in older core parts. The high-resolution Zn profiles provide the necessary temporal resolution for a dating method analogous to dendrochronology. Profiles in various samples collected during two decades were matched and the overlapping sections used for estimation of the accretion rates. Assuming a continuous accretion of these relatively fast growing nodules (on average 20 mm a-1) over the last century, the Zn enrichment was thus assessed to have commenced around 1860/70 in nodules from the Kiel Bight and in 1880/90 from Mecklenburg Bight, reflecting the enhanced heavy metal emissions with rising industrialization in Europe. Apart from the obvious success with Zn, only As and Co show significant but only 1.5-fold enrichments in the most recent growth layers of the nodules. Other anthropogenic trace metals like Cu and Cd are not at all enriched, which, together with the distinct early-diagenetic Fe/Mn banding, weakens the potential of the nodules for retrospective monitoring

  12. Entropy-Based Privacy against Profiling of User Mobility

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alicia Rodriguez-Carrion

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Location-based services (LBSs flood mobile phones nowadays, but their use poses an evident privacy risk. The locations accompanying the LBS queries can be exploited by the LBS provider to build the user profile of visited locations, which might disclose sensitive data, such as work or home locations. The classic concept of entropy is widely used to evaluate privacy in these scenarios, where the information is represented as a sequence of independent samples of categorized data. However, since the LBS queries might be sent very frequently, location profiles can be improved by adding temporal dependencies, thus becoming mobility profiles, where location samples are not independent anymore and might disclose the user’s mobility patterns. Since the time dimension is factored in, the classic entropy concept falls short of evaluating the real privacy level, which depends also on the time component. Therefore, we propose to extend the entropy-based privacy metric to the use of the entropy rate to evaluate mobility profiles. Then, two perturbative mechanisms are considered to preserve locations and mobility profiles under gradual utility constraints. We further use the proposed privacy metric and compare it to classic ones to evaluate both synthetic and real mobility profiles when the perturbative methods proposed are applied. The results prove the usefulness of the proposed metric for mobility profiles and the need for tailoring the perturbative methods to the features of mobility profiles in order to improve privacy without completely loosing utility.

  13. A Photoluminescence-Based Field Method for Detection of Traces of Explosives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. Roland Menzel

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available We report a photoluminescence-based field method for detecting traces of explosives. In its standard version, the method utilizes a commercially available color spot test kit for treating explosive traces on filter paper after swabbing. The colored products are fluorescent under illumination with a laser that operates on three C-size flashlight batteries and delivers light at 532 nm. In the fluorescence detection mode, by visual inspection, the typical sensitivity gain is a factor of 100. The method is applicable to a wide variety of explosives. In its time-resolved version, intended for in situ work, explosives are tagged with europium complexes. Instrumentation-wise, the time-resolved detection, again visual, can be accomplished in facile fashion. The europium luminescence excitation utilizes a laser operating at 355 nm. We demonstrate the feasibility of CdSe quantum dot sensitization of europium luminescence for time-resolved purposes. This would allow the use of the above 532 nm laser.

  14. Accelerator based nuclear analytical methods for trace element studies in materials- calcified tissues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chaudhri, M. Anwar

    2006-01-01

    Full text: Various nuclear analytical methods have been developed and applied to determine the elemental composition of calcified tissues (teeth and bones). Fluorine was determined by prompt gamma activation analysis through the 19 F(p,αγ) 16 O reaction. Carbon was measured by activation analysis with He-3 ions, and the technique of Proton-Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) was applied to simultaneously determine Ca, P, and trace elements in well-documented teeth. Dental hard tissues: enamel, dentine, cementum, and their junctions, as well as different parts of the same tissue, were examined separately. Furthermore, using a Proton Microprobe, we measured the surface distribution of F and other elements on and around carious lesions on the enamel. The depth profiles of F, and other elements, were also measured right up to the amelodentin junction. (author)

  15. STUDY OF CLINICO- EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF PATIENTS ADMITTED WITH INFANTILE TREMOR SYNDROME (ITS AND STATUS OF TRACE ELEMENTS (ZINC, COPPER DEFICIENCY IN THEM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohan Makwana

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND Under nutrition is one of the major problems in the field of Paediatrics. The greatest risk of malnutrition is in the first two years of life. The effects of this early damage on health, brain development, intelligence, educability and productivity are potentially reversible. The current study was an attempt to find out the clinico epidemiological profile, evaluate them for trace elements deficiency and most appropriate management options in those who are admitted with infantile tremor syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS The current study was a hospital based cross sectional study that was conducted in the Department of Paediatrics, Dr. S. N. Medical College Jodhpur. Duration of study was One Year. Any child up to the age of three years of age admitted in the paediatric wards with typical features of infantile tremor syndrome. RESULTS Maximum numbers of patients were found between 6 months to 12 months of age, there was slight male predominance. The majority of infants in our study (85% were exclusively breast fed, 66% of cases were having low serum Copper level. 9% of cases were having low serum zinc level. 8% of cases were having low serum copper level with tremors. CONCLUSION In our study the fact that NTS is mainly seen in children who are exclusively breast feed for a longer period with delayed introduction of weaning foods. The main presenting features remain developmental delay, hyper pigmentation and anemia. Among nutritional factors, deficiency of copper and zinc in children plays a big role in development of disease. Thus to prevent the development of nutritional tremor syndrome stress should be on early timely introduction of weaning foods, especially rich in copper and zinc. What is already known about this Study- low levels of trace elements like copper and zinc may be responsible for typical clinical manifestations in patients of infantile tremor syndrome. Pronged and Exclusive breast feeding further aggravate these features

  16. Fast estimation of first-order scattering in a medical x-ray computed tomography scanner using a ray-tracing technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xin

    2014-01-01

    This study describes a deterministic method for simulating the first-order scattering in a medical computed tomography scanner. The method was developed based on a physics model of x-ray photon interactions with matter and a ray tracing technique. The results from simulated scattering were compared to the ones from an actual scattering measurement. Two phantoms with homogeneous and heterogeneous material distributions were used in the scattering simulation and measurement. It was found that the simulated scatter profile was in agreement with the measurement result, with an average difference of 25% or less. Finally, tomographic images with artifacts caused by scatter were corrected based on the simulated scatter profiles. The image quality improved significantly.

  17. Seasonal dynamics of trace elements in tidal salt marsh soils as affected by the flow-sediment regulation regime.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Junhong Bai

    Full Text Available Soil profiles were collected in three salt marshes with different plant species (i.e. Phragmites australis, Tamarix chinensis and Suaeda salsa in the Yellow River Delta (YRD of China during three seasons (summer and fall of 2007 and the following spring of 2008 after the flow-sediment regulation regime. Total elemental contents of As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn were determined using inductively coupled plasma atomic absorption spectrometry to investigate temporal variations in trace elements in soil profiles of the three salt marshes, assess the enrichment levels and ecological risks of these trace elements in three sampling seasons and identify their influencing factors. Trace elements did not change significantly along soil profiles at each site in each sampling season. The highest value for each sampling site was observed in summer and the lowest one in fall. Soils in both P. australis and S. salsa wetlands tended to have higher trace element levels than those in T. chinensis wetland. Compared to other elements, both Cd and As had higher enrichment factors exceeding moderate enrichment levels. However, the toxic unit (TU values of these trace elements did not exceed probable effect levels. Correlation analysis showed that these trace elements were closely linked to soil properties such as moisture, sulfur, salinity, soil organic matter, soil texture and pH values. Principal component analysis showed that the sampling season affected by the flow-sediment regulation regime was the dominant factor influencing the distribution patterns of these trace elements in soils, and plant community type was another important factor. The findings of this study could contribute to wetland conservation and management in coastal regions affected by the hydrological engineering.

  18. Trace-element analysis in environmental sciences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Valkovic, V.; Moschini, G.

    1988-01-01

    The use of charged-particle accelerators in trace-element analysis in the field of environmental sciences is described in this article. Nuclear reactions, charged-particle-induced X-ray emission as well as other nuclear and atomic processes can be used individually, or combined, in developing adequate analytical systems. In addition to concentration levels, concentration levels, concentration profiles can be measured, resulting in unique information. Some examples of experiments performed are described together with the suggestions for future measurements [pt

  19. Numerical simulation and comparison of nonlinear self-focusing based on iteration and ray tracing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xiaotong; Chen, Hao; Wang, Weiwei; Ruan, Wangchao; Zhang, Luwei; Cen, Zhaofeng

    2017-05-01

    Self-focusing is observed in nonlinear materials owing to the interaction between laser and matter when laser beam propagates. Some of numerical simulation strategies such as the beam propagation method (BPM) based on nonlinear Schrödinger equation and ray tracing method based on Fermat's principle have applied to simulate the self-focusing process. In this paper we present an iteration nonlinear ray tracing method in that the nonlinear material is also cut into massive slices just like the existing approaches, but instead of paraxial approximation and split-step Fourier transform, a large quantity of sampled real rays are traced step by step through the system with changing refractive index and laser intensity by iteration. In this process a smooth treatment is employed to generate a laser density distribution at each slice to decrease the error caused by the under-sampling. The characteristics of this method is that the nonlinear refractive indices of the points on current slice are calculated by iteration so as to solve the problem of unknown parameters in the material caused by the causal relationship between laser intensity and nonlinear refractive index. Compared with the beam propagation method, this algorithm is more suitable for engineering application with lower time complexity, and has the calculation capacity for numerical simulation of self-focusing process in the systems including both of linear and nonlinear optical media. If the sampled rays are traced with their complex amplitudes and light paths or phases, it will be possible to simulate the superposition effects of different beam. At the end of the paper, the advantages and disadvantages of this algorithm are discussed.

  20. A Profile-Based Framework for Factorial Similarity and the Congruence Coefficient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartley, Anselma G; Furr, R Michael

    2017-01-01

    We present a novel profile-based framework for understanding factorial similarity in the context of exploratory factor analysis in general, and for understanding the congruence coefficient (a commonly used index of factor similarity) specifically. First, we introduce the profile-based framework articulating factorial similarity in terms of 3 intuitive components: general saturation similarity, differential saturation similarity, and configural similarity. We then articulate the congruence coefficient in terms of these components, along with 2 additional profile-based components, and we explain how these components resolve ambiguities that can be-and are-found when using the congruence coefficient. Finally, we present secondary analyses revealing that profile-based components of factorial are indeed linked to experts' actual evaluations of factorial similarity. Overall, the profile-based approach we present offers new insights into the ways in which researchers can examine factor similarity and holds the potential to enhance researchers' ability to understand the congruence coefficient.

  1. Colorimetric detection of trace copper ions based on catalytic leaching of silver-coated gold nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lou, Tingting; Chen, Lingxin; Chen, Zhaopeng; Wang, Yunqing; Chen, Ling; Li, Jinhua

    2011-11-01

    A colorimetric, label-free, and nonaggregation-based silver coated gold nanoparticles (Ag/Au NPs) probe has been developed for detection of trace Cu(2+) in aqueous solution, based on the fact that Cu(2+) can accelerate the leaching rate of Ag/Au NPs by thiosulfate (S(2)O(3)(2-)). The leaching of Ag/Au NPs would lead to dramatic decrease in the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorption as the size of Ag/Au NPs decreased. This colorimetric strategy based on size-dependence of nanoparticles during their leaching process provided a highly sensitive (1.0 nM) and selective detection toward Cu(2+), with a wide linear detection range (5-800 nM) over nearly 3 orders of magnitude. The cost-effective probe allows rapid and sensitive detection of trace Cu(2+) ions in water samples, indicating its potential applicability for the determination of copper in real samples.

  2. Trace conditioning in insects – Keep the trace!

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristina V Dylla

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Trace conditioning is a form of associative learning that can be induced by presenting a conditioned stimulus (CS and an unconditioned stimulus (US following each other, but separated by a temporal gap. This gap distinguishes trace conditioning from classical delay conditioning, where the CS and US overlap. To bridge the temporal gap between both stimuli and to form an association between CS and US in trace conditioning, the brain must keep a neural representation of the CS after its termination – a stimulus trace. Behavioral and physiological studies on trace and delay conditioning revealed similarities between the two forms of learning, like similar memory decay and similar odor identity perception in invertebrates. On the other hand differences were reported also, like the requirement of distinct brain structures in vertebrates or disparities in molecular mechanisms in both vertebrates and invertebrates. For example, in commonly used vertebrate conditioning paradigms the hippocampus is necessary for trace but not for delay conditioning, and Drosophila delay conditioning requires the Rutabaga adenylyl cyclase, which is dispensable in trace conditioning. It is still unknown how the brain encodes CS traces and how they are associated with a US in trace conditioning. Insects serve as powerful models to address the mechanisms underlying trace conditioning, due to their simple brain anatomy, behavioral accessibility and established methods of genetic interference. In this review we summarize the recent progress in insect trace conditioning on the behavioral and physiological level and emphasize similarities and differences compared to delay conditioning. Moreover, we examine proposed molecular and computational models and reassess different experimental approaches used for trace conditioning.

  3. A technique to stabilize record bases for Gothic arch tracings in patients with implant-retained complete dentures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raigrodski, A J; Sadan, A; Carruth, P L

    1998-12-01

    Clinicians have long expressed concern about the accuracy of the Gothic arch tracing for recording centric relation in edentulous patients. With the use of dental implants to assist in retaining complete dentures, the problem of inaccurate recordings, made for patients without natural teeth, can be significantly reduced. This article presents a technique that uses healing abutments to stabilize the record bases so that an accurate Gothic arch tracing can be made.

  4. Study on Rail Profile Optimization Based on the Nonlinear Relationship between Profile and Wear Rate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianxi Wang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper proposes a rail profile optimization method that takes account of wear rate within design cycle so as to minimize rail wear at the curve in heavy haul railway and extend the service life of rail. Taking rail wear rate as the object function, the vertical coordinate of rail profile at range optimization as independent variable, and the geometric characteristics and grinding depth of rail profile as constraint conditions, the support vector machine regression theory was used to fit the nonlinear relationship between rail profile and its wear rate. Then, the profile optimization model was built. Based on the optimization principle of genetic algorithm, the profile optimization model was solved to achieve the optimal rail profile. A multibody dynamics model was used to check the dynamic performance of carriage running on optimal rail profile. The result showed that the average relative error of support vector machine regression model remained less than 10% after a number of training processes. The dynamic performance of carriage running on optimized rail profile met the requirements on safety index and stability. The wear rate of optimized profile was lower than that of standard profile by 5.8%; the allowable carrying gross weight increased by 12.7%.

  5. Implementation of Bluetooth serial port based profiles in embedded systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Guanglei; Qiu, Zhengding; Wang, Quanping; Gao, Qiang

    2001-10-01

    Bluetooth is a new short-range wireless communication technology developing rapidly in recent years. Bluetooth software architecture consists of stack and profiles. Serial Port Profile (SPP) is an underlying profile that emulates RS232 serial cable connections between two peer devices. Based on SPP, Dial-up Networking (DUN) Profile establishes PPP connection with remote dial-up server, Fax Profile realizes document facsimile function and LAN Access Profile (LAP) provides local area network access service. When it comes to their implementation in embedded systems, there are several challenges such as memory consumption, code efficiency, code reliability, and code portability onto different OS and hardware platforms to be attacked. In this paper, we propose integrated software architecture after discussing the great similarities shared among the three SPP based profiles. Then implementation of the architecture is given, in which OS-dependent and OS-independent parts are clearly separated. Profile interfaces with stack and OS are specified respectively so that the three profiles as a whole can be ported onto various software and hardware platforms easily. As a result, policy of transplanting our implementation onto different platforms is addressed at the end of the paper.

  6. Trace elements based classification on clinkers. Application to Spanish clinkers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tamás, F. D.

    2001-12-01

    Full Text Available The qualitative identification to determine the origin (i.e. manufacturing factory of Spanish clinkers is described. The classification of clinkers produced in different factories can be based on their trace element content. Approximately fifteen clinker sorts are analysed, collected from 11 Spanish cement factories to determine their Mg, Sr, Ba, Mn, Ti, Zr, Zn and V content. An expert system formulated by a binary decision tree is designed based on the collected data. The performance of the obtained classifier was measured by ten-fold cross validation. The results show that the proposed method is useful to identify an easy-to-use expert system that is able to determine the origin of the clinker based on its trace element content.

    En el presente trabajo se describe el procedimiento de identificación cualitativa de clínkeres españoles con el objeto de determinar su origen (fábrica. Esa clasificación de los clínkeres se basa en el contenido de sus elementos traza. Se analizaron 15 clínkeres diferentes procedentes de 11 fábricas de cemento españolas, determinándose los contenidos en Mg, Sr, Ba, Mn, Ti, Zr, Zn y V. Se ha diseñado un sistema experto mediante un árbol de decisión binario basado en los datos recogidos. La clasificación obtenida fue examinada mediante la validación cruzada de 10 valores. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que el modelo propuesto es válido para identificar, de manera fácil, un sistema experto capaz de determinar el origen de un clínker basándose en el contenido de sus elementos traza.

  7. Ray-tracing toroidal axisymmetric devices. 1. theoretical analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cardinali, A.; Brambilla, M.

    1981-06-01

    Ray tracing technique for lower hybrid waves is used to obtain informations about accessibility, power deposition profiles and eventually electric field distribution. In the first part a critical discussion to establish the meaning and validity of this technique is presented, while in the second part of this work applications to small and to large, fat tokamaks are presented, which support and explain the theoretical arguments

  8. A Trace Data-Based Approach for an Accurate Estimation of Precise Utilization Maps in LTE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Almudena Sánchez

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available For network planning and optimization purposes, mobile operators make use of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs, computed from Performance Measurements (PMs, to determine whether network performance needs to be improved. In current networks, PMs, and therefore KPIs, suffer from lack of precision due to an insufficient temporal and/or spatial granularity. In this work, an automatic method, based on data traces, is proposed to improve the accuracy of radio network utilization measurements collected in a Long-Term Evolution (LTE network. The method’s output is an accurate estimate of the spatial and temporal distribution for the cell utilization ratio that can be extended to other indicators. The method can be used to improve automatic network planning and optimization algorithms in a centralized Self-Organizing Network (SON entity, since potential issues can be more precisely detected and located inside a cell thanks to temporal and spatial precision. The proposed method is tested with real connection traces gathered in a large geographical area of a live LTE network and considers overload problems due to trace file size limitations, which is a key consideration when analysing a large network. Results show how these distributions provide a very detailed information of network utilization, compared to cell based statistics.

  9. Improvement and validation of trace gas retrieval from ACAM aircraft observation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, C.; Liu, X.; Kowalewski, M. G.; Janz, S. J.; Gonzalez Abad, G.; Pickering, K. E.; Chance, K.; Lamsal, L. N.

    2014-12-01

    The ACAM (Airborne Compact Atmospheric Mapper) instrument, flown on board the NASA UC-12 aircraft during the DISCOVER-AQ (Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality) campaigns, was designed to provide remote sensing observations of tropospheric and boundary layer pollutants and help understand some of the most important pollutants that directly affect the health of the population. In this study, slant column densities (SCD) of trace gases (O3, NO2, HCHO) are retrieved from ACAM measurements during the Baltimore-Washington D.C. 2011 campaign by the Basic Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (BOAS) trace gas fitting algorithm using a nonlinear least-squares (NLLS) inversion technique, and then are converted to vertical column densities (VCDs) using the Air Mass Factors (AMF) calculated with the VLIDORT (Vector Linearized Discrete Ordinate Radiative Transfer) model and CMAQ (Community Multi-scale Air Quality) model simulations of trace gas profiles. For surface treatment in the AMF, we use high-resolution MODIS climatological BRDF product (Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function) at 470 nm for NO2, and use high-resolution surface albedo derived by combining MODIS and OMI albedo databases for HCHO and O3. We validate ACAM results with coincident ground-based PANDORA, aircraft (P3B) spiral and satellite (OMI) measurements and find out generally good agreement especially for NO2 and O3

  10. An improved phase-locked loop method for automatic resonance frequency tracing based on static capacitance broadband compensation for a high-power ultrasonic transducer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Hui-juan; Wu, Jian; Zhang, Guang-yu; Wu, Han-fu

    2012-02-01

    The phase-locked loop (PLL) method is widely used for automatic resonance frequency tracing (ARFT) of high-power ultrasonic transducers, which are usually vibrating systems with high mechanical quality factor (Qm). However, a heavily-loaded transducer usually has a low Qm because the load has a large mechanical loss. In this paper, a series of theoretical analyses is carried out to detail why the traditional PLL method could cause serious frequency tracing problems, including loss of lock, antiresonance frequency tracing, and large tracing errors. The authors propose an improved ARFT method based on static capacitance broadband compensation (SCBC), which is able to address these problems. Experiments using a generator based on the novel method were carried out using crude oil as the transducer load. The results obtained have demonstrated the effectiveness of the novel method, compared with the conventional PLL method, in terms of improved tracing accuracy (±9 Hz) and immunity to antiresonance frequency tracing and loss of lock.

  11. Assessment of TRACE code against CHF experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Audrius Jasiulevicius; Rafael Macian-Juan; Paul Coddington

    2005-01-01

    Full text of publication follows: This paper reports on the validation of the USNRC 'consolidate' code TRACE with data obtained during Critical Heat Flux (CHF) experiments in single channels and round and annular tubes. CHF is one of the key reactor safety parameters, because it determines the conditions for the onset of transition boiling in the core rod bundles, leading to the low heat transfer rates characteristics of the post-CHF heat transfer regime. In the context of the participation of PSI in the the International Programme for uncertainty analysis BEMUSE, we have carried out extensive work for the validation of some important TRACE models. The present work is aimed at assessing the range of validity for the CHF correlations and post-CHF heat transfer models currently included in TRACE. The heat transfer experiments selected for the assessment were performed at the Royal Institute of Technology (RIT) in Stockholm, Sweden and at the Atomic Energy Establishment in Winfrith, UK. The experimental investigations of the CHF and post-CHF heat transfer at RIT for flow of water in vertical tubes and annulus were performed at pressures ranging from 1 to 20 MPa and coolant mass fluxes from 500 to 3000 kg/m 2 s. The liquid was subcooled by 10 deg. C and 40 deg. C at the inlet of the test section. The experiments were performed on two different types of test sections. Experiments with uniformly heated single 7.0 m long tubes were carried out with three different inner tube diameters of 10, 14.9 and 24.7 mm. A series of experiments with non-uniform axial power distribution were also conducted in order to study the effect of the axial heat flux distribution on the CHF conditions in both 7.0 m long single tubes and 3.65 long annulus. Several different axial power profiles were employed with bottom, middle and top power peaks as well as the double-humped axial power profiles. In total more than 100 experiments with uniform axial heat flux distribution and several hundreds

  12. Study of Profile Changes during Mechanical Polishing using Relocation Profilometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumaran, S. Chidambara; Shunmugam, M. S.

    2017-10-01

    Mechanical polishing is a finishing process practiced conventionally to enhance quality of surface. Surface finish is improved by mechanical cutting action of abrasive particles on work surface. Polishing is complex in nature and research efforts have been focused on understanding the polishing mechanism. Study of changes in profile is a useful method of understanding behavior of the polishing process. Such a study requires tracing same profile at regular process intervals, which is a tedious job. An innovative relocation technique is followed in the present work to study profile changes during mechanical polishing of austenitic stainless steel specimen. Using special locating fixture, micro-indentation mark and cross-correlation technique, the same profile is traced at certain process intervals. Comparison of different parameters of profiles shows the manner in which metal removal takes place in the polishing process. Mass removal during process estimated by the same relocation technique is checked with that obtained using weight measurement. The proposed approach can be extended to other micro/nano finishing processes and favorable process conditions can be identified.

  13. Trace elements profile is associated with insulin resistance syndrome and oxidative damage in thyroid disorders: Manganese and selenium interest in Algerian participants with dysthyroidism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maouche, Naima; Meskine, Djamila; Alamir, Barkahoum; Koceir, Elhadj-Ahmed

    2015-10-01

    The relationship between dysthyroidism and antioxidant trace elements (ATE) status is very subtle during oxidative stress (OS). This relationship is mediated by thyroid hormone (TH) disorder, insulin resistance syndrome (IRS) and inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate ATE such as selenium (Se), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) status on thyroid dysfunction, and their interaction with antioxidant enzyme activities, mainly, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), TH profile (TSH, T(3), T(4)) and IRS clusters. The study was undertaken on 220 Algerian adults (30-50 years), including 157 women and 63 men who were divided to 4 groups: subclinical hypothyroidism (n = 50), overt hypothyroidism (n = 60), Graves's disease hyperthyroidism (n = 60) and euthyroid controls (n = 50). The IRS was confirmed according to NCEP (National Cholesterol Education Program). Insulin resistance was evaluated by HOMA-IR model. Trace elements were determined by the Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (Flame-AAS) technique. The antioxidant enzymes activity and metabolic parameters were determined by biochemical methods. The TH profile and anti-Thyroperoxidase Antibodies (anti-TPO-Ab) were evaluated by radioimmunoassay. Results showed that the plasma manganese levels were significantly increased in all dysthyroidism groups (p ≤ 0.01). However, the plasma copper and zinc concentrations were maintained normal or not very disturbed vs control group. In contrast, the plasma selenium levels were highly decreased (p ≤ 0.001) and positively correlated with depletion of glutathione peroxidase activity; and associated both with anti-TPO-Ab overexpression and fulminant HS-CRP levels. This study confirms the oxidative stress-inflammation relationship in the dysthyroidism. The thyroid follicles antioxidant protection appears preserved in the cytosol (Cu/Zn-SOD), while it is altered in the mitochondria (Mn-SOD), which gives this cell organelle, a status of

  14. Determination of trace amount of formaldehyde base on a bromate-Malachite Green system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Yufang; Chen, Hao; Weng, Chao; Tang, Xiaohui; Zhang, Miaoling; Hu, Tao

    2015-01-25

    A novel catalytic kinetic spectrophotometric method for determination of trace amount of formaldehyde (FA) has been established, based on catalytic effect of trace amount of FA on the oxidation of Malachite Green (MG) by potassium bromate in presence of sulfuric acid medium, and was reported for the first time. The method was monitored by measuring the decrease in absorbance of MG at 617 nm and allowed a precise determination of FA in the range of 0.003-0.08 μg mL(-1), with a limit of detection down to 1 ng mL(-1). The relative standard deviation of 10 replicate measurements was 1.63%. The method developed was approved to be sensitive, selective and accurate, and adopted to determinate free FA in samples directly with good accuracy and reproducibility. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Trace metals in heavy crude oils and tar sand bitumens

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reynolds, J.G.

    1990-11-28

    Fe, Ni, and V are considered trace impurities in heavy crude oils and tar sand bitumens. In order to understand the importance of these metals, we have examined several properties: (1) bulk metals levels, (2) distribution in separated fractions, (3) size behavior in feeds and during processing, (4) speciation as a function of size, and (5) correlations with rheological properties. Some of the results of these studies show: (1) V and Ni have roughly bimodal size distributions, (2) groupings were seen based on location, size distribution, and Ni/V ratio of the sample, (3) Fe profiles are distinctively different, having a unimodal distribution with a maximum at relatively large molecular size, (4) Fe concentrations in the tar sand bitumens suggest possible fines solubilization in some cases, (5) SARA separated fractions show possible correlations of metals with asphaltene properties suggesting secondary and tertiary structure interactions, and (6) ICP-MS examination for soluble ultra-trace metal impurities show the possibility of unexpected elements such as U, Th, Mo, and others at concentrations in the ppB to ppM range. 39 refs., 13 figs., 5 tabs.

  16. Evaluation of Forensic DNA Traces When Propositions of Interest Relate to Activities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Biedermann, Alex; Champod, Christophe; Jackson, Graham

    2016-01-01

    When forensic scientists evaluate and report on the probative strength of single DNA traces, they commonly rely on only one number, expressing the rarity of the DNA profile in the population of interest. This is so because the focus is on propositions regarding the source of the recovered trace...... demonstrated in day-to-day forensic practice and is also voiced in specialized literature. Yet many forensic scientists remain reluctant to assess their results given propositions that relate to different activities. Some scientists consider evaluations beyond the issue of source as being overly speculative...

  17. Validity of a manual soft tissue profile prediction method following mandibular setback osteotomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kolokitha, Olga-Elpis

    2007-10-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the validity of a manual cephalometric method used for predicting the post-operative soft tissue profiles of patients who underwent mandibular setback surgery and compare it to a computerized cephalometric prediction method (Dentofacial Planner). Lateral cephalograms of 18 adults with mandibular prognathism taken at the end of pre-surgical orthodontics and approximately one year after surgery were used. To test the validity of the manual method the prediction tracings were compared to the actual post-operative tracings. The Dentofacial Planner software was used to develop the computerized post-surgical prediction tracings. Both manual and computerized prediction printouts were analyzed by using the cephalometric system PORDIOS. Statistical analysis was performed by means of t-test. Comparison between manual prediction tracings and the actual post-operative profile showed that the manual method results in more convex soft tissue profiles; the upper lip was found in a more prominent position, upper lip thickness was increased and, the mandible and lower lip were found in a less posterior position than that of the actual profiles. Comparison between computerized and manual prediction methods showed that in the manual method upper lip thickness was increased, the upper lip was found in a more anterior position and the lower anterior facial height was increased as compared to the computerized prediction method. Cephalometric simulation of post-operative soft tissue profile following orthodontic-surgical management of mandibular prognathism imposes certain limitations related to the methods implied. However, both manual and computerized prediction methods remain a useful tool for patient communication.

  18. An information transfer based novel framework for fault root cause tracing of complex electromechanical systems in the processing industry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Rongxi; Gao, Xu; Gao, Jianmin; Gao, Zhiyong; Kang, Jiani

    2018-02-01

    As one of the most important approaches for analyzing the mechanism of fault pervasion, fault root cause tracing is a powerful and useful tool for detecting the fundamental causes of faults so as to prevent any further propagation and amplification. Focused on the problems arising from the lack of systematic and comprehensive integration, an information transfer-based novel data-driven framework for fault root cause tracing of complex electromechanical systems in the processing industry was proposed, taking into consideration the experience and qualitative analysis of conventional fault root cause tracing methods. Firstly, an improved symbolic transfer entropy method was presented to construct a directed-weighted information model for a specific complex electromechanical system based on the information flow. Secondly, considering the feedback mechanisms in the complex electromechanical systems, a method for determining the threshold values of weights was developed to explore the disciplines of fault propagation. Lastly, an iterative method was introduced to identify the fault development process. The fault root cause was traced by analyzing the changes in information transfer between the nodes along with the fault propagation pathway. An actual fault root cause tracing application of a complex electromechanical system is used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed framework. A unique fault root cause is obtained regardless of the choice of the initial variable. Thus, the proposed framework can be flexibly and effectively used in fault root cause tracing for complex electromechanical systems in the processing industry, and formulate the foundation of system vulnerability analysis and condition prediction, as well as other engineering applications.

  19. Sensitive Multi-Species Emissions Monitoring: Infrared Laser-Based Detection of Trace-Level Contaminants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Steill, Jeffrey D. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Huang, Haifeng [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Hoops, Alexandra A. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Patterson, Brian D. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Birtola, Salvatore R. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Jaska, Mark [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Strecker, Kevin E. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Chandler, David W. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Bisson, Soott [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)

    2014-09-01

    This report summarizes our development of spectroscopic chemical analysis techniques and spectral modeling for trace-gas measurements of highly-regulated low-concentration species present in flue gas emissions from utility coal boilers such as HCl under conditions of high humidity. Detailed spectral modeling of the spectroscopy of HCl and other important combustion and atmospheric species such as H 2 O, CO 2 , N 2 O, NO 2 , SO 2 , and CH 4 demonstrates that IR-laser spectroscopy is a sensitive multi-component analysis strategy. Experimental measurements from techniques based on IR laser spectroscopy are presented that demonstrate sub-ppm sensitivity levels to these species. Photoacoustic infrared spectroscopy is used to detect and quantify HCl at ppm levels with extremely high signal-to-noise even under conditions of high relative humidity. Additionally, cavity ring-down IR spectroscopy is used to achieve an extremely high sensitivity to combustion trace gases in this spectral region; ppm level CH 4 is one demonstrated example. The importance of spectral resolution in the sensitivity of a trace-gas measurement is examined by spectral modeling in the mid- and near-IR, and efforts to improve measurement resolution through novel instrument development are described. While previous project reports focused on benefits and complexities of the dual-etalon cavity ring-down infrared spectrometer, here details on steps taken to implement this unique and potentially revolutionary instrument are described. This report also illustrates and critiques the general strategy of IR- laser photodetection of trace gases leading to the conclusion that mid-IR laser spectroscopy techniques provide a promising basis for further instrument development and implementation that will enable cost-effective sensitive detection of multiple key contaminant species simultaneously.

  20. Manual tracing versus smartphone application (app) tracing: a comparative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sayar, Gülşilay; Kilinc, Delal Dara

    2017-11-01

    This study aimed to compare the results of conventional manual cephalometric tracing with those acquired with smartphone application cephalometric tracing. The cephalometric radiographs of 55 patients (25 females and 30 males) were traced via the manual and app methods and were subsequently examined with Steiner's analysis. Five skeletal measurements, five dental measurements and two soft tissue measurements were managed based on 21 landmarks. The durations of the performances of the two methods were also compared. SNA (Sella, Nasion, A point angle) and SNB (Sella, Nasion, B point angle) values for the manual method were statistically lower (p < .001) than those for the app method. The ANB value for the manual method was statistically lower than that of app method. L1-NB (°) and upper lip protrusion values for the manual method were statistically higher than those for the app method. Go-GN/SN, U1-NA (°) and U1-NA (mm) values for manual method were statistically lower than those for the app method. No differences between the two methods were found in the L1-NB (mm), occlusal plane to SN, interincisal angle or lower lip protrusion values. Although statistically significant differences were found between the two methods, the cephalometric tracing proceeded faster with the app method than with the manual method.

  1. Accumulation of trace metals by aquatic macrophytes and their possible use in phytoremediation techniques

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michaela Hillermannová

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the performed research was to obtain knowledge on the ability of aquatic plants naturally growing at a site to absorb trace metals contained in bottom sediments and surface water. Furthermore, we compared differences in the accumulation of trace metals by the individual groups of aquatic plants (submerged and emergent and assessed a possible use of the individual plant species in phytoremediation techniques. Representative samples of water, sediments and aquatic macrophytes were taken from three anthropogenically loaded streams in six monitoring cycles in several collection profiles differing in the distance from a source of contamination. The samples were analysed for the total content of selected trace metals (As, Cd, Pb, Al, Hg, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cr, Ni and Cu. For comparison, one profile at an unloaded site was sampled as well. The obtained results were subjected to multivariate statistical analysis of data. Increased contents of Fe, Al, Mn, Cr and Zn were detected in sediments and plant biomass at loaded sites, namely 2–3× higher than at the comparing site. The contents of metals in surface water samples were altogether below the detection limit of the analytical method. When evaluating the individual plant species, we can state that the lowest contents of metals were detected in shore species (reed canary grass Phalaroides arundinacea, wood club-rush Scirpus silvaticus and red dock Rumex aquaticus; plant species growing in the very water current (water star-wort Callitriche sp. and flote-grass Glyceria fluitans exhibited mean contents of metals. In species forming mats (Fontinalis antipyretica and Cladophora sp., these contents were several times higher as compared to the previous species. The results of the performed research show that one of important factors, which influence the accumulation of trace metals in plants, is their ecological group (emergent – submerged affiliation and the species classification within this group

  2. Exploring personalized searches using tag-based user profiles and resource profiles in folksonomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Yi; Li, Qing; Xie, Haoran; Min, Huaqin

    2014-10-01

    With the increase in resource-sharing websites such as YouTube and Flickr, many shared resources have arisen on the Web. Personalized searches have become more important and challenging since users demand higher retrieval quality. To achieve this goal, personalized searches need to take users' personalized profiles and information needs into consideration. Collaborative tagging (also known as folksonomy) systems allow users to annotate resources with their own tags, which provides a simple but powerful way for organizing, retrieving and sharing different types of social resources. In this article, we examine the limitations of previous tag-based personalized searches. To handle these limitations, we propose a new method to model user profiles and resource profiles in collaborative tagging systems. We use a normalized term frequency to indicate the preference degree of a user on a tag. A novel search method using such profiles of users and resources is proposed to facilitate the desired personalization in resource searches. In our framework, instead of the keyword matching or similarity measurement used in previous works, the relevance measurement between a resource and a user query (termed the query relevance) is treated as a fuzzy satisfaction problem of a user's query requirements. We implement a prototype system called the Folksonomy-based Multimedia Retrieval System (FMRS). Experiments using the FMRS data set and the MovieLens data set show that our proposed method outperforms baseline methods. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Study on method of characteristics based on cell modular ray tracing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang Chuntao; Zhang Shaohong

    2009-01-01

    To address the issue of accurately solving neutron transport problem in complex geometry, method of characteristics (MOC) is studied in this paper, and a quite effective and memory saving cell modular ray tracing (CMRT) method is developed and related angle discretization and boundary condition handling issues are discussed. A CMRT based MOC code-PEACH is developed and tested against C5G7 MOX benchmark problem. Numerical results demonstrate that PEACH can give excellent accuracy for both k eff and pin power distribution for neutron transport problem. (authors)

  4. Atmospheric trace metal pollution in the Naples urban area based on results from moss and lichen bags

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giordano, S.; Adamo, P.; Sorbo, S.; Vingiani, S.

    2005-01-01

    The results of trace element content analysed in Sphagnum capillifolium and Pseudevernia furfuracea exposed in bags in 1999 are reconsidered to evaluate the reliability of moss and lichen transplants to detect urban trace element atmospheric pollution, using Naples as a case example. After 4 months' exposure, trace element concentrations were at least twice as high as the pre-exposure values and in general higher in Sphagnum than in Pseudevernia. Moss samples were enriched in the following order: As = Cu > Mo > Pb > V > Co > Cr > Zn; lichen samples in the order: Mo > Cu > As = Co = Ni > V > Pb. Based on the calculation of a cumulative load factor, all sites located along the coast had higher trace element loads compared to sites in the hilly inland area. Complementary SEM, TEM and EDS observations showed, despite significant damage to tissue and cell integrity, the recurrent presence of particulate matter in moss and lichen, indicating the considerable presence of dust in the urban atmosphere which, according to chemical composition, may be due both to anthropogenic and natural sources such as volcanic rock and soil and sea salts. - Despite significant damage to tissue and cell integrity, moss and lichen in bags efficiently intercept airborne trace elements

  5. RNA/DNA co-analysis from human skin and contact traces – results of a sixth collaborative EDNAP exercise

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Haas, C; Hanson, E; Banemann, R

    2015-01-01

    The European DNA profiling group (EDNAP) organized a sixth collaborative exercise on RNA/DNA co-analysis for body fluid/tissue identification and STR profiling. The task was to identify skin samples/contact traces using specific RNA biomarkers and test three housekeeping genes for their suitabili...

  6. Direct infusion electrospray ionization–ion mobility–mass spectrometry for comparative profiling of fatty acids based on stable isotope labeling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Leng, Jiapeng, E-mail: jpleng@126.com [Department of Chemical Engineering, North University of China, Taiyuan 030051 (China); Guan, Qing [Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC), Shanghai 200032 (China); Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Sun, Tuanqi, E-mail: tuanqisun@163.com [Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC), Shanghai 200032 (China); Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Wang, Haoyang [National Center for Organic Mass Spectrometry in Shanghai, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032 (China); Cui, Jianlan; Liu, Qinghao [Department of Chemical Engineering, North University of China, Taiyuan 030051 (China); Zhang, Zhixu; Zhang, Manyu [Agilent Technologies China Co., Ltd, Shanghai 200080 (China); Guo, Yinlong, E-mail: ylguo@sioc.ac.cn [National Center for Organic Mass Spectrometry in Shanghai, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032 (China)

    2015-08-05

    A rapid method for fatty acids (FAs) comparative profiling based on carboxyl-specific stable isotope labeling (SIL) and direct infusion electrospray ionization–ion mobility–mass spectrometry (ESI–IM–MS) is established. The design of the method takes advantage of the three-dimensional characteristics of IM–MS including drift time, m/z and ion intensity, for comparison of d0-/d6-2,4-dimethoxy-6-piperazin-1-yl pyrimidine (DMPP)-labeled FAs. In particular, without chromatographic separation, the method allowed direct FAs profiling in complex samples due to the advantageous priority of DMPP in signal enhancement as well as the extra resolution that IM–MS offered. Additionally, the d0-/d6-DMPP-labeled FAs showed expected features, including very similar drift times, 6 Da mass deviations, specific reporter ions, similar MS responses, and adherence to the drift time rule regarding the influence of carbon chain length and unsaturation on relative drift times. Therefore, the introduction of isotope analogs minimized the matrix effect and variations in quantification and ensured accurate identification of non-targeted FAs by those typical features. Peak intensity ratios between d0-/d6-DMPP-labeled ions were subsequently used in relative quantification for the detected FAs. The established strategy has been applied successfully in the rapid profiling of trace free FAs between normal and cancerous human thyroid tissues. Sixteen free FAs were found with the increased level with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) compared to the normal tissue samples. The integrated SIL technique and ESI–IM–MS are expected to serve as an alternative tool for high-throughput analysis of FAs in complex samples. - Highlights: • A novel method based on IM–MS and SIL was developed for FAs comparative profiling. • Without LC separation, the method allowed direct infusion profiling of FAs in complex samples. • Both of the efficiency and accuracy for FAs analyses

  7. Forensic DNA methylation profiling from minimal traces: How low can we go?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naue, Jana; Hoefsloot, Huub C J; Kloosterman, Ate D; Verschure, Pernette J

    2018-03-01

    Analysis of human DNA methylation (DNAm) can provide additional investigative leads in crime cases, e.g. the type of tissue or body fluid, the chronological age of an individual, and differentiation between identical twins. In contrast to the genetic profile, the DNAm level is not the same in every cell. At the single cell level, DNAm represents a binary event at a defined CpG site (methylated versus non-methylated). The DNAm level from a DNA extract however represents the average level of methylation of the CpG of interest of all molecules in the forensic sample. The variance of DNAm levels between replicates is often attributed to technological issues, i.e. degradation of DNA due to bisulfite treatment, preferential amplification of DNA, and amplification failure. On the other hand, we show that stochastic variations can lead to gross fluctuation in the analysis of methylation levels in samples with low DNA levels. This stochasticity in DNAm results is relevant since low DNA amounts (1pg - 1ng) is rather the norm than the exception when analyzing forensic DNA samples. This study describes a conceptual analysis of DNAm profiling and its dependence on the amount of input DNA. We took a close look at the variation of DNAm analysis due to DNA input and its consequences for different DNAm-based forensic applications. As can be expected, the 95%-confidence interval of measured DNAm becomes narrower with increasing amounts of DNA. We compared this aspect for two different DNAm-based forensic applications: body fluid identification and chronological age determination. Our study shows that DNA amount should be well considered when using DNAm for forensic applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. A measurement system for vertical seawater profiles close to the air-sea interface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sims, Richard P.; Schuster, Ute; Watson, Andrew J.; Yang, Ming Xi; Hopkins, Frances E.; Stephens, John; Bell, Thomas G.

    2017-09-01

    This paper describes a near-surface ocean profiler, which has been designed to precisely measure vertical gradients in the top 10 m of the ocean. Variations in the depth of seawater collection are minimized when using the profiler compared to conventional CTD/rosette deployments. The profiler consists of a remotely operated winch mounted on a tethered yet free-floating buoy, which is used to raise and lower a small frame housing sensors and inlet tubing. Seawater at the inlet depth is pumped back to the ship for analysis. The profiler can be used to make continuous vertical profiles or to target a series of discrete depths. The profiler has been successfully deployed during wind speeds up to 10 m s-1 and significant wave heights up to 2 m. We demonstrate the potential of the profiler by presenting measured vertical profiles of the trace gases carbon dioxide and dimethylsulfide. Trace gas measurements use an efficient microporous membrane equilibrator to minimize the system response time. The example profiles show vertical gradients in the upper 5 m for temperature, carbon dioxide and dimethylsulfide of 0.15 °C, 4 µatm and 0.4 nM respectively.

  9. Random-Profiles-Based 3D Face Recognition System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joongrock Kim

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, a noble nonintrusive three-dimensional (3D face modeling system for random-profile-based 3D face recognition is presented. Although recent two-dimensional (2D face recognition systems can achieve a reliable recognition rate under certain conditions, their performance is limited by internal and external changes, such as illumination and pose variation. To address these issues, 3D face recognition, which uses 3D face data, has recently received much attention. However, the performance of 3D face recognition highly depends on the precision of acquired 3D face data, while also requiring more computational power and storage capacity than 2D face recognition systems. In this paper, we present a developed nonintrusive 3D face modeling system composed of a stereo vision system and an invisible near-infrared line laser, which can be directly applied to profile-based 3D face recognition. We further propose a novel random-profile-based 3D face recognition method that is memory-efficient and pose-invariant. The experimental results demonstrate that the reconstructed 3D face data consists of more than 50 k 3D point clouds and a reliable recognition rate against pose variation.

  10. Atom trap trace analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu, Z.-T.; Bailey, K.; Chen, C.-Y.; Du, X.; Li, Y.-M.; O'Connor, T. P.; Young, L.

    2000-01-01

    A new method of ultrasensitive trace-isotope analysis has been developed based upon the technique of laser manipulation of neutral atoms. It has been used to count individual 85 Kr and 81 Kr atoms present in a natural krypton sample with isotopic abundances in the range of 10 -11 and 10 -13 , respectively. The atom counts are free of contamination from other isotopes, elements,or molecules. The method is applicable to other trace-isotopes that can be efficiently captured with a magneto-optical trap, and has a broad range of potential applications

  11. Directed graph based carbon flow tracing for demand side carbon obligation allocation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sun, Tao; Feng, Donghan; Ding, Teng

    2016-01-01

    In order to achieve carbon emission abatement, some researchers and policy makers have cast their focus on demand side carbon abatement potentials. This paper addresses the problem of carbon flow calculation in power systems and carbon obligation allocation at demand side. A directed graph based...... method for tracing carbon flow is proposed. In a lossy network, matrices such as carbon losses, net carbon intensity (NCI) and footprint carbon intensity (FCI) are obtained with the proposed method and used to allocate carbon obligation at demand side. Case studies based on realistic distribution...... and transmission systems are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method....

  12. Trace DNA Sampling Success from Evidence Items Commonly Encountered in Forensic Casework.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dziak, Renata; Peneder, Amy; Buetter, Alicia; Hageman, Cecilia

    2018-05-01

    Trace DNA analysis is a significant part of a forensic laboratory's workload. Knowing optimal sampling strategies and item success rates for particular item types can assist in evidence selection and examination processes and shorten turnaround times. In this study, forensic short tandem repeat (STR) casework results were reviewed to determine how often STR profiles suitable for comparison were obtained from "handler" and "wearer" areas of 764 items commonly submitted for examination. One hundred and fifty-five (155) items obtained from volunteers were also sampled. Items were analyzed for best sampling location and strategy. For casework items, headwear and gloves provided the highest success rates. Experimentally, eyeglasses and earphones, T-shirts, fabric gloves and watches provided the highest success rates. Eyeglasses and latex gloves provided optimal results if the entire surfaces were swabbed. In general, at least 10%, and up to 88% of all trace DNA analyses resulted in suitable STR profiles for comparison. © 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  13. Effects of trace elements on urease activity in soils

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tabatabai, M A

    1977-01-01

    Disposal of sewage sludges and effluents on agricultural land is becoming a widespread practice. Most sludge samples disposed on soils contain large quantities of various trace elements. Studies of 20 trace elements commonly found in sludge samples showed that they inhibit the activity of urease in soils and that their order of effectiveness as inhibitors of urease depends on the soil. When the trace elements were compared by using 5 ..mu..mol . g/sup -1/ soil, however, some of them showed the same order of effectiveness as urease inhibitors in the six soils studied i.e., for the monovalent and divalent ions. Ag/sup +/ greater than or equal to Hg/sup 2 +/ > Cu/sup 2 +/ > Cd/sup 2 +/ > Zn/sup 2 +/ > Sn/sup 2 +/ > Mn/sup 2 +/, and generally, Fe/sup 3 +/ > Fe/sup 2 +/ and Cu/sup 2 +/ > Cu/sup +/. Other trace element ions that inhibited urease were Ni/sup 2 +/, Co/sup 2 +/, Pb/sup 2 +/, Ba/sup 2 +/, As/sup 3 +/, B/sup 3 +/, Cr/sup 3 +/, Al/sup 3 +/, V/sup 4 +/, Se/sup 4 +/, and Mo/sup 6 +/. Of the trace element ions studied, only As/sup 5 +/ and W/sup 6 +/ did not inhibit urease activity in soils. Studies on the distribution of urease activity showed that it is concentrated in surface soils and decreases with depth. Urease activity was proportional to organic C distribution in each soil profile and was significantly correlated with organic C in the surface soils studied.

  14. New light field camera based on physical based rendering tracing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, Ming-Han; Chang, Shan-Ching; Lee, Chih-Kung

    2014-03-01

    Even though light field technology was first invented more than 50 years ago, it did not gain popularity due to the limitation imposed by the computation technology. With the rapid advancement of computer technology over the last decade, the limitation has been uplifted and the light field technology quickly returns to the spotlight of the research stage. In this paper, PBRT (Physical Based Rendering Tracing) was introduced to overcome the limitation of using traditional optical simulation approach to study the light field camera technology. More specifically, traditional optical simulation approach can only present light energy distribution but typically lack the capability to present the pictures in realistic scenes. By using PBRT, which was developed to create virtual scenes, 4D light field information was obtained to conduct initial data analysis and calculation. This PBRT approach was also used to explore the light field data calculation potential in creating realistic photos. Furthermore, we integrated the optical experimental measurement results with PBRT in order to place the real measurement results into the virtually created scenes. In other words, our approach provided us with a way to establish a link of virtual scene with the real measurement results. Several images developed based on the above-mentioned approaches were analyzed and discussed to verify the pros and cons of the newly developed PBRT based light field camera technology. It will be shown that this newly developed light field camera approach can circumvent the loss of spatial resolution associated with adopting a micro-lens array in front of the image sensors. Detailed operational constraint, performance metrics, computation resources needed, etc. associated with this newly developed light field camera technique were presented in detail.

  15. A simple data base for identification of risk profiles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Munganahalli, D.

    1996-12-31

    Sedco Forex is a drilling contractor that operates approximately 80 rigs on land and offshore worldwide. The HSE management system developed by Sedco Forex is an effort to prevent accidents and minimize losses. An integral part of the HSE management system is establishing risk profiles and thereby minimizing risk and reducing loss exposures. Risk profiles are established based on accident reports, potential accident reports and other risk identification reports (RIR) like the Du Pont STOP system. A rig could fill in as many as 30 accident reports, 30 potential accident reports and 500 STOP cards each year. Statistics are important for an HSE management system, since they are indicators of success or failure of HSE systems. It is however difficult to establish risk profiles based on statistical information, unless tools are available at the rig site to aid with the analysis. Risk profiles are then used to identify important areas in the operation that may require specific attention to minimize the loss exposure. Programs to address the loss exposure can then be identified and implemented with either a local or corporate approach. In January 1995, Sedco Forex implemented a uniform HSE Database on all the rigs worldwide. In one year companywide, the HSE database would contain information on approximately 500 accident and potential accident reports, and 10,000 STOP cards. This paper demonstrates the salient features of the database and describes how it has helped in establishing key risk profiles. It also shows a recent example of how risk profiles have been established at the corporate level and used to identify the key contributing factors to hands and finger injuries. Based on this information, a campaign was launched to minimize the frequency of occurrence and associated loss attributed to hands and fingers accidents.

  16. PIXE-based quantification of health-proactive trace elements in genetically transformed roots of a multi-medicinal plant, Sida acuta Burm.f

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Somanatha Jena; Lopamudra Sahu; Chand, P.K.; Ray, D.K.; Mishra, S.K.

    2015-01-01

    Inorganic element composition of genetically transformed hairy root cultures (HRCs) of a medicinal plant, Sida acuta was determined using PIXE technique. HRCs had a higher accumulation of pro-health trace elements compared to natural roots. It was estimated that < 160 g d.wt. of a selected rhizoclone could suffice to provide nearly all tested essential elements catering to per diem requirement of the human body. The ideal multi-elemental profile ushers a new possibility of integrating hairy root extracts in modern therapeutics ('rhizotherapy') as complementary medicine or a dietary nutraceutical supplement. (author)

  17. A new 3-D ray tracing method based on LTI using successive partitioning of cell interfaces and traveltime gradients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Dong; Zhang, Ting-Ting; Zhang, Xiao-Lei; Yang, Yan; Hu, Ying; Qin, Qian-Qing

    2013-05-01

    We present a new method of three-dimensional (3-D) seismic ray tracing, based on an improvement to the linear traveltime interpolation (LTI) ray tracing algorithm. This new technique involves two separate steps. The first involves a forward calculation based on the LTI method and the dynamic successive partitioning scheme, which is applied to calculate traveltimes on cell boundaries and assumes a wavefront that expands from the source to all grid nodes in the computational domain. We locate several dynamic successive partition points on a cell's surface, the traveltimes of which can be calculated by linear interpolation between the vertices of the cell's boundary. The second is a backward step that uses Fermat's principle and the fact that the ray path is always perpendicular to the wavefront and follows the negative traveltime gradient. In this process, the first-arriving ray path can be traced from the receiver to the source along the negative traveltime gradient, which can be calculated by reconstructing the continuous traveltime field with cubic B-spline interpolation. This new 3-D ray tracing method is compared with the LTI method and the shortest path method (SPM) through a number of numerical experiments. These comparisons show obvious improvements to computed traveltimes and ray paths, both in precision and computational efficiency.

  18. Transfer and mobility of trace metallic elements in the sedimentary column of continental hydro-systems; Transferts et mobilite des elements traces metalliques dans la colonne sedimentaire des hydrosystemes continentaux

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Devallois, V.

    2009-02-15

    In freshwater systems, trace metal pollutants are transferred into water and sedimentary columns under dissolved forms and/or fixed onto solid particles. Accumulated in the sedimentary areas, these latter ones can constitute important stocks of materials and associated pollutants and may impair water quality when environmental changes lead to increase their mobility. The mobility of the stocks of pollutants is mainly depending on the erosion, on the interstitial diffusion of the mobile phases (dissolved and colloidal) and on the bioturbation. In this context, this study involves the analysis of the mobility by interstitial diffusion. This topic consists in studying trace metal fractionation between their mobile (dissolved and colloidal) and non mobile (fixed onto the particles) forms. This point is governed by sorption/desorption processes at the particle surfaces. These processes are regulated by physico-chemical parameters (pH, redox potential, ionic strength...) and are influenced by biogeochemical reactions resulting from the oxidation of the organic matter by the microbial activity. These reactions generate vertical profiles of nutrients and metal concentrations along the sedimentary column. To understand these processes, this work is based on a mixed approach that combines in situ, analysis and modelling. In situ experimental part consists in sampling natural sediments cores collected at 4 different sites (1 site in Durance and 3 sites on the Rhone). These samples are analyzed according to an analytical protocol that provides the vertical distribution of physicochemical parameters (pH, redox potential, size distribution, porosity), nutrients and solid - liquid forms of trace metals (cobalt, copper, nickel, lead, zinc). The analysis and interpretation of these experimental results are based on a model that was developed during this study and that includes: 1) model of interstitial diffusion (Boudreau, 1997), 2) biogeochemical model (Wang and Van Cappellen

  19. Atom trap trace analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lu, Z.-T.; Bailey, K.; Chen, C.-Y.; Du, X.; Li, Y.-M.; O' Connor, T. P.; Young, L.

    2000-05-25

    A new method of ultrasensitive trace-isotope analysis has been developed based upon the technique of laser manipulation of neutral atoms. It has been used to count individual {sup 85}Kr and {sup 81}Kr atoms present in a natural krypton sample with isotopic abundances in the range of 10{sup {minus}11} and 10{sup {minus}13}, respectively. The atom counts are free of contamination from other isotopes, elements,or molecules. The method is applicable to other trace-isotopes that can be efficiently captured with a magneto-optical trap, and has a broad range of potential applications.

  20. A New Inversion Routine to Produce Vertical Electron-Density Profiles from Ionospheric Topside-Sounder Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yongli; Benson, Robert F.

    2011-01-01

    Two software applications have been produced specifically for the analysis of some million digital topside ionograms produced by a recent analog-to-digital conversion effort of selected analog telemetry tapes from the Alouette-2, ISIS-1 and ISIS-2 satellites. One, TOPIST (TOPside Ionogram Scalar with True-height algorithm) from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, is designed for the automatic identification of the topside-ionogram ionospheric-reflection traces and their inversion into vertical electron-density profiles Ne(h). TOPIST also has the capability of manual intervention. The other application, from the Goddard Space Flight Center based on the FORTRAN code of John E. Jackson from the 1960s, is designed as an IDL-based interactive program for the scaling of selected digital topside-sounder ionograms. The Jackson code has also been modified, with some effort, so as to run on modern computers. This modification was motivated by the need to scale selected ionograms from the millions of Alouette/ISIS topside-sounder ionograms that only exist on 35-mm film. During this modification, it became evident that it would be more efficient to design a new code, based on the capabilities of present-day computers, than to continue to modify the old code. Such a new code has been produced and here we will describe its capabilities and compare Ne(h) profiles produced from it with those produced by the Jackson code. The concept of the new code is to assume an initial Ne(h) and derive a final Ne(h) through an iteration process that makes the resulting apparent-height profile fir the scaled values within a certain error range. The new code can be used on the X-, O-, and Z-mode traces. It does not assume any predefined profile shape between two contiguous points, like the exponential rule used in Jackson s program. Instead, Monotone Piecewise Cubic Interpolation is applied in the global profile to keep the monotone nature of the profile, which also ensures better smoothness

  1. PanFP: pangenome-based functional profiles for microbial communities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jun, Se-Ran; Robeson, Michael S; Hauser, Loren J; Schadt, Christopher W; Gorin, Andrey A

    2015-09-26

    For decades there has been increasing interest in understanding the relationships between microbial communities and ecosystem functions. Current DNA sequencing technologies allows for the exploration of microbial communities in two principle ways: targeted rRNA gene surveys and shotgun metagenomics. For large study designs, it is often still prohibitively expensive to sequence metagenomes at both the breadth and depth necessary to statistically capture the true functional diversity of a community. Although rRNA gene surveys provide no direct evidence of function, they do provide a reasonable estimation of microbial diversity, while being a very cost-effective way to screen samples of interest for later shotgun metagenomic analyses. However, there is a great deal of 16S rRNA gene survey data currently available from diverse environments, and thus a need for tools to infer functional composition of environmental samples based on 16S rRNA gene survey data. We present a computational method called pangenome-based functional profiles (PanFP), which infers functional profiles of microbial communities from 16S rRNA gene survey data for Bacteria and Archaea. PanFP is based on pangenome reconstruction of a 16S rRNA gene operational taxonomic unit (OTU) from known genes and genomes pooled from the OTU's taxonomic lineage. From this lineage, we derive an OTU functional profile by weighting a pangenome's functional profile with the OTUs abundance observed in a given sample. We validated our method by comparing PanFP to the functional profiles obtained from the direct shotgun metagenomic measurement of 65 diverse communities via Spearman correlation coefficients. These correlations improved with increasing sequencing depth, within the range of 0.8-0.9 for the most deeply sequenced Human Microbiome Project mock community samples. PanFP is very similar in performance to another recently released tool, PICRUSt, for almost all of survey data analysed here. But, our method is unique

  2. A measurement system for vertical seawater profiles close to the air–sea interface

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. P. Sims

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes a near-surface ocean profiler, which has been designed to precisely measure vertical gradients in the top 10 m of the ocean. Variations in the depth of seawater collection are minimized when using the profiler compared to conventional CTD/rosette deployments. The profiler consists of a remotely operated winch mounted on a tethered yet free-floating buoy, which is used to raise and lower a small frame housing sensors and inlet tubing. Seawater at the inlet depth is pumped back to the ship for analysis. The profiler can be used to make continuous vertical profiles or to target a series of discrete depths. The profiler has been successfully deployed during wind speeds up to 10 m s−1 and significant wave heights up to 2 m. We demonstrate the potential of the profiler by presenting measured vertical profiles of the trace gases carbon dioxide and dimethylsulfide. Trace gas measurements use an efficient microporous membrane equilibrator to minimize the system response time. The example profiles show vertical gradients in the upper 5 m for temperature, carbon dioxide and dimethylsulfide of 0.15 °C, 4 µatm and 0.4 nM respectively.

  3. Weathering of the New Albany Shale, Kentucky: II. Redistribution of minor and trace elements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuttle, M.L.W.; Breit, G.N.; Goldhaber, M.B.

    2009-01-01

    During weathering, elements enriched in black shale are dispersed in the environment by aqueous and mechanical transport. Here a unique evaluation of the differential release, transport, and fate of Fe and 15 trace elements during progressive weathering of the Devonian New Albany Shale in Kentucky is presented. Results of chemical analyses along a weathering profile (unweathered through progressively weathered shale to soil) describe the chemically distinct pathways of the trace elements and the rate that elements are transferred into the broader, local environment. Trace elements enriched in the unweathered shale are in massive or framboidal pyrite, minor sphalerite, CuS and NiS phases, organic matter and clay minerals. These phases are subject to varying degrees and rates of alteration along the profile. Cadmium, Co, Mn, Ni, and Zn are removed from weathered shale during sulfide-mineral oxidation and transported primarily in aqueous solution. The aqueous fluxes for these trace elements range from 0.1 g/ha/a (Cd) to 44 g/ha/a (Mn). When hydrologic and climatic conditions are favorable, solutions seep to surface exposures, evaporate, and form Fe-sulfate efflorescent salts rich in these elements. Elements that remain dissolved in the low pH (pH. Neutralization of the weathering solution in local streams results in elements being adsorbed and precipitated onto sediment surfaces, resulting in trace element anomalies. Other elements are strongly adsorbed or structurally bound to solid phases during weathering. Copper and U initially are concentrated in weathering solutions, but become fixed to modern plant litter in soil formed on New Albany Shale. Molybdenum, Pb, Sb, and Se are released from sulfide minerals and organic matter by oxidation and accumulate in Fe-oxyhydroxide clay coatings that concentrate in surface soil during illuviation. Chromium, Ti, and V are strongly correlated with clay abundance and considered to be in the structure of illitic clay. Illite

  4. Residential Consumption Scheduling Based on Dynamic User Profiling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mangiatordi, Federica; Pallotti, Emiliano; Del Vecchio, Paolo; Capodiferro, Licia

    Deployment of household appliances and of electric vehicles raises the electricity demand in the residential areas and the impact of the building's electrical power. The variations of electricity consumption across the day, may affect both the design of the electrical generation facilities and the electricity bill, mainly when a dynamic pricing is applied. This paper focuses on an energy management system able to control the day-ahead electricity demand in a residential area, taking into account both the variability of the energy production costs and the profiling of the users. The user's behavior is dynamically profiled on the basis of the tasks performed during the previous days and of the tasks foreseen for the current day. Depending on the size and on the flexibility in time of the user tasks, home inhabitants are grouped in, one over N, energy profiles, using a k-means algorithm. For a fixed energy generation cost, each energy profile is associated to a different hourly energy cost. The goal is to identify any bad user profile and to make it pay a highest bill. A bad profile example is when a user applies a lot of consumption tasks and low flexibility in task reallocation time. The proposed energy management system automatically schedules the tasks, solving a multi-objective optimization problem based on an MPSO strategy. The goals, when identifying bad users profiles, are to reduce the peak to average ratio in energy demand, and to minimize the energy costs, promoting virtuous behaviors.

  5. Release kinetics and mechanisms of trace heavy metals from cement based material; Cinetiques et mecanismes de relargage des metaux lourds presents en traces dans les matrices cimentaires

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moudilou, E.

    2002-12-15

    Chemical species contained in a solid matrix may be transferred to the environment through water leaching. Previous studies of trace metals released from building materials (particularly cement-based ones) highlight an important analytical difficulty. The aim of this study is to determine the kinetics and the mechanisms involved in the release of trace heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, V and Zn) from industrial cement pastes (usually ranging from 20 to 300 ppm). The development of a dynamic leaching system, named CTG-LEACHCRETE, (used at pH=5, 20 C) which permits the evaluation of the kinetics of trace heavy metals is presented in the first part. Also, innovative solid analysis techniques (ICP-MS-Laser Ablation, local and Grazing Incidence X-rays Diffraction (GIXD) technique) were used to characterise the cement-degraded layers formed during leaching experiments. These techniques enable to monitor the mineralogical evolution and the distribution of trace metals in these areas. The confrontation of these two approaches, kinetic and solid analysis, coupled with a thorough investigation of previously developed models, lead to proposals concerning the mechanisms of release of the trace heavy metals studied. In all the cement pastes studied (CPA-CEM I, CPJ-CEM II/A and CLC-CEM V/A), chromium is trapped in ettringite by substitution SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}(U)CrO{sub 4}{sup 2-} and its release is then controlled by the dissolution of this hydrate. The behaviour of copper, nickel and zinc in degraded areas and in leachates, are correlated to the silicon of the hydrated calcium silicate (CSH), which imply that they are localised there. Lead, was never detected in the leachates. But it is also correlated to the silicon in the degraded layers. (author)

  6. Interpreting Repeated Temperature-Depth Profiles for Groundwater Flow

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bense, Victor F.; Kurylyk, Barret L.; Daal, van Jonathan; Ploeg, van der Martine J.; Carey, Sean K.

    2017-01-01

    Temperature can be used to trace groundwater flows due to thermal disturbances of subsurface advection. Prior hydrogeological studies that have used temperature-depth profiles to estimate vertical groundwater fluxes have either ignored the influence of climate change by employing steady-state

  7. X-Ray Pulsar Profile Recovery Based on Tracking-Differentiator

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dapeng Zhang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The profile recovery is an important work in X-ray pulsar-based navigation. It is a key step for the analysis on the pulsar signal’s characteristic and the computing of time of arrival (TOA. This paper makes an argument for an algorithm based on the tracking-differentiator (TD to recover the profile from the low Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR signals. In the method, a TD filter with cascade structure is designed which has very low phase delay and amplitude distortion. In the simulation experiment, two typical pulsars (PSR B0531+21 and PSR B1937+21 are used to verify the algorithm’s performance. The simulation results show that the method satisfies the application requirements in the aspects of SNR and profile fidelity. By processing the data collected by the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (RXTE satellite in space, similar results can also be achieved.

  8. Determination of base-line levels of trace amounts in pulses and spices using neutron activation technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zaidi, J.H.; Arif, M.; Fatima, I.; Qureshi, I.H.

    1993-01-01

    It has been established that essential trace elements are vitally important for biochemical systems, whereas toxic elements if present in relatively higher amounts adversely affect these systems. Trace elements reach the human body mainly through foodstuffs. The different articles contain varying amount of toxic and essential elements. It is therefore necessary to asses the adequacy and safety of the diet by determining the base-line levels of these elements. In continuation of our previous work, some varieties of pulses and spices were analyzed using neutron activation technique. Among the four varieties of pulses lentil (lens esculenta) was found to contain higher amounts of essential elements and lower amounts of toxic elements. The daily intake of essential and toxic elements through pulses was estimated and compared with the suggested values. The estimated intake of essential elements is adequate and that of toxic elements is well below the tolerance limit. In spices cumin and caraway seeds were found to contain relatively higher amounts of essential as well as toxic elements. The studies showed that food spices were additional source of trace element intake. (author)

  9. CP-ABE Based Privacy-Preserving User Profile Matching in Mobile Social Networks.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Weirong Cui

    Full Text Available Privacy-preserving profile matching, a challenging task in mobile social networks, is getting more attention in recent years. In this paper, we propose a novel scheme that is based on ciphertext-policy attribute-based encryption to tackle this problem. In our scheme, a user can submit a preference-profile and search for users with matching-profile in decentralized mobile social networks. In this process, no participant's profile and the submitted preference-profile is exposed. Meanwhile, a secure communication channel can be established between the pair of successfully matched users. In contrast to existing related schemes which are mainly based on the secure multi-party computation, our scheme can provide verifiability (both the initiator and any unmatched user cannot cheat each other to pretend to be matched, and requires few interactions among users. We provide thorough security analysis and performance evaluation on our scheme, and show its advantages in terms of security, efficiency and usability over state-of-the-art schemes.

  10. CP-ABE Based Privacy-Preserving User Profile Matching in Mobile Social Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Weirong; Du, Chenglie; Chen, Jinchao

    2016-01-01

    Privacy-preserving profile matching, a challenging task in mobile social networks, is getting more attention in recent years. In this paper, we propose a novel scheme that is based on ciphertext-policy attribute-based encryption to tackle this problem. In our scheme, a user can submit a preference-profile and search for users with matching-profile in decentralized mobile social networks. In this process, no participant's profile and the submitted preference-profile is exposed. Meanwhile, a secure communication channel can be established between the pair of successfully matched users. In contrast to existing related schemes which are mainly based on the secure multi-party computation, our scheme can provide verifiability (both the initiator and any unmatched user cannot cheat each other to pretend to be matched), and requires few interactions among users. We provide thorough security analysis and performance evaluation on our scheme, and show its advantages in terms of security, efficiency and usability over state-of-the-art schemes.

  11. Trace metals, melanin-based pigmentation and their interaction influence immune parameters in feral pigeons (Columba livia).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chatelain, M; Gasparini, J; Frantz, A

    2016-04-01

    Understanding the effects of trace metals emitted by anthropogenic activities on wildlife is of great concern in urban ecology; yet, information on how they affect individuals, populations, communities and ecosystems remains scarce. In particular, trace metals may impact survival by altering the immune system response to parasites. Plumage melanin is assumed to influence the effects of trace metals on immunity owing to its ability to bind metal ions in feathers and its synthesis being coded by a pleiotropic gene. We thus hypothesized that trace metal exposure would interact with plumage colouration in shaping immune response. We experimentally investigated the interactive effect between exposure to an environmentally relevant range of zinc and/or lead and melanin-based plumage colouration on components of the immune system in feral pigeons (Columba livia). We found that zinc increased anti-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) IgY primary response maintenance, buffered the negative effect of lead on anti-KLH IgY secondary response maintenance and tended to increase T-cell mediated phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) skin response. Lead decreased the peak of the anti-KLH IgY secondary response. In addition, pheomelanic pigeons exhibited a higher secondary anti-KLH IgY response than did eumelanic ones. Finally, T-cell mediated PHA skin response decreased with increasing plumage eumelanin level of birds exposed to lead. Neither treatments nor plumage colouration correlated with endoparasite intensity. Overall, our study points out the effects of trace metals on some parameters of birds' immunity, independently from other confounding urbanization factors, and underlines the need to investigate their impacts on other life history traits and their consequences in the ecology and evolution of host-parasite interactions.

  12. Appending High-Resolution Elevation Data to GPS Speed Traces for Vehicle Energy Modeling and Simulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wood, E.; Burton, E.; Duran, A.; Gonder, J.

    2014-06-01

    Accurate and reliable global positioning system (GPS)-based vehicle use data are highly valuable for many transportation, analysis, and automotive considerations. Model-based design, real-world fuel economy analysis, and the growing field of autonomous and connected technologies (including predictive powertrain control and self-driving cars) all have a vested interest in high-fidelity estimation of powertrain loads and vehicle usage profiles. Unfortunately, road grade can be a difficult property to extract from GPS data with consistency. In this report, we present a methodology for appending high-resolution elevation data to GPS speed traces via a static digital elevation model. Anomalous data points in the digital elevation model are addressed during a filtration/smoothing routine, resulting in an elevation profile that can be used to calculate road grade. This process is evaluated against a large, commercially available height/slope dataset from the Navteq/Nokia/HERE Advanced Driver Assistance Systems product. Results will show good agreement with the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems data in the ability to estimate road grade between any two consecutive points in the contiguous United States.

  13. The role of multiple neuromodulators in reinforcement learning that is based on competition between eligibility traces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marco A Huertas

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The ability to maximize reward and avoid punishment is essential for animal survival. Reinforcement learning (RL refers to the algorithms used by biological or artificial systems to learn how to maximize reward or avoid negative outcomes based on past experiences. While RL is also important in machine learning, the types of mechanistic constraints encountered by biological machinery might be different than those for artificial systems. Two major problems encountered by RL are how to relate a stimulus with a reinforcing signal that is delayed in time (temporal credit assignment, and how to stop learning once the target behaviors are attained (stopping rule. To address the first problem, synaptic eligibility traces were introduced, bridging the temporal gap between a stimulus and its reward. Although these were mere theoretical constructs, recent experiements have provided evidence of their existence. These experiments also reveal that the presence of specific neuromodulators converts the traces into changes in synaptic efficacy. A mechanistic implementation of the stopping rule usually assumes the inhibition of the reward nucleus; however, recent experimental results have shown that learning terminates at the appropriate network state even in setups where the reward cannot be inhibited. In an effort to describe a learning rule that solves the temporal credit assignment problem and implements a biologically plausible stopping rule, we proposed a model based on two separate synaptic eligibility traces, one for long-term potentiation (LTP and one for long-term depression (LTD, each obeying different dynamics and having different effective magnitudes. The model has been shown to successfully generate stable learning in recurrent networks. Although the model assumes the presence of a single neuromodulator, evidence indicates that there are different neuromodulators for expressing the different traces. What could be the role of different

  14. The Role of Multiple Neuromodulators in Reinforcement Learning That Is Based on Competition between Eligibility Traces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huertas, Marco A; Schwettmann, Sarah E; Shouval, Harel Z

    2016-01-01

    The ability to maximize reward and avoid punishment is essential for animal survival. Reinforcement learning (RL) refers to the algorithms used by biological or artificial systems to learn how to maximize reward or avoid negative outcomes based on past experiences. While RL is also important in machine learning, the types of mechanistic constraints encountered by biological machinery might be different than those for artificial systems. Two major problems encountered by RL are how to relate a stimulus with a reinforcing signal that is delayed in time (temporal credit assignment), and how to stop learning once the target behaviors are attained (stopping rule). To address the first problem synaptic eligibility traces were introduced, bridging the temporal gap between a stimulus and its reward. Although, these were mere theoretical constructs, recent experiments have provided evidence of their existence. These experiments also reveal that the presence of specific neuromodulators converts the traces into changes in synaptic efficacy. A mechanistic implementation of the stopping rule usually assumes the inhibition of the reward nucleus; however, recent experimental results have shown that learning terminates at the appropriate network state even in setups where the reward nucleus cannot be inhibited. In an effort to describe a learning rule that solves the temporal credit assignment problem and implements a biologically plausible stopping rule, we proposed a model based on two separate synaptic eligibility traces, one for long-term potentiation (LTP) and one for long-term depression (LTD), each obeying different dynamics and having different effective magnitudes. The model has been shown to successfully generate stable learning in recurrent networks. Although, the model assumes the presence of a single neuromodulator, evidence indicates that there are different neuromodulators for expressing the different traces. What could be the role of different neuromodulators for

  15. TraceContract

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kavelund, Klaus; Barringer, Howard

    2012-01-01

    TraceContract is an API (Application Programming Interface) for trace analysis. A trace is a sequence of events, and can, for example, be generated by a running program, instrumented appropriately to generate events. An event can be any data object. An example of a trace is a log file containing events that a programmer has found important to record during a program execution. Trace - Contract takes as input such a trace together with a specification formulated using the API and reports on any violations of the specification, potentially calling code (reactions) to be executed when violations are detected. The software is developed as an internal DSL (Domain Specific Language) in the Scala programming language. Scala is a relatively new programming language that is specifically convenient for defining such internal DSLs due to a number of language characteristics. This includes Scala s elegant combination of object-oriented and functional programming, a succinct notation, and an advanced type system. The DSL offers a combination of data-parameterized state machines and temporal logic, which is novel. As an extension of Scala, it is a very expressive and convenient log file analysis framework.

  16. Trace mineral interactions during elevated calcium consumption

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, K.T.; Luhrsen, K.R.

    1986-01-01

    Elevated calcium consumption is reported to affect trace mineral bioavailability. The authors examined this phenomenon in both single dose radio-label test meals and an eight week feeding trial in rats. In the single dose studies, human milk, cows milk, and various calcium sources were examined in relation to radio-iron and radio-zinc retention. 59 Fe retention was greater from human milk than cows milk. However, when the calcium content of human milk was adjusted (with CaHPO 4 or CaCO 3 ) to equal the level in cows milk, iron retention was depressed. Similarly, when calcium sources (CaCO 3 , CaHPO 4 , hydroxy-apatite, bone meal) were examined at different calcium:metal molar ratios, the degree of inhibition on metal retention varied. In general, phosphate salts were more inhibiting than carbonates. In the feeding trial, calcium was fed in diets at normal (0.5%) or elevated (1.5%) levels. Serum, liver, kidney, and bone trace mineral profiles were obtained. In general, most trace elements showed decreased levels in the tissues. Zinc and iron were most striking, followed by magnesium with minor changes in copper. A high calcium:high mineral supplemented group was also fed. Mixed mineral supplementation prevented all calcium interactions. These data indicate the importance of calcium mineral interactions in bioavailability considerations in both milk sources and in mineral supplementation

  17. Biogeochemistry of carbon and related major and trace elements in peat bog soils of the middle taiga of Western Siberia (Russia).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stepanova, V. A.; Mironycheva-Tokareva, N. P.; Pokrovsky, O. S.

    2012-04-01

    Global climate changes impact the status of wetland ecosystems shifting the balances of the carbon, macro-, and microelements cycles. This study aims to establish the features of accumulation and distribution of major- and trace elements in the organic layer of peat bog soils, belonging to different ecosystems of the oligotrophic bog complex located in the middle taiga of Western Siberia (Khanty-Mansiysk region, Russia). Key areas which are selected for this study include the following bog conjugate elementary ecosystems: higher ryam, lower ryam, ridge-hollow complex, and oligotrophic poor fen as characterized previously [1]. We have sampled various peat types along the entire length of the soil column (every 10 cm down to 3 m). Peat samples were analyzed for a wide range of macro- and microelements using an ICP-MS technique following full acid digestion in a microwave oven. These measurements allowed quantitative estimates of major- and trace elements in the peat deposits within the whole bog complex and individual elementary landscapes. Based on the data obtained, the lateral and radial geochemical structures of the bog landscapes were determined and clarified for the first time for middle taiga of the West Siberian plain. The similar regime of mineral nutrition during the complete bog landscape formation was detected for the peat deposits based on the measurements of some major- and trace elements (Ca, Fe, Mg, etc.). The vertical distribution of some major and some trace elements along the profile of peat column is rather uniform with relatively strong increase in the bottom organic layers. This strongly suggests the similarity of the processes of element accumulation in the peat and relatively weak post depositional redistribution of elements within the peat soil profile. Overall, obtained corroborate the existing view on chemical composition of peats being determined by botanical peat's components (which forms this peat deposit), atmospheric precipitation

  18. Spoken word recognition without a TRACE

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hannagan, Thomas; Magnuson, James S.; Grainger, Jonathan

    2013-01-01

    How do we map the rapid input of spoken language onto phonological and lexical representations over time? Attempts at psychologically-tractable computational models of spoken word recognition tend either to ignore time or to transform the temporal input into a spatial representation. TRACE, a connectionist model with broad and deep coverage of speech perception and spoken word recognition phenomena, takes the latter approach, using exclusively time-specific units at every level of representation. TRACE reduplicates featural, phonemic, and lexical inputs at every time step in a large memory trace, with rich interconnections (excitatory forward and backward connections between levels and inhibitory links within levels). As the length of the memory trace is increased, or as the phoneme and lexical inventory of the model is increased to a realistic size, this reduplication of time- (temporal position) specific units leads to a dramatic proliferation of units and connections, begging the question of whether a more efficient approach is possible. Our starting point is the observation that models of visual object recognition—including visual word recognition—have grappled with the problem of spatial invariance, and arrived at solutions other than a fully-reduplicative strategy like that of TRACE. This inspires a new model of spoken word recognition that combines time-specific phoneme representations similar to those in TRACE with higher-level representations based on string kernels: temporally independent (time invariant) diphone and lexical units. This reduces the number of necessary units and connections by several orders of magnitude relative to TRACE. Critically, we compare the new model to TRACE on a set of key phenomena, demonstrating that the new model inherits much of the behavior of TRACE and that the drastic computational savings do not come at the cost of explanatory power. PMID:24058349

  19. A nonlinear multi-proxy model based on manifold learning to reconstruct water temperature from high resolution trace element profiles in biogenic carbonates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Bauwens

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available A long standing problem in paleoceanography concerns the reconstruction of water temperature from δ18O carbonate. It is problematic in the case of freshwater influenced environments because the δ18O isotopic composition of the ambient water (related to salinity needs to be known. In this paper we argue for the use of a nonlinear multi-proxy method called Weight Determination by Manifold Regularization (WDMR to develop a temperature reconstruction model that is less sensitive to salinity variations. The motivation for using this type of model is twofold: firstly, observed nonlinear relations between specific proxies and water temperature motivate the use of nonlinear models. Secondly, the use of multi-proxy models enables salinity related variations of a given temperature proxy to be explained by salinity-related information carried by a separate proxy. Our findings confirm that Mg/Ca is a powerful paleothermometer and highlight that reconstruction performance based on this proxy is improved significantly by combining its information with the information for other trace elements in multi-proxy models. Although the models presented here are black-box models that do not use any prior knowledge about the proxies, the comparison of model reconstruction performances based on different proxy combinations do yield useful information about proxy characteristics. Using Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca, Ba/Ca and Pb/Ca the WDMR model enables a temperature reconstruction with a root mean squared error of ± 2.19 °C for a salinity range between 15 and 32.

  20. Ray tracing study of rising tone EMIC-triggered emissions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanzelka, Miroslav; Santolík, Ondřej; Grison, Benjamin; Cornilleau-Wehrlin, Nicole

    2017-04-01

    ElectroMagnetic Ion Cyclotron (EMIC) triggered emissions have been subject of extensive theoretical and experimental research in last years. These emissions are characterized by high coherence values and a frequency range of 0.5 - 2.0 Hz, close to local helium gyrofrequency. We perform ray tracing case studies of rising tone EMIC-triggered emissions observed by the Cluster spacecraft in both nightside and dayside regions off the equatorial plane. By comparison of simulated and measured wave properties, namely wave vector orientation, group velocity, dispersion and ellipticity of polarization, we determine possible source locations. Diffusive equilibrium density model and other, semi-empirical models are used with ion composition inferred from cross-over frequencies. Ray tracing simulations are done in cold plasma approximation with inclusion of Landau and cyclotron damping. Various widths, locations and profiles of plasmapause are tested.

  1. Practical applications of trace minerals for dairy cattle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Overton, T R; Yasui, T

    2014-02-01

    Trace minerals have critical roles in the key interrelated systems of immune function, oxidative metabolism, and energy metabolism in ruminants. To date, the primary trace elements of interest in diets for dairy cattle have included Zn, Cu, Mn, and Se although data also support potentially important roles of Cr, Co, and Fe in diets. Trace minerals such as Zn, Cu, Mn, and Se are essential with classically defined roles as components of key antioxidant enzymes and proteins. Available evidence indicates that these trace minerals can modulate aspects of oxidative metabolism and immune function in dairy cattle, particularly during the transition period and early lactation. Chromium has been shown to influence both immune function and energy metabolism of cattle; dairy cows fed Cr during the transition period and early lactation have evidence of improved immune function, increased milk production, and decreased cytological endometritis. Factors that complicate trace mineral nutrition at the farm level include the existence of a large number of antagonisms affecting bioavailability of individual trace minerals and uncertainty in terms of requirements under all physiological and management conditions; therefore, determining the optimum level and source of trace minerals under each specific situation continues to be a challenge. Typical factorial approaches to determine requirements for dairy cattle do not account for nuances in biological function observed with supplementation with various forms and amounts of trace minerals. Trace mineral nutrition modulates production, health, and reproduction in cattle although both formal meta-analysis and informal survey of the literature reveal substantial heterogeneity of response in these outcome variables. The industry has largely moved away from oxide-based programs toward sulfate-based programs; however, some evidence favors shifting supplementation strategies further toward more bioavailable forms of inorganic and organic trace

  2. Trace metal pyritization variability in response to mangrove soil aerobic and anaerobic oxidation processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Machado, W; Borrelli, N L; Ferreira, T O; Marques, A G B; Osterrieth, M; Guizan, C

    2014-02-15

    The degree of iron pyritization (DOP) and degree of trace metal pyritization (DTMP) were evaluated in mangrove soil profiles from an estuarine area located in Rio de Janeiro (SE Brazil). The soil pH was negatively correlated with redox potential (Eh) and positively correlated with DOP and DTMP of some elements (Mn, Cu and Pb), suggesting that pyrite oxidation generated acidity and can affect the importance of pyrite as a trace metal-binding phase, mainly in response to spatial variability in tidal flooding. Besides these aerobic oxidation effects, results from a sequential extraction analyses of reactive phases evidenced that Mn oxidized phase consumption in reaction with pyrite can be also important to determine the pyritization of trace elements. Cumulative effects of these aerobic and anaerobic oxidation processes were evidenced as factors affecting the capacity of mangrove soils to act as a sink for trace metals through pyritization processes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Rapid simulation of X-ray transmission imaging for baggage inspection via GPU-based ray-tracing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gong, Qian; Stoian, Razvan-Ionut; Coccarelli, David S.; Greenberg, Joel A.; Vera, Esteban; Gehm, Michael E.

    2018-01-01

    We present a pipeline that rapidly simulates X-ray transmission imaging for arbitrary system architectures using GPU-based ray-tracing techniques. The purpose of the pipeline is to enable statistical analysis of threat detection in the context of airline baggage inspection. As a faster alternative to Monte Carlo methods, we adopt a deterministic approach for simulating photoelectric absorption-based imaging. The highly-optimized NVIDIA OptiX API is used to implement ray-tracing, greatly speeding code execution. In addition, we implement the first hierarchical representation structure to determine the interaction path length of rays traversing heterogeneous media described by layered polygons. The accuracy of the pipeline has been validated by comparing simulated data with experimental data collected using a heterogenous phantom and a laboratory X-ray imaging system. On a single computer, our approach allows us to generate over 400 2D transmission projections (125 × 125 pixels per frame) per hour for a bag packed with hundreds of everyday objects. By implementing our approach on cloud-based GPU computing platforms, we find that the same 2D projections of approximately 3.9 million bags can be obtained in a single day using 400 GPU instances, at a cost of only 0.001 per bag.

  4. Methods Research about Accuracy Loss Tracing of Dynamic Measurement System Based on WNN

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin, S-W; Fei, Y T; Jiang, M L; Tsai, C-Y; Cheng Hsinyu

    2006-01-01

    The paper presents a method of achieving accuracy loss of the dynamic measurement system according to change of errors on different period of the system. WNN, used to trace the accuracy loss of dynamic measurement system, traces the total precision loss during a certain period to every part of the system, and the accuracy loss of every part can be get, so retaining the accuracy and optimum design of the system is possible. Take tracing the accuracy loss of a simulated system for an example to testify the method

  5. Virtual environment assessment for laser-based vision surface profiling

    Science.gov (United States)

    ElSoussi, Adnane; Al Alami, Abed ElRahman; Abu-Nabah, Bassam A.

    2015-03-01

    Oil and gas businesses have been raising the demand from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to implement a reliable metrology method in assessing surface profiles of welds before and after grinding. This certainly mandates the deviation from the commonly used surface measurement gauges, which are not only operator dependent, but also limited to discrete measurements along the weld. Due to its potential accuracy and speed, the use of laser-based vision surface profiling systems have been progressively rising as part of manufacturing quality control. This effort presents a virtual environment that lends itself for developing and evaluating existing laser vision sensor (LVS) calibration and measurement techniques. A combination of two known calibration techniques is implemented to deliver a calibrated LVS system. System calibration is implemented virtually and experimentally to scan simulated and 3D printed features of known profiles, respectively. Scanned data is inverted and compared with the input profiles to validate the virtual environment capability for LVS surface profiling and preliminary assess the measurement technique for weld profiling applications. Moreover, this effort brings 3D scanning capability a step closer towards robust quality control applications in a manufacturing environment.

  6. SolTrace: A Ray-Tracing Code for Complex Solar Optical Systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wendelin, Tim [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Dobos, Aron [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Lewandowski, Allan [Allan Lewandowski Solar Consulting LLC, Evergreen, CO (United States)

    2013-10-01

    SolTrace is an optical simulation tool designed to model optical systems used in concentrating solar power (CSP) applications. The code was first written in early 2003, but has seen significant modifications and changes since its inception, including conversion from a Pascal-based software development platform to C++. SolTrace is unique in that it can model virtually any optical system utilizingthe sun as the source. It has been made available for free and as such is in use worldwide by industry, universities, and research laboratories. The fundamental design of the code is discussed, including enhancements and improvements over the earlier version. Comparisons are made with other optical modeling tools, both non-commercial and commercial in nature. Finally, modeled results are shownfor some typical CSP systems and, in one case, compared to measured optical data.

  7. The study for the profiles of mixed dentition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Tae Won

    1978-01-01

    The study was to analyze on the hard and soft tissue profiles in mixed dentition. The subject consisted of 100 males and 100 females from 9 to 12 years of age and with a normal occlusion and acceptable profiles. On the bases of SnH line and SnV line, the author traced all the cephalograms and calculated the mean value and standard deviation in each measuring category and evaluated the sexual difference, the proper limit of development. The obtained results were as follows; 1. Individual variations of the lower facial part were larger the upper facial part in depth and height. 2. Sexual difference of lower facial part was significant in depth and height. 3. All the measured values to the SnH and SnV line were larger in male than in female but revealed resemblance in the profilogram. 4. The measured values of the region of nose, upper lip and point A showed stable tendency.

  8. Parametric Jominy profiles predictor based on neural networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valentini, R.

    2005-12-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents a method for the prediction of the Jominy hardness profiles of steels for microalloyed Boron steel which is based on neural networks. The Jominy profile has been parameterized and the parameters, which are a sort of "compact representation" of the profile itself, are linked to the steel chemical composition through a neural network. Numerical results are presented and discussed.

    El trabajo presenta un método de estimación de perfiles de dureza Jominy para aceros microaleados al boro basado en redes neuronales. Los parámetros de perfil Jominy, que constituyen una especie de "representación compacta" del perfil mismo, son determinados y puestos en relación con la composición química del acero mediante una red neuronal. Los resultados numéricos son expuestos y discutidos.

  9. Atmospheric profiles from active space-based radio measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hardy, Kenneth R.; Hinson, David P.; Tyler, G. L.; Kursinski, E. R.

    1992-01-01

    The paper describes determinations of atmospheric profiles from space-based radio measurements and the retrieval methodology used, with special attention given to the measurement procedure and the characteristics of the soundings. It is speculated that reliable profiles of the terrestrial atmosphere can be obtained by the occultation technique from the surface to a height of about 60 km. With the full complement of 21 the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites and one GPS receiver in sun synchronous polar orbit, a maximum of 42 soundings could be obtained for each complete orbit or about 670 per day, providing almost uniform global coverage.

  10. Comparison and Extension of Existing 3D Propagation Models with Real-World Effects Based on Ray-tracing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kifle, Dereje W.; Gimenez, Lucas Chavarria; Wegmann, Bernhard

    2014-01-01

    antenna beam orientation like antenna tilting or when users are distributed in the third dimension (height) in multi-floor scenarios. Ray tracing based generated propagation maps that show the realistic propagation effect are used as 3D real world reference for investigation and model approval....

  11. From trace chemistry to single atom chemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adloff, J.P.

    1993-01-01

    Hot atom chemistry in the vast majority of experimental works deals with the trace amount of radioactive matters. Accordingly, the concept of trace chemistry is at the heart of hot atom chemistry. Some aspects of the chemistry at trace scale and at subtrace scale are presented together with the related problems of speciation and the complication which may arise due to the formation of radio colloids. The examples of 127 I(n,γ) 128 I and 132 Te (β - ) 132 I are shown, and the method based on radioactivity was used. The procedure of separating the elements in pitchblende is shown as the example of the chemistry of traces. 13 27 Al+ 2 4 He→ 0 1 n+ 15 30 P and 15 30 P→ 14 30 Si+e + +V are shown, and how to recognize the presence of radioactive colloids is explained. The formation of radiocolloids is by the sorption of a trace radioelement on pre-existing colloidal impurity or the self-condensation of monomeric species. The temporal parameters of the nature of reactions at trace concentration are listed. The examples of Class A and Class B reactions are shown. The kinetics of reactions at trace level, radon concentration, anthropogenic Pu and natural Pu in environment, the behavior of Pu atoms and so on are described. (K.I.)

  12. Airline Passenger Profiling Based on Fuzzy Deep Machine Learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Yu-Jun; Sheng, Wei-Guo; Sun, Xing-Ming; Chen, Sheng-Yong

    2017-12-01

    Passenger profiling plays a vital part of commercial aviation security, but classical methods become very inefficient in handling the rapidly increasing amounts of electronic records. This paper proposes a deep learning approach to passenger profiling. The center of our approach is a Pythagorean fuzzy deep Boltzmann machine (PFDBM), whose parameters are expressed by Pythagorean fuzzy numbers such that each neuron can learn how a feature affects the production of the correct output from both the positive and negative sides. We propose a hybrid algorithm combining a gradient-based method and an evolutionary algorithm for training the PFDBM. Based on the novel learning model, we develop a deep neural network (DNN) for classifying normal passengers and potential attackers, and further develop an integrated DNN for identifying group attackers whose individual features are insufficient to reveal the abnormality. Experiments on data sets from Air China show that our approach provides much higher learning ability and classification accuracy than existing profilers. It is expected that the fuzzy deep learning approach can be adapted for a variety of complex pattern analysis tasks.

  13. Detecting multiple DNA human profile from a mosquito blood meal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rabêlo, K C N; Albuquerque, C M R; Tavares, V B; Santos, S M; Souza, C A; Oliveira, T C; Moura, R R; Brandão, L A C; Crovella, S

    2016-08-26

    Criminal traces commonly found at crime scenes may present mixtures from two or more individuals. The scene of the crime is important for the collection of various types of traces in order to find the perpetrator of the crime. Thus, we propose that hematophagous mosquitoes found at crime scenes can be used to perform genetic testing of human blood and aid in suspect investigation. The aim of the study was to obtain a single Aedes aegypti mosquito profile from a human DNA mixture containing genetic materials of four individuals. We also determined the effect of blood acquisition time by setting time intervals of 24, 48, and 72 h after the blood meal. STR loci and amelogenin were analyzed, and the results showed that human DNA profiles could be obtained from hematophagous mosquitos at 24 h following the blood meal. It is possible that hematophagous mosquitoes can be used as biological remains at the scene of the crime, and can be used to detect human DNA profiles of up to four individuals.

  14. Complete methodology on generating realistic wind speed profiles based on measurements

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gavriluta, Catalin; Spataru, Sergiu; Mosincat, Ioan

    2012-01-01

    , wind modelling for medium and large time scales is poorly treated in the present literature. This paper presents methods for generating realistic wind speed profiles based on real measurements. The wind speed profile is divided in a low- frequency component (describing long term variations...

  15. Particulate Trace Element Cycling in a Diatom Bloom at Station ALOHA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weisend, R.; Morton, P. L.; Landing, W. M.; Fitzsimmons, J. N.; Hayes, C. T.; Boyle, E. A.

    2014-12-01

    Phytoplankton in oligotrophic marine deserts depend on remote sources to supply trace nutrients. To examine these sources, marine particulate matter samples from the central North Pacific (Station ALOHA) were collected during the July-August 2012 HOE-DYLAN cruises and analyzed for a suite of trace (e.g., Fe, Mn) and major (e.g. Al, P) elements. Daily surface SPM samples were examined for evidence of atmospheric deposition and biological uptake, while five vertical profiles were examined for evidence of surface vertical export and subsurface horizontal transport from nearby sources (e.g., margin sediments, hydrothermal plumes). Maxima in surface particulate P (a biological tracer) corresponded with a diatom bloom, and surprisingly also coincided with maxima in particulate Al (typically a tracer for lithogenic inputs). The surface particulate Al distributions likely result from the adsorption of dissolved Al onto diatom silica frustules, not from atmospheric dust deposition. In addition, a subsurface maximum in particulate Al and P was observed four days later at 75m, possibly resulting from vertical export of the surface diatom bloom. The distributions of other bioactive trace elements (e.g. Cd, Co, Cu) will be presented in the context of the diatom bloom and other biological, chemical and physical features. A second, complementary poster is also being presented which examines the cycling of trace elements in lithogenic particles (Morton et al., "Trace Element Cycling in Lithogenic Particles at Station ALOHA").

  16. Russian contribution to ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter: Atmospheric Chemistry Suite (ACS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shakun, Alexey; Korablev, Oleg; Trokhimovskiy, Alexander; Grigoriev, Alexey; Anufreychik, Konstantin; Fedorova, Anna; Ignatiev, Nikolay; Ivanov, Yuriy; Moshkin, Boris; Kalinnikov, Yuriy; Montmessin, Franck

    2016-04-01

    Atmospheric Chemistry Suite (ACS) is a part of science payload of Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), ExoMars mission. This project developed by European Space Agency (ESA) in collaboration with Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos). Russian contribution to ExoMars TGO is the Proton rocket and two science instruments ACS (three infrared spectrometers) and FREND (neutron detector). ACS consists of three infrared spectrometers (ACS/NIR, ACS/MIR and ACS/TIRVIM) capable to take spectral measurements from near to thermal infrared range simultaneously or separately. Spectrometric channels of ACS share common mechanical, electrical, and thermal interfaces. Electronic box (ACS/BE) provides to spectrometric channels power and data transfer interfaces. SpaceWire link is used for science data transfer and MIL-1553 link - for commanding and housekeeping data transfer. The NIR channel is an echelle spectrometer with acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) for the selection of diffraction orders. ACS NIR is capable to perform nadir and occultation observations. NIR covers the spectral range of 0.7-1.7 μm with resolving power of ~25000. NIR will perform unique for TGO instruments nightglow science (searching for O2, OH, NO nightglow emissions on Mars). From the 1.38 μm band NIR will do water vapour mapping in nadir and H2O vertical profiling in solar occultations. High resolution NIR measurements of 1.27 μm O2(a1Δg) dayglow will supply indirect ozone observations on the dayside on nadir. In solar occultation mode, the O2 vertical profiles will be measured from the surface (in case of low dust activity) to the 40 km altitude based on 0.76 μm absorption band. Together with MIR channel in solar occultation NIR will support the measurements of CO2 density profiles (based on 1.43 μm band) and aerosols characterization from 0.7 to 4 μm. The wide spectral range will allow not just determine aerosol particle sizes and density at different altitudes, but also distinguish between dust and ice particles

  17. Seasonal Cyclicity in Trace Elements and Stable Isotopes of Modern Horse Enamel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Winter, Niels J; Snoeck, Christophe; Claeys, Philippe

    2016-01-01

    The study of stable isotopes in fossil bioapatite has yielded useful results and has shown that bioapatites are able to faithfully record paleo-environmental and paleo-climatic parameters from archeological to geological timescales. In an effort to establish new proxies for the study of bioapatites, intra-tooth records of enamel carbonate stable isotope ratios from a modern horse are compared with trace element profiles measured using laboratory micro X-Ray Fluorescence scanning. Using known patterns of tooth eruption and the relationship between stable oxygen isotopes and local temperature seasonality, an age model is constructed that links records from six cheek upper right teeth from the second premolar to the third molar. When plotted on this age model, the trace element ratios from horse tooth enamel show a seasonal pattern with a small shift in phase compared to stable oxygen isotope ratios. While stable oxygen and carbon isotopes in tooth enamel are forced respectively by the state of the hydrological cycle and the animal's diet, we argue that the seasonal signal in trace elements reflects seasonal changes in dust intake and diet of the animal. The latter explanation is in agreement with seasonal changes observed in carbon isotopes of the same teeth. This external forcing of trace element composition in mammal tooth enamel implies that trace element ratios may be used as proxies for seasonal changes in paleo-environment and paleo-diet.

  18. Source apportionment of trace metals in river sediments: A comparison of three methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Haiyang; Teng, Yanguo; Li, Jiao; Wu, Jin; Wang, Jinsheng

    2016-01-01

    Increasing trace metal pollution in river sediment poses a significant threat to watershed ecosystem health. Identifying potential sources of sediment metals and apportioning their contributions are of key importance for proposing prevention and control strategies of river pollution. In this study, three advanced multivariate receptor models, factor analysis with nonnegative constraints (FA-NNC), positive matrix factorization (PMF), and multivariate curve resolution weighted-alternating least-squares (MCR-WALS), were comparatively employed for source apportionment of trace metals in river sediments and applied to the Le'an River, a main tributary of Poyang Lake which is the largest freshwater lake in China. The pollution assessment with contamination factor and geoaccumulation index suggested that the river sediments in Le'an River were contaminated severely by trace metals due to human activities. With the three apportionment tools, similar source profiles of trace metals in sediments were extracted. Especially, the MCR-WALS and PMF models produced essentially the same results. Comparatively speaking, the weighted schemes might give better solutions than the unweighted FA-NNC because the uncertainty information of environmental data was considered by PMF and MCR-WALS. Anthropogenic sources were apportioned as the most important pollution sources influencing the sediment metals in Le'an River with contributions of about 90%. Among them, copper tailings occupied the largest contribution (38.4–42.2%), followed by mining wastewater (29.0–33.5%), and agricultural activities (18.2–18.7%). To protect the ecosystem of Le'an River and Poyang Lake, special attention should be paid to the discharges of mining wastewater and the leachates of copper tailing ponds in that region. - Highlights: • Three advanced receptor models were comparatively employed for source apportionment. • The MCR-WALS and PMF models produce essentially same source profiles. • Copper

  19. Microbial population analysis improves the evidential value of faecal traces in forensic investigations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quaak, Frederike C A; de Graaf, Mei-Lan M; Weterings, Rob; Kuiper, Irene

    2017-01-01

    The forensic science community has a growing interest in microbial population analysis, especially the microbial populations found inside and on the human body. Both their high abundance, microbes outnumber human cells by a factor 10, and their diversity, different sites of the human body harbour different microbial communities, make them an interesting tool for forensics. Faecal material is a type of trace evidence which can be found in a variety of criminal cases, but is often being ignored in forensic investigations. Deriving a human short tandem repeat (STR) profile from a faecal sample can be challenging. However, the microbial communities within faecal material can be of additional criminalistic value in linking a faecal trace to the possible donor. We present a microarray technique in which the faecal microbial community is used to differentiate between faecal samples and developed a decision model to predict the possible common origin of questioned samples. The results show that this technique may be a useful additional tool when no or only partial human STR profiles can be generated.

  20. Treatment Algorithms Based on Tumor Molecular Profiling: The Essence of Precision Medicine Trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le Tourneau, Christophe; Kamal, Maud; Tsimberidou, Apostolia-Maria; Bedard, Philippe; Pierron, Gaëlle; Callens, Céline; Rouleau, Etienne; Vincent-Salomon, Anne; Servant, Nicolas; Alt, Marie; Rouzier, Roman; Paoletti, Xavier; Delattre, Olivier; Bièche, Ivan

    2016-04-01

    With the advent of high-throughput molecular technologies, several precision medicine (PM) studies are currently ongoing that include molecular screening programs and PM clinical trials. Molecular profiling programs establish the molecular profile of patients' tumors with the aim to guide therapy based on identified molecular alterations. The aim of prospective PM clinical trials is to assess the clinical utility of tumor molecular profiling and to determine whether treatment selection based on molecular alterations produces superior outcomes compared with unselected treatment. These trials use treatment algorithms to assign patients to specific targeted therapies based on tumor molecular alterations. These algorithms should be governed by fixed rules to ensure standardization and reproducibility. Here, we summarize key molecular, biological, and technical criteria that, in our view, should be addressed when establishing treatment algorithms based on tumor molecular profiling for PM trials. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press.

  1. Fiber-ring laser-based intracavity photoacoustic spectroscopy for trace gas sensing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Qiang; Wang, Zhen; Chang, Jun; Ren, Wei

    2017-06-01

    We demonstrated a novel trace gas sensing method based on fiber-ring laser intracavity photoacoustic spectroscopy. This spectroscopic technique is a merging of photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) with a fiber-ring cavity for sensitive and all-fiber gas detection. A transmission-type PAS gas cell (resonant frequency f0=2.68  kHz) was placed inside the fiber-ring laser to fully utilize the intracavity laser power. The PAS signal was excited by modulating the laser wavelength at f0/2 using a custom-made fiber Bragg grating-based modulator. We used this spectroscopic technique to detect acetylene (C2H2) at 1531.6 nm as a proof of principle. With a low Q-factor (4.9) of the PAS cell, our sensor achieved a good linear response (R2=0.996) to C2H2 concentration and a minimum detection limit of 390 ppbv at 2-s response time.

  2. Integrated method for the measurement of trace nitrogenous atmospheric bases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Key

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Nitrogenous atmospheric bases are thought to play a key role in the global nitrogen cycle, but their sources, transport, and sinks remain poorly understood. Of the many methods available to measure such compounds in ambient air, few meet the current need of being applicable to the complete range of potential analytes and fewer still are convenient to implement using instrumentation that is standard to most laboratories. In this work, an integrated approach to measuring trace, atmospheric, gaseous nitrogenous bases has been developed and validated. The method uses a simple acid scrubbing step to capture and concentrate the bases as their phosphite salts, which then are derivatized and analyzed using GC/MS and/or LC/MS. The advantages of both techniques in the context of the present measurements are discussed. The approach is sensitive, selective, reproducible, as well as convenient to implement and has been validated for different sampling strategies. The limits of detection for the families of tested compounds are suitable for ambient measurement applications (e.g., methylamine, 1 pptv; ethylamine, 2 pptv; morpholine, 1 pptv; aniline, 1 pptv; hydrazine, 0.1 pptv; methylhydrazine, 2 pptv, as supported by field measurements in an urban park and in the exhaust of on-road vehicles.

  3. Anisotropic ray trace

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lam, Wai Sze Tiffany

    anisotropic ray tracing. x. Chapter 4 presents the data reduction of the P matrix of a crystal waveplate. The diattenuation is embedded in the singular values of P. The retardance is divided into two parts: (A) The physical retardance induced by OPLs and surface interactions, and (B) the geometrical transformation induced by geometry of a ray path, which is calculated by the geometrical transform Q matrix. The Q matrix of an anisotropic intercept is derived from the generalization of s- and p-bases at the anisotropic intercept; the p basis is not confined to the plane of incidence due to the anisotropic refraction or reflection. Chapter 5 shows how the multiple P matrices associated with the eigenmodes resulting from propagation through multiple anisotropic surfaces can be combined into one P matrix when the multiple modes interfere in their overlapping regions. The resultant P matrix contains diattenuation induced at each surface interaction as well as the retardance due to ray propagation and total internal reflections. The polarization aberrations of crystal waveplates and crystal polarizers are studied in Chapter 6 and Chapter 7. A wavefront simulated by a grid of rays is traced through the anisotropic system and the resultant grid of rays is analyzed. The analysis is complicated by the ray doubling effects and the partially overlapping eigen-wavefronts propagating in various directions. The wavefront and polarization aberrations of each eigenmode can be evaluated from the electric field distributions. The overall polarization at the plane of interest or the image quality at the image plane are affected by each of these eigen-wavefronts. Isotropic materials become anisotropic due to stress, strain, or applied electric or magnetic fields. In Chapter 8, the P matrix for anisotropic materials is extended to ray tracing in stress birefringent materials which are treated as spatially varying anisotropic materials. Such simulations can predict the spatial retardance variation

  4. Memory Reconsolidation, Trace Reassociation and the Freudian Unconscious

    KAUST Repository

    Alberini, Cristina M.

    2013-01-01

    Memory traces can become labile when retrieved. This has intrigued not only neuroscientists, psychologists, and cognitive scientists but also clinicians who work with memories to treat psychopathologies, such as psychotherapists and psychoanalysts. Psychotherapists and psychoanalysts question whether the treatments based on re-evoking memories engage reconsolidation and how treatments may work and be effective with reconsolidation processes. However, reconsolidation may not easily occur in older or very strong, consolidated memories, which are, in fact, those deeply rooted in most maladaptive behaviors, and most animal reconsolidation studies have been done on memories that are only days old. Hence, the questions deepen into many more complex layers, asking the following: How are memories formed and retrieved and in part become unconscious? How does retrieval in a therapeutic setting change those traces? Here, we propose some hypotheses based on neuroscientific knowledge to begin explaining the bases of Freudian unconscious and speculate on how memory traces and Freudian unconscious intersect. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Trace metal determinations by total-reflection x-ray fluorescence analysis in the open Atlantic Ocean

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmidt, D.; Gerwinski, W.; Radke, I.

    1993-01-01

    The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), as a major component of its programme ''Global Investigation of Pollution in the Marine Environment'' (GIPME), maintains a long-standing project on ''Open Ocean Baseline Studies of Trace Contaminants''. Initially, the Atlantic Ocean and trace metals were selected. Four deep-water stations in the Cape Basin, Angola Basin, Cape Verde Abyssal Plain and Seine Abyssal Plain were regularly sampled for at least 36 depths. Additional samples were taken between stations. Samples were distributed to participants and a similar number of additional laboratories. As a central part of our own contribution to the project, we determined the trace heavy metals manganese, nickel, copper, zinc and lead and the lighter selenium by total-reflection X-ray fluorescence analysis. For the TXRF, the pre-enrichment of the trace metals and the separation from the salt matrix were performed by complexation with sodium dibenzyldithiocarbamate and reverse-phase chromatography. Generally, very low levels of trace elements were found in filtered and unfiltered water samples from these remote areas of the open Atlantic Ocean. Typical examples of the distributions of trace metal concentrations on depth profiles from the four deep-water stations as well as intercomparisons between the stations are presented. (author)

  6. Trace Amine-Associated Receptor 1 – Family Archetype or Iconoclast?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grandy, David K.

    2009-01-01

    Interest has recently been rekindled in receptors that are activated by low molecular weight, non-catecholic, biogenic amines that are typically found as trace constituents of various vertebrate and invertebrate tissues and fluids. The timing of this resurgent focus on receptors activated by the ‘trace amines’ (TAs) β-phenylethylamine (PEA), tyramine (TYR), octopamine (OCT), synephrine (SYN), and tryptamine (TRYP) is the direct result of two publications that appeared in 2001 describing the cloning of a novel G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) referred to by their discoverers as TA1 (Borowsky et al., 2001) and TAR1 (Bunzow et al., 2001). When heterologously expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes and various eukaryotic cell lines recombinant rodent and human TA receptors dose-dependently couple to the stimulation of cAMP production. Structure-activity profiling based on this functional response has revealed that in addition to the TAs, other biologically active compounds containing a 2 carbon aliphatic side chain linking an amino group to at least one benzene ring are potent and efficacious TA receptor agonists with amphetamine, methamphetamine, 3-iodothyronamine, thyronamine, and dopamine among the most notable. Almost 100 years after the search for TA receptors began numerous TA1/TAR1-related sequences, now called Trace Amine-Associated Receptors (TAARs), have been identified in the genome of every species of vertebrate examined to date. Consequently, even though heterologously expressed TAAR1 fits the pharmacological criteria established for a bona fide TA receptor a major challenge for those working in the field is to discern the in vivo pharmacology and physiology of each purported member of this extended family of GPCRs. Only then will it be possible to establish whether TAAR1 is the family archetype or an iconoclast. PMID:17888514

  7. Content and distribution of trace metals in pristine permafrost environments of Northeastern Siberia, Russia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Antcibor, I.; Eschenbach, A.; Kutzbach, L.; Bolshiyanov, D.; Pfeiffer, E.-M.

    2012-04-01

    Arctic regions are one of the most sensitive areas with respect to climatic changes and human impacts. Research is required to discover how the function of permafrost soils as a buffering system for metal pollutants could change in response to the predicted changes. The goal of this work is to determine the background levels of trace metals in the pristine arctic ecosystems of the Lena River Delta in Northeastern Siberia and to evaluate the possible effect of human impacts on this arctic region. The Lena River Delta represents areas with different dominating geomorphologic processes that can generally be divided between accumulation and erosion sites. Frequent changes of the river water level create different periods of sedimentation and result in the formation of stratified soils and sediment layers which are dominated either by mineral substrates with allochthonous organic matter or pure autochthonous peat. The deposited sediments that have formed the delta islands are mostly composed of sand fractions; therefore the buffering effects of clay materials can be neglected. Samoylov Island is representative of the south-central and eastern modern delta surfaces of the Lena River Delta and is selected as a pilot study site. We determined total element contents of Fe, Mn, Zn, Cd, Ni, Cu, As, Pb, Co and Hg in soil horizons from different polygonal elevated rims, polygonal depressed centers and the middle floodplain. High gravimetric concentrations (related to dry mass of soil material) of Mn and Fe are found within all soil profiles and vary from 0.14 to 1.39 g kg-1 and from 10.7 to 41.2 g kg-1, respectively. While the trace element concentrations do not exceed typical crustal abundances, the maximum values of most of the metals are observed within the soil profile situated at the middle floodplain. This finding suggests that apart from the parent material the second potential source of trace metals is due to allochthonous substance input during annual flooding of the

  8. Generic calibration procedures for nacelle-based profiling lidars

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Borraccino, Antoine; Courtney, Michael; Wagner, Rozenn

    In power performance testing, it has been demonstrated that the effects of wind speed and direction variations over the rotor disk can no longer be neglected for large wind turbines [1]. A new generation of commercial nacelle-based lidars is now available, offering wind profiling capabilities. De...

  9. Vertical distribution of trace-element concentrations and occurrence of metallurgical slag particles in accumulated bed sediments of Lake Roosevelt, Washington, September 2002

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cox, S.E.; Bell, P.R.; Lowther, J.S.; Van Metre, P.C.

    2005-01-01

    Sediment cores were collected from six locations in Lake Roosevelt to determine the vertical distributions of trace-element concentrations in the accumulated sediments of Lake Roosevelt. Elevated concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, and zinc occurred throughout much of the accumulated sediments. Concentrations varied greatly within the sediment core profiles, often covering a range of 5 to 10 fold. Trace-element concentrations typically were largest below the surficial sediments in the lower one-half of each profile, with generally decreasing concentrations from the 1964 horizon to the surface of the core. The trace-element profiles reflect changes in historical discharges of trace elements to the Columbia River by an upstream smelter. All samples analyzed exceeded clean-up guidelines adopted by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation for cadmium, lead, and zinc and more than 70 percent of the samples exceeded cleanup guidelines for mercury, arsenic, and copper. Although 100 percent of the samples exceeded sediment guidelines for cadmium, lead, and zinc, surficial concentrations of arsenic, copper, and mercury in some cores were less than the sediment-quality guidelines. With the exception of copper, the trace-element profiles of the five cores collected along the pre-reservoir Columbia River channel typically showed trends of decreasing concentrations in sediments deposited after the 1964 time horizon. The decreasing concentrations of trace elements in the upper half of cores from along the pre-reservoir Columbia River showed a pattern of decreasing concentrations similar to reductions in trace-element loading in liquid effluent from an upstream smelter. Except for arsenic, trace-element concentrations typically were smaller at downstream reservoir locations along the pre-reservoir Columbia River. Trace-element concentration in sediments from the Spokane Arm of the reservoir showed distinct differences compared to the similarities

  10. Adjoint optimization scheme for lower hybrid current rampup and profile control in Tokamak

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Litaudon, X.; Moreau, D.; Bizarro, J.P.; Hoang, G.T.; Kupfer, K.; Peysson, Y.; Shkarofsky, I.P.; Bonoli, P.

    1992-12-01

    The purpose of this work is to take into account and study the effect of the electric field profiles on the Lower Hybrid (LH) current drive efficiency during transient phases such as rampup. As a complement to the full ray-tracing / Fokker Planck studies, and for the purpose of optimization studies, we developed a simplified 1-D model based on the adjoint Karney-Fisch numerical results. This approach allows us to estimate the LH power deposition profile which would be required for ramping the current with prescribed rate, total current density profile (q-profile) and surface loop voltage. For rampup optimization studies, we can therefore scan the whole parameter space and eliminate a posteriori those scenarios which correspond to unrealistic deposition profiles. We thus obtain the time evolution of the LH power, minor radius of the plasma, volt-second consumption and total energy dissipated. Optimization can thus be performed with respect to any of those criteria. This scheme is illustrated by some numerical simulations performed with TORE-SUPRA and NET/ITER parameters. We conclude with a derivation of a simple and general scaling law for the flux consumption during the rampup phase

  11. Excimer laser beam profile recording based on electrochemical etched polycarbonate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parvin, P.; Jaleh, B.; Zangeneh, H.R.; Zamanipour, Z.; Davoud-Abadi, Gh.R.

    2008-01-01

    There is no polymeric detector used to register the beam profile of UV lasers. Here, a method is proposed for the measurement of intensive UV beam pattern of the excimer lasers based on the photoablated polycarbonate detector after coherent UV exposure and the subsequent electrochemical etching. UV laser induced defects in the form of self-microstructuring on polycarbonate are developed to replicate the spatial intensity distribution as a beam profiler

  12. Excimer laser beam profile recording based on electrochemical etched polycarbonate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Parvin, P. [Physics Department, Amirkabir University of Technology, P.O. Box 15875-4413, Hafez Ave, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Laser Research Center, AEOI, P.O. Box 1165-8486, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)], E-mail: parvin@aut.ac.ir; Jaleh, B. [Physics Department, Bu-Ali Sina University, Postal Code 65174, Hamedan (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Zangeneh, H.R. [Physics Department, Amirkabir University of Technology, P.O. Box 15875-4413, Hafez Ave, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Zamanipour, Z. [Laser Research Center, AEOI, P.O. Box 1165-8486, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Davoud-Abadi, Gh.R. [Physics Department, Amirkabir University of Technology, P.O. Box 15875-4413, Hafez Ave, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2008-08-15

    There is no polymeric detector used to register the beam profile of UV lasers. Here, a method is proposed for the measurement of intensive UV beam pattern of the excimer lasers based on the photoablated polycarbonate detector after coherent UV exposure and the subsequent electrochemical etching. UV laser induced defects in the form of self-microstructuring on polycarbonate are developed to replicate the spatial intensity distribution as a beam profiler.

  13. A paper recommender system based on user's profile in big data ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    These systems present a personalized proposal to users who seek to find a special kind of relevant data or their priorities through the big number of data. Recommendersystem based on personalization uses the user profile and in view of the fact that the user profile encompass information pertaining to the user priorities; ...

  14. Defatted Detarium senegalense seed-based diet alters lipid profile ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Defatted Detarium senegalense seed-based diet alters lipid profile, ... cheaper alternative source for good quality protein for dietary purposes, we evaluated Detarium ... Whole seed residue, DDS seed flour and control diets (soybeans) were ...

  15. Safety and Tolerability Profile of Artemisinin-Based Antimalarial ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The WHO in 2001 advocated artemisinin- based antimalarial combination therapy (ACT), which was adopted by Nigeria in 2005. The objective of this study was to characterize the safety and tolerability profile of the ACTs in adult patients with uncomplicated malaria. A descriptive longitudinal study was conducted in the ...

  16. Computer Profiling Based Model for Investigation

    OpenAIRE

    Neeraj Choudhary; Nikhil Kumar Singh; Parmalik Singh

    2011-01-01

    Computer profiling is used for computer forensic analysis, and proposes and elaborates on a novel model for use in computer profiling, the computer profiling object model. The computer profiling object model is an information model which models a computer as objects with various attributes and inter-relationships. These together provide the information necessary for a human investigator or an automated reasoning engine to make judgments as to the probable usage and evidentiary value of a comp...

  17. Transfer and mobility of trace metallic elements in the sedimentary column of continental hydro-systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Devallois, V.

    2009-02-01

    In freshwater systems, trace metal pollutants are transferred into water and sedimentary columns under dissolved forms and/or fixed onto solid particles. Accumulated in the sedimentary areas, these latter ones can constitute important stocks of materials and associated pollutants and may impair water quality when environmental changes lead to increase their mobility. The mobility of the stocks of pollutants is mainly depending on the erosion, on the interstitial diffusion of the mobile phases (dissolved and colloidal) and on the bioturbation. In this context, this study involves the analysis of the mobility by interstitial diffusion. This topic consists in studying trace metal fractionation between their mobile (dissolved and colloidal) and non mobile (fixed onto the particles) forms. This point is governed by sorption/desorption processes at the particle surfaces. These processes are regulated by physico-chemical parameters (pH, redox potential, ionic strength...) and are influenced by biogeochemical reactions resulting from the oxidation of the organic matter by the microbial activity. These reactions generate vertical profiles of nutrients and metal concentrations along the sedimentary column. To understand these processes, this work is based on a mixed approach that combines in situ, analysis and modelling. In situ experimental part consists in sampling natural sediments cores collected at 4 different sites (1 site in Durance and 3 sites on the Rhone). These samples are analyzed according to an analytical protocol that provides the vertical distribution of physicochemical parameters (pH, redox potential, size distribution, porosity), nutrients and solid - liquid forms of trace metals (cobalt, copper, nickel, lead, zinc). The analysis and interpretation of these experimental results are based on a model that was developed during this study and that includes: 1) model of interstitial diffusion (Boudreau, 1997), 2) biogeochemical model (Wang and Van Cappellen

  18. A new method to identify the foot of continental slope based on an integrated profile analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Ziyin; Li, Jiabiao; Li, Shoujun; Shang, Jihong; Jin, Xiaobin

    2017-06-01

    A new method is proposed to identify automatically the foot of the continental slope (FOS) based on the integrated analysis of topographic profiles. Based on the extremum points of the second derivative and the Douglas-Peucker algorithm, it simplifies the topographic profiles, then calculates the second derivative of the original profiles and the D-P profiles. Seven steps are proposed to simplify the original profiles. Meanwhile, multiple identification methods are proposed to determine the FOS points, including gradient, water depth and second derivative values of data points, as well as the concave and convex, continuity and segmentation of the topographic profiles. This method can comprehensively and intelligently analyze the topographic profiles and their derived slopes, second derivatives and D-P profiles, based on which, it is capable to analyze the essential properties of every single data point in the profile. Furthermore, it is proposed to remove the concave points of the curve and in addition, to implement six FOS judgment criteria.

  19. Nuclear traces in glass

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Segovia A, M. de N.

    1978-01-01

    The charged particles produce, in dielectric materials, physical and chemical effects which make evident the damaged zone along the trajectory of the particle. This damaged zone is known as the latent trace. The latent traces can be enlarged by an etching of the detector material. This treatment attacks preferently the zones of the material where the charged particles have penetrated, producing concavities which can be observed through a low magnification optical microscope. These concavities are known as developed traces. In this work we describe the glass characteristics as a detector of the fission fragments traces. In the first chapter we present a summary of the existing basic theories to explain the formation of traces in solids. In the second chapter we describe the etching method used for the traces development. In the following chapters we determine some chatacteristics of the traces formed on the glass, such as: the development optimum time; the diameter variation of the traces and their density according to the temperature variation of the detector; the glass response to a radiation more penetrating than that of the fission fragments; the distribution of the developed traces and the existing relation between this ditribution and the fission fragments of 252 Cf energies. The method which has been used is simple and cheap and can be utilized in laboratories whose resources are limited. The commercial glass which has been employed allows the registration of the fission fragments and subsequently the realization of experiments which involve the counting of the traces as well as the identification of particles. (author)

  20. Knowledge rule base for the beam optics program TRACE 3-D

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gillespie, G.H.; Van Staagen, P.K.; Hill, B.W.

    1993-01-01

    An expert system type of knowledge rule base has been developed for the input parameters used by the particle beam transport program TRACE 3-D. The goal has been to provide the program's user with adequate on-screen information to allow him to initially set up a problem with minimal open-quotes off-lineclose quotes calculations. The focus of this work has been in developing rules for the parameters which define the beam line transport elements. Ten global parameters, the particle mass and charge, beam energy, etc., are used to provide open-quotes expertclose quotes estimates of lower and upper limits for each of the transport element parameters. For example, the limits for the field strength of the quadrupole element are based on a water-cooled, iron-core electromagnet with dimensions derived from practical engineering constraints, and the upper limit for the effective length is scaled with the particle momenta so that initially parallel trajectories do not cross the axis inside the magnet. Limits for the quadrupole doublet and triplet parameters incorporate these rules and additional rules based on stable FODO lattices and bidirectional focusing requirements. The structure of the rule base is outlined and examples for the quadrupole singlet, doublet and triplet are described. The rule base has been implemented within the Shell for Particle Accelerator Related Codes (SPARC) graphical user interface (GUI)

  1. Seasonal Cyclicity in Trace Elements and Stable Isotopes of Modern Horse Enamel.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Niels J de Winter

    Full Text Available The study of stable isotopes in fossil bioapatite has yielded useful results and has shown that bioapatites are able to faithfully record paleo-environmental and paleo-climatic parameters from archeological to geological timescales. In an effort to establish new proxies for the study of bioapatites, intra-tooth records of enamel carbonate stable isotope ratios from a modern horse are compared with trace element profiles measured using laboratory micro X-Ray Fluorescence scanning. Using known patterns of tooth eruption and the relationship between stable oxygen isotopes and local temperature seasonality, an age model is constructed that links records from six cheek upper right teeth from the second premolar to the third molar. When plotted on this age model, the trace element ratios from horse tooth enamel show a seasonal pattern with a small shift in phase compared to stable oxygen isotope ratios. While stable oxygen and carbon isotopes in tooth enamel are forced respectively by the state of the hydrological cycle and the animal's diet, we argue that the seasonal signal in trace elements reflects seasonal changes in dust intake and diet of the animal. The latter explanation is in agreement with seasonal changes observed in carbon isotopes of the same teeth. This external forcing of trace element composition in mammal tooth enamel implies that trace element ratios may be used as proxies for seasonal changes in paleo-environment and paleo-diet.

  2. Adsorption of trace metals to plastic resin pellets in the marine environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holmes, Luke A.; Turner, Andrew; Thompson, Richard C.

    2012-01-01

    Plastic production pellets collected from beaches of south west England contain variable concentrations of trace metals (Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) that, in some cases, exceed concentrations reported for local estuarine sediments. The rates and mechanisms by which metals associate with virgin and beached polyethylene pellets were studied by adding a cocktail of 5 μg L −1 of trace metals to 10 g L −1 pellet suspensions in filtered seawater. Kinetic profiles were modelled using a pseudo-first-order equation and yielded response times of less than about 100 h and equilibrium partition coefficients of up to about 225 ml g −1 that were consistently higher for beached pellets than virgin pellets. Adsorption isotherms conformed to both the Langmuir and Freundlich equations and adsorption capacities were greater for beached pellets than for virgin pellets. Results suggest that plastics may represent an important vehicle for the transport of metals in the marine environment. - Highlights: ► Beached plastic production pellets contain considerable concentrations of trace metals. ► In laboratory experiments trace metals are shown to adsorb to both virgin and beached pellets. ► Metal adsorption is greater on aged pellets. ► Pellets may represent an important vehicle for metal transport in the marine environment. - Trace metals accumulate on plastic resin pellets in the marine environment through adsorption to the polymer and to chemical and biological attritions thereon.

  3. Light Source Estimation with Analytical Path-tracing

    OpenAIRE

    Kasper, Mike; Keivan, Nima; Sibley, Gabe; Heckman, Christoffer

    2017-01-01

    We present a novel algorithm for light source estimation in scenes reconstructed with a RGB-D camera based on an analytically-derived formulation of path-tracing. Our algorithm traces the reconstructed scene with a custom path-tracer and computes the analytical derivatives of the light transport equation from principles in optics. These derivatives are then used to perform gradient descent, minimizing the photometric error between one or more captured reference images and renders of our curre...

  4. Multi-Resolution Playback of Network Trace Files

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-06-01

    insertion, populateDB organizes the packet data by Open Systems Interconnec- tion model ( OSI ) layer, links each packet with those in the same flow to create...well as replay based on a statistical model of a network trace file. This thesis attempts to create such a system and to fulfil the requirements set...Lastly, the statistical model generated from characteristics of the original trace proved to accurately model the original capture and provide for a user

  5. Temporally rendered automatic cloud extraction (TRACE) system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bodrero, Dennis M.; Yale, James G.; Davis, Roger E.; Rollins, John M.

    1999-10-01

    Smoke/obscurant testing requires that 2D cloud extent be extracted from visible and thermal imagery. These data are used alone or in combination with 2D data from other aspects to make 3D calculations of cloud properties, including dimensions, volume, centroid, travel, and uniformity. Determining cloud extent from imagery has historically been a time-consuming manual process. To reduce time and cost associated with smoke/obscurant data processing, automated methods to extract cloud extent from imagery were investigated. The TRACE system described in this paper was developed and implemented at U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground, UT by the Science and Technology Corporation--Acuity Imaging Incorporated team with Small Business Innovation Research funding. TRACE uses dynamic background subtraction and 3D fast Fourier transform as primary methods to discriminate the smoke/obscurant cloud from the background. TRACE has been designed to run on a PC-based platform using Windows. The PC-Windows environment was chosen for portability, to give TRACE the maximum flexibility in terms of its interaction with peripheral hardware devices such as video capture boards, removable media drives, network cards, and digital video interfaces. Video for Windows provides all of the necessary tools for the development of the video capture utility in TRACE and allows for interchangeability of video capture boards without any software changes. TRACE is designed to take advantage of future upgrades in all aspects of its component hardware. A comparison of cloud extent determined by TRACE with manual method is included in this paper.

  6. Development of monitoring and control technology based on trace gas monitoring. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liebowitz, B.

    1997-07-01

    Trace gases are generated by many biological reactions. During anaerobic decomposition, trace levels of hydrogen (H{sub 2}) and carbon monoxide (CO) gases are produced. It was shown previously that these trace gases are intrinsically related to the biochemical reactions occurring and, therefore, offer promise for on-line process monitoring and control. This work was designed to test how effectively hydrogen and CO could be to monitor high-rate anaerobic systems that has significant mass transfer and complex hydraulics. An experimental program was designed to examine the behavior of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor system under steady state and in response to organic loading perturbations. The responses of trace gases CO and H{sub 2} were tracked using an on-line, real-time gas-monitoring system linked to a computer-controlled data acquisition package. Data on conventional process parameters such as pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD), volatile fatty acids (VFAs) were concurrently collected. Monitoring of conventional process indicators (i.e., pH, VFA, gas production) and trace gas (H{sub 2} and CO) indicators was conducted using a matrix of nine different steady-state OLRs (4-23 kg COD/m{sup 3} -d) and system HRTs (0.5 to 2.5 days) was performed to determine any correlation among the indicators. Of OLR, HRT, and influent COD, only OLR had any significant influence on the process indicators examined. All parameters except methane increased with increases in OLR; methane decreased with increased OLR. The OLR and gas production rate (GP) were observed to be linearly correlated.

  7. TraceContract: A Scala DSL for Trace Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barringer, Howard; Havelund, Klaus

    2011-01-01

    In this paper we describe TRACECONTRACT, an API for trace analysis, implemented in the SCALA programming language. We argue that for certain forms of trace analysis the best weapon is a high level programming language augmented with constructs for temporal reasoning. A trace is a sequence of events, which may for example be generated by a running program, instrumented appropriately to generate events. The API supports writing properties in a notation that combines an advanced form of data parameterized state machines with temporal logic. The implementation utilizes SCALA's support for defining internal Domain Specific Languages (DSLs). Furthermore SCALA's combination of object oriented and functional programming features, including partial functions and pattern matching, makes it an ideal host language for such an API.

  8. Fingerprint signatures based on nanomagnets as markers in materials for tracing and counterfeit protection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Szielasko, Klaus; Youssef, Amir; Sporn, Dieter; Mandel, Karl

    2016-01-01

    Identification and tracing of objects is a challenge of great current importance. Ideally, this can be achieved via small markers, which equip an object with a fingerprint identity. Herein, we communicate an approach that is based on structural arrangements of magnetic nano-entities to generate a kind of security key in an object. The nano-markers, which are applied as inks, can remotely be read out in a fast and simple way with a GMR sensor and yield an unmistakable signal pattern.Graphical abstract

  9. Fingerprint signatures based on nanomagnets as markers in materials for tracing and counterfeit protection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Szielasko, Klaus; Youssef, Amir [Fraunhofer Institute for Nondestructive Testing IZFP (Germany); Sporn, Dieter; Mandel, Karl, E-mail: karl-sebastian.mandel@isc.fraunhofer.de [Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC (Germany)

    2016-05-15

    Identification and tracing of objects is a challenge of great current importance. Ideally, this can be achieved via small markers, which equip an object with a fingerprint identity. Herein, we communicate an approach that is based on structural arrangements of magnetic nano-entities to generate a kind of security key in an object. The nano-markers, which are applied as inks, can remotely be read out in a fast and simple way with a GMR sensor and yield an unmistakable signal pattern.Graphical abstract.

  10. Technical Note: A new global database of trace gases and aerosols from multiple sources of high vertical resolution measurements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. E. Bodeker

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available A new database of trace gases and aerosols with global coverage, derived from high vertical resolution profile measurements, has been assembled as a collection of binary data files; hereafter referred to as the "Binary DataBase of Profiles" (BDBP. Version 1.0 of the BDBP, described here, includes measurements from different satellite- (HALOE, POAM II and III, SAGE I and II and ground-based measurement systems (ozonesondes. In addition to the primary product of ozone, secondary measurements of other trace gases, aerosol extinction, and temperature are included. All data are subjected to very strict quality control and for every measurement a percentage error on the measurement is included. To facilitate analyses, each measurement is added to 3 different instances (3 different grids of the database where measurements are indexed by: (1 geographic latitude, longitude, altitude (in 1 km steps and time, (2 geographic latitude, longitude, pressure (at levels ~1 km apart and time, (3 equivalent latitude, potential temperature (8 levels from 300 K to 650 K and time.

    In contrast to existing zonal mean databases, by including a wider range of measurement sources (both satellite and ozonesondes, the BDBP is sufficiently dense to permit calculation of changes in ozone by latitude, longitude and altitude. In addition, by including other trace gases such as water vapour, this database can be used for comprehensive radiative transfer calculations. By providing the original measurements rather than derived monthly means, the BDBP is applicable to a wider range of applications than databases containing only monthly mean data. Monthly mean zonal mean ozone concentrations calculated from the BDBP are compared with the database of Randel and Wu, which has been used in many earlier analyses. As opposed to that database which is generated from regression model fits, the BDBP uses the original (quality controlled measurements with no smoothing applied in any

  11. Mapping of Trace Elements in Coal and Ash Research Based on a Bibliometric Analysis Method Spanning 1971–2017

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liu Yang

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Coal is the most important fossil energy used in China. The environmental impact of trace elements released in coal combustion has become one of the hottest issues in recent years. Based on a software named CiteSpace, and social network analysis (SNA, a bibliometric analysis of research into trace elements in coal and ash field during 1971–2017 is presented with the information of authors, countries, institutions, journals, hot issues and research trends in the present study. The study results indicate that: (1 Shifeng Dai, Robert B Finkelman, Guijian Liu and James C Hower have a large number of publications with great influence. (2 China (29.8% and USA (22.2% have high productivity in total publications. China and the USA correlate closely in the cooperative web system. (3 China University of Mining and Technology and Chinese Academy of Sciences take the leading position in the quantity of publications among all research institutions. (4 Energy and fuels, engineering and environmental science are three disciplines with the most studies in this field. (5 International Journal of Coal Geology, Fuel, Energy and Fuels and Fuel Processing Technology are the top four journals with the most publications in this field. (6 The enrichment origin and modes of occurrence of trace elements are the mainstream research related to trace elements in coal and ash. The environmental problems caused by coal combustion have promoted the development of trace elements in coal research, and human health is getting more and more popular in recent years. The study findings provide a better understanding of features of trace elements in coal and ash research, which could be taken as a reference for future studies in this field.

  12. Activity-Based Profiling of Retaining β-Glucosidases: A Comparative Study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Witte, Martin D.; Walvoort, Marthe T. C.; Li, Kah-Yee; Kallemeijn, Wouter W.; Donker-Koopman, Wilma E.; Boot, Rolf G.; Aerts, Johannes M. F. G.; Codée, Jeroen D. C.; van der Marel, Gijsbert A.; Overkleeft, Herman S.

    2011-01-01

    Activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) is a versatile strategy to report on enzyme activity in vitro, in situ, and in vivo. The development and use of ABPP tools and techniques has met with considerable success in monitoring physiological processes involving esterases and proteases. Activity-based

  13. Activity-Based Profiling of Retaining beta-Glucosidases : A Comparative Study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Witte, Martin D.; Walvoort, Marthe T. C.; Li, Kah-Yee; Kallemeijn, Wouter W.; Donker-Koopman, Wilma E.; Boot, Rolf G.; Aerts, Johannes M. F. G.; Codee, Jeroen D. C.; van der Marel, Gijsbert A.; Overkleeft, Herman S.

    2011-01-01

    Activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) is a versatile strategy to report on enzyme activity in vitro, in situ, and in vivo. The development and use of ABPP tools and techniques has met with considerable success in monitoring physiological processes involving esterases and proteases. Activity-based

  14. Activity-Based Profiling of Retaining β-Glucosidases : A Comparative Study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Witte, Martin D.; Walvoort, Marthe T.C.; Li, Kah-Yee; Kallemeijn, Wouter W.; Donker-Koopman, Wilma E.; Boot, Rolf G.; Aerts, Johannes M.F.G.; Codée, Jeroen D.C.; Marel, Gijsbert A. van der; Overkleeft, Herman S.

    2011-01-01

    Activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) is a versatile strategy to report on enzyme activity in vitro, in situ, and in vivo. The development and use of ABPP tools and techniques has met with considerable success in monitoring physiological processes involving esterases and proteases. Activity-based

  15. Double-trace flows and the swampland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giombi, Simone; Perlmutter, Eric

    2018-03-01

    We explore the idea that large N, non-supersymmetric conformal field theories with a parametrically large gap to higher spin single-trace operators may be obtained as infrared fixed points of relevant double-trace deformations of superconformal field theories. After recalling the AdS interpretation and some potential pathologies of such flows, we introduce a concrete example that appears to avoid them: the ABJM theory at finite k, deformed by \\int O^2, where O is the superconformal primary in the stress-tensor multiplet. We address its relation to recent conjectures based on weak gravity bounds, and discuss the prospects for a wider class of similarly viable flows. Next, we proceed to analyze the spectrum and correlation functions of the putative IR CFT, to leading non-trivial order in 1 /N. This includes analytic computations of the change under double-trace flow of connected four-point functions of ABJM superconformal primaries; and of the IR anomalous dimensions of infinite classes of double-trace composite operators. These would be the first analytic results for anomalous dimensions of finite-spin composite operators in any large N CFT3 with an Einstein gravity dual.

  16. Web-based communication tools in a European research project: the example of the TRACE project

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Baeten V.

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available The multi-disciplinary and international nature of large European projects requires powerful managerial and communicative tools to ensure the transmission of information to the end-users. One such project is TRACE entitled “Tracing Food Commodities in Europe”. One of its objectives is to provide a communication system dedicated to be the central source of information on food authenticity and traceability in Europe. This paper explores the web tools used and communication vehicles offered to scientists involved in the TRACE project to communicate internally as well as to the public. Two main tools have been built: an Intranet and a public website. The TRACE website can be accessed at http://www.trace.eu.org. A particular emphasis was placed on the efficiency, the relevance and the accessibility of the information, the publicity of the website as well as the use of the collaborative utilities. The rationale of web space design as well as integration of proprietary software solutions are presented. Perspectives on the using of web tools in the research projects are discussed.

  17. Optimum off-line trace synchronization of computer clusters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jabbarifar, Masoume; Dagenais, Michel; Roy, Robert; Sendi, Alireza Shameli

    2012-01-01

    A tracing and monitoring framework produces detailed execution trace files for a system. Each trace file contains events with associated timestamps based on the local clock of their respective system, which are not perfectly synchronized. To monitor all behavior in multi-core distributed systems, a global time reference is required, thus the need for traces synchronization techniques. The synchronization is time consuming when there is a cluster of many computers. In this paper we propose an optimized technique to reduce the total synchronization time. Compared with related techniques that have been used on kernel level traces, this method improves the performance while maintaining a high accuracy. It uses the packet rate and the hop count as two major criteria to focus the computation on more accurate network links during synchronization. These criteria, tested in real-word experiments, were identified as most important features of a network. Furthermore, we present numerical and analytical evaluation results, and compare these with previous methods demonstrating the accuracy and the performance of the method.

  18. Comparison of the Classifier Oriented Gait Score and the Gait Profile Score based on imitated gait impairments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christian, Josef; Kröll, Josef; Schwameder, Hermann

    2017-06-01

    Common summary measures of gait quality such as the Gait Profile Score (GPS) are based on the principle of measuring a distance from the mean pattern of a healthy reference group in a gait pattern vector space. The recently introduced Classifier Oriented Gait Score (COGS) is a pathology specific score that measures this distance in a unique direction, which is indicated by a linear classifier. This approach has potentially improved the discriminatory power to detect subtle changes in gait patterns but does not incorporate a profile of interpretable sub-scores like the GPS. The main aims of this study were to extend the COGS by decomposing it into interpretable sub-scores as realized in the GPS and to compare the discriminative power of the GPS and COGS. Two types of gait impairments were imitated to enable a high level of control of the gait patterns. Imitated impairments were realized by restricting knee extension and inducing leg length discrepancy. The results showed increased discriminatory power of the COGS for differentiating diverse levels of impairment. Comparison of the GPS and COGS sub-scores and their ability to indicate changes in specific variables supports the validity of both scores. The COGS is an overall measure of gait quality with increased power to detect subtle changes in gait patterns and might be well suited for tracing the effect of a therapeutic treatment over time. The newly introduced sub-scores improved the interpretability of the COGS, which is helpful for practical applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Present and Future Challenges in Trace and Ultra-Trace Analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toulhoat, P.

    2005-01-01

    The analysis of trace and ultra-trace elements is continuously stimulating the progress in analytical chemistry. Environmental chemistry, radiochemistry, biology, health, agri-food are prescribers of trace analyses, with continuously increasing exigencies: lowering detection limits, lowering costs and analysis time, improving the quality of analytical information. Precise data about the chemical identity and chemical environment of analytes are now requested. Such pieces of information, beyond simple numerical data and confidence intervals, are necessary to understand studied systems, and to predict their evolution. From environmental contamination cases, one can envisage the various aspects of a problem, with for each of them its own exigencies and specificities in terms of analytical methods and approaches. The detection of traces and ultra-traces of actinides and fission products has been recently revisited and stimulates new technological developments (non proliferation issues, waste management). Data on their speciation in geological and biological media are essential for evaluating the safety of nuclear waste repositories. Various techniques are now used to determine speciation in liquid samples or on surfaces, with tremendous spatial resolutions or sensitivities. A new revolution in analytical chemistry is expected with the development of micro- or nano-analytical technologies. (author)

  20. Trace analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Warner, M.

    1987-01-01

    What is the current state of quantitative trace analytical chemistry? What are today's research efforts? And what challenges does the future hold? These are some of the questions addressed at a recent four-day symposium sponsored by the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) entitled Accuracy in Trace Analysis - Accomplishments, Goals, Challenges. The two plenary sessions held on the first day of the symposium reviewed the history of quantitative trace analysis, discussed the present situation from academic and industrial perspectives, and summarized future needs. The remaining three days of the symposium consisted of parallel sessions dealing with the measurement process; quantitation in materials; environmental, clinical, and nutrient analysis; and advances in analytical techniques

  1. Distribution of trace elements in land plants and botanical taxonomy with special reference to rare earth elements and actinium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koyama, Mutsuo

    1989-01-01

    Distribution profiles of trace elements in land plants were studied by neutron activation analysis and radioactivity measurements without activation. Number of botanical samples analyzed were more than three thousand in which more than three hundred botanical species were included. New accumulator plants of Co, Cr, Zn, Cd, rare earth elements, Ac, U, etc., were found. Capabilities of accumulating trace elements can be related to the botanical taxonomy. Discussions are given from view points of inorganic chemistry as well as from botanical physiology

  2. Use of ground-based wind profiles in mesoscale forecasting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schlatter, Thomas W.

    1985-01-01

    A brief review is presented of recent uses of ground-based wind profile data in mesoscale forecasting. Some of the applications are in real time, and some are after the fact. Not all of the work mentioned here has been published yet, but references are given wherever possible. As Gage and Balsley (1978) point out, sensitive Doppler radars have been used to examine tropospheric wind profiles since the 1970's. It was not until the early 1980's, however, that the potential contribution of these instruments to operational forecasting and numerical weather prediction became apparent. Profiler winds and radiosonde winds compare favorably, usually within a few m/s in speed and 10 degrees in direction (see Hogg et al., 1983), but the obvious advantage of the profiler is its frequent (hourly or more often) sampling of the same volume. The rawinsonde balloon is launched only twice a day and drifts with the wind. In this paper, I will: (1) mention two operational uses of data from a wind profiling system developed jointly by the Wave Propagation and Aeronomy Laboratories of NOAA; (2) describe a number of displays of these same data on a workstation for mesoscale forecasting developed by the Program for Regional Observing and Forecasting Services (PROFS); and (3) explain some interesting diagnostic calculations performed by meteorologists of the Wave Propagation Laboratory.

  3. A comparison of the reproducibility of manual tracing and on-screen digitization for cephalometric profile variables

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dvortsin, D. P.; Sandham, John; Pruim, G. J.; Dijkstra, P. U.

    2008-01-01

    The aim of this investigation was to analyse and compare the reproducibility of manual cephalometric tracings with on-screen digitization using a soft tissue analysis. A random sample of 20 lateral cephalometric radiographs, in the natural head posture, was selected. On-screen digitization using

  4. Fate of trace organic compounds during vadose zone soil treatment in an onsite wastewater system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conn, Kathleen E; Siegrist, Robert L; Barber, Larry B; Meyer, Michael T

    2010-02-01

    During onsite wastewater treatment, trace organic compounds are often present in the effluents applied to subsurface soils for advanced treatment during vadose zone percolation and groundwater recharge. The fate of the endocrine-disrupting surfactant metabolites 4-nonylphenol (NP), 4-nonylphenolmonoethoxylate (NP1EO), and 4-nonylphenolmonoethoxycarboxylate (NP1EC), metal-chelating agents ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), antimicrobial agent triclosan, stimulant caffeine, and antibiotic sulfamethoxazole during transport through an unsaturated sandy loam soil was studied at a field-scale test site. To assess the effects of effluent quality and hydraulic loading rate (HLR) on compound fate in the soil profile, two effluents (septic tank or textile biofilter) were applied at two design HLRs (2 or 8 cm/d). Chemical concentrations were determined in the two effluents and soil pore water at 60, 120, and 240 cm below the soil infiltrative surface. Concentrations of trace organic compounds in septic tank effluent were reduced by more than 90% during transport through 240 cm (often within 60 cm) of soil, likely due to sorption and biotransformation. However, the concentration of NP increased with depth in the shallow soil profile. Additional treatment of anaerobic septic tank effluent with an aerobic textile biofilter reduced effluent concentrations of many compounds, but generally did not affect any changes in pore water concentrations. The soil profile receiving septic tank effluent (vs. textile biofilter effluent) generally had greater percent removal efficiencies. EDTA, NP, NP1EC, and sulfamethoxazole were measured in soil pore water, indicating the ability of some trace organic compounds to reach shallow groundwater. Risk is highly dependent on the degree of further treatment in the saturated zone and the types and proximity of uses for the receiving groundwater environment. Copyright 2009 SETAC.

  5. Fate of trace organic compounds during vadose zone soil treatment in an onsite wastewater system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conn, K.E.; Siegrist, R.L.; Barber, L.B.; Meyer, M.T.

    2010-01-01

    During onsite wastewater treatment, trace organic compounds are often present in the effluents applied to subsurface soils for advanced treatment during vadose zone percolation and groundwater recharge. The fate of the endocrine-disrupting surfactant metabolites 4-nonylphenol (NP), 4-nonylphenolmonoethoxylate (NP1EO), and 4-nonylphenolmonoethoxycarboxylate (NP1EC), metal-chelating agents ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), antimicrobial agent triclosan, stimulant caffeine, and antibiotic sulfamethoxazole during transport through an unsaturated sandy loam soil was studied at a field-scale test site. To assess the effects of effluent quality and hydraulic loading rate (HLR) on compound fate in the soil profile, two effluents (septic tank or textile biofilter) were applied at two design HLRs (2 or 8 cm/d). Chemical concentrations were determined in the two effluents and soil pore water at 60, 120, and 240 cm below the soil infiltrative surface. Concentrations of trace organic compounds in septic tank effluent were reduced by more than 90% during transport through 240 cm (often within 60 cm) of soil, likely due to sorption and biotransformation. However, the concentration of NP increased with depth in the shallow soil profile. Additional treatment of anaerobic septic tank effluent with an aerobic textile biofilter reduced effluent concentrations of many compounds, but generally did not affect any changes in pore water concentrations. The soil profile receiving septic tank effluent (vs. textile biofilter effluent) generally had greater percent removal efficiencies. EDTA, NP, NP1EC, and sulfamethoxazole were measured in soil pore water, indicating the ability of some trace organic compounds to reach shallow groundwater. Risk is highly dependent on the degree of further treatment in the saturated zone and the types and proximity of uses for the receiving groundwater environment. ?? 2009 SETAC.

  6. Ray tracing reconstruction investigation for C-arm tomosynthesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malalla, Nuhad A. Y.; Chen, Ying

    2016-04-01

    C-arm tomosynthesis is a three dimensional imaging technique. Both x-ray source and the detector are mounted on a C-arm wheeled structure to provide wide variety of movement around the object. In this paper, C-arm tomosynthesis was introduced to provide three dimensional information over a limited view angle (less than 180o) to reduce radiation exposure and examination time. Reconstruction algorithms based on ray tracing method such as ray tracing back projection (BP), simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique (SART) and maximum likelihood expectation maximization (MLEM) were developed for C-arm tomosynthesis. C-arm tomosynthesis projection images of simulated spherical object were simulated with a virtual geometric configuration with a total view angle of 40 degrees. This study demonstrated the sharpness of in-plane reconstructed structure and effectiveness of removing out-of-plane blur for each reconstruction algorithms. Results showed the ability of ray tracing based reconstruction algorithms to provide three dimensional information with limited angle C-arm tomosynthesis.

  7. Error Correction of Measured Unstructured Road Profiles Based on Accelerometer and Gyroscope Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jinhua Han

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes a noncontact acquisition system composed of several time synchronized laser height sensors, accelerometers, gyroscope, and so forth in order to collect the road profiles of vehicle riding on the unstructured roads. A method of correcting road profiles based on the accelerometer and gyroscope data is proposed to eliminate the adverse impacts of vehicle vibration and attitudes change. Because the power spectral density (PSD of gyro attitudes concentrates in the low frequency band, a method called frequency division is presented to divide the road profiles into two parts: high frequency part and low frequency part. The vibration error of road profiles is corrected by displacement data obtained through two times integration of measured acceleration data. After building the mathematical model between gyro attitudes and road profiles, the gyro attitudes signals are separated from low frequency road profile by the method of sliding block overlap based on correlation analysis. The accuracy and limitations of the system have been analyzed, and its validity has been verified by implementing the system on wheeled equipment for road profiles’ measuring of vehicle testing ground. The paper offers an accurate and practical approach to obtaining unstructured road profiles for road simulation test.

  8. Traces of Drosophila Memory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Ronald L.

    2012-01-01

    Summary Studies using functional cellullar imaging of living flies have identified six memory traces that form in the olfactory nervous system after conditioning with odors. These traces occur in distinct nodes of the olfactory nervous system, form and disappear across different windows of time, and are detected in the imaged neurons as increased calcium influx or synaptic release in response to the conditioned odor. Three traces form at, or near acquisition and co-exist with short-term behavioral memory. One trace forms with a delay after learning and co-exists with intermediate-term behavioral memory. Two traces form many hours after acquisition and co-exist with long-term behavioral memory. The transient memory traces may support behavior across the time-windows of their existence. The experimental approaches for dissecting memory formation in the fly, ranging from the molecular to the systems, make it an ideal system for dissecting the logic by which the nervous system organizes and stores different temporal forms of memory. PMID:21482352

  9. Profile Monitors Based on Residual Gas Interaction

    CERN Document Server

    Forck, P; Giacomini, T; Peters, A

    2005-01-01

    The precise determination of transverse beam profiles at high current hadron accelerators has to be performed non-interceptingly. Two methods will be discussed based on the excitation of the residual gas molecules by the beam particles: Firstly, by beam induced fluorescence (BIF) light is emitted from the residual gas molecules and is observed with an image intensified CCD camera. At most laboratories N2 gas is inserted, which has a large cross section for emission in the blue wave length region. Secondly, a larger signal strength is achieved by detecting the ionization products in an Ionization Profile Monitor (IPM). By applying an electric field all ionization products are accelerated toward a spatial resolving Micro-Channel Plate. The signal read-out can either be performed by observing the light from a phosphor screen behind the MCP or electronically by a wire array. Methods to achieve a high spatial resolution and a fast turn-by-turn readout capability are discussed. Even though various approaches at dif...

  10. How Reasoning, Judgment, and Decision Making are Colored by Gist-based Intuition: A Fuzzy-Trace Theory Approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corbin, Jonathan C; Reyna, Valerie F; Weldon, Rebecca B; Brainerd, Charles J

    2015-12-01

    Fuzzy-trace theory distinguishes verbatim (literal, exact) from gist (meaningful) representations, predicting that reliance on gist increases with experience and expertise. Thus, many judgment-and-decision-making biases increase with development, such that cognition is colored by context in ways that violate logical coherence and probability theories. Nevertheless, this increase in gist-based intuition is adaptive: Gist is stable, less sensitive to interference, and easier to manipulate. Moreover, gist captures the functionally significant essence of information, supporting healthier and more robust decision processes. We describe how fuzzy-trace theory accounts for judgment-and-decision making phenomena, predicting the paradoxical arc of these processes with the development of experience and expertise. We present data linking gist memory processes to gist processing in decision making and provide illustrations of gist reliance in medicine, public health, and intelligence analysis.

  11. Use of focused ultrasonication in activity-based profiling of deubiquitinating enzymes in tissue

    OpenAIRE

    Nanduri, Bindu; Shack, Leslie A.; Rai, Aswathy N.; Epperson, William B.; Baumgartner, Wes; Schmidt, Ty B.; Edelmann, Mariola J.

    2016-01-01

    To develop a reproducible tissue-lysis method that retains enzyme function for activity-based protein profiling, we compared four different tissue lysis methods of bovine lung tissue: focused ultrasonication, standard sonication, mortar & pestle method, and homogenization combined with standard sonication. Focused ultrasonication and mortar & pestle methods were sufficiently effective for activity-based profiling of deubiquitinases in tissue and focused ultrasonication had also the fastest pr...

  12. Logical Discrete Event Systems in a trace theory based setting

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Smedinga, R.

    1993-01-01

    Discrete event systems can be modelled using a triple consisting of some alphabet (representing the events that might occur), and two trace sets (sets of possible strings) denoting the possible behaviour and the completed tasks of the system. Using this definition we are able to formulate and solve

  13. Distribution and Potential Toxicity of Trace Metals in the Surface Sediments of Sundarban Mangrove Ecosystem, Bangladesh

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, A.; Ramanathan, A.; Mathukumalli, B. K. P.; Datta, D. K.

    2014-12-01

    The distribution, enrichment and ecotoxocity potential of Bangladesh part of Sundarban mangrove was investigated for eight trace metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn) using sediment quality assessment indices. The average concentration of trace metals in the sediments exceeded the crustal abundance suggesting sources other than natural in origin. Additionally, the trace metals profile may be a reflection of socio-economic development in the vicinity of Sundarban which further attributes trace metals abundance to the anthropogenic inputs. Geoaccumulation index suggests moderately polluted sediment quality w.r.t. Ni and As and background concentrations for Al, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, Co, As and Cd. Contamination factor analysis suggested low contamination by Zn, Cr, Co and Cd, moderate by Fe, Mn, Cu and Pb while Ni and As show considerable and high contamination, respectively. Enrichment factors for Ni, Pb and As suggests high contamination from either biota or anthropogenic inputs besides natural enrichment. As per the three sediment quality guidelines, Fe, Mn, Cu, Ni, Co and As would be more of a concern with respect to ecotoxicological risk in the Sundarban mangroves. The correlation between various physiochemical variables and trace metals suggested significant role of fine grained particles (clay) in trace metal distribution whereas owing to low organic carbon content in the region the organic complexation may not be playing significant role in trace metal distribution in the Sundarban mangroves.

  14. Source Attribution of Cyanides using Anionic Impurity Profiling, Stable Isotope Ratios, Trace Elemental Analysis and Chemometrics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mirjankar, Nikhil S.; Fraga, Carlos G.; Carman, April J.; Moran, James J.

    2016-01-08

    Chemical attribution signatures (CAS) for chemical threat agents (CTAs) are being investigated to provide an evidentiary link between CTAs and specific sources to support criminal investigations and prosecutions. In a previous study, anionic impurity profiles developed using high performance ion chromatography (HPIC) were demonstrated as CAS for matching samples from eight potassium cyanide (KCN) stocks to their reported countries of origin. Herein, a larger number of solid KCN stocks (n = 13) and, for the first time, solid sodium cyanide (NaCN) stocks (n = 15) were examined to determine what additional sourcing information can be obtained through anion, carbon stable isotope, and elemental analyses of cyanide stocks by HPIC, isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), respectively. The HPIC anion data was evaluated using the variable selection methods of Fisher-ratio (F-ratio), interval partial least squares (iPLS), and genetic algorithm-based partial least squares (GAPLS) and the classification methods of partial least squares discriminate analysis (PLSDA), K nearest neighbors (KNN), and support vector machines discriminate analysis (SVMDA). In summary, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) of anion impurity profiles from multiple cyanide stocks from six reported country of origins resulted in cyanide samples clustering into three groups: Czech Republic, Germany, and United States, independent of the associated alkali metal (K or Na). The three country groups were independently corroborated by HCA of cyanide elemental profiles and corresponded to countries with known solid cyanide factories. Both the anion and elemental CAS are believed to originate from the aqueous alkali hydroxides used in cyanide manufacture. Carbon stable isotope measurements resulted in two clusters: Germany and United States (the single Czech stock grouped with United States stocks). The carbon isotope CAS is believed to

  15. Tracing And Control Of Engineering Requirements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turner, Philip R.; Stoller, Richard L.; Neville, Ted; Boyle, Karen A.

    1991-01-01

    TRACER (Tracing and Control of Engineering Requirements) is data-base/word-processing software system created to document and maintain order of both requirements and descriptions associated with engineering project. Implemented on IBM PC under PC-DOS. Written with CLIPPER.

  16. A hard tissue cephalometric comparative study between hand tracing and computerized tracing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramachandra Prabhakar

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Aims: To analyze and compare the angular and linear hard tissue cephalometric measurements using hand-tracing and computerized tracings with Nemoceph and Dolphin software systems. Subjects and Methods: A total of 30 cephalograms were randomly chosen for study with the following criteria, cephalograms of patients with good contrast, no distortion, and minimal radiographic artifacts were considered using the digital method (Kodak 8000 C with 12 angular and nine linear parameters selected for the study. Comparisons were determined by post-hoc test using Tukey HSD method. The N-Par tests were performed using Kruskal-Walli′s method. Statistical Analysis Used: ANOVA and post-hoc. Results: The results of this study show that there is no significant difference in the angular and linear measurements recorded. The P values were significant at 0.05 levels for two parameters, Co-A and Co-Gn with the hand-tracing method. This was significant in ANOVA and post-hoc test by Tukey HSD method. Conclusions: This study of comparison provides support for transition from digital hand to computerized tracing methodology. In fact, digital computerized tracings were easier and less time consuming, with the same reliability irrespective of each method of tracing.

  17. Behaviour study of trace radioelements in the cycles of uranium conversion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bertaux, M.

    1998-01-01

    The aim of this work was to study the presence of ultra-trace radioelements in the cycles of uranium conversion. Radiochemical methods for determining ultra-trace amounts of various elements in uranium have been perfected. These methods are based on the chromatographic separation of anionic complexes and on the measurement of various activities by alpha spectrometry. Thus, the source of these traces has been determined and a work of tracing has been carried out in the Malvesi site (uranium purification unit). This work has revealed an accumulation of these traces in the uranium purification column, consequently to their extraction by the TBP. A decontamination process of weakly contaminated uranium batches has been proposed using the Parex computer model and tested at the industrial scale. This process is based on the U(VI) extraction by the TBP/ISOPAR mixture and on the use of oxalic acid as the complexing agent of the tetravalent actinides in aqueous phase. It has been tested with success during a purification study of a batch of about 4 tons of uranium contaminated by traces of various radioelements. The preliminary study had taken into account the influence of metallic impurities (iron, nickel, copper) on the radioelements complexation by the oxalate ions. (O.M.)

  18. An investigation of the sub-grid variability of trace gases and aerosols for global climate modeling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. Qian

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available One fundamental property and limitation of grid based models is their inability to identify spatial details smaller than the grid cell size. While decades of work have gone into developing sub-grid treatments for clouds and land surface processes in climate models, the quantitative understanding of sub-grid processes and variability for aerosols and their precursors is much poorer. In this study, WRF-Chem is used to simulate the trace gases and aerosols over central Mexico during the 2006 MILAGRO field campaign, with multiple spatial resolutions and emission/terrain scenarios. Our analysis focuses on quantifying the sub-grid variability (SGV of trace gases and aerosols within a typical global climate model grid cell, i.e. 75×75 km2.

    Our results suggest that a simulation with 3-km horizontal grid spacing adequately reproduces the overall transport and mixing of trace gases and aerosols downwind of Mexico City, while 75-km horizontal grid spacing is insufficient to represent local emission and terrain-induced flows along the mountain ridge, subsequently affecting the transport and mixing of plumes from nearby sources. Therefore, the coarse model grid cell average may not correctly represent aerosol properties measured over polluted areas. Probability density functions (PDFs for trace gases and aerosols show that secondary trace gases and aerosols, such as O3, sulfate, ammonium, and nitrate, are more likely to have a relatively uniform probability distribution (i.e. smaller SGV over a narrow range of concentration values. Mostly inert and long-lived trace gases and aerosols, such as CO and BC, are more likely to have broad and skewed distributions (i.e. larger SGV over polluted regions. Over remote areas, all trace gases and aerosols are more uniformly distributed compared to polluted areas. Both CO and O3 SGV vertical profiles are nearly constant within the PBL during daytime, indicating that trace gases

  19. From the Phenix irradiation end to the analytical results: PROFIL R target destructive characterization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ferlay, G.; Dancausse, J. Ph.

    2009-01-01

    In the French long-lived radionuclide (LLRN) transmutation program, several irradiation experiments were initiated in the Phenix fast neutron reactor to obtain a better understanding of the transmutation processes. The PROFIL experiments are performed in order to collect accurate information on the total capture integral cross sections of the principal heavy isotopes and some important fission products in the spectral range of fast reactors. One of the final goals is to diminish the uncertainties on the capture cross-section of the fission products involved in reactivity losses in fast reactors. This program includes two parts: PROFIL-R irradiated in a standard fast reactor spectrum and PROFIL-M irradiated in a moderated spectrum. The PROFIL-R and PROFIL-M irradiations were completed in August 2005 and May 2008, respectively. For both irradiations more than a hundred containers with isotopes of pure actinides and other elements in different chemical forms must be characterized. This raises a technical and analytical challenge: how to recover by selective dissolution less than 5 mg of isotope powder from a container with dimensions of only a few millimeters using hot cell facilities, and how to determine analytically both trace and ultra-trace elemental and isotopic compositions with sufficient accuracy to be useful for code calculations. (authors)

  20. Dynamic Load Balancing Based on Constrained K-D Tree Decomposition for Parallel Particle Tracing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Jiang; Guo, Hanqi; Yuan, Xiaoru; Hong, Fan; Peterka, Tom

    2018-01-01

    Particle tracing is a fundamental technique in flow field data visualization. In this work, we present a novel dynamic load balancing method for parallel particle tracing. Specifically, we employ a constrained k-d tree decomposition approach to dynamically redistribute tasks among processes. Each process is initially assigned a regularly partitioned block along with duplicated ghost layer under the memory limit. During particle tracing, the k-d tree decomposition is dynamically performed by constraining the cutting planes in the overlap range of duplicated data. This ensures that each process is reassigned particles as even as possible, and on the other hand the new assigned particles for a process always locate in its block. Result shows good load balance and high efficiency of our method.

  1. To analyse a trace or not? Evaluating the decision-making process in the criminal investigation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bitzer, Sonja; Ribaux, Olivier; Albertini, Nicola; Delémont, Olivier

    2016-05-01

    In order to broaden our knowledge and understanding of the decision steps in the criminal investigation process, we started by evaluating the decision to analyse a trace and the factors involved in this decision step. This decision step is embedded in the complete criminal investigation process, involving multiple decision and triaging steps. Considering robbery cases occurring in a geographic region during a 2-year-period, we have studied the factors influencing the decision to submit biological traces, directly sampled on the scene of the robbery or on collected objects, for analysis. The factors were categorised into five knowledge dimensions: strategic, immediate, physical, criminal and utility and decision tree analysis was carried out. Factors in each category played a role in the decision to analyse a biological trace. Interestingly, factors involving information available prior to the analysis are of importance, such as the fact that a positive result (a profile suitable for comparison) is already available in the case, or that a suspect has been identified through traditional police work before analysis. One factor that was taken into account, but was not significant, is the matrix of the trace. Hence, the decision to analyse a trace is not influenced by this variable. The decision to analyse a trace first is very complex and many of the tested variables were taken into account. The decisions are often made on a case-by-case basis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Use of focused ultrasonication in activity-based profiling of deubiquitinating enzymes in tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nanduri, Bindu; Shack, Leslie A; Rai, Aswathy N; Epperson, William B; Baumgartner, Wes; Schmidt, Ty B; Edelmann, Mariola J

    2016-12-15

    To develop a reproducible tissue lysis method that retains enzyme function for activity-based protein profiling, we compared four different methods to obtain protein extracts from bovine lung tissue: focused ultrasonication, standard sonication, mortar & pestle method, and homogenization combined with standard sonication. Focused ultrasonication and mortar & pestle methods were sufficiently effective for activity-based profiling of deubiquitinases in tissue, and focused ultrasonication also had the fastest processing time. We used focused-ultrasonicator for subsequent activity-based proteomic analysis of deubiquitinases to test the compatibility of this method in sample preparation for activity-based chemical proteomics. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Selecting appropriate cases when tracing causal mechanisms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Beach, Derek; Pedersen, Rasmus Brun

    2016-01-01

    The last decade has witnessed resurgence in the interest in studying the causal mechanisms linking causes and outcomes in the social sciences. This article explores the overlooked implications for case selection when tracing mechanisms using in-depth case studies. Our argument is that existing case...... selection guidelines are appropriate for research aimed at making cross-case claims about causal relationships, where case selection is primarily used to control for other causes. However, existing guidelines are not in alignment with case-based research that aims to trace mechanisms, where the goal...... is to unpack the causal mechanism between X and Y, enabling causal inferences to be made because empirical evidence is provided for how the mechanism actually operated in a particular case. The in-depth, within-case tracing of how mechanisms operate in particular cases produces what can be termed mechanistic...

  4. Origin of enormous trace metal enrichments in weathering mantles of Jurassic carbonates: evidence from Sr, Nd and Pb isotopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hissler, C.; Stille, P.; Juilleret, J.; Iffly, J.; Perrone, T.; Morvan, G.

    2013-12-01

    Weathering mantels are widespread worldwide and include lateritic, sandy and kaolinite-rich saprolites and residuals of partially dissolved carbonate rocks. These old regolith systems have a complex history of formation and may present a polycyclic evolution due to successive geological and pedogenetic processes that affected the profile. Until now, only few studies highlighted the unusual content of associated trace elements in this type of weathering mantle. For instance, these enrichments can represent about five times the content of the underlying Bajocian to Oxfordian limestone/marl complexes, which have been relatively poorly studied compared to weathering mantle developed on magmatic bedrocks. Up to now, neither soil, nor saprolite formation has to our knowledge been geochemically elucidated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine more closely the soil forming dynamics and the relationship of the chemical soil composition to potential sources (saprolite, Bajocian silty marls and limestones, atmospheric particles deposition...). Of special interest has also been the origin of trace metals and the processes causing their enrichments. Especially Rare Earth Element (REE) distribution patterns and Sr, Nd and Pb isotope ratios are particularly well suited to identify trace element migration, to recognize origin and mixing processes and, in addition, to decipher possible anthropogenic and/or "natural" atmosphere-derived contributions to the soil. Moreover, leaching experiments shall help to identify mobile phases in the soil system. This may inform on the stability of trace elements and especially on their behaviour in these Fe-enriched carbonate systems. Trace metal migration and enrichments were studied on a cambisol developing on an underlying Jurassic limestone. The base is strongly enriched among others in rare earth elements (ΣREE: 2640ppm) or redox-sensitive elements such as Fe (44 wt.%), V (920ppm), Cr (700ppm), Zn (550ppm), As (260ppm), Co (45ppm

  5. Compendium of NASA Data Base for the Global Tropospheric Experiment's Transport and Chemical Evolution Over the Pacific (TRACE-P). Volume 1; DC-8

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kleb, Mary M.; Scott, A. Donald, Jr.

    2003-01-01

    This report provides a compendium of NASA aircraft data that are available from NASA's Global Tropospheric Experiment's (GTE) Transport and Chemical Evolution over the Pacific (TRACE-P) Mission. The broad goal of TRACE-P was to characterize the transit and evolution of the Asian outflow over the western Pacific. Conducted from February 24 through April 10, 2001, TRACE-P integrated airborne, satellite- and ground-based observations, as well as forecasts from aerosol and chemistry models. The format of this compendium utilizes data plots (time series) of selected data acquired aboard the NASA/Dryden DC-8 (vol. 1) and NASA/Wallops P-3B (vol. 2) aircraft during TRACE-P. The purpose of this document is to provide a representation of aircraft data that are available in archived format via NASA Langley s Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) and through the GTE Project Office archive. The data format is not intended to support original research/analyses, but to assist the reader in identifying data that are of interest.

  6. Vertical profiles of black carbon concentration and particle number size distribution in the North China Plain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ran, L.; Deng, Z.

    2013-12-01

    The vertical distribution of aerosols is of great importance to our understanding in the impacts of aerosols on radiation balance and climate, as well as air quality and public health. To better understand and estimate the effects of atmospheric components including trace gases and aerosols on atmospheric environment and climate, an intensive field campaign, Vertical Observations of trace Gases and Aerosols in the North China Plain (VOGA-NCP), was carried out from late July to early August 2013 over a rural site in the polluted NCP. During the campaign, vertical profiles of black carbon (BC) concentration and particle number size distribution were measured respectively by a micro-Aethalometer and an optical particle counter attached to a tethered balloon within 1000 m height. Meteorological parameters, including temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and wind direction, were measured simultaneously by a radiosonde also attached to the tethered balloon. Preliminary results showed distinct diurnal variations of the vertical distribution of aerosol total number concentration and BC concentration, following the development of the mixing layer. Generally, there was a well mixing of aerosols within the mixing layer and a sharp decrease above the mixing layer. Particularly, a small peak of BC concentrations was observed around 400-500 m height for several profiles. Further analysis would be needed to explain such phenomenon. It was also found that measured vertical profiles of BC using the filter-based method might be affected by the vertical distribution of relative humidity.

  7. Tracing contamination sources in soils with Cu and Zn isotopic ratios

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fekiacova, Z.; Cornu, S. [INRA, UR 1119 Géochimie des Sols et des Eaux, F-13100 Aix en Provence (France); Pichat, S. [Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon (LGL-TPE), Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5276, 69007 Lyon (France)

    2015-06-01

    Copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) are naturally present and ubiquitous in soils and are important micronutrients. Human activities contribute to the input of these metals to soils in different chemical forms, which can sometimes reach a toxic level for soil organisms and plants. Isotopic signatures could be used to trace sources of anthropogenic Cu and Zn pollution. The aim of this paper is to determine whether it is possible to identify (i) Cu and Zn contamination in soils and their sources, on the basis of their isotopic signatures, and (ii) situations that are a priori favorable or not for tracing Cu and Zn pollution using the isotopic approach. Therefore, we compiled data from the literature on Cu and Zn isotopes in soils, rocks and pollutants and added to this database the results of our own research. As only a few studies have dealt with agricultural contamination, we also studied a soil toposequence from Brittany, France, that experienced spreading of pig slurry for tens of years. In the surface horizons of the natural soils, the δ{sup 65}Cu values vary from − 0.15 to 0.44‰ and the δ{sup 66}Zn from − 0.03 to 0.43‰. Furthermore, vertical variations along soil profiles range from − 0.95 to 0.44‰ for δ{sup 65}Cu and from − 0.53 to 0.64‰ for δ{sup 66}Zn values. We concluded that pedogenetic processes can produce isotopic fractionation, yet, it is not always discernible and can be overprinted by an exogenous isotopic signature. Furthermore, some contaminants are enriched in heavy Cu or in light Zn compared to the rock or soil, but no generalization can be made. The anthropogenic inputs can be identified based on stable Cu and Zn isotope ratios if the isotope ratios of the sources are different from those of the soil, which needs to be tested for each individual case. - Highlights: • Pedogenetic processes produce some Cu and Zn isotope fractionation. • Pollution with distinct isotopic signatures can be traced using Cu and Zn isotopes. • Tracing

  8. Tracing contamination sources in soils with Cu and Zn isotopic ratios

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fekiacova, Z.; Cornu, S.; Pichat, S.

    2015-01-01

    Copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) are naturally present and ubiquitous in soils and are important micronutrients. Human activities contribute to the input of these metals to soils in different chemical forms, which can sometimes reach a toxic level for soil organisms and plants. Isotopic signatures could be used to trace sources of anthropogenic Cu and Zn pollution. The aim of this paper is to determine whether it is possible to identify (i) Cu and Zn contamination in soils and their sources, on the basis of their isotopic signatures, and (ii) situations that are a priori favorable or not for tracing Cu and Zn pollution using the isotopic approach. Therefore, we compiled data from the literature on Cu and Zn isotopes in soils, rocks and pollutants and added to this database the results of our own research. As only a few studies have dealt with agricultural contamination, we also studied a soil toposequence from Brittany, France, that experienced spreading of pig slurry for tens of years. In the surface horizons of the natural soils, the δ 65 Cu values vary from − 0.15 to 0.44‰ and the δ 66 Zn from − 0.03 to 0.43‰. Furthermore, vertical variations along soil profiles range from − 0.95 to 0.44‰ for δ 65 Cu and from − 0.53 to 0.64‰ for δ 66 Zn values. We concluded that pedogenetic processes can produce isotopic fractionation, yet, it is not always discernible and can be overprinted by an exogenous isotopic signature. Furthermore, some contaminants are enriched in heavy Cu or in light Zn compared to the rock or soil, but no generalization can be made. The anthropogenic inputs can be identified based on stable Cu and Zn isotope ratios if the isotope ratios of the sources are different from those of the soil, which needs to be tested for each individual case. - Highlights: • Pedogenetic processes produce some Cu and Zn isotope fractionation. • Pollution with distinct isotopic signatures can be traced using Cu and Zn isotopes. • Tracing of the metal

  9. Optimal alignment of mirror based pentaprisms for scanning deflectometric devices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barber, Samuel K.; Geckeler, Ralf D.; Yashchuk, Valeriy V.; Gubarev, Mikhail V.; Buchheim, Jana; Siewert, Frank; Zeschke, Thomas

    2011-03-04

    In the recent work [Proc. of SPIE 7801, 7801-2/1-12 (2010), Opt. Eng. 50(5) (2011), in press], we have reported on improvement of the Developmental Long Trace Profiler (DLTP), a slope measuring profiler available at the Advanced Light Source Optical Metrology Laboratory, achieved by replacing the bulk pentaprism with a mirror based pentaprism (MBPP). An original experimental procedure for optimal mutual alignment of the MBPP mirrors has been suggested and verified with numerical ray tracing simulations. It has been experimentally shown that the optimally aligned MBPP allows the elimination of systematic errors introduced by inhomogeneity of the optical material and fabrication imperfections of the bulk pentaprism. In the present article, we provide the analytical derivation and verification of easily executed optimal alignment algorithms for two different designs of mirror based pentaprisms. We also provide an analytical description for the mechanism for reduction of the systematic errors introduced by a typical high quality bulk pentaprism. It is also shown that residual misalignments of an MBPP introduce entirely negligible systematic errors in surface slope measurements with scanning deflectometric devices.

  10. Integration of Trace Images in Three-dimensional Crime Scene Reconstruction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Quentin Milliet

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Forensic image analysis has greatly developed with the proliferation of photography and video recording devices. Trace images of serious incidents are increasingly captured by first responders, witnesses, bystanders, or surveillance systems. Image perception is exposed with a special emphasis on the influence of the field of view on observation. In response to the pitfalls of the mental eye, a way to systematize the integration of images as traces in three-dimensional crime scene reconstruction is proposed. The systematic approach is based on the application of photogrammetric principles to slightly modify the usual photographic documentation as well as on the early collection and review of available trace images. The integration of images as traces provides valuable contributions to contextualize what happened at a crime scene based on the information that can be obtained from images. In a wider perspective, the systematic analysis of images fosters the use and interpretation of forensic evidence to complement witness statements in the criminal justice system. This article outlines the benefits of integrating trace images into a coherent reconstruction framework in order to improve interpretation of their content. A solution is proposed to integrate perception differences between the field of view of cameras and the human eye.

  11. Aerosol Extinction Profile Mapping with Lognormal Distribution Based on MPL Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, T. H.; Lee, T. T.; Chang, K. E.; Lien, W. H.; Liu, G. R.; Liu, C. Y.

    2017-12-01

    This study intends to challenge the profile mapping of aerosol vertical distribution by mathematical function. With the similarity in distribution pattern, lognormal distribution is examined for mapping the aerosol extinction profile based on MPL (Micro Pulse LiDAR) in situ measurements. The variables of lognormal distribution are log mean (μ) and log standard deviation (σ), which will be correlated with the parameters of aerosol optical depht (AOD) and planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) associated with the altitude of extinction peak (Mode) defined in this study. On the base of 10 years MPL data with single peak, the mapping results showed that the mean error of Mode and σ retrievals are 16.1% and 25.3%, respectively. The mean error of σ retrieval can be reduced to 16.5% under the cases of larger distance between PBLH and Mode. The proposed method is further applied to MODIS AOD product in mapping extinction profile for the retrieval of PM2.5 in terms of satellite observations. The results indicated well agreement between retrievals and ground measurements when aerosols under 525 meters are well-mixed. The feasibility of proposed method to satellite remote sensing is also suggested by the case study. Keyword: Aerosol extinction profile, Lognormal distribution, MPL, Planetary boundary layer height (PBLH), Aerosol optical depth (AOD), Mode

  12. Microlith-Based Catalytic Reactor for Air Quality and Trace Contaminant Control Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vilekar, Saurabh; Hawley, Kyle; Junaedi, Christian; Crowder, Bruce; Prada, Julian; Mastanduno, Richard; Perry, Jay L.; Kayatin, Matthew J.

    2015-01-01

    Traditionally, gaseous compounds such as methane, carbon monoxide, and trace contaminants have posed challenges for maintaining clean air in enclosed spaces such as crewed spacecraft cabins as they are hazardous to humans and are often difficult to remove by conventional adsorption technology. Catalytic oxidizers have provided a reliable and robust means of disposing of even trace levels of these compounds by converting them into carbon dioxide and water. Precision Combustion, Inc. (PCI) and NASA - Marshall (MSFC) have been developing, characterizing, and optimizing high temperature catalytic oxidizers (HTCO) based on PCI's patented Microlith® technology to meet the requirements of future extended human spaceflight explorations. Current efforts have focused on integrating the HTCO unit with a compact, simple recuperative heat exchanger to reduce the overall system size and weight while also reducing its energy requirements. Previous efforts relied on external heat exchangers to recover the waste heat and recycle it to the oxidizer to minimize the system's power requirements; however, these units contribute weight and volume burdens to the overall system. They also result in excess heat loss due to the separation of the HTCO and the heat recuperator, resulting in lower overall efficiency. Improvements in the recuperative efficiency and close coupling of HTCO and heat recuperator lead to reductions in system energy requirements and startup time. Results from testing HTCO units integrated with heat recuperators at a variety of scales for cabin air quality control and heat melt compactor applications are reported and their benefits over previous iterations of the HTCO and heat recuperator assembly are quantified in this paper.

  13. A novel method for trace tritium transport studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bonheure, Georges; Mlynar, Jan; Murari, A.; Giroud, C.; Popovichev, S.; Belo, P.; Bertalot, L.

    2009-01-01

    A new method combining a free-form solution for the neutron emissivity and the ratio method (Bonheure et al 2006 Nucl. Fusion 46 725-40) is applied to the investigation of tritium particle transport in JET plasmas. The 2D neutron emissivity is calculated using the minimum Fisher regularization method (MFR) (Anton et al 1996 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 38 1849, Mlynar et al 2003 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 45 169). This method is being developed and studied alongside other methods at JET. The 2D neutron emissivity was significantly improved compared with the first MFR results by constraining the emissivity along the magnetic flux surfaces. 1D profiles suitable for transport analysis are then obtained by subsequent poloidal integration. In methods on which previous JET publications are based (Stork et al 2005 Nucl. Fusion 45 S181, JET Team (prepared by Zastrow) 1999 Nucl. Fusion 39 1891, Zastrow et al 2004 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 46 B255, Adams et al 1993 Nucl. Instrum. Methods A 329 277, Jarvis et al 1997 Fusion Eng. Des. 34-35 59, Jarvis et al 1994 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 36 219), the 14.07 MeV D-T neutron line integrals measurements were simulated and the transport coefficients varied until good fits were obtained. In this novel approach, direct knowledge of tritium concentration or the fuel ratio n T /n D is obtained using all available neutron profile information, e.g both 2.45 MeV D-D neutron profiles and 14.07 MeV D-T neutron profiles (Bonheure et al 2006 Nucl.Fusion 46 725-40). Tritium particle transport coefficients are then determined using a linear regression from the dynamic response of the tritium concentration n T /n D profile. The temporal and spatial evolution of tritium particle concentration was studied for a set of JET discharges with tritium gas puffs from the JET trace tritium experiments. Local tritium transport coefficients were derived from the particle flux equation Γ = -D∇n T + Vn T , where D is the particle diffusivity and V

  14. Optimizing Python-based ROOT I/O with PyPy's Tracing JIT

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva

    2012-01-01

    The Python programming language allows objects and classes to respond dynamically to the execution environment. Most of this, however, is made possible through language hooks which by definition can not be optimized and thus tend to be slow. The PyPy implementation of Python includes a tracing just in time compiler (JIT), which allows similar dynamic responses but at the interpreter-, rather than the application-level. Therefore, it is possible to fully remove the hooks, leaving only the dynamic response, in the optimization stage for hot loops, if the types of interest are opened up to the JIT. A general opening up of types to the JIT, based on reflection information, has already been developed (cppyy). The work described in this paper takes it one step further by customizing access to ROOT I/O to the JIT, allowing for automatic selective reading, judicious caching, and buffer tuning.

  15. Model with Peach Bottom Turbine trip and thermal-Hydraulic code TRACE V5P3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mesado, C.; Miro, R.; Barrachina, T.; Verdu, G.

    2014-01-01

    This work is the continuation of the work presented previously in the thirty-ninth meeting annual of the Spanish Nuclear society. The semi-automatic translation of the Thermo-hydraulic model TRAC-BF1 Peach Bottom Turbine Trip to TRACE was presented in such work. This article is intended to validate the model obtained in TRACE, why compare the model results result from the translation with the Benchmark results: NEA/OECD BWR Peach Bottom Turbine Trip (PBTT), in particular is of the extreme scenario 2 of exercise 3, in which there is SCRAM in the reactor. Among other data present in the (transitional) Benchmark , are: total power, axial profile of power, pressure Dome, total reactivity and its components. (Author)

  16. Testing Linear Temporal Logic Formulae on Finite Execution Traces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Havelund, Klaus; Rosu, Grigore; Norvig, Peter (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    We present an algorithm for efficiently testing Linear Temporal Logic (LTL) formulae on finite execution traces. The standard models of LTL are infinite traces, reflecting the behavior of reactive and concurrent systems which conceptually may be continuously alive. In most past applications of LTL. theorem provers and model checkers have been used to formally prove that down-scaled models satisfy such LTL specifications. Our goal is instead to use LTL for up-scaled testing of real software applications. Such tests correspond to analyzing the conformance of finite traces against LTL formulae. We first describe what it means for a finite trace to satisfy an LTL property. We then suggest an optimized algorithm based on transforming LTL formulae. The work is done using the Maude rewriting system. which turns out to provide a perfect notation and an efficient rewriting engine for performing these experiments.

  17. Determination of trace aluminum by fluorescence quenching method based on catalysis of potassium chlorate oxidizing alizarin red

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shao-Qin, Lin; Xuan, Lin; Shi-Rong, Hu; Li-Qing, Zeng; Yan, Wang; Li, Chen; Jia-Ming, Liu; Long-Di, Li

    2005-11-01

    A new method for the determination of trace aluminum has been proposed. It is based on the fact that alizarin red can emit strong and stable fluorescence at 80 °C for 30 min and Al 3+ can effectively catalyze potassium chlorate oxidizing alizarin red to form non-fluorescence complex which cause the fluorescence quenching. The linear dynamic range of this method is 0.040-4.00 ng l -1 with a detection limit of 5.3 pg l -1. The regression equation can be expressed as Δ If = 8.731 + 21.73 c (ng l -1), with the correlation coefficient r = 0.9992 ( n = 6). This sensitive, rapid and accurate method has been applied to the determination of trace aluminum(III) in human hair and tea samples successfully. What is more, the mechanism of catalyzing potassium chlorate oxidizing alizarin red by the fluorescence quenching method is also discussed.

  18. Mission Profile Based Sizing of IGBT Chip Area for PV Inverter Applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shen, Yanfeng; Wang, Huai; Yang, Yongheng

    2016-01-01

    Maximizing the total energy generation is of importance for Photovoltaic (PV) plants. This paper proposes a method to optimize the IGBT chip area for PV inverters to minimize the annual energy loss of the active switches based on long-term operation conditions (i.e., mission profile). The design...... yearly mission profile. Simulation results are given to verify the thermal characteristics. Furthermore, a Monte Carlo based lifetime evaluation is presented to check the IGBT reliability. The proposed design method enables a reliability-oriented energy optimized sizing of active switches for PV inverter...

  19. Ultrasensitive microchip based on smart microgel for real-time online detection of trace threat analytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Shuo; Wang, Wei; Ju, Xiao-Jie; Xie, Rui; Liu, Zhuang; Yu, Hai-Rong; Zhang, Chuan; Chu, Liang-Yin

    2016-02-23

    Real-time online detection of trace threat analytes is critical for global sustainability, whereas the key challenge is how to efficiently convert and amplify analyte signals into simple readouts. Here we report an ultrasensitive microfluidic platform incorporated with smart microgel for real-time online detection of trace threat analytes. The microgel can swell responding to specific stimulus in flowing solution, resulting in efficient conversion of the stimulus signal into significantly amplified signal of flow-rate change; thus highly sensitive, fast, and selective detection can be achieved. We demonstrate this by incorporating ion-recognizable microgel for detecting trace Pb(2+), and connecting our platform with pipelines of tap water and wastewater for real-time online Pb(2+) detection to achieve timely pollution warning and terminating. This work provides a generalizable platform for incorporating myriad stimuli-responsive microgels to achieve ever-better performance for real-time online detection of various trace threat molecules, and may expand the scope of applications of detection techniques.

  20. A security approach based on honeypots: Protecting Online Social network from malicious profiles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fatna Elmendili, Nisrine Maqran

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available In the recent years, the fast development and the exponential utilization of social networks have prompted an expansion of social Computing. In social networks users are interconnected by edges or links, where Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn are most popular social networks websites. Due to the growing popularity of these sites they serve as a target for cyber criminality and attacks. It is mostly based on how users are using these sites like Twitter and others. Attackers can easily access and gather personal and sensitive user’s information. Users are less aware and least concerned about the security setting. And they easily become victim of identity breach. To detect malicious users or fake profiles different techniques have been proposed like our approach which is based on the use of social honeypots to discover malicious profiles in it. Inspired by security researchers who used honeypots to observe and analyze malicious activity in the networks, this method uses social honeypots to trap malicious users. The two key elements of the approach are: (1 The deployment of social honeypots for harvesting information of malicious profiles. (2 Analysis of the characteristics of these malicious profiles and those of deployed honeypots for creating classifiers that allow to filter the existing profiles and monitor the new profiles.

  1. A UML profile for code generation of component based distributed systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chiozzi, G.; Karban, R.; Andolfato, L.; Tejeda, A.

    2012-01-01

    A consistent and unambiguous implementation of code generation (model to text transformation) from UML (must rely on a well defined UML (Unified Modelling Language) profile, customizing UML for a particular application domain. Such a profile must have a solid foundation in a formally correct ontology, formalizing the concepts and their relations in the specific domain, in order to avoid a maze or set of wildly created stereotypes. The paper describes a generic profile for the code generation of component based distributed systems for control applications, the process to distill the ontology and define the profile, and the strategy followed to implement the code generator. The main steps that take place iteratively include: defining the terms and relations with an ontology, mapping the ontology to the appropriate UML meta-classes, testing the profile by creating modelling examples, and generating the code. This has allowed us to work on the modelling of E-ELT (European Extremely Large Telescope) control system and instrumentation without knowing what infrastructure will be finally used

  2. Characteristics of nocturnal coastal boundary layer in Ahtopol based on averaged SODAR profiles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barantiev, Damyan; Batchvarova, Ekaterina; Novitzky, Mikhail

    2014-05-01

    The ground-based remote sensing instruments allow studying the wind regime and the turbulent characteristics of the atmosphere with height, achieving new knowledge and solving practical problems, such as air quality assessments, mesoscale models evaluation with high resolution data, characterization of the exchange processes between the surface and the atmosphere, the climate comfort conditions and the risk for extreme events, etc. Very important parameter in such studies is the height of the atmospheric boundary layer. Acoustic remote sensing data of the coastal atmospheric boundary layer were explored based on over 4-years continuous measurements at the meteorological observatory of Ahtopol (Bulgarian Southern Black Sea Coast) under Bulgarian - Russian scientific agreement. Profiles of 12 parameters from a mid-range acoustic sounding instrument type SCINTEC MFAS are derived and averaged up to about 600 m according filtering based on wind direction (land or sea type of night fowls). From the whole investigated period of 1454 days with 10-minute resolution SODAR data 2296 profiles represented night marine air masses and 1975 profiles represented the night flow from land during the months May to September. Graphics of averaged profiles of 12 SODAR output parameters with different availability of data in height are analyzed for both cases. A marine boundary-layer height of about 300 m is identified in the profiles of standard deviation of vertical wind speed (σw), Turbulent Kinetic Energy (TKE) and eddy dissipation rate (EDR). A nocturnal boundary-layer height of about 420 m was identified from the profiles of the same parameters under flows from land condition. In addition, the Buoyancy Production (BP= σw3/z) profiles were calculated from the standard deviation of the vertical wind speed and the height z above ground.

  3. Assessment of Trace Element Daily Intake Based on Consumption Rate of Foodstuffs in Bandung City

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Damastuti, E.; Syahfitri, W.Y.N.; Santoso, M.; Lestiani, D.D.

    2012-01-01

    Trace elements are required by human body and have a variety role in biochemical functions mostly as catalyst for enzymatic activity in human body. Some trace elements are essential since they are inadequately or not synthesized by human body. The deficiency or excess of those essential trace element may cause disease and be deleterious to health. Since food is the primary source of essential elements for humans and it is an important source of exposure to toxic elements either, the levels of trace elements in consumed food products must be determined. The determination of trace elements content in foodstuffs widely consumed in Bandung city were conducted to assess their daily intake and contribution to the recommended dietary allowance (RADA) values. Food samples were collected from traditional markets spread across five regions of the Bandung city and analyzed using neutron activation analysis (NAA). Quality control of data analysis was assessed using SRM NIST 1567a Wheat Flour and 1568a Rice Flour and gave good results with % recovery, 93.2 - 104.8%; and %CV, 3.8-11.6%. A large variability of essential trace elements concentration in all types of foods analyzed were observed. The daily intake of Cr, Co, Mn, Se and Zn were supplied enough by the diet, except for Fe which found that almost all the foods analyzed were not give a satisfying contribution to the RDA value of Fe. These result were expected could provide information of nutritional status of the society and can be a reference for government and related institution to effectively making policies and solution for public health improvement (author)

  4. Assessment of Trace Element Daily Intake Based on Consumption Rate of Foodstuffs in Bandung City

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. Damastuti

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Trace elements are required by human body and have a variety role in biochemical functions mostly as catalyst for enzymatic activity in human body. Some trace elements are essential since they are inadequately or not synthesized by human body. The deficiency or excess of those essential trace element may cause disease and be deleterious to health. Since food is the primary source of essential elements for humans and it is an important source of exposure to toxic elements either, the levels of trace elements in consumed food products must be determined. The determination of trace elements content in foodstuffs widely consumed in Bandung city were conducted to assess their daily intake and contribution to the recommended dietary allowance (RDA values. Food samples were collected from traditional markets spread across five regions of the Bandung city and analyzed using neutron activation analysis (NAA. Quality control of data analysis was assessed using SRM NIST 1567a Wheat Flour and 1568a Rice Flour and gave good results with % recovery, 93.2 – 104.8%; and %CV, 3.8-11.6%. A large variability of essential trace elements concentration in all types of foods analyzed were observed. The daily intake of Cr, Co, Mn, Se and Zn were supplied enough by the diet, except for Fe which found that almost all the foods analyzed were not give a satisfying contribution to the RDA value of Fe. These result were expected could provide information of nutritional status of the society and can be a reference for government and related institution to effectively making policies and solution for public health improvement

  5. Profile-IQ: Web-based data query system for local health department infrastructure and activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, Gulzar H; Leep, Carolyn J; Alexander, Dayna

    2014-01-01

    To demonstrate the use of National Association of County & City Health Officials' Profile-IQ, a Web-based data query system, and how policy makers, researchers, the general public, and public health professionals can use the system to generate descriptive statistics on local health departments. This article is a descriptive account of an important health informatics tool based on information from the project charter for Profile-IQ and the authors' experience and knowledge in design and use of this query system. Profile-IQ is a Web-based data query system that is based on open-source software: MySQL 5.5, Google Web Toolkit 2.2.0, Apache Commons Math library, Google Chart API, and Tomcat 6.0 Web server deployed on an Amazon EC2 server. It supports dynamic queries of National Profile of Local Health Departments data on local health department finances, workforce, and activities. Profile-IQ's customizable queries provide a variety of statistics not available in published reports and support the growing information needs of users who do not wish to work directly with data files for lack of staff skills or time, or to avoid a data use agreement. Profile-IQ also meets the growing demand of public health practitioners and policy makers for data to support quality improvement, community health assessment, and other processes associated with voluntary public health accreditation. It represents a step forward in the recent health informatics movement of data liberation and use of open source information technology solutions to promote public health.

  6. Activity-Based Protein Profiling of Rhomboid Proteases in Liposomes

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Wolf, E. V.; Seybold, M.; Hadravová, Romana; Stříšovský, Kvido; Verhelst, S. H. L.

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 16, č. 11 (2015), s. 1616-1621 ISSN 1439-4227 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LK11206; GA MŠk LO1302 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : activity-based protein profiling * chemical probes * inhibitors * intramembrane proteases * liposomes Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry Impact factor: 2.850, year: 2015

  7. Backward ray tracing for ultrasonic imaging

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Breeuwer, R.

    1990-01-01

    Focused ultrasonic beams frequently pass one or more media interfaces, strongly affecting the ultrasonic beamshape and focusing. A computer program, based on backward ray tracing was developed to compute the shape of a corrected focusing mirror. This shape is verified with another program; then the

  8. Derivative flame atomic absorption spectrometry and its application in trace analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, H. W.; Li, L. Q.

    2005-01-01

    Flame atomic absorption spectrometry is an accepted and widely used method for the determination of trace elements in a great variety of samples. But its sensitivity doesn't meet the demands of trace and ultra-trace analysis for some samples. The derivative signal processing technique, with a very high capability for enhancing sensitivity, was developed for flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The signal models of conventional flame atomic absorption spectrometry are described. The equations of derivative signals are established for flame atomic absorption spectrometry, flow injection atomic absorption spectrometry (FI-FAAS) and atom trapping flame atomic absorption spectrometry (AT-FAAS). The principle and performance of the derivative atomic absorption spectrometry are evaluated. The derivative technique based on determination of variation rate of signal intensity with time (dl/dt) is different from the derivative spectrophotometry based on determination of variation rate of signal intensity with wavelength (dl/dhλ). Derivative flame atomic absorption spectrometry has higher sensitivity, lower detection limits and better accuracy. It has been applied to the direct determination of trace elements without preconcentration. If the derivative technique was combined with several preconcentration techniques, the sensitivity would be enhanced further for ultra-trace analysis with good linearity. The applications of derivative flame atomic absorption spectroscopy are reviewed for trace element analysis in biological, pharmaceutical, environmental and food samples

  9. Retrieval of Vertical Aerosol and Trace Gas Distributions from Polarization Sensitive Multi-Axis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tirpitz, Jan-Lukas; Friess, Udo; Platt, Ulrich

    2017-04-01

    An accurate knowledge of the vertical distribution of trace gases and aerosols is crucial for our understanding of the chemical and dynamical processes in the lower troposphere. Their accurate determination is typically only possible by means of laborious and expensive airborne in-situ measurements but in the recent decades, numerous promising ground-based remote sensing approaches have been developed. One of them is to infer vertical distributions from "Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy" (DOAS) measurements. DOAS is a technique to analyze UV- and visible radiation spectra of direct or scattered sunlight, which delivers information on different atmospheric parameters, integrated over the light path from space to the instrument. An appropriate set of DOAS measurements, recorded under different viewing directions (Multi-Axis DOAS) and thus different light path geometries, provides information on the atmospheric state. The vertical profiles of aerosol properties and trace gas concentrations can be retrieved from such a set by numerical inversion techniques, incorporating radiative transfer models. The information content of measured data is rarely sufficient for a well-constrained retrieval, particularly for atmospheric layers above 1 km. We showed in first simulations that, apart from spectral properties, the polarization state of skylight is likely to provide a significant amount of additional information on the atmospheric state and thus to enhance retrieval quality. We present first simulations, expectations and ideas on how to implement and characterize a polarization sensitive Multi-Axis DOAS instrument and a corresponding profile retrieval algorithm.

  10. STEM-based science learning implementation to identify student’s personal intelligences profiles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiguna, B. J. P. K.; Suwarma, I. R.; Liliawati, W.

    2018-05-01

    Science and technology are rapidly developing needs to be balanced with the human resources that have the qualified ability. Not only cognitive ability, but also have the soft skills that support 21st century skills. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education is a solution to improve the quality of learning and prepare students may be able to trained 21st century skills. This study aims to analyse the implementation of STEM-based science learning on Newton’s law of motion by identifying the personal intelligences profile junior high school students. The method used in this research is pre experiment with the design of the study one group pre-test post-test. Samples in this study were 26 junior high school students taken using Convenience Sampling. Students personal intelligences profile after learning STEM-based science uses two instruments, self-assessment and peer assessment. Intrapersonal intelligence profile based self-assessment and peer assessment are respectively 69.38; and 64.08. As for interpersonal intelligence for self-assessment instrument is 73 and the peer assessment is 60.23.

  11. Rhythmic patterns in ancient shells: Can we reconstruct sub-annual cyclicity in trace element and stable isotope profiles from rudist bivalves?

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Winter, N.; Sinnesael, M.; Vansteenberge, S.; Goderis, S.; Snoeck, C.; Van Malderen, S. J. M.; Vanhaecke, F. F.; Claeys, P.

    2017-12-01

    Well-preserved shells of Torreites rudists from the Late Campanian Saiwan Formation in Oman exhibit fine internal layering. These fine (±20 µm) laminae are rhythmically bundled (±400 µm) and subdivide the shells' larger scale annual lamination (±15 mm), suggesting the presence of several interfering cycles in shell growth rate. The aim of the present study is to determine the duration and chemical signature of these rhythmic variations in shell composition. To achieve this, a range of micro-analytical techniques is applied on cross sections through the shells. Firstly, microscopy-based layer counting and colorimetric analysis are carried out on thin sections of shell calcite. Secondly, X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) mapping of cross sections of the shells reveal chemical and structural differences between laminae in 2D. Thirdly, high-resolution XRF (25 µm) and Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS; 10 µm) trace element profiles are used to quantify variations in chemical composition between shell laminae. Fourthly, annual chronology is established based on micro-sampled stable carbon and oxygen stable isotope measurements (250 µm) along the growth axis of the shells. Finally, spectral analysis routines are applied to extract rhythmic patterns matched to the shell laminae from the structural, chemical and colorimetric data. Combining these methods allows for a full evaluation of the structural and chemical characteristics as well as the timing of sub-annual lamination in rudist shells. The results of this study shed light on the external factors that influenced growth rates in rudist bivalves. A better understanding of the timing of deposition of these laminae allows them to be used to improve age models of geochemical records in rudist shells. Characterization of small scale variations in shell composition will characterize the uncertainties contained within lower resolution proxy records from

  12. Sensitivity of molecular marker-based CMB models to biomass burning source profiles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheesley, Rebecca J.; Schauer, James J.; Zheng, Mei; Wang, Bo

    To assess the contribution of sources to fine particulate organic carbon (OC) at four sites in North Carolina, USA, a molecular marker chemical mass balance model (MM-CMB) was used to quantify seasonal contributions for 2 years. The biomass burning contribution at these sites was found to be 30-50% of the annual OC concentration. In order to provide a better understanding of the uncertainty in MM-CMB model results, a biomass burning profile sensitivity test was performed on the 18 seasonal composites. The results using reconstructed emission profiles based on published profiles compared well, while model results using a single source test profile resulted in biomass burning contributions that were more variable. The biomass burning contribution calculated using an average regional profile of fireplace emissions from five southeastern tree species also compared well with an average profile of open burning of pine-dominated forest from Georgia. The standard deviation of the results using different source profiles was a little over 30% of the annual average biomass contributions. Because the biomass burning contribution accounted for 30-50% of the OC at these sites, the choice of profile also impacted the motor vehicle source attribution due to the common emission of elemental carbon and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The total mobile organic carbon contribution was less effected by the biomass burning profile than the relative contributions from gasoline and diesel engines.

  13. Quantitative evaluation of ultrasonic wave propagation in inhomogeneous anisotropic austenitic welds using 3D ray tracing method. Numerical and experimental validation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kolkoori, Sanjeevareddy

    2014-01-01

    material is modeled based on the Ogilvy's empirical relation. The weld parameters are optimized in the empirical relation such a way that to match with the macrograph of the real life austenitic weld specimen. The ultrasound beam propagation and field profiles are accurately computed using ray tracing model. The simulated ultrasound field profiles using ray tracing model along the back wall of an austenitic weld component and clad material are compared quantitatively with the experimental results. It turned out that the deviation between simulation and experiments was about 5.2% in the isotropic austenitic material, 16.5% in the austenitic weld material and 5.46% in the austenitic clad material. Finally, the reasons for differences between simulation and experimental results are explored.

  14. Quantitative evaluation of ultrasonic wave propagation in inhomogeneous anisotropic austenitic welds using 3D ray tracing method. Numerical and experimental validation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kolkoori, Sanjeevareddy

    2014-07-01

    material is modeled based on the Ogilvy's empirical relation. The weld parameters are optimized in the empirical relation such a way that to match with the macrograph of the real life austenitic weld specimen. The ultrasound beam propagation and field profiles are accurately computed using ray tracing model. The simulated ultrasound field profiles using ray tracing model along the back wall of an austenitic weld component and clad material are compared quantitatively with the experimental results. It turned out that the deviation between simulation and experiments was about 5.2% in the isotropic austenitic material, 16.5% in the austenitic weld material and 5.46% in the austenitic clad material. Finally, the reasons for differences between simulation and experimental results are explored.

  15. A dynamic gravimetric standard for trace water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brewer, P J; Goody, B A; Woods, P T; Milton, M J T

    2011-10-01

    A system for generating traceable reference standards of water vapor at trace levels between 5 and 2000 nmol/mol has been developed. It can provide different amount fractions of trace water vapor by using continuous accurate measurements of mass loss from a permeation device coupled with a dilution system based on an array of critical flow orifices. An estimated relative expanded uncertainty of ±2% has been achieved for most amount fractions generated. The system has been used in an international comparison and demonstrates excellent comparability with National Metrology Institutes maintaining standards of water vapor in this range using other methods.

  16. Full area covered 3D profile measurement of special-shaped optics based on a new prototype non-contact profiler.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Hui-Lin; Zhou, Zhao-Zhong; Sun, Ze-Qing; Ju, Bing-Feng; Xu, Shaoning; Sun, Anyu

    2017-06-01

    A new prototype non-contact profiler based on surface tracking has been specially developed. Surface tracking is carried out by a specially designed dual stage probe system with the aid of a four-Degree Of Freedom high-precision motion platform. The dual stage probe system keeps a short-range optical probe constantly tracking the surface by a self-developed voice coil motor servo, by which a wide measuring range of up to 10 mm is realized. The system performance evaluation including resolution, repeatability, and scanning speed proved the good capability of the new prototype non-contact profiler. To realize a full area covered 3D profile measurement of special-shaped optics within one scanning procedure, a signal intensity monitor integrated in the surface tracking controller is specially developed. In the experiment, a snip-single-corner-rectangular-shaped freeform surface was successfully measured over full area by the new non-contact profiler. This work provides an effective solution for 3D profile measurement of special-shaped optical surfaces over full reflecting area. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed measuring system is of great significance in quality evaluation of optical surfaces.

  17. Optimization of HS-SPME/GC-MS analysis and its use in the profiling of illicit ecstasy tablets (Part 1).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonadio, Federica; Margot, Pierre; Delémont, Olivier; Esseiva, Pierre

    2009-05-30

    A headspace solid-phase microextraction procedure (HS-SPME) was developed for the profiling of traces present in 3,4-methylenedioxymethylampethamine (MDMA). Traces were first extracted using HS-SPME and then analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The HS-SPME conditions were optimized using varying conditions. Optimal results were obtained when 40 mg of crushed MDMA sample was heated at 80 degrees C for 15 min, followed by extraction at 80 degrees C for 15 min with a polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene coated fibre. A total of 31 compounds were identified as traces related to MDMA synthesis, namely precursors, intermediates or by-products. In addition some fatty acids used as tabletting materials and caffeine used as adulterant, were also detected. The use of a restricted set of 10 target compounds was also proposed for developing a screening tool for clustering samples having close profile. 114 seizures were analyzed using an SPME auto-sampler (MultiPurpose Samples MPS2), purchased from Gerstel GMBH & Co. (Germany), and coupled to GC-MS. The data was handled using various pre-treatment methods, followed by the study of similarities between sample pairs based on the Pearson correlation. The results show that HS-SPME, coupled with the suitable statistical method is a powerful tool for distinguishing specimens coming from the same seizure and specimens coming from different seizures. This information can be used by law enforcement personnel to visualize the ecstasy distribution network as well as the clandestine tablet manufacturing.

  18. GPU-accelerated ray-tracing for real-time treatment planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heinrich, H; Ziegenhein, P; Kamerling, C P; Oelfke, U; Froening, H

    2014-01-01

    Dose calculation methods in radiotherapy treatment planning require the radiological depth information of the voxels that represent the patient volume to correct for tissue inhomogeneities. This information is acquired by time consuming ray-tracing-based calculations. For treatment planning scenarios with changing geometries and real-time constraints this is a severe bottleneck. We implemented an algorithm for the graphics processing unit (GPU) which implements a ray-matrix approach to reduce the number of rays to trace. Furthermore, we investigated the impact of different strategies of accessing memory in kernel implementations as well as strategies for rapid data transfers between main memory and memory of the graphics device. Our study included the overlapping of computations and memory transfers to reduce the overall runtime using Hyper-Q. We tested our approach on a prostate case (9 beams, coplanar). The measured execution times for a complete ray-tracing range from 28 msec for the computations on the GPU to 99 msec when considering data transfers to and from the graphics device. Our GPU-based algorithm performed the ray-tracing in real-time. The strategies efficiently reduce the time consumption of memory accesses and data transfer overhead. The achieved runtimes demonstrate the viability of this approach and allow improved real-time performance for dose calculation methods in clinical routine.

  19. Families of automorphic forms and the trace formula

    CERN Document Server

    Shin, Sug; Templier, Nicolas

    2016-01-01

    Featuring the work of twenty-three internationally-recognized experts, this volume explores the trace formula, spectra of locally symmetric spaces, p-adic families, and other recent techniques from harmonic analysis and representation theory. Each peer-reviewed submission in this volume, based on the Simons Foundation symposium on families of automorphic forms and the trace formula held in Puerto Rico in January-February 2014, is the product of intensive research collaboration by the participants over the course of the seven-day workshop. The goal of each session in the symposium was to bring together researchers with diverse specialties in order to identify key difficulties as well as fruitful approaches being explored in the field. The respective themes were counting cohomological forms, p-adic trace formulas, Hecke fields, slopes of modular forms, and orbital integrals.

  20. Evolution of Metallic Trace Elements in Contaminated River Sediments: Geochemical Variation Along River Linear and Vertical Profile

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanbar, Hussein; Montarges-Pelletier, Emmanuelle; Mansuy-Huault, Laurence; Losson, Benoit; Manceau, Luc; Bauer, Allan; Bihannic, Isabelle; Gley, Renaud; El Samrani, Antoine; Kobaissi, Ahmad; Kazpard, Veronique; Villieras, Frédéric

    2015-04-01

    Metal pollution in riverine systems poses a serious threat that jeopardizes water and sediment quality, and hence river dwelling biota. Since those metallic pollutants can be transported for long distances via river flow, river management has become a great necessity, especially in times where industrial activities and global climate change are causing metal release and spreading (by flooding events). These changes are able to modify river hydrodynamics, and as a consequence natural physico-chemical status of different aquatic system compartments, which in turn alter metal mobility, availability and speciation. Vertical profiles of sediments hold the archive of what has been deposited for several tenths of years, thus they are used as a tool to study what had been deposited in rivers beds. The studied area lies in the Orne river, northeastern France. This river had been strongly modified physically and affected by steelmaking industrial activities that had boosted in the middle of the last century. This study focuses on several sites along the linear of the Orne river, as well as vertical profiles of sediments. Sediment cores were collected at sites where sedimentation is favoured, and in particular upstream two dams, built in the second half of the XXth century for industrial purposes. Sediment cores were sliced into 2-5cm layers, according to suitability, and analysed for physical and physico-chemical properties, elemental content and mineralogy. Data of the vertical profile in a sediment core is important to show the evolution of sediments as a function of depth, and hence age, in terms of nature, size and constituents. The physical properties include particle size distribution (PSD) and water content. In addition, the physico-chemical properties, such as pH and oxido-reduction potential (ORP) of interstitial water from undisturbed cores were also detected. Total elemental content of sediment and available ones of extracted interstitial waters was detected using

  1. Radio-tracing 'without' radioactivity: accelerator mass spectrometry in biomedicine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vogel, J.S.

    2005-01-01

    Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) is a form of isotope-ratio mass spectrometry that quantifies concentrations of certain long-lived radioisotopes independently of their radioactive decay. AMS is primarily used in the geosciences for determining the age of a material that contains naturally occurring radioisotopes. AMS uses the same high specificity for enriched levels of these radioisotopes in tracing low chemical doses for long periods in biological systems, including humans. AMS provides the safety of low radiative exposure to experimental subjects and investigators, while obtaining attomole sensitivities that are not possible with stable isotope tracers because of their natural isotopic abundances. AMS isotope tracing was first applied to quantifying the genotoxicity of low level environmental chemicals in animals and later in humans. Physiologic concentrations of 14 C-labeled trace nutrients (folate, carotene, and tocopherol) are now measured directly in humans without concern about radiation. The radiative exposure is less than the commonly accepted risks of natural background radiation or the radiation fields found in high altitude air flights. AMS measures very small biological samples (such as 20 microliters of blood) that are easily obtained from human volunteers or model animals at frequent intervals for detailed analysis of kinetic profiles. This high data density enables the construction of compartmental models that elucidate nutrient behavior in tissues that cannot be directly sampled. The pharmaceutical industry is enthusiastic about AMS as a detector for 'micro-dosing' in which the human kinetics of an assuredly non-toxic dose of a candidate drug is tested early in a development project. Molecular tracing uses 3 H or 14 C as common isotopic labels, but AMS contributes to elemental tracing with certain radioisotopes having very long lives, such as 26 AL or 41 Ca. Calcium-41 is a particularly useful isotope in biomedical research because it is used

  2. Gene expression profiling of two distinct neuronal populations in the rodent spinal cord

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ryge, Jesper; Westerdahl, Ann Charlotte; Alstøm, Preben

    2008-01-01

    Background: In the field of neuroscience microarray gene expression profiles on anatomically defined brain structures are being used increasingly to study both normal brain functions as well as pathological states. Fluorescent tracing techniques in brain tissue that identifies distinct neuronal p...

  3. Compendium of NASA Data Base for the Global Tropospheric Experiment's Transport and Chemical Evolution Over the Pacific (TRACE-P). Volume 2; P-3B

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kleb, Mary M.; Scott, A. Donald, Jr.

    2003-01-01

    This report provides a compendium of NASA aircraft data that are available from NASA's Global Tropospheric Experiment's (GTE) Transport and Chemical Evolution over the Pacific (TRACE-P) Mission. The broad goal of TRACE-P was to characterize the transit and evolution of the Asian outflow over the western Pacific. Conducted from February 24 through April 10, 2001, TRACE-P integrated airborne, satellite- and ground based observations, as well as forecasts from aerosol and chemistry models. The format of this compendium utilizes data plots (time series) of selected data acquired aboard the NASA/Dryden DC-8 (vol. 1) and NASA/Wallops P-3B (vol. 2) aircraft during TRACE-P. The purpose of this document is to provide a representation of aircraft data that are available in archived format via NASA Langley's Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) and through the GTE Project Office archive. The data format is not intended to support original research/analyses, but to assist the reader in identifying data that are of interest.

  4. Perspective on the audit calculation for SFR using TRACE code

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shin, An Dong; Choi, Yong Won; Bang, Young Suk; Bae, Moo Hoon; Huh, Byung Gil; Seol, Kwang One [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-10-15

    Korean Sodium Cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) is being developed by KAERI. The Prototype SFR will be a first SFR applied for licensing. KINS started research programs for preparing new concept design licensing recently. Safety analysis for the certain reactor is based on the computational estimation with conservatism and/or uncertainty of modeling. For the audit calculation for sodium cooled fast reactor (SFR), TRACE code is considered as one of analytical tool for SFR since TRACE code have already sodium related properties and models in it and have experience in the liquid metal coolant system area in abroad. Applicability of TRACE code for SFR is prechecked before real audit calculation. In this study, Demonstration Fast Reactor (DFR) 600 steady state conditions is simulated for identification of area of modeling improvements of TRACE code.

  5. Profile-based adaptive anomaly detection for network security.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Pengchu C. (Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM); Durgin, Nancy Ann

    2005-11-01

    As information systems become increasingly complex and pervasive, they become inextricably intertwined with the critical infrastructure of national, public, and private organizations. The problem of recognizing and evaluating threats against these complex, heterogeneous networks of cyber and physical components is a difficult one, yet a solution is vital to ensuring security. In this paper we investigate profile-based anomaly detection techniques that can be used to address this problem. We focus primarily on the area of network anomaly detection, but the approach could be extended to other problem domains. We investigate using several data analysis techniques to create profiles of network hosts and perform anomaly detection using those profiles. The ''profiles'' reduce multi-dimensional vectors representing ''normal behavior'' into fewer dimensions, thus allowing pattern and cluster discovery. New events are compared against the profiles, producing a quantitative measure of how ''anomalous'' the event is. Most network intrusion detection systems (IDSs) detect malicious behavior by searching for known patterns in the network traffic. This approach suffers from several weaknesses, including a lack of generalizability, an inability to detect stealthy or novel attacks, and lack of flexibility regarding alarm thresholds. Our research focuses on enhancing current IDS capabilities by addressing some of these shortcomings. We identify and evaluate promising techniques for data mining and machine-learning. The algorithms are ''trained'' by providing them with a series of data-points from ''normal'' network traffic. A successful algorithm can be trained automatically and efficiently, will have a low error rate (low false alarm and miss rates), and will be able to identify anomalies in ''pseudo real-time'' (i.e., while the intrusion is still in progress

  6. Determination of trace amounts of cerium in silicate rocks based on its candoluminescence in a calcium oxide based matrix

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Belcher, R.; Nasser, T.A.K.; Polo-Diez, L.; Townshend, A.

    1977-01-01

    A very sensitive method for the determination of cerium (above 10 ng ml -1 ) has been developed (Belcher et al., Analyst;100:415(1975)), based on the measurement of the green candoluminescence produced by cerium in a calcium oxide-calcium sulphate matrix, with sulphuric acid as a coactivator, when the matrix is inserted into a hydrogen-nitrogen-air flame. This paper describes the application of this method to the determination of trace amounts of cerium in rocks. It involves the fusion of the sample with lithium metaborate, and does not require the isolation of cerium from other components of the rock, before measuring the candoluminescence intensity of the cerium. (author)

  7. Current deposition profiles in advanced geometries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wright, J.C.; Phillips, C.K.; Bonoli, P.T.

    1997-01-01

    In advanced toroidal devices, plasma shaping can have a significant effect on quantities of interest, including the radio frequency (RF) deposited power and current. Most 2D RF modeling codes use a parameterization of current drive efficiencies to calculate fast wave driven currents. This parameterization is derived from a ray-tracing model in a low-beta model equilibrium. There are difficulties in applying it to a spectrum of waves, and it cannot account for multiple resonances and coherency effects between the electrons and the waves. By evaluating a formulation of the quasilinear diffusion coefficient in an arbitrary inhomogenous geometry with the fields from a full wave code, we address the effects of wave spectra, plasma inhomogeneity, and plasma profile on the evaluation of current deposition profiles. Current profiles are calculated directly from the quasilinear diffusion using the adjoint formulation, with the magnetic equilibrium specified consistently in both the adjoint routine and the full wave code. Results are benchmarked by comparing a power deposition calculation from conductivity to one from the quasilinear expression. RF driven current profiles for various devices, including tokamaks with different aspect ratios, will be presented. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

  8. Global Calibration of Multi-Cameras Based on Refractive Projection and Ray Tracing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mingchi Feng

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Multi-camera systems are widely applied in the three dimensional (3D computer vision, especially when multiple cameras are distributed on both sides of the measured object. The calibration methods of multi-camera systems are critical to the accuracy of vision measurement and the key is to find an appropriate calibration target. In this paper, a high-precision camera calibration method for multi-camera systems based on transparent glass checkerboards and ray tracing is described, and is used to calibrate multiple cameras distributed on both sides of the glass checkerboard. Firstly, the intrinsic parameters of each camera are obtained by Zhang’s calibration method. Then, multiple cameras capture several images from the front and back of the glass checkerboard with different orientations, and all images contain distinct grid corners. As the cameras on one side are not affected by the refraction of glass checkerboard, extrinsic parameters can be directly calculated. However, the cameras on the other side are influenced by the refraction of glass checkerboard, and the direct use of projection model will produce a calibration error. A multi-camera calibration method using refractive projection model and ray tracing is developed to eliminate this error. Furthermore, both synthetic and real data are employed to validate the proposed approach. The experimental results of refractive calibration show that the error of the 3D reconstruction is smaller than 0.2 mm, the relative errors of both rotation and translation are less than 0.014%, and the mean and standard deviation of reprojection error of the four-camera system are 0.00007 and 0.4543 pixels, respectively. The proposed method is flexible, highly accurate, and simple to carry out.

  9. Retrieval of vertical concentration profiles from OSIRIS UV-visible limb spectra

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strong, K.; Joseph, B.M.; Dosanjh, R.; McDade, I.C.; McLinden, C.A.; McConnell, J.C.; Stegman, J.; Murtagh, D.P.; Llewellyn, E.J.

    2002-01-01

    The OSIRIS instrument, launched on the Odin satellite in February 2001, includes an optical spectrograph that will record UV-visible spectra of sunlight scattered from the limb over a range of tangent heights. These spectra will be used to retrieve vertical profiles of ozone, NO 2 , OC1O, BrO, NO 3 , O 2 , and aerosols, for the investigation of both stratospheric and mesospheric processes, particularly those related to ozone chemistry. In this work, the retrieval of vertical profiles of trace-gas concentrations from OSIRIS limb-radiance spectra is described. A forward model has been developed to simulate these spectra, and it consists of a single-scattering radiative-transfer model with partial spherical geometry, trace-gas absorption, Mic scattering by stratospheric aerosols, a Lambertian surface contribution, and OSIRIS instrument response and noise. Number-density profiles have been retrieved by using optimal estimation (OE) to combine an a priori profile with the information from sets of synthetic 'measurements'. For ozone, OE has been applied both to limb radiances at one or more discrete wavelengths and to effective-column abundances retrieved over a broad spectral range using differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS). The results suggest that, between 15 and 35 km, ozone number densities can be retrieved to 10% accuracy or better on 1 and 2 km grids and to 5% on a 5 km grid. The combined DOAS-OE approach has also been used to retrieve NO 2 number densities, yielding 13% accuracy or better for altitudes from 18 to 36 km (in a 2 km grid. Differential optical absorption spectroscopy - optimal estimation retrievals of BrO and OC1O reproduce the true profiles above 15 km in the noise-free case, but the quality of the retrievals is highly sensitive to noise on the simulated OSIRIS spectra because of the weak absorption of these two gases. The development of inversion methods for the retrieval of trace-gas concentrations from OSIRIS spectra is continuing

  10. Selective extraction of trace mercury and cadmium from drinking water sources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Xuan; Zhao, Gang; Wang, Jianlong; Yun, Guichun

    2005-01-01

    In this paper, a new alternative method, i.e., selective extraction by weakly basic anion exchange resin, has been developed for the removal of trace cadmium and mercury ions from drinking water sources. The mechanism of heavy metal removal is based on selective extraction as the results of LEWIS-base-acid interactions. Transfer of trace mercury species from liquid to resin phase coincides well with the performance of film diffusion. The results demonstrated that the presence of chlorine has a negligible influence on the removal of mercury. However, humic acids can strongly bind mercury by the formation of complex compounds and therefore become the obstacle in the diffusion progress. At neutral or base pH, the resin material exhibits the favorable uptake of heavy metals. In filter experiments, the studied resin material offers favorable properties in the selective extraction of trace mercury and cadmium.

  11. Evaluation of Forensic DNA Traces When Propositions of Interest Relate to Activities: Analysis and Discussion of Recurrent Concerns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biedermann, Alex; Champod, Christophe; Jackson, Graham; Gill, Peter; Taylor, Duncan; Butler, John; Morling, Niels; Hicks, Tacha; Vuille, Joelle; Taroni, Franco

    2016-01-01

    When forensic scientists evaluate and report on the probative strength of single DNA traces, they commonly rely on only one number, expressing the rarity of the DNA profile in the population of interest. This is so because the focus is on propositions regarding the source of the recovered trace material, such as “the person of interest is the source of the crime stain.” In particular, when the alternative proposition is “an unknown person is the source of the crime stain,” one is directed to think about the rarity of the profile. However, in the era of DNA profiling technology capable of producing results from small quantities of trace material (i.e., non-visible staining) that is subject to easy and ubiquitous modes of transfer, the issue of source is becoming less central, to the point that it is often not contested. There is now a shift from the question “whose DNA is this?” to the question “how did it get there?” As a consequence, recipients of expert information are now very much in need of assistance with the evaluation of the meaning and probative strength of DNA profiling results when the competing propositions of interest refer to different activities. This need is widely demonstrated in day-to-day forensic practice and is also voiced in specialized literature. Yet many forensic scientists remain reluctant to assess their results given propositions that relate to different activities. Some scientists consider evaluations beyond the issue of source as being overly speculative, because of the lack of relevant data and knowledge regarding phenomena and mechanisms of transfer, persistence and background of DNA. Similarly, encouragements to deal with these activity issues, expressed in a recently released European guideline on evaluative reporting (Willis et al., 2015), which highlights the need for rethinking current practice, are sometimes viewed skeptically or are not considered feasible. In this discussion paper, we select and discuss

  12. A new intelligent algorithm to create a profile for user based on web interactions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zeinab khademali

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a method to classify the web user’s navigation patterns automatically. The proposed model of this paper classifies user’s navigation patterns and predicts his/her upcoming requirements. To create users’ profile, a new method is introduced by recording user’s settings active and user’s similarity measurement with neighboring users. The proposed model is capable of creating the profile implicitly. Besides, it updates the profile based on created changes. In fact, we try to improve the function of recommender engine using user’s navigation patterns and clustering. The method is based on user’s navigation patterns and is able to present the result of recommender engine based on user’s requirement and interest. In addition, this method has the ability to help customize websites, more efficiently.

  13. Bromate and trace metal levels in bread loaves from outlets within Ile-Ife Metropolis, Southwestern Nigeria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J.A.O. Oyekunle

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Bread loaves randomly sampled from nine outlets and bakeries within Ile-Ife were analysed to determine their safety levels for human consumption with respect to bromate and trace metal contents. Bromate determination was carried out via spectrophotometric method while trace metals in the digested bread samples were profiled using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Bromate levels in the analyzed bread samples ranged from 2.051 ± 0.011 μg/g to 66.224 ± 0.014 μg/g while the trace metal levels were of the order: 0.03–0.10 μg/g Co = 0.03–0.10 μg/g Pb < 0.23–0.46 μg/g Cu < 2.23–6.63 μg/g Zn < 25.83–75.53 μg/g Mn. This study revealed that many bread bakers around Ile-Ife had not fully complied with the bromate-free rule stipulated by NAFDAC contrary to the “bromate free” inscribed on the labels of the bread. The bread samples contained both essential and toxic trace metals to levels that could threaten the health of consumers over prolonged regular consumption.

  14. Trace elements in human milk. Part of a coordinated programme on comparative methods for the study of trace elements in human nutrition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kosta, L.

    1981-01-01

    New analytical methods based on radiochemical neutron activation analysis were developed for the determination of Sn, V, I and Se at nanogram levels in biological materials, particularly in milk and other foodstuffs. By the application of these and similar methods, results for trace elements in human and cow's milk were collected from which the normal concentration ranges of up to 12 trace elements were established. Significant data on vanadium levels were also collected allowing assessment of the dietary intake and body pool of this element and a reappraisal of its significance in nutrition. Similar data on a smaller scale were also collected for tin. Results were also obtained for several different trace elements in a range of biological reference materials

  15. Olfactory memory traces in Drosophila.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berry, Jacob; Krause, William C; Davis, Ronald L

    2008-01-01

    In Drosophila, the fruit fly, coincident exposure to an odor and an aversive electric shock can produce robust behavioral memory. This behavioral memory is thought to be regulated by cellular memory traces within the central nervous system of the fly. These molecular, physiological, or structural changes in neurons, induced by pairing odor and shock, regulate behavior by altering the neurons' response to the learned environment. Recently, novel in vivo functional imaging techniques have allowed researchers to observe cellular memory traces in intact animals. These investigations have revealed interesting temporal and spatial dynamics of cellular memory traces. First, a short-term cellular memory trace was discovered that exists in the antennal lobe, an early site of olfactory processing. This trace represents the recruitment of new synaptic activity into the odor representation and forms for only a short period of time just after training. Second, an intermediate-term cellular memory trace was found in the dorsal paired medial neuron, a neuron thought to play a role in stabilizing olfactory memories. Finally, a long-term protein synthesis-dependent cellular memory trace was discovered in the mushroom bodies, a structure long implicated in olfactory learning and memory. Therefore, it appears that aversive olfactory associations are encoded by multiple cellular memory traces that occur in different regions of the brain with different temporal domains.

  16. A proposal for transmission pricing methodology in Thailand based on electricity tracing and long-run average incremental cost

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Limpasuwan, T.; Bialek, J.W.; Ongsakul, W.; Limmeechokchai, B.

    2004-01-01

    Although there is no universally accepted methodology for restructuring of electricity supply industry, the transformations often involve separation of generation and transmission. Such separation results in a need for a transmission service charge to be levied on the system users. The National Energy Policy Office (NEPO) of Thailand has commissioned PricewaterhouseCooper (PwC) to propose a transmission service charge that is to be used during the market reform for the transmission business unit of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT). Although the PwCs transmission use of system charge (TUOS) based on the long-run average incremental cost (LRAIC) and average transmission loss can satisfy the financial requirements, the charge allocations are not economically efficient since they do not provide any locational signal which could reflect costs imposed on the system by locating a system user in a particular geographical location. This paper describes the TUOS methodology suggested by PwC and makes a comparison with a transmission pricing method based on combination of the electricity tracing and LRAIC. The results indicate that, with electricity tracing, the charge allocations are improved in terms of fairness, as the charge reflects the geographical location and system conditions

  17. Antimicrobial activity, phyto chemical profile and trace minerals of black mulberry (morus nigra l.) fresh juice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khalid, N.; Fawad, S.A.; Ahmed, I.

    2011-01-01

    In the present work, the fresh juice of black mulberry (Morus nigra) was tested for antimicrobial activity against various pathogenic microorganisms. Total antioxidant contents, total phenolic contents, total anthocyanins, trace minerals, total acid contents, total solids and ascorbic acid content were also evaluated. The results showed good antimicrobial activity both for Gram- positive and Gram-negative bacteria, with highest zones of inhibition for Bacillus spizizenii (19.68 mm, Gram-positive) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (19.87 mm, Gram-negative). The black mulberry juice was rich in ascorbic acid (23.45 mg/100 g), had low overall acid content (1.60 %) and had 19% total soluble solids. The average total anthocyanins and total phenolic contents of black mulberry juice were 769 mu g/g of cyanidin 3-glucoside equivalent (Cy 3-gly) per gram and 2050 mu g of gallic acid equivalent (GAE) per gram of fresh juice. The average antioxidant activity (Trolox equivalent, TE) of fresh juice was 14.00 mu mol/g according to a FRAP assay and 20.10 mu mol/g according to a DPPH assay. The fresh juice was also rich in a variety of trace minerals. (author)

  18. Eastern Denali Fault surface trace map, eastern Alaska and Yukon, Canada

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bender, Adrian M.; Haeussler, Peter J.

    2017-05-04

    We map the 385-kilometer (km) long surface trace of the right-lateral, strike-slip Denali Fault between the Totschunda-Denali Fault intersection in Alaska, United States and the village of Haines Junction, Yukon, Canada. In Alaska, digital elevation models based on light detection and ranging and interferometric synthetic aperture radar data enabled our fault mapping at scales of 1:2,000 and 1:10,000, respectively. Lacking such resources in Yukon, we developed new structure-from-motion digital photogrammetry products from legacy aerial photos to map the fault surface trace at a scale of 1:10,000 east of the international border. The section of the fault that we map, referred to as the Eastern Denali Fault, did not rupture during the 2002 Denali Fault earthquake (moment magnitude 7.9). Seismologic, geodetic, and geomorphic evidence, along with a paleoseismic record of past ground-rupturing earthquakes, demonstrate Holocene and contemporary activity on the fault, however. This map of the Eastern Denali Fault surface trace complements other data sets by providing an openly accessible digital interpretation of the location, length, and continuity of the fault’s surface trace based on the accompanying digital topography dataset. Additionally, the digitized fault trace may provide geometric constraints useful for modeling earthquake scenarios and related seismic hazard.

  19. Outlines of a multiple trace theory of temporal preparation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Los, Sander A; Kruijne, Wouter; Meeter, Martijn

    2014-01-01

    We outline a new multiple trace theory of temporal preparation (MTP), which accounts for behavior in reaction time (RT) tasks in which the participant is presented with a warning stimulus (S1) followed by a target stimulus (S2) that requires a speeded response. The theory assumes that during the foreperiod (FP; the S1-S2 interval) inhibition is applied to prevent premature response, while a wave of activation occurs upon the presentation of S2. On each trial, these actions are stored in a separate memory trace, which, jointly with earlier formed memory traces, starts contributing to preparation on subsequent trials. We show that MTP accounts for classic effects in temporal preparation, including mean RT-FP functions observed under a variety of FP distributions and asymmetric sequential effects. We discuss the advantages of MTP over other accounts of these effects (trace-conditioning and hazard-based explanations) and suggest a critical experiment to empirically distinguish among them.

  20. Outlines of a Multiple Trace Theory of Temporal Preparation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sander A. Los

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available We outline a new multiple trace theory of temporal preparation (MTP, which accounts for behavior in reaction time tasks in which the participant is presented with a warning stimulus (S1 followed by a target stimulus (S2 that requires a speeded response. The theory assumes that during the foreperiod (the S1 – S2 interval inhibition is applied to prevent premature response, while a wave of activation occurs upon the presentation of S2. On each trial, these actions are stored in a separate memory trace, which, jointly with earlier formed memory traces, starts contributing to preparation on subsequent trials. We show that MTP accounts for classic effects in temporal preparation, including mean reaction time – foreperiod functions observed under a variety of foreperiod distributions and asymmetric sequential effects. We discuss the advantages of MTP over other accounts of these effects (trace-conditioning and hazard-based explanations and suggest a critical experiment to empirically distinguish among them.

  1. Trace elements in glucometabolic disorders: an update

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wiernsperger Nicolas

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Many trace elements, among which metals, are indispensable for proper functioning of a myriad of biochemical reactions, more particularly as enzyme cofactors. This is particularly true for the vast set of processes involved in regulation of glucose homeostasis, being it in glucose metabolism itself or in hormonal control, especially insulin. The role and importance of trace elements such as chromium, zinc, selenium, lithium and vanadium are much less evident and subjected to chronic debate. This review updates our actual knowledge concerning these five trace elements. A careful survey of the literature shows that while theoretical postulates from some key roles of these elements had led to real hopes for therapy of insulin resistance and diabetes, the limited experience based on available data indicates that beneficial effects and use of most of them are subjected to caution, given the narrow window between safe and unsafe doses. Clear therapeutic benefit in these pathologies is presently doubtful but some data indicate that these metals may have a clinical interest in patients presenting deficiencies in individual metal levels. The same holds true for an association of some trace elements such as chromium or zinc with oral antidiabetics. However, this area is essentially unexplored in adequate clinical trials, which are worth being performed.

  2. The research of electrical tracing system construction management and related questions of BOP project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Lining; Li Jingmin; Ma Ding; Tu Haitao

    2015-01-01

    Based on Hongyanhe nuclear power plant in Liaoning province, the paper studies the anti-freeze and heat tracing work of BOP project. It compares several different heat tracing solutions in terms of technicality and applicability, and gave the most suitable scheme by using electrical tracing. It also presents the construction details of the electrical tracing system, analyzes the key points of the construction management from quantity, safety and schedule aspects, and gave the improvement suggestions. (authors)

  3. Identifying seasonal mobility profiles from anonymized and aggregated mobile phone data. Application in food security.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zufiria, Pedro J; Pastor-Escuredo, David; Úbeda-Medina, Luis; Hernandez-Medina, Miguel A; Barriales-Valbuena, Iker; Morales, Alfredo J; Jacques, Damien C; Nkwambi, Wilfred; Diop, M Bamba; Quinn, John; Hidalgo-Sanchís, Paula; Luengo-Oroz, Miguel

    2018-01-01

    We propose a framework for the systematic analysis of mobile phone data to identify relevant mobility profiles in a population. The proposed framework allows finding distinct human mobility profiles based on the digital trace of mobile phone users characterized by a Matrix of Individual Trajectories (IT-Matrix). This matrix gathers a consistent and regularized description of individual trajectories that enables multi-scale representations along time and space, which can be used to extract aggregated indicators such as a dynamic multi-scale population count. Unsupervised clustering of individual trajectories generates mobility profiles (clusters of similar individual trajectories) which characterize relevant group behaviors preserving optimal aggregation levels for detailed and privacy-secured mobility characterization. The application of the proposed framework is illustrated by analyzing fully anonymized data on human mobility from mobile phones in Senegal at the arrondissement level over a calendar year. The analysis of monthly mobility patterns at the livelihood zone resolution resulted in the discovery and characterization of seasonal mobility profiles related with economic activities, agricultural calendars and rainfalls. The use of these mobility profiles could support the timely identification of mobility changes in vulnerable populations in response to external shocks (such as natural disasters, civil conflicts or sudden increases of food prices) to monitor food security.

  4. Identifying seasonal mobility profiles from anonymized and aggregated mobile phone data. Application in food security.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pedro J Zufiria

    Full Text Available We propose a framework for the systematic analysis of mobile phone data to identify relevant mobility profiles in a population. The proposed framework allows finding distinct human mobility profiles based on the digital trace of mobile phone users characterized by a Matrix of Individual Trajectories (IT-Matrix. This matrix gathers a consistent and regularized description of individual trajectories that enables multi-scale representations along time and space, which can be used to extract aggregated indicators such as a dynamic multi-scale population count. Unsupervised clustering of individual trajectories generates mobility profiles (clusters of similar individual trajectories which characterize relevant group behaviors preserving optimal aggregation levels for detailed and privacy-secured mobility characterization. The application of the proposed framework is illustrated by analyzing fully anonymized data on human mobility from mobile phones in Senegal at the arrondissement level over a calendar year. The analysis of monthly mobility patterns at the livelihood zone resolution resulted in the discovery and characterization of seasonal mobility profiles related with economic activities, agricultural calendars and rainfalls. The use of these mobility profiles could support the timely identification of mobility changes in vulnerable populations in response to external shocks (such as natural disasters, civil conflicts or sudden increases of food prices to monitor food security.

  5. Input-profile-based software failure probability quantification for safety signal generation systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Hyun Gook; Lim, Ho Gon; Lee, Ho Jung; Kim, Man Cheol; Jang, Seung Cheol

    2009-01-01

    The approaches for software failure probability estimation are mainly based on the results of testing. Test cases represent the inputs, which are encountered in an actual use. The test inputs for the safety-critical application such as a reactor protection system (RPS) of a nuclear power plant are the inputs which cause the activation of protective action such as a reactor trip. A digital system treats inputs from instrumentation sensors as discrete digital values by using an analog-to-digital converter. Input profile must be determined in consideration of these characteristics for effective software failure probability quantification. Another important characteristic of software testing is that we do not have to repeat the test for the same input value since the software response is deterministic for each specific digital input. With these considerations, we propose an effective software testing method for quantifying the failure probability. As an example application, the input profile of the digital RPS is developed based on the typical plant data. The proposed method in this study is expected to provide a simple but realistic mean to quantify the software failure probability based on input profile and system dynamics.

  6. Trace analysis of semiconductor materials

    CERN Document Server

    Cali, J Paul; Gordon, L

    1964-01-01

    Trace Analysis of Semiconductor Materials is a guidebook concerned with procedures of ultra-trace analysis. This book discusses six distinct techniques of trace analysis. These techniques are the most common and can be applied to various problems compared to other methods. Each of the four chapters basically includes an introduction to the principles and general statements. The theoretical basis for the technique involved is then briefly discussed. Practical applications of the techniques and the different instrumentations are explained. Then, the applications to trace analysis as pertaining

  7. Interleaved Practice with Multiple Representations: Analyses with Knowledge Tracing Based Techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rau, Martina A.; Pardos, Zachary A.

    2012-01-01

    The goal of this paper is to use Knowledge Tracing to augment the results obtained from an experiment that investigated the effects of practice schedules using an intelligent tutoring system for fractions. Specifically, this experiment compared different practice schedules of multiple representations of fractions: representations were presented to…

  8. Photoacoustic Spectroscopy with Quantum Cascade Lasers for Trace Gas Detection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gaetano Scamarcio

    2006-10-01

    Full Text Available Various applications, such as pollution monitoring, toxic-gas detection, noninvasive medical diagnostics and industrial process control, require sensitive and selectivedetection of gas traces with concentrations in the parts in 109 (ppb and sub-ppb range.The recent development of quantum-cascade lasers (QCLs has given a new aspect toinfrared laser-based trace gas sensors. In particular, single mode distributed feedback QCLsare attractive spectroscopic sources because of their excellent properties in terms of narrowlinewidth, average power and room temperature operation. In combination with these lasersources, photoacoustic spectroscopy offers the advantage of high sensitivity and selectivity,compact sensor platform, fast time-response and user friendly operation. This paper reportsrecent developments on quantum cascade laser-based photoacoustic spectroscopy for tracegas detection. In particular, different applications of a photoacoustic trace gas sensoremploying a longitudinal resonant cell with a detection limit on the order of hundred ppb ofozone and ammonia are discussed. We also report two QC laser-based photoacousticsensors for the detection of nitric oxide, for environmental pollution monitoring andmedical diagnostics, and hexamethyldisilazane, for applications in semiconductormanufacturing process.

  9. Macro-Elements and Trace Elements in Cereal Grains Cultivated in Latvia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jākobsone Ida

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Cereal-based foods have great importance in the compensation of micro- and trace element deficiency, because 50% of the foods produced worldwide are made up of cereal grains. The aim of the research was to determine the concentration of macro-elements and trace elements in different cereals cultivated in Latvia. Various cereals were used in the research: rye (n = 45, barley (n = 54, spring wheat (n = 27, winter wheat (n = 53, triticale (n = 45 and oats (n = 42. Thirteen macro- and trace elements (Cd, Pb, Ni, Cr, Al, Cu, K, Na, Mn, Fe, Zn, Mg, Ca were determined in cereal grain samples (n = 266. Macro-elements and trace elements varied significantly (p < 0.01 or p < 0.001. The highest concentrations of macro- and trace elements were found in oats and the lowest in rye. The obtained data will expand the opportunity for food and nutrition scientists to evaluate content of the examined elements in grain products, and dietary consumption (bioavailability of the examined macro-elements and trace elements.

  10. A mass spectrometer based explosives trace detector

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vilkov, Andrey; Jorabchi, Kaveh; Hanold, Karl; Syage, Jack A.

    2011-05-01

    In this paper we describe the application of mass spectrometry (MS) to the detection of trace explosives. We begin by reviewing the issue of explosives trace detection (ETD) and describe the method of mass spectrometry (MS) as an alternative to existing technologies. Effective security screening devices must be accurate (high detection and low false positive rate), fast and cost effective (upfront and operating costs). Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) is the most commonly deployed method for ETD devices. Its advantages are compact size and relatively low price. For applications requiring a handheld detector, IMS is an excellent choice. For applications that are more stationary (e.g., checkpoint and alternatives to IMS are available. MS is recognized for its superior performance with regard to sensitivity and specificity, which translate to lower false negative and false positive rates. In almost all applications outside of security where accurate chemical analysis is needed, MS is usually the method of choice and is often referred to as the gold standard for chemical analysis. There are many review articles and proceedings that describe detection technologies for explosives. 1,2,3,4 Here we compare MS and IMS and identify the strengths and weaknesses of each method. - Mass spectrometry (MS): MS offers high levels of sensitivity and specificity compared to other technologies for chemical detection. Its traditional disadvantages have been high cost and complexity. Over the last few years, however, the economics have greatly improved and MS is now capable of routine and automated operation. Here we compare MS and IMS and identify the strengths and weaknesses of each method. - Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS): 5 MS-ETD Screening System IMS is similar in concept to MS except that the ions are dispersed by gas-phase viscosity and not by molecular weight. The main advantage of IMS is that it does not use a vacuum system, which greatly reduces the size, cost, and complexity

  11. An evaluation of trace element release associated with acid mine drainage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sullivan, P.J.; Yelton, J.L.

    1988-01-01

    The determination of trace element release from geologic materials, such as oil shale and coal overburden, is important for proper solid waste management planning. The objective of this study was to determine a correlation between release using the following methods: (1) sequential selective dissolution for determining trace element residencies, (2) toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP), and (3) humidity cell weathering study simulating maximum trace element release. Two eastern oil shales were used, a New Albany shale that contains 4.6 percent pyrite, and a Chattanooga shale that contains 1.5 percent pyrite. Each shale was analyzed for elemental concentrations by soluble, adsorbed, organic, carbonate, and sulfide phases. The results of the results of the selective dissolution studies show that each trace element has a unique distribution between the various phases. Thus, it is possible to predict trace element release based on trace element residency. The TCLP results show that this method is suitable for assessing soluble trace element release but does not realistically assess potential hazards. The results of the humidity cell studies do demonstrate a more reasonable method for predicting trace element release and potential water quality hazards. The humidity cell methods, however, require months to obtain the required data with a large number of analytical measurements. When the selective dissolution data are compared to the trace element concentrations in the TCLP and humidity cell leachates, it is shown that leachate concentrations are predicted by the selective dissolution data. Therefore, selective dissolution may represent a rapid method to assess trace element release associated with acid mine drainage

  12. Hierarchical Traces for Reduced NSM Memory Requirements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dahl, Torbjørn S.

    This paper presents work on using hierarchical long term memory to reduce the memory requirements of nearest sequence memory (NSM) learning, a previously published, instance-based reinforcement learning algorithm. A hierarchical memory representation reduces the memory requirements by allowing traces to share common sub-sequences. We present moderated mechanisms for estimating discounted future rewards and for dealing with hidden state using hierarchical memory. We also present an experimental analysis of how the sub-sequence length affects the memory compression achieved and show that the reduced memory requirements do not effect the speed of learning. Finally, we analyse and discuss the persistence of the sub-sequences independent of specific trace instances.

  13. Net-erosion profile model and simulation experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sagara, Akio

    2001-01-01

    Estimation of net-erosion profile is requisite for evaluating the lifetime of divertor plates under high heat and particle fluxes of fusion plasmas. As a reference in benchmark tests of numerical calculation codes, a self-consistent analytical solution is presented for a simplified divertor condition, wherein the magnetic field line is normal to the target plate and the ionization mean free path of sputtered particles is assumed constant. The primary flux profile of hydrogen and impurities are externally given as well as the return ratio of sputtered atoms to the target. In the direction along the divertor trace, all conditions are uniform. The analytical solution is compared with net-erosion experiments carried out using the Compact Helical System (CHS). The deposition profiles of Ti and O impurities are in very good agreement with the analytical predictions. Recent preliminary results observed on divertor plates in the Large Helical Device (LHD) are briefly presented. (author)

  14. Automatic drawing of the geologic profile of an underground mine based on COMGIS

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Yin Jingqiu; Qiu Xinfa; Li Anbo; Lu Mingyue

    2011-01-01

    This paper introduces a method of building a prototype system of geologic profile auto-drawing. A .NET development platform and integrated environment was used along with a component based design, a B/S system model, and XML techniques. Knowledge rules for creating geologic profiles and generating virtual drilling data from existing bore data and expert, hand-drawn geologic profiles were acquired.Then a prototype system was established by utilizing the known knowledge rules, topological relationships, and semantic relationships among strata. This system has a friendly human-computer interface and can meet requirements of mutual queries between attribute and spatial data. The generated profile map is editable. This study provides a new powerful tool for underground mine work.

  15. Pulsed photothermal profiling of water-based samples using a spectrally composite reconstruction approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Majaron, B; Milanic, M

    2010-01-01

    Pulsed photothermal profiling involves reconstruction of temperature depth profile induced in a layered sample by single-pulse laser exposure, based on transient change in mid-infrared (IR) emission from its surface. Earlier studies have indicated that in watery tissues, featuring a pronounced spectral variation of mid-IR absorption coefficient, analysis of broadband radiometric signals within the customary monochromatic approximation adversely affects profiling accuracy. We present here an experimental comparison of pulsed photothermal profiling in layered agar gel samples utilizing a spectrally composite kernel matrix vs. the customary approach. By utilizing a custom reconstruction code, the augmented approach reduces broadening of individual temperature peaks to 14% of the absorber depth, in contrast to 21% obtained with the customary approach.

  16. Sub-basalt Imaging of Hydrocarbon-Bearing Mesozoic Sediments Using Ray-Trace Inversion of First-Arrival Seismic Data and Elastic Finite-Difference Full-Wave Modeling Along Sinor-Valod Profile of Deccan Syneclise, India

    Science.gov (United States)

    Talukdar, Karabi; Behera, Laxmidhar

    2018-03-01

    Imaging below the basalt for hydrocarbon exploration is a global problem because of poor penetration and significant loss of seismic energy due to scattering, attenuation, absorption and mode-conversion when the seismic waves encounter a highly heterogeneous and rugose basalt layer. The conventional (short offset) seismic data acquisition, processing and modeling techniques adopted by the oil industry generally fails to image hydrocarbon-bearing sub-trappean Mesozoic sediments hidden below the basalt and is considered as a serious problem for hydrocarbon exploration in the world. To overcome this difficulty of sub-basalt imaging, we have generated dense synthetic seismic data with the help of elastic finite-difference full-wave modeling using staggered-grid scheme for the model derived from ray-trace inversion using sparse wide-angle seismic data acquired along Sinor-Valod profile in the Deccan Volcanic Province of India. The full-wave synthetic seismic data generated have been processed and imaged using conventional seismic data processing technique with Kirchhoff pre-stack time and depth migrations. The seismic image obtained correlates with all the structural features of the model obtained through ray-trace inversion of wide-angle seismic data, validating the effectiveness of robust elastic finite-difference full-wave modeling approach for imaging below thick basalts. Using the full-wave modeling also allows us to decipher small-scale heterogeneities imposed in the model as a measure of the rugose basalt interfaces, which could not be dealt with ray-trace inversion. Furthermore, we were able to accurately image thin low-velocity hydrocarbon-bearing Mesozoic sediments sandwiched between and hidden below two thick sequences of high-velocity basalt layers lying above the basement.

  17. Trace amine-associated receptor 1-Family archetype or iconoclast?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grandy, David K

    2007-12-01

    Interest has recently been rekindled in receptors that are activated by low molecular weight, noncatecholic, biogenic amines that are typically found as trace constituents of various vertebrate and invertebrate tissues and fluids. The timing of this resurgent focus on receptors activated by the "trace amines" (TA) beta-phenylethylamine (PEA), tyramine (TYR), octopamine (OCT), synephrine (SYN), and tryptamine (TRYP) is the direct result of 2 publications that appeared in 2001 describing the cloning of a novel G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) referred to by their discoverers Borowsky et al. as TA1 and Bunzow et al. as TA receptor 1 (TAR1). When heterologously expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes and various eukaryotic cell lines, recombinant rodent and human TAR dose-dependently couple to the stimulation of adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) production. Structure-activity profiling based on this functional response has revealed that in addition to the TA, other biologically active compounds containing a 2-carbon aliphatic side chain linking an amino group to at least 1 benzene ring are potent and efficacious TA receptor agonists with amphetamine (AMPH), methamphetamine, 3-iodothyronamine, thyronamine, and dopamine (DA) among the most notable. Almost 100 years after the search for TAR began, numerous TA1/TAR1-related sequences, now called TA-associated receptors (TAAR), have been identified in the genome of every species of vertebrate examined to date. Consequently, even though heterologously expressed TAAR1 fits the pharmacological criteria established for a bona fide TAR, a major challenge for those working in the field is to discern the in vivo pharmacology and physiology of each purported member of this extended family of GPCR. Only then will it be possible to establish whether TAAR1 is the family archetype or an iconoclast.

  18. Effect of Blood Glucose Fluctuation on Some Trace Elements and Aldosterone Hormone among Type II Diabetic Patients with Metabolic Syndrome

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ezz El-Arab, A.; El Fouly, A.H.; Mahmoud, H.H.

    2014-01-01

    There is accumulating evidence determine that the metabolism of some trace elements is altered in diabetes mellitus (DM) type II. The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of serum blood glucose fluctuation during (Random, Fasting and Postprandial 2 hours state) on some trace elements such as Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Manganese (Mn), Magnesium (Mg), Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), and Aldosterone hormone in type II Diabetic patients associated with metabolic syndrome in comparison with healthy volunteers. The International Diabetes Federation (IFD) consensus the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome according to central obesity, lipid profile, blood glucose level and blood pressure. A significant change was observed in trace elements level (Cd, Cr, Mg, Mn, Zn, Cu, Na, and K) and Aldosterone hormone as a result of glucose fluctuation among type II diabetic patients.

  19. Tracking explicit and implicit long-lasting traces of fearful memories in humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Packard, Pau Alexander; Rodríguez-Fornells, Antoni; Stein, Lilian Milnitsky; Nicolás, Berta; Fuentemilla, Lluís

    2014-12-01

    Recent accounts of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) suggest that the encoding of an episode within a fearful context generates different implicit and explicit memory representations. Whilst implicit memory traces include the associated emotional states, explicit traces include a recoding into an abstract or gist-based structural context of the episode. Theoretically, the long-term preservation of implicit memory traces may facilitate the often untreatable memory intrusions in PTSD. Here, we tracked in two experiments how implicit and explicit memory traces for fearful episodes dissociate and evolve over time. Subjects (N=86) were presented with semantically-related word-lists in a contextual fear paradigm and tested for explicit memories either immediately (i.e., 30 min) or after a delay (i.e., 1 or 2 weeks) with a verbal recognition task. Skin Conductance Response (SCR) was used to assess implicit memory responses. Subjects showed high memory accuracy for words when tested immediately after encoding. At test, SCR was higher during the presentation of verbatim but not gist-based words encoded in a fearful context, and remained unchanged after 2 weeks, despite subjects being unaware of words' encoding context. We found no clear evidence of accurate explicit memory traces for the fearful or neutral contexts of words presented during encoding, either 30 min or 2 weeks afterwards. These findings indicate that the implicit, but not the explicit, memory trace of a fearful context of an episode can be detected at long-term through SCR and is dissociated from the gist-based memory. They may have implicationstowards the understanding of how the processing of fearful memoriescould lead to PTSD. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Musculoskeletal model-based control interface mimics physiologic hand dynamics during path tracing task

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crouch, Dustin L.; (Helen Huang, He

    2017-06-01

    Objective. We investigated the feasibility of a novel, customizable, simplified EMG-driven musculoskeletal model for estimating coordinated hand and wrist motions during a real-time path tracing task. Approach. A two-degree-of-freedom computational musculoskeletal model was implemented for real-time EMG-driven control of a stick figure hand displayed on a computer screen. After 5-10 minutes of undirected practice, subjects were given three attempts to trace 10 straight paths, one at a time, with the fingertip of the virtual hand. Able-bodied subjects completed the task on two separate test days. Main results. Across subjects and test days, there was a significant linear relationship between log-transformed measures of accuracy and speed (Pearson’s r  =  0.25, p  bodied subjects in 8 of 10 trials. For able-bodied subjects, tracing accuracy was lower at the extremes of the model’s range of motion, though there was no apparent relationship between tracing accuracy and fingertip location for the amputee. Our result suggests that, unlike able-bodied subjects, the amputee’s motor control patterns were not accustomed to the multi-joint dynamics of the wrist and hand, possibly as a result of post-amputation cortical plasticity, disuse, or sensory deficits. Significance. To our knowledge, our study is one of very few that have demonstrated the real-time simultaneous control of multi-joint movements, especially wrist and finger movements, using an EMG-driven musculoskeletal model, which differs from the many data-driven algorithms that dominate the literature on EMG-driven prosthesis control. Real-time control was achieved with very little training and simple, quick (~15 s) calibration. Thus, our model is potentially a practical and effective control platform for multifunctional myoelectric prostheses that could restore more life-like hand function for individuals with upper limb amputation.

  1. Trace gas absorption spectroscopy using laser difference-frequency spectrometer for environmental application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, W.; Cazier, F.; Boucher, D.; Tittel, F. K.; Davies, P. B.

    2001-01-01

    A widely tunable infrared spectrometer based on difference frequency generation (DFG) has been developed for organic trace gas detection by laser absorption spectroscopy. On-line measurements of concentration of various hydrocarbons, such as acetylene, benzene, and ethylene, were investigated using high-resolution DFG trace gas spectroscopy for highly sensitive detection.

  2. The Holey Grail : a special score function for non-binary traitor tracing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Skoric, B.; Oosterwijk, J.; Doumen, J.M.

    2013-01-01

    We study collusion-resistant traitor tracing in the simple decoder approach, i.e. assignment of scores for each user separately. We introduce a new score function for non-binary bias-based traitor tracing. It has three special properties that have long been sought after: (i) The expected score of an

  3. Atmospheric trace metal concentrations in Suspended Particulate ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The air particulate samples were collected from the kitchens, living rooms and outdoor environment of five households in the community. The quantification of the trace metals was done using Atomic Absorption spectrometry method, employing HNO based wet digestion. High baseline concentration of SPMwere obtained ...

  4. Real-time monitoring of trace-level VOCs by an ultrasensitive compact lamp-based VUV photoionization mass spectrometer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, W. Q.; Shu, J. N.; Zhang, P.; Li, Z.; Li, N. N.; Liang, M.; Yang, B.

    2015-06-01

    In this study, we report on the development of a compact lamp-based vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization mass spectrometer (PIMS; hereafter referred to as VUV-PIMS) in our laboratory; it is composed of a radio frequency-powered VUV lamp, a VUV photoionizer, an ion-immigration region, and a reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer. By utilizing the novel photoionizer consisting of a photoionization cavity and a VUV light baffle, extremely low background noise was obtained. An ultrasensitive detection limit (2σ) of 3 pptv was achieved for benzene after an acquisition time of 10 s. To examine its potential for application in real-time sample monitoring, the developed VUV-PIMS was employed for the continuous measurement of urban air for six days in Beijing, China. Strong signals of trace-level volatile organic compounds such as benzene and its alkylated derivatives were observed in the mass spectra. These initial experimental results reveal that the instrument can be used for the online monitoring of trace-level species in the atmosphere.

  5. 210Pb geochronology and trace metal fluxes (Cd, Cu and Pb) in the Gulf of Tehuantepec, South Pacific of Mexico

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruiz-Fernandez, Ana Carolina; Paez-Osuna, Federico; Machain-Castillo, Maria Luisa; Arellano-Torres, Elsa

    2004-01-01

    Distributions of Al, Cd, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn and Pb were analyzed in a sediment core collected in the Gulf of Tehuantepec, an important fisheries region located in the South Pacific of Mexico, where data on metal accumulation and accretion rates were previously almost nonexistent. Depth profiles of metal concentrations were converted to time-based profiles by using a 210 Pb-derived vertical accretion rate, estimated to be 0.05 cm year -1 on the average. Sediments were dated up to 8 cm depth, corresponding to a layer of ca. 140 years old. The historical changes of metal accumulation along the sediment core have shown a moderate enrichment of Cd, Cu and Pb concentrations at present, of about threefold the corresponding background concentrations. Chronological trace metal records showed that metal fluxes have increased over the last 20 years, reaching the maximum values at present of 2.5, 22.5 and 45.8 (μg cm -2 year -1 ) for Cd, Pb and Cu, respectively. These increments in metal fluxes are likely influenced by the development of anthropogenic land-based activities since over this period of time oil production activities in the region have had a significant development

  6. Exploring student learning profiles in algebra-based studio physics: A person-centered approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pond, Jarrad W. T.; Chini, Jacquelyn J.

    2017-06-01

    In this study, we explore the strategic self-regulatory and motivational characteristics of students in studio-mode physics courses at three universities with varying student populations and varying levels of success in their studio-mode courses. We survey students using questions compiled from several existing questionnaires designed to measure students' study strategies, attitudes toward and motivations for learning physics, organization of scientific knowledge, experiences outside the classroom, and demographics. Using a person-centered approach, we utilize cluster analysis methods to group students into learning profiles based on their individual responses to better understand the strategies and motives of algebra-based studio physics students. Previous studies have identified five distinct learning profiles across several student populations using similar methods. We present results from first-semester and second-semester studio-mode introductory physics courses across three universities. We identify these five distinct learning profiles found in previous studies to be present within our population of introductory physics students. In addition, we investigate interactions between these learning profiles and student demographics. We find significant interactions between a student's learning profile and their experience with high school physics, major, gender, grade expectation, and institution. Ultimately, we aim to use this method of analysis to take the characteristics of students into account in the investigation of successful strategies for using studio methods of physics instruction within and across institutions.

  7. Development of Tsunami Trace Database with reliability evaluation on Japan coasts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iwabuchi, Yoko; Sugino, Hideharu; Imamura, Fumihiko; Imai, Kentaro; Tsuji, Yoshinobu; Matsuoka, Yuya; Shuto, Nobuo

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this research is to develop a Tsunami Trace Database by collecting historical materials as well as documents concerning tsunamis which had hit Japan and, of which the reliability of tsunami run-up and related data is taken into account. Based on acquisition and surveying of references, tsunami trace data over past 400 years of Japan has collected into a database, and reliability of each trace data was evaluated according to categorization of Japan Society of Civil Engineers (2002). As a result, trace data can now be searched and filtered with reliability levels accordingly whilst utilizing it for verification of tsunami numerical analysis and estimation of tsunami sources. By analyzing this database, we have quantitatively revealed the fact that the amount of reliable data tends to diminish as it goes older. (author)

  8. Interactive Stable Ray Tracing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dal Corso, Alessandro; Salvi, Marco; Kolb, Craig

    2017-01-01

    Interactive ray tracing applications running on commodity hardware can suffer from objectionable temporal artifacts due to a low sample count. We introduce stable ray tracing, a technique that improves temporal stability without the over-blurring and ghosting artifacts typical of temporal post-pr...

  9. Integrated HPTLC-based Methodology for the Tracing of Bioactive Compounds in Herbal Extracts Employing Multivariate Chemometrics. A Case Study on Morus alba.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaita, Eliza; Gikas, Evagelos; Aligiannis, Nektarios

    2017-03-01

    In drug discovery, bioassay-guided isolation is a well-established procedure, and still the basic approach for the discovery of natural products with desired biological properties. However, in these procedures, the most laborious and time-consuming step is the isolation of the bioactive constituents. A prior identification of the compounds that contribute to the demonstrated activity of the fractions would enable the selection of proper chromatographic techniques and lead to targeted isolation. The development of an integrated HPTLC-based methodology for the rapid tracing of the bioactive compounds during bioassay-guided processes, using multivariate statistics. Materials and Methods - The methanol extract of Morus alba was fractionated employing CPC. Subsequently, fractions were assayed for tyrosinase inhibition and analyzed with HPTLC. PLS-R algorithm was performed in order to correlate the analytical data with the biological response of the fractions and identify the compounds with the highest contribution. Two methodologies were developed for the generation of the dataset; one based on manual peak picking and the second based on chromatogram binning. Results and Discussion - Both methodologies afforded comparable results and were able to trace the bioactive constituents (e.g. oxyresveratrol, trans-dihydromorin, 2,4,3'-trihydroxydihydrostilbene). The suggested compounds were compared in terms of R f values and UV spectra with compounds isolated from M. alba using typical bioassay-guided process. Chemometric tools supported the development of a novel HPTLC-based methodology for the tracing of tyrosinase inhibitors in M. alba extract. All steps of the experimental procedure implemented techniques that afford essential key elements for application in high-throughput screening procedures for drug discovery purposes. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  10. Fluorescence turn-on sensing of trace cadmium ions based on EDTA-etched CdTe@CdS quantum dot.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Si-Nan; Zhu, Jian; Li, Xin; Li, Jian-Jun; Zhao, Jun-Wu

    2018-05-01

    Cadmium-caused environmental pollution and diseases have always been worldwide problems. Thus it is extremely urgent to establish a cheap, rapid, simple and selective detection method for trace cadmium in drinking water. In this study, a fluorescence "turn-on" method based on ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA)-etched CdTe@CdS quantum dots (QDs) was designed to detect Cd 2+ . High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were utilized for chemical and structural characterization of the as-prepared QDs. Based on chemical etching of EDTA on the surface of CdTe@CdS QDs, specific Cd 2+ recognition sites were produced, and then results in fluorescence quenching. The introduction of Cd 2+ could identify these sites and restore the fluorescence of the EDTA-QDs system. Under the optimum conditions, the nanoprobe shows a linear response range from 0.05 to 9 μM with a very low detection limit of 0.032 μM. In addition, the reported fluorescence probe in this work displays a good selectivity for trace Cd 2+ over other metal ions and an admirable practicability in real water samples. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Automated addition of Chelex solution to tubes containing trace items

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stangegaard, Michael; Hansen, Thomas Møller; Hansen, Anders Johannes

    2011-01-01

    Extraction of DNA from trace items for forensic genetic DNA typing using a manual Chelex based extraction protocol requires addition of Chelex solution to sample tubes containing trace items. Automated of addition of Chelex solution may be hampered by high viscosity of the solution and fast...... sedimentation rate of the Chelex beads. Here, we present a simple method that can be used on an Eppendorf epMotion liquid handler resolving these issues...

  12. Kinetic method of ruthenium ion traces determination, basing on the reaction of oxidation of direct blue 6B, by means of hydrogen peroxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suwinska, T.; Gregorowicz, A.; Matysek-Majewska, D.

    1980-01-01

    A sensitive and selective method of determination of ruthenium ion traces (1.10 - 3 μg/cm 3 ) has been worked out. The method is based on oxidation of direct blue 6B by hydrogen peroxide under acidic conditions at pH = 0,8 - 1,2 in the presence of ruthenium ions as catalyst. The method has been applied for determination of ruthenium traces in Pt, PdCl 2 , PtCl 4 and RhCl 3 .n H 2 O. In these materials ruthenium has been determined within the range of 1,10 - 2 % - 5,10 - 4 %. (author)

  13. Measurements of transuranium trace amounts in solution. Bibliographic study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Billon, A.; Gaudez, M.T.

    1986-01-01

    A critical study based on the data of the literature published up to 1984 has been carried out on the measurements of transuranian traces in solution. The general technical aspects of the dosage of transuranian traces in solution and of their speciations were initially reviewed. The second part is devoted to the detailed review of various methods in use in the laboratories. This work has been carried out in the framework of the MIRAGE (migration of radionuclides in the biosphere) Community project. 85 refs

  14. A new method for automatic discontinuity traces sampling on rock mass 3D model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umili, G.; Ferrero, A.; Einstein, H. H.

    2013-02-01

    A new automatic method for discontinuity traces mapping and sampling on a rock mass digital model is described in this work. The implemented procedure allows one to automatically identify discontinuity traces on a Digital Surface Model: traces are detected directly as surface breaklines, by means of maximum and minimum principal curvature values of the vertices that constitute the model surface. Color influence and user errors, that usually characterize the trace mapping on images, are eliminated. Also trace sampling procedures based on circular windows and circular scanlines have been implemented: they are used to infer trace data and to calculate values of mean trace length, expected discontinuity diameter and intensity of rock discontinuities. The method is tested on a case study: results obtained applying the automatic procedure on the DSM of a rock face are compared to those obtained performing a manual sampling on the orthophotograph of the same rock face.

  15. Mass spectrometry based proteomics profiling as diagnostic tool in oncology: current status and future perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Findeisen, Peter; Neumaier, Michael

    2009-01-01

    Proteomics analysis has been heralded as a novel tool for identifying new and specific biomarkers that may improve diagnosis and monitoring of various disease states. Recent years have brought a number of proteomics profiling technologies. Although proteomics profiling has resulted in the detection of disease-associated differences and modification of proteins, current proteomics technologies display certain limitations that are hampering the introduction of these new technologies into clinical laboratory diagnostics and routine applications. In this review, we summarize current advances in mass spectrometry based biomarker discovery. The promises and challenges of this new technology are discussed with particular emphasis on diagnostic perspectives of mass-spectrometry based proteomics profiling for malignant diseases.

  16. An Electron Beam Profile Instrument Based on FBGs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dan Sporea

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Along with the dose rate and the total irradiation dose measurements, the knowledge of the beam localization and the beam profile/energy distribution in the beam are parameters of interest for charged particle accelerator installations when they are used in scientific investigations, industrial applications or medical treatments. The transverse profile of the beam, its position, its centroid location, and its focus or flatness depend on the instrument operating conditions or on the beam exit setup. Proof-of-concept of a new type of charged particle beam diagnostics based on fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs was demonstrated. Its operating principle relies on the measurement of the peak wavelength changes for an array of FBG sensors as function of the temperature following the exposure to an electron beam. Periodically, the sensor irradiation is stopped and the FBG are force cooled to a reference temperature with which the temperature influencing each sensor during beam exposure is compared. Commercially available FBGs, and FBGs written in radiation resistant optical fibers, were tested under electron beam irradiation in order to study their possible use in this application.

  17. Tracing the Spatial-Temporal Evolution of Events Based on Social Media Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaolu Zhou

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Social media data provide a great opportunity to investigate event flow in cities. Despite the advantages of social media data in these investigations, the data heterogeneity and big data size pose challenges to researchers seeking to identify useful information about events from the raw data. In addition, few studies have used social media posts to capture how events develop in space and time. This paper demonstrates an efficient approach based on machine learning and geovisualization to identify events and trace the development of these events in real-time. We conducted an empirical study to delineate the temporal and spatial evolution of a natural event (heavy precipitation and a social event (Pope Francis’ visit to the US in the New York City—Washington, DC regions. By investigating multiple features of Twitter data (message, author, time, and geographic location information, this paper demonstrates how voluntary local knowledge from tweets can be used to depict city dynamics, discover spatiotemporal characteristics of events, and convey real-time information.

  18. Female choice for male cuticular hydrocarbon profile in decorated crickets is not based on similarity to their own profile.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steiger, S; Capodeanu-Nägler, A; Gershman, S N; Weddle, C B; Rapkin, J; Sakaluk, S K; Hunt, J

    2015-12-01

    Indirect genetic benefits derived from female mate choice comprise additive (good genes) and nonadditive genetic benefits (genetic compatibility). Although good genes can be revealed by condition-dependent display traits, the mechanism by which compatibility alleles are detected is unclear because evaluation of the genetic similarity of a prospective mate requires the female to assess the genotype of the male and compare it to her own. Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), lipids coating the exoskeleton of most insects, influence female mate choice in a number of species and offer a way for females to assess genetic similarity of prospective mates. Here, we determine whether female mate choice in decorated crickets is based on male CHCs and whether it is influenced by females' own CHC profiles. We used multivariate selection analysis to estimate the strength and form of selection acting on male CHCs through female mate choice, and employed different measures of multivariate dissimilarity to determine whether a female's preference for male CHCs is based on similarity to her own CHC profile. Female mating preferences were significantly influenced by CHC profiles of males. Male CHC attractiveness was not, however, contingent on the CHC profile of the choosing female, as certain male CHC phenotypes were equally attractive to most females, evidenced by significant linear and stabilizing selection gradients. These results suggest that additive genetic benefits, rather than nonadditive genetic benefits, accrue to female mate choice, in support of earlier work showing that CHC expression of males, but not females, is condition dependent. © 2015 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2015 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

  19. Traces generating what was there

    CERN Document Server

    2017-01-01

    Traces keep time contained and make visible what was there. Going back to the art of trace-reading, they continue to be a fundamental resource for scientific knowledge production. The contributions study, from the biology laboratory to the large colliders of particle physics, techniques involved in the production of material traces. Following their changes over two centuries, this collection shows the continuities they have in the digital age.

  20. Ray-tracing techniques to assess the electromagnetic field radiated by radio base stations: Application and experimental validation in an urban environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adda, S.; Anglesio, L.; D'Amore, G.; Mantovan, M.; Menegolli, M.

    2004-01-01

    This paper aims to validate a ray-tracing model for electromagnetic field calculation, which is used in urban environments to predict irradiation from radio base stations for population exposure evaluation. Validation was carried out through a measurement campaign by choosing measurement points in order to test different propagation environments and analysing broadcast control channels through narrow band measurements. Comparison of the calculated and measured fields indicates that the ray-tracing model used calculates electric field with good accuracy, in spite of the fact that the propagation environment is not described in detail, because of difficulties in modelling the geometrical and electrical characteristics of urban areas. Differences between the calculated and measured results remain below 1.5 dB, with a mean value of 1 dB. (authors)

  1. NESmapper: accurate prediction of leucine-rich nuclear export signals using activity-based profiles.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shunichi Kosugi

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The nuclear export of proteins is regulated largely through the exportin/CRM1 pathway, which involves the specific recognition of leucine-rich nuclear export signals (NESs in the cargo proteins, and modulates nuclear-cytoplasmic protein shuttling by antagonizing the nuclear import activity mediated by importins and the nuclear import signal (NLS. Although the prediction of NESs can help to define proteins that undergo regulated nuclear export, current methods of predicting NESs, including computational tools and consensus-sequence-based searches, have limited accuracy, especially in terms of their specificity. We found that each residue within an NES largely contributes independently and additively to the entire nuclear export activity. We created activity-based profiles of all classes of NESs with a comprehensive mutational analysis in mammalian cells. The profiles highlight a number of specific activity-affecting residues not only at the conserved hydrophobic positions but also in the linker and flanking regions. We then developed a computational tool, NESmapper, to predict NESs by using profiles that had been further optimized by training and combining the amino acid properties of the NES-flanking regions. This tool successfully reduced the considerable number of false positives, and the overall prediction accuracy was higher than that of other methods, including NESsential and Wregex. This profile-based prediction strategy is a reliable way to identify functional protein motifs. NESmapper is available at http://sourceforge.net/projects/nesmapper.

  2. Innovative design method of automobile profile based on Fourier descriptor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Shuyong; Fu, Chaoxing; Xia, Fan; Shen, Wei

    2017-10-01

    Aiming at the innovation of the contours of automobile side, this paper presents an innovative design method of vehicle side profile based on Fourier descriptor. The design flow of this design method is: pre-processing, coordinate extraction, standardization, discrete Fourier transform, simplified Fourier descriptor, exchange descriptor innovation, inverse Fourier transform to get the outline of innovative design. Innovative concepts of the innovative methods of gene exchange among species and the innovative methods of gene exchange among different species are presented, and the contours of the innovative design are obtained separately. A three-dimensional model of a car is obtained by referring to the profile curve which is obtained by exchanging xenogeneic genes. The feasibility of the method proposed in this paper is verified by various aspects.

  3. HMMBinder: DNA-Binding Protein Prediction Using HMM Profile Based Features.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaman, Rianon; Chowdhury, Shahana Yasmin; Rashid, Mahmood A; Sharma, Alok; Dehzangi, Abdollah; Shatabda, Swakkhar

    2017-01-01

    DNA-binding proteins often play important role in various processes within the cell. Over the last decade, a wide range of classification algorithms and feature extraction techniques have been used to solve this problem. In this paper, we propose a novel DNA-binding protein prediction method called HMMBinder. HMMBinder uses monogram and bigram features extracted from the HMM profiles of the protein sequences. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first application of HMM profile based features for the DNA-binding protein prediction problem. We applied Support Vector Machines (SVM) as a classification technique in HMMBinder. Our method was tested on standard benchmark datasets. We experimentally show that our method outperforms the state-of-the-art methods found in the literature.

  4. HMMBinder: DNA-Binding Protein Prediction Using HMM Profile Based Features

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rianon Zaman

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available DNA-binding proteins often play important role in various processes within the cell. Over the last decade, a wide range of classification algorithms and feature extraction techniques have been used to solve this problem. In this paper, we propose a novel DNA-binding protein prediction method called HMMBinder. HMMBinder uses monogram and bigram features extracted from the HMM profiles of the protein sequences. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first application of HMM profile based features for the DNA-binding protein prediction problem. We applied Support Vector Machines (SVM as a classification technique in HMMBinder. Our method was tested on standard benchmark datasets. We experimentally show that our method outperforms the state-of-the-art methods found in the literature.

  5. Improved PIXE analysis of micro- and trace elements in dental composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Preoteasa, E. A.; Ciortea, C.; Fluerasu, D.; Enescu, S. E.; Preoteasa, E.

    2001-01-01

    Due to the interactions occurring at the solid-solid and solid-liquid interfaces of a tooth's filling, the mineral elements of the restorative composite may induce a complex response of the organism. To study such problems, sensitive surface trace element analysis is required. Particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) has a detection limit one order of magnitude lower than XRF and has been used for hard dental tissues, but not yet for dental composites. We evaluated the potential of PIXE in a study of ten types of composites used in restorative dentistry, some of them with two color shades each. The samples were prepared as described for XRF. The measurements were performed with 3 MeV protons from a van de Graaff tandem linear accelerator, using a hyper pure Ge detector and collecting the spectra for 1.5-4 hours. The spectra were processed with the program Leone. The proton route in the sample calculated with the Trim program (∼ 50-100 μm) exceeded the size of mineral particles (0.02-30 μm), thus granularity did not affect the analysis. The PIXE analysis detected Z ≥ 19 elements in all composites, and Z≥14 elements in only one low Z material. PIXE detected generally the same dominant elements, but many more trace elements than XRF. Thus both Charisma (Kulzer) and Pekafill (Bayer) contained Ba as the major element, but trace elements were Ni, Zn, In, in the first, and Fe, Cu, Zn, Sr, Ag in the second. In other glass- and ceramics-based materials we found: Ca, Zr, Ba, Yb and traces of Sr, In, and possibly Ti in Tetric Ceram and in Ariston (both from Vivadent); Ca, Zr, Ba, Hf, possibly Mn, and traces of Ni, Ho, Ti, Fe, Cr in Valux Plus (3M Dental); Sr, Ba (major), K, Fe, Mn (minor), and traces of Ni, Zn, In, in F2000 Compomer (3M Dental); Ba (major) and traces of Fe, Ni, Sr in Surefil (Dentsply). In quartz-based materials we detected: Si, Ca, Ti, Fe and traces of K, Cl, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn in Evicrol (Spofa); low and trace levels of Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu in

  6. Photometric determination of traces of metals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Onishi, H.

    1986-01-01

    The first three editions of this widely used classic were published under the title Colorimetric Determination of Traces of Metals, with E.B. Sandell as author. Part I (General Aspects) of the fourth edition was co-authored by E.B. Sandell and H. Onishi and published in 1978. After Sandell's death in 1984, Onishi assumed the monumental task of revising Part II. This book (Part IIA) consists of 21 chapters in which the photometric determinations of the individual metals, aluminium to lithium (including the lanthanoids), are described. Each chapter is divided into three sections: Separations, Methods of Determination, and Applications. The sections on Separations are of general interest and include methods based on precipitation, ion-exchange, chromatography, and liquid-liquid extraction. Molecular absorption and fluorescence techniques are described in the sections on determinations, and the emphasis is on the use of well-established reagents. Several reagents that have been recently introduced for the determination of trace levels of metals are also critically reviewed at the end of each section on methods of determination. Important applications of these methods to the determination of trace metals in complex organic and inorganic materials are described in detail at the end of each chapter

  7. Quartz enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy based trace gas sensors using different quartz tuning forks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Yufei; Yu, Guang; Zhang, Jingbo; Yu, Xin; Sun, Rui; Tittel, Frank K

    2015-03-27

    A sensitive trace gas sensor platform based on quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) is reported. A 1.395 μm continuous wave (CW), distributed feedback pigtailed diode laser was used as the excitation source and H2O was selected as the target analyte. Two kinds of quartz tuning forks (QTFs) with a resonant frequency (f0) of 30.72 kHz and 38 kHz were employed for the first time as an acoustic wave transducer, respectively for QEPAS instead of a standard QTF with a f0 of 32.768 kHz. The QEPAS sensor performance using the three different QTFs was experimentally investigated and theoretically analyzed. A minimum detection limit of 5.9 ppmv and 4.3 ppmv was achieved for f0 of 32.768 kHz and 30.72 kHz, respectively.

  8. Quartz Enhanced Photoacoustic Spectroscopy Based Trace Gas Sensors Using Different Quartz Tuning Forks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yufei Ma

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available A sensitive trace gas sensor platform based on quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS is reported. A 1.395 μm continuous wave (CW, distributed feedback pigtailed diode laser was used as the excitation source and H2O was selected as the target analyte. Two kinds of quartz tuning forks (QTFs with a resonant frequency (f0 of 30.72 kHz and 38 kHz were employed for the first time as an acoustic wave transducer, respectively for QEPAS instead of a standard QTF with a f0 of 32.768 kHz. The QEPAS sensor performance using the three different QTFs was experimentally investigated and theoretically analyzed. A minimum detection limit of 5.9 ppmv and 4.3 ppmv was achieved for f0 of 32.768 kHz and 30.72 kHz, respectively.

  9. Comparison of lists of genes based on functional profiles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Salicrú Miquel

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background How to compare studies on the basis of their biological significance is a problem of central importance in high-throughput genomics. Many methods for performing such comparisons are based on the information in databases of functional annotation, such as those that form the Gene Ontology (GO. Typically, they consist of analyzing gene annotation frequencies in some pre-specified GO classes, in a class-by-class way, followed by p-value adjustment for multiple testing. Enrichment analysis, where a list of genes is compared against a wider universe of genes, is the most common example. Results A new global testing procedure and a method incorporating it are presented. Instead of testing separately for each GO class, a single global test for all classes under consideration is performed. The test is based on the distance between the functional profiles, defined as the joint frequencies of annotation in a given set of GO classes. These classes may be chosen at one or more GO levels. The new global test is more powerful and accurate with respect to type I errors than the usual class-by-class approach. When applied to some real datasets, the results suggest that the method may also provide useful information that complements the tests performed using a class-by-class approach if gene counts are sparse in some classes. An R library, goProfiles, implements these methods and is available from Bioconductor, http://bioconductor.org/packages/release/bioc/html/goProfiles.html. Conclusions The method provides an inferential basis for deciding whether two lists are functionally different. For global comparisons it is preferable to the global chi-square test of homogeneity. Furthermore, it may provide additional information if used in conjunction with class-by-class methods.

  10. Detecting and classifying method based on similarity matching of Android malware behavior with profile.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jang, Jae-Wook; Yun, Jaesung; Mohaisen, Aziz; Woo, Jiyoung; Kim, Huy Kang

    2016-01-01

    Mass-market mobile security threats have increased recently due to the growth of mobile technologies and the popularity of mobile devices. Accordingly, techniques have been introduced for identifying, classifying, and defending against mobile threats utilizing static, dynamic, on-device, and off-device techniques. Static techniques are easy to evade, while dynamic techniques are expensive. On-device techniques are evasion, while off-device techniques need being always online. To address some of those shortcomings, we introduce Andro-profiler, a hybrid behavior based analysis and classification system for mobile malware. Andro-profiler main goals are efficiency, scalability, and accuracy. For that, Andro-profiler classifies malware by exploiting the behavior profiling extracted from the integrated system logs including system calls. Andro-profiler executes a malicious application on an emulator in order to generate the integrated system logs, and creates human-readable behavior profiles by analyzing the integrated system logs. By comparing the behavior profile of malicious application with representative behavior profile for each malware family using a weighted similarity matching technique, Andro-profiler detects and classifies it into malware families. The experiment results demonstrate that Andro-profiler is scalable, performs well in detecting and classifying malware with accuracy greater than 98 %, outperforms the existing state-of-the-art work, and is capable of identifying 0-day mobile malware samples.

  11. Wet deposition flux of trace elements to the Adirondack region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, X.; Keskin, S.S.; Gullu, G.; Olmez, I.

    2001-01-01

    Wet deposition samples from two locations in the Adirondack region of New York were analyzed for trace elemental composition by instrumental neutron activation analysis. Annual fluxes of the measured species were determined by precipitation-weighted and linear-regression methods. Despite several episodes of high deposition fluxes, the cumulative areal wet deposition of trace elements increased fairly linearly (r 2 > 0.9) over the two year sampling period at both sites. This implies that short duration sampling programs may be used to estimate long-term fluxes and cumulative wet deposition impacts. Based on the magnitude of their fluxes, the measured species have been divided into four groups: acidic anions, electroneutral balancing cations, and minor and trace elements of anthropogenic origin. (author)

  12. A scintillating fibre-based profiler for low intensity ion beams

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Finocchiaro, P. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Catania (Italy); Amato, A. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Catania (Italy); Ciavola, G. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Catania (Italy); Cuttone, G. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Catania (Italy); Gu, M. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Catania (Italy); Raia, G. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Catania (Italy); Rovelli, A. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Catania (Italy)

    1997-01-11

    In the framework of the EXCYT radioactive ion beam facility, now under development at LNS Catania, we have developed a new beam profile monitor based on a scintillating fibre and a photodetector. Its sensitivity allows the detection of single beam particles in pulse mode, thus representing a useful tool for diagnostics of low and very low intensity beams. (orig.).

  13. A scintillating fibre-based profiler for low intensity ion beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Finocchiaro, P.; Amato, A.; Ciavola, G.; Cuttone, G.; Gu, M.; Raia, G.; Rovelli, A.

    1997-01-01

    In the framework of the EXCYT radioactive ion beam facility, now under development at LNS Catania, we have developed a new beam profile monitor based on a scintillating fibre and a photodetector. Its sensitivity allows the detection of single beam particles in pulse mode, thus representing a useful tool for diagnostics of low and very low intensity beams. (orig.)

  14. Aerosol characteristics inversion based on the improved lidar ratio profile with the ground-based rotational Raman-Mie lidar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, Hongzhu; Zhang, Yinchao; Chen, Siying; Chen, He; Guo, Pan

    2018-06-01

    An iterative method, based on a derived inverse relationship between atmospheric backscatter coefficient and aerosol lidar ratio, is proposed to invert the lidar ratio profile and aerosol extinction coefficient. The feasibility of this method is investigated theoretically and experimentally. Simulation results show the inversion accuracy of aerosol optical properties for iterative method can be improved in the near-surface aerosol layer and the optical thick layer. Experimentally, as a result of the reduced insufficiency error and incoherence error, the aerosol optical properties with higher accuracy can be obtained in the near-surface region and the region of numerical derivative distortion. In addition, the particle component can be distinguished roughly based on this improved lidar ratio profile.

  15. Polarographic determination of trace amounts of thorium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zaofan Zhao; Xiaohua Cai; Peibiao Li; Handong Yang

    1986-07-01

    A sensitive linear-sweep polarographic method for the determination of thorium is described. It is based on the thorium complex with Xylidyl Blue I (XBI) in a medium containing ethylenediamine, 1, 10-phenanthroline, oxalic acid and ninhydrin, at pH 10.5-11.5. The complex has been proved to be Th(XBI)/sub 2/, with log ..beta..'=9.6. The method can be used to determine trace amounts of thorium over the range 3.5x10/sup -8/-3x10/sup -6/M. The detection limit is 1x10/sup -8/M. A solvent extraction procedure is necessary to eliminate interference from several cations. The method has been applied to determination of traces of thorium in minerals, with good results.

  16. Personality perception based on LinkedIn profiles

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van de Ven, Niels; Bogaert, Aniek; Serlie, Alec; Brandt, Mark; Denissen, Jaap

    2017-01-01

    Purpose. Job-related social networking websites (e.g., LinkedIn) are often used in the recruitment process because the profiles contain valuable information such as education level and work experience. We investigated whether people can accurately infer a profile owner’s self-rated personality

  17. Measurement of Selected Organic Trace Gases During TRACE-P

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atlas, Elliot

    2004-01-01

    Major goals of the TRACE-P mission were: 1) to investigate the chemical composition of radiatively important gases, aerosols, and their precursors in the Asian outflow over the western Pacific, and 2) to describe and understand the chemical evolution of the Asian outflow as it is transported and mixed into the global troposphere. The research performed as part of this proposal addressed these major goals with a study of the organic chemical composition of gases in the TRACE-P region. This work was a close collaboration with the Blake/Rowland research group at UC-Irvine, and they have provided a separate report for their funded effort.

  18. The mysterious trace amines: protean neuromodulators of synaptic transmission in mammalian brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burchett, Scott A; Hicks, T Philip

    2006-08-01

    The trace amines are a structurally related group of amines and their isomers synthesized in mammalian brain and peripheral nervous tissues. They are closely associated metabolically with the dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin neurotransmitter systems in mammalian brain. Like dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin the trace amines have been implicated in a vast array of human disorders of affect and cognition. The trace amines are unique as they are present in trace concentrations, exhibit high rates of metabolism and are distributed heterogeneously in mammalian brain. While some are synthesized in their parent amine neurotransmitter systems, there is also evidence to suggest other trace amines may comprise their own independent neurotransmitter systems. A substantial body of evidence suggests that the trace amines may play very significant roles in the coordination of biogenic amine-based synaptic physiology. At high concentrations, they have well-characterized presynaptic "amphetamine-like" effects on catecholamine and indolamine release, reuptake and biosynthesis; at lower concentrations, they possess postsynaptic modulatory effects that potentiate the activity of other neurotransmitters, particularly dopamine and serotonin. The trace amines also possess electrophysiological effects that are in opposition to these neurotransmitters, indicating to some researchers the existence of receptors specific for the trace amines. While binding sites or receptors for a few of the trace amines have been advanced, the absence of cloned receptor protein has impeded significant development of their detailed mechanistic roles in the coordination of catecholamine and indolamine synaptic physiology. The recent discovery and characterization of a family of mammalian G protein-coupled receptors responsive to trace amines such as beta-phenylethylamine, tyramine, and octopamine, including socially ingested psychotropic drugs such as amphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, N

  19. Simulating polarized light scattering in terrestrial snow based on bicontinuous random medium and Monte Carlo ray tracing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiong, Chuan; Shi, Jiancheng

    2014-01-01

    To date, the light scattering models of snow consider very little about the real snow microstructures. The ideal spherical or other single shaped particle assumptions in previous snow light scattering models can cause error in light scattering modeling of snow and further cause errors in remote sensing inversion algorithms. This paper tries to build up a snow polarized reflectance model based on bicontinuous medium, with which the real snow microstructure is considered. The accurate specific surface area of bicontinuous medium can be analytically derived. The polarized Monte Carlo ray tracing technique is applied to the computer generated bicontinuous medium. With proper algorithms, the snow surface albedo, bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) and polarized BRDF can be simulated. The validation of model predicted spectral albedo and bidirectional reflectance factor (BRF) using experiment data shows good results. The relationship between snow surface albedo and snow specific surface area (SSA) were predicted, and this relationship can be used for future improvement of snow specific surface area (SSA) inversion algorithms. The model predicted polarized reflectance is validated and proved accurate, which can be further applied in polarized remote sensing. -- Highlights: • Bicontinuous random medium were used for real snow microstructure modeling. • Photon tracing technique with polarization status tracking ability was applied. • SSA–albedo relationship of snow is close to that of sphere based medium. • Validation of albedo and BRDF showed good results. • Validation of polarized reflectance showed good agreement with experiment data

  20. Double-trace deformations of conformal correlations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giombi, Simone; Kirilin, Vladimir; Perlmutter, Eric

    2018-02-01

    Large N conformal field theories often admit unitary renormalization group flows triggered by double-trace deformations. We compute the change in scalar four-point functions under double-trace flow, to leading order in 1/ N. This has a simple dual in AdS, where the flow is implemented by a change of boundary conditions, and provides a physical interpretation of single-valued conformal partial waves. We extract the change in the conformal dimensions and three-point coefficients of infinite families of double-trace composite operators. Some of these quantities are found to be sign-definite under double-trace flow. As an application, we derive anomalous dimensions of spinning double-trace operators comprised of non-singlet constituents in the O( N) vector model.

  1. HEPATIC FATTY ACID PROFILE OF RATS FED A TRIHEPTANOIN-BASED KETOGENIC DIET.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vieira de Melo, Ingrid Sofia; Da Rocha Ataide, Terezinha; Lima de Oliveira, Suzana; Bezerra Bueno, Nassib; Duarte de Freitas, Johnnatan; Goulart Sant'Ana, Antônio Euzébio

    2015-07-01

    the aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of consumption of a ketogenic diet supplemented with triheptanoin, a medium-chain anaplerotic triacylglycerol, on the liver fatty acid profile of Wistar rats. three groups of male Wistar rats (n = 10) were submitted to an AIN-93 control diet, a triheptanoin- based ketogenic diet, or a soybean oil-based ketogenic diet for 60 days. Excised livers were subjected to lipid extraction and methylation to obtain fatty acids methyl esters, which were subjected to gas chromatography- mass spectrometry. compared to the rats fed the control diet, those fed ketogenic diets showed a significant reduction in the concentrations of 9-hexadecenoic and 9-octadecenoic acids, whereas those fed triheptanoin showed increased levels of octadecanoic acid. changes in the liver fatty acid profiles of the rats fed a triheptanoin-based or a soybean oil-based ketogenic diet did not seem to be related to the dietary fat source, but rather to the characteristics of the ketogenic diets themselves. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

  2. Comparison of GOME tropospheric NO2 columns with NO2 profiles deduced from ground-based in situ measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schaub, D.; Boersma, K. F.; Kaiser, J. W.; Weiss, A. K.; Folini, D.; Eskes, H. J.; Buchmann, B.

    2006-08-01

    Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) vertical tropospheric column densities (VTCs) retrieved from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) are compared to coincident ground-based tropospheric NO2 columns. The ground-based columns are deduced from in situ measurements at different altitudes in the Alps for 1997 to June 2003, yielding a unique long-term comparison of GOME NO2 VTC data retrieved by a collaboration of KNMI (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute) and BIRA/IASB (Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy) with independently derived tropospheric NO2 profiles. A first comparison relates the GOME retrieved tropospheric columns to the tropospheric columns obtained by integrating the ground-based NO2 measurements. For a second comparison, the tropospheric profiles constructed from the ground-based measurements are first multiplied with the averaging kernel (AK) of the GOME retrieval. The second approach makes the comparison independent from the a priori NO2 profile used in the GOME retrieval. This allows splitting the total difference between the column data sets into two contributions: one that is due to differences between the a priori and the ground-based NO2 profile shapes, and another that can be attributed to uncertainties in both the remaining retrieval parameters (such as, e.g., surface albedo or aerosol concentration) and the ground-based in situ NO2 profiles. For anticyclonic clear sky conditions the comparison indicates a good agreement between the columns (n=157, R=0.70/0.74 for the first/second comparison approach, respectively). The mean relative difference (with respect to the ground-based columns) is -7% with a standard deviation of 40% and GOME on average slightly underestimating the ground-based columns. Both data sets show a similar seasonal behaviour with a distinct maximum of spring NO2 VTCs. Further analysis indicates small GOME columns being systematically smaller than the ground-based ones. The influence of different shapes in the a priori and

  3. Trace spaces

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fajstrup, Lisbeth; Goubault, Eric; Haucourt, Emmanuel

    2012-01-01

    in the interleaving semantics of a concurrent program, but rather some equivalence classes. The purpose of this paper is to describe a new algorithm to compute such equivalence classes, and a representative per class, which is based on ideas originating in algebraic topology. We introduce a geometric semantics...... of concurrent languages, where programs are interpreted as directed topological spaces, and study its properties in order to devise an algorithm for computing dihomotopy classes of execution paths. In particular, our algorithm is able to compute a control-flow graph for concurrent programs, possibly containing...... loops, which is “as reduced as possible” in the sense that it generates traces modulo equivalence. A preliminary implementation was achieved, showing promising results towards efficient methods to analyze concurrent programs, with very promising results compared to partial-order reduction techniques....

  4. Roentgenographic studies of Korean adults profile with normal occlusion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Tae Won [College of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    1972-11-15

    A roentgraphic cephalometric study was made on the soft and hard tissue profile of Korean adults. The subject consisted of 52 males and 54 females from 17 to 22 years of age and with normal occlusion and acceptable profile. Twenty one landmarks were plotted and two oriented lines named SnH line and SnV line were drawn on the tracings of all cephalograms. The means and the standard deviations from the subjects were calculated in each measuring category and the means were compared with those of male and female samples. The results were obtained as follow: 1. In depth and height, individual variations and sex differences of the lower facial profile were larger than the upper face. 2. The sex differences of upper facial profile were larger in height than depth. 3. The individual variations and sex differences of the top of nose were the smallest in all measuring points. 4. The thickness of the soft tissue of upper face and upper lip in male sample were larger than those of female, but the same matter were not found in mental region.

  5. TCP Packet Trace Analysis. M.S. Thesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shepard, Timothy J.

    1991-01-01

    Examination of a trace of packets collected from the network is often the only method available for diagnosing protocol performance problems in computer networks. This thesis explores the use of packet traces to diagnose performance problems of the transport protocol TCP. Unfortunately, manual examination of these traces can be so tedious that effective analysis is not possible. The primary contribution of this thesis is a graphical method of displaying the packet trace which greatly reduce, the tediousness of examining a packet trace. The graphical method is demonstrated by the examination of some packet traces of typical TCP connections. The performance of two different implementations of TCP sending data across a particular network path is compared. Traces many thousands of packets long are used to demonstrate how effectively the graphical method simplifies examination of long complicated traces. In the comparison of the two TCP implementations, the burstiness of the TCP transmitter appeared to be related to the achieved throughput. A method of quantifying this burstiness is presented and its possible relevance to understanding the performance of TCP is discussed.

  6. On mean wind and turbulence profile measurements from ground-based wind lidars

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mikkelsen, Torben

    2009-01-01

    Two types of wind lidar?s have become available for ground-based vertical mean wind and turbulence profiling. A continuous wave (CW) wind lidar, and a pulsed wind lidar. Although they both are build upon the same recent 1.55 μ telecom fibre technology, they possess fundamental differences between...... their temporal and spatial resolution capabilities. A literature review of the two lidar systems spatial and temporal resolution characteristics will be presented, and the implication for the two lidar types vertical profile measurements of mean wind and turbulence in the lower atmospheric boundary layer...

  7. Climate-chemical interactions and greenhouse effects of trace gases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Guang-Yu; Fan, Xiao-Biao

    1994-01-01

    A completely coupled one-dimensional radiative-convective (RC) and photochemical-diffusion (PC) model has been developed recently and used to study the climate-chemical interactions. The importance of radiative-chemical interactions within the troposphere and stratosphere has been examined in some detail. We find that increases of radiatively and/or chemically active trace gases such as CO2, CH4 and N2O have both the direct effects and the indirect effects on climate change by changing the atmospheric O3 profile through their interaction with chemical processes in the atmosphere. It is also found that the climatic effect of ozone depends strongly on its vertical distribution throughout the troposphere and stratosphere, as well on its column amount in the atmosphere.

  8. Distribution of trace elements in moss biomonitors near Mumbai

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chakrabortty, S.; Paratkar, G.T.; Jha, S.K.; Puranik, V.D.

    2004-01-01

    Elemental composition of mosses from Mahabaleshwar, a remote hill station near Mumbai was measured. Trace element profiles of two different species of mosses were compared. Chemical analysis for washed and unwashed moss samples was done using Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (EDXRF) and Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) techniques in an attempt to understand the variation. The comparative concentration of Al, Sr , Zn and Rb in both the mosses reflected the order of abundance of metal in the soil. The enrichment factor of Pb, was found more in Pinnatella alopccuroides than the other one whereas enrichment factor of Cr was more in Pterobryopsis flexiceps compared to Pinnatella alopccuroides. So they can be preferentially used as bioindicators for respective elements. (author)

  9. Using client-side event logging and path tracing to assess and improve the quality of web-based surveys.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Thomas M; Hauan, Michael J

    2002-01-01

    Web-based data collection has considerable appeal. However, the quality of data collected using such instruments is often questionable. There can be systematic problems with the wording of the surveys, and/or the means with which they are deployed. In unsupervised data collection, there are also concerns about whether subjects understand the questions, and wehther they are answering honestly. This paper presents a schema for using client-side timestamps and traces of subjects' paths through instruments to detect problems with the definition of instruments and their deployment. We discuss two large, anonymous, web-based, medical surveys as examples of the utility of this approach.

  10. Linking genes to ecosystem trace gas fluxes in a large-scale model system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meredith, L. K.; Cueva, A.; Volkmann, T. H. M.; Sengupta, A.; Troch, P. A.

    2017-12-01

    Soil microorganisms mediate biogeochemical cycles through biosphere-atmosphere gas exchange with significant impact on atmospheric trace gas composition. Improving process-based understanding of these microbial populations and linking their genomic potential to the ecosystem-scale is a challenge, particularly in soil systems, which are heterogeneous in biodiversity, chemistry, and structure. In oligotrophic systems, such as the Landscape Evolution Observatory (LEO) at Biosphere 2, atmospheric trace gas scavenging may supply critical metabolic needs to microbial communities, thereby promoting tight linkages between microbial genomics and trace gas utilization. This large-scale model system of three initially homogenous and highly instrumented hillslopes facilitates high temporal resolution characterization of subsurface trace gas fluxes at hundreds of sampling points, making LEO an ideal location to study microbe-mediated trace gas fluxes from the gene to ecosystem scales. Specifically, we focus on the metabolism of ubiquitous atmospheric reduced trace gases hydrogen (H2), carbon monoxide (CO), and methane (CH4), which may have wide-reaching impacts on microbial community establishment, survival, and function. Additionally, microbial activity on LEO may facilitate weathering of the basalt matrix, which can be studied with trace gas measurements of carbonyl sulfide (COS/OCS) and carbon dioxide (O-isotopes in CO2), and presents an additional opportunity for gene to ecosystem study. This work will present initial measurements of this suite of trace gases to characterize soil microbial metabolic activity, as well as links between spatial and temporal variability of microbe-mediated trace gas fluxes in LEO and their relation to genomic-based characterization of microbial community structure (phylogenetic amplicons) and genetic potential (metagenomics). Results from the LEO model system will help build understanding of the importance of atmospheric inputs to

  11. Classification of conductance traces with recurrent neural networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lauritzen, Kasper P.; Magyarkuti, András; Balogh, Zoltán; Halbritter, András; Solomon, Gemma C.

    2018-02-01

    We present a new automated method for structural classification of the traces obtained in break junction experiments. Using recurrent neural networks trained on the traces of minimal cross-sectional area in molecular dynamics simulations, we successfully separate the traces into two classes: point contact or nanowire. This is done without any assumptions about the expected features of each class. The trained neural network is applied to experimental break junction conductance traces, and it separates the classes as well as the previously used experimental methods. The effect of using partial conductance traces is explored, and we show that the method performs equally well using full or partial traces (as long as the trace just prior to breaking is included). When only the initial part of the trace is included, the results are still better than random chance. Finally, we show that the neural network classification method can be used to classify experimental conductance traces without using simulated results for training, but instead training the network on a few representative experimental traces. This offers a tool to recognize some characteristic motifs of the traces, which can be hard to find by simple data selection algorithms.

  12. Reactor protection system software test-case selection based on input-profile considering concurrent events and uncertainties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khalaquzzaman, M.; Lee, Seung Jun; Cho, Jaehyun; Jung, Wondea

    2016-01-01

    Recently, the input-profile-based testing for safety critical software has been proposed for determining the number of test cases and quantifying the failure probability of the software. Input-profile of a reactor protection system (RPS) software is the input which causes activation of the system for emergency shutdown of a reactor. This paper presents a method to determine the input-profile of a RPS software which considers concurrent events/transients. A deviation of a process parameter value begins through an event and increases owing to the concurrent multi-events depending on the correlation of process parameters and severity of incidents. A case of reactor trip caused by feedwater loss and main steam line break is simulated and analyzed to determine the RPS software input-profile and estimate the number of test cases. The different sizes of the main steam line breaks (e.g., small, medium, large break) with total loss of feedwater supply are considered in constructing the input-profile. The uncertainties of the simulation related to the input-profile-based software testing are also included. Our study is expected to provide an option to determine test cases and quantification of RPS software failure probability. (author)

  13. Sampling solution traces for the problem of sorting permutations by signed reversals

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background Traditional algorithms to solve the problem of sorting by signed reversals output just one optimal solution while the space of all optimal solutions can be huge. A so-called trace represents a group of solutions which share the same set of reversals that must be applied to sort the original permutation following a partial ordering. By using traces, we therefore can represent the set of optimal solutions in a more compact way. Algorithms for enumerating the complete set of traces of solutions were developed. However, due to their exponential complexity, their practical use is limited to small permutations. A partial enumeration of traces is a sampling of the complete set of traces and can be an alternative for the study of distinct evolutionary scenarios of big permutations. Ideally, the sampling should be done uniformly from the space of all optimal solutions. This is however conjectured to be ♯P-complete. Results We propose and evaluate three algorithms for producing a sampling of the complete set of traces that instead can be shown in practice to preserve some of the characteristics of the space of all solutions. The first algorithm (RA) performs the construction of traces through a random selection of reversals on the list of optimal 1-sequences. The second algorithm (DFALT) consists in a slight modification of an algorithm that performs the complete enumeration of traces. Finally, the third algorithm (SWA) is based on a sliding window strategy to improve the enumeration of traces. All proposed algorithms were able to enumerate traces for permutations with up to 200 elements. Conclusions We analysed the distribution of the enumerated traces with respect to their height and average reversal length. Various works indicate that the reversal length can be an important aspect in genome rearrangements. The algorithms RA and SWA show a tendency to lose traces with high average reversal length. Such traces are however rare, and qualitatively our results

  14. Fen+ beam profile diagnostics based on Al2O3: Cr scintillating screen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    He Tie; Lei Jiarong; Liu Meng; An Li; Wang Xinhua; Zheng Pu

    2013-01-01

    Some techniques of beam profile measurements such as wire rotating scan, Faraday cups array and infrared imaging were investigated. A measurement device was built based on scintillating screen to cater for the demand of accelerator beam profile diagnostics. The device was bombarded under several tens to hundred nanoampere Fe n+ (n=5-12) ion beam. The Fe n+ ion beam experiment shows that the imaging saturation is mainly caused by light intensity rather than scintillating screen. A way to solve the saturation problem with a specially developed lens was mentioned. The grayscale of beam profile imaging is approximately linear with respect to the beam intensity, and the reason for formation of this relationship was analyzed. (authors)

  15. Lyapunov-based distributed control of the safety-factor profile in a tokamak plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bribiesca Argomedo, Federico; Witrant, Emmanuel; Prieur, Christophe; Brémond, Sylvain; Nouailletas, Rémy; Artaud, Jean-François

    2013-01-01

    A real-time model-based controller is developed for the tracking of the distributed safety-factor profile in a tokamak plasma. Using relevant physical models and simplifying assumptions, theoretical stability and robustness guarantees were obtained using a Lyapunov function. This approach considers the couplings between the poloidal flux diffusion equation, the time-varying temperature profiles and an independent total plasma current control. The actuator chosen for the safety-factor profile tracking is the lower hybrid current drive, although the results presented can be easily extended to any non-inductive current source. The performance and robustness of the proposed control law is evaluated with a physics-oriented simulation code on Tore Supra experimental test cases. (paper)

  16. Béatrice Galinon-Mélénec (dir., L’Homme trace : perspectives anthropologiques des traces contemporaines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Annick Monseigne

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available En première de couverture, une photographie qui a marqué un tournant dans l’histoire de l’Homme du XXème siècle : l’empreinte du premier pas d’un homme sur la Lune. Deux chapitres liminaires (pp. 15-55 où le directeur de l’ouvrage pose la question de la mise en place de traces symboliques, de la polysémie des traces, de l’absence de trace comme indice, du rôle de l’indexation pour lever la polysémie des signes et enfin de l’enjeu de la traçabilité des traces ouvrent les questions relatives ...

  17. Ray Tracing for Dispersive Tsunamis and Source Amplitude Estimation Based on Green's Law: Application to the 2015 Volcanic Tsunami Earthquake Near Torishima, South of Japan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandanbata, Osamu; Watada, Shingo; Satake, Kenji; Fukao, Yoshio; Sugioka, Hiroko; Ito, Aki; Shiobara, Hajime

    2018-04-01

    Ray tracing, which has been widely used for seismic waves, was also applied to tsunamis to examine the bathymetry effects during propagation, but it was limited to linear shallow-water waves. Green's law, which is based on the conservation of energy flux, has been used to estimate tsunami amplitude on ray paths. In this study, we first propose a new ray tracing method extended to dispersive tsunamis. By using an iterative algorithm to map two-dimensional tsunami velocity fields at different frequencies, ray paths at each frequency can be traced. We then show that Green's law is valid only outside the source region and that extension of Green's law is needed for source amplitude estimation. As an application example, we analyzed tsunami waves generated by an earthquake that occurred at a submarine volcano, Smith Caldera, near Torishima, Japan, in 2015. The ray-tracing results reveal that the ray paths are very dependent on its frequency, particularly at deep oceans. The validity of our frequency-dependent ray tracing is confirmed by the comparison of arrival angles and travel times with those of observed tsunami waveforms at an array of ocean bottom pressure gauges. The tsunami amplitude at the source is nearly twice or more of that just outside the source estimated from the array tsunami data by Green's law.

  18. 2-D Low Energy Electron Beam Profile Measurement Based on Computer Tomography Algorithm with Multi-Wire Scanner

    CERN Document Server

    Yu, Nengjie; Li Qing Feng; Tang, Chuan-Xiang; Zheng, Shuxin

    2005-01-01

    A new method for low energy electron beam profile measurement is advanced, which presents a full 2-D beam profile distribution other than the traditional 2-D beam profile distribution given by 1-D vertical and horizontal beam profiles. The method is based on the CT (Computer Tomography) algorithm. Multi-sets of data about the 1-D beam profile projections are attained by rotating the multi-wire scanner. Then a 2-D beam profile is reconstructed from these projections with CT algorithm. The principle of this method is presented. The simulation and the experiment results are compared and analyzed in detail.

  19. Mass-produced lonophore-based fluorescent microspheres for trace level determination of lead ions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Telting-Diaz, Martin; Bakker, Eric

    2002-10-15

    The development and characterization of small, uniform, and mass-produced plasticized PVC-based sensing microspheres in view of rapid trace level analysis of lead ions is reported. Micrometer-sized particles obtained via an automated casting process were rendered selective for lead ions by doping them with highly selective components in a manner analogous to traditional optode sensing films. Single particles that contained the lipophilic ionophore N,N,N',N'-tetradodecyl-3-6-dioxaoctane-1-thio-8-oxodiamide (ETH 5493), the chromoionophore ETH 5418 together with a lipophilized indocarbocyanine derivative as internal reference dye (DiIC18), and lipophilic ion-exchanger sites sodium tetrakis[3,5-bistrifluoromethylphenyl]borate, yielded measurable lead responses at the low nanomolar level in pH buffered solutions. The detection limit for single particles was 3 x 10(-9) M at pH 5.7. The microspheres were fabricated via a reproducible formation of polymer droplets within a flowing aqueous phase followed by collection of spherical particles of approximately 13 microm in size. The particles were immobilized and assayed individually in a microflow cell via fluorescence microscopy. Selectivity patterns found were in agreement with those reported earlier for the lead-selective ligand ETH 5493, and all response functions were fully described by theory. In contrast to optode films that necessitated very long equilibration times and large sample volumes in diluted samples of analyte, particles exhibited extremely enhanced equilibrium response times. Thus, for lead sample concentrations at and above 5 x 10(-8) M, response times were approximately 3 min, whereas at the detection limit, complete equilibrium was recorded after just 15 min, with required sample volumes on the order of 1 mL This new class of microspheres appears to be suitable for rapid and sensitive ion detection at trace levels in environmental and biological applications.

  20. Trace elements record complex histories in diogenites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balta, J. B.; Beck, A. W.; McSween, H. Y.

    2012-12-01

    Diogenite meteorites are cumulate rocks composed mostly of orthopyroxene and chemically linked to eucrites (basaltic) and howardites (brecciated mixtures of diogenites and eucrites). Together, they represent the largest single family of achondrite meteorites delivered to Earth, and have been spectrally linked to the asteroid 4 Vesta, the largest remaining basaltic protoplanet. However, this spectral link is non-unique as many basaltic asteroids likely formed and were destroyed in the early solar system. Recent work suggested that Vesta may be an unlikely parent body for the diogenites based on correlations between trace elements and short-lived isotope decay products, which would be unlikely to survive on a body as large as Vesta due to its long cooling history [1]. Recent analyses of terrestrial and martian olivines have demonstrated that trace element spatial distributions can preserve evidence of their crystallization history even when major elements have been homogenized [2]. We have mapped minor elements including Cr, Al, and Ti in seemingly homogeneous diogenite orthopyroxenes and found a variety of previously unobserved textures. The pyroxenes in one sample (GRA 98108) are seemingly large grains of variable shapes and sizes, but the trace elements reveal internal grain boundaries between roughly-equal sized original subgrains, with equilibrated metamorphic triple junctions between them and trace element depletions at the boundaries. These trends suggest extraction of trace elements by a magma along those relict grain boundaries during a reheating event. Two other samples show evidence of fracturing and annealing, with trace element mobility within grains. One sample appears to have remained a closed system during annealing (MET 01084), while the other has interacted with a fluid or magma to move elements along annealed cracks (LEW 88679). These relict features establish that the history of diogenite pyroxenes is more complex than their homogeneous major

  1. Long Term Association of Tropospheric Trace gases over Pakistan by exploiting satellite observations and development of Econometric Regression based Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeb, Naila; Fahim Khokhar, Muhammad; Khan, Saud Ahmed; Noreen, Asma; Murtaza, Rabbia

    2017-04-01

    Air pollution is the expected key environmental issue of Pakistan as it is ranked among top polluted countries in the region. Ongoing rapid economic growth without any adequate measures is leading to worst air quality over time. The study aims to monitor long term atmospheric composition and association of trace gases over Pakistan. Tropospheric concentrations of CO, TOC, NO2 and HCHO derived from multiple satellite instruments are used for study from year 2005 to 2014. The study will provide first database for tropospheric trace gases over Pakistan. Spatio-temporal assessment identified hotspots and possible sources of trace gases over the Pakistan. High concentrations of trace gases are mainly observed over Punjab region, which may be attributed to its metropolitan importance. It is the major agricultural, industrialized and urbanized (nearly 60 % of the Pakistan's population) sector of the country. The expected sources are the agricultural fires, biomass/fossil fuel burning for heating purposes, urbanization, industrialization and meteorological variations. Seasonal variability is observed to explore seasonal patterns over the decade. Well defined seasonal cycles of trace gases are observed over the whole study period. The observed seasonal patterns also showed some noteworthy association among trace gases, which is further explored by different statistical tests. Seasonal Mann Kendall test is applied to test the significance of trend in series whereas correlation is carried out to measure the strength of association among trace gases. Strong correlation is observed for trace gases especially between CO and TOC. Partial Mann Kendall test is used to ideally identify the impact of each covariate on long term trend of CO and TOC by partialling out each correlating trace gas (covariate). It is observed that TOC, NO2 and HCHO has significant impact on long term trend of CO whereas, TOC critically depends on NO2 concentrations for long term increase over the region

  2. Nanodroplet processing platform for deep and quantitative proteome profiling of 10-100 mammalian cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Ying; Piehowski, Paul D; Zhao, Rui; Chen, Jing; Shen, Yufeng; Moore, Ronald J; Shukla, Anil K; Petyuk, Vladislav A; Campbell-Thompson, Martha; Mathews, Clayton E; Smith, Richard D; Qian, Wei-Jun; Kelly, Ryan T

    2018-02-28

    Nanoscale or single-cell technologies are critical for biomedical applications. However, current mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomic approaches require samples comprising a minimum of thousands of cells to provide in-depth profiling. Here, we report the development of a nanoPOTS (nanodroplet processing in one pot for trace samples) platform for small cell population proteomics analysis. NanoPOTS enhances the efficiency and recovery of sample processing by downscaling processing volumes to 3000 proteins are consistently identified from as few as 10 cells. Furthermore, we demonstrate quantification of ~2400 proteins from single human pancreatic islet thin sections from type 1 diabetic and control donors, illustrating the application of nanoPOTS for spatially resolved proteome measurements from clinical tissues.

  3. Quantifying mantle structure and dynamics using plume tracing in seismic tomography

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Farrell, K. A.; Eakin, C. M.; Jackson, M. G.; Jones, T. D.; Lekic, V.; Lithgow-Bertelloni, C. R.

    2017-12-01

    Directly linking deep mantle processes with surface features and dynamics is a complex problem. Hotspot volcanism gives us surface observables of mantle signatures, but the depth and source of the mantle plumes feeding these hotspots are highly debated. To address these issues, it is necessary to consider the entire journey of a plume through the mantle. By analyzing the behavior of mantle plumes we can constrain the vigor of mantle convection, the net rotation of the mantle and the role of thermal versus chemical anomalies as well as the bulk physical properties such as the viscosity profile. To do this, we developed a new algorithm to trace plume-like features in shear-wave (Vs) seismic tomography models based on picking local minima in the velocity and searching for continuous features with depth. We applied this method to recent tomographic models and find 60+ continuous plume conduits that are > 750 km long. Approximately a third of these can be associated with known hotspots at the surface. We analyze the morphology of these continuous conduits and infer large scale mantle flow patterns and properties. We find the largest lateral deflections in the conduits occur near the base of the lower mantle and in the upper mantle (near the thermal boundary layers). The preferred orientation of the plume deflections show large variability at all depths and indicate no net mantle rotation. Plate by plate analysis shows little agreement in deflection below particular plates, indicating these deflected features might be long lived and not caused by plate shearing. Changes in the gradient of plume deflection are inferred to correspond with viscosity contrasts in the mantle and found below the transition zone as well as at 1000 km depth. From this inferred viscosity structure, we explore the dynamics of a plume through these viscosity jumps. We also retrieve the Vs profiles for the conduits and compare with the velocity profiles predicted for different mantle adiabat

  4. Computer program for optical systems ray tracing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferguson, T. J.; Konn, H.

    1967-01-01

    Program traces rays of light through optical systems consisting of up to 65 different optical surfaces and computes the aberrations. For design purposes, paraxial tracings with astigmation and third order tracings are provided.

  5. Holographic models and the QCD trace anomaly

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goity, Jose L.; Trinchero, Roberto C.

    2012-01-01

    Five dimensional dilaton models are considered as possible holographic duals of the pure gauge QCD vacuum. In the framework of these models, the QCD trace anomaly equation is considered. Each quantity appearing in that equation is computed by holographic means. Two exact solutions for different dilaton potentials corresponding to perturbative and non-perturbative β-functions are studied. It is shown that in the perturbative case, where the β-function is the QCD one at leading order, the resulting space is not asymptotically AdS. In the non-perturbative case, the model considered presents confinement of static quarks and leads to a non-vanishing gluon condensate, although it does not correspond to an asymptotically free theory. In both cases analyses based on the trace anomaly and on Wilson loops are carried out.

  6. Effect of fouling on removal of trace organic compounds by nanofiltration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Hajibabania

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available The fate of chemical of concern is not yet fully understood during treatment of impaired waters. The aim of this paper is to assess the impact of different organic-based fouling layers on the removal of a large range of trace organics. Both model and real water samples (mixed with trace organic contaminants at environmental concentration of 2 μg l−1 were used to simulate fouling in nanofiltration under controlled environment. The new and fouled membranes were systematically characterised for surface charge, hydrophobicity and roughness. It was observed that fouling generally reduced the membrane surface charge; however, the alterations of the membrane hydrophobicity and surface roughness were dependent on the foulants composition. The rejection of charged trace organics was observed to be improved due to the increased electrostatic repulsion by fouled membranes and the adsorption of the trace organic chemicals onto organic matters. On the other hand, the removal of nonionic compounds decreased when fouling occurred, due to the presence of cake enhanced concentration polarization. The fouling layer structure was found to play an important role in the rejection of the trace organic compounds.

  7. Comparison of GOME tropospheric NO2 columns with NO2 profiles deduced from ground-based in situ measurements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Schaub

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Nitrogen dioxide (NO2 vertical tropospheric column densities (VTCs retrieved from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME are compared to coincident ground-based tropospheric NO2 columns. The ground-based columns are deduced from in situ measurements at different altitudes in the Alps for 1997 to June 2003, yielding a unique long-term comparison of GOME NO2 VTC data retrieved by a collaboration of KNMI (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute and BIRA/IASB (Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy with independently derived tropospheric NO2 profiles. A first comparison relates the GOME retrieved tropospheric columns to the tropospheric columns obtained by integrating the ground-based NO2 measurements. For a second comparison, the tropospheric profiles constructed from the ground-based measurements are first multiplied with the averaging kernel (AK of the GOME retrieval. The second approach makes the comparison independent from the a priori NO2 profile used in the GOME retrieval. This allows splitting the total difference between the column data sets into two contributions: one that is due to differences between the a priori and the ground-based NO2 profile shapes, and another that can be attributed to uncertainties in both the remaining retrieval parameters (such as, e.g., surface albedo or aerosol concentration and the ground-based in situ NO2 profiles. For anticyclonic clear sky conditions the comparison indicates a good agreement between the columns (n=157, R=0.70/0.74 for the first/second comparison approach, respectively. The mean relative difference (with respect to the ground-based columns is −7% with a standard deviation of 40% and GOME on average slightly underestimating the ground-based columns. Both data sets show a similar seasonal behaviour with a distinct maximum of spring NO2 VTCs. Further analysis indicates small GOME columns being systematically smaller than the ground-based ones. The influence of different shapes in the a

  8. Trace Elements and Vitamin D in Gestational Diabetes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Genova Mariana

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM, one of the most common pregnancy complications, is defined as glucose intolerance with onset or first recognition during pregnancy. Its prevalence varies worldwide in dependence on characteristics of the underlying population and applied diagnostic criteria. The etiology is multifactorial and not sufficiently elucidated. Available evidence suggests that the base of pathogenesis is relatively diminished insulin secretion coupled with pregnancy-induced insulin resistance. Modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for development have been identified. Trace elements and vitamin D could be contributed to modifiable factors for prediction the risk in a large population. Essential trace elements in pregnancy are necessary to overcome systemic oxidative, metabolic and inflammatory stress. Evidence, still inconclusive, has been accumulated about the relation between higher incidence of vitamin D failure/deficiency during pregnancy and GDM. The lower level of 25-OH vitamin D could be associated with increased risk for anemia development, also including pregnant women. This review intends to provide an overview of the possible link between both vitamin D and trace elements as risk factors for GDM development.

  9. Do Peripheral Refraction and Aberration Profiles Vary with the Type of Myopia? - An Illustration Using a Ray-Tracing Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ravi C. Bakaraju

    2009-01-01

    Conclusion: This study has indicated that myopic eyes with primarily an axial component may have a greater risk of progression than their refractive counterparts albeit with the same degree of refractive error. This prediction emerges from the presented theoretical ray tracing model and, therefore, requires clinical confirmation.

  10. MAX-DOAS aerosol and trace gases measurements in megacities in China

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Xin [Institut fuer Energie- und Klimaforschung, Forschungszentrum Juelich (Germany); College of Environmental Science and Engineering Peking University, Beijing (China); Brauers, Theo [Institut fuer Energie- und Klimaforschung, Forschungszentrum Juelich (Germany); Shao, Min [College of Environmental Science and Engineering Peking University, Beijing (China)

    2011-07-01

    Multi Axis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (MAXDOAS) is a new remote sensing technique to measure atmospheric trace gases. Compared to other areas in the world, the atmospheric observations in megacities in China are rather limited. We present MAX-DOAS measurements at four sites in Beijing and Guangzhou in 2006 and 2008. At each site, the scattered sunlight was recorded at 7 elevation angles for about 1 months. Using the zenith spectrum as reference, the Differential Slant Column Densities (DSCDs) of HCHO, CHOCHO, O{sub 4} and NO{sub 2} at offaxis viewing geometries were derived from the DOAS fit. These DSCDs were simulated using a backward Monte Carlo radiative transfer model. The aerosol and trace gas profiles were defined by 3 parameters: the integrated quantities (T), the height of the surface layer (H), and the fraction of T below H. We fitted the modeled values to the measured values at the corresponding viewing geometries by varying the 3 parameters. The aerosol extinction and the boundary layer height were successfully retrieved from the measured O{sub 4} DSCDs as well as ground level concentrations of CHOCHO, HCHO, and NO{sub 2}, the latter being compared to simultaneous in-situ measurements.

  11. Trace formulae for arithmetical systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bogomolny, E.B.; Georgeot, B.; Giannoni, M.J.; Schmit, C.

    1992-09-01

    For quantum problems on the pseudo-sphere generated by arithmetic groups there exist special trace formulae, called trace formulae for Hecke operators, which permit the reconstruction of wave functions from the knowledge of periodic orbits. After a short discussion of this subject, the Hecke operators trace formulae are presented for the Dirichlet problem on the modular billiard, which is a prototype of arithmetical systems. The results of numerical computations for these semiclassical type relations are in good agreement with the directly computed eigenfunctions. (author) 23 refs.; 2 figs

  12. Comparison of three sensory profiling methods based on consumer perception

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Reinbach, Helene Christine; Giacalone, Davide; Ribeiro, Letícia Machado

    2014-01-01

    The present study compares three profiling methods based on consumer perceptions in their ability to discriminate and describe eight beers. Consumers (N=135) evaluated eight different beers using Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) methodology in two variations, with (n=63) and without (n=73) rating...... the intensity of the checked descriptors. With CATA, consumers rated 38 descriptors grouped in 7 overall categories (berries, floral, hoppy, nutty, roasted, spicy/herbal and woody). Additionally 40 of the consumers evaluated the same samples by partial Napping® followed by Ultra Flash Profiling (UFP). ANOVA...... comparisons the RV coefficients varied between 0.90 and 0.97, indicating a very high similarity between all three methods. These results show that the precision and reproducibility of sensory information obtained by consumers by CATA is comparable to that of Napping. The choice of methodology for consumer...

  13. Writer identification using directional ink-trace width measurements

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brink, A. A.; Smit, J.; Bulacu, M. L.; Schomaker, L. R. B.

    As suggested by modern paleography, the width of ink traces is a powerful source of information for off-line writer identification, particularly if combined with its direction. Such measurements can be computed using simple, fast and accurate methods based on pixel contours, the combination of which

  14. The fossil record of crocodilian tracks and traces: an overview

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lockley, Martin G.; Lucas, Spencer; Milàn, Jesper

    2010-01-01

    This volume fills a gap in the ichnological literature on crocodylian tracks and other traces (bite marks and coprolites). The definition of Crocodylia is presently in flux as both crown-based and stem-based definitions are present in the literature. The present volume provides articles focused o...

  15. Tracing the Chernobyl fall-out peak in Finnish lake sediments in order to obtain a good time marker

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jungner, H.

    1998-01-01

    The fall-out 137 Cs from the Chernobyl accident has been traced in sediments from a few lakes in Finland in order to obtain a time marker in the uppermost sediment layer. A beta multicounter system developed at Risoe was used for detection of the radionuclides. The detector system is based on GM counters and has therefore no energy resolution. It is thus not possible to identify different nuclides with the counting system. The low background and good efficiency of this detector makes it possible to use small amount of sample and thus good depth resolution can be obtained for the sediment profile. A clear advantage is that practically no sample preparation is needed. Beside providing a time marker for year 1986 in a sediment, the activity depth profile obtained can provide information about sedimentation conditions and the removal of the fall-out cesium from the lake water. The influence from natural radionuclides in the sediment material, however, puts a limit to the lowest detection level, and makes detailed mobility studies difficult. For direct home marking the beta counter is, however, an effective tool. (orig.)

  16. Application of trace element analysis to determine trace element concentrations in the field of medicine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kasperek, K.; Feinendegen, L.E.

    1976-01-01

    Applied trace elements research in medicine requires a sensitive and efficient technique of trace elements analysis such as, e.g., neutron activation analysis. Essential trace elements act as stabilisators (iron in haem), structural elements (silicium in fibrous tissue), in hormones (iodine in thyroid hormone), in vitamins (cobalt in vitamin B 12), and in enzymes. Most of the essential trace elements act as coenzymes or in coenzymes or directly as metabolic catalysators. For example, selenium deficiency in PKU and maple syrup patients receiving dietary treatment can be detected by determining the selenium content of the serum, while low selenium values in the whole blood indicate liver cirrhosis. Acrodermatitis enteropathica can be diagnosed by determinig zinc in the serum, and pancreatic insufficiency by determining zinc in the pancreatic juice. Zinc also plays a part in disturbances of growth, in the healing of wounds, and in the insulin metabolism. Cobalt is important in some types of anaemia and in myocardiopathies. Trace elements are also necessary in the treatment of diseases, e.g. iron cobalt in some types of anaemia, and zinc in the delayed healing of wounds in the postoperative phase and in acrodermatitis enteropathica. Chromium is now being tested for the treatment of diabetes mellitus, and fluorides may be of interest in the treatment of osteoporosis. Finally, trace elements are important in the aetiology of acute poisoning, in nutrition, and in environmental protection. (orig./AK) [de

  17. A comparison of instrumentation using Naviflex and Profile nickel-titanium engine-driven rotary instruments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ottosen, S R; Nicholls, J I; Steiner, J C

    1999-06-01

    This study was designed to compare the changes in canal configuration resulting from instrumentation by either Profile or Naviflex instruments. Forty mesial canals in extracted human molar teeth were embedded and sectioned at two root levels. Reassembled teeth were instrumented with a modified crown-down technique as described in the Profile training video for Profile files and in a similar manner for Naviflex instruments. Superimposed pre- and postinstrumented cross-sectional root images were projected, traced, and scanned into a computer for analysis. Canal movement, in relation to the furca, and canal area change were recorded. The results showed no significant difference in canal center movement or canal area change between the Profile or Naviflex groups. The degree of canal curvature had no effect on canal center movement or canal area change.

  18. Macro and trace elements in Paracentrotus lividus gonads from South West Atlantic areas

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Camacho, Carolina; Rocha, A. Cristina; Barbosa, Vera L.

    2018-01-01

    Sea urchin represents one of the most valuable seafood product being harvested and explored for their edible part, the gonads or roe. This species is generally considered a sentinel organism for ecotoxicological studies being widely used in monitoring programs to assess coastal aquatic environments...... quality, because is directly exposed to anthropogenic contaminants in their habitat. In this context, the aim of this study is to evaluate the concentrations of macro (Cl, K, P, Ca, S) and trace (Zn, Br, Fe, Sr, I, Se, Rb, Cu, Cr, Ni, As, iAs, Cd, Pb, Hg) elements in Paracentrotus lividus gonads from...... three South West Atlantic production areas subjected to distinct environmental and anthropogenic pressures. In all studied areas, the elements profile in sea urchin gonads was Cl > K > P > Ca > S > Zn > Br > Fe > Sr > I > Rb > Cu > Se > Cr > Ni, suggesting an element guide profile with special interest...

  19. Driving profile modeling and recognition based on soft computing approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wahab, Abdul; Quek, Chai; Tan, Chin Keong; Takeda, Kazuya

    2009-04-01

    Advancements in biometrics-based authentication have led to its increasing prominence and are being incorporated into everyday tasks. Existing vehicle security systems rely only on alarms or smart card as forms of protection. A biometric driver recognition system utilizing driving behaviors is a highly novel and personalized approach and could be incorporated into existing vehicle security system to form a multimodal identification system and offer a greater degree of multilevel protection. In this paper, detailed studies have been conducted to model individual driving behavior in order to identify features that may be efficiently and effectively used to profile each driver. Feature extraction techniques based on Gaussian mixture models (GMMs) are proposed and implemented. Features extracted from the accelerator and brake pedal pressure were then used as inputs to a fuzzy neural network (FNN) system to ascertain the identity of the driver. Two fuzzy neural networks, namely, the evolving fuzzy neural network (EFuNN) and the adaptive network-based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), are used to demonstrate the viability of the two proposed feature extraction techniques. The performances were compared against an artificial neural network (NN) implementation using the multilayer perceptron (MLP) network and a statistical method based on the GMM. Extensive testing was conducted and the results show great potential in the use of the FNN for real-time driver identification and verification. In addition, the profiling of driver behaviors has numerous other potential applications for use by law enforcement and companies dealing with buses and truck drivers.

  20. GC/MS-based profiling of amino acids and TCA cycle-related molecules in ulcerative colitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ooi, Makoto; Nishiumi, Shin; Yoshie, Tomoo; Shiomi, Yuuki; Kohashi, Michitaka; Fukunaga, Ken; Nakamura, Shiro; Matsumoto, Takayuki; Hatano, Naoya; Shinohara, Masakazu; Irino, Yasuhiro; Takenawa, Tadaomi; Azuma, Takeshi; Yoshida, Masaru

    2011-09-01

    The roles that amino acids play in immunity and inflammation are well defined, and the relationship between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and certain amino acids has recently attracted attention. In this study, the levels of amino acids and trichloroacetic acid (TCA) cycle-related molecules in the colonic tissues and sera of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) were profiled by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), with the aim of evaluating whether the clinical state induced by UC leads to variations in the amino acid profile. Colonic biopsy samples from 22 UC patients were used, as well as serum samples from UC patients (n = 13), Crohn's disease (CD) patients (n = 21), and healthy volunteers (n = 17). In the GC/MS-based profiling of amino acids and TCA cycle-related molecules, lower levels of 16 amino acids and 5 TCA cycle-related molecules were observed in the colonic lesion tissues of the UC patients, and the serum profiles of amino acids and TCA cycle-related molecules of the UC patients were different from those of the CD patients and healthy volunteers. Our study raises the possibility that GC/MS-based profiling of amino acids and TCA cycle-related molecules is a useful early diagnostic tool for UC.

  1. Diagnosing MOV problems using comparative trace analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leon, R.L.

    1992-01-01

    The paper presents the concept of comparative trace analysis and shows it to be very effective in diagnosing motor operated valve (MOV) problems. Comparative trace analysis is simply the process of interpreting simultaneously gathered traces, each presenting a different perspective on the same series of events. The opening and closing of a motor operated valve is such a series of events. The simultaneous traces are obtained using Liberty Technologies' Valve Operation Test and Evaluation System (VOTES)reg-sign. The traces include stem thrust, motor current, motor power factor, motor power, switch actuations, vibration in three different frequency bands, spring pack displacement, and spring pack force. Spare and auxiliary channels enable additional key parameters to be measured, such as differential pressure and stem displacement. Though not specifically illustrated in this paper, the VOTES system also provides for FFT analysis on all traces except switches

  2. Ray Tracing Study on Top ECCD Launch in KSTAR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bae Young-soon

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The current drive efficiency of electron cyclotron (EC wave is typically low compared with other RF and neutral beam heating system in tokamak. It is known that EC current drive by outboard launch suffers from low current drive efficiency due to electron trapping. However, the heating and current drive by EC wave is being regarded as a strong candidate for DEMO reactor due to the simplicity of the launcher, none of its interaction with plasma, and no coupling issue at the plasma edge. Also, off-axis heating and current drive by EC wave plays an important role of steady state operation optimization. To enhance the current drive efficiency in DEMO-relevant operation condition having high density and high temperature, the top launch of EC wave is recently proposed in FNSF design [2]. In FNSF, a top launch makes use of a large toroidal component to the launch direction adjusting the vertical launch angle so that the rays propagate nearly parallel to the resonance layer increasing of Doppler shift with higher n||. The results shows a high dimensional efficiency for a broad ECCD profile peaked off axis. In KSTAR, the possibility of efficient off-axis ECCD using top launch is investigated using the ray tracing code, GENRAY [3] for the operating EC frequencies (105 GHz or 140 GHz, and 170 GHz. The high current drive efficiency is found by adjusting the toroidal magnetic field and the radial pivot position of the final launcher mirror for fundamental O-mode and second harmonic X-mode. A large Doppler shift is not quite sure in the typical plasma profile in KSTAR, but the simulation results show high current drive efficiency. This paper presents ray tracing results for many cases with the wave trajectories and damping of EC by scanning the launching angle for specific launcher pivot positions and toroidal magnetic field, and two equilibriums of the KSTAR.

  3. Trace elemental analysis of human breast cancerous blood by advanced PC-WDXRF technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Ranjit; Kainth, Harpreet Singh; Prasher, Puneet; Singh, Tejbir

    2018-03-01

    The objective of this work is to quantify the trace elements of healthy and non-healthy blood samples by using advanced polychromatic source based wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (PC-WDXRF) technique. The imbalances in trace elements present in the human blood directly or indirectly lead to the carcinogenic process. The trace elements 11Na, 12Mg, 15P, 16S, 17Cl, 19K, 20Ca, 26Fe, 29Cu and 30Zn are identified and their concentrations are estimated. The experimental results clearly discuss the variation and role of various trace elements present in the non-healthy blood samples relative to the healthy blood samples. These results establish future guidelines to probe the possible roles of essential trace elements in the breast carcinogenic processes. The instrumental sensitivity and detection limits for measuring the elements in the atomic range 11 ≤ Z ≤ 30 have also been discussed in the present work.

  4. Trace maps of general substitutional sequences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kolar, M.; Nori, F.

    1990-01-01

    It is shown that for arbitrary n, there exists a trace map for any n-letter substitutional sequence. Trace maps are explicitly obtained for the well-known circle and Rudin-Shapiro sequences which can be defined by means of substitution rules on three and four letters, respectively. The properties of the two trace maps and their consequences for various spectral properties are briefly discussed

  5. Determination of trace element contents in grass samples for cattle feeding using NAA techniques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yusof, Alias Mohamad; Jagir Singh, Jasbir Kaur

    1987-09-01

    An investigation on trace elements contents in six types of grass samples used for cattle feeding have been carried out using NAA techniques. The grass samples, Mardi Digit, African Star, Signal, Guinea, Setaria and Setaria Splendida were found to contain at least 19 trace elements in varying concentrations. The results were compared to the figures obtained from available sources to ascertain the status as to whether the grass samples studied would satisfy the minimum requirements of trace elements present in grass for cattle feeding or otherwise. Preference made on the suitability of the grass samples for cattle feeding was based on the availability and abundance of the trace elements, taking into account factors such as the degree of toxicity, inadequate amounts and contamination due to the presence of other trace elements not essential for cattle feeding.

  6. Determination of trace element contents in grass samples for cattle feeding using NAA techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alias Mohamad Yusof; Jasbir Kaur Jagir Singh

    1987-01-01

    An investigation on trace elements contents in six types of grass samples used for cattle feeding have been carried out using NAA techniques. The grass samples, Mardi Digit, African Star, Signal, Guinea, Setaria and Setaria Splendida were found to contain at least 19 trace elements in varying concentrations. The results were compared to the figures obtained from available sources to ascertain the status as to whether the grass samples studied would satisfy the minimum requirements of trace elements present in grass for cattle feeding or otherwise. Preference made on the suitability of the grass samples for cattle feeding was based on the availability and abundance of the trace elements, taking into account factors such as the degree of toxicity, inadequate amounts and contamination due to the presence of other trace elements not essential for cattle feeding. (author)

  7. Metal, trace and rare earth element assessment in a sedimentary profile from Promissao reservoir, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, by INAA

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Silva, Sharlleny A.; Franklin, Robson L., E-mail: shasilva@sp.gov.br [Companhia Ambiental do Estado de Sao Paulo (ELAI/CETESB), SP (Brazil). Setor de Quimica Inorganica; Luiz-Silva, Wanilson [Universidade Estadual de Campinas (DGRN/UNICAMP), SP (Brazil). Instituto de Geociencias. Departamento de Geologia e Recursos Naturais; Favaro, Deborah I.T., E-mail: defavaro@ipen.gov.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (LAN/IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Laboratorio de Analise por Ativacao Neutronica

    2015-07-01

    In the present study the preliminary results for the Promissao reservoir, situated in the Lower Tiete region covering a little more than 1% of the SP state population, is characterized by intense agropastoral activities. Its operations for generating electrical energy started in 1975. It is located at Tiete River and its hydrographic basin has a drainage area of 530 km{sup 2}. The total extension of the reservoir is 110 km along the Tiete River, with a medium depth of 20 m. A core sampler was used and a 33 cm sediment core was collected from the dam in January 2013, sliced at every 2.5 cm, totaling 13 samples. Instrumental neutron activation analysis was applied to the sediment samples in order to determine some major (Fe, K, and Na), trace (As, Ba, Br, Co, Cr, Cs, Hf, Rb, Sb, Sc, Ta, Tb, Th, U, and Zn) and rare earth elements (Ce, Eu, La, Lu, Nd, Sm, Tb, and Yb). The enrichment factor (EF) was applied to the results obtained by using North American Shale Composite, Upper Continental Crust and the concentration values of the last layer of this profile as reference values for sediment contamination index assessment. When the results for As, Cr, and Zn were compared to threshold effect level (TEL) and probable effect level (PEL) oriented values, sediments from 0-10 cm exceeded the TEL values for As (5.9 mg kg{sup -1}), all samples exceeded the PEL values for Cr (90 mg kg{sup -1}), and all samples had much lower values than TEL values for Zn (123 mg kg{sup -1}). (author)

  8. Metal, trace and rare earth element assessment in a sedimentary profile from Promissao reservoir, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, by INAA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silva, Sharlleny A.; Franklin, Robson L.; Luiz-Silva, Wanilson; Favaro, Deborah I.T.

    2015-01-01

    In the present study the preliminary results for the Promissao reservoir, situated in the Lower Tiete region covering a little more than 1% of the SP state population, is characterized by intense agropastoral activities. Its operations for generating electrical energy started in 1975. It is located at Tiete River and its hydrographic basin has a drainage area of 530 km 2 . The total extension of the reservoir is 110 km along the Tiete River, with a medium depth of 20 m. A core sampler was used and a 33 cm sediment core was collected from the dam in January 2013, sliced at every 2.5 cm, totaling 13 samples. Instrumental neutron activation analysis was applied to the sediment samples in order to determine some major (Fe, K, and Na), trace (As, Ba, Br, Co, Cr, Cs, Hf, Rb, Sb, Sc, Ta, Tb, Th, U, and Zn) and rare earth elements (Ce, Eu, La, Lu, Nd, Sm, Tb, and Yb). The enrichment factor (EF) was applied to the results obtained by using North American Shale Composite, Upper Continental Crust and the concentration values of the last layer of this profile as reference values for sediment contamination index assessment. When the results for As, Cr, and Zn were compared to threshold effect level (TEL) and probable effect level (PEL) oriented values, sediments from 0-10 cm exceeded the TEL values for As (5.9 mg kg -1 ), all samples exceeded the PEL values for Cr (90 mg kg -1 ), and all samples had much lower values than TEL values for Zn (123 mg kg -1 ). (author)

  9. Trace interpolation by slant-stack migration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Novotny, M.

    1990-01-01

    The slant-stack migration formula based on the radon transform is studied with respect to the depth steep Δz of wavefield extrapolation. It can be viewed as a generalized trace-interpolation procedure including wave extrapolation with an arbitrary step Δz. For Δz > 0 the formula yields the familiar plane-wave decomposition, while for Δz > 0 it provides a robust tool for migration transformation of spatially under sampled wavefields. Using the stationary phase method, it is shown that the slant-stack migration formula degenerates into the Rayleigh-Sommerfeld integral in the far-field approximation. Consequently, even a narrow slant-stack gather applied before the diffraction stack can significantly improve the representation of noisy data in the wavefield extrapolation process. The theory is applied to synthetic and field data to perform trace interpolation and dip reject filtration. The data examples presented prove that the radon interpolator works well in the dip range, including waves with mutual stepouts smaller than half the dominant period

  10. Mineralogy, geochemistry and origin of Zafarabad iron deposit based on REE and trace elements of magnetite

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehrdad Barati

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Zafarabad iron deposit is located northwest of Divandareh, in the northern margin of Sanandaj-Sirjan plutonic-metamorphic zone. The deposit is in lentoid to tubular shape, within a shear zone and occrrued in host rocks of calc-schist and limestone. Magnetite with massive, cataclastic and replacement textures are the main phases, while pyrite and other sulfide minerals are found. Major and trace elements are measured by ICP-MS and ICP-AES methods. Based on some ratios of trace elements in the ore samples and (Ti+V vs. Cal+Al+Mn and Ti+V vs. Ni/(Cr+Mn diagrams which are used for classification of iron deposit types, Zafarabad iron deposit fall in the range of skarn deposits. Spider diagrams show a steady decline from LREE to HREE elements with Eu (mean value of 0.06 ppm and Ce (mean value of 0.94 ppm negative anomalies. Comparing the distribution patterns of REE for the Zafarabad magnetites with those of various types of iron deposits shows that the REE pattern for Zafarabad is similar to these deposits. Analysis of calculated parameters for REE shows that the hydrothermal fluids responsible for mineralization are mainly of magmatic origin through fractionation and crystallization processes of a deep iron rich fluid phase and its emplacement within the carbonate rocks, forming iron skarn.

  11. HPLC based activity profiling for 5-lipoxygenase inhibitory activity in Isatis tinctoria leaf extracts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oberthür, C; Jäggi, R; Hamburger, M

    2005-06-01

    In the pursuit of the anti-inflammatory constituents in lipophilic woad extracts, the 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) inhibitory activity was investigated by HPLC-based activity profiling. In a low-resolution profiling, two time windows with peaks of activity were found. The first coincided with tryptanthrin, a known dual inhibitor of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and 5-LOX, whereas the major inhibitory fraction was towards the end of the HPLC run. The active fractions were profiled in a peak-resolved manner, and the compounds analyzed by LC-MS, GC and TLC. The activity in the lipophilic fractions of the Isatis extract could be linked to an unsaturated fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid.

  12. Computer simulation and interpretation of 45Ca efflux profile patterns

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borle, A.B.; Uchikawa, T.; Anderson, J.H.

    1982-01-01

    Stimulations or inhibitions by various agents of 45 Ca efflux from prelabeled cells or tissues display distinct and reproducible profile patterns when the results are plotted against time as fractional efflux ratios (FER). FER is the fractional efflux of 45 Ca from stimulated cells divided by the fractional efflux from a control unstimulated group. These profile patterns fall into three categories: peak patterns, exponential patterns, and mixed patterns. Each category can be positive (stimulation) or negative (inhibition). The interpretation of these profiles is difficult because 45 Ca efflux depends on three variables: the rate of calcium transport out of the cell, the specific activity of the cell compartment from which the calcium originates, and the concentration of free calcium in this compartment. A computer model based on data obtained by kinetic analyses of 45 Ca desaturation curves and consisting of two distinct intracellular pools was designed to follow the concentration of the traced substance ( 40 Ca), the tracer ( 45 Ca), and the specific activity of each compartment before, during, and after the stimulation or the inhibition of calcium fluxes at various pool boundaries. The computer model can reproduce all the FER profiles obtained experimentally and bring information which may be helpful to the interpretation of this type of data. Some predictions of the model were tested experimentally, and the results support the views that a peak pattern may reflect a sustained change in calcium transport across the plasma membrane, that an exponential pattern arises from calcium mobilization from an internal subcellular pool, and that a mixed pattern may be caused by a simultaneous change in calcium fluxes at both compartment boundaries

  13. Studies of trace elements in biological systems by energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) and proton induced x-ray emission (PIXE) methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lal, Madan; Choudhury, R.K.

    1991-01-01

    Applicability of EDXRF and PIXE techniques for trace elemental analysis in biology and medicine is demonstrated. Due to increasing importance of the need to determine the role of essential and toxic trace elements in human health and disease, the method of PIXE analysis has assumed great importance in recent years. This method has been found to be particularly useful for biological samples. EDXRF also offers a complimentary method particularly in the range of elements of Z=45 to 60 where the sensitivity of PIXE analysis is not quite adequate. EDXRF can also be usefully employed for other elements of the periodic chart with relatively lesser sensitivity. The work being presented here includes trace element analysis of normal and cancer bearing tissues of Swiss mice, trace element profiles in cancerous human oesophageal tissues, investigations on the effect of toxic metals such as Hg from Ayurvedic drugs on Wister rats, and investigations of blood lead levels of children admitted to Sion Hospital from Dharavi slums of Bombay. The results of these investigations are presented and discussed. (author). 21 refs., 8 figs., 3 tabs

  14. Web User Profiling Based on Browsing Behavior Analysis

    OpenAIRE

    Fan , Xiao-Xi; Chow , Kam-Pui; Xu , Fei

    2014-01-01

    Part 1: Internet Crime Investigations; International audience; Determining the source of criminal activity requires a reliable means to estimate a criminal’s identity. One way to do this is to use web browsing history to build a profile of an anonymous user. Since an individual’s web use is unique, matching the web use profile to known samples provides a means to identify an unknown user. This paper describes a model for web user profiling and identification. Two aspects of browsing behavior ...

  15. Estimating Planetary Boundary Layer Heights from NOAA Profiler Network Wind Profiler Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molod, Andrea M.; Salmun, H.; Dempsey, M

    2015-01-01

    An algorithm was developed to estimate planetary boundary layer (PBL) heights from hourly archived wind profiler data from the NOAA Profiler Network (NPN) sites located throughout the central United States. Unlike previous studies, the present algorithm has been applied to a long record of publicly available wind profiler signal backscatter data. Under clear conditions, summertime averaged hourly time series of PBL heights compare well with Richardson-number based estimates at the few NPN stations with hourly temperature measurements. Comparisons with clear sky reanalysis based estimates show that the wind profiler PBL heights are lower by approximately 250-500 m. The geographical distribution of daily maximum PBL heights corresponds well with the expected distribution based on patterns of surface temperature and soil moisture. Wind profiler PBL heights were also estimated under mostly cloudy conditions, and are generally higher than both the Richardson number based and reanalysis PBL heights, resulting in a smaller clear-cloudy condition difference. The algorithm presented here was shown to provide a reliable summertime climatology of daytime hourly PBL heights throughout the central United States.

  16. Optimizing python-based ROOT I/O with PyPy's tracing just-in-time compiler

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tlp Lavrijsen, Wim

    2012-12-01

    The Python programming language allows objects and classes to respond dynamically to the execution environment. Most of this, however, is made possible through language hooks which by definition can not be optimized and thus tend to be slow. The PyPy implementation of Python includes a tracing just in time compiler (JIT), which allows similar dynamic responses but at the interpreter-, rather than the application-level. Therefore, it is possible to fully remove the hooks, leaving only the dynamic response, in the optimization stage for hot loops, if the types of interest are opened up to the JIT. A general opening up of types to the JIT, based on reflection information, has already been developed (cppyy). The work described in this paper takes it one step further by customizing access to ROOT I/O to the JIT, allowing for fully automatic optimizations.

  17. Optimizing python-based ROOT I/O with PyPy's tracing just-in-time compiler

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lavrijsen, Wim TLP

    2012-01-01

    The Python programming language allows objects and classes to respond dynamically to the execution environment. Most of this, however, is made possible through language hooks which by definition can not be optimized and thus tend to be slow. The PyPy implementation of Python includes a tracing just in time compiler (JIT), which allows similar dynamic responses but at the interpreter-, rather than the application-level. Therefore, it is possible to fully remove the hooks, leaving only the dynamic response, in the optimization stage for hot loops, if the types of interest are opened up to the JIT. A general opening up of types to the JIT, based on reflection information, has already been developed (cppyy). The work described in this paper takes it one step further by customizing access to ROOT I/O to the JIT, allowing for fully automatic optimizations.

  18. Profile of Pre-Service Science Teachers Based on STEM Career Interest Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winarno, N.; Widodo, A.; Rusdiana, D.; Rochintaniawati, D.; Afifah, R. M. A.

    2017-09-01

    This study aims to investigate the profile of pre-service science teachers based on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Career Interest Survey. The study uses descriptive survey method as the research design. Samples collected from 66 preservice science teachers in a university located in Bandung, Indonesia. The results of the study are the profile of pre-service science teachers based on STEM Career Interest Survey shows that the average number of career interest in the field of technology is 4.08, in science 3.80, mathematics 3.39 and engineering 3.30. Pre-service science teachers are found to have interests in the STEM career fields. This research is necessary as there are many instances of people choosing majors or studies that are not in accordance with their interests and talents. The recommendation of this study is to develop learning in pre-service science teachers by using STEM approach.

  19. Application of trace element analysis to determine trace element concentrations in the field of medicine. [Neutrons

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kasperek, K; Feinendegen, L E

    1976-01-01

    Applied trace elements research in medicine requires a sensitive and efficient technique of trace elements analysis, such as neutron activation analysis. Essential trace elements act as stabilizators (iron in haem), structural elements (silicon in fibrous tissue), in hormones (iodine in thyroid hormone), in vitamins (cobalt in vitamin B 12), and in enzymes. Most of the essential trace elements act as coenzymes or in coenzymes or directly as metabolic catalyzers. For example, selenium deficiency in PKU and maple syrup patients receiving dietary treatment can be detected by determining the selenium content of the serum, while low selenium values in the whole blood indicate liver cirrhosis. Acrodermatitis enteropathica can be diagnosed by determinig zinc in the serum, and pancreatic insufficiency by determining zinc in the pancreatic juice. Zinc also plays a part in disturbances of growth, in the healing of wounds, and in the insulin metabolism. Cobalt is important in some types of anaemia and in myocardiopathies. Trace elements are also necessary in the treatment of diseases, e.g. iron cobalt in some types of anaemia, and zinc in the delayed healing of wounds in the postoperative phase and in acrodermatitis enteropathica. Chromium is now being tested for the treatment of diabetes mellitus, and fluorides may be of interest in the treatment of osteoporosis. Finally, trace elements are important in the aetiology of acute poisoning, in nutrition, and in environmental protection.

  20. NSF-RANN trace contaminants abstracts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Copenhaver, E.D.; Harnden, D.S.

    1976-10-01

    Specific areas of interest of the Environmental Aspects of Trace Contaminants Program are organic chemicals of commerce, metals and organometallic compounds, air-borne contaminants, and environmental assay methodology. Fifty-three abstracts of literature on trace contaminants are presented. Author, keyword, and permuted title indexes are included

  1. Carbon profiles of remote Australian Indigenous communities: A base for opportunities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stewart, J.; Anda, M.; Harper, R.J.

    2016-01-01

    A decision-making model was constructed to assist remote Australian Indigenous communities select appropriate climate change mitigation programs. The Resilient Community and Livelihood Asset Integration Model (ReCLAIM) comprises six steps that focus on community assets and aspirations. The second of these steps is to determine the baseline carbon profiles of communities based on six sources of carbon emissions: materials, construction processes, stationary energy, transport, water systems and waste. The methodology employed an annualised lifecycle analysis of housing materials and construction, and an annual inventory of other emission sources. Profiles were calculated for two remote communities and compared to the Australian average and also average electricity consumption by remote communities in the Northern Territory. The results, expressed in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO_2-e), showed that average household carbon profiles of the two communities (6.3 and 4.1 tCO_2-e/capita/yr) were generally lower than the Australian average (7.3 tCO_2-e/capita/yr). The stationary energy results revealed that infrastructure and building design could raise fuel consumption and costs, and therefore carbon emissions, despite modest lifestyles. The carbon emission categories differed between the two communities highlighting the need for an individualised approach to understanding the drivers of carbon emissions and mitigation responses. - Highlights: •We model carbon profiles of two remote Aboriginal communities. •Community carbon profiles were lower than the Australian average. •We compare stationary energy with a 72-community sample average. •Low-carbon communities are possible with renewable energy systems. •Building design and energy source can impact significantly on emissions.

  2. Liquid phase microextraction for the analysis of trace elements and their speciation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu, Bin; He, Man; Chen, Beibei; Xia, Linbo

    2013-01-01

    Trace/ultra-trace elements and their speciation analysis in complex matrices usually require sample preparation procedures to achieve sample clean-up and analyte preconcentration. Sample preparation is often the bottleneck in trace elements and their speciation analysis which has a direct impact on accuracy, precision and limits of detection and is often the rate-determining step of the analytical process. Recent trends in sample preparation include miniaturization, automation, high-throughput performance and reduction in solvent/sample consumption and operation time. Liquid-phase microextraction (LPME) technique as a novel and promising alternative in sample preparation can meet these requirements and has become a very efficient sample preparation technique. This review updates the state of art of LPME for trace elements and their speciation analysis and discusses its promising prospects. The major thrust of the article highlights the applications of LPME including single-drop microextraction (SDME), hollow fiber-liquid phase microextraction (HF-LPME), dispersive liquid liquid microextraction (DLLME) and solidified floating organic drop microextraction (SFODME) to the fields of elemental and their speciation analysis by atomic spectrometry-based methods, especially inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. General and specific concepts, different extraction formats and characteristics of LPME are described and compared, along with examples of recent innovations and applications presented to demonstrate its potential for trace elements and their speciation analysis in biological and environmental fields. Moreover, the application potential and an outlook on the combination of LPME and atomic spectrometry-based techniques for inorganic analysis are commentated. - Highlights: • The state of art of LPME for trace elements and their speciation analysis is updated. • Different extraction formats of LPME are described. • The application potential and future

  3. Characterization and mass balance of trace elements in an iron ore sinter plant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lucas Ladeira Lau

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Environmental legislation is becoming more restrictive in several industrial sectors, especially in the steel industry, which is well known for its large pollution potential. With the recent growth of interest in effects of trace elements on the environment and health, the inclusion of emission limits on these elements in this legislation has become increasingly popular. This article aims to describe the partitioning of trace elements between the products (sinter and plant emissions in an iron ore sinter plant, aiming to better understand the behavior of these elements in the sintering process to eventually support interventions to modify these partitions. Chemical characterization of several sintering inputs was initially performed, revealing that the steel-making residues contained large concentrations of trace elements, whereas low concentrations were observed in the flux. Based on the trace element concentrations, we analyzed the injection of trace elements in a sintering pilot using a sintering mixture. Mass balance was then used to determine the theoretical partitioning of trace elements in the sinter and emissions; cadmium, nickel, lead, mercury, and copper exhibited greater tendencies to concentrate in atmospheric emissions.

  4. Profiling Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) of Family Health History based on the Clinical Element Models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jaehoon; Hulse, Nathan C; Wood, Grant M; Oniki, Thomas A; Huff, Stanley M

    2016-01-01

    In this study we developed a Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) profile to support exchanging a full pedigree based family health history (FHH) information across multiple systems and applications used by clinicians, patients, and researchers. We used previously developed clinical element models (CEMs) that are capable of representing the FHH information, and derived essential data elements including attributes, constraints, and value sets. We analyzed gaps between the FHH CEM elements and existing FHIR resources. Based on the analysis, we developed a profile that consists of 1) FHIR resources for essential FHH data elements, 2) extensions for additional elements that were not covered by the resources, and 3) a structured definition to integrate patient and family member information in a FHIR message. We implemented the profile using an open-source based FHIR framework and validated it using patient-entered FHH data that was captured through a locally developed FHH tool.

  5. Chirped laser dispersion spectroscopy for remote open-path trace-gas sensing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nikodem, Michal; Wysocki, Gerard

    2012-11-28

    In this paper we present a prototype instrument for remote open-path detection of nitrous oxide. The sensor is based on a 4.53 μm quantum cascade laser and uses the chirped laser dispersion spectroscopy (CLaDS) technique for molecular concentration measurements. To the best of our knowledge this is the first demonstration of open-path laser-based trace-gas detection using a molecular dispersion measurement. The prototype sensor achieves a detection limit down to the single-ppbv level and exhibits excellent stability and robustness. The instrument characterization, field deployment performance, and the advantages of applying dispersion sensing to sensitive trace-gas detection in a remote open-path configuration are presented.

  6. Trace Elements in Human Tooth Enamel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nixon, G. S. [Turner Dental School, University Of Manchester, Manchester (United Kingdom); Smith, H.; Livingston, H. D. [Department of Forensic Medicine, University Of Glasgow, Glasgow (United Kingdom)

    1967-10-15

    The trace elements are considered to play a role in the resistance of teeth to dental caries. The exact mechanism by which they act has not yet been fully established. Estimations of trace elements have been undertaken in sound human teeth. By means of activation analysis it has been possible to determine trace element concentrations in different layers of enamel in the same tooth. The concentrations of the following elements have been determined: arsenic, antimony, copper, zinc, manganese, mercury, molybdenum and vanadium. The distribution of trace elements in enamel varies from those with a narrow range, such as manganese, to those with a broad range, such as antimony. The elements present in the broad range are considered to be non-essential and their presence is thought to result from a chance incorporation into the enamel. Those in the narrow range appear to be essential trace elements and are present in amounts which do not vary unduly from other body tissues. Only manganese and zinc were found in higher concentrations in the surface layer of enamel compared with the inner layers. The importance of the concentration of trace elements on this surface layer of enamel is emphasized as this layer is the site of the first attack by the carious process. (author)

  7. Assessment of pesticide residues and trace element contamination ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ajl10

    It was based on the chemical analyses of soil, water and vegetable samples. ... of the fine fraction (under 2 mm) were conserved away from light for ... To assess the migration and accumulation of trace elements ..... metals from sewage sludge in an agricultural soil. ... Pesticides and heavy metals in drinking water, soils.

  8. Distributed trace using central performance counter memory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Satterfield, David L.; Sexton, James C.

    2013-01-22

    A plurality of processing cores, are central storage unit having at least memory connected in a daisy chain manner, forming a daisy chain ring layout on an integrated chip. At least one of the plurality of processing cores places trace data on the daisy chain connection for transmitting the trace data to the central storage unit, and the central storage unit detects the trace data and stores the trace data in the memory co-located in with the central storage unit.

  9. Mission-profile-based stress analysis of bond-wires in SiC power modules

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bahman, Amir Sajjad; Iannuzzo, Francesco; Blaabjerg, Frede

    2016-01-01

    This paper proposes a novel mission-profile-based reliability analysis approach for stress on bond wires in Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFET power modules using statistics and thermo-mechanical FEM analysis. In the proposed approach, both the operational and environmental thermal stresses are taken...... into account. The approach uses a two-dimension statistical analysis of the operating conditions in a real one-year mission profile sampled at time frames 5 minutes long. For every statistical bin corresponding to a given operating condition, the junction temperature evolution is estimated by a thermal network...... and the mechanical stress on bond wires is consequently extracted by finite-element simulations. In the final step, the considered mission profile is translated in a stress sequence to be used for Rainflow counting calculation and lifetime estimation....

  10. Tracing Planets in Circumstellar Discs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Uribe Ana L.

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Planets are assumed to form in circumstellar discs around young stellar objects. The additional gravitational potential of a planet perturbs the disc and leads to characteristic structures, i.e. spiral waves and gaps, in the disc density profile. We perform a large-scale parameter study on the observability of these planet-induced structures in circumstellar discs in the (submm wavelength range for the Atacama Large (SubMillimeter Array (ALMA. On the basis of hydrodynamical and magneto-hydrodynamical simulations of star-disc-planet models we calculate the disc temperature structure and (submm images of these systems. These are used to derive simulated ALMA maps. Because appropriate objects are frequent in the Taurus-Auriga region, we focus on a distance of 140 pc and a declination of ≈ 20°. The explored range of star-disc-planet configurations consists of six hydrodynamical simulations (including magnetic fields and different planet masses, nine disc sizes with outer radii ranging from 9 AU to 225 AU, 15 total disc masses in the range between 2.67·10-7 M⊙ and 4.10·10-2 M⊙, six different central stars and two different grain size distributions, resulting in 10 000 disc models. At almost all scales and in particular down to a scale of a few AU, ALMA is able to trace disc structures induced by planet-disc interaction or the influence of magnetic fields in the wavelength range between 0.4...2.0 mm. In most cases, the optimum angular resolution is limited by the sensitivity of ALMA. However, within the range of typical masses of protoplane tary discs (0.1 M⊙...0.001 M⊙ the disc mass has a minor impact on the observability. At the distance of 140 pc it is possible to resolve discs down to 2.67·10-6 M⊙ and trace gaps in discs with 2.67·10-4 M⊙ with a signal-to-noise ratio greater than three. In general, it is more likely to trace planet-induced gaps in magneto-hydrodynamical disc models, because gaps are wider in the presence of

  11. Advantages and Pitfalls of Mass Spectrometry Based Metabolome Profiling in Systems Biology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ina Aretz

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Mass spectrometry-based metabolome profiling became the method of choice in systems biology approaches and aims to enhance biological understanding of complex biological systems. Genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics are well established technologies and are commonly used by many scientists. In comparison, metabolomics is an emerging field and has not reached such high-throughput, routine and coverage than other omics technologies. Nevertheless, substantial improvements were achieved during the last years. Integrated data derived from multi-omics approaches will provide a deeper understanding of entire biological systems. Metabolome profiling is mainly hampered by its diversity, variation of metabolite concentration by several orders of magnitude and biological data interpretation. Thus, multiple approaches are required to cover most of the metabolites. No software tool is capable of comprehensively translating all the data into a biologically meaningful context yet. In this review, we discuss the advantages of metabolome profiling and main obstacles limiting progress in systems biology.

  12. Advantages and Pitfalls of Mass Spectrometry Based Metabolome Profiling in Systems Biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aretz, Ina; Meierhofer, David

    2016-04-27

    Mass spectrometry-based metabolome profiling became the method of choice in systems biology approaches and aims to enhance biological understanding of complex biological systems. Genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics are well established technologies and are commonly used by many scientists. In comparison, metabolomics is an emerging field and has not reached such high-throughput, routine and coverage than other omics technologies. Nevertheless, substantial improvements were achieved during the last years. Integrated data derived from multi-omics approaches will provide a deeper understanding of entire biological systems. Metabolome profiling is mainly hampered by its diversity, variation of metabolite concentration by several orders of magnitude and biological data interpretation. Thus, multiple approaches are required to cover most of the metabolites. No software tool is capable of comprehensively translating all the data into a biologically meaningful context yet. In this review, we discuss the advantages of metabolome profiling and main obstacles limiting progress in systems biology.

  13. Personality Profiles Identify Depressive Symptoms over Ten Years? A Population-Based Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kim Josefsson

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Little is known about the relationship between temperament and character inventory (TCI profiles and depressive symptoms. Personality profiles are useful, because personality traits may have different effects on depressive symptoms when combined with different combinations of other traits. Participants were from the population-based Young Finns study with repeated measurements in 1997, 2001, and 2007 (=1402 to 1902. TCI was administered in 1997 and mild depressive symptoms (modified Beck’s depression inventory, BDI were reported in 1997, 2001, and 2007. BDI-II was also administered in 2007. We found that high harm avoidance and low self-directedness related strongly to depressive symptoms. In addition, sensitive (NHR and fanatical people (ScT were especially vulnerable to depressive symptoms. high novelty seeking and reward dependence increased depressive symptoms when harm avoidance was high. These associations were very similar in cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis. Personality profiles help in understanding the complex associations between depressive symptoms and personality.

  14. A new method for calculation of traces of Dirac γ-matrices in Minkowski space

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bondarev, Alexander L.

    2006-01-01

    This paper presents some relations for orthonormal bases in the Minkowski space and isotropic tetrads constructed from the vectors of these bases. As an example of an application of the obtained formulae, in particular recursion relations, a new method is proposed to calculate traces of Dirac γ-matrices in the Minkowski space. Compared to the classical algorithms, the new method results in more compact expressions for the traces. Specifically, it may be easily implemented as a simple yet efficient computer algorithm

  15. Analysis of plasma equilibrium based on orbit-driven current density profile in steady-state plasma on QUEST

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nakamura, K., E-mail: nakamura@triam.kyushu-u.ac.jp [RIAM, Kyushu University, Kasuga 816-8580 (Japan); Alam, M.M. [IGSES, Kyushu University, Kasuga 816-8580 (Japan); Jiang, Y.Z. [Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Mitarai, O. [Tokai University, Kumamoto 862-8652 (Japan); Kurihara, K.; Kawamata, Y.; Sueoka, M.; Takechi, M. [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Naka 311-0193 (Japan); Hasegawa, M.; Tokunaga, K.; Araki, K.; Zushi, H.; Hanada, K.; Fujisawa, A.; Idei, H.; Nagashima, Y.; Kawasaki, S.; Nakashima, H.; Higashijima, A.; Nagata, T. [RIAM, Kyushu University, Kasuga 816-8580 (Japan); and others

    2016-11-01

    Highlights: • High energy particle guiding center orbit is calculated as a contour plot of conserved variable. • Current density profile is analyzed based on the orbit-driven current. • Plasma equilibrium is reconstructed by considering the hollow current profile. - Abstract: In the present RF-driven (ECCD) steady-state plasma on QUEST (B{sub t} = 0.25 T, R = 0.68 m, a = 0.40 m), plasma current seems to flow in the open magnetic surface outside of the closed magnetic surface in the low-field region according to plasma current fitting (PCF) method. We consider that the current in the open magnetic surface is due to orbit-driven current by high-energy particles in RF-driven plasma. So based on the analysis of current density profile based on the orbit-driven current, plasma equilibrium is to be calculated. We calculated high energy particles guiding center orbits as a contour plot of conserved variable in Hamiltonian formulation and considered particles initial position with different levels of energy and pitch angles that satisfy resonance condition. Then the profile of orbit-driven current is estimated by multiplying the particle density on the resonance surface and the velocity on the orbits. This analysis shows negative current near the magnetic axis and hollow current profile is expected even if pressure driven current is considered. Considering the hollow current profile shifted toward the low-field region, the equilibrium is fitted by J-EFIT coded by MATLAB.

  16. Performance profiles of major energy producers, 1991

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    Performance Profiles of Major Energy Producers 1991 is the fifteenth annual report of the Energy Information Administration's (EIA) Financial Reporting System (FRS). The report examines financial and operating developments, with particular reference to the 23 major energy companies (the FRS companies) required to report annually on Form EIA-28. It also traces key developments affecting the financial performance of major energy companies in 1991, as well as reviews important trends. Financial information is reported by major lines of business including oil and gas production, petroleum refining and marketing, and other energy operations. Domestic and international operations are examined separately in this report

  17. “I Sign, Therefore I am” (Unstable Traces of Professional Practices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Silvia Gherardi

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Signatures will be read as (unstable traces of professional knowledges, practices, and identities. The paper intends to propose a theoretical framework to explore the sociomateriality of signature in occupational and professional practices. This exploration will be conducted by assuming a practice-based approach to “signing in practice” and therefore by paying attention to knowing as a situated practice within organizations. The aim of the paper is to invite to a line of research that considers signatures—in occupational and professional practices—as “matters of fact,” i.e. stable traces resistant to disputation that “make” the professional accountable, and as “social fabrications,” i.e. traces which emerge from professional learning and knowing, thus resulting from stable negotiations of human and nonhuman assemblages.

  18. Refraction in the lower troposphere: Higher order image distortion effects due to refractive profile curvature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Short, Daniel J.

    be applied to characterize the refractive effects. To help with the time-lapse image refraction analysis process, a second order ray trace scheme has been developed. The ray trace is based on existing lens system tracing procedures, but is adapted for use with the atmospheric refractivity profile. The standard practice of ray tracing uses linear approximations through each element to obtain a ray path, however, the method described in this dissertation uses a quadratic correction term in order to more accurately and efficiently simulate the curvature of rays as they propagate through a gradient refractive index medium such as the atmosphere. Although a variety of finite element solutions have been implemented to describe ray trajectories in nonlinear refractive mediums, the new ray tracer described here is much easier to implement and provides quick, intuitive results. The method is tested against exact analytical ray height solutions for known profiles and was found to give nearly identical results. The ray trace was then applied to real atmospheric data and was found to give plausible results. The tay trace gives a visual aid in understanding the physical path the light takes in traversing the potential field. This will be beneficial in linking optical data to weather model data in an effort to develop a forecasting model for refraction. By selecting the correct boundary and initial conditions, we are able to model rays through the profile. Understanding the system will ultimately help in later analysis. A primary objective of this dissertation is to expand on the work mentioned above on image dislocation and consider the effects of towering (stretching) and stooping (compression) in the imagery. These effects can be explained as a type of lensing by the atmosphere due to nonlinear gradients. To achieve towering and stooping, a curved vertical index profile is required. Where a positive lensing action by the medium causes some ray focusing, back projection from at

  19. A Theory of Network Tracing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acharya, Hrishikesh B.; Gouda, Mohamed G.

    Traceroute is a widely used program for computing the topology of any network in the Internet. Using Traceroute, one starts from a node and chooses any other node in the network. Traceroute obtains the sequence of nodes that occur between these two nodes, as specified by the routing tables in these nodes. Each use of Traceroute in a network produces a trace of nodes that constitute a simple path in this network. In every trace that is produced by Traceroute, each node occurs either by its unique identifier, or by the anonymous identifier"*". In this paper, we introduce the first theory aimed at answering the following important question. Is there an algorithm to compute the topology of a network N from a trace set T that is produced by using Traceroute in network N, assuming that each edge in N occurs in at least one trace in T, and that each node in N occurs by its unique identifier in at least one trace in T? We prove that the answer to this question is "No" if N is an even ring or a general network. However, it is "Yes" if N is a tree or an odd ring. The answer is also "No" if N is mostly-regular, but "Yes" if N is a mostly-regular even ring.

  20. BOREAS TGB-1 Soil CH4 and CO2 Profile Data from NSA Tower Sites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crill, Patrick; Varner, Ruth K.; Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Conrad, Sara K. (Editor)

    2000-01-01

    The BOREAS TGB-1 team made numerous measurements of trace gas concentrations and fluxes at various NSA sites. This data set contains methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in soil profiles from the NSA-OJP, NSA-OBS, NSA-YJP, and NSA-BP sites during the period of 23-May to 20-Sep-1994. The soil gas sampling profiles of CH 4 and CO 2 were completed to quantify controls on CO2 and CH4 fluxes in the boreal forest. The data are provided in tabular ASCII files.

  1. Automated computer analysis of plasma-streak traces from SCYLLAC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whitman, R.L.; Jahoda, F.C.; Kruger, R.P.

    1977-01-01

    An automated computer analysis technique that locates and references the approximate centroid of single- or dual-streak traces from the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory SCYLLAC facility is described. The technique also determines the plasma-trace width over a limited self-adjusting region. The plasma traces are recorded with streak cameras on Polaroid film, then scanned and digitized for processing. The analysis technique uses scene segmentation to separate the plasma trace from a reference fiducial trace. The technique employs two methods of peak detection; one for the plasma trace and one for the fiducial trace. The width is obtained using an edge-detection, or slope, method. Timing data are derived from the intensity modulation of the fiducial trace. To smooth (despike) the output graphs showing the plasma-trace centroid and width, a technique of ''twicing'' developed by Tukey was employed. In addition, an interactive sorting algorithm allows retrieval of the centroid, width, and fiducial data from any test shot plasma for post analysis. As yet, only a limited set of sixteen plasma traces has been processed using this technique

  2. Automated computer analysis of plasma-streak traces from SCYLLAC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whiteman, R.L.; Jahoda, F.C.; Kruger, R.P.

    1977-11-01

    An automated computer analysis technique that locates and references the approximate centroid of single- or dual-streak traces from the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory SCYLLAC facility is described. The technique also determines the plasma-trace width over a limited self-adjusting region. The plasma traces are recorded with streak cameras on Polaroid film, then scanned and digitized for processing. The analysis technique uses scene segmentation to separate the plasma trace from a reference fiducial trace. The technique employs two methods of peak detection; one for the plasma trace and one for the fiducial trace. The width is obtained using an edge-detection, or slope, method. Timing data are derived from the intensity modulation of the fiducial trace. To smooth (despike) the output graphs showing the plasma-trace centroid and width, a technique of ''twicing'' developed by Tukey was employed. In addition, an interactive sorting algorithm allows retrieval of the centroid, width, and fiducial data from any test shot plasma for post analysis. As yet, only a limited set of the plasma traces has been processed with this technique

  3. Selected Trace Element Concentrations in Peat Used for Cosmetic Production – A Case Study from Southern Poland

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Glina Bartłomiej

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the study was to assess the concentration of selected trace elements in organic soils used as a source to obtain a unique peat extract for cosmetics production. Peat material for laboratory analysis were collected from fen peatland located in the Prosna River Valley (Borek village. Studied peatland is managed by “Torf Corporation” company as a source of material to obtain peat extract for cosmetics production. In the collected soil samples (four soil profiles Zn, Cu and Pb concentrations were determined by using atomic absorption spectrometer SpectraAA 220 (Varian, after acid digestion. Obtained results showed that the highest concentrations of selected trace elements were recorded in the surface horizons of organic soils. This fact might be the results of Prosna river flooding or air deposition. Howevere, according to the new Polish regulations (Ordinance of the Minister for Environment 01.09.2016 - the way of conducting contamination assessment of the earth surface, the content of trace elements in the examined soils was greatly belowe the permissible limit for areas from group IV (mine lands. Thus, described soils are proper to obtain peat extract used as a component in cosmetic production.

  4. Device- and service profiles for integrated or systems based on open standards

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mildner Alexander

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Integrated OR systems nowadays are closed and proprietary, so that the interconnection of components from third-party vendors is only possible with high time and cost effort. An integrated operating theatre with open interfaces, giving clinical operators the opportunity to choose individual medical devices from different manufacturers, is currently being developed in the framework of the BMBF (Federal Ministry of Education and Research funded project OR.NET [1]. Actual standards and concepts regarding technical feasibility and accreditation process do not cope with the requirements for modular integration based on an open standard. Therefore, strategies as well as service and device profiles to enable a procedure for risk management and certifiability are in the focus of the project work. Amongst others, a concept for User Interface Profiles (UI-Profiles has been conceived in order to describe medical device functions and the entire user interface regarding Human-Machine-Interaction (HMI characteristics with the aim to identify human-induced risks of central user interfaces. The use of standardized device and service profiles shall allow the manufacturers to integrate their medical devices in the OR.NET network, without disclosing the medical devices’ risk analysis and related confidential knowledge or proprietary information.

  5. Trace elements in the urban aerosol of Sao Paulo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Orsini, C.M.Q.; Artaxo Netto, P.E.; Tabacniks, M.H.

    1983-07-01

    The first trace-element data-set measured on the atmosphere aerosol of Sao Paulo City, Brazil, is presented. These measurements have been based on samplings by 6-stage cascade impactors combined with the analytical procedure by the PIXE method of elementary analysis. (L.C.) [pt

  6. Personalizing Web Search based on User Profile

    OpenAIRE

    Utage, Sharyu; Ahire, Vijaya

    2016-01-01

    Web Search engine is most widely used for information retrieval from World Wide Web. These Web Search engines help user to find most useful information. When different users Searches for same information, search engine provide same result without understanding who is submitted that query. Personalized web search it is search technique for proving useful result. This paper models preference of users as hierarchical user profiles. a framework is proposed called UPS. It generalizes profile and m...

  7. Tracing based congestion management and impact of TCPS in competitive power market using MINLP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, A.; Chanana, S.

    2006-01-01

    Efficient, fair and secure operation of the competitive power markets are key factors in managing the challenges associated with congestion management. For the system operator, the selection of generators to reschedule their output for effective management of congestion is an important task. This study used a real power flow tracing based approach for selecting the most appropriate generators to reschedule the real power output based on real power flow contribution on a congested line. These generators can be effectively used to reschedule their generation for managing congestion. Using a mixed integer non-linear programming approach for reducing the transmission congestion cost in the system, the impact of Thyristor Controlled Phase Shifter (TCPS) was also investigated and their optimal placement was obtained. The study was carried out on a 39-bus New England system for pool and mix of pool with bilateral and multilateral transactions and their impact on congestion cost. The paper presented the detailed mathematical formulation and modeling process used. It was concluded that for some transactions, the reduction in congestion cost is not very significant. Therefore, system operators should avoid such transactions during congestion to increase market efficiency. 26 refs., 1 tab., 8 figs

  8. A method for speciation of trace elements (stable and radioactive) in natural waters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salbu, B.; Bjoernstad, H.E.; Pappas, A.C.

    1986-01-01

    The interaction of radionuclides and trace metals with colloids changes their size and charge characteristics and thereby influences their transport, mobility and bioavailability. In order to investigate the role of colloids as transport agents for radionuclides or trace elements, a continuous mixing and separation system, using hollow fiber cartridges has been developed. This system allows the association of traces with naturally occurring colloids of a given size distribution to be followed and information on the degree of binding, binding constants and number of sorption sites can be obtained. Based on diffusion rate measurements using the hollow fibres, the molecular weight of species diffusing through membranes can also be estimated. (author)

  9. Simulations Of Neutron Beam Optic For Neutron Radiography Collimator Using Ray Tracing Methodology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Norfarizan Mohd Said; Muhammad Rawi Mohamed Zin

    2014-01-01

    Ray- tracing is a technique for simulating the performance of neutron instruments. McStas, the open-source software package based on a meta-language, is a tool for carrying out ray-tracing simulations. The program has been successfully applied in investigating neutron guide design, flux optimization and other related areas with high complexity and precision. The aim of this paper is to discuss the implementation of ray-tracing technique with McStas for simulating the performance of neutron collimation system developed for imaging system of TRIGA RTP reactor. The code for the simulation was developed and the results are presented. The analysis of the performance is reported and discussed. (author)

  10. Tracing the breeding farm of domesticated pig using feature selection (

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taehyung Kwon

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Objective Increasing food safety demands in the animal product market have created a need for a system to trace the food distribution process, from the manufacturer to the retailer, and genetic traceability is an effective method to trace the origin of animal products. In this study, we successfully achieved the farm tracing of 6,018 multi-breed pigs, using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP markers strictly selected through least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO feature selection. Methods We performed farm tracing of domesticated pig (Sus scrofa from SNP markers and selected the most relevant features for accurate prediction. Considering multi-breed composition of our data, we performed feature selection using LASSO penalization on 4,002 SNPs that are shared between breeds, which also includes 179 SNPs with small between-breed difference. The 100 highest-scored features were extracted from iterative simulations and then evaluated using machine-leaning based classifiers. Results We selected 1,341 SNPs from over 45,000 SNPs through iterative LASSO feature selection, to minimize between-breed differences. We subsequently selected 100 highest-scored SNPs from iterative scoring, and observed high statistical measures in classification of breeding farms by cross-validation only using these SNPs. Conclusion The study represents a successful application of LASSO feature selection on multi-breed pig SNP data to trace the farm information, which provides a valuable method and possibility for further researches on genetic traceability.

  11. Toxicity of 35 trace elements in coal to freshwater biota: a data base with automated retrieval capabilities. [313 references

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cushman, R. M.; Hildebrand, S. G.; Strand, R. H.; Anderson, R. M.

    1977-06-01

    Data are tabulated on the toxicity to freshwater biota of 35 trace elements with the potential for release to the environment from coal conversion effluents. The entire data base is presented on a microfiche appended to the document, in the interest of portability and accessibility. The data were gathered from a variety of research papers, compendia, and reviews. Details of water chemistry and test conditions are presented when available from the documents consulted. The data base may be used by referring directly to the tabulated data as they appear on the microfiche, or, with appropriate computer facilities, by manipulation (sorting, subsetting, or merging) of the data to meet the particular needs of the investigator. The data may be used as they appear in the data base, or the data base may be used to index the cited original papers.

  12. Dual Processes in Decision Making and Developmental Neuroscience: A Fuzzy-Trace Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reyna, Valerie F; Brainerd, Charles J

    2011-09-01

    From Piaget to the present, traditional and dual-process theories have predicted improvement in reasoning from childhood to adulthood, and improvement has been observed. However, developmental reversals-that reasoning biases emerge with development -have also been observed in a growing list of paradigms. We explain how fuzzy-trace theory predicts both improvement and developmental reversals in reasoning and decision making. Drawing on research on logical and quantitative reasoning, as well as on risky decision making in the laboratory and in life, we illustrate how the same small set of theoretical principles apply to typical neurodevelopment, encompassing childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, and to neurological conditions such as autism and Alzheimer's disease. For example, framing effects-that risk preferences shift when the same decisions are phrases in terms of gains versus losses-emerge in early adolescence as gist-based intuition develops. In autistic individuals, who rely less on gist-based intuition and more on verbatim-based analysis, framing biases are attenuated (i.e., they outperform typically developing control subjects). In adults, simple manipulations based on fuzzy-trace theory can make framing effects appear and disappear depending on whether gist-based intuition or verbatim-based analysis is induced. These theoretical principles are summarized and integrated in a new mathematical model that specifies how dual modes of reasoning combine to produce predictable variability in performance. In particular, we show how the most popular and extensively studied model of decision making-prospect theory-can be derived from fuzzy-trace theory by combining analytical (verbatim-based) and intuitive (gist-based) processes.

  13. Dual Processes in Decision Making and Developmental Neuroscience: A Fuzzy-Trace Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reyna, Valerie F.; Brainerd, Charles J.

    2011-01-01

    From Piaget to the present, traditional and dual-process theories have predicted improvement in reasoning from childhood to adulthood, and improvement has been observed. However, developmental reversals—that reasoning biases emerge with development —have also been observed in a growing list of paradigms. We explain how fuzzy-trace theory predicts both improvement and developmental reversals in reasoning and decision making. Drawing on research on logical and quantitative reasoning, as well as on risky decision making in the laboratory and in life, we illustrate how the same small set of theoretical principles apply to typical neurodevelopment, encompassing childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, and to neurological conditions such as autism and Alzheimer's disease. For example, framing effects—that risk preferences shift when the same decisions are phrases in terms of gains versus losses—emerge in early adolescence as gist-based intuition develops. In autistic individuals, who rely less on gist-based intuition and more on verbatim-based analysis, framing biases are attenuated (i.e., they outperform typically developing control subjects). In adults, simple manipulations based on fuzzy-trace theory can make framing effects appear and disappear depending on whether gist-based intuition or verbatim-based analysis is induced. These theoretical principles are summarized and integrated in a new mathematical model that specifies how dual modes of reasoning combine to produce predictable variability in performance. In particular, we show how the most popular and extensively studied model of decision making—prospect theory—can be derived from fuzzy-trace theory by combining analytical (verbatim-based) and intuitive (gist-based) processes. PMID:22096268

  14. DNA Array-Based Gene Profiling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mocellin, Simone; Provenzano, Maurizio; Rossi, Carlo Riccardo; Pilati, Pierluigi; Nitti, Donato; Lise, Mario

    2005-01-01

    Cancer is a heterogeneous disease in most respects, including its cellularity, different genetic alterations, and diverse clinical behaviors. Traditional molecular analyses are reductionist, assessing only 1 or a few genes at a time, thus working with a biologic model too specific and limited to confront a process whose clinical outcome is likely to be governed by the combined influence of many genes. The potential of functional genomics is enormous, because for each experiment, thousands of relevant observations can be made simultaneously. Accordingly, DNA array, like other high-throughput technologies, might catalyze and ultimately accelerate the development of knowledge in tumor cell biology. Although in its infancy, the implementation of DNA array technology in cancer research has already provided investigators with novel data and intriguing new hypotheses on the molecular cascade leading to carcinogenesis, tumor aggressiveness, and sensitivity to antiblastic agents. Given the revolutionary implications that the use of this technology might have in the clinical management of patients with cancer, principles of DNA array-based tumor gene profiling need to be clearly understood for the data to be correctly interpreted and appreciated. In the present work, we discuss the technical features characterizing this powerful laboratory tool and review the applications so far described in the field of oncology. PMID:15621987

  15. A fast and efficient adaptive parallel ray tracing based model for thermally coupled surface radiation in casting and heat treatment processes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fainberg, J; Schaefer, W

    2015-01-01

    A new algorithm for heat exchange between thermally coupled diffusely radiating interfaces is presented, which can be applied for closed and half open transparent radiating cavities. Interfaces between opaque and transparent materials are automatically detected and subdivided into elementary radiation surfaces named tiles. Contrary to the classical view factor method, the fixed unit sphere area subdivision oriented along the normal tile direction is projected onto the surrounding radiation mesh and not vice versa. Then, the total incident radiating flux of the receiver is approximated as a direct sum of radiation intensities of representative “senders” with the same weight factor. A hierarchical scheme for the space angle subdivision is selected in order to minimize the total memory and the computational demands during thermal calculations. Direct visibility is tested by means of a voxel-based ray tracing method accelerated by means of the anisotropic Chebyshev distance method, which reuses the computational grid as a Chebyshev one. The ray tracing algorithm is fully parallelized using MPI and takes advantage of the balanced distribution of all available tiles among all CPU's. This approach allows tracing of each particular ray without any communication. The algorithm has been implemented in a commercial casting process simulation software. The accuracy and computational performance of the new radiation model for heat treatment, investment and ingot casting applications is illustrated using industrial examples. (paper)

  16. X-ray beam-shaping via deformable mirrors: Analytical computation of the required mirror profile

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spiga, Daniele; Raimondi, Lorenzo; Svetina, Cristian; Zangrando, Marco

    2013-01-01

    X-ray mirrors with high focusing performances are in use in both mirror modules for X-ray telescopes and in synchrotron and FEL (Free Electron Laser) beamlines. A degradation of the focus sharpness arises in general from geometrical deformations and surface roughness, the former usually described by geometrical optics and the latter by physical optics. In general, technological developments are aimed at a very tight focusing, which requires the mirror profile to comply with the nominal shape as much as possible and to keep the roughness at a negligible level. However, a deliberate deformation of the mirror can be made to endow the focus with a desired size and distribution, via piezo actuators as done at the EIS-TIMEX beamline of FERMI@Elettra. The resulting profile can be characterized with a Long Trace Profilometer and correlated with the expected optical quality via a wavefront propagation code. However, if the roughness contribution can be neglected, the computation can be performed via a ray-tracing routine, and, under opportune assumptions, the focal spot profile (the Point Spread Function, PSF) can even be predicted analytically. The advantage of this approach is that the analytical relation can be reversed; i.e., from the desired PSF the required mirror profile can be computed easily, thereby avoiding the use of complex and time-consuming numerical codes. The method can also be suited in the case of spatially inhomogeneous beam intensities, as commonly experienced at synchrotrons and FELs. In this work we expose the analytical method and the application to the beam shaping problem

  17. Trace element removal from coal ash leachate by the 10-year-old construction wetland

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ye, Z.H.; Whiting, S.N.; Qian, J.H.; Lytle, C.M.; Lin, Z.-Q.; Terry, N. [University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (USA). Dept. of Plant and Microbial Biology

    2001-10-01

    The study investigated the ability of a 10-year old constructed wetland to treat metal-contaminated leachate emanating from a coal ash pile at the Widows Creek electric utility, Alabama (USA). The two vegetated cells, which were dominated by cattail (Typha latifolia L.) and soft rush (Juncus effusus L.), were very effective at removing Fe and Cd from the wastewater, but less efficient for Zn, S, B, and Mn. The concentrations were decreased by up to 99% for Fe, 91% for Cd, 63% for Zn, 61% for S, 58% for Mn, and 50% for B. Higher pH levels ({gt} 6) in standing water substantially improved the removing efficiency of the wetland for Mn only. The belowground tissues of both cattail and soft rush had high concentrations of all elements; only for Mn, however, did the concentration in the shoots exceed those in the belowground tissues. The concentrations of trace elements in fallen litter were higher than in the living shoots, but lower than in the belowground tissues. The trace element accumulation in the plants accounts for less than 2.5% of the annual loading of each trace element into the wetland. The sediments were the primary sinks for the elements removed from the wastewater. Except for Mn, the concentrations of trace elements in the upper layer (0-5 cm) of the sediment profile tended to be higher than the lower layers (5-10 and 10-15 cm). The conclusion was that constructed wetlands are still able to efficiently remove metals in the long term (i.e. {gt} 10 years after construction). 34 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs.

  18. Recording the dynamic endocytosis of single gold nanoparticles by AFM-based force tracing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Bohua; Tian, Yongmei; Pan, Yangang; Shan, Yuping; Cai, Mingjun; Xu, Haijiao; Sun, Yingchun; Wang, Hongda

    2015-05-07

    We utilized force tracing to directly record the endocytosis of single gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) with different sizes, revealing the size-dependent endocytosis dynamics and the crucial role of membrane cholesterol. The force, duration and velocity of Au NP invagination are accurately determined at the single-particle and microsecond level unprecedentedly.

  19. Analysis of preparation of Chinese traditional medicine based on the fiber fingerprint drop trace

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhilin; Wang, Jialu; Sun, Weimin; Yan, Qi

    2010-11-01

    The purpose of the fiber micro-drop analyzing technique is to measure the characteristics of liquids using optical methods. The fiber fingerprint drop trace (FFDT) is a curve of light intensity vs. time. This curve indicates the forming, growing and dripping processes of the liquid drops. A pair of fibers was used to monitor the dripping process. The FFDTs are acquired and analyzed by a computer. Different liquid samples of many kinds of preparation of Chinese traditional medicines were tested by using the fiber micro-drop sensor in the experiments. The FFDTs of preparation of Chinese traditional medicines with different concentrations were analyzed in different ways. Considering the characters of the FFDTs, a novel method is proposed to measure the different preparation of Chinese traditional medicines and its concentration based on the corresponding relationship of FFDTs and the physical and chemical parameters of the liquids.

  20. Trends in Trace Element Fractionation Between Foraminiferal Species and the Role of Biomineralization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reichart, G. J.; Nooijer, L. D.; Geerken, E.; Mezger, E.; van Dijk, I. V.; Daemmer, L. K.

    2017-12-01

    Reconstructions of past climate and environments are largely based on stable isotopes and trace element concentrations measured on fossil foraminiferal calcite. Their element and isotope composition roughly reflects seawater composition and physical conditions, which in turn, are related to paleoceanographic parameters. More recently, attempts are being made to infer ranges in environmental parameters using the observed differences in the composition within individual tests. Remarkably, inter-species differences in trace element incorporation are well-correlated over a wide range of environmental conditions. This is particularly remarkable knowing that different environmental factors influence incorporation of these elements at various magnitudes. Most likely the complex biomineralization of foraminifera potentially offsets trace elements similarly at all these scales and also between different species. This suggests that at least parts of the mechanisms underlying foraminiferal biomineralization are similar for all species, which in turn provides important clues on the cellular mechanisms operating during calcification. Moreover, the systematics in trace element partitioning between species could potentially provide important clues for unravelling past changes in trace element composition of the ancient ocean.

  1. Optimization design of airfoil profiles based on the noise of wind turbines

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cheng, Jiangtao; Chen, Jin; Cheng, Jiangtao

    2012-01-01

    Based on design theory of airfoil profiles and airfoil self-noise prediction model, a new method with the target of the airfoil average efficiency-noise ratio of design ranges for angle of attack had been developed for designing wind turbine airfoils. The airfoil design method was optimized for a...

  2. Lectures on the Arthur-Selberg trace formula

    CERN Document Server

    Gelbart, Stephen

    1996-01-01

    The Arthur-Selberg trace formula is an equality between two kinds of traces: the geometric terms given by the conjugacy classes of a group and the spectral terms given by the induced representations. In general, these terms require a truncation in order to converge, which leads to an equality of truncated kernels. The formulas are difficult in general and even the case of GL(2) is nontrivial. The book gives proof of Arthur's trace formula of the 1970s and 1980s, with special attention given to GL(2). The problem is that when the truncated terms converge, they are also shown to be polynomial in the truncation variable and expressed as "weighted" orbital and "weighted" characters. In some important cases the trace formula takes on a simple form over G. The author gives some examples of this, and also some examples of Jacquet's relative trace formula. This work offers for the first time a simultaneous treatment of a general group with the case of GL(2). It also treats the trace formula with the example of Jacque...

  3. Personal profile of medical students selected through a knowledge-based exam only: are we missing suitable students?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Milena Abbiati

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: A consistent body of literature highlights the importance of a broader approach to select medical school candidates both assessing cognitive capacity and individual characteristics. However, selection in a great number of medical schools worldwide is still based on knowledge exams, a procedure that might neglect students with needed personal characteristics for future medical practice. We investigated whether the personal profile of students selected through a knowledge-based exam differed from those not selected. Methods: Students applying for medical school (N=311 completed questionnaires assessing motivations for becoming a doctor, learning approaches, personality traits, empathy, and coping styles. Selection was based on the results of MCQ tests. Principal component analysis was used to draw a profile of the students. Differences between selected and non-selected students were examined by Multivariate ANOVAs, and their impact on selection by logistic regression analysis. Results: Students demonstrating a profile of diligence with higher conscientiousness, deep learning approach, and task-focused coping were more frequently selected (p=0.01. Other personal characteristics such as motivation, sociability, and empathy did not significantly differ, comparing selected and non-selected students. Conclusion: Selection through a knowledge-based exam privileged diligent students. It did neither advantage nor preclude candidates with a more humane profile.

  4. Next Generation Hybrid Photo-Catalytic Oxidation (PCO) for Trace Contaminant Control

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) is a primary candidate as an alternative to thermal-catalytic or sorbent- based technologies for VOC trace contaminant control due to...

  5. Trace Norm Regularized CANDECOMP/PARAFAC Decomposition With Missing Data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yuanyuan; Shang, Fanhua; Jiao, Licheng; Cheng, James; Cheng, Hong

    2015-11-01

    In recent years, low-rank tensor completion (LRTC) problems have received a significant amount of attention in computer vision, data mining, and signal processing. The existing trace norm minimization algorithms for iteratively solving LRTC problems involve multiple singular value decompositions of very large matrices at each iteration. Therefore, they suffer from high computational cost. In this paper, we propose a novel trace norm regularized CANDECOMP/PARAFAC decomposition (TNCP) method for simultaneous tensor decomposition and completion. We first formulate a factor matrix rank minimization model by deducing the relation between the rank of each factor matrix and the mode- n rank of a tensor. Then, we introduce a tractable relaxation of our rank function, and then achieve a convex combination problem of much smaller-scale matrix trace norm minimization. Finally, we develop an efficient algorithm based on alternating direction method of multipliers to solve our problem. The promising experimental results on synthetic and real-world data validate the effectiveness of our TNCP method. Moreover, TNCP is significantly faster than the state-of-the-art methods and scales to larger problems.

  6. Towards precise classification of cancers based on robust gene functional expression profiles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhu Jing

    2005-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Development of robust and efficient methods for analyzing and interpreting high dimension gene expression profiles continues to be a focus in computational biology. The accumulated experiment evidence supports the assumption that genes express and perform their functions in modular fashions in cells. Therefore, there is an open space for development of the timely and relevant computational algorithms that use robust functional expression profiles towards precise classification of complex human diseases at the modular level. Results Inspired by the insight that genes act as a module to carry out a highly integrated cellular function, we thus define a low dimension functional expression profile for data reduction. After annotating each individual gene to functional categories defined in a proper gene function classification system such as Gene Ontology applied in this study, we identify those functional categories enriched with differentially expressed genes. For each functional category or functional module, we compute a summary measure (s for the raw expression values of the annotated genes to capture the overall activity level of the module. In this way, we can treat the gene expressions within a functional module as an integrative data point to replace the multiple values of individual genes. We compare the classification performance of decision trees based on functional expression profiles with the conventional gene expression profiles using four publicly available datasets, which indicates that precise classification of tumour types and improved interpretation can be achieved with the reduced functional expression profiles. Conclusion This modular approach is demonstrated to be a powerful alternative approach to analyzing high dimension microarray data and is robust to high measurement noise and intrinsic biological variance inherent in microarray data. Furthermore, efficient integration with current biological knowledge

  7. Investigating the Microscopic Location of Trace Elements in High-Alpine Glacier Ice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avak, Sven Erik; Birrer, Mario; Laurent, Oscar; Guillong, Marcel; Wälle, Markus; Jenk, Theo Manuel; Bartels-Rausch, Thorsten; Schwikowski, Margit; Eichler, Anja

    2017-04-01

    Past changes in atmospheric pollution can be reconstructed from high-alpine ice core trace element records (Schwikowski et al., 2004). Percolation of meltwater alters the information originally stored in these environmental archives. Eichler et al. (2001) suggested that the preservation of major ions with respect to meltwater percolation depends on their location in the crystal ice lattice, i.e. grain boundaries versus grain interiors. Other studies have also focused on the effect of meltwater on organic pollutant concentrations as well as on stable isotope profiles in ice cores, whereas no information exists about trace elements. Here, we investigate for the first time the effect of the microscopic location of anthropogenic, dust and volcanic related trace elements on the behavior during meltwater percolation by using two different approaches. On the one hand we assess the microscopic location of trace elements indirectly by analyzing trace element concentrations in a high-alpine ice core, which has been shown to be affected by an inflow of meltwater, using discrete inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Impurities located at grain boundaries are prone to be removed by meltwater and tend to be depleted in the affected section of the record whereas those incorporated into the ice interior are preserved and not disturbed in the record. In the second approach we work towards a direct quantification of differences in concentrations of trace elements between ice grain boundaries and grain interiors in samples both from unaffected and affected sections of this ice core. Therefore we use cryocell laser ablation (LA) ICP-MS, which is the method of choice for the direct in situ chemical analysis of trace elements at a sub-millimeter resolution in glacier ice (Reinhardt et al., 2001, Della Lunga et al., 2014, Sneed et al., 2015). We will present first results of both approaches with regard to the evaluation of the potential of trace elements as environmental

  8. Trace elements in Antarctic fish species and the influence of foraging habitats and dietary habits on mercury levels

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goutte, Aurélie, E-mail: aurelie.goutte@ephe.sorbonne.fr [École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE), SPL, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR 7619 METIS, F-75005, 4 place Jussieu, Paris (France); Cherel, Yves [Centre d' Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois (France); Churlaud, Carine [Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266, CNRS-Université de la Rochelle, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle (France); Ponthus, Jean-Pierre [École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE), SPL, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR 7619 METIS, F-75005, 4 place Jussieu, Paris (France); Massé, Guillaume [Unité Mixte Internationale Takuvik, Pavillon Alexandre-Vachon, Université Laval, QC, Québec (Canada); Bustamante, Paco [Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266, CNRS-Université de la Rochelle, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle (France)

    2015-12-15

    This study aims at describing and interpreting concentration profiles of trace elements in seven Antarctic fish species (N = 132 specimens) off Adélie Land. Ichthyofauna plays a key role in the Antarctic ecosystem, as they occupy various ecological niches, including cryopelagic (ice-associated), pelagic, and benthic habitats. Firstly, trace element levels in the studied specimens were similar to those previously observed in fish from the Southern Ocean. Apart from manganese and zinc, concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, copper, iron, mercury (Hg), nickel, selenium and silver differed among fish species. Muscle δ{sup 13}C and δ{sup 15}N values were determined to investigate whether the fish foraging habitats and dietary habits could explain Hg levels. Species and foraging habitat (δ{sup 13}C) were strong predictors for variations of Hg concentrations in muscle tissues. The highest Hg contamination was found in shallow benthic fish compared to cryopelagic and pelagic fish. This pattern was likely due to the methylation of Hg in the coastal sediment and the photodemethylation by ultraviolet radiation in surface waters. - Highlights: • Trace elements and stable isotopes were analyzed in seven Antarctic fish species. • Levels of trace elements in liver and in muscle differed among species. • Hg load was higher in benthic fish than in cryopelagic and pelagic fish. • These findings could be due to the high methylation rate of Hg in the sediment.

  9. Trace elements in Antarctic fish species and the influence of foraging habitats and dietary habits on mercury levels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goutte, Aurélie; Cherel, Yves; Churlaud, Carine; Ponthus, Jean-Pierre; Massé, Guillaume; Bustamante, Paco

    2015-01-01

    This study aims at describing and interpreting concentration profiles of trace elements in seven Antarctic fish species (N = 132 specimens) off Adélie Land. Ichthyofauna plays a key role in the Antarctic ecosystem, as they occupy various ecological niches, including cryopelagic (ice-associated), pelagic, and benthic habitats. Firstly, trace element levels in the studied specimens were similar to those previously observed in fish from the Southern Ocean. Apart from manganese and zinc, concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, copper, iron, mercury (Hg), nickel, selenium and silver differed among fish species. Muscle δ"1"3C and δ"1"5N values were determined to investigate whether the fish foraging habitats and dietary habits could explain Hg levels. Species and foraging habitat (δ"1"3C) were strong predictors for variations of Hg concentrations in muscle tissues. The highest Hg contamination was found in shallow benthic fish compared to cryopelagic and pelagic fish. This pattern was likely due to the methylation of Hg in the coastal sediment and the photodemethylation by ultraviolet radiation in surface waters. - Highlights: • Trace elements and stable isotopes were analyzed in seven Antarctic fish species. • Levels of trace elements in liver and in muscle differed among species. • Hg load was higher in benthic fish than in cryopelagic and pelagic fish. • These findings could be due to the high methylation rate of Hg in the sediment.

  10. Patterns of trading profiles at the Nordic Stock Exchange. A correlation-based approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Musciotto, Federico; Marotta, Luca; Miccichè, Salvatore; Piilo, Jyrki; Mantegna, Rosario N.

    2016-01-01

    We investigate the trading behavior of Finnish individual investors trading the stocks selected to compute the OMXH25 index in 2003 by tracking the individual daily investment decisions. We verify that the set of investors is a highly heterogeneous system under many aspects. We introduce a correlation based method that is able to detect a hierarchical structure of the trading profiles of heterogeneous individual investors. We verify that the detected hierarchical structure is highly overlapping with the cluster structure obtained with the approach of statistically validated networks when an appropriate threshold of the hierarchical trees is used. We also show that the combination of the correlation based method and of the statistically validated method provides a way to expand the information about the clusters of investors with similar trading profiles in a robust and reliable way.

  11. Operation voltage of the counting system of nuclear traces in solids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garcia, M.L.; Quirino, L.L.; Mireles, F.; Davila, J.I.; Pinedo, J.L.; Lugo, J.F.; Vadillo, V.E.

    2002-01-01

    The semi-automatic counting system based on electric spark and used for traces reading in solid state detectors is evaluated for obtaining its counting voltage and also the breaking voltage of material. In the treatment of the solid state detectors it is continued the NTD methodology for concluding with the individual counting of the films, whose graphics offer the existing relationship among the applied voltage and the traces number. From each film a counting and breaking voltages are obtained. Finally, an average voltage of all them is estimated. (Author)

  12. A modified fetal heart rate tracing interpretation system for prediction of cesarean section

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schnettler, William T.; Rogers, Jennifer; Barber, Rachel E.; Hacker, Michele R.

    2013-01-01

    Objective To investigate whether a modified version of the 2008 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) interpretation system upon admission decreases cesarean delivery risk. Methods This retrospective cohort study ascribed a modified category to the first 30 min of fetal heart rate (FHR) tracings in labor. Category I was divided into two subsets (Ia and Ib) by the presence of accelerations. Category II was divided into four subsets (IIa–IId) based on baseline FHR, variability, response to stimulation and decelerations. Log-binomial regression was used to calculate risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results A category was ascribed to 910 women. Most FHR tracings were Category Ia (65.8%), Ib (7.7%), IIb (11.8%) and IId (14.0%). Category Ib tracings (fewer than two accelerations) were 2.26 (95% CI: 1.13–4.52) times more likely to result in cesarean delivery for abnormal FHR tracing than Category Ia tracings. A similar increase in risk was seen when comparing Category IIb and Category IId with Category Ia. Conclusion Application of a modified version of the 2008 NICHD FHR interpretation system to the initial 30 min of labor can identify women at increased risk of cesarean delivery for abnormal FHR tracing. PMID:21942513

  13. RAY TRACING IMPLEMENTATION IN JAVA PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aybars UĞUR

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper realism in computer graphics and components providing realism are discussed at first. It is mentioned about illumination models, surface rendering methods and light sources for this aim. After that, ray tracing which is a technique for creating two dimensional image of a three-dimensional virtual environment is explained briefly. A simple ray tracing algorithm was given. "SahneIzle" which is a ray tracing program implemented in Java programming language which can be used on the internet is introduced. As a result, importance of network-centric ray tracing software is discussed.

  14. Three-dimensional ray-tracing model for the study of advanced refractive errors in keratoconus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schedin, Staffan; Hallberg, Per; Behndig, Anders

    2016-01-20

    We propose a numerical three-dimensional (3D) ray-tracing model for the analysis of advanced corneal refractive errors. The 3D modeling was based on measured corneal elevation data by means of Scheimpflug photography. A mathematical description of the measured corneal surfaces from a keratoconus (KC) patient was used for the 3D ray tracing, based on Snell's law of refraction. A model of a commercial intraocular lens (IOL) was included in the analysis. By modifying the posterior IOL surface, it was shown that the imaging quality could be significantly improved. The RMS values were reduced by approximately 50% close to the retina, both for on- and off-axis geometries. The 3D ray-tracing model can constitute a basis for simulation of customized IOLs that are able to correct the advanced, irregular refractive errors in KC.

  15. Heterogeneity of Systemic Oxidative Stress Profiles in COPD: A Potential Role of Gender

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jonathan Maury

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Oxidative stress (OS plays a key role in the muscle impairment and exercise capacity of COPD patients. However, the literature reveals that systemic OS markers show great heterogeneity, which may hinder the prescription of effective antioxidant supplementation. This study therefore aimed to identify OS markers imbalance of COPD patients, relative to validated normal reference values, and to investigate the possibility of systemic OS profiles. We measured systemic enzymatic/nonenzymatic antioxidant and lipid peroxidation (LP levels in 54 stable COPD patients referred for a rehabilitation program. The main systemic antioxidant deficits in these patients concerned vitamins and trace elements. Fully 89% of the COPD patients showed a systemic antioxidant imbalance which may have caused the elevated systemic LP levels in 69% of them. Interestingly, two patient profiles (clusters 3 and 4 had a more elevated increase in LP combined with increased copper and/or decreased vitamin C, GSH, and GPx. Further analysis revealed that the systemic LP level was higher in COPD women and associated with exercise capacity. Our present data therefore support future supplementations with antioxidant vitamins and trace elements to improve exercise capacity, but COPD patients will probably show different positive responses.

  16. Comprehensive examination of conventional and innovative body fluid identification approaches and DNA profiling of laundered blood- and saliva-stained pieces of cloths.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kulstein, G; Wiegand, P

    2018-01-01

    Body fluids like blood and saliva are commonly encountered during investigations of high volume crimes like homicides. The identification of the cellular origin and the composition of the trace can link suspects or victims to a certain crime scene and provide a probative value for criminal investigations. To erase all traces from the crime scene, perpetrators often wash away their traces. Characteristically, items that show exposed stains like blood are commonly cleaned or laundered to free them from potential visible leftovers. Mostly, investigators do not delegate the DNA analysis of laundered items. However, some studies have already revealed that items can still be used for DNA analysis even after they have been laundered. Nonetheless, a systematical evaluation of laundered blood and saliva traces that provides a comparison of different established and newly developed methods for body fluid identification (BFI) is still missing. Herein, we present the results of a comprehensive study of laundered blood- and saliva-stained pieces of cloths that were applied to a broad range of methods for BFI including conventional approaches as well as molecular mRNA profiling. The study included the evaluation of cellular origin as well as DNA profiling of blood- and saliva-stained (synthetic fiber and cotton) pieces of cloths, which have been washed at various washing temperatures for one or multiple times. Our experiments demonstrate that, while STR profiling seems to be sufficiently sensitive for the individualization of laundered items, there is a lack of approaches for BFI with the same sensitivity and specificity allowing to characterize the cellular origin of challenging, particularly laundered, blood and saliva samples.

  17. Predicting Mental Imagery-Based BCI Performance from Personality, Cognitive Profile and Neurophysiological Patterns.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Camille Jeunet

    Full Text Available Mental-Imagery based Brain-Computer Interfaces (MI-BCIs allow their users to send commands to a computer using their brain-activity alone (typically measured by ElectroEncephaloGraphy-EEG, which is processed while they perform specific mental tasks. While very promising, MI-BCIs remain barely used outside laboratories because of the difficulty encountered by users to control them. Indeed, although some users obtain good control performances after training, a substantial proportion remains unable to reliably control an MI-BCI. This huge variability in user-performance led the community to look for predictors of MI-BCI control ability. However, these predictors were only explored for motor-imagery based BCIs, and mostly for a single training session per subject. In this study, 18 participants were instructed to learn to control an EEG-based MI-BCI by performing 3 MI-tasks, 2 of which were non-motor tasks, across 6 training sessions, on 6 different days. Relationships between the participants' BCI control performances and their personality, cognitive profile and neurophysiological markers were explored. While no relevant relationships with neurophysiological markers were found, strong correlations between MI-BCI performances and mental-rotation scores (reflecting spatial abilities were revealed. Also, a predictive model of MI-BCI performance based on psychometric questionnaire scores was proposed. A leave-one-subject-out cross validation process revealed the stability and reliability of this model: it enabled to predict participants' performance with a mean error of less than 3 points. This study determined how users' profiles impact their MI-BCI control ability and thus clears the way for designing novel MI-BCI training protocols, adapted to the profile of each user.

  18. Trace element supplementation in the biogas production from wheat stillage--optimization of metal dosing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmidt, Thomas; Nelles, Michael; Scholwin, Frank; Pröter, Jürgen

    2014-09-01

    A trace element dosing strategy for the anaerobic digestion of wheat stillage was developed in this study. Mesophilic CSTR reactors were operated with the sulfuric substrate wheat stillage in some cases under trace element deficiency. After supplementing trace elements during the start-up, one of the elements of Fe, Ni, Co, Mo, and W were depleted in one digester while still augmenting the other elements to determine minimum requirements for each element. The depletion of Fe and Ni resulted in a rapid accumulation of volatile fatty acids while Co and W seem to have a long-term effect. Based on the results it was possible to reduce the dosing of trace elements, which is positive with reference to economic and environmental aspects. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Parallel-hierarchical processing and classification of laser beam profile images based on the GPU-oriented architecture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yarovyi, Andrii A.; Timchenko, Leonid I.; Kozhemiako, Volodymyr P.; Kokriatskaia, Nataliya I.; Hamdi, Rami R.; Savchuk, Tamara O.; Kulyk, Oleksandr O.; Surtel, Wojciech; Amirgaliyev, Yedilkhan; Kashaganova, Gulzhan

    2017-08-01

    The paper deals with a problem of insufficient productivity of existing computer means for large image processing, which do not meet modern requirements posed by resource-intensive computing tasks of laser beam profiling. The research concentrated on one of the profiling problems, namely, real-time processing of spot images of the laser beam profile. Development of a theory of parallel-hierarchic transformation allowed to produce models for high-performance parallel-hierarchical processes, as well as algorithms and software for their implementation based on the GPU-oriented architecture using GPGPU technologies. The analyzed performance of suggested computerized tools for processing and classification of laser beam profile images allows to perform real-time processing of dynamic images of various sizes.

  20. Insights into Tikhonov regularization: application to trace gas column retrieval and the efficient calculation of total column averaging kernels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. Borsdorff

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Insights are given into Tikhonov regularization and its application to the retrieval of vertical column densities of atmospheric trace gases from remote sensing measurements. The study builds upon the equivalence of the least-squares profile-scaling approach and Tikhonov regularization method of the first kind with an infinite regularization strength. Here, the vertical profile is expressed relative to a reference profile. On the basis of this, we propose a new algorithm as an extension of the least-squares profile scaling which permits the calculation of total column averaging kernels on arbitrary vertical grids using an analytic expression. Moreover, we discuss the effective null space of the retrieval, which comprises those parts of a vertical trace gas distribution which cannot be inferred from the measurements. Numerically the algorithm can be implemented in a robust and efficient manner. In particular for operational data processing with challenging demands on processing time, the proposed inversion method in combination with highly efficient forward models is an asset. For demonstration purposes, we apply the algorithm to CO column retrieval from simulated measurements in the 2.3 μm spectral region and to O3 column retrieval from the UV. These represent ideal measurements of a series of spaceborne spectrometers such as SCIAMACHY, TROPOMI, GOME, and GOME-2. For both spectral ranges, we consider clear-sky and cloudy scenes where clouds are modelled as an elevated Lambertian surface. Here, the smoothing error for the clear-sky and cloudy atmosphere is significant and reaches several percent, depending on the reference profile which is used for scaling. This underlines the importance of the column averaging kernel for a proper interpretation of retrieved column densities. Furthermore, we show that the smoothing due to regularization can be underestimated by calculating the column averaging kernel on a too coarse vertical grid. For both