Theoretical analysis of the spatio-temporal structure of bone multicellular units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buenzli, P R; Pivonka, P; Gardiner, B S; Smith, D W; Dunstan, C R; Mundy, G R

2010-01-01

Bone multicellular units (BMUs) maintain the viability of the skeletal tissue by coordinating locally the sequence of bone resorption and bone formation performed by cells of the osteoclastic and osteoblastic lineage. Understanding the emergence and the net bone balance of such structured microsystems out of the complex network of biochemical interactions between bone cells is fundamental for many bone-related diseases and the evaluation of fracture risk. Based on current experimental knowledge, we propose a spatio-temporal continuum model describing the interactions of osteoblastic and osteoclastic cells. We show that this model admits travelling-wave-like solutions with well-confined cell profiles upon specifying external conditions mimicking the environment encountered in cortical bone remodelling. The shapes of the various cell concentration profiles within this travelling structure are intrinsically linked to the parameters of the model such as differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis rates of bone cells. The internal structure of BMUs is reproduced, allowing for experimental calibration. The spatial distribution of the key regulatory factors can also be exhibited, which in diseased states could give hints as to the biochemical agent most accountable for the disorder.

Lithium-Ion Cell Charge-Control Unit Developed

Science.gov (United States)

Reid, Concha M.; Manzo, Michelle A.; Buton, Robert M.; Gemeiner, Russel

2005-01-01

A lithium-ion (Li-ion) cell charge-control unit was developed as part of a Li-ion cell verification program. This unit manages the complex charging scheme that is required when Li-ion cells are charged in series. It enables researchers to test cells together as a pack, while allowing each cell to charge individually. This allows the inherent cell-to-cell variations to be addressed on a series string of cells and reduces test costs substantially in comparison to individual cell testing.

Charge-Control Unit for Testing Lithium-Ion Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Reid, Concha M.; Mazo, Michelle A.; Button, Robert M.

2008-01-01

A charge-control unit was developed as part of a program to validate Li-ion cells packaged together in batteries for aerospace use. The lithium-ion cell charge-control unit will be useful to anyone who performs testing of battery cells for aerospace and non-aerospace uses and to anyone who manufacturers battery test equipment. This technology reduces the quantity of costly power supplies and independent channels that are needed for test programs in which multiple cells are tested. Battery test equipment manufacturers can integrate the technology into their battery test equipment as a method to manage charging of multiple cells in series. The unit manages a complex scheme that is required for charging Li-ion cells electrically connected in series. The unit makes it possible to evaluate cells together as a pack using a single primary test channel, while also making it possible to charge each cell individually. Hence, inherent cell-to-cell variations in a series string of cells can be addressed, and yet the cost of testing is reduced substantially below the cost of testing each cell as a separate entity. The unit consists of electronic circuits and thermal-management devices housed in a common package. It also includes isolated annunciators to signal when the cells are being actively bypassed. These annunciators can be used by external charge managers or can be connected in series to signal that all cells have reached maximum charge. The charge-control circuitry for each cell amounts to regulator circuitry and is powered by that cell, eliminating the need for an external power source or controller. A 110-VAC source of electricity is required to power the thermal-management portion of the unit. A small direct-current source can be used to supply power for an annunciator signal, if desired.

Structure of the Elastin-Contractile Units in the Thoracic Aorta and How Genes That Cause Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms and Dissections Disrupt This Structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Karimi, Ashkan; Milewicz, Dianna M

2016-01-01

The medial layer of the aorta confers elasticity and strength to the aortic wall and is composed of alternating layers of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and elastic fibres. The SMC elastin-contractile unit is a structural unit that links the elastin fibres to the SMCs and is characterized by the following: (1) layers of elastin fibres that are surrounded by microfibrils; (2) microfibrils that bind to the integrin receptors in focal adhesions on the cell surface of the SMCs; and (3) SMC contractile filaments that are linked to the focal adhesions on the inner side of the membrane. The genes that are altered to cause thoracic aortic aneurysms and aortic dissections encode proteins involved in the structure or function of the SMC elastin-contractile unit. Included in this gene list are the genes encoding protein that are structural components of elastin fibres and microfibrils, FBN1, MFAP5, ELN, and FBLN4. Also included are genes that encode structural proteins in the SMC contractile unit, including ACTA2, which encodes SMC-specific α-actin and MYH11, which encodes SMC-specific myosin heavy chain, along with MYLK and PRKG1, which encode kinases that control SMC contraction. Finally, mutations in the gene encoding the protein linking integrin receptors to the contractile filaments, FLNA, also predispose to thoracic aortic disease. Thus, these data suggest that functional SMC elastin-contractile units are important for maintaining the structural integrity of the aorta. Copyright © 2016 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quasi bound states in the continuum with few unit cells of photonic crystal slab

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Taghizadeh, Alireza; Chung, Il-Sug

2017-01-01

cell structures. They are explained by a viewpoint of BICs originating from the tight-binding of individual resonances of each unit cell as in semiconductors. Combined with a reciprocal-space matching technique, the microcavities based on quasi-BICs can achieve a Q-factor as high as defect-based Ph...

Use of the Primitive Unit Cell in Understanding Subtle Features of the Cubic Closest-Packed Structure

Science.gov (United States)

Hawkins, John A.; Rittenhouse, Jeffrey L.; Soper, Linda M.; Rittenhouse, Robert C.

2008-01-01

One of the most important crystal structures adopted by metals is characterized by the "abcabc"...stacking of close-packed layers. This structure is commonly referred to in textbooks as the cubic close-packed (ccp) or face-centered cubic (fcc) structure, since the entire lattice can be generated by replication of a face-centered cubic unit cell…

Magic clusters and (2x1) local structure formed in a half-unit cell of the Si(1 1 1)-(7x7) surface by Tl adsorption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kocan, P.; Visikovskiy, A.V.; Ohira, Y.; Yoshimura, M.; Ueda, K.; Tochihara, H.

2008-01-01

Formation of a (2x1) local structure is found at submonolayer growth of Tl on the Si(1 1 1)-(7x7) surface by means of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). At low coverages, the (7x7) grid remains and the (2x1) structure is formed inside of the half-unit cells of the (7x7). The (2x1) coexists with other structures, such as of 'magic' clusters observed in the case of all other group III metals. Based on our STM observations we propose an atomic arrangement of the (2x1) structure

Additively Manufactured Open-Cell Porous Biomaterials Made from Six Different Space-Filling Unit Cells : The Mechanical and Morphological Properties

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ahmadi, S.M.; Yavari, S.A.; Wauthle, R.; Pouran, B.; Schrooten, J.; Weinans, H.; Zadpoor, A.A.

2015-01-01

It is known that the mechanical properties of bone-mimicking porous biomaterials are a function of the morphological properties of the porous structure, including the configuration and size of the repeating unit cell from which they are made. However, the literature on this topic is limited,

Failure mechanisms of additively manufactured porous biomaterials: Effects of porosity and type of unit cell.

Science.gov (United States)

Kadkhodapour, J; Montazerian, H; Darabi, A Ch; Anaraki, A P; Ahmadi, S M; Zadpoor, A A; Schmauder, S

2015-10-01

Since the advent of additive manufacturing techniques, regular porous biomaterials have emerged as promising candidates for tissue engineering scaffolds owing to their controllable pore architecture and feasibility in producing scaffolds from a variety of biomaterials. The architecture of scaffolds could be designed to achieve similar mechanical properties as in the host bone tissue, thereby avoiding issues such as stress shielding in bone replacement procedure. In this paper, the deformation and failure mechanisms of porous titanium (Ti6Al4V) biomaterials manufactured by selective laser melting from two different types of repeating unit cells, namely cubic and diamond lattice structures, with four different porosities are studied. The mechanical behavior of the above-mentioned porous biomaterials was studied using finite element models. The computational results were compared with the experimental findings from a previous study of ours. The Johnson-Cook plasticity and damage model was implemented in the finite element models to simulate the failure of the additively manufactured scaffolds under compression. The computationally predicted stress-strain curves were compared with the experimental ones. The computational models incorporating the Johnson-Cook damage model could predict the plateau stress and maximum stress at the first peak with less than 18% error. Moreover, the computationally predicted deformation modes were in good agreement with the results of scaling law analysis. A layer-by-layer failure mechanism was found for the stretch-dominated structures, i.e. structures made from the cubic unit cell, while the failure of the bending-dominated structures, i.e. structures made from the diamond unit cells, was accompanied by the shearing bands of 45°. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Unit-cell refinement from powder diffraction scans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pawley, G.S.

1981-01-01

A procedure for the refinement of the crystal unit cell from a powder diffraction scan is presented. In this procedure knowledge of the crystal structure is not required, and at the end of the refinement a list of indexed intensities is produced. This list may well be usable as the starting point for the application of direct methods. The problems of least-squares ill-conditioning due to overlapping reflections are overcome by constraints. An example using decafluorocyclohexene, C 6 F 10 , shows the quality of fit obtained in a case which may even be a false minimum. The method should become more relevant as powder scans of improved resolution become available, through the use of pulsed neutron sources. (Auth.)

3D-Printing Crystallographic Unit Cells for Learning Materials Science and Engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Rodenbough, Philip P.; Vanti, William B.; Chan, Siu-Wai

2015-01-01

Introductory materials science and engineering courses universally include the study of crystal structure and unit cells, which are by their nature highly visual 3D concepts. Traditionally, such topics are explored with 2D drawings or perhaps a limited set of difficult-to-construct 3D models. The rise of 3D printing, coupled with the wealth of…

Inulin isoforms differ by repeated additions of one crystal unit cell

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Peter D.; Barclay, Thomas G.; Ginic-Markovic, Milena; Gerson, Andrea R.; Petrovsky, Nikolai

2014-01-01

Inulin isoforms, especially delta inulin, are important biologically as immune activators and clinically as vaccine adjuvants. In exploring action mechanisms, we previously found regular increments in thermal properties of the seven-member inulin isoform series that suggested regular additions of some energetic structural unit. Because the previous isolates carried additional longer chains that masked defining ranges, these were contrasted with new isoform isolates comprising only inulin chain lengths defining that isoform. The new series began with 19 fructose units per chain (alpha-1 inulin), increasing regularly by 6 fructose units per isoform. Thus the ‘energetic unit’ equates to 6 fructose residues per chain. All isoforms showed indistinguishable X-ray diffraction patterns that were also identical with known inulin crystals. We conclude that an ‘energetic unit’ equates to one helix turn of 6 fructose units per chain as found in one unit cell of the inulin crystal. Each isoform chain comprised progressively more helix turns plus one additional fructose and glucose residues per chain. PMID:24528745

A Cesium Rare-Earth Silicate Cs3 RESi6 O15 (RE=Dy-Lu, Y, In): The Parent of an Unusual Structural Class Featuring a Remarkable 57 Å Unit Cell Axis.

Science.gov (United States)

Terry, Rylan; Vinton, Daniel; McMillen, Colin D; Kolis, Joseph W

2018-02-19

The structure of Cs 3 RESi 6 O 15 , where RE=Dy-Lu, Y, In, is unusual in that it contains octahedrally coordinated rare-earth ions; their relative orientation dictates the structure, as they rotate about the c-axis supported by the cyclic Si 6 O 15 framework. The repeat unit of the rotation is eight units generating a very long (ca. 57 Å) unit cell axis. This unusual repeat unit is created by the structural flexibility of the hexasilicate ring, which is in turn affected by the size of the rare earth ion as well as the size of alkali ion residing within the silicate layers. Previous work showed for the smaller Sc 3+ ion, the rotation of the octahedra is not sufficient to achieve closure at an integral repeat unit and an incommensurate structure results. The products are prepared as large, high quality single crystals using a high-temperature (650 °C) hydrothermal method with CsOH and F - mineralizers. The presence of fluoride is essential to the formation of the product. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Fuel Cells in Distributed Power Market Applications in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rastler, D.

2002-01-01

This paper reviews results from EPRI market analysis, which examined the technical and economic market potential of fuel cells in distributed power markets in the United States. A methodology and approach for developing realistic quantitative estimates of market potential in competitive electricity markets is presented. Market size estimates for phosphoric acid, polymer exchange membrane, high temperature fuel cells (carbonate and solid oxide systems) and ultra-high efficient fuel cell hybrids are estimated. Market potentials are reviewed for fuel cells systems ranging in size from 3 kW up to 20-30 MW in scale and underlying assumptions are provided. The results and implications are discussed in relation to the changing U.S. electric utility market structures. Results will be of value to energy companies and to fuel cell developers seeking to understand revenue sales estimates, market size, and most profitable segments for fuel cells in the competitive US electric markets. (author)

Fabrication and characteristics of unit cell for SOFC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Gwi-Yeol; Eom, Seung-Wook; Moon, Seong-In [Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute, Kyongnam (Korea, Republic of)] [and others

1996-12-31

Research and development on solid oxide fuel cells in Korea have been mainly focused on unit cell and small stack. Fuel cell system is called clean generation system which not cause NOx or SOx. It is generation efficiency come to 50-60% in contrast to 40% of combustion generation system. Among the fuel cell system, solid oxide fuel cell is constructed of ceramics, so stack construction is simple, power density is very high, and there are no corrosion problems. The object of this study is to develop various composing material for SOFC generation system, and to test unit cell performance manufactured. So we try to present a guidance for developing mass power generation system. We concentrated on development of manufacturing process for cathode, anode and electrolyte.

The Disruptive Effect of Lysozyme on the Bacterial Cell Wall Explored by an "In-Silico" Structural Outlook

Science.gov (United States)

Primo, Emiliano D.; Otero, Lisandro H.; Ruiz, Francisco; Klinke, Sebastián; Giordano, Walter

2018-01-01

The bacterial cell wall, a structural unit of peptidoglycan polymer comprised of glycan strands consisting of a repeating disaccharide motif [N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) and N-acetylmuramylpentapeptide (NAM pentapeptide)], encases bacteria and provides structural integrity and protection. Lysozymes are enzymes that break down the bacterial cell wall…

The Application of Load-cell Technique in the Study of Armour Unit Responses to Impact Loads Tests

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Burcharth, H. F.; Liu, Z.

1995-01-01

The slender, complex types of armour units, such as Tetrapods and Dolosse are widely used for rubble mound breakwaters. Many of the recent failures of such structures were caused by unforeseen early breakage of the units, thus revealing an in balance between the strength (structural integrity......) of the units and the hydraulic stability (resistance to displacements) of the armour layers. Breakage is caused by stresses from static, pulsating and impact loads. Impact load generated stresses are difficult to investigate due to non-linear scaling laws. The paper describes a method by which impact loads on....... slender armour units can be studied. by load-cell technique. Moreover, the paper presents DoJos design diagrams for the prediction of both breakage and hydraulic stability...

Orthographic units in the absence of visual processing: Evidence from sublexical structure in braille.

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer-Baum, Simon; Englebretson, Robert

2016-08-01

Reading relies on the recognition of units larger than single letters and smaller than whole words. Previous research has linked sublexical structures in reading to properties of the visual system, specifically on the parallel processing of letters that the visual system enables. But whether the visual system is essential for this to happen, or whether the recognition of sublexical structures may emerge by other means, is an open question. To address this question, we investigate braille, a writing system that relies exclusively on the tactile rather than the visual modality. We provide experimental evidence demonstrating that adult readers of (English) braille are sensitive to sublexical units. Contrary to prior assumptions in the braille research literature, we find strong evidence that braille readers do indeed access sublexical structure, namely the processing of multi-cell contractions as single orthographic units and the recognition of morphemes within morphologically-complex words. Therefore, we conclude that the recognition of sublexical structure is not exclusively tied to the visual system. However, our findings also suggest that there are aspects of morphological processing on which braille and print readers differ, and that these differences may, crucially, be related to reading using the tactile rather than the visual sensory modality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A cesium rare-earth silicate Cs{sub 3}RESi{sub 6}O{sub 15} (RE = Dy-Lu, Y, In). The parent of an unusual structural class featuring a remarkable 57 Aa unit cell axis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Terry, Rylan; Vinton, Daniel; McMillen, Colin D.; Kolis, Joseph W. [Department of Chemistry and Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies (COMSET), Clemson University, H.L. Hunter Laboratories (United States)

2018-02-19

The structure of Cs{sub 3}RESi{sub 6}O{sub 15}, where RE = Dy-Lu, Y, In, is unusual in that it contains octahedrally coordinated rare-earth ions; their relative orientation dictates the structure, as they rotate about the c-axis supported by the cyclic Si{sub 6}O{sub 15} framework. The repeat unit of the rotation is eight units generating a very long (ca. 57 Aa) unit cell axis. This unusual repeat unit is created by the structural flexibility of the hexasilicate ring, which is in turn affected by the size of the rare earth ion as well as the size of alkali ion residing within the silicate layers. Previous work showed for the smaller Sc{sup 3+} ion, the rotation of the octahedra is not sufficient to achieve closure at an integral repeat unit and an incommensurate structure results. The products are prepared as large, high quality single crystals using a high-temperature (650 C) hydrothermal method with CsOH and F{sup -} mineralizers. The presence of fluoride is essential to the formation of the product. (copyright 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Comparison of gas membrane separation cascades using conventional separation cell and two-unit separation cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohno, Masayoshi; Morisue, Tetsuo; Ozaki, Osamu; Miyauchi, Terukatsu.

1978-01-01

The adoption of two-unit separation cells in radioactive rare gas membrane separation equipment enhances the separation factor, but increases the required membrane area and compressive power. An analytical economic evaluation was undertaken to compare the conventional separation cell with the two-unit separation cells, adopting as parameters the number of cascade stages, the membrane area and the operating power requirements. This paper describes the models used for evaluating the separation performance and the economics of cascade embodying these different concepts of separation cell taken up for study, and the results obtained for the individual concepts are mutually compared. It proved that, in respect of the number required of cascade stages, of operating power requirements and of the annual expenditure, better performance could always be expected of the two-unit separation cells as compared with the conventional separation cell, at least in the range of parameters adopted in this study. As regards the minimum membrane area, the conventional separation cell and the series-type separation cell yielded almost the same values, with the parallel-type separation cell falling somewhat behind. (auth.)

Advanced fuel cell development in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ackerman, J.P.

1984-01-01

Both molten carbonate and solid oxide fuel cells are being developed in the United States to complement and/or supplant phosphoric acid cells for commercial and utility use. This paper described the two technologies and the programs for their development

Structural Evaluation of the Second Oldest Glued-Laminated Structure in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Douglas R. Rammer; Jorge de Melo Moura

2013-01-01

The second glued-laminated structure built in the United States was constructed at the USDA Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) in 1934 to demonstrate the performance of wooden arch buildings. After decades of use the structure was decommissioned in 2010. Shortly after construction, researchers structurally evaluated the glued-laminated arch structure for uniform loading...

Structural Performance of the Second Oldest Glued-Laminated Structure in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Douglas R. Rammer; Jorge de Melo Moura; Robert J. Ross

2014-01-01

The second glued-laminated structure built in the United States was constructed at the USDA Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) in 1934 to demonstrate the performance of wooden arch buildings. After 75 years of use the structure was decommissioned in 2010. Shortly after construction, researchers structurally evaluated the glued-laminated arch structure for uniform loading...

Analysis of long-time operation of micro-cogeneration unit with fuel cell

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patsch Marek

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Micro-cogeneration is cogeneration with small performance, with maximal electric power up to 50 kWe. On the present, there are available small micro-cogeneration units with small electric performance, about 1 kWe, which are usable also in single family houses or flats. These micro-cogeneration units operate on principle of conventional combustion engine, Stirling engine, steam engine or fuel cell. Micro-cogeneration units with fuel cells are new progressive developing type of units for single family houses. Fuel cell is electrochemical device which by oxidation-reduction reaction turn directly chemical energy of fuel to electric power, secondary products are pure water and thermal energy. The aim of paper is measuring and evaluation of operation parameters of micro-cogeneration unit with fuel cell which uses natural gas as a fuel.

A formalism for scattering of complex composite structures. I. Applications to branched structures of asymmetric sub-units

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svaneborg, Carsten; Pedersen, Jan Skov

2012-01-01

to structural connectivity is completely decoupled from internal structure of the sub-units. This allows sub-units to be replaced by more complex structures. We illustrate the physical interpretation of the formalism diagrammatically. By applying a self-consistency requirement, we derive the pair distributions...

Salivary gland acinar cells regenerate functional glandular structures in modified hydrogels

Science.gov (United States)

Pradhan, Swati

Xerostomia, a condition resulting from irradiation of the head and neck, affects over 40,000 cancer patients each year in the United States. Direct radiation damage of the acinar cells that secrete fluid and protein results in salivary gland hypofunction. Present medical management for xerostomia for patients treated for upper respiratory cancer is largely ineffective. Patients who have survived their terminal diagnosis are often left with a diminished quality of life and are unable to enjoy the simple pleasures of eating and drinking. This project aims to ultimately reduce human suffering by developing a functional implantable artificial salivary gland. The goal was to create an extracellular matrix (ECM) modified hyaluronic acid (HA) based hydrogel culture system that allows for the growth and differentiation of salivary acinar cells into functional acini-like structures capable of secreting large amounts of protein and fluid unidirectionally and to ultimately engineer a functional artificial salivary gland that can be implanted into an animal model. A tissue collection protocol was established and salivary gland tissue was obtained from patients undergoing head and neck surgery. The tissue specimen was assessed by histology and immunohistochemistry to establish the phenotype of normal salivary gland cells including the native basement membranes. Hematoxylin and eosin staining confirmed normal glandular tissue structures including intercalated ducts, striated ducts and acini. alpha-Amylase and periodic acid schiff stain, used for structures with a high proportion of carbohydrate macromolecules, preferentially stained acinar cells in the tissue. Intercalated and striated duct structures were identified using cytokeratins 19 and 7 staining. Myoepithelial cells positive for cytokeratin 14 were found wrapped around the serous and mucous acini. Tight junction components including ZO-1 and E-cadherin were present between both ductal and acinar cells. Ductal and acinar

Structural racism and myocardial infarction in the United States

OpenAIRE

Lukachko, Alicia; Hatzenbuehler, Mark L.; Keyes, Katherine M.

2014-01-01

There is a growing research literature suggesting that racism is an important risk factor undermining the health of Blacks in the United States. Racism can take many forms, ranging from interpersonal interactions to institutional/structural conditions and practices. Existing research, however, tends to focus on individual forms of racial discrimination using self-report measures. Far less attention has been paid to whether structural racism may disadvantage the health of Blacks in the United ...

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Performance as Telecommunications Backup Power in the United States

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kurtz, Jennifer [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Saur, Genevieve [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Sprik, Sam [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2015-03-01

Working in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and industry project partners, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) acts as the central data repository for the data collected from real-world operation of fuel cell backup power systems. With American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) co-funding awarded through DOE's Fuel Cell Technologies Office, more than 1,300 fuel cell units were deployed over a three-plus-year period in stationary, material handling equipment, auxiliary power, and backup power applications. This surpassed a Fuel Cell Technologies Office ARRA objective to spur commercialization of an early market technology by installing 1,000 fuel cell units across several different applications, including backup power. By December 2013, 852 backup power units out of 1,330 fuel cell units deployed were providing backup service, mainly for telecommunications towers. For 136 of the fuel cell backup units, project participants provided detailed operational data to the National Fuel Cell Technology Evaluation Center for analysis by NREL's technology validation team. NREL analyzed operational data collected from these government co-funded demonstration projects to characterize key fuel cell backup power performance metrics, including reliability and operation trends, and to highlight the business case for using fuel cells in these early market applications. NREL's analyses include these critical metrics, along with deployment, U.S. grid outage statistics, and infrastructure operation.

The Vertebrate Brain, Evidence of Its Modular Organization and Operating System: Insights into the Brain's Basic Units of Structure, Function, and Operation and How They Influence Neuronal Signaling and Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Baslow, Morris H.

2011-01-01

The human brain is a complex organ made up of neurons and several other cell types, and whose role is processing information for use in eliciting behaviors. However, the composition of its repeating cellular units for both structure and function are unresolved. Based on recent descriptions of the brain's physiological “operating system”, a function of the tri-cellular metabolism of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) and N-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) for supply of energy, and on the nature of “neuronal words and languages” for intercellular communication, insights into the brain's modular structural and functional units have been gained. In this article, it is proposed that the basic structural unit in brain is defined by its physiological operating system, and that it consists of a single neuron, and one or more astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and vascular system endothelial cells. It is also proposed that the basic functional unit in the brain is defined by how neurons communicate, and consists of two neurons and their interconnecting dendritic–synaptic–dendritic field. Since a functional unit is composed of two neurons, it requires two structural units to form a functional unit. Thus, the brain can be envisioned as being made up of the three-dimensional stacking and intertwining of myriad structural units which results not only in its gross structure, but also in producing a uniform distribution of binary functional units. Since the physiological NAA–NAAG operating system for supply of energy is repeated in every structural unit, it is positioned to control global brain function. PMID:21720525

The Vertebrate Brain, Evidence of Its Modular Organization and Operating System: Insights into the Brain's Basic Units of Structure, Function, and Operation and How They Influence Neuronal Signaling and Behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Baslow, Morris H

2011-01-01

The human brain is a complex organ made up of neurons and several other cell types, and whose role is processing information for use in eliciting behaviors. However, the composition of its repeating cellular units for both structure and function are unresolved. Based on recent descriptions of the brain's physiological "operating system", a function of the tri-cellular metabolism of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) and N-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) for supply of energy, and on the nature of "neuronal words and languages" for intercellular communication, insights into the brain's modular structural and functional units have been gained. In this article, it is proposed that the basic structural unit in brain is defined by its physiological operating system, and that it consists of a single neuron, and one or more astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and vascular system endothelial cells. It is also proposed that the basic functional unit in the brain is defined by how neurons communicate, and consists of two neurons and their interconnecting dendritic-synaptic-dendritic field. Since a functional unit is composed of two neurons, it requires two structural units to form a functional unit. Thus, the brain can be envisioned as being made up of the three-dimensional stacking and intertwining of myriad structural units which results not only in its gross structure, but also in producing a uniform distribution of binary functional units. Since the physiological NAA-NAAG operating system for supply of energy is repeated in every structural unit, it is positioned to control global brain function.

Importance of unit cells in accurate evaluation of the characteristics of graphene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sabzyan, Hassan; Sadeghpour, Narges [Isfahan Univ. (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Dept. of Chemistry

2016-08-01

Effects of the size of the unit cell on energy, atomic charges, and phonon frequencies of graphene at the Γ point of the Brillouin zone are studied in the absence and presence of an electric field using density functional theory (DFT) methods (LDA and DFT-PBE functionals with Goedecker-Teter-Hutter (GTH) and Troullier-Martins (TM) norm-conserving pseudopotentials). Two types of unit cells containing n{sub c}=4-28 carbon atoms are considered. Results show that stability of graphene increases with increasing size of the unit cell. Energy, atomic charges, and phonon frequencies all converge above n{sub c}=24 for all functional-pseudopotentials used. Except for the LDA-GTH calculations, application of an electric field of 0.4 and 0.9 V/nm strengths does not change the trends with the size of the unit cell but instead slightly decreases the binding energy of graphene. Results of this study show that the choice of unit cell size and type is critical for calculation of reliable characteristics of graphene.

Selective Laser Melting: a regular unit cell approach for the manufacture of porous, titanium, bone in-growth constructs, suitable for orthopedic applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Mullen, Lewis; Stamp, Robin C; Brooks, Wesley K; Jones, Eric; Sutcliffe, Christopher J

2009-05-01

In this study, a novel porous titanium structure for the purpose of bone in-growth has been designed, manufactured and evaluated. The structure was produced by Selective Laser Melting (SLM); a rapid manufacturing process capable of producing highly intricate, functionally graded parts. The technique described utilizes an approach based on a defined regular unit cell to design and produce structures with a large range of both physical and mechanical properties. These properties can be tailored to suit specific requirements; in particular, functionally graded structures with bone in-growth surfaces exhibiting properties comparable to those of human bone have been manufactured. The structures were manufactured and characterized by unit cell size, strand diameter, porosity, and compression strength. They exhibited a porosity (10-95%) dependant compression strength (0.5-350 Mpa) comparable to the typical naturally occurring range. It is also demonstrated that optimized structures have been produced that possesses ideal qualities for bone in-growth applications and that these structures can be applied in the production of orthopedic devices. (c) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cell packing structures

KAUST Repository

Pottmann, Helmut

2015-03-03

This paper is an overview of architectural structures which are either composed of polyhedral cells or closely related to them. We introduce the concept of a support structure of such a polyhedral cell packing. It is formed by planar quads and obtained by connecting corresponding vertices in two combinatorially equivalent meshes whose corresponding edges are coplanar and thus determine planar quads. Since corresponding triangle meshes only yield trivial structures, we focus on support structures associated with quad meshes or hex-dominant meshes. For the quadrilateral case, we provide a short survey of recent research which reveals beautiful relations to discrete differential geometry. Those are essential for successfully initializing numerical optimization schemes for the computation of quad-based support structures. Hex-dominant structures may be designed via Voronoi tessellations, power diagrams, sphere packings and various extensions of these concepts. Apart from the obvious application as load-bearing structures, we illustrate here a new application to shading and indirect lighting. On a higher level, our work emphasizes the interplay between geometry, optimization, statics, and manufacturing, with the overall aim of combining form, function and fabrication into novel integrated design tools.

Single cell Hi-C reveals cell-to-cell variability in chromosome structure

Science.gov (United States)

Schoenfelder, Stefan; Yaffe, Eitan; Dean, Wendy; Laue, Ernest D.; Tanay, Amos; Fraser, Peter

2013-01-01

Large-scale chromosome structure and spatial nuclear arrangement have been linked to control of gene expression and DNA replication and repair. Genomic techniques based on chromosome conformation capture assess contacts for millions of loci simultaneously, but do so by averaging chromosome conformations from millions of nuclei. Here we introduce single cell Hi-C, combined with genome-wide statistical analysis and structural modeling of single copy X chromosomes, to show that individual chromosomes maintain domain organisation at the megabase scale, but show variable cell-to-cell chromosome territory structures at larger scales. Despite this structural stochasticity, localisation of active gene domains to boundaries of territories is a hallmark of chromosomal conformation. Single cell Hi-C data bridge current gaps between genomics and microscopy studies of chromosomes, demonstrating how modular organisation underlies dynamic chromosome structure, and how this structure is probabilistically linked with genome activity patterns. PMID:24067610

24% efficient PERL structure silicon solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, J.; Wang, A.; Green, M.A.

1990-01-01

This paper reports that the performance of silicon solar cells have been significantly improved using an improved PERL (passivated emitter, rear locally-diffused) cell structure. This structure overcomes deficiencies in an earlier PERC (passivated emitter and rear cell) cell structure by locally diffusing boron into contact areas at the rear of the cells. Terrestrial energy conversion efficiencies up to 24% are reported for silicon cells for the first time. Air Mass O efficiencies approach 21%. The first batches of concentrator cells using the new structure have demonstrated significant improvement with 29% efficient concentrator silicon cells expected in the near future

cellPACK: a virtual mesoscope to model and visualize structural systems biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Graham T; Autin, Ludovic; Al-Alusi, Mostafa; Goodsell, David S; Sanner, Michel F; Olson, Arthur J

2015-01-01

cellPACK assembles computational models of the biological mesoscale, an intermediate scale (10-100 nm) between molecular and cellular biology scales. cellPACK's modular architecture unites existing and novel packing algorithms to generate, visualize and analyze comprehensive three-dimensional models of complex biological environments that integrate data from multiple experimental systems biology and structural biology sources. cellPACK is available as open-source code, with tools for validation of models and with 'recipes' and models for five biological systems: blood plasma, cytoplasm, synaptic vesicles, HIV and a mycoplasma cell. We have applied cellPACK to model distributions of HIV envelope protein to test several hypotheses for consistency with experimental observations. Biologists, educators and outreach specialists can interact with cellPACK models, develop new recipes and perform packing experiments through scripting and graphical user interfaces at http://cellPACK.org/.

Frequency distribution of the reduced unit cells of centred lattices from the Protein Data Bank.

Science.gov (United States)

Swaminathan, Kunchithapadam

2012-03-01

In crystallography, a centred conventional lattice unit cell has its corresponding reduced primitive unit cell. This study presents the frequency distribution of the reduced unit cells of all centred lattice entries of the Protein Data Bank (as of 23 August 2011) in four unit-cell-dimension-based groups and seven interaxial-angle-based subgroups. This frequency distribution is an added layer of support during space-group assignment in new crystals. In addition, some interesting patterns of distribution are discussed as well as how some reduced unit cells could be wrongly accepted as primitive lattices in a different crystal system.

Deciphering the Role of Sulfonated Unit in Heparin-Mimicking Polymer to Promote Neural Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, Jiehua; Yuan, Yuqi; Lyu, Zhonglin; Wang, Mengmeng; Liu, Qi; Wang, Hongwei; Yuan, Lin; Chen, Hong

2017-08-30

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), especially heparin and heparan sulfate (HS), hold great potential for inducing the neural differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and have brought new hope for the treatment of neurological diseases. However, the disadvantages of natural heparin/HS, such as difficulty in isolating them with a sufficient amount, highly heterogeneous structure, and the risk of immune responses, have limited their further therapeutic applications. Thus, there is a great demand for stable, controllable, and well-defined synthetic alternatives of heparin/HS with more effective biological functions. In this study, based upon a previously proposed unit-recombination strategy, several heparin-mimicking polymers were synthesized by integrating glucosamine-like 2-methacrylamido glucopyranose monomers (MAG) with three sulfonated units in different structural forms, and their effects on cell proliferation, the pluripotency, and the differentiation of ESCs were carefully studied. The results showed that all the copolymers had good cytocompatibility and displayed much better bioactivity in promoting the neural differentiation of ESCs as compared to natural heparin; copolymers with different sulfonated units exhibited different levels of promoting ability; among them, copolymer with 3-sulfopropyl acrylate (SPA) as a sulfonated unit was the most potent in promoting the neural differentiation of ESCs; the promoting effect is dependent on the molecular weight and concentration of P(MAG-co-SPA), with the highest levels occurring at the intermediate molecular weight and concentration. These results clearly demonstrated that the sulfonated unit in the copolymers played an important role in determining the promoting effect on ESCs' neural differentiation; SPA was identified as the most potent sulfonated unit for copolymer with the strongest promoting ability. The possible reason for sulfonated unit structure as a vital factor influencing the ability of the copolymers

Rhombicuboctahedron unit cell based scaffolds for bone regeneration: geometry optimization with a mechanobiology - driven algorithm.

Science.gov (United States)

Boccaccio, Antonio; Fiorentino, Michele; Uva, Antonio E; Laghetti, Luca N; Monno, Giuseppe

2018-02-01

In a context more and more oriented towards customized medical solutions, we propose a mechanobiology-driven algorithm to determine the optimal geometry of scaffolds for bone regeneration that is the most suited to specific boundary and loading conditions. In spite of the huge number of articles investigating different unit cells for porous biomaterials, no studies are reported in the literature that optimize the geometric parameters of such unit cells based on mechanobiological criteria. Parametric finite element models of scaffolds with rhombicuboctahedron unit cell were developed and incorporated into an optimization algorithm that combines them with a computational mechanobiological model. The algorithm perturbs iteratively the geometry of the unit cell until the best scaffold geometry is identified, i.e. the geometry that allows to maximize the formation of bone. Performances of scaffolds with rhombicuboctahedron unit cell were compared with those of other scaffolds with hexahedron unit cells. We found that scaffolds with rhombicuboctahedron unit cell are particularly suited for supporting medium-low loads, while, for higher loads, scaffolds with hexahedron unit cells are preferable. The proposed algorithm can guide the orthopaedic/surgeon in the choice of the best scaffold to be implanted in a patient-specific anatomic region. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Conspicuous variation of the lattice unit cell in the pavonite homologous series and its relation with cation/anion occupational modulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perez-Mato, J.M., E-mail: jm.perez-mato@ehu.es [Dpto. de Física de la Materia Condensada, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, UPV/EHU, Apartado 644, 48080 Bilbao (Spain); Elcoro, Luis [Dpto. de Física de la Materia Condensada, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, UPV/EHU, Apartado 644, 48080 Bilbao (Spain); Makovicky, Emil [Department of Geography and Geology, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350 Copenhagen K (Denmark); Topa, Dan [Department of Materials Research and Physics, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg (Austria); Petříček, Václav [Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic v.v.i., Na Slovance 2, 182 21 Praha 8 (Czech Republic); Madariaga, Gotzon [Dpto. de Física de la Materia Condensada, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, UPV/EHU, Apartado 644, 48080 Bilbao (Spain)

2013-06-01

Highlights: ► Strong non-uniform variation of unit cell parameters in the pavonite homologous series. ► Conspicuous unit cell variation due to an underlying sub-lattice with cation/anion occupation. ► A modulated model common to the whole series using the superspace formalism proposed. ► Model successfully applied to the {sup 7}P pavonite Ag{sub 3}(Bi,Pb){sub 7}S{sub 12}. ► The model can be applied in a predictive way to other members of the family. - Abstract: The pavonites is a homologous series of sulfosalts with galena-like modules of variable size. A survey of their unit cells reveals that they are severely constrained by the metrics of an underlying common average sublattice. The unit cell of any compound of the series accommodates with high precision an integer number of approximately equal subcells. This explains a peculiar non-uniform variation of the unit cell parameters within the series and evidences that the interface between the galena-like modules, despite having a very different topology, approximately maintains the subperiodicity of the modules, and must therefore be subject to strong steric restrictions. It also implies that cations and anions occupy the nodes of the observed common underlying average sublattice according to a striking alternate cation/anion occupational modulation. This is the starting point for a description of these materials as modulated structures, which can make a proficient use of the approximate atomic positional non-crystallographic correlations caused by their modular character. Under this approach only four parameters suffice to define a realistic approximate model of any member of the series. A full structural characterization of any of the compounds only requires the determination of additional small/smooth modulations. As an example, the case of the {sup 7}P pavonite Ag{sub 3}Bi{sub 6.2}Pb{sub 0.8}S{sub 12}, is analyzed.

Exploring overlapping functional units with various structure in protein interaction networks.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiao-Fei Zhang

Full Text Available Revealing functional units in protein-protein interaction (PPI networks are important for understanding cellular functional organization. Current algorithms for identifying functional units mainly focus on cohesive protein complexes which have more internal interactions than external interactions. Most of these approaches do not handle overlaps among complexes since they usually allow a protein to belong to only one complex. Moreover, recent studies have shown that other non-cohesive structural functional units beyond complexes also exist in PPI networks. Thus previous algorithms that just focus on non-overlapping cohesive complexes are not able to present the biological reality fully. Here, we develop a new regularized sparse random graph model (RSRGM to explore overlapping and various structural functional units in PPI networks. RSRGM is principally dominated by two model parameters. One is used to define the functional units as groups of proteins that have similar patterns of connections to others, which allows RSRGM to detect non-cohesive structural functional units. The other one is used to represent the degree of proteins belonging to the units, which supports a protein belonging to more than one revealed unit. We also propose a regularizer to control the smoothness between the estimators of these two parameters. Experimental results on four S. cerevisiae PPI networks show that the performance of RSRGM on detecting cohesive complexes and overlapping complexes is superior to that of previous competing algorithms. Moreover, RSRGM has the ability to discover biological significant functional units besides complexes.

Learning about the Unit Cell and Crystal Lattice with Computerized Simulations and Games: A Pilot Study

Science.gov (United States)

Luealamai, Sutha; Panijpan, Bhinyo

2012-01-01

The authors have developed a computer-based learning module on the unit cell of various types of crystal. The module has two components: the virtual unit cell (VUC) part and the subsequent unit cell hunter part. The VUC is a virtual reality simulation for students to actively arrive at the unit cell from exploring, from a broad view, the crystal…

Experimental and numerical studies on pressure drop in reverse electrodialysis: Effect of unit cell configuration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, Sung Kook; Choi, Kyung Soo [Advanced Combustion Laboratory, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Chan Soo; Hwang, Kyo Sik; Han, Ji Hyung; Kim, Han Ki; Jeong, Nam Jo [Jeju Global Research Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Jeju (Korea, Republic of)

2016-11-15

Experimental and numerical studies on pressure drop in Reverse electrodialysis (RED) were performed. In this study, a module with 200 unit cells is considered for the demonstration of bench-scale RED module and two different unit cell configurations are utilized. Pressure drop through the module is measured by varying flow rates. For evaluating the hydrodynamic characteristics in the unit cell, a numerical simulation is also conducted and the simplified method using a porous media model is employed to simulate the channel filled with spacer. Due to the insertion of spacer and narrow channel, great pressure loss occurs along the unit cell. Based on estimated pressure data, high pressure difference between seawater and fresh water channel takes place locally in the unit cell configuration with crossflow direction, leading to a leakage problem through the membrane and finally degradation in the output power. Consequently, it is confirmed that the unit cell configuration is one of the important design parameters in a RED module.

Structural, compositional, and sensorial properties of United States commercial ice cream products.

Science.gov (United States)

Warren, Maya M; Hartel, Richard W

2014-10-01

Commercial vanilla ice cream products from the United States (full fat, low fat, and nonfat) were analyzed for their structural, behavioral (i.e., melt rate and drip-through), compositional, and sensorial attributes. Mean size distributions of ice crystals and air cells, drip-through rates, percent partially coalesced fat, percent overrun and total fat, and density were determined. A trained panel carried out sensory analyses in order to determine correlations between ice cream microstructure attributes and sensory properties using a Spectrum(TM) descriptive analysis. Analyses included melt rate, breakdown, size of ice particulates (iciness), denseness, greasiness, and overall creaminess. To determine relationships and interactions, principle component analysis and multivariate pairwise correlation were performed within and between the instrumental and sensorial data. Greasiness and creaminess negatively correlated with drip-through rate and creaminess correlated with percent total fat and percent fat destabilization. Percent fat did not determine the melt rate on a sensorial level. However, drip-through rate at ambient temperatures was predicted by total fat content of the samples. Based on sensory analysis, high-fat products were noted to be creamier than low and nonfat products. Iciness did not correlate with mean ice crystal size and drip-through rate did not predict sensory melt rate. Furthermore, on a sensorial level, greasiness positively correlated with total percent fat destabilization and mean air cell size positively correlated with denseness. These results indicate that commercial ice cream products vary widely in composition, structure, behavior, and sensory properties. There is a wide range of commercial ice creams in the United States market, ranging from full fat to nonfat. In this research we showed that these ice creams vary greatly in their microstructures, behaviors (the melt/drip-though, collapse, and/or stand up properties of ice cream

Substantiation of Structure of Adaptive Control Systems for Motor Units

Science.gov (United States)

Ovsyannikov, S. I.

2018-05-01

The article describes the development of new electronic control systems, in particular motor units, for small-sized agricultural equipment. Based on the analysis of traffic control systems, the main course of development of the conceptual designs of motor units has been defined. The systems aimed to control the course motion of the motor unit in automatic mode using the adaptive systems have been developed. The article presents structural models of the conceptual motor units based on electrically controlled systems by the operation of drive motors and adaptive systems that make the motor units completely automated.

Structural racism and myocardial infarction in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Lukachko, Alicia; Hatzenbuehler, Mark L.; Keyes, Katherine M.

2014-01-01

There is a growing research literature suggesting that racism is an important risk factor undermining the health of Blacks in the United States. Racism can take many forms, ranging from interpersonal interactions to institutional/structural conditions and practices. Existing research, however, tends to focus on individual forms of racial discrimination using self-report measures. Far less attention has been paid to whether structural racism may disadvantage the health of Blacks in the United States. The current study addresses gaps in the existing research by using novel measures of structural racism and by explicitly testing the hypothesis that structural racism is a risk factor for myocardial infarction among Blacks in the United States. State-level indicators of structural racism included four domains: (1) political participation; (2) employment and job status; (3) educational attainment; and (4) judicial treatment. State-level racial disparities across these domains were proposed to represent the systematic exclusion of Blacks from resources and mobility in society. Data on past-year myocardial infarction were obtained from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (non-Hispanic Black: N = 8245; non-Hispanic White: N = 24,507), a nationally representative survey of the U.S. civilian, non-institutionalized population aged 18 and older. Models were adjusted for individual-level confounders (age, sex, education, household income, medical insurance) as well as for state-level disparities in poverty. Results indicated that Blacks living in states with high levels of structural racism were generally more likely to report past-year myocardial infarction than Blacks living in low-structural racism states. Conversely, Whites living in high structural racism states experienced null or lower odds of myocardial infarction compared to Whites living in low-structural racism states. These results raise the provocative possibility that structural

Structural racism and myocardial infarction in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Lukachko, Alicia; Hatzenbuehler, Mark L; Keyes, Katherine M

2014-02-01

There is a growing research literature suggesting that racism is an important risk factor undermining the health of Blacks in the United States. Racism can take many forms, ranging from interpersonal interactions to institutional/structural conditions and practices. Existing research, however, tends to focus on individual forms of racial discrimination using self-report measures. Far less attention has been paid to whether structural racism may disadvantage the health of Blacks in the United States. The current study addresses gaps in the existing research by using novel measures of structural racism and by explicitly testing the hypothesis that structural racism is a risk factor for myocardial infarction among Blacks in the United States. State-level indicators of structural racism included four domains: (1) political participation; (2) employment and job status; (3) educational attainment; and (4) judicial treatment. State-level racial disparities across these domains were proposed to represent the systematic exclusion of Blacks from resources and mobility in society. Data on past-year myocardial infarction were obtained from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (non-Hispanic Black: N = 8245; non-Hispanic White: N = 24,507), a nationally representative survey of the U.S. civilian, non-institutionalized population aged 18 and older. Models were adjusted for individual-level confounders (age, sex, education, household income, medical insurance) as well as for state-level disparities in poverty. Results indicated that Blacks living in states with high levels of structural racism were generally more likely to report past-year myocardial infarction than Blacks living in low-structural racism states. Conversely, Whites living in high structural racism states experienced null or lower odds of myocardial infarction compared to Whites living in low-structural racism states. These results raise the provocative possibility that structural

Bussing Structure In An Electrochemical Cell

Science.gov (United States)

Romero, Antonio L.

2001-06-12

A bussing structure for bussing current within an electrochemical cell. The bussing structure includes a first plate and a second plate, each having a central aperture therein. Current collection tabs, extending from an electrode stack in the electrochemical cell, extend through the central aperture in the first plate, and are then sandwiched between the first plate and second plate. The second plate is then connected to a terminal on the outside of the case of the electrochemical cell. Each of the first and second plates includes a second aperture which is positioned beneath a safety vent in the case of the electrochemical cell to promote turbulent flow of gasses through the vent upon its opening. The second plate also includes protrusions for spacing the bussing structure from the case, as well as plateaus for connecting the bussing structure to the terminal on the case of the electrochemical cell.

Modeling cell-in-cell structure into its biological significance

OpenAIRE

He, M-f; Wang, S; Wang, Y; Wang, X-n

2013-01-01

Although cell-in-cell structure was noted 100 years ago, the molecular mechanisms of ?entering' and the destination of cell-in-cell remain largely unclear. It takes place among the same type of cells (homotypic cell-in-cell) or different types of cells (heterotypic cell-in-cell). Cell-in-cell formation affects both effector cells and their host cells in multiple aspects, while cell-in-cell death is under more intensive investigation. Given that cell-in-cell has an important role in maintainin...

Structural investigation of cell wall polysaccharides of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus 17.

Science.gov (United States)

Vinogradov, E; Sadovskaya, I; Cornelissen, A; van Sinderen, D

2015-09-02

Lactobacilli are valuable strains for commercial (functional) food fermentations. Their cell surface-associated polysaccharides (sPSs) possess important functional properties, such as acting as receptors for bacteriophages (bacterial viruses), influencing autolytic characteristics and providing protection against antimicrobial peptides. The current report provides an elaborate molecular description of several surface carbohydrates of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus strain 17. The cell surface of this strain was shown to contain short chain poly(glycerophosphate) teichoic acids and at least two different sPSs, designated here as sPS1 and sPS2, whose chemical structures were examined by 2D nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and methylation analysis. Neutral branched sPS1, extracted with n-butanol, was shown to be composed of hexasaccharide repeating units (-[α-d-Glcp-(1-3)-]-4-β-l-Rhap2OAc-4-β-d-Glcp-[α-d-Galp-(1-3)]-4-α-Rhap-3-α-d-Galp-), while the major component of the TCA-extracted sPS2 was demonstrated to be a linear d-galactan with the repeating unit structure being (-[Gro-3P-(1-6)-]-3-β-Galf-3-α-Galp-2-β-Galf-6-β-Galf-3-β-Galp-). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Theoretical characterization and design of small molecule donor material containing naphthodithiophene central unit for efficient organic solar cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Yu-Ai; Geng, Yun; Li, Hai-Bin; Jin, Jun-Ling; Wu, Yong; Su, Zhong-Min

2013-07-15

To seek for high-performance small molecule donor materials used in heterojunction solar cell, six acceptor-donor-acceptor small molecules based on naphtho[2,3-b:6,7-b']dithiophene (NDT) units with different acceptor units were designed and characterized using density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory. Their geometries, electronic structures, photophysical, and charge transport properties have been scrutinized comparing with the reported donor material NDT(TDPP)2 (TDPP  =  thiophene-capped diketopyrrolopyrrole). The open circuit voltage (V(oc)), energetic driving force(ΔE(L-L)), and exciton binding energy (E(b)) were also provided to give an elementary understanding on their cell performance. The results reveal that the frontier molecular orbitals of 3-7 match well with the acceptor material PC61 BM, and compounds 3-5 were found to exhibit the comparable performances to 1 and show promising potential in organic solar cells. In particular, comparing with 1, system 7 with naphthobisthiadiazole acceptor unit displays broader absorption spectrum, higher V(oc), lower E(b), and similar carrier mobility. An in-depth insight into the nature of the involved excited states based on transition density matrix and charge density difference indicates that all S1 states are mainly intramolecular charge transfer states with the charge transfer from central NDT unit to bilateral acceptor units, and also imply that the exciton of 7 can be dissociated easily due to its large extent of the charge transfer. In a word, 7 maybe superior to 1 and may act as a promising donor candidate for organic solar cell. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Seismic evaluation of a hot cell structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srinivasan, M.G.; Kot, C.A.

1995-01-01

The evaluation of the structural capacity of and the seismic demand on an existing hot cell structure in a nuclear facility is described. An ANSYS finite-element model of the cell was constructed, treating the walls as plates and the floor and ceiling as a system of discrete beams. A modal analysis showed that the fundamental frequencies of the cell walls lie far above the earthquake frequency range. An equivalent static analysis of the structure was performed. Based on the analysis it was demonstrated that the hot cell structure, would readily withstand the evaluation basis earthquake

Development of integrated DMFC and PEM fuel cell units. Final report; Udvikling af integrerede DMFC og PEM braendselscelle enheder. Slutrapport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Odgaard, M. (IRD Fuel Cell Technology, Svendborg (DK))

2007-06-15

The 36-month long project 'Development of integrated DMFC and PEM fuel cell units' has been completed. The project goal was to develop a completely new MEA concept for integrated PEM and DMFC unit cells with enhanced power density and in this way obtain a price reduction. The integrated unit cell consists of a MEA, a gas diffusion layer with flow fields completed with bipolar plates and seals. The main focus of the present project was to: 1) Develop new catalyst materials fabricated by the use of FSD (flame spray deposition method). 2) Optimisation of the state-of-the-art MEA materials and electrode structure. 3) Implementation of a model to account for the CO poisoning of PEM fuel cells. Results and progress obtained in the project established that the individual unit cell components were able to meet and follow the road map of LT-PEM FC regarding electrode catalyst loading and fulfilled the targets for Year 2006. The project has resulted in some important successes. The highlights are as follows: The project has resulted in some important successes. The highlights are as follows: 1) MEA structure knowledge acquired in the project provide a sound basis for further progress. 2) A novel method for the synthesis of electrode by using flame spray synthesis was explored. 3) Electrochemical and catalytic behaviours of catalysts activity for CH{sub 3}OH explored. 4) Implementation of a sub model to account for the CO poisoning of PEM FC has been developed. 5) Numerical study of the flow distribution in FC manifolds was developed and completed with experimental data. 6) The electrode catalyst loading targets for year 2006 achieved. 7) The DMFC MEA performance has been improved by 35%. 8) Optimisation of the MEAs fabrication process has been successfully developed. 9) A new simple flow field design has been designed. 10) A procedure for integrated seals has been developed (au)

Using stochastic cell division and death to probe minimal units of cellular replication

Science.gov (United States)

Chib, Savita; Das, Suman; Venkatesan, Soumya; Sai Narain Seshasayee, Aswin; Thattai, Mukund

2018-03-01

The invariant cell initiation mass measured in bacterial growth experiments has been interpreted as a minimal unit of cellular replication. Here we argue that the existence of such minimal units induces a coupling between the rates of stochastic cell division and death. To probe this coupling we tracked live and dead cells in Escherichia coli populations treated with a ribosome-targeting antibiotic. We find that the growth exponent from macroscopic cell growth or decay measurements can be represented as the difference of microscopic first-order cell division and death rates. The boundary between cell growth and decay, at which the number of live cells remains constant over time, occurs at the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the antibiotic. This state appears macroscopically static but is microscopically dynamic: division and death rates exactly cancel at MIC but each is remarkably high, reaching 60% of the antibiotic-free division rate. A stochastic model of cells as collections of minimal replicating units we term ‘widgets’ reproduces both steady-state and transient features of our experiments. Sub-cellular fluctuations of widget numbers stochastically drive each new daughter cell to one of two alternate fates, division or death. First-order division or death rates emerge as eigenvalues of a stationary Markov process, and can be expressed in terms of the widget’s molecular properties. High division and death rates at MIC arise due to low mean and high relative fluctuations of widget number. Isolating cells at the threshold of irreversible death might allow molecular characterization of this minimal replication unit.

Random Walk Model for Cell-To-Cell Misalignments in Accelerator Structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stupakov, Gennady

2000-01-01

Due to manufacturing and construction errors, cells in accelerator structures can be misaligned relative to each other. As a consequence, the beam generates a transverse wakefield even when it passes through the structure on axis. The most important effect is the long-range transverse wakefield that deflects the bunches and causes growth of the bunch train projected emittance. In this paper, the effect of the cell-to-cell misalignments is evaluated using a random walk model that assumes that each cell is shifted by a random step relative to the previous one. The model is compared with measurements of a few accelerator structures

Picometer registration of zinc impurity states in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ for phase determination in intra-unit-cell Fourier transform STM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamidian, M H; Firmo, I A; Fujita, K; Mukhopadhyay, S; Davis, J C; Orenstein, J W; Eisaki, H; Uchida, S; Lawler, M J; Kim, E-A

2012-01-01

Direct visualization of electronic-structure symmetry within each crystalline unit cell is a new technique for complex electronic matter research (Lawler et al 2010 Nature 466 347-51, Schmidt et al 2011 New J. Phys. 13 065014, Fujita K et al 2012 J. Phys. Soc. Japan 81 011005). By studying the Bragg peaks in Fourier transforms of electronic structure images and particularly by resolving both the real and imaginary components of the Bragg amplitudes, distinct types of intra-unit-cell symmetry breaking can be studied. However, establishing the precise symmetry point of each unit cell in real space is crucial in defining the phase for such a Bragg-peak Fourier analysis. Exemplary of this challenge is the high-temperature superconductor Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+δ for which the surface Bi atom locations are observable, while it is the invisible Cu atoms that define the relevant CuO 2 unit-cell symmetry point. Here we demonstrate, by imaging with picometer precision the electronic impurity states at individual Zn atoms substituted at Cu sites, that the phase established using the Bi lattice produces a ∼2%(2π) error relative to the actual Cu lattice. Such a phase assignment error would not diminish reliability in the determination of intra-unit-cell rotational symmetry breaking at the CuO 2 plane (Lawler et al 2010 Nature 466 347-51, Schmidt et al 2011 New J. Phys. 13 065014, Fujita K et al 2012 J. Phys. Soc. Japan 81 011005). Moreover, this type of impurity atom substitution at the relevant symmetry site can be of general utility in phase determination for the Bragg-peak Fourier analysis of intra-unit-cell symmetry. (paper)

Single-unit-cell layer established Bi 2 WO 6 3D hierarchical architectures: Efficient adsorption, photocatalysis and dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Hongwei; Cao, Ranran; Yu, Shixin; Xu, Kang; Hao, Weichang; Wang, Yonggang; Dong, Fan; Zhang, Tierui; Zhang, Yihe

2017-12-01

Single-layer catalysis sparks huge interests and gains widespread attention owing to its high activity. Simultaneously, three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical structure can afford large surface area and abundant reactive sites, contributing to high efficiency. Herein, we report an absorbing single-unit-cell layer established Bi2WO6 3D hierarchical architecture fabricated by a sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS)-assisted assembled strategy. The DBS- long chains can adsorb on the (Bi2O2)2+ layers and hence impede stacking of the layers, resulting in the single-unit-cell layer. We also uncovered that SDS with a shorter chain is less effective than SDBS. Due to the sufficient exposure of surface O atoms, single-unit-cell layer 3D Bi2WO6 shows strong selectivity for adsorption on multiform organic dyes with different charges. Remarkably, the single-unit-cell layer 3D Bi2WO6 casts profoundly enhanced photodegradation activity and especially a superior photocatalytic H2 evolution rate, which is 14-fold increase in contrast to the bulk Bi2WO6. Systematic photoelectrochemical characterizations disclose that the substantially elevated carrier density and charge separation efficiency take responsibility for the strengthened photocatalytic performance. Additionally, the possibility of single-unit-cell layer 3D Bi2WO6 as dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) has also been attempted and it was manifested to be a promising dye-sensitized photoanode for oxygen evolution reaction (ORR). Our work not only furnish an insight into designing single-layer assembled 3D hierarchical architecture, but also offer a multi-functional material for environmental and energy applications.

Empirical Derivation of Correction Factors for Human Spiral Ganglion Cell Nucleus and Nucleolus Count Units.

Science.gov (United States)

Robert, Mark E; Linthicum, Fred H

2016-01-01

Profile count method for estimating cell number in sectioned tissue applies a correction factor for double count (resulting from transection during sectioning) of count units selected to represent the cell. For human spiral ganglion cell counts, we attempted to address apparent confusion between published correction factors for nucleus and nucleolus count units that are identical despite the role of count unit diameter in a commonly used correction factor formula. We examined a portion of human cochlea to empirically derive correction factors for the 2 count units, using 3-dimensional reconstruction software to identify double counts. The Neurotology and House Histological Temporal Bone Laboratory at University of California at Los Angeles. Using a fully sectioned and stained human temporal bone, we identified and generated digital images of sections of the modiolar region of the lower first turn of cochlea, identified count units with a light microscope, labeled them on corresponding digital sections, and used 3-dimensional reconstruction software to identify double-counted count units. For 25 consecutive sections, we determined that double-count correction factors for nucleus count unit (0.91) and nucleolus count unit (0.92) matched the published factors. We discovered that nuclei and, therefore, spiral ganglion cells were undercounted by 6.3% when using nucleolus count units. We determined that correction factors for count units must include an element for undercounting spiral ganglion cells as well as the double-count element. We recommend a correction factor of 0.91 for the nucleus count unit and 0.98 for the nucleolus count unit when using 20-µm sections. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2015.

The disruptive effect of lysozyme on the bacterial cell wall explored by an in-silico structural outlook.

Science.gov (United States)

Primo, Emiliano D; Otero, Lisandro H; Ruiz, Francisco; Klinke, Sebastián; Giordano, Walter

2018-01-01

The bacterial cell wall, a structural unit of peptidoglycan polymer comprised of glycan strands consisting of a repeating disaccharide motif [N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) and N-acetylmuramylpentapeptide (NAM pentapeptide)], encases bacteria and provides structural integrity and protection. Lysozymes are enzymes that break down the bacterial cell wall and disrupt the bacterial life cycle by cleaving the linkage between the NAG and NAM carbohydrates. Lab exercises focused on the effects of lysozyme on the bacterial cell wall are frequently incorporated in biochemistry classes designed for undergraduate students in diverse fields as biology, microbiology, chemistry, agronomy, medicine, and veterinary medicine. Such exercises typically do not include structural data. We describe here a sequence of computer tasks designed to illustrate and reinforce both physiological and structural concepts involved in lysozyme effects on the bacterial cell-wall structure. This lab class usually lasts 3.5 hours. First, the instructor presents introductory concepts of the bacterial cell wall and the effect of lysozyme on its structure. Then, students are taught to use computer modeling to visualize the three-dimensional structure of a lysozyme in complex with bacterial cell-wall fragments. Finally, the lysozyme inhibitory effect on a bacterial culture is optionally proposed as a simple microbiological assay. The computer lab exercises described here give students a realistic understanding of the disruptive effect of lysozymes on the bacterial cell wall, a crucial component in bacterial survival. © 2017 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 46(1):83-90, 2018. © 2017 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

RF Breakdown in Normal Conducting Single-cell Structures

CERN Document Server

Dolgashev, Valery A; Higo, Toshiyasu; Nantista, Christopher D; Tantawi, Sami G

2005-01-01

Operating accelerating gradient in normal conducting accelerating structures is often limited by rf breakdown. The limit depends on multiple parameters, including input rf power, rf circuit, cavity shape and material. Experimental and theoretical study of the effects of these parameters on the breakdown limit in full scale structures is difficult and costly. We use 11.4 GHz single-cell traveling wave and standing wave accelerating structures for experiments and modeling of rf breakdown behavior. These test structures are designed so that the electromagnetic fields in one cell mimic the fields in prototype multicell structures for the X-band linear collider. Fields elsewhere in the test structures are significantly lower than that of the single cell. The setup uses matched mode converters that launch the circular TM01 mode into short test structures. The test structures are connected to the mode launchers with vacuum rf flanges. This setup allows economic testing of different cell geometries, cell materials an...

75 FR 11936 - Unit Structures LLC, Magnolia, AR; Notice of Termination of Investigation

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-12

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-70,367] Unit Structures LLC, Magnolia, AR; Notice of Termination of Investigation Pursuant to Section 223 of the Trade Act of 1974, as... Arkansas Rapid Response Coordinator on behalf of workers of Unit Structures LLC, Magnolia, Arkansas. The...

Comparative modeling of InP solar cell structures

Science.gov (United States)

Jain, R. K.; Weinberg, I.; Flood, D. J.

1991-01-01

The comparative modeling of p(+)n and n(+)p indium phosphide solar cell structures is studied using a numerical program PC-1D. The optimal design study has predicted that the p(+)n structure offers improved cell efficiencies as compared to n(+)p structure, due to higher open-circuit voltage. The various cell material and process parameters to achieve the maximum cell efficiencies are reported. The effect of some of the cell parameters on InP cell I-V characteristics was studied. The available radiation resistance data on n(+)p and p(+)p InP solar cells are also critically discussed.

Obtaining the Wakefield Due to Cell-to-Cell Misalignments in a Linear Accelerator Structure

OpenAIRE

Bane, Karl L. F.; Li, Zenghai

2001-01-01

A linear accelerator structure, such as will be used in the linacs of the JLC/NLC collider, is composed of on the order of 100 cells. The cells are constructed as individual cups that are brazed together to form a structure. Fabrication error will result in slight cell-to-cell misalignments along the finished structure. In this report we derive an approximation to the transverse wakefield of a structure with cell-to-cell misalignments in terms of the eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of the erro...

RF Breakdown in Normal Conducting Single-Cell Structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dolgashev, V.A.; Nantista, C.D.; Tantawi, S.G.; Higashi, Y.; Higo, T.

2006-01-01

Operating accelerating gradient in normal conducting accelerating structures is often limited by rf breakdown. The limit depends on multiple parameters, including input rf power, rf circuit, cavity shape and material. Experimental and theoretical study of the effects of these parameters on the breakdown limit in full scale structures is difficult and costly. We use 11.4 GHz single-cell traveling wave and standing wave accelerating structures for experiments and modeling of rf breakdown behavior. These test structures are designed so that the electromagnetic fields in one cell mimic the fields in prototype multicell structures for the X-band linear collider. Fields elsewhere in the test structures are significantly lower than that of the single cell. The setup uses matched mode converters that launch the circular TM 01 mode into short test structures. The test structures are connected to the mode launchers with vacuum rf flanges. This setup allows economic testing of different cell geometries, cell materials and preparation techniques with short turn-around time. Simple 2D geometry of the test structures simplifies modeling of the breakdown currents and their thermal effects

Structural analysis of cell wall polysaccharides using PACE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mortimer, Jennifer C. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Joint BioEnergy Institute

2017-01-01

The plant cell wall is composed of many complex polysaccharides. The composition and structure of the polysaccharides affect various cell properties including cell shape, cell function and cell adhesion. Many techniques to characterize polysaccharide structure are complicated, requiring expensive equipment and specialized operators e.g. NMR, MALDI-MS. PACE (Polysaccharide Analysis using Carbohydrate gel Electrophoresis) uses a simple, rapid technique to analyze polysaccharide quantity and structure (Goubet et al. 2002). Whilst the method here describes xylan analysis, it can be applied (by use of the appropriate glycosyl hydrolase) to any cell wall polysaccharide.

Identification of the elementary structural units of the DNA damage response.

Science.gov (United States)

Natale, Francesco; Rapp, Alexander; Yu, Wei; Maiser, Andreas; Harz, Hartmann; Scholl, Annina; Grulich, Stephan; Anton, Tobias; Hörl, David; Chen, Wei; Durante, Marco; Taucher-Scholz, Gisela; Leonhardt, Heinrich; Cardoso, M Cristina

2017-06-12

Histone H2AX phosphorylation is an early signalling event triggered by DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). To elucidate the elementary units of phospho-H2AX-labelled chromatin, we integrate super-resolution microscopy of phospho-H2AX during DNA repair in human cells with genome-wide sequencing analyses. Here we identify phospho-H2AX chromatin domains in the nanometre range with median length of ∼75 kb. Correlation analysis with over 60 genomic features shows a time-dependent euchromatin-to-heterochromatin repair trend. After X-ray or CRISPR-Cas9-mediated DSBs, phospho-H2AX-labelled heterochromatin exhibits DNA decondensation while retaining heterochromatic histone marks, indicating that chromatin structural and molecular determinants are uncoupled during repair. The phospho-H2AX nano-domains arrange into higher-order clustered structures of discontinuously phosphorylated chromatin, flanked by CTCF. CTCF knockdown impairs spreading of the phosphorylation throughout the 3D-looped nano-domains. Co-staining of phospho-H2AX with phospho-Ku70 and TUNEL reveals that clusters rather than nano-foci represent single DSBs. Hence, each chromatin loop is a nano-focus, whose clusters correspond to previously known phospho-H2AX foci.

Flexible and elastic metamaterial absorber for low frequency, based on small-size unit cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoo, Y. J.; Zheng, H. Y.; Kim, Y. J.; Lee, Y. P., E-mail: yplee@hanyang.ac.kr [Department of Physics and RINS, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); Rhee, J. Y. [Department of Physics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Kang, J.-H. [Department of Nano and Electronic Physics, Kookmin University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, K. W. [Department of Information Display, Sunmoon University, Asan (Korea, Republic of); Cheong, H. [Department of Physics, Sogang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Y. H. [Infovion Inc., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2014-07-28

Using a planar and flexible metamaterial (MM), we obtained the low-frequency perfect absorption even with very small unit-cell size in snake-shape structure. These shrunken, deep-sub-wavelength and thin MM absorbers were numerically and experimentally investigated by increasing the inductance. The periodicity/thickness (the figure of merit for perfect absorption) is achieved to be 10 and 2 for single-snake-bar and 5-snake-bar structures, respectively. The ratio between periodicity and resonance wavelength (in mm) is close to 1/12 and 1/30 at 2 GHz and 400 MHz, respectively. The absorbers are specially designed for absorption peaks around 2 GHz and 400 MHz, which can be used for depressing the electromagnetic noise from everyday electronic devices and mobile phones.

Polymer electrolyte fuel cell mini power unit for portable application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Urbani, F.; Squadrito, G.; Barbera, O.; Giacoppo, G.; Passalacqua, E. [CNR-ITAE, via Salita S. Lucia sopra Contesse n. 5, 98126 S. Lucia, Messina (Italy); Zerbinati, O. [Universita del Piemonte Orientale, Dip. di Scienze dell' Ambiente e della Vita, via Bellini 25/g, 15100 Alessandria (Italy)

2007-06-20

This paper describes the design, realisation and test of a power unit based on a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, operating at room temperature, for portable application. The device is composed of an home made air breathing fuel cell stack, a metal hydride tank for H{sub 2} supply, a dc-dc converter for power output control and a fan for stack cooling. The stack is composed by 10 cells with an active surface of 25 cm{sup 2} and produces a rated power of 15 W at 6 V and 2 A. The stack successfully runs with end-off fed hydrogen without appreciable performance degradation during the time. The final assembled system is able to generate 12 W at 9.5 V, and power a portable DVD player for 3 h in continuous. The power unit has collected about 100 h of operation without maintenance. (author)

Super Unit Cells in Aperture-Based Metamaterials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dragan Tanasković

2015-01-01

Full Text Available An important class of electromagnetic metamaterials are aperture-based metasurfaces. Examples include extraordinary optical transmission arrays and double fishnets with negative refractive index. We analyze a generalization of such metamaterials where a simple aperture is now replaced by a compound object formed by superposition of two or more primitive objects (e.g., rectangles, circles, and ellipses. Thus obtained “super unit cell” shows far richer behavior than the subobjects that comprise it. We show that nonlocalities introduced by overlapping simple subobjects can be used to produce large deviations of spectral dispersion even for small additive modifications of the basic geometry. Technologically, some super cells may be fabricated by simple spatial shifting of the existing photolithographic masks. In our investigation we applied analytical calculations and ab initio finite element modeling to prove the possibility to tailor the dispersion including resonances for plasmonic nanocomposites by adjusting the local geometry and exploiting localized interactions at a subwavelength level. Any desired form could be defined using simple primitive objects, making the situation a geometrical analog of the case of series expansion of a function. Thus an additional degree of tunability of metamaterials is obtained. The obtained designer structures can be applied in different fields like waveguiding and sensing.

Evaluation of the impact of banking umbilical cord blood units with high cell dose for ethnically diverse patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Stritesky, Gretta; Wadsworth, Kimberly; Duffy, Merry; Buck, Kelly; Dehn, Jason

2018-02-01

Umbilical cord blood units provide an important stem cell source for transplantation, particularly for patients of ethnic diversity who may not have suitably matched available, adult-unrelated donors. However, with the cost of cord blood unit acquisition from public banks significantly higher than that for adult-unrelated donors, attention is focused on decreasing cost yet still providing cord blood units to patients in need. Historical practices of banking units with low total nucleated cell counts, including units with approximately 90 × 10 7 total nucleated cells, indicates that most banked cord blood units have much lower total nucleated cell counts than are required for transplant. The objective of this study was to determine the impact on the ability to identify suitable cord blood units for transplantation if the minimum total nucleated cell count for banking were increased from 90 × 10 7 to 124 or 149 × 10 7 . We analyzed ethnically diverse patients (median age, 3 years) who underwent transplantation of a single cord blood unit in 2005 to 2016. A cord blood unit search was evaluated to identify units with equal or greater human leukocyte antigen matching and a greater total nucleated cell count than that of the transplanted cord blood unit (the replacement cord blood unit). If the minimum total nucleated cell count for banking increased to 124 or 149 × 10 7 , then from 75 to 80% of patients would still have at least 1 replacement cord blood unit in the current (2016) cord blood unit inventory. The best replacement cord blood units were often found among cords with the same ethnic background as the patient. The current data suggest that, if the minimum total nucleated cell count were increased for banking, then it would likely lead to an inventory of more desirable cord blood units while having minimal impact on the identification of suitable cord blood units for transplantation. © 2017 AABB.

Secondary structure of cell-penetrating peptides during interaction with fungal cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Zifan; Ikonomova, Svetlana P; Karlsson, Amy J

2018-03-01

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are peptides that cross cell membranes, either alone or while carrying molecular cargo. Although their interactions with mammalian cells have been widely studied, much less is known about their interactions with fungal cells, particularly at the biophysical level. We analyzed the interactions of seven CPPs (penetratin, Pep-1, MPG, pVEC, TP-10, MAP, and cecropin B) with the fungal pathogen Candida albicans using experiments and molecular simulations. Circular dichroism (CD) of the peptides revealed a structural transition from a random coil or weak helix to an α-helix occurs for all peptides when the solvent is changed from aqueous to hydrophobic. However, CD performed in the presence of C. albicans cells showed that proximity to the cell membrane is not necessarily sufficient to induce this structural transition, as penetratin, Pep-1, and MPG did not display a structural shift in the presence of cells. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to further probe the molecular-level interaction with the cell membrane, and these simulations suggested that pVEC, TP-10, MAP, and cecropin B strongly penetrate into the hydrophobic domain of the membrane lipid bilayer, inducing a transition to an α-helical conformation. In contrast, penetratin, Pep-1 and MPG remained in the hydrophilic region without a shift in conformation. The experimental data and MC simulations combine to explain how peptide structure affects their interaction with cells and their mechanism of translocation into cells (direct translocation vs. endocytosis). Our work also highlights the utility of combining biophysical experiments, biological experiments, and molecular modeling to understand biological phenomena. © 2017 The Protein Society.

Reproduction of the FC/DFC units in nucleoli.

Science.gov (United States)

Smirnov, Evgeny; Hornáček, Matúš; Kováčik, Lubomír; Mazel, Tomáš; Schröfel, Adam; Svidenská, Silvie; Skalníková, Magdalena; Bartová, Eva; Cmarko, Dušan; Raška, Ivan

2016-04-25

The essential structural components of the nucleoli, Fibrillar Centers (FC) and Dense Fibrillar Components (DFC), together compose FC/DFC units, loci of rDNA transcription and early RNA processing. In the present study we followed cell cycle related changes of these units in 2 human sarcoma derived cell lines with stable expression of RFP-PCNA (the sliding clamp protein) and GFP-RPA43 (a subunit of RNA polymerase I, pol I) or GFP-fibrillarin. Correlative light and electron microscopy analysis showed that the pol I and fibrillarin positive nucleolar beads correspond to individual FC/DFC units. In vivo observations showed that at early S phase, when transcriptionally active ribosomal genes were replicated, the number of the units in each cell increased by 60-80%. During that period the units transiently lost pol I, but not fibrillarin. Then, until the end of interphase, number of the units did not change, and their duplication was completed only after the cell division, by mid G1 phase. This peculiar mode of reproduction suggests that a considerable subset of ribosomal genes remain transcriptionally silent from mid S phase to mitosis, but become again active in the postmitotic daughter cells.

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

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manning, K.S.

1985-01-01

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

Investigation on Mechanical Properties’ Anisotropy of Rod Units in Lattice Structures Fabricated by Selective Laser Melting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Chenchen

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Lattice structure with high strength and low mass using selective laser melting (SLM has been a hot topic. However, there are some problems in the fabrication of lattice structure by SLM. Rod unit is the basic component of lattice structure and its performance affects the whole structure. It is necessary to investigate the influence of selective laser melting on rod unit’s mechanical properties. A series of rod units with different inclination angle and diameter were fabricated by SLM in this research. And the mechanical properties of these units were measured by tensile test. The results show that the rod units with different diameters and inclination angles have good mechanical properties and show no difference. It is a good news for lattice structure designing for there is no necessary to consider the mechanical properties’ anisotropy of rod units.

Generalized structural theory of freezing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yussouff, M.

1980-10-01

The first-principles order parameter theory of freezing, proposed in an earlier work, has been successful in yielding quantitative agreement with known freezing parameters for monoatomic liquids forming solids with one atom per unit cell. A generalization of this theory is presented here to include the effects of a basis set of many atoms per unit cell. The basic equations get modified by the 'density structure factors' fsub(i) which arise from the density variations within the unit cell. Calculations are presented for the important case of monoatomic liquids freezing into hexagonal close packed solids. It is concluded that all freezing transitions can be described by using structural correlations in the liquid instead of the pair potential; and that the three body correlations are important in deciding the type of solid formed after freezing. (author)

Structural Vulnerability and Health: Latino Migrant Laborers in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Quesada, James; Hart, Laurie K.; Bourgois, Philippe

2011-01-01

Latino immigrants in the United States constitute a paradigmatic case of a population group subject to structural violence. Their subordinated location in the global economy and their culturally depreciated status in the United States are exacerbated by legal persecution. Medical Anthropology Volume 30, issues 4 and 5, include a series of ethnographic analyses of the processes that render undocumented Latino immigrants structurally vulnerable to ill-health. We hope to extend the social science concept of ‘structural vulnerability’ to make it a useful tool for health care. Defined as a positionality that imposes physical/emotional suffering on specific population groups and individuals in patterned ways, structural vulnerability is a product of two complementary forces: (1) class-based economic exploitation and cultural, gender/sexual, and racialized discrimination; and (2) processes of symbolic violence and subjectivity formation that have increasingly legitimized punitive neoliberal discourses of individual unworthiness. PMID:21777121

Imaging and reconstruction of cell cortex structures near the cell surface

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Luhong; Zhou, Xiaoxu; Xiu, Peng; Luo, Wei; Huang, Yujia; Yu, Feng; Kuang, Cuifang; Sun, Yonghong; Liu, Xu; Xu, Yingke

2017-11-01

Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM) provides high optical sectioning capability and superb signal-to-noise ratio for imaging of cell cortex structures. The development of multi-angle (MA)-TIRFM permits high axial resolution imaging and reconstruction of cellular structures near the cell surface. Cytoskeleton is composed of a network of filaments, which are important for maintenance of cell function. The high-resolution imaging and quantitative analysis of filament organization would contribute to our understanding of cytoskeleton regulation in cell. Here, we used a custom-developed MA-TIRFM setup, together with stochastic photobleaching and single molecule localization method, to enhance the lateral resolution of TIRFM imaging to about 100 nm. In addition, we proposed novel methods to perform filament segmentation and 3D reconstruction from MA-TIRFM images. Furthermore, we applied these methods to study the 3D localization of cortical actin and microtubule structures in U373 cancer cells. Our results showed that cortical actins localize ∼ 27 nm closer to the plasma membrane when compared with microtubules. We found that treatment of cells with chemotherapy drugs nocodazole and cytochalasin B disassembles cytoskeletal network and induces the reorganization of filaments towards the cell periphery. In summary, this study provides feasible approaches for 3D imaging and analyzing cell surface distribution of cytoskeletal network. Our established microscopy platform and image analysis toolkits would facilitate the study of cytoskeletal network in cells.

Modulation of the androgenetic response in diverse skin cell types: the pilosebaceous unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zurvarra, F.; Kerner, N.; Hagelin, K.

2009-01-01

Androgens play a central role in diverse morphogenetic processes of the skin. Hair growth and follicular cycle are regulated in part by androgens. Androgens also play a key function, together with other receptors such as the PPARs receptors family, on the proliferation and differentiation of the sebaceous gland that forms part of the pilosebaceous unit and influences hair growth and skin well-being. UV radiation may affect androgens regulation of skin homeostasis. Objectives: to study the modulation of androgenetic response related to UV radiation on the pilosebaceous unit, in two skin conditions: androgenetic alopecia and acne, both affecting skin and constituting major concerns for affected individuals. Methods: primary cultures of cells and established cell lines from the pilosebaceous unit: dermal papillae cells, keratinocytes and sebocytes. Analysis of lipid content, inflammatory response and proliferation of cells under the influence of androgens, PPARs ligands and UVR. Results: sebocytes primary cultures were obtained from human sebaceous glands. Proliferation and differentiation, as well as the expression of proinflammatory molecules (IL-1, TNF alpha, iNOs) and lipogenic enzymes (FASN) under androgens and UV treatment were assessed. The response to androgens under UV exposure was also analyzed in dermal papillae cells in culture. (authors)

In vivo studies of the long-term 51Cr red cell survival of serologically incompatible red cell units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baldwin, M.L.; Ness, P.M.; Barrasso, C.; Kickler, T.S.; Drew, H.; Tsan, M.F.; Shirey, R.S.

1985-01-01

The long-term survival of serologically incompatible red cell units was measured in five patients with antibodies to high-frequency antigens. Initially, the survival of 1 ml of 51 Cr-labeled incompatible red cells was measured over 1 hour. After demonstrating that the 1-hour survival times were successful (greater than 70%), each patient then received 5 ml of the same 51 Cr-labeled red cells followed by the transfusion of the remainder of the red cell unit. The long-term T 1/2Cr survival for each case was patient 1 (anti-McCa), 15 days; patient 2 (anti-JMH), 12 days; patient 3 (anti-Kna), 31 days; patient 4 (anti-McCa), 12 days; and patient 5 (anti-Hya), 14 days. Each antibody tested in an in vitro homologous macrophage assay showed less than 5 percent phagocytosis. Anti-JMH was the only antibody to react with IgG subclass antisera and was determined to be IgG4. The macrophage assay, IgG subclass testing, and short-term (1 hour, 1 ml) 51 Cr survival studies all indicated that the short-term survival was good. However, only the measurement of long-term survival with transfused units of serologically incompatible red cells was able to determine the actual survival, and clinical significance of the alloantibodies. Determining the actual long-term survival by the method described here can be of importance for patients requiring chronic red cell transfusion

RNA structure alignment by a unit-vector approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Capriotti, Emidio; Marti-Renom, Marc A

2008-08-15

The recent discovery of tiny RNA molecules such as microRNAs and small interfering RNA are transforming the view of RNA as a simple information transfer molecule. Similar to proteins, the native three-dimensional structure of RNA determines its biological activity. Therefore, classifying the current structural space is paramount for functionally annotating RNA molecules. The increasing numbers of RNA structures deposited in the PDB requires more accurate, automatic and benchmarked methods for RNA structure comparison. In this article, we introduce a new algorithm for RNA structure alignment based on a unit-vector approach. The algorithm has been implemented in the SARA program, which results in RNA structure pairwise alignments and their statistical significance. The SARA program has been implemented to be of general applicability even when no secondary structure can be calculated from the RNA structures. A benchmark against the ARTS program using a set of 1275 non-redundant pairwise structure alignments results in inverted approximately 6% extra alignments with at least 50% structurally superposed nucleotides and base pairs. A first attempt to perform RNA automatic functional annotation based on structure alignments indicates that SARA can correctly assign the deepest SCOR classification to >60% of the query structures. The SARA program is freely available through a World Wide Web server http://sgu.bioinfo.cipf.es/services/SARA/. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Phononic Band Gaps in 2D Quadratic and 3D Cubic Cellular Structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Warmuth, Franziska; Körner, Carolin

2015-12-02

The static and dynamic mechanical behaviour of cellular materials can be designed by the architecture of the underlying unit cell. In this paper, the phononic band structure of 2D and 3D cellular structures is investigated. It is shown how the geometry of the unit cell influences the band structure and eventually leads to full band gaps. The mechanism leading to full band gaps is elucidated. Based on this knowledge, a 3D cellular structure with a broad full band gap is identified. Furthermore, the dependence of the width of the gap on the geometry parameters of the unit cell is presented.

Synthesis, Structure, and Rigid Unit Mode-like Anisotropic Thermal Expansion of BaIr2In9.

Science.gov (United States)

Calta, Nicholas P; Han, Fei; Kanatzidis, Mercouri G

2015-09-08

This Article reports the synthesis of large single crystals of BaIr2In9 using In flux and their characterization by variable-temperature single-crystal and synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction, resistivity, and magnetization measurements. The title compound adopts the BaFe2Al9-type structure in the space group P6/mmm with room temperature unit cell parameters a = 8.8548(6) Å and c = 4.2696(4) Å. BaIr2In9 exhibits anisotropic thermal expansion behavior with linear expansion along the c axis more than 3 times larger than expansion in the ab plane between 90 and 400 K. This anisotropic expansion originates from a rigid unit mode-like mechanism similar to the mechanism of zero and negative thermal expansion observed in many anomalous thermal expansion materials such as ZrW2O8 and ScF3.

Harnessing cell-to-cell variations to probe bacterial structure and biophysics

Science.gov (United States)

Cass, Julie A.

Advances in microscopy and biotechnology have given us novel insights into cellular biology and physics. While bacteria were long considered to be relatively unstructured, the development of fluorescence microscopy techniques, and spatially and temporally resolved high-throughput quantitative studies, have uncovered that the bacterial cell is highly organized, and its structure rigorously maintained. In this thesis I will describe our gateTool software, designed to harness cell-to-cell variations to probe bacterial structure, and discuss two exciting aspects of structure that we have employed gateTool to investigate: (i) chromosome organization and the cellular mechanisms for controlling DNA dynamics, and (ii) the study of cell wall synthesis, and how the genes in the synthesis pathway impact cellular shape. In the first project, we develop a spatial and temporal mapping of cell-cycle-dependent chromosomal organization, and use this quantitative map to discover that chromosomal loci segregate from midcell with universal dynamics. In the second project, I describe preliminary time- lapse and snapshot imaging analysis suggesting phentoypical coherence across peptidoglycan synthesis pathways.

Dielectric Behavior of Low Microwave Loss Unit Cell for All Dielectric Metamaterial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tianhuan Luo

2015-01-01

Full Text Available With a deep study of the metamaterial, its unit cells have been widely extended from metals to dielectrics. The dielectric based unit cells attract much attention because of the advantage of easy preparation, tunability, and higher frequency response, and so forth. Using the conventional solid state method, we prepared a kind of incipient ferroelectrics (calcium titanate, CaTiO3 with higher microwave permittivity and lower loss, which can be successfully used to construct metamaterials. The temperature and frequency dependence of dielectric constant are also measured under different sintering temperatures. The dielectric spectra showed a slight permittivity decrease with the increase of temperature and exhibited a loss of 0.0005, combined with a higher microwave dielectric constant of ~167 and quality factor Q of 2049. Therefore, CaTiO3 is a kind of versatile and potential metamaterial unit cell. The permittivity of CaTiO3 at higher microwave frequency was also examined in the rectangular waveguide and we got the permittivity of 165, creating a new method to test permittivity at higher microwave frequency.

TRICE - A program for reconstructing 3D reciprocal space and determining unit-cell parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zou Xiaodong; Hovmoeller, Anders; Hovmoeller, Sven

2004-01-01

A program system-Trice-for reconstructing the 3D reciprocal lattice from an electron diffraction tilt series is described. The unit-cell parameters can be determined from electron diffraction patterns directly by Trice. The unit cell can be checked and the lattice type and crystal system can be determined from the 3D reciprocal lattice. Trice can be applied to all crystal systems and lattice types

Utilization of transmission probabilities in the calculation of unit-cell by the interface-current method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Queiroz Bogado Leite, S. de.

1989-10-01

A widely used but otherwise physically incorrect assumption in unit-cell calculations by the method of interface currents in cylindrical or spherical geometries, is that of that of isotropic fluxes at the surfaces of the cell annular regions, when computing transmission probabilities. In this work, new interface-current relations are developed without making use of this assumption and the effects on calculated integral parameters are shown for an idealized unit-cell example. (author) [pt

How unit level nursing responsibilities are structured in US hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Minnick, Ann F; Mion, Lorraine C; Johnson, Mary E; Catrambone, Cathy

2007-10-01

To describe (1) the extent to which acute and intensive care units use the elements of nursing models (team, functional, primary, total patient care, patient-focused care, case management) and (2) the deployment of non-unit-based personnel resources. The lack of current data-based behavioral descriptions of the extent to which elements of nursing models are implemented makes it difficult to determine how work models may influence outcomes. Nurse managers of 56 intensive care units and 80 acute care adult units from 40 randomly selected US hospitals participated in a structured interview regarding (1) day-shift use of patient assignment behaviors associated with nursing models and (2) the availability and consistency of assignment of non-unit-based support personnel. No model was implemented fully. Almost all intensive care units reported similar assignment behaviors except in the consistency of patient assignment. Non-intensive care units demonstrated wide variation in assignment patterns. Patterns differed intra-institutionally. There were large differences in the availability and deployment of non-unit-based supportive resources. Administrators must recognize the differences in work models within their institutions as a part of any quality improvement effort. Attempts to test new work models must be rigorous in the measurement of their implementation.

Photographers’ Nomenclature Units: A Structural and Quantitative Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Margarita A. Mihailova

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Addressing the needs of cross and intercultural communication as well as the methodology of contrastive research, the paper presents the results of the complex analysis conducted to describe semantic and pragmatic parameters of nomenclature units denoting photography equipment in the modern Russian informal discourse of professional photographers. The research is exemplified by 34 original nomenclature units and their 34 Russian equivalents used in 6871 comments posted at “Клуб.Foto.ru” web-site in 2015. The structural and quantitative analyses of photographers’ nomenclature demonstrate the users’ morphological and graphic preferences and indirectly reflect their social and professional values. The corpus-based approach developed by Kast-Aigner (2009: 141 was applied in the study with the aim to identify the nomenclature units denoting photography equipment, validate and elaborate the data of the existing corpus. The research also throws light on the problems of professional language development and derivational processes. The perspective of the study lies in the research of the broader context of professional nomenclature.

Computer programs for unit-cell determination in electron diffraction experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, X.Z.

2005-01-01

A set of computer programs for unit-cell determination from an electron diffraction tilt series and pattern indexing has been developed on the basis of several well-established algorithms. In this approach, a reduced direct primitive cell is first determined from experimental data, in the means time, the measurement errors of the tilt angles are checked and minimized. The derived primitive cell is then checked for possible higher lattice symmetry and transformed into a proper conventional cell. Finally a least-squares refinement procedure is adopted to generate optimum lattice parameters on the basis of the lengths of basic reflections in each diffraction pattern and the indices of these reflections. Examples are given to show the usage of the programs

Characterization of the Unit Tangent Sphere Bundle with $ g $-Natural Metric and Almost Contact B-metric Structure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farshad Firuzi

2017-06-01

Full Text Available We consider unit tangent sphere bundle of a Riemannian manifold $ (M,g $ as a $ (2n+1 $-dimensional manifold and we equip it with pseudo-Riemannian $ g $-natural almost contact B-metric structure. Then, by computing coefficients of the structure tensor $ F$, we completely characterize the unit tangent sphere bundle equipped to this structure, with respect to the relevant classification of almost contact B-metric structures, and determine a class such that the unit tangent sphere bundle with mentioned structure belongs to it. Also, we find some curvature conditions such that the mentioned structure satisfies each of eleven basic classes.

Cell Secretion: Current Structural and Biochemical Insights

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saurabh Trikha

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Essential physiological functions in eukaryotic cells, such as release of hormones and digestive enzymes, neurotransmission, and intercellular signaling, are all achieved by cell secretion. In regulated (calcium-dependent secretion, membrane-bound secretory vesicles dock and transiently fuse with specialized, permanent, plasma membrane structures, called porosomes or fusion pores. Porosomes are supramolecular, cup-shaped lipoprotein structures at the cell plasma membrane that mediate and control the release of vesicle cargo to the outside of the cell. The sizes of porosomes range from 150nm in diameter in acinar cells of the exocrine pancreas to 12nm in neurons. In recent years, significant progress has been made in our understanding of the porosome and the cellular activities required for cell secretion, such as membrane fusion and swelling of secretory vesicles. The discovery of the porosome complex and the molecular mechanism of cell secretion are summarized in this article.

Applications of Fluorogens with Rotor Structures in Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Ong, Kok-Haw; Liu, Bin

2017-05-29

Solar cells are devices that convert light energy into electricity. To drive greater adoption of solar cell technologies, higher cell efficiencies and reductions in manufacturing cost are necessary. Fluorogens containing rotor structures may be helpful in addressing some of these challenges due to their unique twisted structures and photophysics. In this review, we discuss the applications of rotor-containing molecules as dyes for luminescent down-shifting layers and luminescent solar concentrators, where their aggregation-induced emission properties and large Stokes shifts are highly desirable. We also discuss the applications of molecules containing rotors in third-generation solar cell technologies, namely dye-sensitized solar cells and organic photovoltaics, where the twisted 3-dimensional rotor structures are used primarily for aggregation control. Finally, we discuss perspectives on the future role of molecules containing rotor structures in solar cell technologies.

Tensegrity I. Cell structure and hierarchical systems biology

Science.gov (United States)

Ingber, Donald E.

2003-01-01

In 1993, a Commentary in this journal described how a simple mechanical model of cell structure based on tensegrity architecture can help to explain how cell shape, movement and cytoskeletal mechanics are controlled, as well as how cells sense and respond to mechanical forces (J. Cell Sci. 104, 613-627). The cellular tensegrity model can now be revisited and placed in context of new advances in our understanding of cell structure, biological networks and mechanoregulation that have been made over the past decade. Recent work provides strong evidence to support the use of tensegrity by cells, and mathematical formulations of the model predict many aspects of cell behavior. In addition, development of the tensegrity theory and its translation into mathematical terms are beginning to allow us to define the relationship between mechanics and biochemistry at the molecular level and to attack the larger problem of biological complexity. Part I of this two-part article covers the evidence for cellular tensegrity at the molecular level and describes how this building system may provide a structural basis for the hierarchical organization of living systems--from molecule to organism. Part II, which focuses on how these structural networks influence information processing networks, appears in the next issue.

Improving teamwork: impact of structured interdisciplinary rounds on a hospitalist unit.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Leary, Kevin J; Haviley, Corinne; Slade, Maureen E; Shah, Hiren M; Lee, Jungwha; Williams, Mark V

2011-02-01

Effective collaboration and teamwork is essential in providing safe and effective care. Research reveals deficiencies in teamwork on medical units involving hospitalists. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of an intervention, Structured Inter-Disciplinary Rounds (SIDR), on nurses' ratings of collaboration and teamwork. The study was a controlled trial involving an intervention and control hospitalist unit. The intervention, SIDR, combined a structured format for communication with a forum for regular interdisciplinary meetings. We asked nurses to rate the quality of communication and collaboration with hospitalists using a 5-point ordinal scale. We also assessed teamwork and safety climate using a validated instrument. Multivariable regression analyses were used to assess the impact on length of stay (LOS) and cost using both a concurrent and historic control. A total of 49 of 58 (84%) nurses completed surveys. A larger percentage of nurses rated the quality of communication and collaboration with hospitalists as high or very high on the intervention unit compared to the control unit (80% vs. 54%; P = 0.05). Nurses also rated the teamwork and safety climate significantly higher on the intervention unit (P = 0.008 and P = 0.03 for teamwork and safety climate, respectively). Multivariable analyses demonstrated no difference in the adjusted LOS and an inconsistent effect on cost. SIDR had a positive effect on nurses' ratings of collaboration and teamwork on a hospitalist unit, yet no impact on LOS and cost. Further study is required to assess the impact of SIDR on patient safety measures. Copyright © 2010 Society of Hospital Medicine.

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi Xiu YANG

2011-12-01

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

40 CFR Appendix A to Part 76 - Phase I Affected Coal-Fired Utility Units With Group 1 or Cell Burner Boilers

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Units With Group 1 or Cell Burner Boilers A Appendix A to Part 76 Protection of Environment... 1 or Cell Burner Boilers Table 1—Phase I Tangentially Fired Units State Plant Unit Operator ALABAMA... Vertically fired boiler. 2 Arch-fired boiler. Table 3—Phase I Cell Burner Technology Units State Plant Unit...

A Miniaturized Antenna with Negative Index Metamaterial Based on Modified SRR and CLS Unit Cell for UWB Microwave Imaging Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Md. Moinul Islam

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A miniaturized antenna employing a negative index metamaterial with modified split-ring resonator (SRR and capacitance-loaded strip (CLS unit cells is presented for Ultra wideband (UWB microwave imaging applications. Four left-handed (LH metamaterial (MTM unit cells are located along one axis of the antenna as the radiating element. Each left-handed metamaterial unit cell combines a modified split-ring resonator (SRR with a capacitance-loaded strip (CLS to obtain a design architecture that simultaneously exhibits both negative permittivity and negative permeability, which ensures a stable negative refractive index to improve the antenna performance for microwave imaging. The antenna structure, with dimension of 16 × 21 × 1.6 mm3, is printed on a low dielectric FR4 material with a slotted ground plane and a microstrip feed. The measured reflection coefficient demonstrates that this antenna attains 114.5% bandwidth covering the frequency band of 3.4–12.5 GHz for a voltage standing wave ratio of less than 2 with a maximum gain of 5.16 dBi at 10.15 GHz. There is a stable harmony between the simulated and measured results that indicate improved nearly omni-directional radiation characteristics within the operational frequency band. The stable surface current distribution, negative refractive index characteristic, considerable gain and radiation properties make this proposed negative index metamaterial antenna optimal for UWB microwave imaging applications.

Full scale dynamic testing of Kozloduy NPP unit 5 structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Da Rin, E.M.

1999-01-01

As described in this report, the Kozloduy NPP western site has been subjected to low level earthquake-like ground shaking - through appropriately devised underground explosions - and the resulting dynamic response of the NPP reactor Unit 5 important structures appropriately measured and digitally recorded. In-situ free-field response was measured concurrently more than 100 m aside the main structures of interest. The collected experimental data provide reference information on the actual dynamic characteristics of the Kozloduy NPPs main structures, as well as give some useful indications on the dynamic soil-structure interaction effects for the case of low level excitation. Performing the present full-scale dynamic structural testing activities took advantage of the experience gained by ISMES during similar tests, lately performed in Italy and abroad (in particular, at the Paks NPP in 1994). The IAEA promoted dynamic testing of the Kozloduy NPP Unit 5 by means of pertinently designed buried explosion-induced ground motions which has provided a large amount of data on the dynamic structural response of its major structures. In the present report, the conducted investigation is described and the acquired digital data presented. A series of preliminary analyses were undertaken for examining in detail the ground excitation levels that were produced by these weak earthquake simulation experiments, as well as for inferring some structural characteristics and behaviour information from the collected data. These analyses ascertained the high quality of the collected digital data. Presumably due to soil-structure dynamic interaction effects, reduced excitation levels were observed at the reactor building foundation raft level with respect to the concurrent free-field ground motions. measured at a 140 m distance from the reactor building centre. Further more detailed and systematic analyses are worthwhile to be performed for extracting more complete information about the

A heated vapor cell unit for DAVLL in atomic rubidium

OpenAIRE

McCarron, Daniel J.; Hughes, Ifan G.; Tierney, Patrick; Cornish, Simon L.

2007-01-01

The design and performance of a compact heated vapor cell unit for realizing a dichroic atomic vapor laser lock (DAVLL) for the D2 transitions in atomic rubidium is described. A 5 cm-long vapor cell is placed in a double-solenoid arrangement to produce the required magnetic field; the heat from the solenoid is used to increase the vapor pressure and correspondingly the DAVLL signal. We have characterized experimentally the dependence of important features of the DAVLL signal on magnetic field...

Placement of molecules in (not out of) the cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dauter, Zbigniew

2013-01-01

The importance of presenting macromolecular structures in unified, standard ways is discussed. To uniquely describe a crystal structure, it is sufficient to specify the crystal unit cell and symmetry, and describe the unique structural motif which is repeated by the space-group symmetry throughout the whole crystal. It is somewhat arbitrary how such a unique motif can be defined and positioned with respect to the unit-cell origin. As a result of such freedom, some isomorphous structures are presented in the Protein Data Bank in different locations and appear as if they have different atomic coordinates, despite being completely equivalent structurally. This may easily confuse those users of the PDB who are less familiar with crystallographic symmetry transformations. It would therefore be beneficial for the community of PDB users to introduce standard rules for locating crystal structures of macromolecules in the unit cells of various space groups

Disordered crystal structure of 20H-AlON, Al10O3N8

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banno, Hiroki; Funahashi, Shiro; Asaka, Toru; Hirosaki, Naoto; Fukuda, Koichiro

2015-01-01

The disordered crystal structure of 20H-AlON (Al 10 O 3 N 8 ) was determined by combined use of X-ray powder diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The title compound is hexagonal with space group P6 3 /mmc (Z=2) and the unit-cell dimensions are a=0.307082(5) nm, c=5.29447(8) nm and V=0.432376(12) nm 3 . The structural model showed the positional disordering of three of the six Al sites in the unit cell. The reliability indices calculated from the Rietveld method were R wp =6.97%, S (=R wp /R e )=1.68, R p =5.45%, R B =5.13% and R F =4.56%. We interpreted the disordered structure of 20H-AlON as a statistical average of six different types of ordered structural configurations, which are composed of an octahedral [Al(O, N) 6 ] layer and tetrahedral [Al(O, N) 4 ] layers. We demonstrated the high correlations between the hexagonal unit-cell dimensions and the octahedral layer concentrations for AlON and SiAlON polytypoids. - Graphical abstract: Variations of a and c/(n O +n T ) with n O /(n O +n T ). The a and c are the hexagonal unit-cell dimensions of AlON, SiAlON and AlN. The n O and n T are, respectively, the numbers of octahedral and tetrahedral layers in the unit cells. The unit-cell dimensions in literature are plotted in black plus for AlON and black cross for SiAlON. The unit-cell dimensions of AlN are a=0.3110 nm and c=0.4980 nm. - Highlights: • Crystal structure of Al10O3N8 is determined by laboratory X-ray powder diffraction. • The atom arrangements are represented by the split-atom model. • Six types of ordered atom arrangements are derived from the disordered structure. • Hexagonal unit-cell dimensions changed systematically for AlON and SiAlON compounds

Handedness in shearing auxetics creates rigid and compliant structures

Science.gov (United States)

Lipton, Jeffrey Ian; MacCurdy, Robert; Manchester, Zachary; Chin, Lillian; Cellucci, Daniel; Rus, Daniela

2018-05-01

In nature, repeated base units produce handed structures that selectively bond to make rigid or compliant materials. Auxetic tilings are scale-independent frameworks made from repeated unit cells that expand under tension. We discovered how to produce handedness in auxetic unit cells that shear as they expand by changing the symmetries and alignments of auxetic tilings. Using the symmetry and alignment rules that we developed, we made handed shearing auxetics that tile planes, cylinders, and spheres. By compositing the handed shearing auxetics in a manner inspired by keratin and collagen, we produce both compliant structures that expand while twisting and deployable structures that can rigidly lock. This work opens up new possibilities in designing chemical frameworks, medical devices like stents, robotic systems, and deployable engineering structures.

Structural and Electronic Investigations of Complex Intermetallic Compounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ko, Hyunjin [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

2008-01-01

In solid state chemistry, numerous investigations have been attempted to address the relationships between chemical structure and physical properties. Such questions include: (1) How can we understand the driving forces of the atomic arrangements in complex solids that exhibit interesting chemical and physical properties? (2) How do different elements distribute themselves in a solid-state structure? (3) Can we develop a chemical understanding to predict the effects of valence electron concentration on the structures and magnetic ordering of systems by both experimental and theoretical means? Although these issues are relevant to various compound classes, intermetallic compounds are especially interesting and well suited for a joint experimental and theoretical effort. For intermetallic compounds, the questions listed above are difficult to answer since many of the constituent atoms simply do not crystallize in the same manner as in their separate, elemental structures. Also, theoretical studies suggest that the energy differences between various structural alternatives are small. For example, Al and Ga both belong in the same group on the Periodic Table of Elements and share many similar chemical properties. Al crystallizes in the fcc lattice with 4 atoms per unit cell and Ga crystallizes in an orthorhombic unit cell lattice with 8 atoms per unit cell, which are both fairly simple structures (Figure 1). However, when combined with Mn, which itself has a very complex cubic crystal structure with 58 atoms per unit cell, the resulting intermetallic compounds crystallize in a completely different fashion. At the 1:1 stoichiometry, MnAl forms a very simple tetragonal lattice with two atoms per primitive unit cell, while MnGa crystallizes in a complicated rhombohedral unit cell with 26 atoms within the primitive unit cell. The mechanisms influencing the arrangements of atoms in numerous crystal structures have been studied theoretically by calculating electronic

Automated assembling of single fuel cell units for use in a fuel cell stack

Science.gov (United States)

Jalba, C. K.; Muminovic, A.; Barz, C.; Nasui, V.

2017-05-01

The manufacturing of PEMFC stacks (POLYMER ELEKTROLYT MEMBRAN Fuel Cell) is nowadays still done by hand. Over hundreds of identical single components have to be placed accurate together for the construction of a fuel cell stack. Beside logistic problems, higher total costs and disadvantages in weight the high number of components produce a higher statistic interference because of faulty erection or material defects and summation of manufacturing tolerances. The saving of costs is about 20 - 25 %. Furthermore, the total weight of the fuel cells will be reduced because of a new sealing technology. Overall a one minute cycle time has to be aimed per cell at the manufacturing of these single components. The change of the existing sealing concept to a bonded sealing is one of the important requisites to get an automated manufacturing of single cell units. One of the important steps for an automated gluing process is the checking of the glue application by using of an image processing system. After bonding the single fuel cell the sealing and electrical function can be checked, so that only functional and high qualitative cells can get into further manufacturing processes.

Improved reproducibility of unit-cell parameters in macromolecular cryocrystallography by limiting dehydration during crystal mounting.

Science.gov (United States)

Farley, Christopher; Burks, Geoffry; Siegert, Thomas; Juers, Douglas H

2014-08-01

In macromolecular cryocrystallography unit-cell parameters can have low reproducibility, limiting the effectiveness of combining data sets from multiple crystals and inhibiting the development of defined repeatable cooling protocols. Here, potential sources of unit-cell variation are investigated and crystal dehydration during loop-mounting is found to be an important factor. The amount of water lost by the unit cell depends on the crystal size, the loop size, the ambient relative humidity and the transfer distance to the cooling medium. To limit water loss during crystal mounting, a threefold strategy has been implemented. Firstly, crystal manipulations are performed in a humid environment similar to the humidity of the crystal-growth or soaking solution. Secondly, the looped crystal is transferred to a vial containing a small amount of the crystal soaking solution. Upon loop transfer, the vial is sealed, which allows transport of the crystal at its equilibrated humidity. Thirdly, the crystal loop is directly mounted from the vial into the cold gas stream. This strategy minimizes the exposure of the crystal to relatively low humidity ambient air, improves the reproducibility of low-temperature unit-cell parameters and offers some new approaches to crystal handling and cryoprotection.

Analysis of Structural Units and Their Influence on Thermal Degradation of Alkali Lignins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen Hua

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The chemical structures of four alkali lignins isolated from poplar, fir, straw, and bagasse were investigated. To explore the relationship between the structural units and the thermal decomposition behavior, the system was tested by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, and pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS. The results indicated that the carbon content of poplar lignin (PL was higher than that of others. Fir lignin (FL exhibited the highest guaiacol units, while the other three lignins were abundant in syringol units. The thermal decomposition characteristics and pyrolysis products of the four lignins were influenced by the material structural and composition. The DTG curves showed that the initial temperatures and major degradation temperatures of woody lignins（FL and PL） with complex inherent structures were shifted to the high temperature zoom compared with that of non-woody （BL and SL）lignins. Py-GC/MS analysis showed that guaiacol-type phenolic compounds were predominant pyrolysis products derived from the four lignins. The yield of guaiacol-type phenols could reach 82.87%. Moreover, the BL had selectively on phenol-type compounds with yield of 27.89%.

Quality Improvement Process in a Large Intensive Care Unit: Structure and Outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, Anita J; Guzman, Jorge A

2016-11-01

Quality improvement in the health care setting is a complex process, and even more so in the critical care environment. The development of intensive care unit process measures and quality improvement strategies are associated with improved outcomes, but should be individualized to each medical center as structure and culture can differ from institution to institution. The purpose of this report is to describe the structure of quality improvement processes within a large medical intensive care unit while using examples of the study institution's successes and challenges in the areas of stat antibiotic administration, reduction in blood product waste, central line-associated bloodstream infections, and medication errors. © The Author(s) 2015.

ZnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} antiferromagnetic structure redetermination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kremenović, Aleksandar, E-mail: akremenovic@rgf.bg.ac.rs [Laboratory for Crystallography, Faculty of Mining and Geology, University of Belgrade, Đušina 7, Belgrade 11000 (Serbia); Antić, Bratislav [Condensed Matter Physics Laboratory, Institute of Nuclear Sciences “Vinča”, University of Belgrade, P.O. Box 522, Belgrade 11001 (Serbia); Vulić, Predrag [Laboratory for Crystallography, Faculty of Mining and Geology, University of Belgrade, Đušina 7, Belgrade 11000 (Serbia); Blanuša, Jovan [Condensed Matter Physics Laboratory, Institute of Nuclear Sciences “Vinča”, University of Belgrade, P.O. Box 522, Belgrade 11001 (Serbia); Tomic, Aleksandra [Condensed Matter Physics Laboratory, Institute of Nuclear Sciences “Vinča”, University of Belgrade, P.O. Box 522, Belgrade 11001 (Serbia); Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027 (United States)

2017-03-15

Magnetic structure of ZnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} normal spinel is re-examined. Antiferromagnetic structure non-collinear model is established within C{sub a}2 space group having four different crystallographic/magnetic sites for 32 Fe{sup 3+} spins within magnetic unit cell. - Highlights: • Magnetic structure of ZnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} normal spinel is re-examined. • Antiferromagnetic non-collinear structure model is established within C{sub a}2 space group. • Four different crystallographic/magnetic sites contain 32 Fe{sup 3+} spins within magnetic unit cell.

Cell and band structures in cold rolled polycrystalline copper

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ananthan, V.S.; Leffers, Torben; Hansen, Niels

1991-01-01

dislocation walls (DDWs) and cells develop during the initial stages of cold rolling. Grains having a high density of DDWs are described as high wall density (HWD) structures, and grains having a low density of DDWs are described as low wall density (LWD) structures. These structures are characterised by cell...

Electrochemical characterization of a polybenzimidazole-based high temperature proton exchange membrane unit cell

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jespersen, Jesper Lebæk; Schaltz, Erik; Kær, Søren Knudsen

2009-01-01

This work constitutes detailed EIS (Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy) measurements on a PBIbased HT-PEM unit cell. By means of EIS the fuel cell is characterized in several modes of operation by varying the current density, temperature and the stoichiometry of the reactant gases. Using...

A novel shell-structure cell microcarrier (SSCM) for cell transplantation and bone regeneration medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Kai; Gong, Yihong; Wang, Chunming; Wang, Dong-An

2011-06-01

The present study aims to develop a novel open and hollow shell-structure cell microcarrier (SSCM) to improve the anchorage-dependent cell (ADC) loading efficiency, increase the space for cell proliferation and tissue regeneration, and better propel its therapeutic effects. Gelatin particles were prepared with oil/water/oil (o/w/o) technique and modified by an adjustable surface crosslinking technique and subsequent release of uncrosslinked material. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were utilized to observe the morphologies of the microcarriers. Cell loading tests were performed to evaluate the biocompatibilities and effect on osteogenesis of SSCM. SSCMs were successfully fabricated via the surface technique. The shell-structure could allow the cell to attach and grow on both outer and inner surface of sphere and provide adequate space for cell proliferation and extracellular matrix (ECM) secretion. The cell loading rate, proliferation rate and osteogenesis-related gene expressions on the SSCMs were higher than those on the spherical gelatin microcarriers. The outstanding performance of injectable SSCMs endowed with favorable micro-structure, desirable cytocompatibility and enhanced cell affinity makes them as a good choice as cell delivery vehicle for transplanting therapeutic cells towards the scope of tissue regeneration.

Cell-free synthesis of functional antibody fragments to provide a structural basis for antibody-antigen interaction.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takayoshi Matsuda

Full Text Available Growing numbers of therapeutic antibodies offer excellent treatment strategies for many diseases. Elucidation of the interaction between a potential therapeutic antibody and its target protein by structural analysis reveals the mechanism of action and offers useful information for developing rational antibody designs for improved affinity. Here, we developed a rapid, high-yield cell-free system using dialysis mode to synthesize antibody fragments for the structural analysis of antibody-antigen complexes. Optimal synthesis conditions of fragments (Fv and Fab of the anti-EGFR antibody 059-152 were rapidly determined in a day by using a 30-μl-scale unit. The concentration of supplemented disulfide isomerase, DsbC, was critical to obtaining soluble antibody fragments. The optimal conditions were directly applicable to a 9-ml-scale reaction, with linear scalable yields of more than 1 mg/ml. Analyses of purified 059-152-Fv and Fab showed that the cell-free synthesized antibody fragments were disulfide-bridged, with antigen binding activity comparable to that of clinical antibodies. Examination of the crystal structure of cell-free synthesized 059-152-Fv in complex with the extracellular domain of human EGFR revealed that the epitope of 059-152-Fv broadly covers the EGF binding surface on domain III, including residues that formed critical hydrogen bonds with EGF (Asp355EGFR, Gln384EGFR, H409EGFR, and Lys465EGFR, so that the antibody inhibited EGFR activation. We further demonstrated the application of the cell-free system to site-specific integration of non-natural amino acids for antibody engineering, which would expand the availability of therapeutic antibodies based on structural information and rational design. This cell-free system could be an ideal antibody-fragment production platform for functional and structural analysis of potential therapeutic antibodies and for engineered antibody development.

Diagnosable structured logic array

Science.gov (United States)

Whitaker, Sterling (Inventor); Miles, Lowell (Inventor); Gambles, Jody (Inventor); Maki, Gary K. (Inventor)

2009-01-01

A diagnosable structured logic array and associated process is provided. A base cell structure is provided comprising a logic unit comprising a plurality of input nodes, a plurality of selection nodes, and an output node, a plurality of switches coupled to the selection nodes, where the switches comprises a plurality of input lines, a selection line and an output line, a memory cell coupled to the output node, and a test address bus and a program control bus coupled to the plurality of input lines and the selection line of the plurality of switches. A state on each of the plurality of input nodes is verifiably loaded and read from the memory cell. A trusted memory block is provided. The associated process is provided for testing and verifying a plurality of truth table inputs of the logic unit.

A high-speed data-collection system for large-unit-cell crystals using an imaging plate as a detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Mamoru; Yamamoto, Masaki; Imada, Katsumi; Katsube, Yukiteru; Tanaka, Nobuo; Higashi, Tsuneyuki

1992-01-01

A high-speed data-collection system for large-unit-cell crystals is presented, using the Fuji Imaging Plate as an X-ray detector and a rotating-anode generator as the X-ray source. It is an automatic data-acquisition system that requires almost no manual intervention. The quality of data collected on the system is discussed. Merging R values ranged from 0.04 to 0.05. Compared with a four-circle diffractometer, data reproducibility was better, isomorphous/anomalous Patterson maps were almost identical in quality and data from a small-molecule crystal, cytidine, were of almost the same quality. Protein structures were refinable using the data measured on the system, the final crystallographic R value of the 2.2 A 3-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase structure being 0.185 and that of the 1.88 A Flammulina veltipes agglutinin structure being 0.199. (orig.)

Single crystalline silicon solar cells with rib structure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuhei Yoshiba

2017-02-01

Full Text Available To improve the conversion efficiency of Si solar cells, we have developed a thin Si wafer-based solar cell that uses a rib structure. The open-circuit voltage of a solar cell is known to increase with deceasing wafer thickness if the cell is adequately passivated. However, it is not easy to handle very thin wafers because they are brittle and are subject to warpage. We fabricated a lattice-shaped rib structure on the rear side of a thin Si wafer to improve the wafer’s strength. A silicon nitride film was deposited on the Si wafer surface and patterned to form a mask to fabricate the lattice-shaped rib, and the wafer was then etched using KOH to reduce the thickness of the active area, except for the rib region. Using this structure in a Si heterojunction cell, we demonstrated that a high open-circuit voltage (VOC could be obtained by thinning the wafer without sacrificing its strength. A wafer with thickness of 30 μm was prepared easily using this structure. We then fabricated Si heterojunction solar cells using these rib wafers, and measured their implied VOC as a function of wafer thickness. The measured values were compared with device simulation results, and we found that the measured VOC agrees well with the simulated results. To optimize the rib and cell design, we also performed device simulations using various wafer thicknesses and rib dimensions.

Assembly of hydrogel units for 3D microenvironment in a poly(dimethylsiloxane) channel

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Chang Hyun; Kwon, Seyong; Park, Je-Kyun

2017-12-01

Construction of three-dimensional (3D) microenvironment become an important issue in recent biological studies due to their biological relevance compared to conventional two-dimensional (2D) microenvironment. Various fabrication techniques have been employed to construct a 3D microenvironment, however, it is difficult to fully satisfy the biological and mechanical properties required for the 3D cell culture system, such as heterogeneous tissue structures generated from the functional differences or diseases. We propose here an assembly method for facile construction of 3D microenvironment in a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) channel using hydrogel units. The high-aspect-ratio of hydrogel units was achieved by fabricating these units using a 2D mold. With this approach, 3D heterogeneous hydrogel units were produced and assembled in a PDMS channel by structural hookup. In vivo-like 3D heterogeneous microenvironment in a precisely controllable fluidic system was also demonstrated using a controlled assembly of different types of hydrogel units, which was difficult to obtain from previous methods. By regulating the flow condition, the mechanical stability of the assembled hydrogel units was verified by the flow-induced deformation of hydrogel units. In addition, in vivo-like cell culture environment was demonstrated using an assembly of cell-coated hydrogel units in the fluidic channel. Based on these features, our method expects to provide a beneficial tool for the 3D cell culture module and biomimetic engineering.

Photonic band gap structure simulator

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chiping; Shapiro, Michael A.; Smirnova, Evgenya I.; Temkin, Richard J.; Sirigiri, Jagadishwar R.

2006-10-03

A system and method for designing photonic band gap structures. The system and method provide a user with the capability to produce a model of a two-dimensional array of conductors corresponding to a unit cell. The model involves a linear equation. Boundary conditions representative of conditions at the boundary of the unit cell are applied to a solution of the Helmholtz equation defined for the unit cell. The linear equation can be approximated by a Hermitian matrix. An eigenvalue of the Helmholtz equation is calculated. One computation approach involves calculating finite differences. The model can include a symmetry element, such as a center of inversion, a rotation axis, and a mirror plane. A graphical user interface is provided for the user's convenience. A display is provided to display to a user the calculated eigenvalue, corresponding to a photonic energy level in the Brilloin zone of the unit cell.

Sensory Hair Cells: An Introduction to Structure and Physiology.

Science.gov (United States)

McPherson, Duane R

2018-06-18

Sensory hair cells are specialized secondary sensory cells that mediate our senses of hearing, balance, linear acceleration, and angular acceleration (head rotation). In addition, hair cells in fish and amphibians mediate sensitivity to water movement through the lateral line system, and closely related electroreceptive cells mediate sensitivity to low-voltage electric fields in the aquatic environment of many fish species and several species of amphibian.Sensory hair cells share many structural and functional features across all vertebrate groups, while at the same time they are specialized for employment in a wide variety of sensory tasks. The complexity of hair cell structure is large, and the diversity of hair cell applications in sensory systems exceeds that seen for most, if not all, sensory cell types. The intent of this review is to summarize the more significant structural features and some of the more interesting and important physiological mechanisms that have been elucidated thus far. Outside vertebrates, hair cells are only known to exist in the coronal organ of tunicates. Electrical resonance, electromotility, and their exquisite mechanical sensitivity all contribute to the attractiveness of hair cells as a research subject.

Solid Oxide Fuel Cells coupled with a biomass gasification unit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Skrzypkiewicz Marek

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A possibility of fuelling a solid oxide fuel cell stack (SOFC with biomass fuels can be realized by coupling a SOFC system with a self-standing gasification unit. Such a solution enables multi-fuel operation, elasticity of the system as well as the increase of the efficiency of small-scale biomass-to-electricity conversion units. A system of this type, consisting of biomass gasification unit, gas purification unit, SOFC stack, anode off-gas afterburner and peripherals was constructed and operated successfully. During the process, biomass fuel (wood chips was gasified with air as gasification agent. The gasifier was capable of converting up to 30 kW of fuel to syngas with efficiencies up to 75%. Syngas leaving the gasification unit is delivered to a medium temperature adsorber for sulphur compounds removal. Steam is added to the purified fuel to maintain steam to carbon ratio higher than 2. The syngas then is passed to a SOFC stack through a fuel preheater. In such a configuration it was possible to operate a commercial 1.3 kW stack within its working regime. Conducted tests confirmed successful operation of a SOFC stack fuelled by biomass-sourced syngas.

Reliability assessment of Indian Point Unit 3 containment structure under combined loads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, H.; Shinozuka, M.; Kawakami, J.; Reich, M.

1984-01-01

In the current design criteria, the load combinations specified for design of concrete containment structures are in the deterministic format. However, by applying the probability-based reliability analysis method developed by BNL to the concrete containment structures designed according to the criteria, it is possible to evaluate the reliability levels implied in the current design criteria. For this purpose, the reliability analysis is applied to the Indian Point Unit No. 3 containment. The details of the containment structure such as the geometries and the rebar arrangements, etc., are taken from the working drawings and the Final Safety Analysis Report. Three kinds of loads are considered in the reliability analysis. They are, dead load, accidental pressure due to a large LOCA, and earthquake ground acceleration. This paper presents the reliability analysis results of the Indian Point Unit 3 containment subjected to all combinations of loads

Effect of Yeast Cell Morphology, Cell Wall Physical Structure and Chemical Composition on Patulin Adsorption.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Ying; Wang, Jianguo; Liu, Bin; Wang, Zhouli; Yuan, Yahong; Yue, Tianli

2015-01-01

The capability of yeast to adsorb patulin in fruit juice can aid in substantially reducing the patulin toxic effect on human health. This study aimed to investigate the capability of yeast cell morphology and cell wall internal structure and composition to adsorb patulin. To compare different yeast cell morphologies, cell wall internal structure and composition, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope and ion chromatography were used. The results indicated that patulin adsorption capability of yeast was influenced by cell surface areas, volume, and cell wall thickness, as well as 1,3-β-glucan content. Among these factors, cell wall thickness and 1,3-β-glucan content serve significant functions. The investigation revealed that patulin adsorption capability was mainly affected by the three-dimensional network structure of the cell wall composed of 1,3-β-glucan. Finally, patulin adsorption in commercial kiwi fruit juice was investigated, and the results indicated that yeast cells could adsorb patulin from commercial kiwi fruit juice efficiently. This study can potentially simulate in vitro cell walls to enhance patulin adsorption capability and successfully apply to fruit juice industry.

THE GERMLINE STEM CELL NICHE UNIT IN MAMMALIAN TESTES

Science.gov (United States)

Oatley, Jon M.; Brinster, Ralph L.

2014-01-01

This review addresses current understanding of the germline stem cell niche unit in mammalian testes. Spermatogenesis is a classic model of tissue-specific stem cell function relying on self-renewal and differentiation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). These fate decisions are influenced by a niche microenvironment composed of a growth factor milieu that is provided by several testis somatic support cell populations. Investigations over the last two decades have identified key determinants of the SSC niche including cytokines that regulate SSC functions and support cells providing these factors, adhesion molecules that influence SSC homing, and developmental heterogeneity of the niche during postnatal aging. Emerging evidence suggests that Sertoli cells are a key support cell population influencing the formation and function of niches by secreting soluble factors and possibly orchestrating contributions of other support cells. Investigations with mice have shown that niche influence on SSC proliferation differs during early postnatal development and adulthood. Moreover, there is mounting evidence of an age-related decline in niche function, which is likely influenced by systemic factors. Defining the attributes of stem cell niches is key to developing methods to utilize these cells for regenerative medicine. The SSC population and associated niche comprise a valuable model system for study that provides fundamental knowledge about the biology of tissue-specific stem cells and their capacity to sustain homeostasis of regenerating tissue lineages. While the stem cell is essential for maintenance of all self-renewing tissues and has received considerable attention, the role of niche cells is at least as important and may prove to be more receptive to modification in regenerative medicine. PMID:22535892

Adaptive pressure-controlled cellular structures for shape morphing I: design and analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo, Quantian; Tong, Liyong

2013-01-01

This work investigates adaptive bio-inspired pressure cellular structures for shape morphing. Optimum designs for cellular structures with void and pressure cells are proposed and then structural analyses are conducted. In the present design, a unit cell is comprised of straight and curved walls. When compressed air is pumped into a pressure cell, the curved walls deform in bending due to the pressure difference in two adjacent cells that leads to overall structural deformation in extension. One-dimensional actuation strain up to 35% can be theoretically achieved. In part I, we present basic design concepts and cellular mechanics. Unlike conventional structural analysis for cellular structures, a statically indeterminate unit cell is considered and novel analytical formulations are derived for the present pressurized cellular structures in linear and nonlinear analyses. In part II, we will present experimental testing and finite element analysis to demonstrate the feasibility of the present pressurized cellular actuators for morphing wings and to validate the present cellular mechanics formulations. (paper)

Pleomorphic Structures in Human Blood Are Red Blood Cell-Derived Microparticles, Not Bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Adam J; Gray, Warren D; Schroeder, Max; Yi, Hong; Taylor, Jeannette V; Dillard, Rebecca S; Ke, Zunlong; Wright, Elizabeth R; Stephens, David; Roback, John D; Searles, Charles D

2016-01-01

Red blood cell (RBC) transfusions are a common, life-saving therapy for many patients, but they have also been associated with poor clinical outcomes. We identified unusual, pleomorphic structures in human RBC transfusion units by negative-stain electron microscopy that appeared identical to those previously reported to be bacteria in healthy human blood samples. The presence of viable, replicating bacteria in stored blood could explain poor outcomes in transfusion recipients and have major implications for transfusion medicine. Here, we investigated the possibility that these structures were bacteria. Flow cytometry, miRNA analysis, protein analysis, and additional electron microscopy studies strongly indicated that the pleomorphic structures in the supernatant of stored RBCs were RBC-derived microparticles (RMPs). Bacterial 16S rDNA PCR amplified from these samples were sequenced and was found to be highly similar to species that are known to commonly contaminate laboratory reagents. These studies suggest that pleomorphic structures identified in human blood are RMPs and not bacteria, and they provide an example in which laboratory contaminants may can mislead investigators.

Fuel cell system with separating structure bonded to electrolyte

Science.gov (United States)

Bourgeois, Richard Scott; Gudlavalleti, Sauri; Quek, Shu Ching; Hasz, Wayne Charles; Powers, James Daniel

2010-09-28

A fuel cell assembly comprises a separating structure configured for separating a first reactant and a second reactant wherein the separating structure has an opening therein. The fuel cell assembly further comprises a fuel cell comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and an electrolyte interposed between the first and second electrodes, and a passage configured to introduce the second reactant to the second electrode. The electrolyte is bonded to the separating structure with the first electrode being situated within the opening, and the second electrode being situated within the passage.

TADs are 3D structural units of higher-order chromosome organization in Drosophila

Science.gov (United States)

Szabo, Quentin; Jost, Daniel; Chang, Jia-Ming; Cattoni, Diego I.; Papadopoulos, Giorgio L.; Bonev, Boyan; Sexton, Tom; Gurgo, Julian; Jacquier, Caroline; Nollmann, Marcelo; Bantignies, Frédéric; Cavalli, Giacomo

2018-01-01

Deciphering the rules of genome folding in the cell nucleus is essential to understand its functions. Recent chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) studies have revealed that the genome is partitioned into topologically associating domains (TADs), which demarcate functional epigenetic domains defined by combinations of specific chromatin marks. However, whether TADs are true physical units in each cell nucleus or whether they reflect statistical frequencies of measured interactions within cell populations is unclear. Using a combination of Hi-C, three-dimensional (3D) fluorescent in situ hybridization, super-resolution microscopy, and polymer modeling, we provide an integrative view of chromatin folding in Drosophila. We observed that repressed TADs form a succession of discrete nanocompartments, interspersed by less condensed active regions. Single-cell analysis revealed a consistent TAD-based physical compartmentalization of the chromatin fiber, with some degree of heterogeneity in intra-TAD conformations and in cis and trans inter-TAD contact events. These results indicate that TADs are fundamental 3D genome units that engage in dynamic higher-order inter-TAD connections. This domain-based architecture is likely to play a major role in regulatory transactions during DNA-dependent processes. PMID:29503869

Amino Acid Molecular Units: Building Primary and Secondary Protein Structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aparecido R. Silva

2008-05-01

Full Text Available In order to guarantee the learning quality and suitable knowledge  use  about structural biology, it is fundamental to  exist, since the beginning of  students’ formation, the possibility of clear visualization of biomolecule structures. Nevertheless, the didactic books can only bring  schematic  drawings; even more elaborated figures and graphic computation  do not permit the necessary interaction.  The representation of three-dimensional molecular structures with ludic models, built with representative units, have supplied to the students and teachers a successfully experience to  visualize such structures and correlate them to the real molecules.  The design and applicability of the representative units were discussed with researchers and teachers before mould implementation.  In this stage  it  will be presented the  developed  kit  containing the  representative  plastic parts of the main amino acids.  The kit can demonstrate the interaction among the amino acids  functional groups  (represented by colors, shapes,  sizes and  the peptidic bonds between them  facilitating the assembly and visuali zation of the primary and secondary protein structure.  The models were designed for  Ca,  amino,  carboxyl groups  and  hydrogen. The  lateral chains have  well defined models that represent their geometrical shape.  The completed kit set  will be presented in this meeting (patent requested.  In the last phase of the project will be realized  an effective evaluation  of the kit  as a facilitative didactic tool of the teaching/learning process in the Structural Molecular Biology area.

A cost effective model for appropriate administration of red cell units and salvaging un-transfused red cell units by using temperature sensitive indicators for blood component transportation in a hospital setting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aseem K Tiwari

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: A rule called "30-min rule" defines that red cell unit cannot be used if it has been out of blood bank refrigerator for over 30 min. This rule is useful to guide initiation of transfusion, but is inadequate for deciding whether to reuse or discard units received-back at blood transfusion services (BTS. A simple cost-effective temperature-sensitive indicator was evaluated to decide upon reuse (cold chain was uninterrupted or discard (where cold chain was interrupted in a simulation exercise. Materials and Methods: Temperature-sensitive indicators TH-F™ that irreversibly changed color from white to red demonstrated that heat excursion has occurred and the cumulative temperature has exceeded 10°C for over 30 min, were used in outdated red cells for simulating units, which are not used and received-back. These units were also tagged with a standard temperature monitoring device, which was a re-usable credit card sized device, which would log the actual time and temperature. In few units percent hemolysis was also calculated. Results: Statistically insignificant elevation in average temperature was noted in 102 simulated units at the time of return to BTS (Δ 0.04°C, despite the fact that these units were in the transport box for over 4 h. The average supernatant hemoglobin in these units was 0.24%, much below the prescribed threshold. Conclusion: Transportation of blood in controlled conditions with temperature-sensitive indicator is a cost-effective model to save blood, a precious human resource.

Photoreceptor cells with profound structural deficits can support useful vision in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Stewart; Blodi, Frederick R; Lee, Swan; Welder, Chris R; Mullins, Robert F; Tucker, Budd A; Stasheff, Steven F; Stone, Edwin M

2014-03-25

In animal models of degenerative photoreceptor disease, there has been some success in restoring photoreception by transplanting stem cell-derived photoreceptor cells into the subretinal space. However, only a small proportion of transplanted cells develop extended outer segments, considered critical for photoreceptor cell function. The purpose of this study was to determine whether photoreceptor cells that lack a fully formed outer segment could usefully contribute to vision. Retinal and visual function was tested in wild-type and Rds mice at 90 days of age (Rds(P90)). Photoreceptor cells of mice homozygous for the Rds mutation in peripherin 2 never develop a fully formed outer segment. The electroretinogram and multielectrode recording of retinal ganglion cells were used to test retinal responses to light. Three distinct visual behaviors were used to assess visual capabilities: the optokinetic tracking response, the discrimination-based visual water task, and a measure of the effect of vision on wheel running. Rds(P90) mice had reduced but measurable electroretinogram responses to light, and exhibited light-evoked responses in multiple types of retinal ganglion cells, the output neurons of the retina. In optokinetic and discrimination-based tests, acuity was measurable but reduced, most notably when contrast was decreased. The wheel running test showed that Rds(P90) mice needed 3 log units brighter luminance than wild type to support useful vision (10 cd/m(2)). Photoreceptors that lack fully formed outer segments can support useful vision. This challenges the idea that normal cellular structure needs to be completely reproduced for transplanted cells to contribute to useful vision.

Growth Factor Independence-1 (Gfi1) Is Required for Pancreatic Acinar Unit Formation and Centroacinar Cell Differentiation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Qu, Xiaoling; Nyeng, Pia; Xiao, Fan

2015-01-01

of granulocytes, inner ear hair cells, and the development of secretory cell types in the intestine. As GFI1/Gfi1 is expressed in human and rodent pancreas, we characterized the potential function of Gfi1 in mouse pancreatic development. METHODS: Gfi1 knockout mice were analyzed at histological and molecular...... levels, including qRT-PCR, in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy. RESULTS: Loss of Gfi1 impacted formation and structure of the pancreatic acinar/centroacinar unit. Histologic and ultrastructural analysis of Gfi1-null pancreas revealed specific defects at the level...... was correlated with an exocrine organ defect. Postnatally, Gfi1 deficiency resulted in severe pancreatic acinar dysplasia, including loss of granulation, autolytic vacuolation, and a proliferative and apoptotic response. CONCLUSIONS: Gfi1 plays an important role in regulating the development of pancreatic CACs...

Intensive Care Unit Structure Variation and Implications for Early Mobilization Practices. An International Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Bakhru, Rita N; McWilliams, David J; Wiebe, Douglas J; Spuhler, Vicki J; Schweickert, William D

2016-09-01

Early mobilization (EM) improves outcomes for mechanically ventilated patients. Variation in structure and organizational characteristics may affect implementation of EM practices. We queried intensive care unit (ICU) environment and standardized ICU practices to evaluate organizational characteristics that enable EM practice. We recruited 151 ICUs in France, 150 in Germany, 150 in the United Kingdom, and 500 in the United States by telephone. Survey domains included respondent characteristics, hospital and ICU characteristics, and ICU practices and protocols. We surveyed 1,484 ICU leaders and received a 64% response rate (951 ICUs). Eighty-eight percent of respondents were in nursing leadership roles; the remainder were physiotherapists. Surveyed ICUs were predominantly mixed medical-surgical units (67%), and 27% were medical ICUs. ICU staffing models differed significantly (P equipment were highly variable among respondents. International ICU structure and practice is quite heterogeneous, and several factors (multidisciplinary rounds, setting daily goals for patients, presence of a dedicated physiotherapist, country, and nurse/patient staffing ratio) are significantly associated with the practice of EM. Practice and barriers may be far different based upon staffing structure. To achieve successful implementation, whether through trials or quality improvement, ICU staffing and practice patterns must be taken into account.

Zeroing in on red blood cell unit expiry.

Science.gov (United States)

Ayyalil, Fathima; Irwin, Greg; Ross, Bryony; Manolis, Michael; Enjeti, Anoop K

2017-12-01

Expiry of red blood cell (RBC) units is a significant contributor to wastage of precious voluntary donations. Effective strategies aimed at optimal resource utilization are required to minimize wastage. This retrospective study analyzed the strategic measures implemented to reduce expiry of RBC units in an Australian tertiary regional hospital. The measures, which included inventory rearrangement, effective stock rotation, and the number of emergency courier services required during a 24-month period, were evaluated. There was no wastage of RBC units due to expiry over the 12 months after policy changes. Before these changes, approximately half of RBC wastage (261/511) was due to expiry. The total number of transfusions remained constant in this period and there was no increase in the use of emergency couriers. Policy changes implemented were decreasing the RBC inventory level by one-third and effective stock rotation and using a computerized system to link the transfusion services across the area. Effective stock rotation resulted in a reduction in older blood (>28 days) received in the main laboratory rotated from peripheral hospitals, down from 6%-41% to 0%-2.5%. Age-related expiry of blood products is preventable and can be significantly reduced by improving practices in the pathology service. This study provides proof of principle for "zero tolerance for RBC unit expiry" across a large networked blood banking service. © 2017 The Authors Transfusion published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of AABB.

Bioinspired metal-cell wall-metal sandwich structure on an individual bacterial cell scaffold.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaoliang; Yu, Mei; Liu, Jianhua; Li, Songmei

2012-08-25

Pd nanoparticles were introduced to individual Bacillus cells and dispersedly anchored on both the inside and outside of the cell walls. The anchored nanoparticles served as "seeds" to drive the formation of double metallic layers forming a metal-cell wall-metal sandwich structure at the single-cell level.

Structure of gels layers with cells

Science.gov (United States)

Pokusaev, B. G.; Karlov, S. P.; Vyazmin, A. V.; Nekrasov, D. A.; Zakharov, N. S.; Khramtsov, D. P.; Skladnev, D. A.; Tyupa, D. V.

2017-11-01

The structure of two-layer agarose gels containing yeast cells is investigated experimentally by spectrometry, to shed a light on the theoretical foundations for the development of bioreactors by the method of 3D bioprinting. Due to division, cells overcome the layer of the dispersion phase separating successively applied layers of the agarose gel. However a gel layer of 100 μm thick with a high concentration of silver nanoparticles completely excludes the infiltration of yeast cells through it. A special sort of agarose is suggested where the concentration of silver nanoparticles formed by cells from salt of silver can serve as an indicator of the state of the yeast cells in the volume of the gel.

Interactions between tetrathiafulvalene units in dimeric structures – the influence of cyclic cores

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huixin Jiang

2015-06-01

Full Text Available A selection of cyclic and acyclic acetylenic scaffolds bearing two tetrathiafulvalene (TTF units was prepared by different metal-catalyzed coupling reactions. The bridge separating the two TTF units was systematically changed from linearly conjugated ethyne, butadiyne and tetraethynylethene (trans-substituted units to a cross-conjugated tetraethynylethene unit, placed in either acyclic or cyclic arrangements. The cyclic structures correspond to so-called radiaannulenes having both endo- and exocyclic double bonds. Interactions between two redox-active TTF units in these molecules were investigated by cyclic voltammetry, UV–vis–NIR and EPR absorption spectroscopical methods of the electrochemically generated oxidized species. The electron-accepting properties of the acetylenic cores were also investigated electrochemically.

Culturing bone marrow cells with dexamethasone and ascorbic acid improves osteogenic cell sheet structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Akahane, M; Shimizu, T; Kira, T; Onishi, T; Uchihara, Y; Imamura, T; Tanaka, Y

2016-11-01

To assess the structure and extracellular matrix molecule expression of osteogenic cell sheets created via culture in medium with both dexamethasone (Dex) and ascorbic acid phosphate (AscP) compared either Dex or AscP alone. Osteogenic cell sheets were prepared by culturing rat bone marrow stromal cells in a minimal essential medium (MEM), MEM with AscP, MEM with Dex, and MEM with Dex and AscP (Dex/AscP). The cell number and messenger (m)RNA expression were assessed in vitro, and the appearance of the cell sheets was observed after mechanical retrieval using a scraper. β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) was then wrapped with the cell sheets from the four different groups and subcutaneously implanted into rats. After mechanical retrieval, the osteogenic cell sheets from the MEM, MEM with AscP, and MEM with Dex groups appeared to be fragmented or incomplete structures. The cell sheets cultured with Dex/AscP remained intact after mechanical retrieval, without any identifiable tears. Culture with Dex/AscP increased the mRNA and protein expression of extracellular matrix proteins and cell number compared with those of the other three groups. More bridging bone formation was observed after transplantation of the β-TCP scaffold wrapped with cell sheets cultured with Dex/AscP, than in the other groups. These results suggest that culture with Dex/AscP improves the mechanical integrity of the osteogenic cell sheets, allowing retrieval of the confluent cells in a single cell sheet structure. This method may be beneficial when applied in cases of difficult tissue reconstruction, such as nonunion, bone defects, and osteonecrosis.Cite this article: M. Akahane, T. Shimizu, T. Kira, T. Onishi, Y. Uchihara, T. Imamura, Y. Tanaka. Culturing bone marrow cells with dexamethasone and ascorbic acid improves osteogenic cell sheet structure. Bone Joint Res 2016;5:569-576. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.511.BJR-2016-0013.R1. © 2016 Akahane et al.

Extracellular matrix of adipogenically differentiated mesenchymal stem cells reveals a network of collagen filaments, mostly interwoven by hexagonal structural units.

Science.gov (United States)

Ullah, Mujib; Sittinger, Michael; Ringe, Jochen

2013-01-01

Extracellular matrix (ECM) is the non-cellular component of tissues, which not only provides biological shelter but also takes part in the cellular decisions for diverse functions. Every tissue has an ECM with unique composition and topology that governs the process of determination, differentiation, proliferation, migration and regeneration of cells. Little is known about the structural organization of matrix especially of MSC-derived adipogenic ECM. Here, we particularly focus on the composition and architecture of the fat ECM to understand the cellular behavior on functional bases. Thus, mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) were adipogenically differentiated, then, were transferred to adipogenic propagation medium, whereas they started the release of lipid droplets leaving bare network of ECM. Microarray analysis was performed, to indentify the molecular machinery of matrix. Adipogenesis was verified by Oil Red O staining of lipid droplets and by qPCR of adipogenic marker genes PPARG and FABP4. Antibody staining demonstrated the presence of collagen type I, II and IV filaments, while alkaline phosphatase activity verified the ossified nature of these filaments. In the adipogenic matrix, the hexagonal structures were abundant followed by octagonal structures, whereas they interwoven in a crisscross manner. Regarding molecular machinery of adipogenic ECM, the bioinformatics analysis revealed the upregulated expression of COL4A1, ITGA7, ITGA7, SDC2, ICAM3, ADAMTS9, TIMP4, GPC1, GPC4 and downregulated expression of COL14A1, ADAMTS5, TIMP2, TIMP3, BGN, LAMA3, ITGA2, ITGA4, ITGB1, ITGB8, CLDN11. Moreover, genes associated with integrins, glycoproteins, laminins, fibronectins, cadherins, selectins and linked signaling pathways were found. Knowledge of the interactive-language between cells and matrix could be beneficial for the artificial designing of biomaterials and bioscaffolds. © 2013.

Track structure model of cell damage in space flight

Science.gov (United States)

Katz, Robert; Cucinotta, Francis A.; Wilson, John W.; Shinn, Judy L.; Ngo, Duc M.

1992-01-01

The phenomenological track-structure model of cell damage is discussed. A description of the application of the track-structure model with the NASA Langley transport code for laboratory and space radiation is given. Comparisons to experimental results for cell survival during exposure to monoenergetic, heavy-ion beams are made. The model is also applied to predict cell damage rates and relative biological effectiveness for deep-space exposures.

Development of a unit cell model for interim performance assessment of vitrified low level waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kline, N.W.

1995-09-01

The unit cell modeling approach has been developed and used in analysis of some design options for a vitrified low level waste disposal facility. The unit cell modeling approach is likely to be useful in interim performance assessment for the facility. The present unit cell model will probably need to be refitted in terms of some model parameters for the latter purpose. Two present disposal facility concepts differ in the length of a capillary barrier proposed to limit effective recharge through the top of the facility. Results of the study summarized herein suggest design of a capillary barrier which can reduce a recharge rate of 0.1 cm/yr by one or two orders of magnitude seems feasible for both concepts. A benchmark comparison of the unit cell model against a full facility model shows comparable predictive accuracy in less than one percent of the computer time. Results suggest that model parameters include capillary barrier performance, inter-canister spacing, rate of moisture withdrawal due to glass corrosion, contaminant inventory, and the well interceptor factor. It is also important that variations of waste form hydraulic parameters suggest that transport through the waste form is dominated by diffusion

International stem cell collaboration: how disparate policies between the United States and the United Kingdom impact research.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Jingyuan; Flynn, Jesse M; Solnick, Rachel E; Ecklund, Elaine Howard; Matthews, Kirstin R W

2011-03-08

As the scientific community globalizes, it is increasingly important to understand the effects of international collaboration on the quality and quantity of research produced. While it is generally assumed that international collaboration enhances the quality of research, this phenomenon is not well examined. Stem cell research is unique in that it is both politically charged and a research area that often generates international collaborations, making it an ideal case through which to examine international collaborations. Furthermore, with promising medical applications, the research area is dynamic and responsive to a globalizing science environment. Thus, studying international collaborations in stem cell research elucidates the role of existing international networks in promoting quality research, as well as the effects that disparate national policies might have on research. This study examined the impact of collaboration on publication significance in the United States and the United Kingdom, world leaders in stem cell research with disparate policies. We reviewed publications by US and UK authors from 2008, along with their citation rates and the political factors that may have contributed to the number of international collaborations. The data demonstrated that international collaborations significantly increased an article's impact for UK and US investigators. While this applied to UK authors whether they were corresponding or secondary, this effect was most significant for US authors who were corresponding authors. While the UK exhibited a higher proportion of international publications than the US, this difference was consistent with overall trends in international scientific collaboration. The findings suggested that national stem cell policy differences and regulatory mechanisms driving international stem cell research in the US and UK did not affect the frequency of international collaborations, or even the countries with which the US and UK most

A comparison of the structure of radiation oncology in the United States and Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Owen, Jean B.; Hanks, Gerald E.; Teshima, Teruki; Sato, Shinichiro; Tsunemoto, Hiroshi; Inoue, Toshihiko

1996-01-01

Purpose: The United States and Japan have very different backgrounds in their medical care systems. In the field of radiation oncology, national surveys on structure have been conducted for both countries and compared to illustrate any similarities and differences present from 1989-1990. Methods and Materials: The Patterns of Care Study Facility Survey conducted in 1989 in the United States and the National Survey of Structure in Japan in 1990 were compared to evaluate the equipment pattern, staffing pattern, compliance rate with the 'blue book' (3) guideline, and the geographic distribution of institutions. Results: In the United States, a total of 598,184 (49% of the total of newly diagnosed) patients were treated with radiation therapy. In Japan, 62,829 (approximately 15% of the total of newly diagnosed) patients were treated. The numbers of external megavoltage treatment machines were 2,397 in the United States and 494 in Japan. The numbers of full time equivalent (FTE) radiation oncologists were 2,335 in the United States and 366 in Japan. Only 15% of United States facilities and 11% of Japan facilities complied with the narrow blue book guideline for the patients per FTE radiation oncologist (200-250), while the most common ratio was 151-200 patients/FTE in the United States and 51-100 in Japan. In Japan, more than 60% of institutions were staffed by a part-time radiation oncologist (FTE < 1.0). Between geographic regions, there was variation in the percentage of cancer patients treated with radiation therapy for both the United States (42-56%) and Japan (6-25%). Conclusion: There is a major difference in the usage of radiation therapy for treating cancer between the United States and Japan with 49% of all new cancer patients treated in the United States and approximately 15% treated in Japan. Equipment structure in the United States is more complete than in Japan with important differences in treatment simulators, treatment planning computers, and support

Storage characteristics of multiple-donor pooled red blood cells compared to single-donor red blood cell units.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathur, Aabhas; Chowdhury, Raquibul; Hillyer, Christopher D; Mitchell, W Beau; Shaz, Beth H

2016-12-01

Each unit of blood donated is processed and stored individually resulting in variability in the amount of red blood cells (RBCs) collected, RBC properties, and the 24-hour posttransfusion RBC survivability. As a result, each unit differs in its ability to deliver oxygen and potentially its effects on the recipient. The goal of this study was to investigate the storage of pooled RBCs from multiple donors in comparison to control standard RBC units. Two units of irradiated, leukoreduced RBCs of same ABO, D, E, C, and K antigen phenotype were collected from each of five donors using apheresis. One unit from each donor was pooled in a 2-L bag and remaining units were used as controls. After being pooled, RBCs were separated in five bags and stored at 4°C along with the controls. Quality indexes were measured on Days 2, 14, and 28 for all the units. Adenosine triphosphate assays for both pooled and controls showed a slight decrease from Day 2 to Day 28 (pooled/control from 5.22/5.24 to 4.35/4.33 µmol/g hemoglobin [Hb]). 2,3-Diphosphoglycerate was successfully rejuvenated for all RBC units on Day 28 (pooled 11.46 µmol/g Hb; control 11.86 µmol/g Hb). The results showed a nonsignificant difference between pooled and control units, with a general trend of lower standard deviation for pooled units when compared to controls. Pooled units have reduced unit-to-unit variability. Future exploration of their immunogenicity is required before using pooled units for transfusion. © 2016 AABB.

Influence of Boundary Conditions on the Simulation of a Diamond-Type Lattice Structure: A Preliminary Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrick Terriault

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Emergent additive manufacturing processes allow the use of metallic porous structures in various industrial applications. Because these structures comprise a large number of ordered unit cells, their design using conventional modeling approaches, such as finite elements, becomes a real challenge. A homogenization technique, in which the lattice structure is simulated as a fully dense volume having equivalent material properties, can then be employed. To determine these equivalent material properties, numerical simulations can be performed on a single unit cell of the lattice structure. However, a critical aspect to consider is the boundary conditions applied to the external faces of the unit cell. In the literature, different types of boundary conditions are used, but a comparative study is definitely lacking. In this publication, a diamond-type unit cell is studied in compression by applying different boundary conditions. If the porous structure’s boundaries are free to deform, then the periodic boundary condition is found to be the most representative, but constraint equations must be introduced in the model. If, instead, the porous structure is inserted in a rigid enclosure, it is then better to use frictionless boundary conditions. These preliminary results remain to be validated for other types of unit cells loaded beyond the yield limit of the material.

Variable modulus cellular structures using pneumatic artificial muscles

Science.gov (United States)

Pontecorvo, Michael E.; Niemiec, Robert J.; Gandhi, Farhan S.

2014-04-01

This paper presents a novel variable modulus cellular structure based on a hexagonal unit cell with pneumatic artificial muscle (PAM) inclusions. The cell considered is pin-jointed, loaded in the horizontal direction, with three PAMs (one vertical PAM and two horizontal PAMs) oriented in an "H" configuration between the vertices of the cell. A method for calculation of the hexagonal cell modulus is introduced, as is an expression for the balance of tensile forces between the horizontal and vertical PAMs. An aluminum hexagonal unit cell is fabricated and simulation of the hexagonal cell with PAM inclusions is then compared to experimental measurement of the unit cell modulus in the horizontal direction with all three muscles pressurized to the same value over a pressure range up to 758 kPa. A change in cell modulus by a factor of 1.33 and a corresponding change in cell angle of 0.41° are demonstrated experimentally. A design study via simulation predicts that differential pressurization of the PAMs up to 2068 kPa can change the cell modulus in the horizontal direction by a factor of 6.83 with a change in cell angle of only 2.75°. Both experiment and simulation show that this concept provides a way to decouple the length change of a PAM from the change in modulus to create a structural unit cell whose in-plane modulus in a given direction can be tuned based on the orientation of PAMs within the cell and the pressure supplied to the individual muscles.

Effect of Yeast Cell Morphology, Cell Wall Physical Structure and Chemical Composition on Patulin Adsorption.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ying Luo

Full Text Available The capability of yeast to adsorb patulin in fruit juice can aid in substantially reducing the patulin toxic effect on human health. This study aimed to investigate the capability of yeast cell morphology and cell wall internal structure and composition to adsorb patulin. To compare different yeast cell morphologies, cell wall internal structure and composition, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope and ion chromatography were used. The results indicated that patulin adsorption capability of yeast was influenced by cell surface areas, volume, and cell wall thickness, as well as 1,3-β-glucan content. Among these factors, cell wall thickness and 1,3-β-glucan content serve significant functions. The investigation revealed that patulin adsorption capability was mainly affected by the three-dimensional network structure of the cell wall composed of 1,3-β-glucan. Finally, patulin adsorption in commercial kiwi fruit juice was investigated, and the results indicated that yeast cells could adsorb patulin from commercial kiwi fruit juice efficiently. This study can potentially simulate in vitro cell walls to enhance patulin adsorption capability and successfully apply to fruit juice industry.

Structure–Activity Relationship of Oligomeric Flavan-3-ols: Importance of the Upper-Unit B-ring Hydroxyl Groups in the Dimeric Structure for Strong Activities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoshitomo Hamada

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Proanthocyanidins, which are composed of oligomeric flavan-3-ol units, are contained in various foodstuffs (e.g., fruits, vegetables, and drinks and are strongly biologically active compounds. We investigated which element of the proanthocyanidin structure is primarily responsible for this functionality. In this study, we elucidate the importance of the upper-unit of 4–8 condensed dimeric flavan-3-ols for antimicrobial activity against Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae and cervical epithelioid carcinoma cell line HeLa S3 proliferation inhibitory activity. To clarify the important constituent unit of proanthocyanidin, we synthesized four dimeric compounds, (−-epigallocatechin-[4,8]-(+-catechin, (−-epigallocatechin-[4,8]-(−-epigallocatechin, (−-epigallocatechin-[4,8]-(−-epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate, and (+-catechin-[4,8]-(−-epigallocatechin and performed structure–activity relationship (SAR studies. In addition to antimicrobial activity against S. cerevisiae and proliferation inhibitory activity on HeLa S3 cells, the correlation of 2,2-diphenyl-l-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity with the number of phenolic hydroxyl groups was low. On the basis of the results of our SAR studies, we concluded that B-ring hydroxyl groups of the upper-unit of the dimer are crucially important for strong and effective activity.

Formation of integrated structural units using the systematic and integrated method when implementing high-rise construction projects

Science.gov (United States)

Abramov, Ivan

2018-03-01

Development of design documentation for a future construction project gives rise to a number of issues with the main one being selection of manpower for structural units of the project's overall implementation system. Well planned and competently staffed integrated structural construction units will help achieve a high level of reliability and labor productivity and avoid negative (extraordinary) situations during the construction period eventually ensuring improved project performance. Research priorities include the development of theoretical recommendations for enhancing reliability of a structural unit staffed as an integrated construction crew. The author focuses on identification of destabilizing factors affecting formation of an integrated construction crew; assessment of these destabilizing factors; based on the developed mathematical model, highlighting the impact of these factors on the integration criterion with subsequent identification of an efficiency and reliability criterion for the structural unit in general. The purpose of this article is to develop theoretical recommendations and scientific and methodological provisions of an organizational and technological nature in order to identify a reliability criterion for a structural unit based on manpower integration and productivity criteria. With this purpose in mind, complex scientific tasks have been defined requiring special research, development of corresponding provisions and recommendations based on the system analysis findings presented herein.

Flexible PCPDTBT:PCBM solar cells with integrated grating structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oliveira Hansen, Roana Melina de; Liu, Yinghui; Madsen, Morten

2013-01-01

We report on development of flexible PCPDTBT:PCBM solar cells with integrated diffraction gratings on the bottom electrodes. The presented results address PCPDTBT:PCBM solar cells in an inverted geometry, which contains implemented grating structures whose pitch is tuned to match the absorption...... spectra of the active layer. This optimized solar cell structure leads to an enhanced absorption in the active layer and thus improved short-circuit currents and power conversion efficiencies in the fabricated devices. Fabrication of the solar cells on thin polyimide substrates which are compatible...

Assessment of teamwork during structured interdisciplinary rounds on medical units.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Leary, Kevin J; Boudreau, Yvonne N; Creden, Amanda J; Slade, Maureen E; Williams, Mark V

2012-01-01

Interdisciplinary rounds (IDR) provide a means to assemble hospital team members and improve collaboration. Little is known about teamwork during IDR. To evaluate and characterize teamwork during IDR. Cross-sectional observational study. Six medical units which had implemented structured interdisciplinary rounds (SIDR). We adapted the Observational Teamwork Assessment for Surgery (OTAS) tool, a behaviorally anchored rating scale shown to be reliable and valid in surgical settings. OTAS provides scores ranging from 0 to 6 (0 = problematic behavior; 6 = exemplary behavior) across 5 domains (communication, coordination, cooperation/backup behavior, leadership, and monitoring/situational awareness) and for prespecified subteams. Two researchers conducted direct observations using the adapted OTAS tool. We conducted 7-8 independent observations for each unit (total = 44) and 20 joint observations. Inter-rater reliability was excellent at the unit level (Spearman's rho = 0.75), and good across domains (rho = 0.53-0.68) and subteams (rho = 0.53-0.76) with the exception of the physician subteam, for which it was poor (rho = 0.35). Though teamwork scores were generally high, we found differences across units, with a median (interquartile range [IQR]) 4.5 (3.9-4.9) for the lowest and 5.4 (5.3-5.5) for the highest performing unit (P teamwork during SIDR across units, domains, and most subteams. Variation in performance suggests a need to improve consistency of teamwork and emphasizes the importance of leadership. Copyright © 2012 Society of Hospital Medicine.

Reliability assessment of Indian Point Unit 3 containment structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawakami, J.; Hwang, H.; Chang, M.T.; Reich, M.

1984-01-01

In the current design criteria, the load combinations specified for design of concrete containment structures are in the deterministic formats. However, by applying the probability-based reliability method developed by BNL to the concrete containment structures designed according to the criteria, it is possible to evaluate the reliability levels implied in the current design criteria. For this purpose, the reliability analysis is applied to the Indian Point Unit No. 3 containment. The details of the containment structure such as the geometries and the rebar arrangements, etc., are taken from the working drawings and the final safety analysis reports. Three kinds of loads are considered in the reliability analysis. They are, dead load (D), accidental pressure due to a large LOCA (P), and earthquake ground acceleration (E). Reliability analysis of the containment subjected to all combinations of loads is performed. Results are presented in this report

Tools to Understand Structural Property Relationships for Wood Cell Walls

Science.gov (United States)

Joseph E. Jakes; Daniel J. Yelle; Charles R. Frihart

2011-01-01

Understanding structure-property relationships for wood cell walls has been hindered by the complex polymeric structures comprising these cell walls and the difficulty in assessing meaningful mechanical property measurements of individual cell walls. To help overcome these hindrances, we have developed two experimental methods: 1) two-dimensional solution state nuclear...

New multicell model for describing the atomic structure of La{sub 3}Ga{sub 5}SiO{sub 14} piezoelectric crystal: Unit cells of different compositions in the same single crystal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dudka, A. P., E-mail: dudka@ns.crys.ras.ru [Russian Academy of Sciences, Shubnikov Institute of Crystallography, Federal Scientific Research Centre “Crystallography and Photonics” (Russian Federation)

2017-03-15

Accurate X-ray diffraction study of langasite (La{sub 3}Ga{sub 5}SiO{sub 14}) single crystal has been performed using the data obtained on a diffractometer equipped with a CCD area detector at 295 and 90.5 K. Within the known La{sub 3}Ga{sub 5}SiO{sub 14} model, Ga and Si cations jointly occupy the 2d site. A new model of a “multicell” consisting of two different unit cells is proposed. Gallium atoms occupy the 2d site in one of these cells, and silicon atoms occupy this site in the other cell; all other atoms correspondingly coordinate these cations. This structure implements various physical properties exhibited by langasite family crystals. The conclusions are based on processing four data sets obtained with a high resolution (sin θ/λ ≤ 1.35 Å{sup –1}), the results reproduced in repeated experiments, and the high relative precision of the study (sp. gr. P321, Z = 1; at 295 K, a = 8.1652(6) Å, c = 5.0958(5) Å, R/wR = 0.68/0.68%, 3927 independent reflections; at 90.5 K, a = 8.1559(4) Å, c = 5.0913(6) Å, R/wR = 0.92/0.93%, 3928 reflections).

Hybrid solar cells composed of perovskite and polymer photovoltaic structures

Science.gov (United States)

Phaometvarithorn, Apatsanan; Chuangchote, Surawut; Kumnorkaew, Pisist; Wootthikanokkhan, Jatuphorn

2018-06-01

Organic/inorganic lead halide perovskite solar cells have recently attracted much attention in photovoltaic research, due to the devices show promising ways to achieve high efficiencies. The perovskite devices with high efficiencies, however, are typically fabricated in tandem solar cell which is complicated. In this research work, we introduce a solar cell device with the combination of CH3NH3PbI3-xClx perovskite and bulk heterojunction PCDTBT:PC70BM polymer without any tandem structure. The new integrated perovskite/polymer hybrid structure of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/perovskite/PCDTBT:PC70BM/PC70BM/TiOx/Al provides higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) of devices compared with conventional perovskite cell structure. With the optimized PCDTBT:PC70BM thickness of ∼70 nm, the highest PCE of 11.67% is achieved. Variation of conducting donor polymers in this new structure is also preliminary demonstrated. This study provides an attractively innovative structure and a promising design for further development of the new-generation solar cells.

First-principles study of structural & electronic properties of pyramidal silicon nanowire

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jariwala, Pinank; Thakor, P. B. [Department of Physics, Veer Narmad South Gujarat University, Surat 395 007, Gujarat (India); Singh, Deobrat; Sonvane, Y. A., E-mail: yasonvane@gmail.com [Department of Applied Physics, S. V. National Institute of Technology, Surat 395 007 (India); Gupta, Sanjeev K. [Department of Physics, St. Xavier’s College, Ahmedabad 38 0009 (India)

2016-05-23

We have investigated the stable structural and electronic properties of Silicon (Si) nanowires having different cross-sections with 5-7 Si atoms per unit cell. These properties of the studied Si nanowires were significantly changed from those of diamond bulk Si structure. The binding energy increases as increasing atoms number per unit cell in different SiNWs structures. All the nanowires structures are behave like metallic rather than semiconductor in bulk systems. In general, the number of conduction channels increases when the nanowire becomes thicker. The density of charge revealed delocalized metallic bonding for all studied Si nanowires.

Method of making quasi-grain boundary-free polycrystalline solar cell structure and solar cell structure obtained thereby

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez, Franklin N.; Neugroschel, Arnost

1984-02-14

A new solar cell structure is provided which will increase the efficiency of polycrystalline solar cells by suppressing or completely eliminating the recombination losses due to the presence of grain boundaries. This is achieved by avoiding the formation of the p-n junction (or other types of junctions) in the grain boundaries and by eliminating the grain boundaries from the active area of the cell. This basic concept can be applied to any polycrystalline material; however, it will be most beneficial for cost-effective materials having small grains, including thin film materials.

Characterization of 316L Steel Cellular Dodecahedron Structures Produced by Selective Laser Melting

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Konda Gokuldoss Prashanth

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The compression behavior of different 316L steel cellular dodecahedron structures with different density values were studied. The 316L steel structures produced using the selective laser melting process has four different geometries: single unit cells with and without the addition of base plates beneath and on top, and sandwich structures with multiple unit cells with different unit cell sizes. The relation between the relative compressive strength and the relative density was compared using different Gibson-Ashby models and with other published reports. The different aspects of the deformation and the mechanical properties were evaluated and the deformation at distinct loading levels was recorded. Finite element method (FEM simulations were carried out with the defined structures and the mechanical testing results were compared. The calculated theory, simulation estimation, and the observed experimental results are in good agreement.

The Application of Load-cell Technique in the Study of Armour Unit Responses to Impact Loads

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Burcharth, H. F.; Liu, Zhou

1994-01-01

The slender, complex types of armour units, such as Tetrapods and Dolosse are widely used for rubble mound breakwaters. Many of the recent failures of such structures were caused by unforeseen early breakage of the units, thus revealing an inbalance between the strength (structural integrity) of ...

Status of Advanced Stitched Unitized Composite Aircraft Structures

Science.gov (United States)

Jegley, Dawn C.; Velicki, Alex

2013-01-01

NASA has created the Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) Project to explore and document the feasibility, benefits and technical risk of advanced vehicle configurations and enabling technologies that will reduce the impact of aviation on the environment. A critical aspect of this pursuit is the development of a lighter, more robust airframe that will enable the introduction of unconventional aircraft configurations that have higher lift-to-drag ratios, reduced drag, and lower community noise levels. The primary structural concept being developed under the ERA project in the Airframe Technology element is the Pultruded Rod Stitched Efficient Unitized Structure (PRSEUS) concept. This paper describes how researchers at NASA and The Boeing Company are working together to develop fundamental PRSEUS technologies that could someday be implemented on a transport size aircraft with high aspect ratio wings or unconventional shapes such as a hybrid wing body airplane design.

Micro-scale truss structures with three-fold and six-fold symmetry formed from self-propagating polymer waveguides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jacobsen, Alan J. [HRL Laboratories LLC, Sensors and Materials Laboratory, 3011 Malibu Canyon Road, Malibu, CA 90265-4797 (United States); Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)], E-mail: ajjacobsen@hrl.com; Barvosa-Carter, William [HRL Laboratories LLC, Sensors and Materials Laboratory, 3011 Malibu Canyon Road, Malibu, CA 90265-4797 (United States); Nutt, Steven [Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

2008-06-15

A process for interconnecting a three-dimensional pattern of self-propagating polymer waveguides was used to form micro-truss structures with two new unit cell architectures. The structures were formed using a two-dimensional mask with a hexagonal pattern of apertures. Distinct unit cell architectures were possible by exposing the mask to a different number of incident UV exposure beams, which are used to form the waveguides. One unit cell design featured three intersecting waveguides per node, resulting in a structure with three-fold symmetry. The second unit cell design had six-fold symmetry and was characterized by primary nodes with six intersecting waveguides and secondary nodes with two intersecting waveguides. Compression loading experiments were conducted on micro-truss samples with comparable relative density values ({rho}/{rho}{sub s} = 6.5%), but different unit cell architectures. The addition of secondary nodes in the structures based on the second design led to an increase in compressive modulus of up to 70% and an average increase in peak strength of 42%. The increase in compressive strength and modulus was attributed to a reduction in the truss-member slenderness ratio achieved through increased waveguide connectivity.

Micro-scale truss structures with three-fold and six-fold symmetry formed from self-propagating polymer waveguides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacobsen, Alan J.; Barvosa-Carter, William; Nutt, Steven

2008-01-01

A process for interconnecting a three-dimensional pattern of self-propagating polymer waveguides was used to form micro-truss structures with two new unit cell architectures. The structures were formed using a two-dimensional mask with a hexagonal pattern of apertures. Distinct unit cell architectures were possible by exposing the mask to a different number of incident UV exposure beams, which are used to form the waveguides. One unit cell design featured three intersecting waveguides per node, resulting in a structure with three-fold symmetry. The second unit cell design had six-fold symmetry and was characterized by primary nodes with six intersecting waveguides and secondary nodes with two intersecting waveguides. Compression loading experiments were conducted on micro-truss samples with comparable relative density values (ρ/ρ s = 6.5%), but different unit cell architectures. The addition of secondary nodes in the structures based on the second design led to an increase in compressive modulus of up to 70% and an average increase in peak strength of 42%. The increase in compressive strength and modulus was attributed to a reduction in the truss-member slenderness ratio achieved through increased waveguide connectivity

Composite structure of wood cells in petrified wood

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nowak, Jakub; Florek, Marek; Kwiatek, Wojciech; Lekki, Janusz; Chevallier, Pierre; Zieba, Emil; Mestres, Narcis; Dutkiewicz, E.M.; Kuczumow, Andrzej

2005-01-01

Special kinds of petrified wood of complex structure were investigated. All the samples were composed of at least two different inorganic substances. The original cell structure was preserved in each case. The remnants of the original biological material were detected in some locations, especially in the cell walls. The complex inorganic structure was superimposed on the remnant organic network. The first inorganic component was located in the lumena (l.) of the cells while another one in the walls (w.) of the cells. The investigated arrangements were as follows: calcite (l.)-goethite-hematite (w.)-wood from Dunarobba, Italy; pyrite (l.)-calcite (w.)-wood from Lukow, Poland; goethite (l.)-silica (w.)-wood from Kwaczala, Poland. The inorganic composition was analysed and spatially located by the use of three spectral methods: electron microprobe, X-ray synchrotron-based microprobe, μ-PIXE microprobe. The accurate mappings presenting 2D distribution of the chemical species were presented for each case. Trace elements were detected and correlated with the distribution of the main elements. In addition, the identification of phases was done by the use of μ-Raman and μ-XRD techniques for selected and representative points. The possible mechanisms of the described arrangements are considered. The potential synthesis of similar structures and their possible applications are suggested

Composite structure of wood cells in petrified wood

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nowak, Jakub [Department of Chemistry, Catholic University of Lublin, 20-718 Lublin (Poland); Florek, Marek [Department of Chemistry, Catholic University of Lublin, 20-718 Lublin (Poland); Kwiatek, Wojciech [Institute of Nuclear Physics, Department of Nuclear Spectroscopy, 31-342 Cracow (Poland); Lekki, Janusz [Institute of Nuclear Physics, Department of Nuclear Spectroscopy, 31-342 Cracow (Poland); Chevallier, Pierre [LPS, CEN Saclay et LURE, Universite Paris-Sud, Bat 209D, F-91405 Orsay (France); Zieba, Emil [Department of Chemistry, Catholic University of Lublin, 20-718 Lublin (Poland); Mestres, Narcis [Institut de Ciencia de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB), Campus de la UAB, E-08193-Bellaterra (Spain); Dutkiewicz, E.M. [Institute of Nuclear Physics, Department of Nuclear Spectroscopy, 31-342 Cracow (Poland); Kuczumow, Andrzej [Department of Chemistry, Catholic University of Lublin, 20-718 Lublin (Poland)

2005-04-28

Special kinds of petrified wood of complex structure were investigated. All the samples were composed of at least two different inorganic substances. The original cell structure was preserved in each case. The remnants of the original biological material were detected in some locations, especially in the cell walls. The complex inorganic structure was superimposed on the remnant organic network. The first inorganic component was located in the lumena (l.) of the cells while another one in the walls (w.) of the cells. The investigated arrangements were as follows: calcite (l.)-goethite-hematite (w.)-wood from Dunarobba, Italy; pyrite (l.)-calcite (w.)-wood from Lukow, Poland; goethite (l.)-silica (w.)-wood from Kwaczala, Poland. The inorganic composition was analysed and spatially located by the use of three spectral methods: electron microprobe, X-ray synchrotron-based microprobe, {mu}-PIXE microprobe. The accurate mappings presenting 2D distribution of the chemical species were presented for each case. Trace elements were detected and correlated with the distribution of the main elements. In addition, the identification of phases was done by the use of {mu}-Raman and {mu}-XRD techniques for selected and representative points. The possible mechanisms of the described arrangements are considered. The potential synthesis of similar structures and their possible applications are suggested.

The Application of Load-cell Technique in the Study of Armour Unit Responses to Impact Loads

OpenAIRE

Burcharth, H. F.; Liu, Zhou

1994-01-01

The slender, complex types of armour units, such as Tetrapods and Dolosse arewidely used for rubble mound breakwaters. Many of the recent failures of such structures were caused by unforeseen early breakage of the units, thus revealing an inbalance between the strength (structural integrity) of the units and the hydraulic stability (resistance to displacements) of the armour layers. Breakage is caused by stresses from static, pulsating and impact loads. Impact load generated stresses are diff...

Unit-cell design for two-dimensional phase-field simulation of microstructure evolution in single-crystal Ni-based superalloys during solidification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dongjia Cao

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Phase-field simulation serves as an effective tool for quantitative characterization of microstructure evolution in single-crystal Ni-based superalloys during solidification nowadays. The classic unit cell is either limited to γ dendrites along crystal orientation or too ideal to cover complex morphologies for γ dendrites. An attempt to design the unit cell for two-dimensional (2-D phase-field simulations of microstructure evolution in single-crystal Ni-based superalloys during solidification was thus performed by using the MICRESS (MICRostructure Evolution Simulation Software in the framework of the multi-phase-field (MPF model, and demonstrated in a commercial TMS-113 superalloy. The coupling to CALPHAD (CALculation of PHAse Diagram thermodynamic database was realized via the TQ interface and the experimental diffusion coefficients were utilized in the simulation. Firstly, the classic unit cell with a single γ dendrite along crystal orientation was employed for the phase-field simulation in order to reproduce the microstructure features. Then, such simple unit cell was extended into the cases with two other different crystal orientations, i.e., and . Thirdly, for crystal orientations, the effect of γ dendritic orientations and unit cell sizes on microstructure and microsegregation was comprehensively studied, from which a new unit cell with multiple γ dendrites was proposed. The phase-field simulation with the newly proposed unit cell was further performed in the TMS-113 superalloy, and the microstructure features including the competitive growth of γ dendrites, microsegregation of different solutes and distribution of γ′ grains, can be nicely reproduced.

Acoustic Emission of Large PRSEUS Structures (Pultruded Rod Stitched Efficient Unitized Structure)

Science.gov (United States)

Horne, Michael R.; Juarez, Peter D.

2016-01-01

In the role of structural health monitoring (SHM), Acoustic Emission (AE) analysis is being investigated as an effective method for tracking damage development in large composite structures under load. Structures made using Pultruded Rod Stitched Efficient Unitized Structure (PRSEUS) for damage tolerant, light, and economical airframe construction are being pursued by The Boeing Company and NASA under the Environmentally Responsible Aircraft initiative (ERA). The failure tests of two PRSEUS substructures based on the Boeing Hybrid Wing Body fuselage concept were conducted during third quarter 2011 and second quarter 2015. One fundamental concern of these tests was determining the effectiveness of the stitched integral stiffeners to inhibit damage progression. By design, severe degradation of load carrying capability should not occur prior to Design Ultimate Load (DUL). While minor damage prior to DUL was anticipated, the integral stitching should not fail since this would allow a stiffener-skin delamination to progress rapidly and alter the transfer of load into the stiffeners. In addition, the stiffeners should not fracture because they are fundamental to structural integrity. Getting the best information from each AE sensor is a primary consideration because a sparse network of sensors is implemented. Sensitivity to stiffener-contiguous degradation is supported by sensors near the stiffeners, which increases the coverage per sensor via AE waveguide actions. Some sensors are located near potentially critical areas or "critical zones" as identified by numerical analyses. The approach is compared with the damage progression monitored by other techniques (e.g. ultrasonic C-scan).

Composite Bipolar Plate for Unitized Fuel Cell/Electrolyzer Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Mittelsteadt, Cortney K.; Braff, William

2009-01-01

In a substantial improvement over present alkaline systems, an advanced hybrid bipolar plate for a unitized fuel cell/electrolyzer has been developed. This design, which operates on pure feed streams (H2/O2 and water, respectively) consists of a porous metallic foil filled with a polymer that has very high water transport properties. Combined with a second metallic plate, the pore-filled metallic plates form a bipolar plate with an empty cavity in the center.

Trends in US minority red blood cell unit donations.

Science.gov (United States)

Yazer, Mark H; Delaney, Meghan; Germain, Marc; Karafin, Matthew S; Sayers, Merlyn; Vassallo, Ralph; Ziman, Alyssa; Shaz, Beth

2017-05-01

To provide the appropriately diverse blood supply necessary to support alloimmunized and chronically transfused patients, minority donation recruitment programs have been implemented. This study investigated temporal changes in minority red blood cell (RBC) donation patterns in the United States. Data on donor race and ethnicity from 2006 through 2015, including the number of unique donors, collections, RBCs successfully donated, and average annual number of RBC donations per donor (donor fraction), were collected from eight US blood collectors. Minority donors were stratified into the following groups: Asian, black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Native Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, white, multiracial/other, and no answer/not sure. Over the 10-year period, white donors annually constituted the majority of unique donors (range, 70.7%-73.9%), had the greatest proportion of collections (range, 76.1%-79.8%), and donated the greatest proportion of RBC units (range, 76.3%-80.2%). These donors also had the highest annual donor fraction (range, 1.82-1.91 units per donor). Black or African American donors annually constituted between 4.9 and 5.2% of all donors during the study period and donated between 4.0 and 4.3% of all RBC units. Linear regression analysis revealed decreasing numbers of donors, collections, and donated RBC units from white donors over time. Although the US population has diversified, and minority recruitment programs have been implemented, white donors constitute the majority of RBC donors and donations. Focused and effective efforts are needed to increase the proportion of minority donors. © 2017 AABB.

Accelerating large-scale protein structure alignments with graphics processing units

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pang Bin

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Large-scale protein structure alignment, an indispensable tool to structural bioinformatics, poses a tremendous challenge on computational resources. To ensure structure alignment accuracy and efficiency, efforts have been made to parallelize traditional alignment algorithms in grid environments. However, these solutions are costly and of limited accessibility. Others trade alignment quality for speedup by using high-level characteristics of structure fragments for structure comparisons. Findings We present ppsAlign, a parallel protein structure Alignment framework designed and optimized to exploit the parallelism of Graphics Processing Units (GPUs. As a general-purpose GPU platform, ppsAlign could take many concurrent methods, such as TM-align and Fr-TM-align, into the parallelized algorithm design. We evaluated ppsAlign on an NVIDIA Tesla C2050 GPU card, and compared it with existing software solutions running on an AMD dual-core CPU. We observed a 36-fold speedup over TM-align, a 65-fold speedup over Fr-TM-align, and a 40-fold speedup over MAMMOTH. Conclusions ppsAlign is a high-performance protein structure alignment tool designed to tackle the computational complexity issues from protein structural data. The solution presented in this paper allows large-scale structure comparisons to be performed using massive parallel computing power of GPU.

Breakdown Characteristics Study on an 18 Cell X-band Structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, F

2008-01-01

A CLIC designed 18 cells, low group velocity (2.4% to 1.0% c), X-band (11.4 GHz) accelerator structure (denoted T18) was designed at CERN, its cells were built at KEK, and it was assembled and tested at SLAC. An interesting feature of this structure is that the gradient in the last cell is about 50% higher than that in the first cell. This structure has been RF conditioned at SLAC NLCTA for about 1400 hours where it incurred about 2200 breakdowns. This paper presents the characteristics of these breakdowns, including (1) the breakdown rate dependence on gradient, pulse width and conditioning time, (2) the breakdown distribution along the structure, (3) relation between breakdown and pulsed heating dependence study and (4) electric field decay time for breakdown changing over the whole conditioning time. Overall, this structure performed very well, having a final breakdown rate of less than 1e-6/pulse/m at 106 MV/m with 230 ns pulse width

Breakdown Characteristics Study on an 18 Cell X-band Structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Faya

2009-01-01

A CLIC designed 18 cells, low group velocity (2.4% to 1.0% c), X-band (11.4 GHz) accelerator structure (denoted T18) was designed at CERN, its cells were built at KEK, and it was assembled and tested at SLAC. An interesting feature of this structure is that the gradient in the last cell is about 50% higher than that in the first cell. This structure has been RF conditioned at SLAC NLCTA for about 1400 hours where it incurred about 2200 breakdowns. This paper presents the characteristics of these breakdowns, including 1) the breakdown rate dependence on gradient, pulse width and conditioning time, 2) the breakdown distribution along the structure, 3) relation between breakdown and pulsed heating dependence study and 4) electric field decay time for breakdown changing over the whole conditioning time. Overall, this structure performed very well, having a final breakdown rate of less than 1e-6/pulse/m at 106 MV/m with 230 ns pulse width.

Effect of eddy current damping on phononic band gaps generated by locally resonant periodic structures

Science.gov (United States)

Ozkaya, Efe; Yilmaz, Cetin

2017-02-01

The effect of eddy current damping on a novel locally resonant periodic structure is investigated. The frequency response characteristics are obtained by using a lumped parameter and a finite element model. In order to obtain wide band gaps at low frequencies, the periodic structure is optimized according to certain constraints, such as mass distribution in the unit cell, lower limit of the band gap, stiffness between the components in the unit cell, the size of magnets used for eddy current damping, and the number of unit cells in the periodic structure. Then, the locally resonant periodic structure with eddy current damping is manufactured and its experimental frequency response is obtained. The frequency response results obtained analytically, numerically and experimentally match quite well. The inclusion of eddy current damping to the periodic structure decreases amplitudes of resonance peaks without disturbing stop band width.

Structural Characteristics of the Novel Polysaccharide FVPA1 from Winter Culinary-Medicinal Mushroom, Flammulina velutipes (Agaricomycetes), Capable of Enhancing Natural Killer Cell Activity against K562 Tumor Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Wei; Feng, Jie; Zhang, Jing-Song; Lin, Chi-Chung; Wang, Wen-Han; Chen, Hong-Ge

2017-01-01

FVPA1, a novel polysaccharide, has been isolated from fruiting bodies of the culinary-medicinal mushroom Flammulina velutipes, a historically popular, widely cultivated and consumed functional food with an attractive taste, beneficial nutraceutical properties such as antitumor and immunomodulatory effects, and a number of essential biological activities. The average molecular weight was estimated to be ~1.8 × 104 Da based on high-performance size exclusion chromatography. Sugar analyses, methylation analyses, and 1H, 13C, and 2-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed the following structure of the repeating units of the FVPA1 polysaccharide Identification of this structure would conceivably lead to better understanding of the nutraceutical functions of this very important edible fungus. Bioactivity tests in vitro indicated that FVPA1 could significantly enhance natural killer cell activity against K562 tumor cells.

On Methods of Establishing Design Diagrams for Structural Integrity of Slender Complex Types of Breakwater Armour Units

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Burcharth, Hans F.; Howell, Gary J.

1988-01-01

Many of the recent dramatic failures of a number of large rubble mound breakwaters armoured with Dolosse and Tetrapods were caused by breakage of the concrete armour units. Breakage took place before the hydraulic stability of intact units in the armour layers expired. Thus there was not a balance...... between the strength (structural integrity) of the units and the hydraulic stability (resistance to displacements) of the armour layer. Although the relative strength of the units decreases with increasing size (Burcharth 1980) the shape of the units was kept constant and not related to the size...... of the units and the size was not increased beyond the demand dictated by the hydraulic stability.While the hydraulic stability can be roughly estimated by formulae and further evaluated in conventional hydraulic model tests, it is much more complicated to assess the structural integrity of the armour units...

Hardwiring stem cell communication through tissue structure

Science.gov (United States)

Xin, Tianchi; Greco, Valentina; Myung, Peggy

2016-01-01

Adult stem cells across diverse organs self-renew and differentiate to maintain tissue homeostasis. How stem cells receive input to preserve tissue structure and function largely relies on their communication with surrounding cellular and non-cellular elements. As such, how tissues are organized and patterned not only reflects organ function but also inherently hardwires networks of communication between stem cells and their environment to direct tissue homeostasis and injury repair. This review highlights how different methods of stem cell communication reflect the unique organization and function of diverse tissues. PMID:26967287

Spatial structure arising from neighbour-dependent bias in collective cell movement.

Science.gov (United States)

Binny, Rachelle N; Haridas, Parvathi; James, Alex; Law, Richard; Simpson, Matthew J; Plank, Michael J

2016-01-01

Mathematical models of collective cell movement often neglect the effects of spatial structure, such as clustering, on the population dynamics. Typically, they assume that individuals interact with one another in proportion to their average density (the mean-field assumption) which means that cell-cell interactions occurring over short spatial ranges are not accounted for. However, in vitro cell culture studies have shown that spatial correlations can play an important role in determining collective behaviour. Here, we take a combined experimental and modelling approach to explore how individual-level interactions give rise to spatial structure in a moving cell population. Using imaging data from in vitro experiments, we quantify the extent of spatial structure in a population of 3T3 fibroblast cells. To understand how this spatial structure arises, we develop a lattice-free individual-based model (IBM) and simulate cell movement in two spatial dimensions. Our model allows an individual's direction of movement to be affected by interactions with other cells in its neighbourhood, providing insights into how directional bias generates spatial structure. We consider how this behaviour scales up to the population level by using the IBM to derive a continuum description in terms of the dynamics of spatial moments. In particular, we account for spatial correlations between cells by considering dynamics of the second spatial moment (the average density of pairs of cells). Our numerical results suggest that the moment dynamics description can provide a good approximation to averaged simulation results from the underlying IBM. Using our in vitro data, we estimate parameters for the model and show that it can generate similar spatial structure to that observed in a 3T3 fibroblast cell population.

Tube structural integrity evaluation of Palo Verde Unit 1 steam generators for axial upper-bundle cracking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woodman, B.W.; Begley, J.A.; Brown, S.D.; Sweeney, K.; Radspinner, M.; Melton, M.

1995-01-01

The analysis of the issue of upper bundle axial ODSCC as it apples to steam generator tube structural integrity in Unit 1 at the Palo Verde Nuclear generating Station is presented in this study. Based on past inspection results for Units 2 and 3 at Palo Verde, the detection of secondary side stress corrosion cracks in the upper bundle region of Unit 1 may occur at some future date. The following discussion provides a description and analysis of the probability of axial ODSCC in Unit 1 leading to the exceedance of Regulatory Guide 1.121 structural limits. The probabilities of structural limit exceedance are estimated as function of run time using a conservative approach. The chosen approach models the historical development of cracks, crack growth, detection of cracks and subsequent removal from service and the initiation and growth of new cracks during a given cycle of operation. Past performance of all Palo Verde Units as well as the historical performance of other steam generators was considered in the development of cracking statistics for application to Unit 1. Data in the literature and Unit 2 pulled tube examination results were used to construct probability of detection curves for the detection of axial IGSCC/IGA using an MRPC (multi-frequency rotating panake coil) eddy current probe. Crack growth rates were estimated from Unit 2 eddy current inspection data combined with pulled tube examination results and data in the literature. A Monte-Carlo probabilistic model is developed to provide an overall assessment of the risk of Regulatory Guide exceedance during plant operation

Seismic soil-structure-equipment interaction analysis of unit 5/6, Kozloduy NPP

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kostov, M [Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Central Laboratory for Seismic Mechanics and Earthquake Engineering, Sofia (Bulgaria)

1995-07-01

This research project is aimed to analyse problems of soil-structure-equipment interaction under seismic excitation in case of Kozloduy NPP. Reevaluation and upgrading of Kozloduy NPP has started after 1977 Vrancea earthquake. New Safe Shutdown Earthquake (SSE) level was defined, upgrading most of structural equipment was performed, seismic instrumentation was installed. New investigations were initiated after 1990 IAEA mission visited the site. A comprehensive site confirmation project was started with a subsequent structural and equipment reevaluation and upgrading. This work deals with Units 5 and 6 of WWER-1000 type only.

The Daniell Cell, Ohm's Law and the Emergence of the International System of Units

OpenAIRE

Jayson, Joel S.

2015-01-01

Telegraphy originated in the 1830s and 40s and flourished in the following decades, but with a patchwork of electrical standards. Electromotive force was for the most part measured in units of the predominant Daniell cell. Each company had their own resistance standard. In 1862 the British Association for the Advancement of Science formed a committee to address this situation. By 1873 they had given definition to the electromagnetic system of units (emu) and defined the practical units of the...

Diffusion of single Au, Ag and Cu atoms inside Si(111)-(7 × 7) half unit cells: A comparative study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Qin [Department of Physics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055 (China); Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territory, Hong Kong (China); Science and Technology on Surface Physics and Chemistry Laboratory, Mianyang, Sichuan 621908 (China); Fu, Qiang [Institut für Physik and IRIS Adlershof, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Zum Großen Windkanal 6, 12489 Berlin (Germany); Shao, Xiji; Ma, Xuhang; Wu, Xuefeng [Department of Physics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055 (China); Wang, Kedong, E-mail: wangkd@sustc.edu.cn [Department of Physics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055 (China); Xiao, Xudong, E-mail: xdxiao@phy.cuhk.edu.hk [Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territory, Hong Kong (China)

2017-04-15

Highlights: • Diffusions of Au, Ag and Cu atoms in the half unit cells of Si(111)-(7×7) have been studied by using a STM-based I-t method. • Despite their similar absorption sites, the diffusion dynamics show obvious differences between Ag and the other two. • Theoretical calculations suggest that different potential energy profiles are responsible for the observed differences. - Abstract: The diffusion behaviors of single Au, Ag and Cu atoms on Si(111)-(7 × 7) half unit cells have been investigated via combining scanning tunneling microscopy and first-principles calculations. Despite the similar adsorption sites between both half unit cells among these elements, the diffusion dynamics show obvious differences between Ag and the other two. Although obvious asymmetry has been found in the diffusion behaviors of Au and Cu atoms in two half unit cells of Si(111)-(7 × 7), the asymmetry behaves in a way different from that of Ag atoms and no dual-time character has been observed for the diffusions of Au and Cu in both half unit cells. Theoretical calculations suggest a different potential energy profile caused by the stronger hybridization between d states of Au (Cu) and Si states make the concept of basin useless for the diffusion of Au and Cu atoms inside the half unit cells of Si(111)-(7 × 7).

Cytoplasmic inheritance of parent-offspring cell structure in the clonal diatom Cyclotella meneghiniana.

Science.gov (United States)

Shirokawa, Yuka; Shimada, Masakazu

2016-11-16

In cytoplasmic inheritance, structural states of a parent cell could be transmitted to offspring cells via two mechanisms. The first is referred to as the hangover of parent structure, where the structure itself remains and faithfully transmits within offspring cells; the second is structural inheritance, wherein the parent structure functions as a template for development of new offspring structure. We estimated to what extent the parent structure affects the development of offspring structure by structural inheritance, using a clone of the diatom Cyclotella meneghiniana The cell has two siliceous valves (a cell wall part at both cell poles): one is inherited from the parent and the other is newly formed. We estimated cytoplasmic heritability by comparing valve traits (central fultoportulae (CTFP), striae, central area, and cell diameter) of parent and new offspring valves, using single-cell isolation and valve labelling. Parent-offspring valve trait regressions showed that all traits, except CTFP, were significantly correlated. We formulated a quantitative genetic model considering the diatom inheritance system and revealed short-term rapid evolution compared with other inheritance systems. Diatom structural inheritance will have evolved to enable clonal populations to rapidly acquire and maintain suitable structures for temporal changes in environments and life-cycle stages. © 2016 The Author(s).

Seismic upgrading of WWER 440-230 structures, units 1/2, Kozloduy NPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stafanov, D.; Kostov, M.; Boncheva, H.; Varbanov, G.

1995-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to present final results from a big amount of computational work in connection with the investigations of the possibilities for upgrading of WWER 440-230 structures, units 1/2, Kozloduy NPP. (author)

Raman scattering characterization of space solar cell structures

Science.gov (United States)

Mintairov, Alexander M.; Khvostikov, V. P.; Paleeva, E. V.; Sorokina, S. V.

1995-01-01

A contactless method for the determination of the free-carrier density and the composition distribution across the thickness of 3-5 multi-layer solar cell structures, using the Raman scattering method, is developed. The method includes a step analysis of Raman spectra from optical phonons and phonon-plasmon modes of different layers. The method provides simultaneous measurements of the element composition and the thickness of the structure's layers together with the free-carrier density. The results of measurements of the free-carrier density composition distributions of the liquid phase epitaxy grown AlGaAs/GaAs and GaSb solar cell structures are presented and discussed.

Molecular structure of basic oligomeric building units of heparan-sulfate glycosaminoglycans

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Remko, Milan; Van Duijnen, Piet Th.; Broer, Ria

2010-01-01

This study reports in detail the results of systematic large-scale theoretical investigations of the acidic dimeric structural units (D-E, E-F, F-G, and G-H) and pentamer D-E-F-G-H (fondaparinux) of the glycosaminoglycan heparin, and their anionic forms. The geometries and energies of these

Flow field measurements in the cell culture unit

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Stephen; Wilder, Mike; Dimanlig, Arsenio; Jagger, Justin; Searby, Nancy

2002-01-01

The cell culture unit (CCU) is being designed to support cell growth for long-duration life science experiments on the International Space Station (ISS). The CCU is a perfused loop system that provides a fluid environment for controlled cell growth experiments within cell specimen chambers (CSCs), and is intended to accommodate diverse cell specimen types. Many of the functional requirements depend on the fluid flow field within the CSC (e.g., feeding and gas management). A design goal of the CCU is to match, within experimental limits, all environmental conditions, other than the effects of gravity on the cells, whether the hardware is in microgravity ( micro g), normal Earth gravity, or up to 2g on the ISS centrifuge. In order to achieve this goal, two steps are being taken. The first step is to characterize the environmental conditions of current 1g cell biology experiments being performed in laboratories using ground-based hardware. The second step is to ensure that the design of the CCU allows the fluid flow conditions found in 1g to be replicated from microgravity up to 2g. The techniques that are being used to take these steps include flow visualization, particle image velocimetry (PIV), and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Flow visualization using the injection of dye has been used to gain a global perspective of the characteristics of the CSC flow field. To characterize laboratory cell culture conditions, PIV is being used to determine the flow field parameters of cell suspension cultures grown in Erlenmeyer flasks on orbital shakers. These measured parameters will be compared to PIV measurements in the CSCs to ensure that the flow field that cells encounter in CSCs is within the bounds determined for typical laboratory experiments. Using CFD, a detailed simulation is being developed to predict the flow field within the CSC for a wide variety of flow conditions, including microgravity environments. Results from all these measurements and analyses of the

Vortex structure and characterization of quasiperiodic functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dana, Itzhack; Chernov, Vladislav E

2002-01-01

Quasiperiodic functions (QPFs) are characterized by their full vortex structure in one unit cell. This characterization is much finer and more sensitive than the topological one given by the total vorticity per unit cell (the 'Chern index'). It is shown that QPFs with an arbitrarily prescribed vortex structure exist by constructing explicitly such a 'standard' QPF. Two QPFs with the same vortex structure are equivalent, in the sense that their ratio is a function which is strictly periodic, nonvanishing and at least continuous. A general QPF can then be approximately reconstructed from its vortex structure on the basis of the standard QPF and the equivalence concept. As another application of this concept, a simple method is proposed for calculating the quasiperiodic eigenvectors of periodic matrices. Possible applications to the quantum-chaos problem on a phase-space torus are briefly discussed

Replacement of the moderator cell unit of JRR-3's cold neutron source facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hazawa, Tomoya; Nagahori, Kazuhisa; Kusunoki, Tsuyoshi

2006-10-01

The moderator cell of the JRR-3's cold neutron source (CNS) facility, converts thermal neutrons into cold neutrons by passing through liquid cold hydrogen. The cold neutrons are used for material and life science research such as the neutron scattering. The CNS has been operated since the start of JRR-3's in 1990. The moderator cell containing liquid hydrogen is made of stainless steel. The material irradiation lifetime is limited to 7 years due to irradiation brittleness. The first replacement was done by using a spare part made in France. This replacement work of 2006 was carried out by using the domestic moderator cell unit. The following technologies were developed for the moderator cell unit production. 1) Technical development of black treatment on moderator cell surface to increase radiation heat. 2) Development of bending technology of concentric triple tubes consisting from inside tube, Outside tube and Vacuum insulation tube. 3) Development of manufacturing technique of the moderator cell with complicated shapes. According to detail planed work procedures, replacement work was carried out. As results, the working days were reduced to 80% of old ones. The radiation dose was also reduced due to reduction of working days. It was verified by measurement of neutrons characteristics that the replaced moderator cell has the same performance as that of the old moderator cell. The domestic manufacturing of the moderator cell was succeeded. As results, the replacement cost was reduced by development of domestic production technology. (author)

Hemolysin coregulated protein 1 as a molecular gluing unit for the assembly of nanoparticle hybrid structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tuan Anh Pham

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Hybrid nanoparticle (NP structures containing organic building units such as polymers, peptides, DNA and proteins have great potential in biosensor and electronic applications. The nearly free modification of the polymer chain, the variation of the protein and DNA sequence and the implementation of functional moieties provide a great platform to create inorganic structures of different morphology, resulting in different optical and magnetic properties. Nevertheless, the design and modification of a protein structure with functional groups or sequences for the assembly of biohybrid materials is not trivial. This is mainly due to the sensitivity of its secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure to the changes in the interaction (e.g., hydrophobic, hydrophilic, electrostatic, chemical groups between the protein subunits and the inorganic material. Here, we use hemolysin coregulated protein 1 (Hcp1 from Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a building and gluing unit for the formation of biohybrid structures by implementing cysteine anchoring points at defined positions on the protein rim (Hcp1_cys3. We successfully apply the Hcp1_cys3 gluing unit for the assembly of often linear, hybrid structures of plasmonic gold (Au NP, magnetite (Fe3O4 NP, and cobalt ferrite nanoparticles (CoFe2O4 NP. Furthermore, the assembly of Au NPs into linear structures using Hcp1_cys3 is investigated by UV–vis spectroscopy, TEM and cryo-TEM. One key parameter for the formation of Au NP assembly is the specific ionic strength in the mixture. The resulting network-like structure of Au NPs is characterized by Raman spectroscopy, showing surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS by a factor of 8·104 and a stable secondary structure of the Hcp1_cys3 unit. In order to prove the catalytic performance of the gold hybrid structures, they are used as a catalyst in the reduction reaction of 4-nitrophenol showing similar catalytic activity as the pure Au NPs. To further extend the

Golgi structure formation, function, and post-translational modifications in mammalian cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Shijiao; Wang, Yanzhuang

2017-01-01

The Golgi apparatus is a central membrane organelle for trafficking and post-translational modifications of proteins and lipids in cells. In mammalian cells, it is organized in the form of stacks of tightly aligned flattened cisternae, and dozens of stacks are often linked laterally into a ribbon-like structure located in the perinuclear region of the cell. Proper Golgi functionality requires an intact architecture, yet Golgi structure is dynamically regulated during the cell cycle and under disease conditions. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the relationship between Golgi structure formation, function, and regulation, with focus on how post-translational modifications including phosphorylation and ubiquitination regulate Golgi structure and on how Golgi unstacking affects its functions, in particular, protein trafficking, glycosylation, and sorting in mammalian cells.

Labour input in construction of composite structures of the Balakovo NPP reactor compartment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alasyuk, G.Ya.

1988-01-01

Technical-economical results achieved when constructing the Balakovo NPP second unit reactor compartment structures are presented. The obtained data analysis shows that in the case of building the walls of non-sealed reactor compartment section in the form of composite structures the major part of labour input requirements (54-59%) falls at works on production and mounting of these structures, performed at auxiliary plants. Labour input for works performed the construction (unit-cell and space frame mounting, preparation of units for concreting, joint sealing, concrete placement) make up 41-46%, and labour input for enlarged unit-cell mounting make up 8%. Labour input per 1 m 3 of the wall structure with 0.6 and 0.9 m thicness in the monolith option are respectively by 19 an 23% higher than the same indices for composite

Fuel cell collaboration in the United States. Follow up report to the Danish Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-01-15

Fuel cell technology continues to grow in the United States, with strong sales in stationary applications and early markets such as data centers, materials handling equipment, and telecommunications sites. New fuel cell customers include Fortune 500 companies Apple, eBay, Coca-Cola, and Walmart, who will use fuel cells to provide reliable power to data centers, stores, and facilities. Some are purchasing multi-megawatt (MW) systems, including three of the largest non-utility purchases of stationary fuel cells in the world by AT and T, Apple and eBay - 17 MW, 10 MW and 6 MW respectively. Others are replacing fleets of battery forklifts with fuel cells. Sysco, the food distributor, has more than 700 fuel cell-powered forklifts operating at seven facilities, with more on order. Mega-retailer Walmart now operates more than 500 fuel cell forklifts at three warehouses, including a freezer facility. Although federal government budget reduction efforts are impacting a wide range of departments and programs, fuel cell and hydrogen technology continues to be funded, albeit at a lower level than in past years. The Department of Energy (DOE) is currently funding fuel cell and hydrogen R and D and has nearly 300 ongoing projects at companies, national labs, and universities/institutes universities. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 and DOE's Market Transformation efforts have acted as a government ''catalyst'' for market success of emerging technologies. Early market deployments of about 1,400 fuel cells under the ARRA have led to more than 5,000 additional fuel cell purchases by industry with no DOE funding. In addition, interest in Congress remains high. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and John Hoeven (R-ND) re-launched the bipartisan Senate Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Caucus in August 2012 to promote the continued development and commercialization of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies

Culture of human cells in experimental units for spaceflight impacts on their behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Cazzaniga, Alessandra; Moscheni, Claudia; Maier, Jeanette Am; Castiglioni, Sara

2017-05-01

Because space missions produce pathophysiological alterations such as cardiovascular disorders and bone demineralization which are very common on Earth, biomedical research in space is a frontier that holds important promises not only to counterbalance space-associated disorders in astronauts but also to ameliorate the health of Earth-bound population. Experiments in space are complex to design. Cells must be cultured in closed cell culture systems (from now defined experimental units (EUs)), which are biocompatible, functional, safe to minimize any potential hazard to the crew, and with a high degree of automation. Therefore, to perform experiments in orbit, it is relevant to know how closely culture in the EUs reflects cellular behavior under normal growth conditions. We compared the performances in these units of three different human cell types, which were recently space flown, i.e. bone mesenchymal stem cells, micro- and macrovascular endothelial cells. Endothelial cells are only slightly and transiently affected by culture in the EUs, whereas these devices accelerate mesenchymal stem cell reprogramming toward osteogenic differentiation, in part by increasing the amounts of reactive oxygen species. We conclude that cell culture conditions in the EUs do not exactly mimic what happens in a culture dish and that more efforts are necessary to optimize these devices for biomedical experiments in space. Impact statement Cell cultures represent valuable preclinical models to decipher pathogenic circuitries. This is true also for biomedical research in space. A lot has been learnt about cell adaptation and reaction from the experiments performed on many different cell types flown to space. Obviously, cell culture in space has to meet specific requirements for the safety of the crew and to comply with the unique environmental challenges. For these reasons, specific devices for cell culture in space have been developed. It is important to clarify whether these

Cells responding to surface structure of calcium phosphate ceramics for bone regeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jingwei; Sun, Lanying; Luo, Xiaoman; Barbieri, Davide; de Bruijn, Joost D; van Blitterswijk, Clemens A; Moroni, Lorenzo; Yuan, Huipin

2017-11-01

Surface structure largely affects the inductive bone-forming potential of calcium phosphate (CaP) ceramics in ectopic sites and bone regeneration in critical-sized bone defects. Surface-dependent osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) partially explained the improved bone-forming ability of submicron surface structured CaP ceramics. In this study, we investigated the possible influence of surface structure on different bone-related cells, which may potentially participate in the process of improved bone formation in CaP ceramics. Besides BMSCs, the response of human brain vascular pericytes (HBVP), C2C12 (osteogenic inducible cells), MC3T3-E1 (osteogenic precursors), SV-HFO (pre-osteoblasts), MG63 (osteoblasts) and SAOS-2 (mature osteoblasts) to the surface structure was evaluated in terms of cell proliferation, osteogenic differentiation and gene expression. The cells were cultured on tricalcium phosphate (TCP) ceramics with either micron-scaled surface structure (TCP-B) or submicron-scaled surface structure (TCP-S) for up to 14 days, followed by DNA, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and quantitative polymerase chain reaction gene assays. HBVP were not sensitive to surface structure with respect to cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation, but had downregulated angiogenesis-related gene expression (i.e. vascular endothelial growth factor) on TCP-S. Without additional osteogenic inducing factors, submicron-scaled surface structure enhanced ALP activity and osteocalcin gene expression of human (h)BMSCs and C2C12 cells, favoured the proliferation of MC3T3-E1, MG63 and SAOS-2, and increased ALP activity of MC3T3-E1 and SV-HFO. The results herein indicate that cells with osteogenic potency (either osteogenic inducible cells or osteogenic cells) could be sensitive to surface structure and responded to osteoinductive submicron-structured CaP ceramics in cell proliferation, ALP production or osteogenic gene expression, which favour bone

Multi-cell disk-and-ring tapered structure for compact RF linacs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smirnov, A.V.; Boucher, S.; Kutsaev, S. [RadiaBeam Systems LLC, 1713 Stewart Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404, US (United States); Hartzell, J. [RadiaBeam Technologies, LLC, 1717 Stewart Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404, US (United States); Savin, E. [RadiaBeam Technologies, LLC, 1717 Stewart Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404, US (United States); National Research Nuclear University “MEPhI”, Moscow 115409 (Russian Federation)

2016-09-11

A tubular disk-and-ring, tapered accelerating structure for small electron linacs and MicroLinacs is considered. It consists of metal and dielectric elements inserted into a metallic tube to eliminate multi-cell, multi-step brazing. The structure enables a wide range of phase velocities (including non-relativistic), a wide bandwidth allowing large number of cells (for standing wave mode) or short filling time (for traveling wave mode), combination of compensated and purely π-mode cells, alternative periodic focusing built-in to the RF structure (the disks), and combining of RF and vacuum windows. RF and accelerating performance of such a long structure having up to four dozens cells is analyzed. Some of beam dynamics, thermal, and vacuum aspects of the structure and MicroLinac performance are considered as well.

Multi-cell disk-and-ring tapered structure for compact RF linacs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smirnov, A.V.; Boucher, S.; Kutsaev, S.; Hartzell, J.; Savin, E.

2016-01-01

A tubular disk-and-ring, tapered accelerating structure for small electron linacs and MicroLinacs is considered. It consists of metal and dielectric elements inserted into a metallic tube to eliminate multi-cell, multi-step brazing. The structure enables a wide range of phase velocities (including non-relativistic), a wide bandwidth allowing large number of cells (for standing wave mode) or short filling time (for traveling wave mode), combination of compensated and purely π-mode cells, alternative periodic focusing built-in to the RF structure (the disks), and combining of RF and vacuum windows. RF and accelerating performance of such a long structure having up to four dozens cells is analyzed. Some of beam dynamics, thermal, and vacuum aspects of the structure and MicroLinac performance are considered as well.

Hydrogen and fuel cells in the United States Congress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yacobucci, B.D.

2003-01-01

Over the past few years, the United States Congress has shown increasing interest in the development of hydrogen fuel and fuel cells for transportation, stationary, and mobile applications The high efficiency of fuel cell systems could address some of the concern over increasing dependence on imported petroleum. Further, lower emissions could help promote air quality goals However, many questions remain, including the affordability, safety, overall fuel-cycle efficiency and emissions. These questions, especially those related to cost, have led Members of Congress to enact legislation to speed the development and commercialization of the technologies. This paper discusses congressional action on hydrogen and fuel cells. It provides an overview of the U.S. Congress, and outlines the role of the appropriations process. It then provides a history of federal hydrogen fuel research and development (R and D), both in terms of legislative and executive initiatives, and it describes pending legislation current as of this writing, including bills on energy policy, transportation policy, tax policy, and appropriations. Finally, the paper presents some of the issues that the pending legislation may raise for industry. (author)

Structure of the cell wall of mango after application of ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, Josenilda M.; Villar, Heldio P.; Pimentel, Rejane M.M.

2012-01-01

Cells of the mesocarp of mango cultivar Tommy Atkins were analyzed by Transmission Electron Microscope—TEM to evaluate the effects of doses of 0.5 and 1.0 kGy applied immediately after the fruit and after storage for twenty days at a temperature of 12 °C followed by 5 days of simulated marketing at a temperature of 21 °C. No alteration was found in the structure of the cell wall, middle lamella, and plasma membrane of fruits when analyzed immediately after application of doses. The mesocarp cell structure of the cell wall, middle lamella, and the plasma membrane did however undergo changes after storage. Fruits that received a dose of 0.5 kGy displayed slight changes in cell wall structure and slight disintegration of the middle lamella. Fruits that received a dose of 1.0 kGy displayed more severe changes in the structure of the cell wall, greater middle lamella degradation, and displacement of the plasma membrane. - Highlights: ► Mesocarp cells were analyzed by Transmission Electron Microscope—TEM. ► No change in cell wall structure, middle lamella and plasma membrane was found in fruits immediately after irradiation. ► Changes in cell wall structure, middle lamella and plasma membrane happened after storage. ► Fruits subjected to 0.5 kGy showed smaller cell wall change.

Hardwiring Stem Cell Communication through Tissue Structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Xin, Tianchi; Greco, Valentina; Myung, Peggy

2016-03-10

Adult stem cells across diverse organs self-renew and differentiate to maintain tissue homeostasis. How stem cells receive input to preserve tissue structure and function largely relies on their communication with surrounding cellular and non-cellular elements. As such, how tissues are organized and patterned not only reflects organ function, but also inherently hardwires networks of communication between stem cells and their environment to direct tissue homeostasis and injury repair. This review highlights how different methods of stem cell communication reflect the unique organization and function of diverse tissues. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The structure of cell wall alpha-glucan from fission yeast

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Grün, Christian H.; Hochstenbach, Frans; Humbel, Bruno M.; Verkleij, Arie J.; Sietsma, J. Hans; Klis, Frans M.; Kamerling, Johannis P.; Vliegenthart, Johannes F. G.

2005-01-01

Morphology and structural integrity of fungal cells depend on cell wall polysaccharides. The chemical structure and biosynthesis of two types of these polysaccharides, chitin and (1-->3)-beta-glucan, have been studied extensively, whereas little is known about alpha-glucan. Here we describe the

Structure for common access and support of fuel cell stacks

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh, Michael M.

2000-01-01

A structure provides common support and access to multiple fuel cells externally mounted thereto. The structure has openings leading to passages defined therein for providing the access. Various other fuel cell power system components are connected at the openings, such as reactant and coolant sources.

The structure of cell wall alpha-glucan from fission yeast.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Grün, C.H.; Hochstenbach, F.; Humbel, B.M.; Verkleij, A.J.; Sietsma, J.H.; Klis, F.M.; Kamerling, J.P.; Vliegenthart, J.F.G.

2005-01-01

Morphology and structural integrity of fungal cells depend on cell wall polysaccharides. The chemical structure and biosynthesis of two types of these polysaccharides, chitin and (1rarr3)-beta-glucan, have been studied extensively, whereas little is known about alpha-glucan. Here we describe the

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2010-11-01

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

Spatial structure arising from neighbour-dependent bias in collective cell movement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rachelle N. Binny

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Mathematical models of collective cell movement often neglect the effects of spatial structure, such as clustering, on the population dynamics. Typically, they assume that individuals interact with one another in proportion to their average density (the mean-field assumption which means that cell–cell interactions occurring over short spatial ranges are not accounted for. However, in vitro cell culture studies have shown that spatial correlations can play an important role in determining collective behaviour. Here, we take a combined experimental and modelling approach to explore how individual-level interactions give rise to spatial structure in a moving cell population. Using imaging data from in vitro experiments, we quantify the extent of spatial structure in a population of 3T3 fibroblast cells. To understand how this spatial structure arises, we develop a lattice-free individual-based model (IBM and simulate cell movement in two spatial dimensions. Our model allows an individual’s direction of movement to be affected by interactions with other cells in its neighbourhood, providing insights into how directional bias generates spatial structure. We consider how this behaviour scales up to the population level by using the IBM to derive a continuum description in terms of the dynamics of spatial moments. In particular, we account for spatial correlations between cells by considering dynamics of the second spatial moment (the average density of pairs of cells. Our numerical results suggest that the moment dynamics description can provide a good approximation to averaged simulation results from the underlying IBM. Using our in vitro data, we estimate parameters for the model and show that it can generate similar spatial structure to that observed in a 3T3 fibroblast cell population.

Centre-containing spiral-geometric structure of the space-time and nonrelativistic relativity of the unit time

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shakhazizyan, S.R.

1987-01-01

The problem of nonrelativistic dependence of unit length and unit time on the position in the space is considered on the basis of centre-containing spiral-geometric structure of the space-time. The experimental results of variation of the unit time are analyzed which well agree with the requirements of the model proposed. 13 refs.; 12 figs

The structure of cell-matrix adhesions: the new frontier.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanein, Dorit; Horwitz, Alan Rick

2012-02-01

Adhesions between the cell and the extracellular matrix (ECM) are mechanosensitive multi-protein assemblies that transmit force across the cell membrane and regulate biochemical signals in response to the chemical and mechanical environment. These combined functions in force transduction, signaling and mechanosensing contribute to cellular phenotypes that span development, homeostasis and disease. These adhesions form, mature and disassemble in response to actin organization and physical forces that originate from endogenous myosin activity or external forces by the extracellular matrix. Despite advances in our understanding of the protein composition, interactions and regulation, our understanding of matrix adhesion structure and organization, how forces affect this organization, and how these changes dictate specific signaling events is limited. Insights across multiple structural levels are acutely needed to elucidate adhesion structure and ultimately the molecular basis of signaling and mechanotransduction. Here we describe the challenges and recent advances and prospects for unraveling the structure of cell-matrix adhesions and their response to force. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prokaryotic cells: structural organisation of the cytoskeleton and organelles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wanderley de Souza

2012-05-01

Full Text Available For many years, prokaryotic cells were distinguished from eukaryotic cells based on the simplicity of their cytoplasm, in which the presence of organelles and cytoskeletal structures had not been discovered. Based on current knowledge, this review describes the complex components of the prokaryotic cell cytoskeleton, including (i tubulin homologues composed of FtsZ, BtuA, BtuB and several associated proteins, which play a fundamental role in cell division, (ii actin-like homologues, such as MreB and Mb1, which are involved in controlling cell width and cell length, and (iii intermediate filament homologues, including crescentin and CfpA, which localise on the concave side of a bacterium and along its inner curvature and associate with its membrane. Some prokaryotes exhibit specialised membrane-bound organelles in the cytoplasm, such as magnetosomes and acidocalcisomes, as well as protein complexes, such as carboxysomes. This review also examines recent data on the presence of nanotubes, which are structures that are well characterised in mammalian cells that allow direct contact and communication between cells.

PDI Derivative through Fine-Tuning Molecular Structure for Fullerene-Free Organic Solar Cells

KAUST Repository

Sun, Hua

2017-08-10

A perylenediimide (PDI)-based small molecular (SM) acceptor with both an extended π-conjugation and a three dimensional structure concurrently is critical for achieving high performance PDI-based fullerene-free organic solar cells (OSCs). In this work, we designed and synthesized a novel PDI-based SM acceptor possessing both characteristics by fusing PDI units with a spiro core of 4,4’-spirobi[cyclopenta[2,1-b;3,4-b’]dithiophene(SCPDT) through the -position of the thiophene rings. An enhanced strong absorption in the range of 350–520 nm and arisen LUMO energy level of FSP was observed, compared with previous reported acceptor SCPDT-PDI4, in which the PDI units and SCPDT are not fused. OSCs based on PTB7-Th donor and FSP acceptor were fabricated and achieved a power conversion efficiency of up to 8.89% with DPE as an additive. Efficient and complementary photo absorption, favorable phase separation and balanced carrier mobilites in the blend film account for the high photovoltaic performance. This study offers an effective strategy to design high performance PDI-based acceptors.

Planar-Structure Perovskite Solar Cells with Efficiency beyond 21.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Qi; Chu, Zema; Wang, Pengyang; Yang, Xiaolei; Liu, Heng; Wang, Ye; Yin, Zhigang; Wu, Jinliang; Zhang, Xingwang; You, Jingbi

2017-12-01

Low temperature solution processed planar-structure perovskite solar cells gain great attention recently, while their power conversions are still lower than that of high temperature mesoporous counterpart. Previous reports are mainly focused on perovskite morphology control and interface engineering to improve performance. Here, this study systematically investigates the effect of precise stoichiometry, especially the PbI 2 contents on device performance including efficiency, hysteresis and stability. This study finds that a moderate residual of PbI 2 can deliver stable and high efficiency of solar cells without hysteresis, while too much residual PbI 2 will lead to serious hysteresis and poor transit stability. Solar cells with the efficiencies of 21.6% in small size (0.0737 cm 2 ) and 20.1% in large size (1 cm 2 ) with moderate residual PbI 2 in perovskite layer are obtained. The certificated efficiency for small size shows the efficiency of 20.9%, which is the highest efficiency ever recorded in planar-structure perovskite solar cells, showing the planar-structure perovskite solar cells are very promising. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Structural elements recognized by abacavir-induced T cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yerly, Daniel; Pompeu, Yuri Andreiw; Schutte, Ryan J.

2017-01-01

of autoimmune destruction. The structural elements recognized by drug-specific T cell receptors (TCRs) in vivo are poorly defined. Drug-stimulated T cells express TCRs specific for peptide/HLA complexes, but the characteristics of peptides (sequence, or endogenous or exogenous origin) presented in the context...

Structural phenotyping of stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Pasqualini, Francesco Silvio; Sheehy, Sean Paul; Agarwal, Ashutosh; Aratyn-Schaus, Yvonne; Parker, Kevin Kit

2015-03-10

Structural phenotyping based on classical image feature detection has been adopted to elucidate the molecular mechanisms behind genetically or pharmacologically induced changes in cell morphology. Here, we developed a set of 11 metrics to capture the increasing sarcomere organization that occurs intracellularly during striated muscle cell development. To test our metrics, we analyzed the localization of the contractile protein α-actinin in a variety of primary and stem-cell derived cardiomyocytes. Further, we combined these metrics with data mining algorithms to unbiasedly score the phenotypic maturity of human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improved Cathode Structure for a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell

Science.gov (United States)

Valdez, Thomas; Narayanan, Sekharipuram

2005-01-01

An improved cathode structure on a membrane/electrode assembly has been developed for a direct methanol fuel cell, in a continuing effort to realize practical power systems containing such fuel cells. This cathode structure is intended particularly to afford better cell performance at a low airflow rate. A membrane/electrode assembly of the type for which the improved cathode structure was developed (see Figure 1) is fabricated in a process that includes brush painting and spray coating of catalyst layers onto a polymer-electrolyte membrane and onto gas-diffusion backings that also act as current collectors. The aforementioned layers are then dried and hot-pressed together. When completed, the membrane/electrode assembly contains (1) an anode containing a fine metal black of Pt/Ru alloy, (2) a membrane made of Nafion 117 or equivalent (a perfluorosulfonic acid-based hydrophilic, proton-conducting ion-exchange polymer), (3) a cathode structure (in the present case, the improved cathode structure described below), and (4) the electrically conductive gas-diffusion backing layers, which are made of Toray 060(TradeMark)(or equivalent) carbon paper containing between 5 and 6 weight percent of poly(tetrafluoroethylene). The need for an improved cathode structure arises for the following reasons: In the design and operation of a fuel-cell power system, the airflow rate is a critical parameter that determines the overall efficiency, cell voltage, and power density. It is desirable to operate at a low airflow rate in order to obtain thermal and water balance and to minimize the size and mass of the system. The performances of membrane/electrode assemblies of prior design are limited at low airflow rates. Methanol crossover increases the required airflow rate. Hence, one way to reduce the required airflow rate is to reduce the effect of methanol crossover. Improvement of the cathode structure - in particular, addition of hydrophobic particles to the cathode - has been

A simplistic analytical unit cell based model for the effective thermal conductivity of high porosity open-cell metal foams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, X H; Kuang, J J; Lu, T J; Han, F S; Kim, T

2013-01-01

We present a simplistic yet accurate analytical model for the effective thermal conductivity of high porosity open-cell metal foams saturated in a low conducting fluid (air). The model is derived analytically based on a realistic representative unit cell (a tetrakaidecahedron) under the assumption of one-dimensional heat conduction along highly tortuous-conducting ligaments at high porosity ranges (ε ⩾ 0.9). Good agreement with existing experimental data suggests that heat conduction along highly conducting and tortuous ligaments predominantly defines the effective thermal conductivity of open-cell metal foams with negligible conduction in parallel through the fluid phase. (paper)

Extra-regulatory impact tests and analyses of the structural evaluation test unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ludwigsen, J.S.; Ammerman, D.J.

1995-01-01

The structural evaluation test unit is roughly equivalent to a 1/3 scale model of a high level waste rail cask. The test unit was designed to just meet the requirements of NRC Regulatory Guide 7.6 when subjected to a 9 m (30 ft) free drop resulting in an impact velocity of 13.4 m/s (30 mph) onto an unyielding target in the end-on orientation. The test unit was then subjected to impacts with higher velocities to determine the amount of built-in conservatism in this design approach. Test impacts of 13.4, 20.1 and 26.8 m/s (30, 45, and 60 mph) were performed. This paper will describe the design, testing, and comparison of measured strains and deformations to the equivalent analytical predictions

Three-dimensional reconstruction of statistically optimal unit cells of polydisperse particulate composites from microtomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, H.; Brandyberry, M.; Tudor, A.; Matous, K.

2009-01-01

In this paper, we present a systematic approach for characterization and reconstruction of statistically optimal representative unit cells of polydisperse particulate composites. Microtomography is used to gather rich three-dimensional data of a packed glass bead system. First-, second-, and third-order probability functions are used to characterize the morphology of the material, and the parallel augmented simulated annealing algorithm is employed for reconstruction of the statistically equivalent medium. Both the fully resolved probability spectrum and the geometrically exact particle shapes are considered in this study, rendering the optimization problem multidimensional with a highly complex objective function. A ten-phase particulate composite composed of packed glass beads in a cylindrical specimen is investigated, and a unit cell is reconstructed on massively parallel computers. Further, rigorous error analysis of the statistical descriptors (probability functions) is presented and a detailed comparison between statistics of the voxel-derived pack and the representative cell is made.

Identification of glycan structure alterations on cell membrane proteins in desoxyepothilone B resistant leukemia cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakano, Miyako; Saldanha, Rohit; Göbel, Anja; Kavallaris, Maria; Packer, Nicolle H

2011-11-01

Resistance to tubulin-binding agents used in cancer is often multifactorial and can include changes in drug accumulation and modified expression of tubulin isotypes. Glycans on cell membrane proteins play important roles in many cellular processes such as recognition and apoptosis, and this study investigated whether changes to the glycan structures on cell membrane proteins occur when cells become resistant to drugs. Specifically, we investigated the alteration of glycan structures on the cell membrane proteins of human T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (CEM) cells that were selected for resistance to desoxyepothilone B (CEM/dEpoB). The glycan profile of the cell membrane glycoproteins was obtained by sequential release of N- and O-glycans from cell membrane fraction dotted onto polyvinylidene difluoride membrane with PNGase F and β-elimination respectively. The released glycan alditols were analyzed by liquid chromatography (graphitized carbon)-electrospray ionization tandem MS. The major N-glycan on CEM cell was the core fucosylated α2-6 monosialo-biantennary structure. Resistant CEM/dEpoB cells had a significant decrease of α2-6 linked sialic acid on N-glycans. The lower α2-6 sialylation was caused by a decrease in activity of β-galactoside α2-6 sialyltransferase (ST6Gal), and decreased expression of the mRNA. It is clear that the membrane glycosylation of leukemia cells changes during acquired resistance to dEpoB drugs and that this change occurs globally on all cell membrane glycoproteins. This is the first identification of a specific glycan modification on the surface of drug resistant cells and the mechanism of this downstream effect on microtubule targeting drugs may offer a route to new interventions to overcome drug resistance.

Structural empowerment and patient safety culture among registered nurses working in adult critical care units.

Science.gov (United States)

Armellino, Donna; Quinn Griffin, Mary T; Fitzpatrick, Joyce J

2010-10-01

The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between structural empowerment and patient safety culture among staff level Registered Nurses (RNs) within adult critical care units (ACCU). There is literature to support the value of RNs' structurally empowered work environments and emerging literature towards patient safety culture; the link between empowerment and patient safety culture is being discovered. A sample of 257 RNs, working within adult critical care of a tertiary hospital in the United States, was surveyed. Instruments included a background data sheet, the Conditions of Workplace Effectiveness and the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture. Structural empowerment and patient safety culture were significantly correlated. As structural empowerment increased so did the RNs' perception of patient safety culture. To foster patient safety culture, nurse leaders should consider providing structurally empowering work environments for RNs. This study contributes to the body of knowledge linking structural empowerment and patient safety culture. Results link structurally empowered RNs and increased patient safety culture, essential elements in delivering efficient, competent, quality care. They inform nursing management of key factors in the nurses' environment that promote safe patient care environments. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

An ezrin-rich, rigid uropod-like structure directs movement of amoeboid blebbing cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Lorentzen, Anna; Bamber, Jeffrey; Sadok, Amine; Elson-Schwab, Ilan; Marshall, Christopher J

2011-04-15

Melanoma cells can switch between an elongated mesenchymal-type and a rounded amoeboid-type migration mode. The rounded 'amoeboid' form of cell movement is driven by actomyosin contractility resulting in membrane blebbing. Unlike elongated A375 melanoma cells, rounded A375 cells do not display any obvious morphological front-back polarisation, although polarisation is thought to be a prerequisite for cell movement. We show that blebbing A375 cells are polarised, with ezrin (a linker between the plasma membrane and actin cytoskeleton), F-actin, myosin light chain, plasma membrane, phosphatidylinositol (4,5)-bisphosphate and β1-integrin accumulating at the cell rear in a uropod-like structure. This structure does not have the typical protruding shape of classical leukocyte uropods, but, as for those structures, it is regulated by protein kinase C. We show that the ezrin-rich uropod-like structure (ERULS) is an inherent feature of polarised A375 cells and not a consequence of cell migration, and is necessary for cell invasion. Furthermore, we demonstrate that membrane blebbing is reduced at this site, leading to a model in which the rigid ezrin-containing structure determines the direction of a moving cell through localised inhibition of membrane blebbing.

[Cross sectional study of structural quality of German intensive care units. A reevaluation of the DIVI register].

Science.gov (United States)

Fölsch, C; Kofahl, N; Waydhas, C; Stiletto, R

2013-09-01

Effectiveness of intensive care treatment is essential to cope with increasing costs. The German national register of intensive care established by the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care Medicine (DIVI) contains basic data on the structure of intensive care units in Germany. A repeat analysis of data of the DIVI register within 8 years provides information for the development of intensive care units under different economic circumstances. The recent data on the structure of intensive care units were obtained in 2008 and compared with the primary multicenter study from 2000. The hospitals selected were a representative sample for the whole of Germany. Data on the status of the hospital, staff and technical facilities, foundation of the hospital and the statistics of mechanically ventilated patients were analyzed. The technical facilities and the number of staff have improved from 2000 to 2008. A smaller availability of diagnostic procedures and staff remain in hospitals for basic treatment outside normal working hours. The average utilization of intensive care unit beds was not altered. The existence of intermediate care units did not significantly change the proportion of patients with artificial ventilation or ventilation times. The number of beds in intensive care units was unchanged as was the average number of beds in units and the number of patients treated. A relevant number of beds of intensive care units shifted towards hospitals with private foundation without changes in the overall numbers. The structure of the hospitals was comparable at both time points. The introduction of intermediate care units did not alter ventilation parameters of patients in 2008 compared with 2000. There is no obvious medical reason for the shift of intensive care beds towards private hospitals. The number of staff and patients varied considerably between the intensive care units. The average number of patients treated per bed was not different between the

Comparison of elastic properties of open-cell metallic biomaterials with different unit cell types

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hedayati, R.; Sadighi, M.; Mohammadi-Aghdam, M; Hosseini-Toudeshky, H

2018-01-01

Additive manufacturing techniques have made it possible to create open-cell porous structures with arbitrary micro-geometrical characteristics. Since a wide range of micro-geometrical features is available for making an implant, having a comprehensive knowledge of the mechanical response of

Structure of the nucleoid in cells of Streptococcus faecalis.

OpenAIRE

Daneo-Moore, L; Dicker, D; Higgins, M L

1980-01-01

The structure of the nucleoid of Streptococcus faecalis (ATCC 9790) was examined and compared in the unfixed and fixed states by immersive refractometry and electron microscopy. It appears from these studies that the nucleoid structure is much more centralized in unfixed chloramphenicol-treated (stationary-phase) cells than it is in cells in the exponential phase of growth. The more dispersed configuration of the exponential-phase nucleoid could be preserved by fixation in glutaraldehyde, but...

Structural Studies of Complex Carbohydrates of Plant Cell Walls

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Darvill, Alan [Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States); Hahn, Michael G. [Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States); O' Neill, Malcolm A. [Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States); York, William S. [Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States)

2015-02-17

Most of the solar energy captured by land plants is converted into the polysaccharides (cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin) that are the predominant components of the cell wall. These walls, which account for the bulk of plant biomass, have numerous roles in the growth and development of plants. Moreover, these walls have a major impact on human life as they are a renewable source of biomass, a source of diverse commercially useful polymers, a major component of wood, and a source of nutrition for humans and livestock. Thus, understanding the molecular mechanisms that lead to wall assembly and how cell walls and their component polysaccharides contribute to plant growth and development is essential to improve and extend the productivity and value of plant materials. The proposed research will develop and apply advanced analytical and immunological techniques to study specific changes in the structures and interactions of the hemicellulosic and pectic polysaccharides that occur during differentiation and in response to genetic modification and chemical treatments that affect wall biosynthesis. These new techniques will make it possible to accurately characterize minute amounts of cell wall polysaccharides so that subtle changes in structure that occur in individual cell types can be identified and correlated to the physiological or developmental state of the plant. Successful implementation of this research will reveal fundamental relationships between polysaccharide structure, cell wall architecture, and cell wall functions.

A case study examination of structure and function in a state health department chronic disease unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Alongi, Jeanne

2015-04-01

I explored the structural and operational practices of the chronic disease prevention and control unit of a state health department and proposed a conceptual model of structure, function, and effectiveness for future study. My exploratory case study examined 7 elements of organizational structure and practice. My interviews with staff and external stakeholders of a single chronic disease unit yielded quantitative and qualitative data that I coded by perspective, process, relationship, and activity. I analyzed these for patterns and emerging themes. Chi-square analysis revealed significant correlations among collaboration with goal ambiguity, political support, and responsiveness, and evidence-based decisions with goal ambiguity and responsiveness. Although my study design did not permit conclusions about causality, my findings suggested that some elements of the model might facilitate effectiveness for chronic disease units and should be studied further. My findings might have important implications for identifying levers around which capacity can be built that may strengthen effectiveness.

Numerical calculations of effective elastic properties of two cellular structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tuncer, Enis

2005-01-01

Young's moduli of regular two-dimensional truss-like and eye-shaped structures are simulated using the finite element method. The structures are idealizations of soft polymeric materials used in ferro-electret applications. In the simulations, the length scales of the smallest representative units are varied, which changes the dimensions of the cell walls in the structures. A power-law expression with a quadratic as the exponent term is proposed for the effective Young's moduli of the systems as a function of the solid volume fraction. The data are divided into three regions with respect to the volume fraction: low, intermediate and high. The parameters of the proposed power-law expression in each region are later represented as a function of the structural parameters, the unit-cell dimensions. The expression presented can be used to predict a structure/property relationship in materials with similar cellular structures. The contribution of the cell-wall thickness to the elastic properties becomes significant at concentrations >0.15. The cell-wall thickness is the most significant factor in predicting the effective Young's modulus of regular cellular structures at high volume fractions of solid. At lower concentrations of solid, the eye-shaped structure yields a lower Young's modulus than a truss-like structure with similar anisotropy. Comparison of the numerical results with those of experimental data for poly(propylene) show good agreement regarding the influence of cell-wall thickness on elastic properties of thin cellular films

Structural review of the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 containment structure under combined loads for the Systematic Evaluation Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liaw, C.Y.; Debeling, A.; Tsai, N.C.

1981-12-01

A structural reassessment of the containment structure of the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 was performed for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as part of the Systematic Evaluation Program. Conclusions about the ability of the containment structure to withstand the Abnormal/Extreme Environment are presented. The reassessment focused mainly on the overall structural integrity of the containment building for the Abnormal/Extreme Environment. In this case, the Abnormal Environmental condition is caused by the worst case of either a Loss-of-Coolant Accident or a main steam line break. The Extreme Environmental condition is the Safe Shutdown Earthquake

Structural studies on the actinide carboxylates. 4. The crystal and molecular structure of succinate dioxouranium(VI) monohydrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bombieri, G; Benetollo, F [Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Padua (Italy). Lab. di Chimica e Tecnologia dei Radioelementi; Del Pra, A; Rojas, R

1979-01-01

The structure of the title compound, UO/sub 2/(CH/sub 2/COO)/sub 2/.H/sub 2/O, has been determined from three-dimensional X-ray data. The crystals are orthorhombic, space group Pbcn with four formula units in a cell. The coordination geometry about the uranium atom is pentagonal bipyramidal. The uranyl ions are equatorially surrounded by one water oxygen and by four carboxylate oxygen atoms of different succinic ligands. Each ligand is shared by four uranyl units giving rise to a polymeric-like structure.

Despite disorganized synapse structure, Th2 cells maintain directional delivery of CD40L to antigen-presenting B cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Gardell, Jennifer L; Parker, David C

2017-01-01

Upon recognition of peptide displayed on MHC molecules, Th1 and Th2 cells form distinct immunological synapse structures. Th1 cells have a bull's eye synapse structure with TCR/ MHC-peptide interactions occurring central to a ring of adhesion molecules, while Th2 cells have a multifocal synapse with small clusters of TCR/MHC interactions throughout the area of T cell/antigen-presenting cell interaction. In this study, we investigated whether this structural difference in the immunological synapse affects delivery of T cell help. The immunological synapse is thought to ensure antigen-specific delivery of cytolytic granules and killing of target cells by NK cells and cytolytic T cells. In helper T cells, it has been proposed that the immunological synapse may direct delivery of other effector molecules including cytokines. CD40 ligand (CD40L) is a membrane-bound cytokine essential for antigen-specific T cell help for B cells in the antibody response. We incubated Th1 and Th2 cells overnight with a mixture of antigen-presenting and bystander B cells, and the delivery of CD40L to B cells and subsequent B cell responses were compared. Despite distinct immunological synapse structures, Th1 and Th2 cell do not differ in their ability to deliver CD40L and T cell help in an antigen-specific fashion, or in their susceptibility to inhibition of help by a blocking anti-CD40L antibody.

Recent Advances in the Inverted Planar Structure of Perovskite Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Lei; You, Jingbi; Guo, Tzung-Fang; Yang, Yang

2016-01-19

Inorganic-organic hybrid perovskite solar cells research could be traced back to 2009, and initially showed 3.8% efficiency. After 6 years of efforts, the efficiency has been pushed to 20.1%. The pace of development was much faster than that of any type of solar cell technology. In addition to high efficiency, the device fabrication is a low-cost solution process. Due to these advantages, a large number of scientists have been immersed into this promising area. In the past 6 years, much of the research on perovskite solar cells has been focused on planar and mesoporous device structures employing an n-type TiO2 layer as the bottom electron transport layer. These architectures have achieved champion device efficiencies. However, they still possess unwanted features. Mesoporous structures require a high temperature (>450 °C) sintering process for the TiO2 scaffold, which will increase the cost and also not be compatible with flexible substrates. While the planar structures based on TiO2 (regular structure) usually suffer from a large degree of J-V hysteresis. Recently, another emerging structure, referred to as an "inverted" planar device structure (i.e., p-i-n), uses p-type and n-type materials as bottom and top charge transport layers, respectively. This structure derived from organic solar cells, and the charge transport layers used in organic photovoltaics were successfully transferred into perovskite solar cells. The p-i-n structure of perovskite solar cells has shown efficiencies as high as 18%, lower temperature processing, flexibility, and, furthermore, negligible J-V hysteresis effects. In this Account, we will provide a comprehensive comparison of the mesoporous and planar structures, and also the regular and inverted of planar structures. Later, we will focus the discussion on the development of the inverted planar structure of perovskite solar cells, including film growth, band alignment, stability, and hysteresis. In the film growth part, several

Three-dimensional bioprinting of complex cell laden alginate hydrogel structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Tabriz, Atabak Ghanizadeh; Hermida, Miguel A; Leslie, Nicholas R; Shu, Wenmiao

2015-12-21

Different bioprinting techniques have been used to produce cell-laden alginate hydrogel structures, however these approaches have been limited to 2D or simple three-dimension (3D) structures. In this study, a new extrusion based bioprinting technique was developed to produce more complex alginate hydrogel structures. This was achieved by dividing the alginate hydrogel cross-linking process into three stages: primary calcium ion cross-linking for printability of the gel, secondary calcium cross-linking for rigidity of the alginate hydrogel immediately after printing and tertiary barium ion cross-linking for long-term stability of the alginate hydrogel in culture medium. Simple 3D structures including tubes were first printed to ensure the feasibility of the bioprinting technique and then complex 3D structures such as branched vascular structures were successfully printed. The static stiffness of the alginate hydrogel after printing was 20.18 ± 1.62 KPa which was rigid enough to sustain the integrity of the complex 3D alginate hydrogel structure during the printing. The addition of 60 mM barium chloride was found to significantly extend the stability of the cross-linked alginate hydrogel from 3 d to beyond 11 d without compromising the cellular viability. The results based on cell bioprinting suggested that viability of U87-MG cells was 93 ± 0.9% immediately after bioprinting and cell viability maintained above 88% ± 4.3% in the alginate hydrogel over the period of 11 d.

Determination of Ni(II) crystal structure by powder x-ray diffraction ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

X-ray powder diffraction pattern was used to determine the length of the unit cell, “a”, the lattice structure type, and the number of atoms per unit cell of Ni(II) crystal. The “a” value was determined to be 23.66 ± 0.005 Å, particle size of 34.87 nm, volume 13.24 Å and Strain value ε = 9.8 x 10-3. The cell search on PXRD patterns ...

New structures and composition of cell wall teichoic acids from Nocardiopsis synnemataformans, Nocardiopsis halotolerans, Nocardiopsis composta and Nocardiopsis metallicus: a chemotaxonomic value.

Science.gov (United States)

Tul'skaya, Elena M; Shashkov, Alexander S; Streshinskaya, Galina M; Potekhina, Natalia V; Evtushenko, Ludmila I

2014-12-01

The structures of the cell wall teichoic acids (TA) from some species of the genus Nocardiopsis were established by chemical and NMR spectroscopic methods. The cell walls of Nocardiopsis synnemataformans VKM Ac-2518(T) and Nocardiopsis halotolerans VKM Ac-2519(T) both contain two TA with unique structures-poly(polyol phosphate-glycosylpolyol phosphate)-belonging to the type IV TA. In both organisms, the minor TA have identical structures: poly(glycerol phosphate-N-acetyl-β-galactosaminylglycerol phosphate) with the phosphodiester bond between C-3 of glycerol and C-4 of the amino sugar. This structure is found for the first time. The major TA of N. halotolerans has a hitherto unknown structure: poly(glycerol phosphate-N-acetyl-β-galactosaminylglycerol phosphate), the N-acetyl-β-galactosamine being acetalated with pyruvic acid at positions 4 and 6. The major TA of N. synnemataformans is a poly(glycerol phosphate-N-acetyl-β-galactosaminylglycerol phosphate) with the phosphodiester bond between C-3 of glycerol and C-3 of the amino sugar. The cell walls of Nocardiopsis composta VKM Ac-2520 and N. composta VKM Ac-2521(T) contain only one TA, namely 1,3-poly(glycerol phosphate) partially substituted with N-acetyl-α-glucosamine. The cell wall of Nocardiopsis metallicus VKM Ac-2522(T) contains two TA. The major TA is 1,5-poly(ribitol phosphate), each ribitol unit carrying a pyruvate ketal group at positions 2 and 4. The structure of the minor TA is the same as that of N. composta. The results presented correlate well with the phylogenetic grouping of strains and confirm the species and strain specific features of cell wall TA in members of the genus Nocardiopsis.

Novel tandem structure employing mesh-structured Cu2S counter electrode for enhanced performance of quantum dot-sensitized solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Yue-Yong; Zhang, Quan-Xin; Wang, Tian-Zi; Zhu, Li-Feng; Huang, Xiao-Ming; Zhang, Yi-Duo; Hu, Xing; Li, Dong-Mei; Luo, Yan-Hong; Meng, Qing-Bo

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► This is the first report on practical tandem structures for quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs). ► Mesh-structured Cu 2 S counter electrode exhibits high catalytic activity and good transmittance. ► Influence of photoanode thickness on tandem QDSCs has been systematically studied. ► Tandem QDSCs shows higher photocurrent and efficiency as against the single-photoanode cell. ► This structure can achieve higher efficiency with different QD sensitizers for complementary spectral responses. -- Abstract: A practical tandem structure with a semitransparent mesh-structured Cu 2 S counter electrode sandwiched between two TiO 2 photoelectrodes has been designed for quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs). The mesh-structured Cu 2 S counter electrode exhibits high catalytic activity for polysulfide electrolyte. CdS/CdSe quantum dot-sensitized TiO 2 films have been applied as both top and bottom photoelectrodes to testify the effectiveness of the tandem structure. The influence of the TiO 2 film thickness on the performance of the tandem cell has been systematically studied. The optimized tandem QDSC shows an improved photocurrent and 12-percent increase of efficiency over the top cell with a 4.7 μm thick top cell and an 11.0 μm thick bottom cell, presenting a new effective approach towards highly efficient QDSCs

Structure of the cell wall of mango after application of ionizing radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Josenilda M.; Villar, Heldio P.; Pimentel, Rejane M. M.

2012-11-01

Cells of the mesocarp of mango cultivar Tommy Atkins were analyzed by Transmission Electron Microscope—TEM to evaluate the effects of doses of 0.5 and 1.0 kGy applied immediately after the fruit and after storage for twenty days at a temperature of 12 °C followed by 5 days of simulated marketing at a temperature of 21 °C. No alteration was found in the structure of the cell wall, middle lamella, and plasma membrane of fruits when analyzed immediately after application of doses. The mesocarp cell structure of the cell wall, middle lamella, and the plasma membrane did however undergo changes after storage. Fruits that received a dose of 0.5 kGy displayed slight changes in cell wall structure and slight disintegration of the middle lamella. Fruits that received a dose of 1.0 kGy displayed more severe changes in the structure of the cell wall, greater middle lamella degradation, and displacement of the plasma membrane.

Enabling cell-cell communication via nanopore formation: structure, function and localization of the unique cell wall amidase AmiC2 of Nostoc punctiforme.

Science.gov (United States)

Büttner, Felix M; Faulhaber, Katharina; Forchhammer, Karl; Maldener, Iris; Stehle, Thilo

2016-04-01

To orchestrate a complex life style in changing environments, the filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme facilitates communication between neighboring cells through septal junction complexes. This is achieved by nanopores that perforate the peptidoglycan (PGN) layer and traverse the cell septa. The N-acetylmuramoyl-l-alanine amidase AmiC2 (Npun_F1846; EC 3.5.1.28) in N. punctiforme generates arrays of such nanopores in the septal PGN, in contrast to homologous amidases that mediate daughter cell separation after cell division in unicellular bacteria. Nanopore formation is therefore a novel property of AmiC homologs. Immunofluorescence shows that native AmiC2 localizes to the maturing septum. The high-resolution crystal structure (1.12 Å) of its catalytic domain (AmiC2-cat) differs significantly from known structures of cell splitting and PGN recycling amidases. A wide and shallow binding cavity allows easy access of the substrate to the active site, which harbors an essential zinc ion. AmiC2-cat exhibits strong hydrolytic activity in vitro. A single point mutation of a conserved glutamate near the zinc ion results in total loss of activity, whereas zinc removal leads to instability of AmiC2-cat. An inhibitory α-helix, as found in the Escherichia coli AmiC(E. coli) structure, is absent. Taken together, our data provide insight into the cell-biological, biochemical and structural properties of an unusual cell wall lytic enzyme that generates nanopores for cell-cell communication in multicellular cyanobacteria. The novel structural features of the catalytic domain and the unique biological function of AmiC2 hint at mechanisms of action and regulation that are distinct from other amidases. The AmiC2-cat structure has been deposited in the Protein Data Bank under accession number 5EMI. © 2016 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

Evaluation of the structural integrity of LMFBR equipment cell liners: results of preliminary investigations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McAfee, W.J.; Sartory, W.K.

1976-01-01

The behavior of a plane wall segment of a prototype liquid-metal-cooled fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) cell under conditions of a postulated massive sodium spill was studied. Sodium-concrete reaction calculations were performed assuming an initial flaw existed in the liner such that high-temperature sodium could penetrate to the concrete underneath. Based on existing sodium-concrete reaction rate data, bounding values were established for the maximum energy release per unit volume of concrete. The potential effect of this energy release on the deformation of the liner material was determined. The temperature buildup in the liner and the pressure differential across the flaw in the liner were also studied. The transient thermal and structural responses of the steel liner and backup concrete were analyzed in detail using the inelastic computer code ANSYS. The literature on the mechanical, physical, and general behavior properties of concrete at high temperature was reviewed. This review emphasized the structural behavior of concrete and did not cover the sodium-concrete reaction

Thin Film Structure of Tetraceno(2,3-B)thiophene Characterized By Grazing Incidence X-Ray Scattering And Near-Edge X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan, Q.; Mannsfeld, S.C.B.; Tang, M.L.; Toney, M.F.; Luening, J.; Bao, Z.A.

2008-01-01

Understanding the structure-property relationship for organic semiconductors is crucial in rational molecular design and organic thin film process control. Charge carrier transport in organic field-effect transistors predominantly occurs in a few semiconductor layers close to the interface in contact with the dielectric layer, and the transport properties depend sensitively on the precise molecular packing. Therefore, a better understanding of the impact of molecular packing and thin film morphology in the first few monolayers above the dielectric layer on charge transport is needed to improve the transistor performance. In this Article, we show that the detailed molecular packing in thin organic semiconductor films can be solved through a combination of grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD), near-edge X-ray absorption spectra fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy, energy minimization packing calculations, and structure refinement of the diffraction data. We solve the thin film structure for 2 and 20 nm thick films of tetraceno(2,3-b)thiophene and detect only a single phase for these thicknesses. The GIXD yields accurate unit cell dimensions, while the precise molecular arrangement in the unit cell was found from the energy minimization and structure refinement; the NEXAFS yields a consistent molecular tilt. For the 20 nm film, the unit cell is triclinic with a = 5.96 A, b = 7.71 A, c = 15.16 A, alpha = 97.30 degrees, beta = 95.63 degrees, gamma = 90 degrees; there are two molecules per unit cell with herringbone packing (49-59 degree angle) and tilted about 7 degrees from the substrate normal. The thin film structure is significantly different from the bulk single-crystal structure, indicating the importance of characterizing thin film to correlate with thin film device performance. The results are compared to the corresponding data for the chemically similar and widely used pentacene. Possible effects of the observed thin film structure and morphology on

Simultaneous characterization of cellular RNA structure and function with in-cell SHAPE-Seq.

Science.gov (United States)

Watters, Kyle E; Abbott, Timothy R; Lucks, Julius B

2016-01-29

Many non-coding RNAs form structures that interact with cellular machinery to control gene expression. A central goal of molecular and synthetic biology is to uncover design principles linking RNA structure to function to understand and engineer this relationship. Here we report a simple, high-throughput method called in-cell SHAPE-Seq that combines in-cell probing of RNA structure with a measurement of gene expression to simultaneously characterize RNA structure and function in bacterial cells. We use in-cell SHAPE-Seq to study the structure-function relationship of two RNA mechanisms that regulate translation in Escherichia coli. We find that nucleotides that participate in RNA-RNA interactions are highly accessible when their binding partner is absent and that changes in RNA structure due to RNA-RNA interactions can be quantitatively correlated to changes in gene expression. We also characterize the cellular structures of three endogenously expressed non-coding RNAs: 5S rRNA, RNase P and the btuB riboswitch. Finally, a comparison between in-cell and in vitro folded RNA structures revealed remarkable similarities for synthetic RNAs, but significant differences for RNAs that participate in complex cellular interactions. Thus, in-cell SHAPE-Seq represents an easily approachable tool for biologists and engineers to uncover relationships between sequence, structure and function of RNAs in the cell. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Changes in proteasome structure and function caused by HAMLET in tumor cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Gustafsson, Lotta; Aits, Sonja; Onnerfjord, Patrik; Trulsson, Maria; Storm, Petter; Svanborg, Catharina

2009-01-01

Proteasomes control the level of endogenous unfolded proteins by degrading them in the proteolytic core. Insufficient degradation due to altered protein structure or proteasome inhibition may trigger cell death. This study examined the proteasome response to HAMLET, a partially unfolded protein-lipid complex, which is internalized by tumor cells and triggers cell death. HAMLET bound directly to isolated 20S proteasomes in vitro and in tumor cells significant co-localization of HAMLET and 20S proteasomes was detected by confocal microscopy. This interaction was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation from extracts of HAMLET-treated tumor cells. HAMLET resisted in vitro degradation by proteasomal enzymes and degradation by intact 20S proteasomes was slow compared to fatty acid-free, partially unfolded alpha-lactalbumin. After a brief activation, HAMLET inhibited proteasome activity in vitro and in parallel a change in proteasome structure occurred, with modifications of catalytic (beta1 and beta5) and structural subunits (alpha2, alpha3, alpha6 and beta3). Proteasome inhibition was confirmed in extracts from HAMLET-treated cells and there were indications of proteasome fragmentation in HAMLET-treated cells. The results suggest that internalized HAMLET is targeted to 20S proteasomes, that the complex resists degradation, inhibits proteasome activity and perturbs proteasome structure. We speculate that perturbations of proteasome structure might contribute to the cytotoxic effects of unfolded protein complexes that invade host cells.

Development and static testing of the 18x6 m SSU-TTMBF spatial structural unit

Science.gov (United States)

Deordiev, S.; Frolovskaia, A.; Krasiev, M.

2018-03-01

The aim of this work is the development of a fragment of the structural covering, consisting of a triangular block of frames, the choice of step size (width) of the structural unit and a study of its mode of deformation by comparing experimental and theoretical results of research.

Magnetization Dynamics in Two Novel Current-Driven Spintronic Memory Cell Structures

KAUST Repository

Velazquez-Rizo, Martin

2017-07-01

In this work, two new spintronic memory cell structures are proposed. The first cell uses the diffusion of polarized spins into ferromagnets with perpendicular anisotropy to tilt their magnetization followed by their dipolar coupling to a fixed magnet (Bhowmik et al., 2014). The possibility of setting the magnetization to both stable magnetization states in a controlled manner using a similar concept remains unknown, but the proposed structure poses to be a solution to this difficulty. The second cell proposed takes advantage of the multiple stable magnetic states that exist in ferromagnets with configurational anisotropy and also uses spin torques to manipulate its magnetization. It utilizes a square-shaped ferromagnet whose stable magnetization has preferred directions along the diagonals of the square, giving four stable magnetic states allowing to use the structure as a multi-bit memory cell. Both devices use spin currents generated in heavy metals by the Spin Hall effect present in these materials. Among the advantages of the structures proposed are their inherent non-volatility and the fact that there is no need for applying external magnetic fields during their operation, which drastically improves the energy efficiency of the devices. Computational simulations using the Object Oriented Micromagnetic Framework (OOMMF) software package were performed to study the dynamics of the magnetization process in both structures and predict their behavior. Besides, we fabricated a 4-terminal memory cell with configurational anisotropy similar to the device proposed, and found four stable resistive states on the structure, proving the feasibility of this technology for implementation of high-density, non-volatile memory cells.

Cell-free protein synthesis for structure determination by X-ray crystallography.

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Miki; Miyazono, Ken-ichi; Tanokura, Masaru; Sawasaki, Tatsuya; Endo, Yaeta; Kobayashi, Ichizo

2010-01-01

Structure determination has been difficult for those proteins that are toxic to the cells and cannot be prepared in a large amount in vivo. These proteins, even when biologically very interesting, tend to be left uncharacterized in the structural genomics projects. Their cell-free synthesis can bypass the toxicity problem. Among the various cell-free systems, the wheat-germ-based system is of special interest due to the following points: (1) Because the gene is placed under a plant translational signal, its toxic expression in a bacterial host is reduced. (2) It has only little codon preference and, especially, little discrimination between methionine and selenomethionine (SeMet), which allows easy preparation of selenomethionylated proteins for crystal structure determination by SAD and MAD methods. (3) Translation is uncoupled from transcription, so that the toxicity of the translation product on DNA and its transcription, if any, can be bypassed. We have shown that the wheat-germ-based cell-free protein synthesis is useful for X-ray crystallography of one of the 4-bp cutter restriction enzymes, which are expected to be very toxic to all forms of cells retaining the genome. Our report on its structure represents the first report of structure determination by X-ray crystallography using protein overexpressed with the wheat-germ-based cell-free protein expression system. This will be a method of choice for cytotoxic proteins when its cost is not a problem. Its use will become popular when the crystal structure determination technology has evolved to require only a tiny amount of protein.

Meteorite Unit Models for Structural Properties

Science.gov (United States)

Agrawal, Parul; Carlozzi, Alexander A.; Karajeh, Zaid S.; Bryson, Kathryn L.

2017-10-01

To assess the threat posed by an asteroid entering Earth’s atmosphere, one must predict if, when, and how it fragments during entry. A comprehensive understanding of the asteroid material properties is needed to achieve this objective. At present, the meteorite material found on earth are the only objects from an entering asteroid that can be used as representative material and be tested inside a laboratory. Due to complex composition, it is challenging and expensive to obtain reliable material properties by means of laboratory test for a family of meteorites. In order to circumvent this challenge, meteorite unit models are developed to determine the effective material properties including Young’s modulus, compressive and tensile strengths and Poisson’s ratio, that in turn would help deduce the properties of asteroids. The meteorite unit model is a representative volume that accounts for diverse minerals, porosity, cracks and matrix composition.The Young’s Modulus and Poisson’s Ratio in the meteorite units are calculated by performing several hundreds of Monte Carlo simulations by randomly distributing the various phases inside these units. Once these values are obtained, cracks are introduced in these units. The size, orientation and distribution of cracks are derived by CT-scans and visual scans of various meteorites. Subsequently, simulations are performed to attain stress-strain relations, strength and effective modulus values in the presence of these cracks. The meteorite unit models are presented for H, L and LL ordinary chondrites, as well as for terrestrial basalt. In the case of the latter, data from the simulations is compared with experimental data to validate the methodology. These meteorite unit models will be subsequently used in fragmentation modeling of full scale asteroids.

Unit cell parameters of wurtzite InP nanowires determined by x-ray diffraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Kriegner, D; Wintersberger, E; Kawaguchi, K; Wallentin, J; Borgström, M T; Stangl, J

2011-10-21

High resolution x-ray diffraction is used to study the structural properties of the wurtzite polytype of InP nanowires. Wurtzite InP nanowires are grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy using S-doping. From the evaluation of the Bragg peak position we determine the lattice parameters of the wurtzite InP nanowires. The unit cell dimensions are found to differ from the ones expected from geometric conversion of the cubic bulk InP lattice constant. The atomic distances along the c direction are increased whereas the atomic spacing in the a direction is reduced in comparison to the corresponding distances in the zinc-blende phase. Using core/shell nanowires with a thin core and thick nominally intrinsic shells we are able to determine the lattice parameters of wurtzite InP with a negligible influence of the S-doping due to the much larger volume in the shell. The determined material properties will enable the ab initio calculation of electronic and optical properties of wurtzite InP nanowires.

Microfabricated ratchet structures for concentrating and patterning motile bacterial cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Sang Yub; Lee, Eun Se; Lee, Ho Jae; Lee, Se Yeon; Lee, Sung Kuk; Kim, Taesung

2010-01-01

We present a novel microfabricated concentrator for Escherichia coli that can be a stand-alone and self-contained microfluidic device because it utilizes the motility of cells. First of all, we characterize the motility of E. coli cells and various ratcheting structures that can guide cells to move in a desired direction in straight and circular channels. Then, we combine these ratcheting microstructures with the intrinsic tendency of cells to swim on the right side in microchannels to enhance the concentration rates up to 180 fold until the concentrators are fully filled with cells. Furthermore, we demonstrate that cells can be positioned and concentrated with a constant spacing distance on a surface, allowing spatial patterning of motile cells. These results can be applied to biosorption or biosensor devices that are powered by motile cells because they can be highly concentrated without any external mechanical and electrical energy sources. Hence, we believe that the concentrator design holds considerable potential to be applied for concentrating and patterning other motile microbes and providing a versatile structure for motility study of bacterial cells.

Adaptive cellular structures and devices with internal features for enhanced structural performance

Science.gov (United States)

Pontecorvo, Michael Eugene

and force inputs are contrasted in relation to these metrics. The key innovation to the early structural elements presented here is the combination of the VMT with the pin-jointed hexagonal cell. Chapter 3 explores several prototypes of repeatable structural elements for simultaneous load-carrying capability and energy dissipation that are based on this innovation. The final demonstration prototype presented in this chapter is a column-like element that is based on a hexagonal cell containing two horizontal springs and one vertical damper. The unit is enclosed by a pair of buckling plates that serve to give the prototype a high initial stiffness and load carrying capability. The prototype is tested in both displacement and force input and its behavior is compared to simulation. Chapter 4 builds on the conceptual designs of Chapter 3 with the introduction of a plate-like element, that contains two compact VMTs connected by a horizontally oriented damper. Pre-loaded springs are used in the prototype to perform the same load carrying function as the buckling plates in the column-like prototype with increased predictability. The plate-like prototype is studied under impact to demonstrate its effectiveness as a protective layer. It is shown to reduce peak impact loads transmitted to the base of the device by over 60%. In most cases, the prototype compares well with a conventional protective rubber layer, and in cases of extreme impact loads, it exceeds the performance of the rubber layer. In addition to impact testing, the prototype is also experimentally tested under harmonic displacement input, and is simulated under both harmonic displacement and force input. The experiments illustrate that while the VMT parameters of a single layer can be optimized to a particular harmonic load amplitude, having two layers with softer and stiffer VMTs allows the system to show good energy dissipation characteristics at different harmonic load amplitude levels. Chapter 5 examines using

Major design issues of molten carbonate fuel cell power generation unit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, T.P.

1996-04-01

In addition to the stack, a fuel cell power generation unit requires fuel desulfurization and reforming, fuel and oxidant preheating, process heat removal, waste heat recovery, steam generation, oxidant supply, power conditioning, water supply and treatment, purge gas supply, instrument air supply, and system control. These support facilities add considerable cost and system complexity. Bechtel, as a system integrator of M-C Power`s molten carbonate fuel cell development team, has spent substantial effort to simplify and minimize these supporting facilities to meet cost and reliability goals for commercialization. Similiar to other fuels cells, MCFC faces design challenge of how to comply with codes and standards, achieve high efficiency and part load performance, and meanwhile minimize utility requirements, weight, plot area, and cost. However, MCFC has several unique design issues due to its high operating temperature, use of molten electrolyte, and the requirement of CO2 recycle.

CLIMATE CHANGE FUEL CELL PROGRAM UNITED STATES COAST GUARD AIR STATION CAPE COD BOURNE, MASSACHUSETTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

John K. Steckel Jr

2004-06-30

This report covers the first year of operation of a fuel cell power plant, installed by PPL Spectrum, Inc. (PPL) under contract with the United States Coast Guard (USCG), Research and Development Center (RDC). The fuel cell was installed at Air Station Cape Cod in Bourne, MA. The project had the support of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC), the Department of Energy (DOE), and Keyspan Energy. PPL selected FuelCell Energy, Inc. (FCE) and its fuel cell model DFC{reg_sign}300 for the contract. Grant contributions were finalized and a contract between PPL and the USCG for the manufacture, installation, and first year's maintenance of the fuel cell was executed on September 24, 2001. As the prime contractor, PPL was responsible for all facets of the project. All the work was completed by PPL through various subcontracts, including the primary subcontract with FCE for the manufacture, delivery, and installation of the fuel cell. The manufacturing and design phases proceeded in a relatively timely manner for the first half of the project. However, during latter stages of manufacture and fuel cell testing, a variety of issues were encountered that ultimately resulted in several delivery delays, and a number of contract modifications. Final installation and field testing was completed in April and May 2003. Final acceptance of the fuel cell was completed on May 16, 2003. The fuel cell has operated successfully for more than one year. The unit achieved an availability rate of 96%, which exceeded expectations. The capacity factor was limited because the unit was set at 155 kW (versus a nameplate of 250 kW) due to the interconnection with the electric utility. There were 18 shutdowns during the first year and most were brief. The ability of this plant to operate in the island mode improved availability by 3 to 4%. Events that would normally be shutdowns were simply island mode events. The mean time between failure was calculated at 239 hours, or slightly

The structure and dynamics of patterns of Benard convection cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rivier, N.; Imperial Coll. of Science and Technology, London; Lausanne Univ.

1990-08-01

Benard-Marangoni convection, in containers with large aspect ratio, exhibits space-filling cellular structures, highly deformable, but crystallized. They contain dislocations and grain boundaries generated and moved by elementary topological transformations, and are subjected to a weak shear stress due to the earth's rotation. The cellular structure and its fluctuations are analyzed from a crystallographic viewpoint, by using two complementary approaches. One is a global analysis of cellular structures in cylindrical symmetry. Their structural stability and defect pattern are obtained as topological mode-locking of a continuous structural parameter. The other, a local, molecular dynamics of the cells, gives a realistic parametrization of the forces and the transformations by generalizing the Voronoi cell construction in one extra dimension. 23 refs., 8 figs

Solid State Structure of Poly(9,9-dinonylfluorene)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Torkkeli, Mika; Galbrecht, Frank; Scherf, Ullrich

2015-01-01

We report on X-ray diffraction and grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction data of poly(9,9-dinonylfluorene) (PF9) in bulk, thin films and in the 1% methylcyclohexane gel. We denote the main crystalline phase as alpha phase and propose that the unit cell is monoclinic (a = 29.31 angstrom, b = 23.......1 angstrom, and c = 16.7 angstrom). Structural analogues to other 9,9-di-n-alkyl-substituted polyfluorenes are discussed in terms of unit cell parameters and backbone geometry....

Nested structures approach in designing an isotropic negative-index material for infrared

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andryieuski, Andrei; Malureanu, Radu; Lavrinenko, Andrei

2009-01-01

We propose a new generic approach for designing isotropic metamaterial with nested cubic structures. As an example, a three-dimensional isotropic unit cell design "Split Cube in Cage" (SCiC) is shown to exhibit an effective negative refractive index on infrared wavelengths. We report on the refra......We propose a new generic approach for designing isotropic metamaterial with nested cubic structures. As an example, a three-dimensional isotropic unit cell design "Split Cube in Cage" (SCiC) is shown to exhibit an effective negative refractive index on infrared wavelengths. We report...

Structural characterization and condition for measurement statistics preservation of a unital quantum operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Kai-Yan; Fung, Chi-Hang Fred; Chau, H F

2013-01-01

We investigate the necessary and sufficient condition for a convex cone of positive semidefinite operators to be fixed by a unital quantum operation ϕ acting on finite-dimensional quantum states. By reducing this problem to the problem of simultaneous diagonalization of the Kraus operators associated with ϕ, we can completely characterize the kinds of quantum states that are fixed by ϕ. Our work has several applications. It gives a simple proof of the structural characterization of a unital quantum operation that acts on finite-dimensional quantum states—a result not explicitly mentioned in earlier studies. It also provides a necessary and sufficient condition for determining what kind of measurement statistics is preserved by a unital quantum operation. Finally, our result clarifies and extends the work of Størmer by giving a proof of a reduction theorem on the unassisted and entanglement-assisted classical capacities, coherent information, and minimal output Renyi entropy of a unital channel acting on a finite-dimensional quantum state. (paper)

Structure-based, rational design of T cell receptors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincent eZoete

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Adoptive cell transfer using engineered T cells is emerging as a promising treatment for metastatic melanoma. Such an approach allows one to introduce TCR modifications that, while maintaining the specificity for the targeted antigen, can enhance the binding and kinetic parameters for the interaction pMHC. Using the well-characterized 2C TCR/SIYR/H-2K(b structure as a model system, we demonstrated that a binding free energy decomposition based on the MM-GBSA approach provides a detailed and reliable description of the TCR/pMHC interactions at the structural and thermodynamic levels. Starting from this result, we developed a new structure-based approach, to rationally design new TCR sequences, and applied it to the BC1 TCR targeting the HLA-A2 restricted NY-ESO-1157-165 cancer-testis epitope. 54% of the designed sequence replacements exhibited improved pMHC-binding as compared to the native TCR, with up to 150 fold increase in affinity, while preserving specificity. Genetically-engineered CD8+ T cells expressing these modified TCRs showed an improved functional activity compared to those expressing BC1 TCR. We measured maximum levels of activities for TCRs within the upper limit of natural affinity. Beyond the affinity threshold at KD < 1 μM we observed an attenuation in cellular function. We have also developed a homology modeling-based approach, TCRep 3D, to obtain accurate structural models of any TCR-pMHC complexes. We have complemented the approach with a simplified rigid method to predict the TCR orientation over pMHC. These methods potentially extend the use of our TCR engineering method to entire TCR repertoires for which no X-ray structure is available. We have also performed a steered molecular dynamics study of the unbinding of the TCR-pMHC complex to get a better understanding of how TCRs interact with pMHCs. This entire rational TCR design pipeline is now being used to produce rationally optimized TCRs for adoptive cell therapies of

On the Effect of Unit-Cell Parameters in Predicting the Elastic Response of Wood-Plastic Composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatemeh Alavi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a study on the effect of unit-cell geometrical parameters in predicting elastic properties of a typical wood plastic composite (WPC. The ultimate goal was obtaining the optimal values of representative volume element (RVE parameters to accurately predict the mechanical behavior of the WPC. For each unit cell, defined by a given combination of the above geometrical parameters, finite element simulation in ABAQUS was carried out, and the corresponding stress-strain curve was obtained. A uniaxial test according to ASTM D638-02a type V was performed on the composite specimen. Modulus of elasticity was determined using hyperbolic tangent function, and the results were compared to the sets of finite element analyses. Main effects of RVE parameters and their interactions were demonstrated and discussed, specially regarding the inclusion of two adjacent wood particles within one unit cell of the material. Regression analysis was performed to mathematically model the RVE parameter effects and their interactions over the modulus of elasticity response. The model was finally employed in an optimization analysis to arrive at an optimal set of RVE parameters that minimizes the difference between the predicted and experimental moduli of elasticity.

A taxonomy of state public health preparedness units: an empirical examination of organizational structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Menachemi, Nir; Yeager, Valerie A; Duncan, W Jack; Katholi, Charles R; Ginter, Peter M

2012-01-01

State public health preparedness units (SPHPUs) were developed in response to federal funding to improve response to disasters: a responsibility that had not traditionally been within the purview of public health. The SPHPUs were created within the existing public health organizational structure, and their placement may have implications for how the unit functions, how communication takes place, and ultimately how well the key responsibilities are performed. This study empirically identifies a taxonomy of similarly structured SPHPUs and examines whether this structure is associated with state geographic, demographic, and threat-vulnerability characteristics. Data representing each SPHPU were extracted from publically available sources, including organizational charts and emergency preparedness plans for 2009. A cross-sectional segmentation analysis was conducted of variables representing structural attributes. Fifty state public health departments. Variables representing "span of control" and "hierarchal levels" were extracted from organizational charts. Structural "complexity" and "centralization" were extracted from state emergency preparedness documents and other secondary sources. On average, 6.6 people report to the same manager as the SPHPU director; 2.1 levels separate the SPHPU director from the state health officer; and a mean of 13.5 agencies collaborate with SPHPU during a disaster. Despite considerable variability in how SPHPUs had been structured, results of the cluster and principal component analysis identified 7 similarly structured groups. Neither the taxonomic groups nor the individual variables representing structure were found to be associated with state characteristics, including threat vulnerabilities. Our finding supports the hypothesis that SPHPUs are seemingly inadvertently (eg, not strategically) organized. This taxonomy provides the basis for which future research can examine how SPHPU structure relates to performance measures and

Structure and function of stem cell pools in mammalian cell renewal systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fliedner, T.M.; Nothdurft, W.

1979-01-01

Stem cells play a key-role in the maintenance of the equilibrium between cell loss and cell production in cell renewal systems as well as in the understanding of the radiation pathophysiology of mammalian organisms. The integrity of mammalian organisms with the need to maintain a constant ''millieu interior'' is depending on the normal functioning of cell renewal systems, especially those of epithelial surfaces and blood cell forming organs. All cell renewal systems of bodies have a very similar functional structure consisting of functional, proliferative - amplifying and stem cell compartments. They differ in transit and cell cycle times and in the number of amplification division - aside from the difference in their functional and biochemical make-up. The stem cell pools are providing the cells capable of differentiation without depleting their own kind. This can be achieved by symmetrical or assymmetrical stem cell division. In normal steady state, 50% of the stem cell division remain in the stem cell pool, while the other 50% leave it to differentiate, proliferate and mature, hemopoietic system is distributed throughout bodies. This is an important factor in the radiation biology of mammalian organisms since the loss of function in one area can be compensated for by more production in other areas, and locally depleted sites can be reseeded with the stem cells migrating in from blood. (Yamashita, S.)

Unit roots, nonlinearities and structural breaks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haldrup, Niels; Kruse, Robinson; Teräsvirta, Timo

One of the most influential research fields in econometrics over the past decades concerns unit root testing in economic time series. In macro-economics much of the interest in the area originate from the fact that when unit roots are present, then shocks to the time series processes have...

RhCd{sub 9+δ} (-1.18 ≤δ≤0.29) a γ-brass related cubic giant cell structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jana, Partha Pratim [Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (India). Dept. of Chemistry

2017-09-01

The compound RhCd{sub 9+δ} (-1.18 ≤δ≤0.29) has been synthesized and the average structure has been analyzed by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The average structure crystallizes in the face centered cubic space group F43m (216) and contains ∝405 atoms/unit cell. It represents a (2a{sub γ}){sup 3}-superstructure of cubic γ-brass and is isostructural to Rh{sub 7-x}Mg{sub 44+x}. The comparison between the structures of RhCd{sub 9+δ} and Rh{sub 7-x}Mg{sub 44+x} has been presented using a layer description. The structure of the title phase has also been described by a ''cluster'' concept. The electronic structure of RhCd{sub 9+δ} (-1.18 ≤δ≤0.29) shows that the phase is stabilized by a Hume-Rothery mechanism.

A comparative analysis of business structures suitable for farmer-owned wind power projects in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bolinger, Mark; Wiser, Ryan

2006-01-01

For years, farmers in the United States have looked with envy on their European counterparts' ability to profitably farm the wind through ownership of distributed, utility-scale wind projects. Only within the past few years, however, has farmer- or community-owned wind power development become a reality in the United States. The primary hurdle to this type of development in the United States has been devising and implementing suitable business and legal structures that enable such projects to take advantage of tax-based federal incentives for wind power. This article discusses the limitations of such incentives in supporting farmer- or community-owned wind projects, describes four ownership structures that potentially overcome such limitations, and finally conducts comparative financial analysis on those four structures, using as an example a hypothetical 1.5 MW farmer-owned project located in the state of Oregon. We find that material differences in the competitiveness of each structure do exist, but that choosing the best structure for a given project will largely depend on the conditions at hand; e.g., the ability of the farmer(s) to utilize tax credits, preference for individual versus 'cooperative' ownership, and the state and utility service territory in which the project will be located

Study on Topology Optimization Design, Manufacturability, and Performance Evaluation of Ti-6Al-4V Porous Structures Fabricated by Selective Laser Melting (SLM).

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Yangli; Zhang, Dongyun; Zhou, Yan; Wang, Weidong; Cao, Xuanyang

2017-09-07

The combination of topology optimization (TOP) and selective laser melting (SLM) provides the possibility of fabricating the complex, lightweight and high performance geometries overcoming the traditional manufacturing "bottleneck". This paper evaluates the biomechanical properties of porous structures with porosity from 40% to 80% and unit cell size from 2 to 8 mm, which are designed by TOP and manufactured by SLM. During manufacturability exploration, three typical structures including spiral structure, arched bridge structure and structures with thin walls and small holes are abstracted and investigated, analyzing their manufacturing limits and forming reason. The property tests show that dynamic elastic modulus and compressive strength of porous structures decreases with increases of porosity (constant unit cell size) or unit cell size (constant porosity). Based on the Gibson-Ashby model, three failure models are proposed to describe their compressive behavior, and the structural parameter λ is used to evaluate the stability of the porous structure. Finally, a numerical model for the correlation between porous structural parameters (unit cell size and porosity) and elastic modulus is established, which provides a theoretical reference for matching the elastic modulus of human bones from different age, gender and skeletal sites during innovative medical implant design and manufacturing.

A wave-bending structure at Ka-band using 3D-printed metamaterial

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Junqiang; Liang, Min; Xin, Hao

2018-03-01

Three-dimensional printing technologies enable metamaterials of complex structures with arbitrary inhomogeneity. In this work, a 90° wave-bending structure at the Ka-band (26.5-40 GHz) based on 3D-printed metamaterials is designed, fabricated, and measured. The wave-bending effect is realized through a spatial distribution of varied effective dielectric constants. Based on the effective medium theory, different effective dielectric constants are accomplished by special, 3D-printable unit cells, which allow different ratios of dielectric to air at the unit cell level. In contrast to traditional, metallic-structure-included metamaterial designs, the reported wave-bending structure here is all dielectric and implemented by the polymer-jetting technique, which features rapid, low-cost, and convenient prototyping. Both simulation and experiment results demonstrate the effectiveness of the wave-bending structure.

Electron transfer reactions in structural units of copper proteins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faraggi, M.

1975-01-01

In previous pulse radiolysis studies it was suggested that the reduction of the Cu(II) ions in copper proteins by the hydrated electron is a multi-step electron migration process. The technique has been extended to investigate the reduction of some structural units of these proteins. These studies include: the reaction of the hydrated electron with peptides, the reaction of the disulphide bridge with formate radical ion and radicals produced by the reduction of peptides, and the reaction of Cu(II)-peptide complex with esub(aq)sup(-) and CO 2 - . Using these results the reduction mechanism of copper and other proteins will be discussed. (author)

Cell phone recycling experiences in the United States and potential recycling options in Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Silveira, Geraldo T R; Chang, Shoou-Yuh

2010-11-01

This paper presents an overview of cell phone recycling programs currently available in the United States. At the same time, it also provides analyses of the current recycling situation and possible recycling alternatives for Brazil. Although there are several recycling options in the United States, collection rates are still only 10% of all potential devices because customers are not aware of these possibilities. The whole system is financially based on reselling refurbished cell phones and recycled materials to developing countries which represent an effective and strong market. Several recyclers offer funds to collection partners who are either charities or who work with charities while obtaining the materials that they need in order to run their operations. A mobile phone recycling system for Brazil considering the United States experience and the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) principle is suggested. A deposit/refund/advance-recycling fee is proposed which might be implemented as a voluntary industrial initiative managed by PRO Brazil, a producer responsibility organization. One widespread public-private agreement will integrate all mobile phone stakeholders, and environmental education actions and promotional events will promote citizen's participation. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Molten Salt Breeder Reactor Analysis Based on Unit Cell Model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeong, Yongjin; Choi, Sooyoung; Lee, Deokjung [Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

2014-05-15

Contemporary computer codes like the MCNP6 or SCALE are only good for solving a fixed solid fuel reactor. However, due to the molten-salt fuel, MSR analysis needs some functions such as online reprocessing and refueling, and circulating fuel. J. J. Power of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) suggested in 2013 a method for simulating the Molten Salt Breeder Reactor (MSBR) with SCALE, which does not support continuous material processing. In order to simulate MSR characteristics, the method proposes dividing a depletion time into short time intervals and batchwise reprocessing and refueling at each step. We are applying this method by using the MCNP6 and PYTHON and NEWT-TRITON-PYTHON and PYTHON code systems to MSBR. This paper contains various parameters to analyze the MSBR unit cell model such as the multiplication factor, breeding ratio, change of amount of fuel, amount of fuel feeding, and neutron flux distribution. The result of MCNP6 and NEWT module in SCALE show some difference in depletion analysis, but it still seems that they can be used to analyze MSBR. Using these two computer code system, it is possible to analyze various parameters for the MSBR unit cells such as the multiplication factor, breeding ratio, amount of material, total feeding, and neutron flux distribution. Furthermore, the two code systems will be able to be used for analyzing other MSR model or whole core models of MSR.

Molten Salt Breeder Reactor Analysis Based on Unit Cell Model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Yongjin; Choi, Sooyoung; Lee, Deokjung

2014-01-01

Contemporary computer codes like the MCNP6 or SCALE are only good for solving a fixed solid fuel reactor. However, due to the molten-salt fuel, MSR analysis needs some functions such as online reprocessing and refueling, and circulating fuel. J. J. Power of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) suggested in 2013 a method for simulating the Molten Salt Breeder Reactor (MSBR) with SCALE, which does not support continuous material processing. In order to simulate MSR characteristics, the method proposes dividing a depletion time into short time intervals and batchwise reprocessing and refueling at each step. We are applying this method by using the MCNP6 and PYTHON and NEWT-TRITON-PYTHON and PYTHON code systems to MSBR. This paper contains various parameters to analyze the MSBR unit cell model such as the multiplication factor, breeding ratio, change of amount of fuel, amount of fuel feeding, and neutron flux distribution. The result of MCNP6 and NEWT module in SCALE show some difference in depletion analysis, but it still seems that they can be used to analyze MSBR. Using these two computer code system, it is possible to analyze various parameters for the MSBR unit cells such as the multiplication factor, breeding ratio, amount of material, total feeding, and neutron flux distribution. Furthermore, the two code systems will be able to be used for analyzing other MSR model or whole core models of MSR

Renal Epithelial Cell Injury Induced by Calcium Oxalate Monohydrate Depends on their Structural Features: Size, Surface, and Crystalline Structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Xin-Yuan; Ouyang, Jian-Ming; Gan, Qiong-Zhi; Liu, Ai-Jie

2016-11-01

Urinary crystals in normal and kidney stone patients often differ in crystal sizes and surface structures, but the effects of different crystal properties on renal tubular epithelial cells remain unclear. This study aimed to compare the cytotoxicity of micron/nano-calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) crystals with sizes of 50 nm, 200 nm, 1 μm, 3 μm, and 10 μm to African green monkey renal epithelial (Vero) cells, to reveal the effect of crystal size and surface structure on cell injury, and to investigate the pathological mechanism of calcium oxalate kidney stones. Cell viability, cellular biochemical parameters, and internalized crystal amount in Vero cells were closely associated with the size of COM crystals. At the same concentration (200 μg/mL), COM-1 μm induced the most serious injury to Vero cells and caused the most significant change to cellular biochemical parameters, which were related to the specific porous structure and highest internalized amount in Vero cells. By contrast, COM-50 nm and COM-200 nm crystals lost their small size effect because of serious aggregation and weakened their toxicity to cells. COM-3 μm and COM-10 μm crystals were too large for cells to completely internalize; these crystals also exhibited a low specific surface area and thus weakened their toxicity. The excessive expression of intracellular ROS and reduction of the free-radical scavenger SOD were the main reasons for cell injury and eventually caused necrotic cell death. Crystal size, surface structure, aggregation, and internalization amount were closely related to the cytotoxicity of COM crystals.

Increased numbers of spleen colony forming units in B cell deficient CBA/N mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiktor-Jedrzejczak, W.; Krupienicz, A.; Scher, I.

1986-01-01

The formation of exogenous and endogenous spleen colonies was studied in immune-defective mice expressing the CBA/N X-linked xid gene. Bone marrow and spleen cells of immune deficient mice formed increased numbers of eight-day exogenous spleen colonies when transferred to either normal or B cell deficient lethally irradiated recipients. Moreover, defective mice showed increased formation of five-day endogenous spleen colonies (derived from transient endogenous colony forming units; T-CFU) and of ten-day endogenous spleen colonies (derived from CFU-S). Among the possible mechanisms responsible for the observed effects, the most probable appears the one in which decreased numbers of B cell precursors stimulate stem cell pools through a feedback mechanism. (orig.) [de

The Cell Probe Complexity of Succinct Data Structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gal, Anna; Miltersen, Peter Bro

2003-01-01

In the cell probe model with word size 1 (the bit probe model), a static data structure problem is given by a map , where is a set of possible data to be stored, is a set of possible queries (for natural problems, we have ) and is the answer to question about data . A solution is given by a repre......In the cell probe model with word size 1 (the bit probe model), a static data structure problem is given by a map , where is a set of possible data to be stored, is a set of possible queries (for natural problems, we have ) and is the answer to question about data . A solution is given...

Barrier potential design criteria in multiple-quantum-well-based solar-cell structures

Science.gov (United States)

Mohaidat, Jihad M.; Shum, Kai; Wang, W. B.; Alfano, R. R.

1994-01-01

The barrier potential design criteria in multiple-quantum-well (MQW)-based solar-cell structures is reported for the purpose of achieving maximum efficiency. The time-dependent short-circuit current density at the collector side of various MQW solar-cell structures under resonant condition was numerically calculated using the time-dependent Schroedinger equation. The energy efficiency of solar cells based on the InAs/Ga(y)In(1-y)As and GaAs/Al(x)Ga(1-x)As MQW structues were compared when carriers are excited at a particular solar-energy band. Using InAs/Ga(y)In(1-y)As MQW structures it is found that a maximum energy efficiency can be achieved if the structure is designed with barrier potential of about 450 meV. The efficiency is found to decline linearly as the barrier potential increases for GaAs/Al(x)Ga(1-x)As MQW-structure-based solar cells.

The structure and function of cell membranes studied by atomic force microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Yan; Cai, Mingjun; Zhou, Lulu; Wang, Hongda

2018-01-01

The cell membrane, involved in almost all communications of cells and surrounding matrix, is one of the most complicated components of cells. Lack of suitable methods for the detection of cell membranes in vivo has sparked debates on the biochemical composition and structure of cell membranes over half a century. The development of single molecule techniques, such as AFM, SMFS, and TREC, provides a versatile platform for imaging and manipulating cell membranes in biological relevant environments. Here, we discuss the latest developments in AFM and the progress made in cell membrane research. In particular, we highlight novel structure models and dynamic processes, including the mechanical properties of the cell membranes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cell structures caused by settling particles in turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Changhoon; Park, Sangro

2016-11-01

Turbulent thermal convection is an important phenomenon frequently found in nature and industrial processes, often with laden particles. In the last several decades, the vast majority of studies have addressed single phase convective flow with focus on the scaling relation of flow parameters associated with heat transfer. Particle-laden Rayleigh-Bénard convection, however, has not been sufficiently studied. In this study, modulation of cell structures by settling particles in turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection in a doubly periodic square channel is investigated using direct numerical simulation with a point particle approach. Flow parameters are fixed at Rayleigh number=106, Prandtl number=0.7, the aspect ratio=6, and Froude number=0.19. We report from the simulations that settling heavy particles modulate irregular large-scale thermal plume structures into organized polygonal cell structures. Different shapes of flow structures are obtained for different particle diameters and mass loadings. We found that polygonal cell structures arise due to asymmetric feedback force exerted by particles onto hot and cold plumes. Increasing the number of particles augments the asymmetry and the polygonal cell structures become smaller, eventually going to the hexagonal structures.

Electronic structures and band gaps of chains and sheets based on phenylacetylene units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kondo, Masakazu; Nozaki, Daijiro; Tachibana, Masamitsu; Yumura, Takashi; Yoshizawa, Kazunari

2005-01-01

We investigate the electronic structures of polymers composed of π-conjugated phenylacetylene (PA) units, m-PA-based and p-PA-based wires, at the extended Hueckel level of theory. It is demonstrated that these conjugated systems should have a variety of electric conductance. All of the one-dimensional (1D) chains and the two-dimensional (2D) sheet based on the m-PA unit are insulators with large band gaps of 2.56 eV because there is no effective orbital interaction with neighboring chains. On the other hand, p-PA-based 1D chains have relatively small band gaps that decrease with an increase in chain width (1.17-1.74 eV) and are semiconductive. The p-PA-based sheet called 'graphyne', a 2D-limit of the p-PA-based 1D chains, shows a small band gap of 0.89 eV. The variety of band electronic structures is discussed in terms of frontier crystal orbitals

3D Bearing Capacity of Structured Cells Supported on Cohesive Soil: Simplified Analysis Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martínez-Galván Sergio Antonio

2013-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper a simplified analysis method to compute the bearing capacity of structured cell foundations subjected to vertical loading and supported in soft cohesive soil is proposed. A structured cell is comprised by a top concrete slab structurally connected to concrete external walls that enclose the natural soil. Contrary to a box foundation it does not include a bottom slab and hence, the soil within the walls becomes an important component of the structured cell. This simplified method considers the three-dimensional geometry of the cell, the undrained shear strength of cohesive soils and the existence of structural continuity between the top concrete slab and the surrounding walls, along the walls themselves and the walls structural joints. The method was developed from results of numerical-parametric analyses, from which it was found that structured cells fail according to a punching-type mechanism.

In cellulo structure determination of a novel cypovirus polyhedrin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Axford, Danny; Ji, Xiaoyun; Stuart, David I.; Sutton, Geoff

2014-01-01

The crystal structure of a previously unsolved type of cypovirus polyhedrin has been determined from data collected directly from frozen live insect cells. This work demonstrates that with the use of a microfocus synchrotron beam the structure of a novel viral polyhedrin could be successfully determined from microcrystals within cells, removing the preparatory step of sample isolation and maintaining a favourable biological environment. The data obtained are of high quality, comparable to that obtained from isolated crystals, and enabled a facile structure determination. A small but significant difference is observed between the unit-cell parameters and the mosaic spread of in cellulo and isolated crystals, suggesting that even these robust crystals are adversely affected by removal from the cell

Support structure concept for integration of ITER diagnostics in the port cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Udintsev, V.S., E-mail: victor.udintsev@iter.org [ITER Organization, Route de Vinon sur Verdon, 13115 St. Paul-Lez-Durance (France); Portalès, M.; Giacomin, T.; Darcourt, O.; Direz, M.-F.; Martins, J.P.; Penot, C.; Arumugam, A.P.; Drevon, J.-M.; Friconneau, J.P.; Levesy, B.; Maquet, P.; Patel, K.M.; Pitcher, C.S. [ITER Organization, Route de Vinon sur Verdon, 13115 St. Paul-Lez-Durance (France); Popova, E. [Russian Federation Domestic Agency, Moscow (Russian Federation); Proust, M. [ITER Organization, Route de Vinon sur Verdon, 13115 St. Paul-Lez-Durance (France); Ronden, D.M.S. [DIFFER, Nieuwegein (Netherlands); Walker, C.I.; Walsh, M.J.; Watts, C. [ITER Organization, Route de Vinon sur Verdon, 13115 St. Paul-Lez-Durance (France)

2013-10-15

Highlights: ► An interspace support structure to support the diagnostic systems from the back of the upper and equatorial port plugs to the biological shield plug. ► Port cell support structures are foreseen to handle the equipment in the port cell. ► Both ISS and PCSS will be supported by means of RH rail system. ► The structures will be positioned with a certain tolerance. ► The proposed concepts are found to fulfil the needs for support of the diagnostics in ITER. -- Abstract: Development of the diagnostics for ITER tokamak, which is presently under construction by several international partners at Cadarache in France, is a major challenge because of severe environment, strict engineering requirements, and the need for high reliability in the measurements. The diagnostic systems in the upper, equatorial and lower port cells on ITER are designed to be integrated within the interspace and port cell support structures. These structures are interfacing with remote handling rail system for the cask operations, thus facilitating the removal and installation of the diagnostics in the port and hence minimizing time for working close to the tokamak. In this paper, the challenges associated with the integration of the diagnostics in the port interspace and port cell, as well as their solutions will be addressed and presented. The interspace and the port cell support structures, as well as their interfaces with the biological shield, will be discussed.

Structural design of the turbine building of Angra Nuclear Power Station, Unit 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varella, L.N.; Reis, F.J.C.; Jurkiewicz, W.J.

1978-01-01

The Turbine Building of the Angra Nuclear Power Plant, Unit 1, and particularly its structure and structural design are described. The Turbine Building, as far as its structure is concerned, deviates from the standard structure of any turbine building due to the fact that huge ducts are provided in the foundation mat as to accomodate the circulating water system. This aspect and the fact that the building is founded upon a very deep strata of compacted and controlled fill, makes out of the building structure 'a concrete ship floating in the sea of sand', and by the same reason presents by itself an interesting structure, worth to be known to all engineers involved in design of power plants. This pape, suplemented by a few slides shown during presentation of the paper at the conference, covers the subject mainly from the designers' point of view. (Author)

Structural damage of chicken red blood cells exposed to platinum nanoparticles and cisplatin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kutwin, Marta; Sawosz, Ewa; Jaworski, Sławomir

2014-01-01

of platinum nanoparticles (NP-Pt) and cisplatin with blood compartments are important for future applications. This study investigated structural damage, cell membrane deformation and haemolysis of chicken embryo red blood cells (RBC) after treatment with cisplatin and NP-Pt. Cisplatin (4 μg/ml) and NP-Pt (2......,6 μg/ml), when incubated with chicken embryo RBC, were detrimental to cell structure and induced haemolysis. The level of haemolytic injury was increased after cisplatin and NP-Pt treatments compared to the control group. Treatment with cisplatin caused structural damage to cell membranes...

Structure and properties of cell membranes. Volume 3: Methodology and properties of membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benga, G.

1985-01-01

This book covers the topics: Quantum chemical approach to study the mechanisms of proton translocation across membranes through protein molecules; monomolecular films as biomembrane models; planar lipid bilayers in relation to biomembranes; relation of liposomes to cell membranes; reconstitution of membrane transport systems; structure-function relationships in cell membranes as revealed by X-ray techniques; structure-function relationships in cell membranes as revealed by spin labeling ESR; structure and dynamics of cell membranes as revealed by NMR techniques; the effect of dietary lipids on the composition and properties of biological membranes and index

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

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

2015-08-07

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

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

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

2015-01-01

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

Combined UMC- DFT prediction of electron-hole coupling in unit cells of pentacene crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Leal, Luciano Almeida; de Souza Júnior, Rafael Timóteo; de Almeida Fonseca, Antonio Luciano; Ribeiro Junior, Luiz Antonio; Blawid, Stefan; da Silva Filho, Demetrio Antonio; da Cunha, Wiliam Ferreira

2017-05-01

Pentacene is an organic semiconductor that draws special attention from the scientific community due to the high mobility of its charge carriers. As electron-hole interactions are important aspects in the regard of such property, a computationally inexpensive method to predict the coupling between these quasi-particles is highly desired. In this work, we propose a hybrid methodology of combining Uncoupled Monte Carlo Simulations (UMC) and Density functional Theory (DFT) methodologies to obtain a good compromise between computational feasibility and accuracy. As a first step in considering a Pentacene crystal, we describe its unit cell: the Pentacene Dimer. Because many conformations can be encountered for the dimer and considering the complexity of the system, we make use of UMC in order to find the most probable structures and relative orientations for the Pentacene-Pentacene complex. Following, we carry out electronic structure calculations in the scope of DFT with the goal of describing the electron-hole coupling on the most probable configurations obtained by UMC. The comparison of our results with previously reported data on the literature suggests that the methodology is well suited for describing transfer integrals of organic semiconductors. The observed accuracy together with the smaller computational cost required by our approach allows us to conclude that such methodology might be an important tool towards the description of systems with higher complexity.

Structural studies of planctomycete Gemmata obscuriglobus support cell compartmentalisation in a bacterium.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evgeny Sagulenko

Full Text Available Members of phylum Planctomycetes have been proposed to possess atypical cell organisation for the Bacteria, having a structure of sectioned cells consistent with internal compartments surrounded by membranes. Here via electron tomography we confirm the presence of compartments in the planctomycete Gemmata obscuriglobus cells. Resulting 3-D models for the most prominent structures, nuclear body and riboplasm, demonstrate their entirely membrane - enclosed nature. Immunogold localization of the FtsK protein also supports the internal organisation of G.obscuriglobus cells and their unique mechanism of cell division. We discuss how these new data expand our knowledge on bacterial cell biology and suggest evolutionary consequences of the findings.

Design loads, loading combinations and structural acceptance criteria for BWR containments in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edwards, N.W.

1979-01-01

The definition of loads, loading combinations, and structural acceptance criteria used for the design and evaluation of BWR containments in the Unites States has become much more comprehensive over the past decade. The Mark I pressure suppression containment vessels were designed for a static design pressure, a design temperature, dead load and static equivalent earthquake. The current Mark III containments are being designed to accommodate many more loads such as safety relief valve discharge loads, and suppression pool hydrodynamic loadings associated with the steam condensation phenomena as well as pressure and temperature transients for a range of pipe break sizes. Consistent with the more comprehensive definition of loads and loading combinations, the ASME Code presently establishes structural acceptance criteria with different margins of safety by the definition of Service Level Assignments A, B, C and D. Acting in a responsible manner, United States utilities are currently evaluating and modifying existing containment vessels to account for the more detailed load definition and structural acceptance criteria. (orig.)

Structure of Toxoplasma gondii fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boucher, Lauren E.; Bosch, Jürgen

2014-01-01

The structure of T. gondii fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase, a glycolytic enzyme and structural component of the invasion machinery, was determined to a resolution of 2.0 Å. The apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii must invade host cells to continue its lifecycle. It invades different cell types using an actomyosin motor that is connected to extracellular adhesins via the bridging protein fructose-1,6-@@bisphosphate aldolase. During invasion, aldolase serves in the role of a structural bridging protein, as opposed to its normal enzymatic role in the glycolysis pathway. Crystal structures of the homologous Plasmodium falciparum fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase have been described previously. Here, T. gondii fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase has been crystallized in space group P22 1 2 1 , with the biologically relevant tetramer in the asymmetric unit, and the structure has been determined via molecular replacement to a resolution of 2.0 Å. An analysis of the quality of the model and of the differences between the four chains in the asymmetric unit and a comparison between the T. gondii and P. falciparum aldolase structures is presented

Live celloidosome structures based on the assembly of individual cells by colloid interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Fakhrullin, Rawil F; Brandy, Marie-Laure; Cayre, Olivier J; Velev, Orlin D; Paunov, Vesselin N

2010-10-14

A new class of colloid structures, celloidosomes, has been developed which represent hollow microcapsules whose membranes consist of a single monolayer of living cells. Two routes for producing these structures were designed based on templating of: (i) air bubbles and (ii) anisotropic microcrystals of calcium carbonate with living cells, which allowed us to fabricate celloidosomes of spherical, rhombohedral and needle-like morphologies. Air microbubbles were templated by yeast cells coated with poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH), then coated with carboxymethylcellulose and rehydrated resulting in the formation of spherical multicellular structures. Similarly, calcium carbonate microcrystals of anisotropic shapes were coated with several consecutive layers of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes to obtain a positive surface charge which was used to immobilise yeast cells coated with anionic polyelectrolyte of their surfaces. After dissolving of sacrificial cores, hollow multicellular structures were obtained. The viability of the cells in the produced structures was confirmed by using fluorescein diacetate. In order to optimize the separation of celloidosomes from free cells magnetic nanoparticles were immobilised onto the surface of templates prior to the cells deposition, which greatly facilitated the separation using a permanent magnet. Two alternative approaches were developed to form celloidosome structures using magnetically functionalised core-shell microparticles which resulted in the formation of celloidosomes with needle-like and cubic-like geometries which follows the original morphology of the calcium carbonate microcrystals. Our methods for fabrication of celloidosomes may found applications in the development of novel symbiotic bio-structures, artificial multicellular organisms and in tissue engineering. The unusual structure of celloidosomes resembles the primitive forms of multicellular species, like Volvox, and other algae and could be regarded as

Radiation performance of AlGaAs concentrator cells and expected performance of cascade structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Curtis, H.B.; Swartz, C.K.; Hart, R.E. Jr.

1987-01-01

Aluminum gallium arsenide, GaAs, silicon and InGaAs cells have been irradiated with 1 MeV electrons and 37 MeV protons. These cells are candidates for individual cells in a cascade structure. Data is presented for both electron and proton irradiation studies for one sun and a concentration level of 100X AMO. Results of calculations on the radiation resistance of cascade cell structures based on the individual cell data are also presented. Both series connected and separately connected structures are investigated

Pea Border Cell Maturation and Release Involve Complex Cell Wall Structural Dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Mravec, Jozef; Guo, Xiaoyuan; Hansen, Aleksander Riise; Schückel, Julia; Kračun, Stjepan Krešimir; Mikkelsen, Maria Dalgaard; Mouille, Grégory; Johansen, Ida Elisabeth; Ulvskov, Peter; Domozych, David S; Willats, William George Tycho

2017-06-01

The adhesion of plant cells is vital for support and protection of the plant body and is maintained by a variety of molecular associations between cell wall components. In some specialized cases, though, plant cells are programmed to detach, and root cap-derived border cells are examples of this. Border cells (in some species known as border-like cells) provide an expendable barrier between roots and the environment. Their maturation and release is an important but poorly characterized cell separation event. To gain a deeper insight into the complex cellular dynamics underlying this process, we undertook a systematic, detailed analysis of pea ( Pisum sativum ) root tip cell walls. Our study included immunocarbohydrate microarray profiling, monosaccharide composition determination, Fourier-transformed infrared microspectroscopy, quantitative reverse transcription-PCR of cell wall biosynthetic genes, analysis of hydrolytic activities, transmission electron microscopy, and immunolocalization of cell wall components. Using this integrated glycobiology approach, we identified multiple novel modes of cell wall structural and compositional rearrangement during root cap growth and the release of border cells. Our findings provide a new level of detail about border cell maturation and enable us to develop a model of the separation process. We propose that loss of adhesion by the dissolution of homogalacturonan in the middle lamellae is augmented by an active biophysical process of cell curvature driven by the polarized distribution of xyloglucan and extensin epitopes. © 2017 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

Simultaneous microwave photonic and phononic band gaps in piezoelectric–piezomagnetic superlattices with three types of domains in a unit cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tang, Zheng-hua [Xiangnan University-Gospell Joint Laboratory of Microwave Communication Technology, Xiangnan University, Chenzhou 423000 (China); Jiang, Zheng-Sheng [National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Chen, Tao [Laboratory of Quantum Information and Quantum Materials, School of Physics and Telecommunication Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Lei, Da-Jun [Xiangnan University-Gospell Joint Laboratory of Microwave Communication Technology, Xiangnan University, Chenzhou 423000 (China); Yan, Wen-Yan, E-mail: yanwenyan88@126.com [School of Software and Communication Engineering, Xiangnan University, Chenzhou 423000 (China); Qiu, Feng; Huang, Jian-Quan; Deng, Hai-Ming; Yao, Min [Xiangnan University-Gospell Joint Laboratory of Microwave Communication Technology, Xiangnan University, Chenzhou 423000 (China)

2016-04-29

A novel phoxonic crystal using the piezoelectric (PMN-PT) and piezomagnetic (CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}) superlattices with three types of domains in a unit cell (PPSUC) is present, in which dual microwave photonic and phononic band gaps can be obtained simultaneously. Two categories of phononic band gaps, originating from both the Bragg scattering of acoustic waves in periodic structures at the Brillouin zone boundary and the electromagnetic wave-lattice vibration couplings near the Brillouin zone center, can be observed in the phononic band structures. The general characteristics of the microwave photonic band structures are similar to those of pure piezoelectric or piezomagnetic superlattices, with the major discrepancy being the appearance of nearly dispersionless branches within the microwave photonic band gaps, which show an extremely large group velocity delay. Thus, the properties may also be applied to compact acoustic-microwave devices. - Highlights: • Dual microwave photonic and phononic band gaps can coexist in the PPSUC. • Two categories of phononic band gaps with different mechanism can be obtained. • Nearly dispersionless branches appear in the microwave photonic band gaps.

Controlling Gel Structure to Modulate Cell Adhesion and Spreading on the Surface of Microcapsules.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Huizhen; Gao, Meng; Ren, Ying; Lou, Ruyun; Xie, Hongguo; Yu, Weiting; Liu, Xiudong; Ma, Xiaojun

2016-08-03

The surface properties of implanted materials or devices play critical roles in modulating cell behavior. However, the surface properties usually affect cell behaviors synergetically so that it is still difficult to separately investigate the influence of a single property on cell behavior in practical applications. In this study, alginate-chitosan (AC) microcapsules with a dense or loose gel structure were fabricated to understand the effect of gel structure on cell behavior. Cells preferentially adhered and spread on the loose gel structure microcapsules rather than on the dense ones. The two types of microcapsules exhibited nearly identical surface positive charges, roughness, stiffness, and hydrophilicity; thus, the result suggested that the gel structure was the principal factor affecting cell behavior. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses demonstrated that the overall percentage of positively charged amino groups was similar on both microcapsules. The different gel structures led to different states and distributions of the positively charged amino groups of chitosan, so we conclude that the loose gel structure facilitated greater cell adhesion and spreading mainly because more protonated amino groups remained unbound and exposed on the surface of these microcapsules.

Porous matrix structures for alkaline electrolyte fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Vine, R. W.; Narsavage, S. T.

1975-01-01

A number of advancements have been realized by a continuing research program to develop higher chemically stable porous matrix structures with high bubble pressure (crossover resistance) for use as separators in potassium hydroxide electrolyte fuel cells. More uniform, higher-bubble-pressure asbestos matrices were produced by reconstituting Johns-Manville asbestos paper; Fybex potassium titanate which was found compatible with 42% KOH at 250 F for up to 3000 hr; good agreement was found between bubble pressures predicted by an analytical study and those measured with filtered structures; Teflon-bonded Fybex matrices with bubble pressures greater than 30 psi were obtained by filtering a water slurry of the mixture directly onto fuel cell electrodes; and PBI fibers have satisfactory compatibility with 42% KOH at 250 F.

A heated vapor cell unit for dichroic atomic vapor laser lock in atomic rubidium.

Science.gov (United States)

McCarron, Daniel J; Hughes, Ifan G; Tierney, Patrick; Cornish, Simon L

2007-09-01

The design and performance of a compact heated vapor cell unit for realizing a dichroic atomic vapor laser lock (DAVLL) for the D(2) transitions in atomic rubidium is described. A 5 cm long vapor cell is placed in a double-solenoid arrangement to produce the required magnetic field; the heat from the solenoid is used to increase the vapor pressure and correspondingly the DAVLL signal. We have characterized experimentally the dependence of important features of the DAVLL signal on magnetic field and cell temperature. For the weaker transitions both the amplitude and gradient of the signal are increased by an order of magnitude.

A heated vapor cell unit for dichroic atomic vapor laser lock in atomic rubidium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCarron, Daniel J.; Hughes, Ifan G.; Tierney, Patrick; Cornish, Simon L.

2007-01-01

The design and performance of a compact heated vapor cell unit for realizing a dichroic atomic vapor laser lock (DAVLL) for the D 2 transitions in atomic rubidium is described. A 5 cm long vapor cell is placed in a double-solenoid arrangement to produce the required magnetic field; the heat from the solenoid is used to increase the vapor pressure and correspondingly the DAVLL signal. We have characterized experimentally the dependence of important features of the DAVLL signal on magnetic field and cell temperature. For the weaker transitions both the amplitude and gradient of the signal are increased by an order of magnitude

Sub-15 fs multiphoton lithography of three-dimensional structures for live cell applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Licht, Martin; Uchugonova, Aisada; König, Karsten; Straub, Martin

2012-01-01

Development, morphology and intratissue location of cells are influenced by the 3D nano- and microenvironment. In this paper we demonstrate multiphoton photopolymerization to generate three-dimensional structures for cell culture applications with micro- and nanotopographic features using SU-8 photoresist and mr-NIL 6000 nanoimprint resist. Moving the focal spot of high-repetition rate near-infrared sub-15 fs pulsed laser light by a galvanometric beam scanner in combination with a piezoelectric vertical stage, nearly arbitrary trajectories of polymerized photoresist were generated. This technique can be used to generate cage structures with submicron interior features for live cell applications. Preliminary experiments with PC-3 and HT-1080 cells indicate the influence of the structures on cell behavior. (paper)

Aluminum Templates of Different Sizes with Micro-, Nano- and Micro/Nano-Structures for Cell Culture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming-Liang Yen

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This study investigates the results of cell cultures on aluminum (Al templates with flat-structures, micro-structures, nano-structures and micro/nano-structures. An Al template with flat-structure was obtained by electrolytic polishing; an Al template with micro-structure was obtained by micro-powder blasting; an Al template with nano-structure was obtained by aluminum anodization; and an Al template with micro/nano-structure was obtained by micro-powder blasting and then anodization. Osteoblast-like cells were cultured on aluminum templates with various structures. The microculture tetrazolium test assay was utilized to assess the adhesion, elongation, and proliferation behaviors of cultured osteoblast-like cells on aluminum templates with flat-structures, micro-structures, nano-structures, and micro/nano-structures. The results showed that the surface characterization of micro/nano-structure of aluminum templates had superhydrophilic property, and these also revealed that an aluminum template with micro/nano-structure could provide the most suitable growth situation for cell culture.

Sponge cell reaggregation: Cellular structure and morphogenetic potencies of multicellular aggregates.

Science.gov (United States)

Lavrov, Andrey I; Kosevich, Igor A

2016-02-01

Sponges (phylum Porifera) are one of the most ancient extant multicellular animals and can provide valuable insights into origin and early evolution of Metazoa. High plasticity of cell differentiations and anatomical structure is characteristic feature of sponges. Present study deals with sponge cell reaggregation after dissociation as the most outstanding case of sponge plasticity. Dynamic of cell reaggregation and structure of multicellular aggregates of three demosponge species (Halichondria panicea (Pallas, 1766), Haliclona aquaeductus (Sсhmidt, 1862), and Halisarca dujardinii Johnston, 1842) were studied. Sponge tissue dissociation was performed mechanically. Resulting cell suspensions were cultured at 8-10°C for at least 5 days. Structure of multicellular aggregates was studied by light, transmission and scanning electron microscopy. Studied species share common stages of cell reaggregation-primary multicellular aggregates, early-stage primmorphs and primmorphs, but the rate of reaggregation varies considerably among species. Only cells of H. dujardinii are able to reconstruct functional and viable sponge after primmorphs formation. Sponge reconstruction in this species occurs due to active cell locomotion. Development of H. aquaeductus and H. panicea cells ceases at the stages of early primmorphs and primmorphs, respectively. Development of aggregates of these species is most likely arrested due to immobility of the majority of cells inside them. However, the inability of certain sponge species to reconstruct functional and viable individuals during cell reaggregation may be not a permanent species-specific characteristic, but depends on various factors, including the stage of the life cycle and experimental conditions. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Ethical Leadership, Leader-Member Exchange and Feedback Seeking: A Double-Moderated Mediation Model of Emotional Intelligence and Work-Unit Structure

Science.gov (United States)

Qian, Jing; Wang, Bin; Han, Zhuo; Song, Baihe

2017-01-01

This research elucidates the role of ethical leadership in employee feedback seeking by examining how and when ethical leadership may exert a positive influence on feedback seeking. Using matched reports from 64 supervisors and 265 of their immediate employees from a hotel group located in a major city in China, we proposed and tested a moderated mediation model that examines leader-member exchange (LMX) as the mediator and emotional intelligence as well as work-unit structure as double moderators in the relationships between ethical leadership and followers’ feedback-seeking behavior from supervisors and coworkers. Our findings indicated that (1) LMX mediated the positive relationship between ethical leadership and feedback seeking from both ethical leaders and coworkers, and (2) emotional intelligence and work-unit structure served as joint moderators on the mediated positive relationship in such a way that the relationship was strongest when the emotional intelligence was high and work-unit structure was more of an organic structure rather than a mechanistic structure. PMID:28744251

Overexpression of neurofilament H disrupts normal cell structure and function

Science.gov (United States)

Szebenyi, Gyorgyi; Smith, George M.; Li, Ping; Brady, Scott T.

2002-01-01

Studying exogenously expressed tagged proteins in live cells has become a standard technique for evaluating protein distribution and function. Typically, expression levels of experimentally introduced proteins are not regulated, and high levels are often preferred to facilitate detection. However, overexpression of many proteins leads to mislocalization and pathologies. Therefore, for normative studies, moderate levels of expression may be more suitable. To understand better the dynamics of intermediate filament formation, transport, and stability in a healthy, living cell, we inserted neurofilament heavy chain (NFH)-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion constructs in adenoviral vectors with tetracycline (tet)-regulated promoters. This system allows for turning on or off the synthesis of NFH-GFP at a selected time, for a defined period, in a dose-dependent manner. We used this inducible system for live cell imaging of changes in filament structure and cell shape, motility, and transport associated with increasing NFH-GFP expression. Cells with low to intermediate levels of NFH-GFP were structurally and functionally similar to neighboring, nonexpressing cells. In contrast, overexpression led to pathological alterations in both filament organization and cell function. Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

High quality-factor fano metasurface comprising a single resonator unit cell

Science.gov (United States)

Sinclair, Michael B.; Warne, Larry K.; Basilio, Lorena I.; Langston, William L.; Campione, Salvatore; Brener, Igal; Liu, Sheng

2017-06-20

A new monolithic resonator metasurface design achieves ultra-high Q-factors while using only one resonator per unit cell. The metasurface relies on breaking the symmetry of otherwise highly symmetric resonators to induce intra-resonator mixing of bright and dark modes (rather than inter-resonator couplings), and is scalable from the near-infrared to radio frequencies and can be easily implemented in dielectric materials. The resulting high-quality-factor Fano metasurface can be used in many sensing, spectral filtering, and modulation applications.

Platinum and palladium nano-structured catalysts for polymer electrolyte fuel cells and direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Nguyen Viet; Thi, Cao Minh; Yong, Yang; Nogami, Masayuki; Ohtaki, Michitaka

2013-07-01

In this review, we present the synthesis and characterization of Pt, Pd, Pt based bimetallic and multi-metallic nanoparticles with mixture, alloy and core-shell structure for nano-catalysis, energy conversion, and fuel cells. Here, Pt and Pd nanoparticles with modified nanostructures can be controllably synthesized via chemistry and physics for their uses as electro-catalysts. The cheap base metal catalysts can be studied in the relationship of crystal structure, size, morphology, shape, and composition for new catalysts with low cost. Thus, Pt based alloy and core-shell catalysts can be prepared with the thin Pt and Pt-Pd shell, which are proposed in low and high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), and direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). We also present the survey of the preparation of Pt and Pd based catalysts for the better catalytic activity, high durability, and stability. The structural transformations, quantum-size effects, and characterization of Pt and Pd based catalysts in the size ranges of 30 nm (1-30 nm) are presented in electro-catalysis. In the size range of 10 nm (1-10 nm), the pure Pt catalyst shows very large surface area for electro-catalysis. To achieve homogeneous size distribution, the shaped synthesis of the polyhedral Pt nanoparticles is presented. The new concept of shaping specific shapes and morphologies in the entire nano-scale from nano to micro, such as polyhedral, cube, octahedra, tetrahedra, bar, rod, and others of the nanoparticles is proposed, especially for noble and cheap metals. The uniform Pt based nanosystems of surface structure, internal structure, shape, and morphology in the nanosized ranges are very crucial to next fuel cells. Finally, the modifications of Pt and Pd based catalysts of alloy, core-shell, and mixture structures lead to find high catalytic activity, durability, and stability for nano-catalysis, energy conversion, fuel cells, especially the next large-scale commercialization of next

Electronic Structure of Hydrogenated and Surface-Modified GaAs Nanocrystals: Ab Initio Calculations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamsa Naji Nasir

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Two methods are used to simulate electronic structure of gallium arsenide nanocrystals. The cluster full geometrical optimization procedure which is suitable for small nanocrystals and large unit cell that simulates specific parts of larger nanocrystals preferably core part as in the present work. Because of symmetry consideration, large unit cells can reach sizes that are beyond the capabilities of first method. The two methods use ab initio Hartree-Fock and density functional theory, respectively. The results show that both energy gap and lattice constant decrease in their value as the nanocrystals grow in size. The inclusion of surface part in the first method makes valence band width wider than in large unit cell method that simulates the core part only. This is attributed to the broken symmetry and surface passivating atoms that split surface degenerate states and adds new levels inside and around the valence band. Bond length and tetrahedral angle result from full geometrical optimization indicate good convergence to the ideal zincblende structure at the centre of hydrogenated nanocrystal. This convergence supports large unit cell methodology. Existence of oxygen atoms at nanocrystal surface melts down density of states and reduces energy gap.

Identification of two distinct chromosome 12-derived amplification units in neuroblastoma cell line NGP

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Roy, N.; Forus, A.; Myklebost, O.; Cheng, N. C.; Versteeg, R.; Speleman, F.

1995-01-01

The neuroblastoma cell line NGP contains two homogeneously staining regions (hsr). One of these hsrs contains MYCN sequences. Reverse painting experiments demonstrated that the second HSR consisted of two chromosome 12-derived amplification units, located at 12q14-15 and 12q24. Southern blot and

Multilamellar structures and filament bundles are found on the cell surface during bunyavirus egress.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Sanz-Sánchez

Full Text Available Inside cells, viruses build specialized compartments for replication and morphogenesis. We observed that virus release associates with specific structures found on the surface of mammalian cells. Cultured adherent cells were infected with a bunyavirus and processed for oriented sectioning and transmission electron microscopy. Imaging of cell basal regions showed sophisticated multilamellar structures (MLS and extracellular filament bundles with attached viruses. Correlative light and electron microscopy confirmed that both MLS and filaments proliferated during the maximum egress of new viruses. MLS dimensions and structure were reminiscent of those reported for the nanostructures on gecko fingertips, which are responsible for the extraordinary attachment capacity of these lizards. As infected cells with MLS were more resistant to detachment than control cells, we propose an adhesive function for these structures, which would compensate for the loss of adherence during release of new virus progeny.

Mercury (I) nitroprusside: A 2D structure supported on homometallic interactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Osiry, H.; Cano, A. [Centro de Investigación en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada, Unidad Legaria, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México (Mexico); Reguera, L. [Facultad de Química, Universidad de La Habana (Cuba); Lemus-Santana, A.A. [Centro de Investigación en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada, Unidad Legaria, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México (Mexico); Reguera, E., E-mail: edilso.reguera@gmail.com [Centro de Investigación en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada, Unidad Legaria, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México (Mexico)

2015-01-15

The pentacyanonitrosylferrate complex anion, [Fe(CN){sub 5}NO]{sup 2−}, forms an insoluble solid with Hg(I) ion, of formula unit Hg{sub 2}[Fe(CN){sub 5}NO]·2H{sub 2}O, whose crystal structure and related properties are unknown. This contribution reports the preparation of that compound by the precipitation method and its structural study from X-ray powder patterns complemented with spectroscopic information from IR, Raman, and UV–vis techniques. The crystal structure was solved ab initio and then refined using the Rietveld method. The solid crystallizes with a triclinic unit cell, in the P−1 space group, with cell parameters a=10.1202(12), b=10.1000(13), c=7.4704(11) Å; α=110.664(10), β=110.114(10), γ=104.724(8) °. Within the unit cell, two formula units are accommodated (Z=2). It adopts a layered structure related with the coordination of the equatorial CN groups at their N end to the Hg atoms while the axial CN ligand remains unlinked. Within the layers neighboring Hg{sub 2}[Fe(CN){sub 5}NO] building units remain linked through four relatively strong Hg–Hg interactions, with an interatomic distance of 2.549(3) Å. The charge donation from the equatorial CN groups through their 5σ orbitals results into an increase for the electron density on the Hg atoms, which strengths the Hg–Hg bond. In the Raman spectrum, that metal–metal bond is detected as a stretching vibration band at 167 cm{sup −1}. The available free volume between neighboring layers accommodates two water molecules, which are stabilized within the framework through hydrogen bonds with the N end of the unlinked axial CN group. The removal of these weakly bonded water molecules results in structural disorder for the material 3D framework. - Graphical abstract: Assembling of Hg{sub 2}[Fe(CN){sub 5}NO] units through Hg–Hg interactions. - Highlights: • Homometallic Hg–Hg interactions in metal nitroprusside. • 2D structure supported on metal–metal interactions. • Crystal

Structure-function Evaluation of Stem Cell Therapies for Spinal Cord Injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Fuguo

2018-02-23

Spinal cord injuries (SCI) are prevalent, devastating for quality and expectancy of life, and cause heavy economic burdens. Stem cell therapies hold promise in complete structural and functional restoration of SCI. This review focuses on the methods currently used to evaluate the stem cell therapies for SCI. Various kinds of stem cells involving embryonic stem cells (ESCs), bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs), neural stem cells (NSCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are extensively used in regenerative research of SCI. For evaluation, the survival and integration of transplanted cells, spinal cord reconstruction and functional recovery all should be considered. Histological and histochemistrical, microscopic, and colorimetric assays, and real-time RT-PCR techniques are applied to determine the outcome. From the three main aspects-transplanted cells, spinal cord structure, and functional recovery-we summarize and discuss these methods with certain instances of applications in SCI models. Importantly, for the evaluations of function, neuronal transmitting, electrophysiological analysis and behavioral score are included. Wider conjunction of established technologies, as well as the further development of nondestructive methods might make a big difference in testing stem cell therapies. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

An Interactive Exercise To Learn Eukaryotic Cell Structure and Organelle Function.

Science.gov (United States)

Klionsky, Daniel J.; Tomashek, John J.

1999-01-01

Describes a cooperative, interactive problem-solving exercise for studying eukaryotic cell structure and function. Highlights the dynamic aspects of movement through the cell. Contains 15 references. (WRM)

Computational design of metal-organic frameworks with paddlewheel-type secondary building units

Science.gov (United States)

Schwingenschlogl, Udo; Peskov, Maxim V.; Masghouni, Nejib

We employ the TOPOS package to study 697 coordination polymers containing paddlewheel-type secondary building units. The underlying nets are analyzed and 3 novel nets are chosen as potential topologies for paddlewheel-type metal organic frameworks (MOFs). Dicarboxylate linkers are used to build basic structures for novel isoreticular MOF series, aiming at relatively compact structures with a low number of atoms per unit cell. The structures are optimized using density functional theory. Afterwards the Grand Canonical Monte Carlo approach is employed to generate adsorption isotherms for CO2, CO, and CH4 molecules. We utilize the universal forcefield for simulating the interaction between the molecules and hosting MOF. The diffusion behavior of the molecules inside the MOFs is analyzed by molecular dynamics simulations.

The Daniell cell, Ohm's law, and the emergence of the International System of Units

Science.gov (United States)

Jayson, Joel S.

2014-01-01

Telegraphy originated in the 1830s and 40 s and flourished in the following decades but with a patchwork of electrical standards. Electromotive force was for the most part measured in units of the predominant Daniell cell, but each telegraphy company had their own resistance standard. In 1862, the British Association for the Advancement of Science formed a committee to address this situation. By 1873, they had given definition to the electromagnetic system of units (emu) and defined the practical units of the ohm as 109 emu units of resistance and the volt as 108 emu units of electromotive force. These recommendations were ratified and expanded upon in a series of international congresses held between 1881 and 1904. A proposal by Giovanni Giorgi in 1901 took advantage of a coincidence between the conversion of the units of energy in the emu system (the erg) and in the practical system (the Joule). As it was, the same conversion factor existed between the cgs based emu system and a theretofore undefined MKS system. By introducing another unit X (where X could be any of the practical electrical units), Giorgi demonstrated that a self-consistent MKSX system was tenable without the need for multiplying factors. Ultimately, the ampere was selected as the fourth unit. It took nearly 60 years, but in 1960, Giorgi's proposal was incorporated as the core of the newly inaugurated International System of Units (SI). This article surveys the physics, physicists, and events that contributed to those developments.

CIF2Cell: Generating geometries for electronic structure programs

Science.gov (United States)

Björkman, Torbjörn

2011-05-01

The CIF2Cell program generates the geometrical setup for a number of electronic structure programs based on the crystallographic information in a Crystallographic Information Framework (CIF) file. The program will retrieve the space group number, Wyckoff positions and crystallographic parameters, make a sensible choice for Bravais lattice vectors (primitive or principal cell) and generate all atomic positions. Supercells can be generated and alloys are handled gracefully. The code currently has output interfaces to the electronic structure programs ABINIT, CASTEP, CPMD, Crystal, Elk, Exciting, EMTO, Fleur, RSPt, Siesta and VASP. Program summaryProgram title: CIF2Cell Catalogue identifier: AEIM_v1_0 Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEIM_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: GNU GPL version 3 No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 12 691 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 74 933 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: Python (versions 2.4-2.7) Computer: Any computer that can run Python (versions 2.4-2.7) Operating system: Any operating system that can run Python (versions 2.4-2.7) Classification: 7.3, 7.8, 8 External routines: PyCIFRW [1] Nature of problem: Generate the geometrical setup of a crystallographic cell for a variety of electronic structure programs from data contained in a CIF file. Solution method: The CIF file is parsed using routines contained in the library PyCIFRW [1], and crystallographic as well as bibliographic information is extracted. The program then generates the principal cell from symmetry information, crystal parameters, space group number and Wyckoff sites. Reduction to a primitive cell is then performed, and the resulting cell is output to suitably named files along with documentation of the information source generated from any bibliographic information contained in the CIF

TWEAK and Fn14 in the neurovascular unit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuel eYepes

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The neurovascular unit (NVU is a dynamic structure assembled by endothelial cells, a basement membrane, perivascular astrocytes, pericytes, and surrounding neurons. The NVU regulates the passage of substances and cellular elements from the intravascular space into the brain parenchyma. This function, also known as blood-brain barrier (BBB, is regulated by the integrity of tight junctions proteins between endothelial cells, and the interaction between perivascular astrocytes and the basal lamina. The cytokine tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK and its receptor fibroblast growth factor-inducible 14 (Fn14 are abundantly expressed in the NVU. Here we will review data indicating that the interaction between TWEAK and Fn14 in the endothelial cell - basement membrane - astrocyte interface regulates the function of the BBB following an ischemic/hypoxic injury, and that pharmacological inhibition of TWEAK-Fn14 is a promising target for the treatment of patients with neurological diseases that have a direct impact on the structure and function of the NVU.

Effect of loop structure of bovine lactoferricin on apoptosis in Jurkat cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Tie-nan; Yang, Wei; Liu, Ning

2010-06-01

Bovine lactoferricin (LfcinB) is a cationic peptide that selectively induces apoptosis in Jurkat cells. However less is known about the influence of this kind of apoptosis on the intra-cellular ceramide metabolism and the structure-function relationship between the loop structure of LfcinB and its action of inducing apoptosis in Jurkat cells. In the present study, the artificially synthesized LfcinB and LfcinB-derived peptide (Cys 19 residue in LfcinB was replaced by Ala) was added in Jurkat cells, the nucleolus shape was observed by fluorescent microscopy, the ceramide concentration in Jurkat cells was determined by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The results of MTT assay showed that LfcinB inhibited proliferation of Jurkat cells, and the inhibition rate was approximately 18.90%. Moreover, the inhibition rate of LfcinB together with MAPP was upto approximately 59.89%. The RP-HPLC result showed that LfcinB improved the ceramide level in Jurkat cells. By using the DNA fragmentation assay and observing the nucleolus shape, the result displayed deficiency of the loop structure could cause LfcinB losing the biological activity of inducing apoptosis in Jurkat cells.

One-step synthesis of mesoporous pentasil zeolite with single-unit-cell lamellar structural features

Science.gov (United States)

Tsapstsis, Michael; Zhang, Xueyi

2015-11-17

A method for making a pentasil zeolite material includes forming an aqueous solution that includes a structure directing agent and a silica precursor; and heating the solution at a sufficient temperature and for sufficient time to form a pentasil zeolite material from the silica precursor, wherein the structure directing agent includes a quaternary phosphonium ion.

Cell Wall Structure of Coccoid Green Algae as an Important Trade-Off Between Biotic Interference Mechanisms and Multidimensional Cell Growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunker, Susanne; Wilhelm, Christian

2018-01-01

Coccoid green algae can be divided in two groups based on their cell wall structure. One group has a highly chemical resistant cell wall (HR-cell wall) containing algaenan. The other group is more susceptible to chemicals (LR-cell wall - Low resistant cell wall). Algaenan is considered as important molecule to explain cell wall resistance. Interestingly, cell wall types (LR- and HR-cell wall) are not in accordance with the taxonomic classes Chlorophyceae and Trebouxiophyceae, which makes it even more interesting to consider the ecological function. It was already shown that algaenan helps to protect against virus, bacterial and fungal attack, but in this study we show for the first time that green algae with different cell wall properties show different sensitivity against interference competition with the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa . Based on previous work with co-cultures of M. aeruginosa and two green algae ( Acutodesmus obliquus and Oocystis marssonii ) differing in their cell wall structure, it was shown that M. aeruginosa could impair only the growth of the green algae if they belong to the LR-cell wall type. In this study it was shown that the sensitivity to biotic interference mechanism shows a more general pattern within coccoid green algae species depending on cell wall structure.

In vitro structure-toxicity relationship of chalcones in human hepatic stellate cells

KAUST Repository

Zenger, Katharina; Dutta, Subhajit; Wolff, Horst; Genton, Marc G.; Kraus, Birgit

2015-01-01

Xanthohumol (XN), the major prenylated chalcone from hops (Humulus lupulus L.), has received much attention within the last years, due to its multiple pharmacological activities including anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, pro-apoptotic, anti-bacterial and anti-adhesive effects. However, there exists a huge number of metabolites and structurally-related chalcones, which can be expected, or are already known, to exhibit various effects on cells. We have therefore analyzed the effects of XN and 18 other chalcones in a panel, consisting of multiple cell-based assays. Readouts of these assays addressed distinct aspects of cell-toxicity, like proliferation, mitochondrial health, cell cycle and other cellular features. Besides known active structural elements of chalcones, like the Michael system, we have identified several moieties that seem to have an impact on specific effects and toxicity in human liver cells in vitro. Based on these observations, we present a structure-toxicity model, which will be crucial to understand the molecular mechanisms of wanted effects and unwanted side-effects of chalcones.

In vitro structure-toxicity relationship of chalcones in human hepatic stellate cells

KAUST Repository

Zenger, Katharina

2015-07-19

Xanthohumol (XN), the major prenylated chalcone from hops (Humulus lupulus L.), has received much attention within the last years, due to its multiple pharmacological activities including anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, pro-apoptotic, anti-bacterial and anti-adhesive effects. However, there exists a huge number of metabolites and structurally-related chalcones, which can be expected, or are already known, to exhibit various effects on cells. We have therefore analyzed the effects of XN and 18 other chalcones in a panel, consisting of multiple cell-based assays. Readouts of these assays addressed distinct aspects of cell-toxicity, like proliferation, mitochondrial health, cell cycle and other cellular features. Besides known active structural elements of chalcones, like the Michael system, we have identified several moieties that seem to have an impact on specific effects and toxicity in human liver cells in vitro. Based on these observations, we present a structure-toxicity model, which will be crucial to understand the molecular mechanisms of wanted effects and unwanted side-effects of chalcones.

In vitro and in silico characterization of open-cell structures of trabecular bone.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos-Infante, S J; Pérez, M A

2017-11-01

This work aimed to perform a detailed in vitro and in silico characterization of open-cell structures, which resemble trabecular bone, to elucidate osteoporosis failure mechanisms. Experimental and image-based computational methods were used to estimate Young's modulus and porosities of different open-cell structures (Sawbones; Malmö, Sweden). Three different open-cell structures with different porosities were characterized. Additionally, some open-cell structures were scanned using a microcomputed tomography system (μCT) to non-destructively predict specimen Young's modulus of the structures by developing voxel-based and tetrahedral finite element (FE) models. A 3D reconstruction and FE analyses were used. The experimental and computational results with different element types (linear and quadratic tetrahedrons and voxel-based meshes) were compared with Sawbones data (Sawbones; Malmö, Sweden) revealing important differences in Young's modulus and porosities. The specimens with high and low volume fractions were best represented by linear and quadratic tetrahedrons, respectively. These results could be used to develop new osteoporosis-prevention strategies.

Viral and cellular subnuclear structures in human cytomegalovirus-infected cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Strang, Blair L

2015-02-01

In human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)-infected cells, a dramatic remodelling of the nuclear architecture is linked to the creation, utilization and manipulation of subnuclear structures. This review outlines the involvement of several viral and cellular subnuclear structures in areas of HCMV replication and virus-host interaction that include viral transcription, viral DNA synthesis and the production of DNA-filled viral capsids. The structures discussed include those that promote or impede HCMV replication (such as viral replication compartments and promyelocytic leukaemia nuclear bodies, respectively) and those whose role in the infected cell is unclear (for example, nucleoli and nuclear speckles). Viral and cellular proteins associated with subnuclear structures are also discussed. The data reviewed here highlight advances in our understanding of HCMV biology and emphasize the complexity of HCMV replication and virus-host interactions in the nucleus. © 2015 The Authors.

Guidance of mesenchymal stem cells on fibronectin structured hydrogel films.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annika Kasten

Full Text Available Designing of implant surfaces using a suitable ligand for cell adhesion to stimulate specific biological responses of stem cells will boost the application of regenerative implants. For example, materials that facilitate rapid and guided migration of stem cells would promote tissue regeneration. When seeded on fibronectin (FN that was homogeneously immmobilized to NCO-sP(EO-stat-PO, which otherwise prevents protein binding and cell adhesion, human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC revealed a faster migration, increased spreading and a more rapid organization of different cellular components for cell adhesion on fibronectin than on a glass surface. To further explore, how a structural organization of FN controls the behavior of MSC, adhesive lines of FN with varying width between 10 µm and 80 µm and spacings between 5 µm and 20 µm that did not allow cell adhesion were generated. In dependance on both line width and gaps, cells formed adjacent cell contacts, were individually organized in lines, or bridged the lines. With decreasing sizes of FN lines, speed and directionality of cell migration increased, which correlated with organization of the actin cytoskeleton, size and shape of the nuclei as well as of focal adhesions. Together, defined FN lines and gaps enabled a fine tuning of the structural organization of cellular components and migration. Microstructured adhesive substrates can mimic the extracellular matrix in vivo and stimulate cellular mechanisms which play a role in tissue regeneration.

JNC-JAERI united research report. A study on degradation of structural materials under irradiation environment in nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoshiya, Taiji; Takaya, Shigeru; Nagae, Yuji; Aoto, Kazumi; Abe, Yasuhiro; Nakamura, Yasuo; Ueno, Fumiyoshi; Nemoto, Yoshiyuki; Miwa, Yukio; Tsukada, Takashi; Ohmi, Masao; Saito, Junichi; Shimizu, Michio

2004-10-01

Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC) and Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) have started a JNC-JAERI united research program cooperatively in fiscal year 2003, which has been aimed for efficient progress and synergistic effect on the research activities of both Institutes in order to lead the facing task of unification between JNC and JAERI. This study has been chosen one of the united research themes because it has been common objective for both Institutes in the research field of structural materials such as Fast Breeder Reactor and Light Water Reactors components. The purpose of the study is to clarify damage mechanism of structural materials under irradiation, and then to develop the methods for damage evaluation and detection in earlier stage of progressing process of damage along grain boundaries. In fiscal year 2003, magnetic flux density distribution (JNC) and micro-corrosion (JAERI) measurement apparatus were newly developed and equipped in Hot Facilities in two Institutes, respectively. The former apparatus, supersensitive Flux Gate sensor was installed, could detector leaked magnetic flux from material damaged by neutron irradiation. The latter one, Atomic Force Microscope was installed, could detect grain boundary corrosion loss after an electrochemical corrosion test of irradiated material. These apparatus were designed and produced in consideration of radiation resistance and remote-controlled operation to equip in hot cells. As the results of preliminary studies using Ni ion irradiated specimen, damage detection by corrosion property in grain boundary was possible but magnetic property change could not detect. We will start the study on neutron irradiation damage by employing the two apparatus as the next step. (author)

Novel hydroxyamides and amides containing D-glucopyranose or D-fructose units: Biological assays in MCF-7 and MDST8 cell lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Carreiro, Elisabete P; Costa, Ana R; Cordeiro, Maria M; Martins, Rute; Pires, Tiago O; Saraiva, Mafalda; Antunes, Célia M; Burke, Anthony J

2016-02-01

A novel library of 15 compounds, hydroxyamides and amides containing a β-D-glucopyranose (D-Gluc) or a β-D-fructose (D-Fruc) units was designed and synthesized for antiproliferative assays in breast (MCF-7) and colon (MDST8) cancer cell lines. Twelve of them were hydroxyamides and were successfully synthesized from β-D-glucuronic acid (D-GluA). Six of these hydroxyamides which were acetylated hydroxy-β-D-glucopyranuronamide 2a-2f (1st Family) and the other six were their respective isomers, that is, hydroxy-β-D-fructuronamide 3a-3f (2nd Family), obtained by acid-base catalyzed isomerization. These compounds have the general structure, D-Gluc-C=ONH-CHR-(CH2)n-OH and D-Fruc-C=ONH-CHR-(CH2)n-OH, where R=an aromatic, alkyl or a hydrogen substituent, with n=0 or 1. Eight of these contained a chiral aminoalcohol group. Three compounds were amides containing a D-glucopyranose unit (3rd Family). SAR studies were conducted with these compounds. Antiproliferative studies showed that compound 4a, the bromo-amide containing the β-D-glucopyranose ring, potently inhibits the proliferation of the MDST8 cells. Five compounds (2e, 2f, 3d, 3e, and 3f) were shown to potently selectively inhibit the proliferation of the MCF-7 cells. Compound 4b was the only one showing inhibition in both cell lines. In general, the more active compounds were the amides and hydroxyamides containing the β-D-fructose moiety, and containing an alkyl group or hydrogen. Half-inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of between 0.01 and 10 μM, were observed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fermi surface properties of paramagnetic NpCd11 with a large unit cell

Science.gov (United States)

Homma, Yoshiya; Aoki, Dai; Haga, Yoshinori; Settai, Rikio; Sakai, Hironori; Ikeda, Shugo; Yamamoto, Etsuji; Nakamura, Akio; Shiokawa, Yoshinobu; Takeuchi, Tetsuya; Yamagami, Hiroshi; Ōnuki, Yoshichika

2010-03-01

We succeeded in growing a high-quality single crystal of NpCd11 with the cubic BaHg11-type structure by the Cd-self flux method. The lattice parameter of a = 9.2968(2) Å and crystallographic positions of the atoms were determined by x-ray single-crystal structure analysis. From the results of the magnetic susceptibility and specific heat experiments, this compound is found to be a 5f-localized paramagnet with the singlet ground state in the crystalline electric field (CEF) scheme. Fermi surface properties were measured using the de Haas-van Alphen (dHvA) technique. Long-period oscillations were observed in the dHvA frequency range of 9.1 x 105 to 1.9 x 107 Oe, indicating small cross-sectional areas of Fermi surfaces, which is consistent with a small Brillouin zone based on a large unit cell. From the results of dHvA and magnetoresistance experiments, the Fermi surface of NpCd11 is found to consist of many kinds of closed Fermi surfaces and a multiply-connected-like Fermi surface, although the result of energy band calculations based on the 5f-localized Np3+(5f4) configuration reveals the existence of only closed Fermi surfaces. The corresponding cyclotron effective mass is small, ranging from 0.1 to 0.7 m0, which is consistent with a small electronic specific heat coefficient γ ≅ 10mJ/K2·mol, revealing no hybridization between the 5f electrons and conduction electrons.

Controlling major cellular processes of human mesenchymal stem cells using microwell structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Xun; Wang, Weiwei; Kratz, Karl; Fang, Liang; Li, Zhengdong; Kurtz, Andreas; Ma, Nan; Lendlein, Andreas

2014-12-01

Directing stem cells towards a desired location and function by utilizing the structural cues of biomaterials is a promising approach for inducing effective tissue regeneration. Here, the cellular response of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hADSCs) to structural signals from microstructured substrates comprising arrays of square-shaped or round-shaped microwells is explored as a transitional model between 2D and 3D systems. Microwells with a side length/diameter of 50 μm show advantages over 10 μm and 25 μm microwells for accommodating hADSCs within single microwells rather than in the inter-microwell area. The cell morphologies are three-dimensionally modulated by the microwell structure due to differences in focal adhesion and consequent alterations of the cytoskeleton. In contrast to the substrate with 50 μm round-shaped microwells, the substrate with 50 μm square-shaped microwells promotes the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation potential of hADSCs but reduces the cell migration velocity and distance. Such microwell shape-dependent modulatory effects are highly associated with Rho/ROCK signaling. Following ROCK inhibition, the differences in migration, proliferation, and osteogenesis between cells on different substrates are diminished. These results highlight the possibility to control stem cell functions through the use of structured microwells combined with the manipulation of Rho/ROCK signaling. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Screech Tones from Rectangular Jets with Spanwise Oblique Shock-Cell Structures

Science.gov (United States)

Raman, Ganesh

1996-01-01

Understanding screech is especially important for the design of advanced aircraft because screech can cause sonic fatigue failure of aircraft structures. Although the connection between shock-cell spacing and screech frequency is well understood, the relation between non-uniformities in the shock-cell structures and the resulting amplitude, mode, and steadiness of screech have remained unexplored. This paper addresses the above issues by intentionally producing spanwise (larger nozzle dimension) variations in the shock-cell structures and studying the resulting spanwise screech mode. The spanwise oblique shock-cell structures were produced using imperfectly expanded convergent-divergent rectangular nozzles (aspect ratio = 5) with nonuniform exit geometries. Three geometries were studied: (a) a nozzle with a spanwise uniform edge, (b) a nozzle with a spanwise oblique (single bevelled) edge, and (c) a nozzle that had two spanwise oblique (double bevelled) cuts to form an arrowhead-shaped nozzle. For all nozzles considered, the screech mode was antisymmetric in the transverse (smaller nozzle dimension) direction allowing focus on changes in the spanwise direction. Three types of spanwise modes were observed: symmetric (1), antisymmetric (2), and oblique (3). The following significant results emerged: (1) for all cases the screech mode corresponds with the spanwise shock-cell structure, (2) when multiple screech modes are present, the technique presented here makes it possible to distinguish between coexisting and mutually exclusive modes, (3) the strength of shocks 3 and 4 influences the screech source amplitude and determines whether screech is unsteady. The results presented here offer hope for a better understanding of screech and for tailoring shock-containing jets to minimize fatigue failure of aircraft components.

Image-based correlation between the meso-scale structure and deformation of closed-cell foam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Yongle, E-mail: yongle.sun@manchester.ac.uk [School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, The University of Manchester, Sackville Street, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom); Zhang, Xun [Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Upper Brook Street, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom); Shao, Zhushan [School of Civil Engineering, Xi' an University of Architecture & Technology, Xi' an 710055 (China); Li, Q.M. [School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, The University of Manchester, Sackville Street, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom); State Key Laboratory of Explosion Science and Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081 (China)

2017-03-14

In the correlation between structural parameters and compressive behaviour of cellular materials, previous studies have mostly focused on averaged structural parameters and bulk material properties for different samples. This study focuses on the meso-scale correlation between structure and deformation in a 2D foam sample generated from a computed tomography slice of Alporas™ foam, for which quasi-static compression was simulated using 2D image-based finite element modelling. First, a comprehensive meso-scale structural characterisation of the 2D foam was carried out to determine the size, aspect ratio, orientation and anisotropy of individual cells, as well as the length, straightness, inclination and thickness of individual cell walls. Measurements were then conducted to obtain the axial distributions of local structural parameters averaged laterally to compression axis. Second, the meso-scale deformation was characterised by cell-wall strain, cell area ratio, digital image correlation strain and local compressive engineering strain. According to the results, the through-width sub-regions over an axial length between the average (lower bound) and the maximum (upper bound) of cell size should be used to characterise the meso-scale heterogeneity of the cell structure and deformation. It was found that the first crush band forms in a sub-region where the ratio of cell-wall thickness to cell-wall length is a minimum, in which the collapse deformation is dominated by the plastic bending and buckling of cell walls. Other morphological parameters have secondary effect on the initiation of crush band in the 2D foam. The finding of this study suggests that the measurement of local structural properties is crucial for the identification of the “weakest” region which determines the initiation of collapse and hence the corresponding collapse load of a heterogeneous cellular material.

Image-based correlation between the meso-scale structure and deformation of closed-cell foam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Yongle; Zhang, Xun; Shao, Zhushan; Li, Q.M.

2017-01-01

In the correlation between structural parameters and compressive behaviour of cellular materials, previous studies have mostly focused on averaged structural parameters and bulk material properties for different samples. This study focuses on the meso-scale correlation between structure and deformation in a 2D foam sample generated from a computed tomography slice of Alporas™ foam, for which quasi-static compression was simulated using 2D image-based finite element modelling. First, a comprehensive meso-scale structural characterisation of the 2D foam was carried out to determine the size, aspect ratio, orientation and anisotropy of individual cells, as well as the length, straightness, inclination and thickness of individual cell walls. Measurements were then conducted to obtain the axial distributions of local structural parameters averaged laterally to compression axis. Second, the meso-scale deformation was characterised by cell-wall strain, cell area ratio, digital image correlation strain and local compressive engineering strain. According to the results, the through-width sub-regions over an axial length between the average (lower bound) and the maximum (upper bound) of cell size should be used to characterise the meso-scale heterogeneity of the cell structure and deformation. It was found that the first crush band forms in a sub-region where the ratio of cell-wall thickness to cell-wall length is a minimum, in which the collapse deformation is dominated by the plastic bending and buckling of cell walls. Other morphological parameters have secondary effect on the initiation of crush band in the 2D foam. The finding of this study suggests that the measurement of local structural properties is crucial for the identification of the “weakest” region which determines the initiation of collapse and hence the corresponding collapse load of a heterogeneous cellular material.

The Impact of the Demand for Integration in the Large Multi-Business Unit Firm on the IT Organization Structure

Science.gov (United States)

Larson, Eric Christopher

2012-01-01

Large, multi-business unit firms are decentralizing their overall corporate structures. At the same time, the structures of their IT organizations are becoming more centralized. This is contrary to current wisdom that the IT organization structure will mimic the structure of the corporation, all else being equal. Because the general business…

Conceptual design of independently tunable cells RF gun with external injecting structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang Junjun; Feng Guangyao; Pei Yuanji; Pang Jian

2012-01-01

To obtain the micro-pulse bunch with the order of hundred femtoseconds length and high repetition rate, the pa- per proposes the independently tunable cells (ITC) RF gun, which has a double-cell structure with the cells being power fed independently. By choosing appropriate feeding power and phase of the two cells, this ITC-RF gun can achieve bunches of excellent characteristics. Additionally, the application of a-magnet and laser system can be avoided, which leads to more compact layout. An external injecting ITC-RF gun (DC-ITC-RF gun) structure is designed accordingly. The external injecting structure can increase beam current, decrease energy spread, and cancel the back-bombardment effect almost completely. By means of 1-D and 3- D beam dynamics calculation with different structure parameters, a group of RF parameters are obtained for better beam characteristics. Then the paper designs a pre-injector so that particles can be accelerated to 10 MeV. By choosing appropriate feeding power and incident particle phase for the pre-injector, the bunch length can be further compressed. (authors)

Production, purification, crystallization and structure determination of H-1 Parvovirus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halder, Sujata; Nam, Hyun-Joo; Govindasamy, Lakshmanan; Vogel, Michèle; Dinsart, Christiane; Salomé, Nathalie; McKenna, Robert; Agbandje-McKenna, Mavis

2012-01-01

The production, purification, crystallization and crystallographic analysis of H-1 Parvovirus, a gene-therapy vector, are reported. Crystals of H-1 Parvovirus (H-1PV), an antitumor gene-delivery vector, were obtained for DNA-containing capsids and diffracted X-rays to 2.7 Å resolution using synchrotron radiation. The crystals belonged to the monoclinic space group P2 1 , with unit-cell parameters a = 255.4, b = 350.4, c = 271.6 Å, β = 90.34°. The unit cell contained two capsids, with one capsid per crystallographic asymmetric unit. The H-1PV structure has been determined by molecular replacement and is currently being refined

Structural characterization of Mg{sub 3}MnH{sub {approx}}{sub 6}--a new high-pressure phase synthesized in a multi-anvil cell at 6 GPa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blomqvist, Helen; Roennebro, Ewa; Kyoi, Daisuke; Sakai, Tetsuo; Noreus, Dag

2003-08-25

With modern X-ray diffraction refinement methods it was shown to be possible to identify a new Mg{sub 3}MnH{sub {approx}}{sub 6} phase from a minute sample volume in spite of poor crystallinity and coexisting impurity phases. The new hydride was synthesized at 6 GPa in a high-pressure multi-anvil cell at 873 K. A monoclinic unit cell was found with a=8.827(2), b=4.657(2), c=4.676(2) A and {beta}=105.74(2) deg., space group P2{sub 1}/m (no. 11), Z=2, V=184.99 A{sup 3}. Manganese is surrounded by a distorted cube of magnesium with average Mn-Mg distances of 2.78(2) A. The cubes share edges in the b and c directions of the unit cell but are separated by a distance of {approx}3.6 A along a, forming a layered structure. The hydrogen positions were not possible to determine, as only a small sample amount could be prepared. If the metal atom structure of the title compound is compared to the already known Mg{sub 3}MnH{sub 7} it can be concluded that Mg{sub 3}MnH{sub {approx}}{sub 6} also consists of manganese hydrido complexes counterbalanced by magnesium ions, but with a different alignment of the magnesium cubes.

Colloidal quantum dot solar cells exploiting hierarchical structuring

KAUST Repository

Labelle, André J.

2015-02-11

Extremely thin-absorber solar cells offer low materials utilization and simplified manufacture but require improved means to enhance photon absorption in the active layer. Here, we report enhanced-absorption colloidal quantum dot (CQD) solar cells that feature transfer-stamped solution-processed pyramid-shaped electrodes employed in a hierarchically structured device. The pyramids increase, by up to a factor of 2, the external quantum efficiency of the device at absorption-limited wavelengths near the absorber band edge. We show that absorption enhancement can be optimized with increased pyramid angle with an appreciable net improvement in power conversion efficiency, that is, with the gain in current associated with improved absorption and extraction overcoming the smaller fractional decrease in open-circuit voltage associated with increased junction area. We show that the hierarchical combination of micron-scale structured electrodes with nanoscale films provides for an optimized enhancement at absorption-limited wavelengths. We fabricate 54.7° pyramid-patterned electrodes, conformally apply the quantum dot films, and report pyramid CQD solar cells that exhibit a 24% improvement in overall short-circuit current density with champion devices providing a power conversion efficiency of 9.2%.

Three-dimensional cell manipulation and patterning using dielectrophoresis via a multi-layer scaffold structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, H K; Huan, Z; Mills, J K; Yang, J; Sun, D

2015-02-07

Cell manipulation is imperative to the areas of cellular biology and tissue engineering, providing them a useful tool for patterning cells into cellular patterns for different analyses and applications. This paper presents a novel approach to perform three-dimensional (3D) cell manipulation and patterning with a multi-layer engineered scaffold. This scaffold structure employed dielectrophoresis as the non-contact mechanism to manipulate cells in the 3D domain. Through establishing electric fields via this multi-layer structure, the cells in the medium became polarized and were attracted towards the interior part of the structure, forming 3D cellular patterns. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the manipulation and the patterning processes with the proposed structure. Results show that with the presence of a voltage input, this multi-layer structure was capable of manipulating different types of biological cells examined through dielectrophoresis, enabling automatic cell patterning in the time-scale of minutes. The effects of the voltage input on the resultant cellular pattern were examined and discussed. Viability test was performed after the patterning operation and the results confirmed that majority of the cells remained viable. After 7 days of culture, 3D cellular patterns were observed through SEM. The results suggest that this scaffold and its automated dielectrophoresis-based patterning mechanism can be used to construct artificial tissues for various tissue engineering applications.

Insights to the effects of free cells on community structure of attached cells and chalcopyrite bioleaching during different stages.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Shoushuai; Yang, Hailin; Wang, Wu

2016-01-01

The effects of free cells on community structure of attached cells and chalcopyrite bioleaching by Acidithiobacillus sp. during different stages were investigated. The attached cells of Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans owned the community advantage from 14thd to the end of bioprocess in the normal system. The community structure of attached cells was greatly influenced in the free cells-deficient systems. Compared to A. thiooxidans, the attached cells community of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans had a higher dependence on its free cells. Meanwhile, the analysis of key biochemical parameters revealed that the effects of free cells on chalcopyrite bioleaching in different stages were diverse, ranging from 32.8% to 64.3%. The bioleaching contribution of free cells of A. ferrooxidans in the stationary stage (8-14thd) was higher than those of A. thiooxidans, while the situation was gradually reversed in the jarosite passivation inhibited stage (26-40thd). These results may be useful in guiding chalcopyrite bioleaching. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rapid Fabrication of Cell-Laden Alginate Hydrogel 3D Structures by Micro Dip-Coating.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghanizadeh Tabriz, Atabak; Mills, Christopher G; Mullins, John J; Davies, Jamie A; Shu, Wenmiao

2017-01-01

Development of a simple, straightforward 3D fabrication method to culture cells in 3D, without relying on any complex fabrication methods, remains a challenge. In this paper, we describe a new technique that allows fabrication of scalable 3D cell-laden hydrogel structures easily, without complex machinery: the technique can be done using only apparatus already available in a typical cell biology laboratory. The fabrication method involves micro dip-coating of cell-laden hydrogels covering the surface of a metal bar, into the cross-linking reagents calcium chloride or barium chloride to form hollow tubular structures. This method can be used to form single layers with thickness ranging from 126 to 220 µm or multilayered tubular structures. This fabrication method uses alginate hydrogel as the primary biomaterial and a secondary biomaterial can be added depending on the desired application. We demonstrate the feasibility of this method, with survival rate over 75% immediately after fabrication and normal responsiveness of cells within these tubular structures using mouse dermal embryonic fibroblast cells and human embryonic kidney 293 cells containing a tetracycline-responsive, red fluorescent protein (tHEK cells).

Efficient cascade multiple heterojunction organic solar cells with inverted structure

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Tingting; Li, Mingtao; Qiao, Zhenfang; Yu, Leiming; Zhao, Jianhong; Feng, Nianjun; Shi, Peiguang; Wang, Xiaoyan; Pu, Xiaoyun; Wang, Hai

2018-05-01

In this work, we demonstrate an efficient cascade multiple heterojunction organic solar cell with inverted structure. By using two donor materials, poly(3-hexylthiosphene) (P3HT) and titanyl phthalocyanine (TiOPc), as well as two acceptor materials, [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) and C60, the cascade multiple heterojunctions of P3HT:PCBM/TiOPc:C60/C60 have been constructed. Applying the optimized inverted configuration of FTO/Zinc Tin Oxide (ZTO)/C60 (30 nm)/TiOPc:C60 (1:1.5, 25 nm)/P3HT:PCBM (1:0.8, 100 nm)/MoO3 (4 nm)/Ag, the considerably enhanced open circuit voltage (VOC) and short circuit current (JSC) can be harvested together, and the power conversion efficiency (PCE) is three times higher than that of the control cell with conventional structure. The significant improvements of the inverted cell are mostly due to the broadened spectral absorption and high efficient multi-interface exciton dissociation in the cascade multiple heterojunctions, indicating that the optimized cascade heterojunctions match the inverted structure well.

A Structural Study of Escherichia coli Cells Using an In Situ Liquid Chamber TEM Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yibing Wang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Studying cell microstructures and their behaviors under living conditions has been a challenging subject in microbiology. In this work, in situ liquid chamber TEM was used to study structures of Escherichia coli cells in aqueous solutions at a nanometer-scale resolution. Most of the cells remained intact under electron beam irradiation, and nanoscale structures were observed during the TEM imaging. The analysis revealed structures of pili surrounding the E. coli cells; the movements of the pili in the liquid were also observed during the in situ tests. This technology also allowed the observation of features of the nucleoid in the E. coli cells. Overall, in situ TEM can be applied as a valuable tool to study real-time microscopic structures and processes in microbial cells residing in native aqueous solutions.

Generation of glucose-responsive functional islets with a three-dimensional structure from mouse fetal pancreatic cells and iPS cells in vitro.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroki Saito

Full Text Available Islets of Langerhans are a pancreatic endocrine compartment consisting of insulin-producing β cells together with several other hormone-producing cells. While some insulin-producing cells or immature pancreatic cells have been generated in vitro from ES and iPS cells, islets with proper functions and a three-dimensional (3D structure have never been successfully produced. To test whether islets can be formed in vitro, we first examined the potential of mouse fetal pancreatic cells. We found that E16.5 pancreatic cells, just before forming islets, were able to develop cell aggregates consisting of β cells surrounded by glucagon-producing α cells, a structure similar to murine adult islets. Moreover, the transplantation of these cells improved blood glucose levels in hyperglycemic mice. These results indicate that functional islets are formed in vitro from fetal pancreatic cells at a specific developmental stage. By adopting these culture conditions to the differentiation of mouse iPS cells, we developed a two-step system to generate islets, i.e. immature pancreatic cells were first produced from iPS cells, and then transferred to culture conditions that allowed the formation of islets from fetal pancreatic cells. The islets exhibited distinct 3D structural features similar to adult pancreatic islets and secreted insulin in response to glucose concentrations. Transplantation of the islets improved blood glucose levels in hyperglycemic mice. In conclusion, the two-step culture system allows the generation of functional islets with a 3D structure from iPS cells.

Generation of a Three-Dimensional Kidney Structure from Pluripotent Stem Cells.

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Yoshimura, Yasuhiro; Taguchi, Atsuhiro; Nishinakamura, Ryuichi

2017-01-01

The kidney is a vital organ that has an important role in the maintenance of homeostasis by fluid volume regulation and waste product excretion. This role cannot be performed without the three-dimensional (3D) structure of the kidney. Therefore, it is important to generate the 3D structure of the kidney when inducing functional kidney tissue or the whole organ from pluripotent stem cells. In this chapter, we describe the detailed methods to induce kidney progenitor cells from pluripotent stem cells, which are based on embryological development. We also provide a method to generate 3D kidney tissue with vascularized glomeruli upon transplantation.

Using a Virtual Manipulative Environment to Support Students' Organizational Structuring of Volume Units

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O'Dell, Jenna R.; Barrett, Jeffrey E.; Cullen, Craig J.; Rupnow, Theodore J.; Clements, Douglas H.; Sarama, Julie; Rutherford, George; Beck, Pamela S.

2017-01-01

In this study, we investigated how Grade 3 and 4 students' organizational structure for volume units develops through repeated experiences with a virtual manipulative for building prisms. Our data consist of taped clinical interviews within a micro-genetic experiment. We report on student strategy development using a virtual manipulative for…

Study of upscaling possibilities for antimony sulfide solid state sensitized solar cells

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Nikolakopoulou, Archontoula; Raptis, Dimitrios; Dracopoulos, Vasilios; Sygellou, Lamprini; Andrikopoulos, Konstantinos S.; Lianos, Panagiotis

2015-03-01

Solid state solar cells of inverted structure were constructed by successive deposition of nanoparticulate titania, antimony sulfide sensitizer and P3HT on FTO electrodes with PEDOT:PSS:Ag as counter electrode. Sensitized photoanode electrodes were characterized by XRD, Raman, XPS, FESEM and UV-vis. Small laboratory scale cells were first constructed and optimized. Functional cells were obtained by annealing the antimony sulfide film either in air or in inert atmosphere. High short-circuit currents were recorded in both cases with air-annealed sample producing more current but lower voltage. Small unit cells were combined to form cell modules. Connection of unit cells in parallel increased current but not proportionally to that of the unit cell. Connection in series preserved current and generated voltage multiplication. Cells were constructed and studied under ambient conditions, without encapsulation. The results encourage upscaling of antimony sulfide solar cells.

Structure insight of GSDMD reveals the basis of GSDMD autoinhibition in cell pyroptosis.

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Kuang, Siyun; Zheng, Jun; Yang, Hui; Li, Suhua; Duan, Shuyan; Shen, Yanfang; Ji, Chaoneng; Gan, Jianhua; Xu, Xue-Wei; Li, Jixi

2017-10-03

Recent findings have revealed that the protein gasdermin D (GSDMD) plays key roles in cell pyroptosis. GSDMD binds lipids and forms pore structures to induce pyroptosis upon microbial infection and associated danger signals. However, detailed structural information for GSDMD remains unknown. Here, we report the crystal structure of the C-terminal domain of human GSDMD (GSDMD-C) at 2.64-Å resolution. The first loop on GSDMD-C inserts into the N-terminal domain (GSDMD-N), which helps stabilize the conformation of the full-length GSDMD. Substitution of this region by a short linker sequence increased levels of cell death. Mutants F283A and F283R can increase protein heterogeneity in vitro and are capable of undergoing cell pyroptosis in 293T cells. The small-angle X-ray-scattering envelope of human GSDMD is consistent with the modeled GSDMD structure and mouse GSDMA3 structure, which suggests that GSDMD adopts an autoinhibited conformation in solution. The positive potential surface of GSDMD-N covered by GSDMD-C is exposed after being released from the autoinhibition state and can form high-order oligomers via a charge-charge interaction. Furthermore, by mapping different regions of GSDMD, we determined that one short segment is sufficient to kill bacteria in vitro and can efficiently inhibit cell growth in Escherichia coli and Mycobacterium Smegmatis These findings reveal that GSDMD-C acts as an auto-inhibition executor and GSDMD-N could form pore structures via a charge-charge interaction upon cleavage by caspases during cell pyroptosis.

Material Units, Structures/Landforms, and Stratigraphy for the Global Geologic Map of Ganymede (1:15M)

Science.gov (United States)

Patterson, G. Wesley; Head, James W.; Collins, Geoffrey C.; Pappalardo, Robert T.; Prockter, Louis M.; Lucchitta, Baerbel K.

2008-01-01

In the coming year a global geological map of Ganymede will be completed that represents the most recent understanding of the satellite on the basis of Galileo mission results. This contribution builds on important previous accomplishments in the study of Ganymede utilizing Voyager data and incorporates the many new discoveries that were brought about by examination of Galileo data. Material units have been defined, structural landforms have been identified, and an approximate stratigraphy has been determined utilizing a global mosaic of the surface with a nominal resolution of 1 km/pixel assembled by the USGS. This mosaic incorporates the best available Voyager and Galileo regional coverage and high resolution imagery (100-200 m/pixel) of characteristic features and terrain types obtained by the Galileo spacecraft. This map has given us a more complete understanding of: 1) the major geological processes operating on Ganymede, 2) the characteristics of the geological units making up its surface, 3) the stratigraphic relationships of geological units and structures, and 4) the geological history inferred from these relationships. A summary of these efforts is provided here.

DNA Superresolution Structure of Reed-Sternberg Cells Differs Between Long-Lasting Remission Versus Relapsing Hodgkin's Lymphoma Patients.

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Righolt, Christiaan H; Knecht, Hans; Mai, Sabine

2016-07-01

Recent developments in microscopy have led to superresolution microscopy images of cells. Structured illumination microscopy was used before to reveal new details in the DNA structure and the structure of the DNA-free space in the DAPI-stained cell nuclei of the Hodgkin's lymphoma HDLM-2 cell line. This study extends this technology to primary pre-treatment classical Hodgkin's lymphoma samples of ten patients. Significant differences in both the DNA structure and the structure of the DNA-free space were detected between lymphocytes and malignant cells. Both types of structures were similar for lymphocytes of different patients. When the patients were un-blinded and grouped based on their clinical outcome, either non-relapsed or relapsed, a significant difference in the DNA structure of their Reed-Sternberg (RS) cells was found. Since, RS cells develop from mono-nucleated Hodgkin (H) cells, these data suggest distinct architectural restructuring of nuclei during RS cell formation in patients going to long-lasting remission versus relapse. J. Cell. Biochem. 117: 1633-1637, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Micropatterned Azopolymer Surfaces Modulate Cell Mechanics and Cytoskeleton Structure.

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Rianna, Carmela; Ventre, Maurizio; Cavalli, Silvia; Radmacher, Manfred; Netti, Paolo A

2015-09-30

Physical and chemical characteristics of materials are important regulators of cell behavior. In particular, cell elasticity is a fundamental parameter that reflects the state of a cell. Surface topography finely modulates cell fate and function via adhesion mediated signaling and cytoskeleton generated forces. However, how topographies alter cell mechanics is still unclear. In this work we have analyzed the mechanical properties of peripheral and nuclear regions of NIH-3T3 cells on azopolymer substrates with different topographic patterns. Micrometer scale patterns in the form of parallel ridges or square lattices of surface elevations were encoded on light responsive azopolymer films by means of contactless optical methods. Cell mechanics was investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Cells and consequently the cell cytoskeleton were oriented along the linear patterns affecting cytoskeletal structures, e.g., formation of actin stress fibers. Our data demonstrate that topographic substrate patterns are recognized by cells and mechanical information is transferred by the cytoskeleton. Furthermore, cytoskeleton generated forces deform the nucleus, changing its morphology that appears to be related to different mechanical properties in the nuclear region.

In vitro structure-toxicity relationship of chalcones in human hepatic stellate cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zenger, Katharina; Dutta, Subhajit; Wolff, Horst; Genton, Marc G; Kraus, Birgit

2015-10-02

Xanthohumol (XN), the major prenylated chalcone from hops (Humulus lupulus L.), has received much attention within the last years, due to its multiple pharmacological activities including anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, pro-apoptotic, anti-bacterial and anti-adhesive effects. However, there exists a huge number of metabolites and structurally-related chalcones, which can be expected, or are already known, to exhibit various effects on cells. We have therefore analyzed the effects of XN and 18 other chalcones in a panel, consisting of multiple cell-based assays. Readouts of these assays addressed distinct aspects of cell-toxicity, like proliferation, mitochondrial health, cell cycle and other cellular features. Besides known active structural elements of chalcones, like the Michael system, we have identified several moieties that seem to have an impact on specific effects and toxicity in human liver cells in vitro. Based on these observations, we present a structure-toxicity model, which will be crucial to understand the molecular mechanisms of wanted effects and unwanted side-effects of chalcones. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Decree 190/997 Industry, Energy and Mining Ministry: it approve the project of the organize structure reformulation of the respective executant Units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

In Ordinance 190 are about the approval of the reformulate of the organizational structure of the parenthesis 08 Ministry of Industry Energy and Mining that it will be integrated by the following Units executory:001 General Direction of Secretary,002 National Direction of Industrias,004 National Direction of the Property Industrial,007 National Direction of Mining and Geology,008Direction of Energy,009 National Direction of Handicrafts,Small and Medium Enterprises,011 National Direction of Technology Nuclear,del Parenthesis 08. The strategic objective ,organizational structure, structure of positions of work installation ,plan settles down in the whole Ministry.Special stress it is made to the sub paragraph 011 National Direction of Nuclear Technology being established their strategic objective support substantive to the nouns that Units Executory,organizational structure activities remains in the unit in execution in charge of third, structural of positions of work installation ,plan and flowchart of the new structure [es

The Application of Load-cell Technique in the Study of Armour Unit Responses to Impact Loads Tests

OpenAIRE

Burcharth, H. F.; Liu, Z.

1995-01-01

The slender, complex types of armour units, such as Tetrapods and Dolosse arewidely used for rubble mound breakwaters. Many of the recent failures of suchstructures were caused by unforeseen early breakage of the units, thus revealingan in balance between the strength (structural integrity) of the units and thehydraulic stability (resistance to displacements) of the armour layers. Breakageis caused by stresses from static, pulsating and impact loads. Impact load generated stresses are difficu...