Linking electricity prices and costs in bottom-up top-down coupling under changing market environments

OpenAIRE

Maire, Sophie

2016-01-01

Electricity market liberalization is altering pricing mechanisms in wholesale electricity markets, which will affect the effectiveness of climate and energy policies. Models used to simulate such policies must be responsive to pricing rules. We show how this can be done and simulate a tightening of climate and energy policies. We use a soft-coupled framework composed of a top-down dynamic computable general equilibrium model and a bottom-up dynamic electricity supply model. The first simulate...

Decoding spatiotemporal spike sequences via the finite state automata dynamics of spiking neural networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin, Dezhe Z

2008-01-01

Temporally complex stimuli are encoded into spatiotemporal spike sequences of neurons in many sensory areas. Here, we describe how downstream neurons with dendritic bistable plateau potentials can be connected to decode such spike sequences. Driven by feedforward inputs from the sensory neurons and controlled by feedforward inhibition and lateral excitation, the neurons transit between UP and DOWN states of the membrane potentials. The neurons spike only in the UP states. A decoding neuron spikes at the end of an input to signal the recognition of specific spike sequences. The transition dynamics is equivalent to that of a finite state automaton. A connection rule for the networks guarantees that any finite state automaton can be mapped into the transition dynamics, demonstrating the equivalence in computational power between the networks and finite state automata. The decoding mechanism is capable of recognizing an arbitrary number of spatiotemporal spike sequences, and is insensitive to the variations of the spike timings in the sequences

The generation of myricetin-nicotinamide nanococrystals by top down and bottom up technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Mingyu; Hong, Chao; Li, Guowen; Ma, Ping; Xie, Yan

2016-09-30

Myricetin-nicotinamide (MYR-NIC) nanococrystal preparation methods were developed and optimized using both top down and bottom up approaches. The grinding (top down) method successfully achieved nanococrystals, but there were some micrometer range particles and aggregation. The key consideration of the grinding technology was to control the milling time to determine a balance between the particle size and distribution. In contrast, a modified bottom up approach based on a solution method in conjunction with sonochemistry resulted in a uniform MYR-NIC nanococrystal that was confirmed by powder x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and differential scanning calorimeter, and the particle dissolution rate and amount were significantly greater than that of MYR-NIC cocrystal. Notably, this was a simple method without the addition of any non-solvent. We anticipate our findings will provide some guidance for future nanococrystal preparation as well as its application in both chemical and pharmaceutical area.

Assessing the Gap Between Top-down and Bottom-up Measured Methane Emissions in Indianapolis, IN.

Science.gov (United States)

Prasad, K.; Lamb, B. K.; Cambaliza, M. O. L.; Shepson, P. B.; Stirm, B. H.; Salmon, O. E.; Lavoie, T. N.; Lauvaux, T.; Ferrara, T.; Howard, T.; Edburg, S. L.; Whetstone, J. R.

2014-12-01

Releases of methane (CH4) from the natural gas supply chain in the United States account for approximately 30% of the total US CH4 emissions. However, there continues to be large questions regarding the accuracy of current emission inventories for methane emissions from natural gas usage. In this paper, we describe results from top-down and bottom-up measurements of methane emissions from the large isolated city of Indianapolis. The top-down results are based on aircraft mass balance and tower based inverse modeling methods, while the bottom-up results are based on direct component sampling at metering and regulating stations, surface enclosure measurements of surveyed pipeline leaks, and tracer/modeling methods for other urban sources. Mobile mapping of methane urban concentrations was also used to identify significant sources and to show an urban-wide low level enhancement of methane levels. The residual difference between top-down and bottom-up measured emissions is large and cannot be fully explained in terms of the uncertainties in top-down and bottom-up emission measurements and estimates. Thus, the residual appears to be, at least partly, attributed to a significant wide-spread diffusive source. Analyses are included to estimate the size and nature of this diffusive source.

Prelude to rational scale-up of penicillin production: a scale-down study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Guan; Chu, Ju; Noorman, Henk; Xia, Jianye; Tang, Wenjun; Zhuang, Yingping; Zhang, Siliang

2014-03-01

Penicillin is one of the best known pharmaceuticals and is also an important member of the β-lactam antibiotics. Over the years, ambitious yields, titers, productivities, and low costs in the production of the β-lactam antibiotics have been stepwise realized through successive rounds of strain improvement and process optimization. Penicillium chrysogenum was proven to be an ideal cell factory for the production of penicillin, and successful approaches were exploited to elevate the production titer. However, the industrial production of penicillin faces the serious challenge that environmental gradients, which are caused by insufficient mixing and mass transfer limitations, exert a considerably negative impact on the ultimate productivity and yield. Scale-down studies regarding diverse environmental gradients have been carried out on bacteria, yeasts, and filamentous fungi as well as animal cells. In accordance, a variety of scale-down devices combined with fast sampling and quenching protocols have been established to acquire the true snapshots of the perturbed cellular conditions. The perturbed metabolome information stemming from scale-down studies contributed to the comprehension of the production process and the identification of improvement approaches. However, little is known about the influence of the flow field and the mechanisms of intracellular metabolism. Consequently, it is still rather difficult to realize a fully rational scale-up. In the future, developing a computer framework to simulate the flow field of the large-scale fermenters is highly recommended. Furthermore, a metabolically structured kinetic model directly related to the production of penicillin will be further coupled to the fluid flow dynamics. A mathematical model including the information from both computational fluid dynamics and chemical reaction dynamics will then be established for the prediction of detailed information over the entire period of the fermentation process and

Mechanisms of knowledge flows in bottom-up and top-down cluster initiatives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wojciech Dyba

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Knowledge flows are widely believed to be a phenomenon of clusters, and inducing them is one of the chief objectives in establishing and promoting cluster initiatives (CI. However, not many studies discuss how these flows and their effects may differ depending on the mode of CI creation and on the role of public authorities in this process. The main aim of this article is to compare mechanisms of knowledge flows in bottom-up and top-down cluster initiatives. The results of an empirical research involving two case studies in western Poland, obtained through the use of Social Network Analysis (SNA, allowed stating that in bottom-up cluster initiatives firms which were innovation leaders played a prime role in disseminating technological and business knowledge, while in the top-down initiatives the most important were representatives of universities and research centres as well as formal coordinators of cooperation. Policy implications stemming from these results were identified.

Combining Top-down and Bottom-up Accountability: Evidence from a Bribery Experiment.

OpenAIRE

Danila Serra

2008-01-01

Monitoring corruption typically relies on top-down interventions aimed at increasing the probability of external controls and the severity of punishment. An alternative approach to fighting corruption is to induce bottom-up pressure for reform. Recent studies have shown that both top-down and bottom-up mechanisms are rarely able to keep service providers accountable. This paper investigates the effectiveness of an accountability system that combines bottom-up monitoring and top-down auditing ...

Bottom-up vs. top-down effects on terrestrial insect herbivores: a meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Vidal, Mayra C; Murphy, Shannon M

2018-01-01

Primary consumers are under strong selection from resource ('bottom-up') and consumer ('top-down') controls, but the relative importance of these selective forces is unknown. We performed a meta-analysis to compare the strength of top-down and bottom-up forces on consumer fitness, considering multiple predictors that can modulate these effects: diet breadth, feeding guild, habitat/environment, type of bottom-up effects, type of top-down effects and how consumer fitness effects are measured. We focused our analyses on the most diverse group of primary consumers, herbivorous insects, and found that in general top-down forces were stronger than bottom-up forces. Notably, chewing, sucking and gall-making herbivores were more affected by top-down than bottom-up forces, top-down forces were stronger than bottom-up in both natural and controlled (cultivated) environments, and parasitoids and predators had equally strong top-down effects on insect herbivores. Future studies should broaden the scope of focal consumers, particularly in understudied terrestrial systems, guilds, taxonomic groups and top-down controls (e.g. pathogens), and test for more complex indirect community interactions. Our results demonstrate the surprising strength of forces exerted by natural enemies on herbivorous insects, and thus the necessity of using a tri-trophic approach when studying insect-plant interactions. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

Bottom-up and top-down effects on plant communities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Souza, Lara; Zelikova, Tamara Jane; Sanders, Nate

2016-01-01

-down) and soil nitrogen (bottom-up) were manipulated over six years in an existing old-field community. We tracked plant α and β diversity - within plot richness and among plot biodiversity- and aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) over the course of the experiment. We found that bottom-up factors...... affected ANPP while top-down factors influenced plant community structure. Across years, while N reduction lowered ANPP by 10%, N reduction did not alter ANPP relative to control plots. Further, N reduction lowered ANPP by 20% relative to N addition plots. On the other hand, the reduction of insect...... community composition via shifts in plant dominance....

A top-down bottom-up modeling approach to climate change policy analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tuladhar, Sugandha D.; Yuan, Mei; Bernstein, Paul; Montgomery, W. David; Smith, Anne

2009-01-01

This paper analyzes macroeconomic impacts of U.S. climate change policies for three different emissions pathways using a top-down bottom-up integrated model. The integrated model couples a technology-rich, bottom-up model of the U.S. electricity sector with a fully dynamic, forward-looking general equilibrium model of the U.S. economy. Our model provides a unique and consistent modeling framework for climate change analysis. Because of the model's detail and flexibility, we use it to examine additional scenarios to analyze many of the major uncertainties surrounding the implementation and impact of climate change policies - the role of command-and-control measures, loss in flexibility mechanisms such as banking, limits on low-emitting technology, and availability of offsets. The results consistently demonstrate that those policies that combine market-oriented abatement incentives with full flexibility are the most cost-effective. (author)

Entanglement and nonclassicality in four-mode Gaussian states generated via parametric down-conversion and frequency up-conversion

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Arkhipov, Ie.I.; Peřina Jr., J.; Haderka, Ondřej; Allevi, A.; Bondani, M.

2016-01-01

Roč. 6, Sep (2016), 1-12, č. článku 33802. ISSN 2045-2322 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : four-mode Gaussian states * parametric down-conversion Subject RIV: BH - Optics, Masers, Lasers Impact factor: 4.259, year: 2016

Dynamics in prevalence of Down syndrome in children with congenital heart disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Pfitzer, Constanze; Helm, Paul C; Rosenthal, Lisa-Maria; Berger, Felix; Bauer, Ulrike M M; Schmitt, Katharina Rl

2018-01-01

We assessed the dynamics in the prevalence of children with congenital heart disease (CHD) and Down syndrome in Germany with regard to phenotype, severity, and gender. Data from patients with CHD and Down syndrome born between 1980 and 2014 were analyzed, who are registered with the German National Register for Congenital Heart Defects. One thousand six hundred eighteen CHD patients with Down syndrome were identified. The prevalence of children born with both Down syndrome and CHD was constant from 2005 to 2009 but increased from 2010 to 2014. Regarding CHD groups, complex and simple lesions have become more equal since 2005. The number of simple lesions with shunt has a peak prevalence in the period of 2010-2014. Atrioventricular septal defect was the most common CHD phenotype, but temporal changes were found within the group of CHD phenotypes over the observation period. Our findings suggest a growing number of CHD and Down syndrome, which may be the result of improved medical management and progress in educational, social, and financial support. This development is noteworthy as it adds new aspects to present discussions in the media and political settings. What is known: • Congenital heart disease is regarded to be the most important clinical phenomenon in children with Down syndrome, due to its significant impact on morbidity and mortality. • New developments in prenatal diagnostic and therapy management of congenital heart disease continue to influence the number of patients diagnosed with congenital heart disease and Down syndrome. What is New: • This study provides essential data giving the first overview of the dynamics in the prevalence of congenital heart disease and Down syndrome over an extended length of time up to 2015 in a large patient cohort, taking recent developments into account. • Our data suggest a growing prevalence of congenital heart disease and Down syndrome, which may be the result of improved medical management for Down syndrome

Top–down and Bottom–up: Front to Back

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nadal, Marcos; Skov, Martin

2017-01-01

Refers to: Matthew Pelowski, Patrick S. Markey, Michael Forster, Gernot Gerger, Helmut Leder: Move me, astonish me… delight my eyes and brain: The Vienna Integrated Model of top-down and bottom-up processes in Art Perception (VIMAP) and corresponding affective, evaluative, and neurophysiological...

Bottom-up excited state dynamics of two cinnamate-based sunscreen filter molecules.

Science.gov (United States)

Peperstraete, Yoann; Staniforth, Michael; Baker, Lewis A; Rodrigues, Natércia D N; Cole-Filipiak, Neil C; Quan, Wen-Dong; Stavros, Vasilios G

2016-10-12

Methyl-E-4-methoxycinnamate (E-MMC) is a model chromophore of the commonly used commercial sunscreen agent, 2-ethylhexyl-E-4-methoxycinnamate (E-EHMC). In an effort to garner a molecular-level understanding of the photoprotection mechanisms in operation with E-EHMC, we have used time-resolved pump-probe spectroscopy to explore E-MMC's and E-EHMC's excited state dynamics upon UV-B photoexcitation to the S 1 (1 1 ππ*) state in both the gas- and solution-phase. In the gas-phase, our studies suggest that the excited state dynamics are driven by non-radiative decay from the 1 1 ππ* to the S 3 (1 1 nπ*) state, followed by de-excitation from the 1 1 nπ* to the ground electronic state (S 0 ). Using both a non-polar-aprotic solvent, cyclohexane, and a polar-protic solvent, methanol, we investigated E-MMC and E-EHMC's photochemistry in a more realistic, 'closer-to-shelf' environment. A stark change to the excited state dynamics in the gas-phase is observed in the solution-phase suggesting that the dynamics are now driven by efficient E/Z isomerisation from the initially photoexcited 1 1 ππ* state to S 0 .

DEVELOPMENTAL FOLLOW-UP OF A FEMALE INFANT WITH RECOMBINANT DOWN SYNDROME UP TO THREE AND A HALF YEARS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Darija Strah

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Recombinant Down Syndrome with partial duplication of the long arm of chromosome 21 represents a rare form of partial trisomy 21. The cause is mostly chromosome rearrangement- pericentric inversion of maternal or paternal homologous chromosome 21 and duplication of Down syndrome critical region p11.1q22.1, resulting in a child with phenotypical signs of classical Down syndrome with psychomotorical developmental delay. Methods: We describe a Down sydrome female infant with partial trisomy of chromosome 21. Ultra- sound screening for Down syndrome in the first trimester of pregnancy determined high risk for chromosomal abnormality. Amniocentesis showed normal prenatal karyotype. After birth a female infant started to show symptoms and signs, typical for classical Down syndrome. Postnatal karyotype revealed pericentric inversion and duplication of one chro- mosome 21 of maternal origin in the p11.1q22.1 region. The follow up of female infant up to three and a half years shows signs of psychomotorical delay with no structural defects. Therefore her developmental amelioration is less expressed compared to classical Down syndrome. Conclusions: Developmental follow up of a girl with partial trisomy 21 reveals a lot of similarities with the development of children with classical trisomy 21, but less expressed: facial gestalt, short statue, hypotonia and intellectual disabilities. Global developmental delay in spite of developmental treatment grows more and more evidently.

Mapping practices of project management – merging top-down and bottom-up perspectives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thuesen, Christian

2015-01-01

This paper presents a new methodology for studying different accounts of project management practices based on network mapping and analysis. Drawing upon network mapping and visualization as an analytical strategy top-down and bottom-up accounts of project management practice are analysed...... and compared. The analysis initially reveals a substantial difference between the top-down and bottom-up accounts of practice. Furthermore it identifies a soft side of project management that is central in the bottom-up account but absent from the top-down. Finally, the study shows that network mapping...

Bottom-up and top-down emotion generation: implications for emotion regulation

Science.gov (United States)

Misra, Supriya; Prasad, Aditya K.; Pereira, Sean C.; Gross, James J.

2012-01-01

Emotion regulation plays a crucial role in adaptive functioning and mounting evidence suggests that some emotion regulation strategies are often more effective than others. However, little attention has been paid to the different ways emotions can be generated: from the ‘bottom-up’ (in response to inherently emotional perceptual properties of the stimulus) or ‘top-down’ (in response to cognitive evaluations). Based on a process priming principle, we hypothesized that mode of emotion generation would interact with subsequent emotion regulation. Specifically, we predicted that top-down emotions would be more successfully regulated by a top-down regulation strategy than bottom-up emotions. To test this hypothesis, we induced bottom-up and top-down emotions, and asked participants to decrease the negative impact of these emotions using cognitive reappraisal. We observed the predicted interaction between generation and regulation in two measures of emotional responding. As measured by self-reported affect, cognitive reappraisal was more successful on top-down generated emotions than bottom-up generated emotions. Neurally, reappraisal of bottom-up generated emotions resulted in a paradoxical increase of amygdala activity. This interaction between mode of emotion generation and subsequent regulation should be taken into account when comparing of the efficacy of different types of emotion regulation, as well as when reappraisal is used to treat different types of clinical disorders. PMID:21296865

Diversity has stronger top-down than bottom-up effects on decomposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Srivastava, Diane S; Cardinale, Bradley J; Downing, Amy L; Duffy, J Emmett; Jouseau, Claire; Sankaran, Mahesh; Wright, Justin P

2009-04-01

The flow of energy and nutrients between trophic levels is affected by both the trophic structure of food webs and the diversity of species within trophic levels. However, the combined effects of trophic structure and diversity on trophic transfer remain largely unknown. Here we ask whether changes in consumer diversity have the same effect as changes in resource diversity on rates of resource consumption. We address this question by focusing on consumer-resource dynamics for the ecologically important process of decomposition. This study compares the top-down effect of consumer (detritivore) diversity on the consumption of dead organic matter (decomposition) with the bottom-up effect of resource (detrital) diversity, based on a compilation of 90 observations reported in 28 studies. We did not detect effects of either detrital or consumer diversity on measures of detrital standing stock, and effects on consumer standing stock were equivocal. However, our meta-analysis indicates that reductions in detritivore diversity result in significant reductions in the rate of decomposition. Detrital diversity has both positive and negative effects on decomposition, with no overall trend. This difference between top-down and bottom-up effects of diversity is robust to different effect size metrics and could not be explained by differences in experimental systems or designs between detritivore and detrital manipulations. Our finding that resource diversity has no net effect on consumption in "brown" (detritus-consumer) food webs contrasts with previous findings from "green" (plant-herbivore) food webs and suggests that effects of plant diversity on consumption may fundamentally change after plant death.

Incentives for Collaborative Governance: Top-Down and Bottom-Up Initiatives in the Swedish Mountain Region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katarina Eckerberg

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Governance collaborations between public and private partners are increasingly used to promote sustainable mountain development, yet information is limited on their nature and precise extent. This article analyzes collaboration on environment and natural resource management in Swedish mountain communities to critically assess the kinds of issues these efforts address, how they evolve, who leads them, and what functional patterns they exhibit based on Margerum's (2008 typology of action, organizational, and policy collaboration. Based on official documents, interviews, and the records of 245 collaborative projects, we explore the role of the state, how perceptions of policy failure may inspire collaboration, and the opportunities that European Union funds have created. Bottom-up collaborations, most of which are relatively recent, usually have an action and sometimes an organizational function. Top-down collaborations, however, are usually organizational or policy oriented. Our findings suggest that top-down and bottom-up collaborations are complementary in situations with considerable conflict over time and where public policies have partly failed, such as for nature protection and reindeer grazing. In less contested areas, such as rural development, improving tracks and access, recreation, and fishing, there is more bottom-up, action-oriented collaboration. State support, especially in the form of funding, is central to explaining the emergence of bottom-up action collaboration. Our findings show that the state both initiates and coordinates policy networks and retains a great deal of power over the nature and functioning of collaborative governance. A practical consequence is that there is great overlap—aggravated by sectorized approaches—that creates a heavy workload for some regional partners.

Grain size engineering of bcc refractory metals: Top-down and bottom-up-Application to tungsten

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kecskes, L.J.; Cho, K.C.; Dowding, R.J.; Schuster, B.E.; Valiev, R.Z.; Wei, Q.

2007-01-01

We have used two general methodologies for the production of ultrafine grained (UFG) and nanocrystalline (NC) tungsten (W) metal samples: top-down and bottom-up. In the first, Equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE), coupled with warm rolling has been used to fabricate UFG W, and high pressure torsion (HPT) was used to fabricate NC W. We demonstrate an abrupt shift in the deformation mechanism, particularly under dynamic compressive loading, in UFG and NC W. This novel deformation mechanism, a dramatic transition from a uniform deformation mode to that of localized shearing, is shared by other UFG and NC body-centerd cubic (BCC) metals. We have also conducted a series of bottom-up experiments to consolidate powdered UFG W precursors into solid bodies. The bottom-up approach relies on rapid, high-temperature consolidation, specifically designed for UFG and NC W powders. The mechanical property results from the top-down UFG and NC W were used as minimum property benchmarks to guide and design the experimental protocols and parameters for use in the bottom-up procedures. Preliminary results, showing rapid grain growth during the consolidation cycle, did not achieve full density in the W samples. Further development of high-purity W nanopowders and appropriate grain-growth inhibitors (e.g., Zener pinning) will be required to successfully produce bulk-sized UFG and NC W samples

Start-up emissions from residential down-draught wood log boilers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pettersson, E. (Luleaa Univ. of Technology (Sweden). Energy Technology Centre in Piteaa), Email: esbjorn.pettersson@ltu.se

2009-07-01

Start-up emissions can be substantial and even dominating in real use. There are few published investigations regarding the relative importance of different parameters on the start-up emissions. It has though recently been stated that for down-draught boilers, best results are achieved if the wood charge is ignited fairly close to the secondary chamber. The objective of the experimental work was to evaluate the effect of different fuel and design parameters on the start-up emissions, using experimental design which enables a direct comparison between different parameters, using three levels of preheating of secondary air, electric preheating of primary air, different moisture and size of the start wood as well as different amounts of birch bark, which was used to spread the fire during the start. The boiler did not use a bypass damper and the full fuel charge was added before igniting the start wood through an ignition door situated slightly above the grate. The only significant results for the four parameters were that smaller and drier start wood gave lower start-up emissions. Extra amount of birch bark gave the same result. The most important parameters are the fuel parameters, which mean that the result is generally applicable. (orig.)

Analysis of top-down and bottom-up North American CO2 and CH4 emissions estimates in the second State of the Carbon Cycle Report

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, J. B.; Jacobson, A. R.; Bruhwiler, L.; Michalak, A.; Hayes, D. J.; Vargas, R.

2017-12-01

In just ten years since publication of the original State of the Carbon Cycle Report in 2007, global CO2 concentrations have risen by more than 22 ppm to 405 ppm. This represents 18% of the increase over preindustrial levels of 280 ppm. This increase is being driven unequivocally by fossil fuel combustion with North American emissions comprising roughly 20% of the global total over the past decade. At the global scale, we know by comparing well-known fossil fuel inventories and rates of atmospheric CO2 increase that about half of all emissions are absorbed at Earth's surface. For North America, however, we can not apply a simple mass balance to determine sources and sinks. Instead, contributions from ecosystems must be estimated using top-down and bottom-up methods. SOCCR-2 estimates North American net CO2 uptake from ecosystems using bottom-up (inventory) methods as 577 +/- 433 TgC/yr and 634 +/- 288 TgC/yr from top-down atmospheric inversions. Although the global terrestrial carbon sink is not precisely known, these values represent possibly 30% of the global values. As with net sink estimates reported in SOCCR, these new top-down and bottom-up estimates are statistically consistent with one another. However, the uncertainties on each of these estimates are now substantially smaller, giving us more confidence about where the truth lies. Atmospheric inversions also yield estimates of interannual variations (IAV) in CO2 and CH4 fluxes. Our syntheses suggest that IAV of ecosystem CO2 fluxes is of order 100 TgC/yr, mainly originating in the conterminous US, with lower variability in boreal and arctic regions. Moreover, this variability is much larger than for inventory-based fluxes reported by the US to the UNFCCC. Unlike CO2, bottom-up CH4 emissions are larger than those derived from large-scale atmospheric data, with the continental discrepancy resulting primarily from differences in arctic and boreal regions. In addition to the current state of the science, we

Improved sensitivity testing of explosives using transformed Up-Down methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, Geoffrey W

2014-01-01

Sensitivity tests provide data that help establish guidelines for the safe handling of explosives. Any sensitivity test is based on assumptions to simplify the method or reduce the number of individual sample evaluations. Two common assumptions that are not typically checked after testing are 1) explosive response follows a normal distribution as a function of the applied stimulus levels and 2) the chosen test level spacing is close to the standard deviation of the explosive response function (for Bruceton Up-Down testing for example). These assumptions and other limitations of traditional explosive sensitivity testing can be addressed using Transformed Up-Down (TUD) test methods. TUD methods have been developed extensively for psychometric testing over the past 50 years and generally use multiple tests at a given level to determine how to adjust the applied stimulus. In the context of explosive sensitivity we can use TUD methods that concentrate testing around useful probability levels. Here, these methods are explained and compared to Bruceton Up-Down testing using computer simulation. The results show that the TUD methods are more useful for many cases but that they do require more tests as a consequence. For non-normal distributions, however, the TUD methods may be the only accurate assessment method.

Manipulation of strain state in silicon nanoribbons by top-down approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mu, Zhiqiang; Zhang, Miao; Xue, Zhongying; Sun, Gaodi; Guo, Qinglei; Chen, Da; Di, Zengfeng, E-mail: zfdi@mail.sim.ac.cn; Wang, Xi [State Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050 (China); Huang, Gaoshan; Mei, Yongfeng [Department of Materials Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China); Chu, Paul K. [Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong (China)

2015-04-27

Tensile strain is often utilized to enhance the electron mobility and luminescent characteristics of semiconductors. A top-down approach in conjunction with roll-up technology is adopted to produce high tensile strain in Si nanoribbons by patterning and releasing of the bridge-like structures. The tensile strain can be altered between uniaxial state and biaxial state by adjusting the dimensions of the patterns and can be varied controllably up to 3.2% and 0.9% for the uniaxial- and biaxial-strained Si nanoribbons, respectively. Three-dimensional finite element analysis is performed to investigate the mechanism of strain generation during patterning and releasing of the structure. Since the process mainly depends on the geometrical factors, the technique can be readily extended to other types of mechanical, electrical, and optical membranes.

Rapid evolution leads to differential population dynamics and top-down control in resurrected Daphnia populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Goitom, Eyerusalem; Kilsdonk, Laurens J; Brans, Kristien; Jansen, Mieke; Lemmens, Pieter; De Meester, Luc

2018-01-01

There is growing evidence of rapid genetic adaptation of natural populations to environmental change, opening the perspective that evolutionary trait change may subsequently impact ecological processes such as population dynamics, community composition, and ecosystem functioning. To study such eco-evolutionary feedbacks in natural populations, however, requires samples across time. Here, we capitalize on a resurrection ecology study that documented rapid and adaptive evolution in a natural population of the water flea Daphnia magna in response to strong changes in predation pressure by fish, and carry out a follow-up mesocosm experiment to test whether the observed genetic changes influence population dynamics and top-down control of phytoplankton. We inoculated populations of the water flea D. magna derived from three time periods of the same natural population known to have genetically adapted to changes in predation pressure in replicate mesocosms and monitored both Daphnia population densities and phytoplankton biomass in the presence and absence of fish. Our results revealed differences in population dynamics and top-down control of algae between mesocosms harboring populations from the time period before, during, and after a peak in fish predation pressure caused by human fish stocking. The differences, however, deviated from our a priori expectations. An S-map approach on time series revealed that the interactions between adults and juveniles strongly impacted the dynamics of populations and their top-down control on algae in the mesocosms, and that the strength of these interactions was modulated by rapid evolution as it occurred in nature. Our study provides an example of an evolutionary response that fundamentally alters the processes structuring population dynamics and impacts ecosystem features.

From Static Stretching to Dynamic Exercises: Changing the Warm-Up Paradigm

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Shawna

2010-01-01

In the United States, pre-exercise static stretching seems to have become common practice and routine. However, research suggests that it is time for a paradigm shift--that pre-exercise static stretching be replaced with dynamic warm-up exercises. Research indicates that a dynamic warm-up elevates body temperature, decreases muscle and joint…

China-United States Productivity Catch-Up

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deng, Paul Duo; Jefferson, Gary H.

China’s gap in industrial labor productivity with the United States has been steadily shrinking over recent decades. In this paper we examine the main sources of gap reduction and the potential for further catch-up. Using Chinese above-scale firm-level data during 1998-2007 period and BEA industry...... -level data in the US, we first document the respective rates of growth of labor productivity, gap reduction, and contributions to overall catch-up of China’s manufacturing sector during 1998-2007. We then aggregate the firm-level data to the 3-digit industry level to estimate a productivity gap...... reduction function and find that the key drivers for the productivity convergence are the initial technology gap, increased R&D spending, firm’s ownership restructuring, and industry level entry-exit ratio, a measure of competitive dynamism. A key finding is that the catch-up dynamic entails the break out...

Sustainability and Uncertainty: Bottom-Up and Top-Down Approaches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Klint Jensen

2010-04-01

Full Text Available The widely used concept of sustainability is seldom precisely defined, and its clarification involves making up one’s mind about a range of difficult questions. One line of research (bottom-up takes sustaining a system over time as its starting point and then infers prescriptions from this requirement. Another line (top-down takes an economical interpretation of the Brundtland Commission’s suggestion that the present generation’s needsatisfaction should not compromise the need-satisfaction of future generations as its starting point. It then measures sustainability at the level of society and infers prescriptions from this requirement. These two approaches may conflict, and in this conflict the top-down approach has the upper hand, ethically speaking. However, the implicit goal in the top-down approach of justice between generations needs to be refined in several dimensions. But even given a clarified ethical goal, disagreements can arise. At present we do not know what substitutions will be possible in the future. This uncertainty clearly affects the prescriptions that follow from the measure of sustainability. Consequently, decisions about how to make future agriculture sustainable are decisions under uncertainty. There might be different judgments on likelihoods; but even given some set of probabilities, there might be disagreement on the right level of precaution in face of the uncertainty.

Dynamic reliability modeling of three-state networks

OpenAIRE

Ashrafi, S.; Asadi, M.

2014-01-01

This paper is an investigation into the reliability and stochastic properties of three-state networks. We consider a single-step network consisting of n links and we assume that the links are subject to failure. We assume that the network can be in three states, up (K = 2), partial performance (K = 1), and down (K = 0). Using the concept of the two-dimensional signature, we study the residual lifetimes of the networks under different scenarios on the states and the number of...

Step-down vs. step-up noxious stimulation: differential effects on pain perception and patterns of brain activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, J C; Kim, J; Kang, E; Choi, J-H; Park, W Y; Choi, Y-S; Cha, J; Han, C; Park, S K; Kim, M H; Lee, G H; Do, H-J; Jung, S W; Lee, J-M

2016-01-01

We hypothesize that pain and brain responses are affected by changes in the presentation sequence of noxious stimuli that are, overall, identical in intensity and duration. During functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning, 21 participants experienced three patterns of noxious stimulation: Up-type (step-up noxious stimulation, 15 s), Down-type (step-down noxious stimulation, 15 s), and Down-up-type (decreasing and increasing pattern of noxious stimulation, 15 s). The total intensity and duration of the three noxious stimulation patterns were identical, but the stimulation sequences were different. Pain and unpleasantness ratings in the Down- and Down-up-type noxious stimulations were lower than in the Up-type noxious stimulation. The left prefrontal cortex [(PFC, BA (Brodmann area) 10, (-45, 50, 1)] was more highly activated in the Down- and Down-up-type noxious stimulations than in the Up-type noxious stimulation. The S1, S2, insula, bilateral PFC (BA 46), and midcingulate cortex were more highly activated in the Up-type noxious stimulation than in the Down-type noxious stimulation. PFC BA 10 was located at an inferior level compared to the bilateral PFC BA 46 (Z axis = 1 for BA 10, compared to 22 and 25 for the right and left BA 46, respectively). When cortisol level was increased, the left hippocampal cortex, along with the left parahippocampal cortex, was greatly activated for the Up-type noxious stimulation. When pain cannot be avoided in clinical practice, noxious stimuli should be applied to patients in a step-down pattern that delivers the most intense pain first and the least intense pain last. © 2015 The Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Comparison between bottom-up and top-down approaches in the estimation of measurement uncertainty.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jun Hyung; Choi, Jee-Hye; Youn, Jae Saeng; Cha, Young Joo; Song, Woonheung; Park, Ae Ja

2015-06-01

Measurement uncertainty is a metrological concept to quantify the variability of measurement results. There are two approaches to estimate measurement uncertainty. In this study, we sought to provide practical and detailed examples of the two approaches and compare the bottom-up and top-down approaches to estimating measurement uncertainty. We estimated measurement uncertainty of the concentration of glucose according to CLSI EP29-A guideline. Two different approaches were used. First, we performed a bottom-up approach. We identified the sources of uncertainty and made an uncertainty budget and assessed the measurement functions. We determined the uncertainties of each element and combined them. Second, we performed a top-down approach using internal quality control (IQC) data for 6 months. Then, we estimated and corrected systematic bias using certified reference material of glucose (NIST SRM 965b). The expanded uncertainties at the low glucose concentration (5.57 mmol/L) by the bottom-up approach and top-down approaches were ±0.18 mmol/L and ±0.17 mmol/L, respectively (all k=2). Those at the high glucose concentration (12.77 mmol/L) by the bottom-up and top-down approaches were ±0.34 mmol/L and ±0.36 mmol/L, respectively (all k=2). We presented practical and detailed examples for estimating measurement uncertainty by the two approaches. The uncertainties by the bottom-up approach were quite similar to those by the top-down approach. Thus, we demonstrated that the two approaches were approximately equivalent and interchangeable and concluded that clinical laboratories could determine measurement uncertainty by the simpler top-down approach.

Prices down, supplies down, prices back up

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon

2006-01-01

WTI fell below $70/bbl in early June on reports that Iran was considering a proposal from the EU and the UN to resolve the dispute over Tehran's plans to develop nuclear power. Sellers took further encouragement from the news that the Iraqi leader of al-Qaida, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, had been killed. July WTI futures went down as far as $69.10/bbl. The euphoria proved to be short-lived. Within a short time, Iran announced that it was to resume the enrichment of uranium, whilst in Iraq, there was no sign whatever that the killing of one terrorist leader was going to bring about peace there. During the month of June, an estimated 1,500 people were killed in Baghdad alone. Attacks on road tankers caused the suspension of exports of heavy fuel oil, which is produced to excess by Iraq's refining industry. Lacking anywhere to store the surplus fuel oil, the government ordered what were described as 'large quantities' to be incinerated. The one piece of good news from Iraq was the reopening of the export pipeline from Kirkuk to Ceyhan for the first time since January. Throughput was reported in late June at 325,000 bpd. Even here, though, the situation was not entirely without its troubles. The state marketing company, SOMO, received disappointing bids for the oil it was offering for sale at Ceyhan. (author)

Isolated DC-DC Converter for Bidirectional Power Flow Controlling with Soft-Switching Feature and High Step-Up/Down Voltage Conversion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chih-Lung Shen

2017-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a novel isolated bidirectional DC-DC converter is proposed, which is able to accomplish high step-up/down voltage conversion. Therefore, it is suitable for hybrid electric vehicle, fuel cell vehicle, energy backup system, and grid-system applications. The proposed converter incorporates a coupled inductor to behave forward-and-flyback energy conversion for high voltage ratio and provide galvanic isolation. The energy stored in the leakage inductor of the coupled inductor can be recycled without the use of additional snubber mechanism or clamped circuit. No matter in step-up or step-down mode, all power switches can operate with soft switching. Moreover, there is a inherit feature that metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs with smaller on-state resistance can be adopted because of lower voltage endurance at primary side. Operation principle, voltage ratio derivation, and inductor design are thoroughly described in this paper. In addition, a 1-kW prototype is implemented to validate the feasibility and correctness of the converter. Experimental results indicate that the peak efficiencies in step-up and step-down modes can be up to 95.4% and 93.6%, respectively.

Experimental demonstration of an up-down asymmetry effect on intrinsic rotation in the TCV tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Camenen, Y; Peeters, A G; Casson, F J; Hornsby, W A; Snodin, A P; Szepesi, G; Bortolon, A; Duval, B P; Federspiel, L; Karpushov, A N; Piras, F; Sauter, O

2010-01-01

A new mechanism has recently been proposed that generates a radial flux of parallel momentum in toroidal plasmas. Namely, by considering up-down asymmetric flux surfaces, the symmetry following the magnetic field can be broken and an additional contribution to the turbulent momentum flux arises, potentially changing the intrinsic rotation profile. These predictions are tested with specific experiments on TCV. The intrinsic toroidal rotation is observed to change by roughly a factor of two when changing the up-down asymmetry of the plasma. More precisely, the toroidal rotation gradient changes in the outer part of the plasma, where the flux surface asymmetry is the highest. The experiments were performed for all combinations of the toroidal magnetic field and plasma current directions, that affect the sign of the predicted up-down asymmetry flux. In each case the variation of the intrinsic rotation profile with the up-down asymmetry is observed in the direction predicted by the theory.

Top-down or bottom-up? Assessing crevassing directions on surging glaciers and developments for physically testing glacier crevassing models.

Science.gov (United States)

Rea, B.; Evans, D. J. A.; Benn, D. I.; Brennan, A. J.

2012-04-01

Networks of crevasse squeeze ridges (CSRs) preserved on the forelands of many surging glaciers attest to extensive full-depth crevassing. Full-depth connections have been inferred from turbid water up-welling in crevasses and the formation of concertina eskers however, it has not been clearly established if the crevasses formed from the top-down or the bottom-up. A Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM) approach is used to determine the likely propagation direction for Mode I crevasses on seven surging glaciers. Results indicate that, the high extensional surface strain rates are insufficient to promote top-down full-depth crevasses but have sufficient magnitude to penetrate to depths of 4-12 m, explaining the extensive surface breakup accompanying glacier surges. Top-down, full-depth crevassing is only possible when water depth approaches 97% of the crevasse depth. However, the provision of sufficient meltwater is problematic due to the aforementioned extensive shallow surface crevassing. Full-depth, bottom-up crevassing can occur provided basal water pressures are in excess of 80-90% of flotation which is the default for surging and on occasion water pressures may even become artesian. Therefore CSRs, found across many surging glacier forelands and ice margins most likely result from the infilling of basal crevasses formed, for the most part, by bottom-up hydrofracturing. Despite the importance of crevassing for meltwater routing and calving dynamics physically testing numerical crevassing models remains problematic due to technological limitations, changing stress regimes and difficulties associated with working in crevasse zones on glaciers. Mapping of CSR spacing and matching to surface crevasse patterns can facilitate quantitative comparison between the LEFM model and observed basal crevasses provided ice dynamics are known. However, assessing full-depth top-down crevasse propagation is much harder to monitor in the field and no geomorphological record is

POLA RASIO KEUANGAN PADA SAAT UP STREAM DAN DOWN STREAM DI INDUSTRI REALESTAT YANG GO PUBLIC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Sukardi Kodrat

2006-01-01

Full Text Available This research has purpose to explain differences on indicator financial ratio in up and down stream condition. This research uses real estate industries listed on Jakarta Stock Exchange as a sample. Sample selection is performed based on purposive sampling method with object to gain sample according to the research aim. Based on those criteria, there are 18 companies, which have fulfilling the conditions needed, starting from 1994 until 2002. The classification of business cycle on up and down stream conditions to used stock pricing indexes of property and real estate which calculated by arithmatic mean method. Based on those criteria, the classifications from 1994 until 1997 are represented by up stream condition and from 1998 until 2002 are represented by down stream condition. The result shows indicators: profitability ratios, gross margin ratios, capital turnover ratios, asset to equity ratios, growth ratios, liquidity ratios, leverage ratios, and cash flow ratios are different in up and down stream conditions, both simultaneously and partially. Simultaneously, there is a significant difference between up and down stream condition with wilks lambda of 0,346 and p value of 0,000. This research shows financial ratio indicator has differences on business cycle. Abstract in Bahasa Indonesia : Penelitan ini mempunyai tujuan untuk mengetahui perbedaan indikator rasio keuangan pada kondisi up stream dan down stream. Penelitian ini menggunakan sampel pada industri di sektor properti yang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Jakarta. Pemilihan sampel dalam penelitian ini menggunakan Purposive Sampling yaitu sampel diambil berdasarkan kriteria-kriteria tertentu yang sesuai dengan tujuan penelitian ini. Berdasarkan kriteria tersebut, terdapat 18 perusahaan yang dapat dijadikan sampel mulai tahun 1994 sampai dengan 2002. Untuk menentukan perubahan business cycle pada kondisi up stream dan down stream dilakukan dengan menggunakan indeks harga saham di sektor properti

Dissociable effects of top-down and bottom-up attention during episodic encoding

Science.gov (United States)

Uncapher, Melina R.; Hutchinson, J. Benjamin; Wagner, Anthony D.

2011-01-01

It is well established that the formation of memories for life’s experiences—episodic memory—is influenced by how we attend to those experiences, yet the neural mechanisms by which attention shapes episodic encoding are still unclear. We investigated how top-down and bottom-up attention contribute to memory encoding of visual objects in humans by manipulating both types of attention during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of episodic memory formation. We show that dorsal parietal cortex—specifically, intraparietal sulcus (IPS)—was engaged during top-down attention and was also recruited during the successful formation of episodic memories. By contrast, bottom-up attention engaged ventral parietal cortex—specifically, temporoparietal junction (TPJ)—and was also more active during encoding failure. Functional connectivity analyses revealed further dissociations in how top-down and bottom-up attention influenced encoding: while both IPS and TPJ influenced activity in perceptual cortices thought to represent the information being encoded (fusiform/lateral occipital cortex), they each exerted opposite effects on memory encoding. Specifically, during a preparatory period preceding stimulus presentation, a stronger drive from IPS was associated with a higher likelihood that the subsequently attended stimulus would be encoded. By contrast, during stimulus processing, stronger connectivity with TPJ was associated with a lower likelihood the stimulus would be successfully encoded. These findings suggest that during encoding of visual objects into episodic memory, top-down and bottom-up attention can have opposite influences on perceptual areas that subserve visual object representation, suggesting that one manner in which attention modulates memory is by altering the perceptual processing of to-be-encoded stimuli. PMID:21880922

Up-down symmetry of the turbulent transport of toroidal angular momentum in tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parra, Felix I.; Barnes, Michael; Peeters, Arthur G.

2011-01-01

Two symmetries of the local nonlinear δf gyrokinetic system of equations in tokamaks in the high flow regime are presented. The turbulent transport of toroidal angular momentum changes sign under an up-down reflection of the tokamak and a sign change of both the rotation and the rotation shear. Thus, the turbulent transport of toroidal angular momentum must vanish for up-down symmetric tokamaks in the absence of both rotation and rotation shear. This has important implications for the modeling of spontaneous rotation.

Acomparative Study Comparing Low-dose Step-up Versus Step-down in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Resistant to Clomiphene

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S Peivandi

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS is one of the most common cause of infertility in women. clomiphene is the first line of treatment. however 20% of patients are resistant to clomiphene. because of follicular hypersensitivity to gonadotropins in pcod, multiple follicular growth and development occurs which is cause of OHSS and multiple pregnancy. Our aim of this random and clinical study was comparation between step-down and low dose step-up methods for induction ovulation in clomiphene resistant. Methods: 60 cases were included 30 women in low-dose step-up group and 30 women in step-down group. In low-dose step-up HMG 75u/d and in step-down HMG 225u/d was started on 3th days of cycle, monitoring with vaginal sonography was done on 8th days of cycle. When follicle with>14 mm in diameter was seen HMG dose was continued in low-dose step-up and was decreased in step-down group. When follicle reached to 18mm in diameter, amp HCG 10000 unit was injected and IUI was performed 36 hours later. Results: Number of HMG ampules, number of follicles> 14mm on the day of HCG injection and level of serum estradiol was greater in low dose step up protocol than step down protocol(p<0/0001. Ovulation rate and pregnancy rate was greater in lowdose step up group than step down group with significant difference (p<0/0001. Conclusion: Our study showed that low-dose step-up regimen with HMG is effective for stimulating ovulation and clinical pregnancy but in view of monofollicular growth, the step down method was more effective and safe. In our study multifolliular growth in step-up method was higher than step-down method. We can predict possibility of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome syndrome in highly sensitive PCOS patients.

Measurement of the partial widths of the Z into up- and down-type quarks

CERN Document Server

Abbiendi, G.; Akesson, P.F.; Alexander, G.; Allison, John; Amaral, P.; Anagnostou, G.; Anderson, K.J.; Arcelli, S.; Asai, S.; Axen, D.; Azuelos, G.; Bailey, I.; Barberio, E.; Barillari, T.; Barlow, R.J.; Batley, R.J.; Bechtle, P.; Behnke, T.; Bell, Kenneth Watson; Bell, P.J.; Bella, G.; Bellerive, A.; Benelli, G.; Bethke, S.; Biebel, O.; Boeriu, O.; Bock, P.; Boutemeur, M.; Braibant, S.; Brigliadori, L.; Brown, Robert M.; Buesser, K.; Burckhart, H.J.; Campana, S.; Carnegie, R.K.; Carter, A.A.; Carter, J.R.; Chang, C.Y.; Charlton, D.G.; Ciocca, C.; Csilling, A.; Cuffiani, M.; Dado, S.; De Roeck, A.; De Wolf, E.A.; Desch, K.; Dienes, B.; Donkers, M.; Doucet, M.; Dubbert, J.; Duchovni, E.; Duckeck, G.; Duerdoth, I.P.; Etzion, E.; Fabbri, F.; Feld, L.; Ferrari, P.; Fiedler, F.; Fleck, I.; Ford, M.; Frey, A.; Gagnon, P.; Gary, John William; Gaycken, G.; Geich-Gimbel, C.; Giacomelli, G.; Giacomelli, P.; Giunta, Marina; Goldberg, J.; Gross, E.; Grunhaus, J.; Gruwe, M.; Gunther, P.O.; Gupta, A.; Hajdu, C.; Hamann, M.; Hanson, G.G.; Harel, A.; Hauschild, M.; Hawkes, C.M.; Hawkings, R.; Hemingway, R.J.; Herten, G.; Heuer, R.D.; Hill, J.C.; Hoffman, Kara Dion; Horvath, D.; Huntemeyer, P.; Igo-Kemenes, P.; Ishii, K.; Jeremie, H.; Jovanovic, P.; Junk, T.R.; Kanaya, N.; Kanzaki, J.; Karlen, D.; Kawagoe, K.; Kawamoto, T.; Keeler, R.K.; Kellogg, R.G.; Kennedy, B.W.; Klein, K.; Klier, A.; Kluth, S.; Kobayashi, T.; Kobel, M.; Komamiya, S.; Kramer, T.; Krieger, P.; von Krogh, J.; Kruger, K.; Kuhl, T.; Kupper, M.; Lafferty, G.D.; Landsman, H.; Lanske, D.; Layter, J.G.; Lellouch, D.; Lettso, J.; Levinson, L.; Lillich, J.; Lloyd, S.L.; Loebinger, F.K.; Lu, J.; Ludwig, A.; Ludwig, J.; Mader, W.; Marcellini, S.; Martin, A.J.; Masetti, G.; Mashimo, T.; Mattig, Peter; McKenna, J.; McPherson, R.A.; Meijers, F.; Menges, W.; Merritt, F.S.; Mes, H.; Michelini, A.; Mihara, S.; Mikenberg, G.; Miller, D.J.; Moed, S.; Mohr, W.; Mori, T.; Mutter, A.; Nagai, K.; Nakamura, I.; Nanjo, H.; Neal, H.A.; Nisius, R.; O'Neale, S.W.; Oh, A.; Okpara, A.; Oreglia, M.J.; Orito, S.; Pahl, C.; Pasztor, G.; Pater, J.R.; Pilcher, J.E.; Pinfold, J.; Plane, David E.; Poli, B.; Pooth, O.; Przybycien, M.; Quadt, A.; Rabbertz, K.; Rembser, C.; Renkel, P.; Roney, J.M.; Rosati, S.; Rozen, Y.; Runge, K.; Sachs, K.; Saeki, T.; Sarkisyan, E.K.G.; Schaile, A.D.; Schaile, O.; Scharff-Hansen, P.; Schieck, J.; Schoerner-Sadenius, Thomas; Schroder, Matthias; Schumacher, M.; Scott, W.G.; Seuster, R.; Shears, T.G.; Shen, B.C.; Sherwood, P.; Skuja, A.; Smith, A.M.; Sobie, R.; Soldner-Rembold, S.; Spano, F.; Stahl, A.; Strom, David M.; Strohmer, R.; Tarem, S.; Tasevsky, M.; Teuscher, R.; Thomson, M.A.; Torrence, E.; Toya, D.; Tran, P.; Trigger, I.; Trocsanyi, Z.; Tsur, E.; Turner-Watson, M.F.; Ueda, I.; Ujvari, B.; Vollmer, C.F.; Vannerem, P.; Vertesi, R.; Verzocchi, M.; Voss, H.; Vossebeld, J.; Waller, D.; Ward, C.P.; Ward, D.R.; Watkins, P.M.; Watson, A.T.; Watson, N.K.; Wells, P.S.; Wengler, T.; Wermes, N.; Wetterling, D.; Wilson, G.W.; Wilson, J.A.; Wolf, G.; Wyatt, T.R.; Yamashita, S.; Zer-Zion, D.; Zivkovic, Lidija

2004-01-01

Using the entire OPAL LEP1 on-peak Z hadronic decay sample, Z -> qbarq gamma decays were selected by tagging hadronic final states with isolated photon candidates in the electromagnetic calorimeter. Combining the measured rates of Z -> qbarq gamma decays with the total rate of hadronic Z decays permits the simultaneous determination of the widths of the Z into up- and down-type quarks. The values obtained, with total errors, were Gamma u = 300 ^{+19}_{-18} MeV and Gamma d = 381 ^{+12}_{-12} MeV. The results are in good agreement with the Standard Model expectation.

Bioprocess scale-up/down as integrative enabling technology: from fluid mechanics to systems biology and beyond.

Science.gov (United States)

Delvigne, Frank; Takors, Ralf; Mudde, Rob; van Gulik, Walter; Noorman, Henk

2017-09-01

Efficient optimization of microbial processes is a critical issue for achieving a number of sustainable development goals, considering the impact of microbial biotechnology in agrofood, environment, biopharmaceutical and chemical industries. Many of these applications require scale-up after proof of concept. However, the behaviour of microbial systems remains unpredictable (at least partially) when shifting from laboratory-scale to industrial conditions. The need for robust microbial systems is thus highly needed in this context, as well as a better understanding of the interactions between fluid mechanics and cell physiology. For that purpose, a full scale-up/down computational framework is already available. This framework links computational fluid dynamics (CFD), metabolic flux analysis and agent-based modelling (ABM) for a better understanding of the cell lifelines in a heterogeneous environment. Ultimately, this framework can be used for the design of scale-down simulators and/or metabolically engineered cells able to cope with environmental fluctuations typically found in large-scale bioreactors. However, this framework still needs some refinements, such as a better integration of gas-liquid flows in CFD, and taking into account intrinsic biological noise in ABM. © 2017 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

Top-Down Influences on Local Networks: Basic Theory with Experimental Implications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramesh eSrinivasan

2013-04-01

Full Text Available The response of a population of sensory neurons to an external stimulus depends not only on the receptive field properties of the neurons, but also the level of arousal and attention or goal-oriented cognitive biases that guide information processing. These top-down effects on the sensory neurons bias the output of the neurons and affect behavioral outcomes such as stimulus detection, discrimination, and response time. In any physiological study, neural dynamics are observed in a specific brain state; the background state partly determines neuronal excitability. Experimental studies in humans and animal models have also demonstrated that slow oscillations (typically in the alpha or theta bands modulate the fast oscillations (gamma band associated with local networks of neurons. Cross-frequency interaction is of interest as a mechanism for top-down or bottom-up interactions between systems at different spatial scales. We develop a generic model of top-down influences on local networks appropriate for comparison with EEG. EEG provides excellent temporal resolution to investigate neuronal oscillations but is space-averaged on the cm scale. Thus, appropriate EEG models are developed in terms of population synaptic activity. We used the Wilson-Cowan population model to investigate fast (gamma band oscillations generated by a local network of excitatory and inhibitory neurons. We modified the Wilson-Cowan equations to make them more physiologically realistic by explicitly incorporating background state variables into the model. We found that the population response is strongly influenced by the background state. We apply the model to reproduce the modulation of gamma rhythms by theta rhythms as has been observed in animal models and human ECoG and EEG studies. The concept of a dynamic background state presented here using the Wilson-Cowan model can be readily applied to incorporate top-down modulation in more detailed models of specific sensory

The A=3 Nolen-Schiffer anomaly and the up-down quark mass difference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Encinosa, M.; Robson, D.

1990-01-01

A recently proposed nonrelativistic many-body quark model is used to generate class III nucleon-nucleon potentials in a Born-Oppenheimer approach. These potentials, when treated in first-order perturbation theory with a simple ansatz for the three-nucleon wave function, allow us to make an estimate of the 3 He- 3 H mass difference. For accepted values of the constituent up-down quark mass difference we find that approximately sixty percent of the A=3 Nolen-Schiffer anomaly can be accounted for solely from the up-down quark kinetic energy difference. (orig.)

A balance of bottom-up and top-down in linking climate policies

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Jessica F.; Sterner, Thomas; Wagner, Gernot

2014-12-01

Top-down climate negotiations embodied by the Kyoto Protocol have all but stalled, chiefly because of disagreements over targets and objections to financial transfers. To avoid those problems, many have shifted their focus to linkage of bottom-up climate policies such as regional carbon markets. This approach is appealing, but we identify four obstacles to successful linkage: different levels of ambition; competing domestic policy objectives; objections to financial transfers; and the difficulty of close regulatory coordination. Even with a more decentralized approach, overcoming the 'global warming gridlock' of the intergovernmental negotiations will require close international coordination. We demonstrate how a balance of bottom-up and top-down elements can create a path toward an effective global climate architecture.

Comparing Top-Down with Bottom-Up Approaches: Teaching Data Modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Kung, Hsiang-Jui; Kung, LeeAnn; Gardiner, Adrian

2013-01-01

Conceptual database design is a difficult task for novice database designers, such as students, and is also therefore particularly challenging for database educators to teach. In the teaching of database design, two general approaches are frequently emphasized: top-down and bottom-up. In this paper, we present an empirical comparison of students'…

Integrated Assessment of Energy Policies: A Decomposition of Top-Down and Bottom-Up

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boehringer, Christoph (Univ. of Oldenburg (Germany)); Rutherford, Thomas F. (ETH Zuerich (Switzerland))

2008-01-15

The formulation of market equilibrium problems as mixed complementarity problems (MCP) permits integration of bottom-up programming models of the energy system into top-down general equilibrium models of the overall economy. Yet, in practise the MCP approach loses analytical tractability of income effects, when the energy system includes upper and lowrbounds on many decision variables . We therefore advocate the use of complementarity methods to solve only the top-down economic equilibrium model and employ quadratic programming to solve the underlying bottom-up energy supply model. A simple iterative procedure reconciles the equilibrium prices and quantities between both models.

Validity of the top-down approach of inverse dynamics analysis in fast and large rotational trunk movements.

Science.gov (United States)

Iino, Yoichi; Kojima, Takeji

2012-08-01

This study investigated the validity of the top-down approach of inverse dynamics analysis in fast and large rotational movements of the trunk about three orthogonal axes of the pelvis for nine male collegiate students. The maximum angles of the upper trunk relative to the pelvis were approximately 47°, 49°, 32°, and 55° for lateral bending, flexion, extension, and axial rotation, respectively, with maximum angular velocities of 209°/s, 201°/s, 145°/s, and 288°/s, respectively. The pelvic moments about the axes during the movements were determined using the top-down and bottom-up approaches of inverse dynamics and compared between the two approaches. Three body segment inertial parameter sets were estimated using anthropometric data sets (Ae et al., Biomechanism 11, 1992; De Leva, J Biomech, 1996; Dumas et al., J Biomech, 2007). The root-mean-square errors of the moments and the absolute errors of the peaks of the moments were generally smaller than 10 N·m. The results suggest that the pelvic moment in motions involving fast and large trunk movements can be determined with a certain level of validity using the top-down approach in which the trunk is modeled as two or three rigid-link segments.

Globalization, nation-state and catching up

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luiz Carlos Bresser-Pereira

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Globalization and nation-states are not in contradiction, since globalization is the present stage of capitalist development, and the nation-state is the territorial political unit that organizes the space and population in the capitalist system. Since the 1980s, Global Capitalism constitutes the economic system characterized by the opening of all national markets and a fierce competition between nation-states. Developing countries tend to catch up, while rich countries try to neutralize such competitive effort, using globalism as an ideology, and conventional orthodoxy as a strategy. Middle-income countries that are catching up in the realm of globalization are the ones that count with a national development strategy. This is broadly the case of the dynamic Asian countries. In contrast, Latin American countries have no longer their own strategy, and grow less. To add data to the argument, the author conducts an econometric test comparing these two groups of countries, and three variables: the rate of investment, the current account deficit or surplus that would indicate or not a competitive exchange rate, and public deficit.

Top-down (Prior Knowledge) and Bottom-up (Perceptual Modality) Influences on Spontaneous Interpersonal Synchronization.

Science.gov (United States)

Gipson, Christina L; Gorman, Jamie C; Hessler, Eric E

2016-04-01

Coordination with others is such a fundamental part of human activity that it can happen unintentionally. This unintentional coordination can manifest as synchronization and is observed in physical and human systems alike. We investigated the role of top-down influences (prior knowledge of the perceptual modality their partner is using) and bottom-up factors (perceptual modality combination) on spontaneous interpersonal synchronization. We examine this phenomena with respect to two different theoretical perspectives that differently emphasize top-down and bottom-up factors in interpersonal synchronization: joint-action/shared cognition theories and ecological-interactive theories. In an empirical study twelve dyads performed a finger oscillation task while attending to each other's movements through either visual, auditory, or visual and auditory perceptual modalities. Half of the participants were given prior knowledge of their partner's perceptual capabilities for coordinating across these different perceptual modality combinations. We found that the effect of top-down influence depends on the perceptual modality combination between two individuals. When people used the same perceptual modalities, top-down influence resulted in less synchronization and when people used different perceptual modalities, top-down influence resulted in more synchronization. Furthermore, persistence in the change in behavior as a result of having perceptual information about each other ('social memory') was stronger when this top-down influence was present.

Automatic Polyp Detection via A Novel Unified Bottom-up and Top-down Saliency Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Yixuan; Li, Dengwang; Meng, Max Q-H

2017-07-31

In this paper, we propose a novel automatic computer-aided method to detect polyps for colonoscopy videos. To find the perceptually and semantically meaningful salient polyp regions, we first segment images into multilevel superpixels. Each level corresponds to different sizes of superpixels. Rather than adopting hand-designed features to describe these superpixels in images, we employ sparse autoencoder (SAE) to learn discriminative features in an unsupervised way. Then a novel unified bottom-up and top-down saliency method is proposed to detect polyps. In the first stage, we propose a weak bottom-up (WBU) saliency map by fusing the contrast based saliency and object-center based saliency together. The contrast based saliency map highlights image parts that show different appearances compared with surrounding areas while the object-center based saliency map emphasizes the center of the salient object. In the second stage, a strong classifier with Multiple Kernel Boosting (MKB) is learned to calculate the strong top-down (STD) saliency map based on samples directly from the obtained multi-level WBU saliency maps. We finally integrate these two stage saliency maps from all levels together to highlight polyps. Experiment results achieve 0.818 recall for saliency calculation, validating the effectiveness of our method. Extensive experiments on public polyp datasets demonstrate that the proposed saliency algorithm performs favorably against state-of-the-art saliency methods to detect polyps.

Salient region detection by fusing bottom-up and top-down features extracted from a single image.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Huawei; Fang, Yuming; Zhao, Yao; Lin, Weisi; Ni, Rongrong; Zhu, Zhenfeng

2014-10-01

Recently, some global contrast-based salient region detection models have been proposed based on only the low-level feature of color. It is necessary to consider both color and orientation features to overcome their limitations, and thus improve the performance of salient region detection for images with low-contrast in color and high-contrast in orientation. In addition, the existing fusion methods for different feature maps, like the simple averaging method and the selective method, are not effective sufficiently. To overcome these limitations of existing salient region detection models, we propose a novel salient region model based on the bottom-up and top-down mechanisms: the color contrast and orientation contrast are adopted to calculate the bottom-up feature maps, while the top-down cue of depth-from-focus from the same single image is used to guide the generation of final salient regions, since depth-from-focus reflects the photographer's preference and knowledge of the task. A more general and effective fusion method is designed to combine the bottom-up feature maps. According to the degree-of-scattering and eccentricities of feature maps, the proposed fusion method can assign adaptive weights to different feature maps to reflect the confidence level of each feature map. The depth-from-focus of the image as a significant top-down feature for visual attention in the image is used to guide the salient regions during the fusion process; with its aid, the proposed fusion method can filter out the background and highlight salient regions for the image. Experimental results show that the proposed model outperforms the state-of-the-art models on three public available data sets.

Evolution of plasma wakes in density up- and down-ramps

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, C. J.; Joshi, C.; Xu, X. L.; Mori, W. B.; Li, F.; Wan, Y.; Hua, J. F.; Pai, C. H.; Wang, J.; Lu, W.

2018-02-01

The time evolution of plasma wakes in density up- and down-ramps is examined through theory and particle-in-cell simulations. Motivated by observation of the reversal of a linear plasma wake in a plasma density upramp in a recent experiment (Zhang et al 2017 Phys. Rev. Lett. 119 064801) we have examined the behaviour of wakes in plasma ramps that always accompany any plasma source used for plasma-based acceleration. In the up-ramp case it is found that, after the passage of the drive pulse, the wavnumber/wavelength of the wake starts to decrease/increase with time until it eventually tends to zero/infinity, then the wake reverses its propagation direction and the wavenunber/wavelength of the wake begins to increase/shrink. The evolutions of the wavenumber and the phase velocity of the wake as functions of time are shown to be significantly different in the up-ramp and the down-ramp cases. In the latter case the wavenumber of the wake at a particular position in the ramp increases until the wake is eventually damped. It is also shown that the waveform of the wake at a particular time after being excited can be precisely controlled by tuning the initial plasma density profile, which may enable a new type of plasma-based ultrafast optics.

Top-down and bottom-up definitions of human failure events in human reliability analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boring, Ronald Laurids

2014-01-01

In the probabilistic risk assessments (PRAs) used in the nuclear industry, human failure events (HFEs) are determined as a subset of hardware failures, namely those hardware failures that could be triggered by human action or inaction. This approach is top-down, starting with hardware faults and deducing human contributions to those faults. Elsewhere, more traditionally human factors driven approaches would tend to look at opportunities for human errors first in a task analysis and then identify which of those errors is risk significant. The intersection of top-down and bottom-up approaches to defining HFEs has not been carefully studied. Ideally, both approaches should arrive at the same set of HFEs. This question is crucial, however, as human reliability analysis (HRA) methods are generalized to new domains like oil and gas. The HFEs used in nuclear PRAs tend to be top-down - defined as a subset of the PRA - whereas the HFEs used in petroleum quantitative risk assessments (QRAs) often tend to be bottom-up - derived from a task analysis conducted by human factors experts. The marriage of these approaches is necessary in order to ensure that HRA methods developed for top-down HFEs are also sufficient for bottom-up applications.

Relative importance of plant-mediated bottom-up and top-down forces on herbivore abundance on Brassica oleracea

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kos, M.; Broekgaarden, C.; Kabouw, P.; Oude Lenferink, K.; Poelman, E.H.; Vet, L.E.M.; Dicke, M.; Loon, van J.J.A.

2011-01-01

1. Arthropod communities are structured by complex interactions between bottom-up (resource-based) and top-down (natural enemy-based) forces. Their relative importance in shaping arthropod communities, however, continues to be under debate. Bottom-up and top-down forces can be affected by

Single-Stage Step up/down Driver for Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Machines

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, T. R.; Juan, Y. L.; Huang, C. Y.; Kuo, C. T.

2017-11-01

The two-stage circuit composed of a step up/down dc converter and a three-phase voltage source inverter is usually adopted as the electric vehicle’s motor driver. The conventional topology is more complicated. Additional power loss resulted from twice power conversion would also cause lower efficiency. A single-stage step up/down Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Motor driver for Brushless DC (BLDC) Motor is proposed in this study. The number components and circuit complexity are reduced. The low frequency six-step square-wave control is used to reduce the switching losses. In the proposed topology, only one active switch is gated with a high frequency PWM signal for adjusting the rotation speed. The rotor position signals are fed back to calculate the motor speed for digital close-loop control in a MCU. A 600W prototype circuit is constructed to drive a BLDC motor with rated speed 3000 rpm, and can control the speed of six sections.

How interactions between top-down and bottom-up controls on carbon cycling affect fluxes within and from lakes

Science.gov (United States)

Sadro, S.; Piovia-Scott, J.; Nelson, C.; Sickman, J. O.; Knapp, R.

2017-12-01

While the role of inland waters in global carbon cycling has grown clearer in recent decades, the extent to which top-down and bottom-up mechanisms interact to regulate dynamics at the catchment scale is not well understood. The degree to which lakes process, export, or store terrestrial carbon is influenced by hydrological variability, variation in the magnitude of terrestrial organic matter (t-OM) entering a system, the efficiency with which such material is metabolized by bacterioplankton, the extent to which it is incorporated into secondary consumer biomass, and by the effects of food-web structure, such as the presence or absence of top predators. However, how these processes interact to mediate carbon fluxes between terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric reservoirs remains unclear. We develop a conceptual model that explores how interactions among these factors ultimately affects carbon dynamics using data from lakes located in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. The Sierra are an excellent system for studies of carbon cycling because elevation-induced landscape gradients in soil development and vegetation cover provide large natural variation in terrestrial inputs to lakes, while variation in confounding factors such as lake morphometry or trophic state is comparatively small. Dissolved organic carbon concentrations increase 100 fold in lakes spanning the alpine to montane elevation gradient found in the Sierra, and fluorescence characteristics reflect an increasingly terrestrial signature with decreasing elevation. Bacterioplankton make up a large proportion of total ecosystem metabolism in these systems, and their metabolic efficiency is tightly coupled to the composition of dissolved organic matter. Stable isotope food web data (δ13C, Δ14C, and δ2H) and measurements of pCO2 from lakes indicate the magnitude of allochthony, rates if carbon cycling, and ecosystem heterotrophy all increase with the increasingly terrestrial signature of dissolved

Spin current evolution in the separated spin-up and spin-down quantum hydrodynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trukhanova, Mariya Iv.

2015-01-01

We have developed a method of quantum hydrodynamics (QHD) that describes particles with spin-up and with spin-down in separate. We have derived the equation of the spin current evolution as a part of the set of the quantum hydrodynamics equations that treat particles with different projection of spin on the preferable direction as two different species. We have studied orthogonal propagation of waves in the external magnetic field and determined the contribution of quantum corrections due to the Bohm potential and to magnetization energy of particles with different projections of spin in the spin-current wave dispersion. We have analyzed the limits of weak and strong magnetic fields. - Highlights: • We derive the spin current equation for particles with different projection of spin. • We predict the contribution of Bohm potential to the dynamics of spin current. • We derive the spin-current wave in the system of spin-polarized particles. • We study the propagation of spin-acoustic wave in magnetized dielectrics.

Growing up with Down syndrome : The developing child and its parents

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marchal, J.P.

2017-01-01

This thesis consists of two parts. The first part describes the results of a follow-up study concerning early life thyroid hormone treatment in children with Down syndrome. The purpose of this treatment during the first two years of life was to stimulate development and growth. Beside the results of

Agricultural ammonia emissions in China: reconciling bottom-up and top-down estimates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Zhang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Current estimates of agricultural ammonia (NH3 emissions in China differ by more than a factor of 2, hindering our understanding of their environmental consequences. Here we apply both bottom-up statistical and top-down inversion methods to quantify NH3 emissions from agriculture in China for the year 2008. We first assimilate satellite observations of NH3 column concentration from the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES using the GEOS-Chem adjoint model to optimize Chinese anthropogenic NH3 emissions at the 1∕2°  ×  2∕3° horizontal resolution for March–October 2008. Optimized emissions show a strong summer peak, with emissions about 50 % higher in summer than spring and fall, which is underestimated in current bottom-up NH3 emission estimates. To reconcile the latter with the top-down results, we revisit the processes of agricultural NH3 emissions and develop an improved bottom-up inventory of Chinese NH3 emissions from fertilizer application and livestock waste at the 1∕2°  ×  2∕3° resolution. Our bottom-up emission inventory includes more detailed information on crop-specific fertilizer application practices and better accounts for meteorological modulation of NH3 emission factors in China. We find that annual anthropogenic NH3 emissions are 11.7 Tg for 2008, with 5.05 Tg from fertilizer application and 5.31 Tg from livestock waste. The two sources together account for 88 % of total anthropogenic NH3 emissions in China. Our bottom-up emission estimates also show a distinct seasonality peaking in summer, consistent with top-down results from the satellite-based inversion. Further evaluations using surface network measurements show that the model driven by our bottom-up emissions reproduces the observed spatial and seasonal variations of NH3 gas concentrations and ammonium (NH4+ wet deposition fluxes over China well, providing additional credibility to the improvements we have made to our

Painful faces-induced attentional blink modulated by top-down and bottom-up mechanisms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chun eZheng

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Pain-related stimuli can capture attention in an automatic (bottom-up or intentional (top-down fashion. Previous studies have examined attentional capture by pain-related information using spatial attention paradigms that involve mainly a bottom-up mechanism. In the current study, we investigated the pain information–induced attentional blink (AB using a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP task, and compared the effects of task-irrelevant and task-relevant pain distractors. Relationships between accuracy of target identification and individual traits (i.e., empathy and catastrophizing thinking about pain were also examined. The results demonstrated that task-relevant painful faces had a significant pain information–induced AB effect, whereas task-irrelevant faces a near-significant trend of this effect, supporting the notion that pain-related stimuli can influence the temporal dynamics of attention. Furthermore, we found a significant negative correlation between response accuracy and pain catastrophizing score in task-relevant trials. These findings suggest that active scanning of environmental information related to pain produces greater deficits in cognition than does unintentional attention toward pain, which may represent the different ways in which healthy individuals and patients with chronic pain process pain-relevant information. These results may provide insight into the understanding of maladaptive attentional processing in patients with chronic pain.

Ground-state and dynamical properties of two-dimensional dipolar Fermi liquids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abedinpour, Saeed H.; Asgari, Reza; Tanatar, B.; Polini, Marco

2014-01-01

We study the ground-state properties of a two-dimensional spin-polarized fluid of dipolar fermions within the Euler–Lagrange Fermi-hypernetted-chain approximation. Our method is based on the solution of a scattering Schrödinger equation for the “pair amplitude” √(g(r)), where g(r) is the pair distribution function. A key ingredient in our theory is the effective pair potential, which includes a bosonic term from Jastrow–Feenberg correlations and a fermionic contribution from kinetic energy and exchange, which is tailored to reproduce the Hartree–Fock limit at weak coupling. Very good agreement with recent results based on quantum Monte Carlo simulations is achieved over a wide range of coupling constants up to the liquid-to-crystal quantum phase transition. Using the fluctuation–dissipation theorem and a static approximation for the effective inter-particle interactions, we calculate the dynamical density–density response function, and furthermore demonstrate that an undamped zero-sound mode exists for any value of the interaction strength, down to infinitesimally weak couplings. -- Highlights: •We have studied the ground state properties of a strongly correlated two-dimensional fluid of dipolar fermions. •We have calculated the effective inter-particle interaction and the dynamical density–density response function. •We have shown that an undamped zero sound mode exists at any value of the interaction strength

Integrating the bottom-up and top-down approach to energy economy modelling. The case of Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klinge Jacobsen, Henrik

1998-01-01

This paper presents results from an integration project covering Danish models based on bottom-up and top-down approaches to energy]economy modelling. The purpose of the project was to identify theoretical and methodological problems for integrating existing models for Denmark and to implement...... an integration of the models. The integration was established through a number of links between energy bottom-up modules and a macroeconomic model. In this integrated model it is possible to analyse both top-down instruments, such as taxes along with bottom-up instruments, such as regulation of technology...

An Optomechanical Elevator: Transport of a Bloch Oscillating Bose–Einstein Condensate up and down an Optical Lattice by Cavity Sideband Amplification and Cooling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Prasanna Venkatesh

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper we give a new description, in terms of optomechanics, of previous work on the problem of an atomic Bose–Einstein condensate interacting with the optical lattice inside a laser-pumped optical cavity and subject to a bias force, such as gravity. An atomic wave packet in a tilted lattice undergoes Bloch oscillations; in a high-finesse optical cavity the backaction of the atoms on the light leads to a time-dependent modulation of the intracavity lattice depth at the Bloch frequency which can in turn transport the atoms up or down the lattice. In the optomechanical picture, the transport dynamics can be interpreted as a manifestation of dynamical backaction-induced sideband damping/amplification of the Bloch oscillator. Depending on the sign of the pump-cavity detuning, atoms are transported either with or against the bias force accompanied by an up- or down-conversion of the frequency of the pump laser light. We also evaluate the prospects for using the optomechanical Bloch oscillator to make continuous measurements of forces by reading out the Bloch frequency. In this context, we establish the significant result that the optical spring effect is absent and the Bloch frequency is not modified by the backaction.

Bottom-up excited state dynamics of two cinnamate-based sunscreen filter molecules

OpenAIRE

Peperstraete, Yoann; Staniforth, Michael; Baker, Lewis A.; Rodrigues, Natércia D. N.; Cole-Filipiak, Neil C.; Quan, Wen-Dong; Stavros, Vasilios G.

2016-01-01

Methyl-E-4-methoxycinnamate (E-MMC) is a model chromophore of the commonly used commercial sunscreen agent, 2- ethylhexyl-E-4-methoxycinnamate (E-EHMC). In an effort to garner a molecular-level understanding of the photoprotection mechanisms in operation with E-EHMC, we have used time-resolved pump-probe spectroscopy to explore E-MMC’s and E-EHMC’s excited state dynamics upon UV-B photoexcitation to the S1 (11ππ*) state in both the gas- and solution-phase. In the gas-phase, our studies sugges...

A fusion of top-down and bottom-up modeling techniques to constrain regional scale carbon budgets

Science.gov (United States)

Goeckede, M.; Turner, D. P.; Michalak, A. M.; Vickers, D.; Law, B. E.

2009-12-01

The effort to constrain regional scale carbon budgets benefits from assimilating as many high quality data sources as possible in order to reduce uncertainties. Two of the most common approaches used in this field, bottom-up and top-down techniques, both have their strengths and weaknesses, and partly build on very different sources of information to train, drive, and validate the models. Within the context of the ORCA2 project, we follow both bottom-up and top-down modeling strategies with the ultimate objective of reconciling their surface flux estimates. The ORCA2 top-down component builds on a coupled WRF-STILT transport module that resolves the footprint function of a CO2 concentration measurement in high temporal and spatial resolution. Datasets involved in the current setup comprise GDAS meteorology, remote sensing products, VULCAN fossil fuel inventories, boundary conditions from CarbonTracker, and high-accuracy time series of atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Surface fluxes of CO2 are normally provided through a simple diagnostic model which is optimized against atmospheric observations. For the present study, we replaced the simple model with fluxes generated by an advanced bottom-up process model, Biome-BGC, which uses state-of-the-art algorithms to resolve plant-physiological processes, and 'grow' a biosphere based on biogeochemical conditions and climate history. This approach provides a more realistic description of biomass and nutrient pools than is the case for the simple model. The process model ingests various remote sensing data sources as well as high-resolution reanalysis meteorology, and can be trained against biometric inventories and eddy-covariance data. Linking the bottom-up flux fields to the atmospheric CO2 concentrations through the transport module allows evaluating the spatial representativeness of the BGC flux fields, and in that way assimilates more of the available information than either of the individual modeling techniques alone

Bottom-up and Top-down: An alternate classification of LD authoring approaches

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sodhi, Tim; Miao, Yongwu; Brouns, Francis; Koper, Rob

2007-01-01

Sodhi, T., Miao, Y., Brouns, F., & Koper, E. J. R. (2007). Bottom-up and Top-down: An alternate classification of LD authoring approaches. Paper presented at the TENCompetence Open Workshop on Current research on IMS Learning Design and Lifelong Competence Development Infrastructures. June, 21-22,

Leveling up and down: the experiences of benign and malicious envy.

Science.gov (United States)

van de Ven, Niels; Zeelenberg, Marcel; Pieters, Rik

2009-06-01

Envy is the painful emotion caused by the good fortune of others. This research empirically supports the distinction between two qualitatively different types of envy, namely benign and malicious envy. It reveals that the experience of benign envy leads to a moving-up motivation aimed at improving one's own position, whereas the experience of malicious envy leads to a pulling-down motivation aimed at damaging the position of the superior other. Study 1 used guided recall of the two envy types in a culture (the Netherlands) that has separate words for benign and malicious envy. Analyses of the experiential content of these emotions found the predicted differences. Study 2 and 3 used one sample from the United States and one from Spain, respectively, where a single word exists for both envy types. A latent class analysis based on the experiential content of envy confirmed the existence of separate experiences of benign and malicious envy in both these cultures as well. The authors discuss the implications of distinguishing the two envy types for theories of cooperation, group performance, and Schadenfreude.

Warm Up and Cool Down: Reduce Risk of Injury and Improve Athletic Performance

Science.gov (United States)

... exercise, but more research is needed. Although there's controversy about whether warming up and cooling down can ... your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below. Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy ...

An integrated top-down and bottom-up strategy for characterization protein isoforms and modifications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Si; Tolic, Nikola; Tian, Zhixin; Robinson, Errol W.; Pasa-Tolic, Ljiljana

2011-04-15

Bottom-up and top-down strategies are two commonly used methods for mass spectrometry (MS) based protein identification; each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. In this chapter, we describe an integrated top-down and bottom-up approach facilitated by concurrent liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis and fraction collection for comprehensive high-throughput intact protein profiling. The approach employs a high resolution reversed phase (RP) LC separation coupled with LC eluent fraction collection and concurrent on-line MS with a high field (12 Tesla) Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometer. Protein elusion profiles and tentative modified protein identification are made using detected intact protein mass in conjunction with bottom-up protein identifications from the enzymatic digestion and analysis of corresponding LC fractions. Specific proteins of biological interest are incorporated into a target ion list for subsequent off-line gas-phase fragmentation that uses an aliquot of the original collected LC fraction, an aliquot of which was also used for bottom-up analysis.

DC-dynamic biasing for >50× switching time improvement in severely underdamped fringing-field electrostatic MEMS actuators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Small, J; Liu, X; Fruehling, A; Garg, A; Peroulis, D

2012-01-01

This paper presents the design and experimental validation of dc-dynamic biasing for > 50× switching time improvement in severely underdamped fringing-field electrostatic MEMS actuators. The electrostatic fringing-field actuator is used to demonstrate the concept due to its robust device design and inherently low damping conditions. In order to accurately quantify the gap height versus voltage characteristics, a heuristic model is developed. The difference between the heuristic model and numerical simulation is less than 5.6% for typical MEMS geometries. MEMS fixed–fixed beams are fabricated and measured for experimental validation. Good agreement is observed between the calculated and measured results. For a given voltage, the measured and calculated displacements are typically within 10%. Lastly, the derived model is used to design a dc-dynamic bias waveform to improve the switching time of the underdamped MEMS actuators. With dynamic biasing, the measured up-to-down and down-to-up switching time of the actuator is ∼35 μs. On the other hand, coventional step biasing results in a switching time of ∼2 ms for both up-to-down and down-to-up states. (paper)

Feature Mining and Health Assessment for Gearboxes Using Run-Up/Coast-Down Signals

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Ming; Lin, Jing; Miao, Yonghao; Xu, Xiaoqiang

2016-01-01

Vibration signals measured in the run-up/coast-down (R/C) processes usually carry rich information about the health status of machinery. However, a major challenge in R/C signals analysis lies in how to exploit more diagnostic information, and how this information could be properly integrated to achieve a more reliable maintenance decision. Aiming at this problem, a framework of R/C signals analysis is presented for the health assessment of gearbox. In the proposed methodology, we first investigate the data preprocessing and feature selection issues for R/C signals. Based on that, a sparsity-guided feature enhancement scheme is then proposed to extract the weak phase jitter associated with gear defect. In order for an effective feature mining and integration under R/C, a generalized phase demodulation technique is further established to reveal the evolution of modulation feature with operating speed and rotation angle. The experimental results indicate that the proposed methodology could not only detect the presence of gear damage, but also offer a novel insight into the dynamic behavior of gearbox. PMID:27827831

Up-, down-, strange-, charm-, and bottom-quark masses from four-flavor lattice QCD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bazavov, A.; Bernard, C.; Brambilla, N.; Brown, N.; DeTar, C.; El-Khadra, A. X.; Gámiz, E.; Gottlieb, Steven; Heller, U. M.; Komijani, J.; Kronfeld, A. S.; Laiho, J.; Mackenzie, P. B.; Neil, E. T.; Simone, J. N.; Sugar, R. L.; Toussaint, D.; Vairo, A.; Van de Water, R. S.

2018-02-12

We calculate the up-, down-, strange-, charm-, and bottom-quark masses using the MILC highly improved staggered-quark ensembles with four flavors of dynamical quarks. We use ensembles at six lattice spacings ranging from $a\\approx0.15~$fm to $0.03~$fm and with both physical and unphysical values of the two light and the strange sea-quark masses. We use a new method based on heavy-quark effective theory (HQET) to extract quark masses from heavy-light pseudoscalar meson masses. Combining our analysis with our separate determination of ratios of light-quark masses we present masses of the up, down, strange, charm, and bottom quarks. Our results for the $\\overline{\\text{MS}}$-renormalized masses are $m_u(2~\\text{GeV}) = 2.118(38)~$MeV, $m_d(2~\\text{GeV}) = 4.690(54)~$MeV, $m_s(2~\\text{GeV}) = 92.52(69)~$MeV, $m_c(3~\\text{GeV}) = 984.3(5.6)~$MeV, and $m_c(m_c) = 1273(10)~$MeV, with four active flavors; and $m_b(m_b) = 4197(14)~$MeV with five active flavors. We also obtain ratios of quark masses $m_c/m_s = 11.784(22)$, $m_b/m_s = 53.93(12)$, and $m_b/m_c = 4.577(8)$. The result for $m_c$ matches the precision of the most precise calculation to date, and the other masses and all quoted ratios are the most precise to date. Moreover, these results are the first with a perturbative accuracy of $\\alpha_s^4$. As byproducts of our method, we obtain the matrix elements of HQET operators with dimension 4 and 5: $\\overline{\\Lambda}_\\text{MRS}=552(30)~$MeV in the minimal renormalon-subtracted (MRS) scheme, $\\mu_\\pi^2 = 0.06(22)~\\text{GeV}^2$, and $\\mu_G^2(m_b)=0.38(2)~\\text{GeV}^2$. The MRS scheme [Phys. Rev. D97, 034503 (2018), arXiv:1712.04983 [hep-ph

Head-up and head-down displays integration in automobiles

Science.gov (United States)

Betancur, J. Alejandro; Osorio-Gómez, Gilberto; Agudelo, J. David

2014-06-01

In automotive industry, the dashboard has been ergonomically developed in order to keep the driver focused on the horizon while driving, but the possibility to access external electronic devices constraints the driver to turn away his face, generating dangerous situations in spite of the short periods of time. Therefore, this work explores the integration of Head-Up Displays and Head-Down Displays in automobiles, proposing configurations that give to drivers the facility to driving focused. In this way, some of the main ergonomic comments about those configurations are proposed; and also, some technical comments regarding the implemented arrangements are given.

Reconciling Top-Down and Bottom-Up Estimates of Oil and Gas Methane Emissions in the Barnett Shale

Science.gov (United States)

Hamburg, S.

2015-12-01

Top-down approaches that use aircraft, tower, or satellite-based measurements of well-mixed air to quantify regional methane emissions have typically estimated higher emissions from the natural gas supply chain when compared to bottom-up inventories. A coordinated research campaign in October 2013 used simultaneous top-down and bottom-up approaches to quantify total and fossil methane emissions in the Barnett Shale region of Texas. Research teams have published individual results including aircraft mass-balance estimates of regional emissions and a bottom-up, 25-county region spatially-resolved inventory. This work synthesizes data from the campaign to directly compare top-down and bottom-up estimates. A new analytical approach uses statistical estimators to integrate facility emission rate distributions from unbiased and targeted high emission site datasets, which more rigorously incorporates the fat-tail of skewed distributions to estimate regional emissions of well pads, compressor stations, and processing plants. The updated spatially-resolved inventory was used to estimate total and fossil methane emissions from spatial domains that match seven individual aircraft mass balance flights. Source apportionment of top-down emissions between fossil and biogenic methane was corroborated with two independent analyses of methane and ethane ratios. Reconciling top-down and bottom-up estimates of fossil methane emissions leads to more accurate assessment of natural gas supply chain emission rates and the relative contribution of high emission sites. These results increase our confidence in our understanding of the climate impacts of natural gas relative to more carbon-intensive fossil fuels and the potential effectiveness of mitigation strategies.

Simple explanation of the up-down ambiguity in πp and Kπ s-wave phase shifts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dean, N.W.; Chang, V.

1976-01-01

In both the π + π - and K + π - systems attempts to carry out a phase-shift analysis in the mass region below 1GeV/c 2 have consistently found two distinct solutions. This ''up-down'' ambiguity has been resolved by appealing to additional data and to arguments based on continuity in the energy variable. The letter shown that in both cases the up-down ambiguity is simply the lowest-order Gersten ambiguity, that is, the complex conjugation of the ''Barrelet zero''

Down-regulated miR-448 relieves spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury by up-regulating SIRT1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yun Wang

2018-03-01

Full Text Available MicroRNAs play a crucial role in the progression of spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury (SCII. The role of miR-448 and SIRT1 in SCII was investigated in this study, to provide further insights into prevention and improvement of this disorder. In this study, expressions of miR-448 and SIRT1 protein were determined by qRT-PCR and western blot, respectively. Flow cytometry was used to analyze cell apoptosis. The endogenous expression of genes was modulated by recombinant plasmids and cell transfection. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to determine the interaction between miR-448 and SIRT1. The Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan score was used to measure the hind-limb function of rat. The spinal cord ischemia reperfusion injury model of adult rats was developed by abdominal aorta clamping, and the nerve function evaluation was completed by motor deficit index score. In SCII tissues and cells treated with hypoxia, miR-448 was up-regulated while SIRT1 was down-regulated. Hypoxia treatment reduced the expression of SIRT1 through up-regulating miR-448 in nerve cells. Up-regulation of miR-448 induced by hypoxia promoted apoptosis of nerve cells through down-regulating SIRT1. Down-regulated miR-448 improved neurological function and hind-limb motor function of rats with SCII by up-regulating SIRT1. Down-regulated miR-448 inhibited apoptosis of nerve cells and improved neurological function by up-regulating SIRT1, which contributes to relieving SCII.

Tensions between opening up and closing down moments in transdisciplinary water research

Science.gov (United States)

Krueger, Tobias; Maynard, Carly; Carr, Gemma; Bruns, Antje; Mueller, Eva; Lane, Stuart

2016-04-01

Research on water is carried out by many disciplines that do not really talk to each other much, despite critical interactions of multiple social and biophysical processes in shaping how much and what kind of water is where, at what time and for whom. What is more, water has meaning to more than those who are scientists. And scientists are not so removed from the things they study as one might commonly believe. All these observations call for a transdisciplinary research agenda that brings together different scientific disciplines with the knowledge that other groups in society hold and that tries to be aware of its own limitations. The transdisciplinary perspective is especially pertinent to the scientific decade 2013-2022 of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) on change in hydrology and society, 'Panta Rhei,' for a balanced conceptualization and study of human-water relations. Transdisciplinarity is inherently about opening up traditional modes of knowledge production; in terms of framing the research problem, the methodology and the knowledge that is considered permissible. This should open up the range of options for management intervention, too. While decisions on how to intervene will inevitably close down the issue periodically, the point here is to leave alternative routes of action open long enough, or reopen them again, so as to counter unsustainable and inequitable path-dependencies and lock-ins. However, opening up efforts are frequently in conflict with factors that work to close down knowledge production. Among those are framings, path-dependencies, vested interests, researchers' positionalities, power, and scale. In this presentation, based on Krueger et al. (2016), we will reflect on the tensions between opening up and closing down moments in transdisciplinary water research and draw important practical lessons. References Krueger, T., Maynard, C.M., Carr, G., Bruns, A., Mueller, E.N. and Lane, S.N. (forthcoming in 2016) A

The Comparative Effect of Top-down Processing and Bottom-up Processing through TBLT on Extrovert and Introvert EFL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pezhman Nourzad Haradasht

2013-09-01

Full Text Available This research seeks to examine the effect of two models of reading comprehension, namely top-down and bottom-up processing, on the reading comprehension of extrovert and introvert EFL learners’ reading comprehension. To do this, 120 learners out of a total number of 170 intermediate learners being educated at Iran Mehr English Language School were selected all taking a PET (Preliminary English Test first for homogenization prior to the study. They also answered the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI which in turn categorized them into two subgroups within each reading models consisting of introverts and extroverts. All in all, there were four subgroups: 30 introverts and 30 extroverts undergoing the top-down processing treatment, and 30 introverts and 30 extroverts experiencing the bottom-up processing treatment. The aforementioned PET was administered as the post test of the study after each group was exposed to the treatment for 18 sessions in six weeks. After the instructions finished, the mean scores of all four groups on this post test were computed and a two-way ANOVA was run to test all the four hypotheses raise in this study. the results showed that while learners generally benefitted more from the bottom-up processing setting compared  to the top-down processing one, the extrovert group was better off receiving top-down instruction. Furthermore, introverts outperformed extroverts in bottom-up group; yet between the two personalities subgroups in the top-down setting no difference was seen. A predictable pattern of benefitting from teaching procedures could not be drawn for introverts as in both top-down and bottom-up settings, they benefitted more than extroverts.

Rapamycin up-regulates triglycerides in hepatocytes by down-regulating Prox1.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Sora; Jeon, Ji-Sook; Kim, Su Bin; Hong, Young-Kwon; Ahn, Curie; Sung, Jung-Suk; Choi, Inho

2016-02-27

Although the prolonged use of rapamycin may cause unwanted side effects such as hyperlipidemia, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Prox1 is a transcription factor responsible for the development of several tissues including lymphatics and liver. There is growing evidences that Prox1 participates in metabolism in addition to embryogenesis. However, whether Prox1 is directly related to lipid metabolism is currently unknown. HepG2 human hepatoma cells were treated with rapamycin and total lipids were analyzed by thin layer chromatography. The effect of rapamycin on the expression of Prox1 was determined by western blotting. To investigate the role of Prox1 in triglycerides regulation, siRNA and overexpression system were employed. Rapamycin was injected into mice for 2 weeks and total lipids and proteins in liver were measured by thin layer chromatography and western blot analysis, respectively. Rapamycin up-regulated the amount of triglyceride and down-regulated the expression of Prox1 in HepG2 cells by reducing protein half-life but did not affect its transcript. The loss-of-function of Prox1 was coincident with the increase of triglycerides in HepG2 cells treated with rapamycin. The up-regulation of triglycerides by rapamycin in HepG2 cells reverted to normal levels by the compensation of Prox1 using the overexpression system. Rapamycin also down-regulated Prox1 expression but increased triglycerides in mouse liver. This study suggests that rapamycin can increase the amount of triglycerides by down-regulating Prox1 expression in hepatocytes, which means that the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling is important for the regulation of triglycerides by maintaining Prox1 expression.

Static Analysis of Processes for No Read-Up and No Write-Down

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bodei, C.; Degano, P.; Nielson, Flemming

1999-01-01

We study a variant of the no read-up/no write-down security property of Bell and LaPadula for processes in the π-calculus. Once processes are given levels of security clearance, we statically check that a process at a high level never sends names to processes at a lower level. The static check...

A study of the up-and-down method for non-normal distribution functions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vibholm, Svend; Thyregod, Poul

1988-01-01

The assessment of breakdown probabilities is examined by the up-and-down method. The exact maximum-likelihood estimates for a number of response patterns are calculated for three different distribution functions and are compared with the estimates corresponding to the normal distribution. Estimates...

Comparing effectiveness of top-down and bottom-up strategies in containing influenza.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Achla Marathe

Full Text Available This research compares the performance of bottom-up, self-motivated behavioral interventions with top-down interventions targeted at controlling an "Influenza-like-illness". Both types of interventions use a variant of the ring strategy. In the first case, when the fraction of a person's direct contacts who are diagnosed exceeds a threshold, that person decides to seek prophylaxis, e.g. vaccine or antivirals; in the second case, we consider two intervention protocols, denoted Block and School: when a fraction of people who are diagnosed in a Census Block (resp., School exceeds the threshold, prophylax the entire Block (resp., School. Results show that the bottom-up strategy outperforms the top-down strategies under our parameter settings. Even in situations where the Block strategy reduces the overall attack rate well, it incurs a much higher cost. These findings lend credence to the notion that if people used antivirals effectively, making them available quickly on demand to private citizens could be a very effective way to control an outbreak.

Innovative gait robot for the repetitive practice of floor walking and stair climbing up and down in stroke patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Hesse, Stefan; Waldner, Andreas; Tomelleri, Christopher

2010-06-28

Stair climbing up and down is an essential part of everyday's mobility. To enable wheelchair-dependent patients the repetitive practice of this task, a novel gait robot, G-EO-Systems (EO, Lat: I walk), based on the end-effector principle, has been designed. The trajectories of the foot plates are freely programmable enabling not only the practice of simulated floor walking but also stair climbing up and down. The article intended to compare lower limb muscle activation patterns of hemiparetic subjects during real floor walking and stairs climbing up, and during the corresponding simulated conditions on the machine, and secondly to demonstrate gait improvement on single case after training on the machine. The muscle activation pattern of seven lower limb muscles of six hemiparetic patients during free and simulated walking on the floor and stair climbing was measured via dynamic electromyography. A non-ambulatory, sub-acute stroke patient additionally trained on the G-EO-Systems every workday for five weeks. The muscle activation patterns were comparable during the real and simulated conditions, both on the floor and during stair climbing up. Minor differences, concerning the real and simulated floor walking conditions, were a delayed (prolonged) onset (duration) of the thigh muscle activation on the machine across all subjects. Concerning stair climbing conditions, the shank muscle activation was more phasic and timely correct in selected patients on the device. The severely affected subject regained walking and stair climbing ability. The G-EO-Systems is an interesting new option in gait rehabilitation after stroke. The lower limb muscle activation patterns were comparable, a training thus feasible, and the positive case report warrants further clinical studies.

Combined 30-degree bevel up and down technique against 0-degree phaco tip for phacoemulsification surgery of hard cataracts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joshi RS

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Rajesh Subhash Joshi, Sonal Jayant Muley Department of Ophthalmology, Vasantrao Naik Government Medical College, Yavatmal, Maharashtra, India Purpose: To evaluate the effective phaco time (EPT, cumulative dissipated energy (CDE and nucleus emulsification time (NET as phaco parameters with 0- and 30-degree phaco tip. Patients and methods: This prospective, interventional and observational case series included 294 patients scheduled for cataract removal by phacoemulsification technique. Patients with nuclear cataracts of grade 4 and 5 nuclear opalescence of Lens Opacities Classification System III were included in the study. Patients were consecutively allocated to phaco chop technique with 0-degree (0-degree group, n=147 and combined bevel up and down position using 30-degree phaco tip (combined bevel up/down group, n=147. The 0-degree group had phacoemulsification with 0-degree phaco tip, while the 30-degree group had chopping of the nucleus with bevel down phaco tip and emulsification of nuclear fragments was accomplished with bevel up tip. EPT, CDE, NET and intraoperative complications were noted and compared between the groups using analysis of variance. Results: Average EPT, CDE and NET were lower in the 30-degree group than in the 0-degree group. However, no statistically significant difference was found in EPT (P=0.0733, CDE (P=0.0663 and NET (P=0.0633 between the two groups. No serious intraoperative complications were noted. The anterior chamber was maintained throughout the procedure in both groups. No patients had wound burn and miosis during the procedure. None of the patients developed bullous keratopathy, uveitis and cystoid macular edema during the follow-up period. Conclusion: Combined bevel up and down 30-degree tip can yield effective hard nucleus phacoemulsification. Bevel down tip of 30-degree helps in effective chopping and bevel up tip assists in emulsification of the nuclear fragments. Although combined bevel up and down 30

Up and Down Quark Masses and Corrections to Dashen's Theorem from Lattice QCD and Quenched QED.

Science.gov (United States)

Fodor, Z; Hoelbling, C; Krieg, S; Lellouch, L; Lippert, Th; Portelli, A; Sastre, A; Szabo, K K; Varnhorst, L

2016-08-19

In a previous Letter [Borsanyi et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 252001 (2013)] we determined the isospin mass splittings of the baryon octet from a lattice calculation based on N_{f}=2+1 QCD simulations to which QED effects have been added in a partially quenched setup. Using the same data we determine here the corrections to Dashen's theorem and the individual up and down quark masses. Our ensembles include 5 lattice spacings down to 0.054 fm, lattice sizes up to 6 fm, and average up-down quark masses all the way down to their physical value. For the parameter which quantifies violations to Dashen's theorem, we obtain ϵ=0.73(2)(5)(17), where the first error is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third is an estimate of the QED quenching error. For the light quark masses we obtain, m_{u}=2.27(6)(5)(4) and m_{d}=4.67(6)(5)(4)  MeV in the modified minimal subtraction scheme at 2  GeV and the isospin breaking ratios m_{u}/m_{d}=0.485(11)(8)(14), R=38.2(1.1)(0.8)(1.4), and Q=23.4(0.4)(0.3)(0.4). Our results exclude the m_{u}=0 solution to the strong CP problem by more than 24 standard deviations.

Top-down and bottom-up influences on the left ventral occipito-temporal cortex during visual word recognition: an analysis of effective connectivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Schurz, Matthias; Kronbichler, Martin; Crone, Julia; Richlan, Fabio; Klackl, Johannes; Wimmer, Heinz

2014-04-01

The functional role of the left ventral occipito-temporal cortex (vOT) in visual word processing has been studied extensively. A prominent observation is higher activation for unfamiliar but pronounceable letter strings compared to regular words in this region. Some functional accounts have interpreted this finding as driven by top-down influences (e.g., Dehaene and Cohen [2011]: Trends Cogn Sci 15:254-262; Price and Devlin [2011]: Trends Cogn Sci 15:246-253), while others have suggested a difference in bottom-up processing (e.g., Glezer et al. [2009]: Neuron 62:199-204; Kronbichler et al. [2007]: J Cogn Neurosci 19:1584-1594). We used dynamic causal modeling for fMRI data to test bottom-up and top-down influences on the left vOT during visual processing of regular words and unfamiliar letter strings. Regular words (e.g., taxi) and unfamiliar letter strings of pseudohomophones (e.g., taksi) were presented in the context of a phonological lexical decision task (i.e., "Does the item sound like a word?"). We found no differences in top-down signaling, but a strong increase in bottom-up signaling from the occipital cortex to the left vOT for pseudohomophones compared to words. This finding can be linked to functional accounts which assume that the left vOT contains neurons tuned to complex orthographic features such as morphemes or words [e.g., Dehaene and Cohen [2011]: Trends Cogn Sci 15:254-262; Kronbichler et al. [2007]: J Cogn Neurosci 19:1584-1594]: For words, bottom-up signals converge onto a matching orthographic representation in the left vOT. For pseudohomophones, the propagated signals do not converge, but (partially) activate multiple orthographic word representations, reflected in increased effective connectivity. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Implementing collaborative improvement - top-down, bottom-up or both?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kaltoft, Rasmus; Boer, Harry; Caniato, Federico

2007-01-01

, the study identifies three different implementation approaches. The bottom-up learning-by-doing approach starts at a practical level, with simple improvement activities, and aims at gradually developing a wide range of CoI knowledge, skills and initiatives. The top-down directive approach starts...... with aligning the partners' CoI objectives and an assessment of their collaboration and CoI maturity in order to provide a common platform before actually starting improvement activities. The laissez-faire approach builds on shared goals/vision, meetings on equal terms and joint work, in a non-directive and non......-facilitated way, though. The article demonstrates how and why the different approaches have different effects on the development of collaborative improvement....

Warming up and cooling down (image)

Science.gov (United States)

... for 5 to 10 minutes, one may avoid injury and build endurance over time. Cooling down after exercise by walking slowly, then stretching muscles, may also prevent strains and blood pressure fluctuation.

Episodic Spin-up and Spin-down Torque on Earth

Science.gov (United States)

Slabinski, Victor J.; Mendonca, Antonio A.

2018-04-01

Variations in Earth rotation angle are traditionally expressed by the time difference (ΔT=TT-UT1) between Terrestrial Time (TT) as told by atomic clocks and Universal Time UT1, the time variable used by the Earth-rotation formula. A plot of ΔT versus TT over the past 160 years shows a continuous curve with approximate straight-line segments with different spans of order ~20 years. Removing the tidal and seasonal variations from the data gives these line segments which represent the “decadal variations” in Earth rotation.The slope of a straight-line segment is proportional to the departure of Earth rotation rate from a reference value at the time. The change in slope over the relatively short time between segments indicates an episodic spin-up or spin-down in Earth rotation. The daily combination of VLBI, SLR, and other modern data available since 1973 gives us accurate, daily values of ΔT and the corresponding LOD (Length Of Day) values during these episodes. These allow us to determine the rotational acceleration occurring then.The three largest spin-speed changes found during the VLBI era have the following characteristics:Episode _____________ Duration__ ΔLOD__LOD Rate1983 Dec 30-1984 Jan 28 ... 29 d ...-0.65 ms ..-8.3 ms/y ..........spin-up1989 Mar 15-1989 May 23 ...69 d ....0.68 .......+3.6 ..............spin-down1994 Jan 21-2001 Apr 01 ... 6.5 y ...-2.2 .........-0.36 ..extended spin-upFor the first two episodes listed, we find the acceleration grows from zero (or at least a relatively small value) to its extreme value in ~1 day, stays approximately constant at this value for 29 or 69 days, and then decays back to zero over ~1 day. The acceleration, while it occurs, gives an LOD rate much greater than the 0.02 ms/y rate from tidal friction.The third episode shows that occasionally a several-year-long episode occurs. The acceleration magnitude is smaller but can make a larger total change in LOD (and spin rate). Tidal friction requires >100 y to equal

Growing up with Down syndrome: Development from 6 months to 10.7 years

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marchal, Jan Pieter; Maurice-Stam, Heleen; Houtzager, Bregje A.; Rutgers van Rozenburg-Marres, Susanne L.; Oostrom, Kim J.; Grootenhuis, Martha A.; van Trotsenburg, A. S. Paul

2016-01-01

We analysed developmental outcomes from a clinical trial early in life and its follow-up at 10.7 years in 123 children with Down syndrome. To determine 1) strengths and weaknesses in adaptive functioning and motor skills at 10.7 years, and 2) prognostic value of early-life characteristics (early

Evaluations of carbon fluxes estimated by top-down and bottom-up approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Murakami, K.; Sasai, T.; Kato, S.; Hiraki, K.; Maksyutov, S. S.; Yokota, T.; Nasahara, K.; Matsunaga, T.

2013-12-01

There are two types of estimating carbon fluxes using satellite observation data, and these are referred to as top-down and bottom-up approaches. Many uncertainties are however still remain in these carbon flux estimations, because the true values of carbon flux are still unclear and estimations vary according to the type of the model (e.g. a transport model, a process based model) and input data. The CO2 fluxes in these approaches are estimated by using different satellite data such as the distribution of CO2 concentration in the top-down approach and the land cover information (e.g. leaf area, surface temperature) in the bottom-up approach. The satellite-based CO2 flux estimations with reduced uncertainty can be used efficiently for identifications of large emission area and carbon stocks of forest area. In this study, we evaluated the carbon flux estimates from two approaches by comparing with each other. The Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT) has been observing atmospheric CO2 concentrations since 2009. GOSAT L4A data product is the monthly CO2 flux estimations for 64 sub-continental regions and is estimated by using GOSAT FTS SWIR L2 XCO2 data and atmospheric tracer transport model. We used GOSAT L4A CO2 flux as top-down approach estimations and net ecosystem productions (NEP) estimated by the diagnostic type biosphere model BEAMS as bottom-up approach estimations. BEAMS NEP is only natural land CO2 flux, so we used GOSAT L4A CO2 flux after subtraction of anthropogenic CO2 emissions and oceanic CO2 flux. We compared with two approach in temperate north-east Asia region. This region is covered by grassland and crop land (about 60 %), forest (about 20 %) and bare ground (about 20 %). The temporal variation for one year period was indicated similar trends between two approaches. Furthermore we show the comparison of CO2 flux estimations in other sub-continental regions.

Pharmacy-based statewide naloxone distribution: A novel "top-down, bottom-up" approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Morton, Kate J; Harrand, Brianna; Floyd, Carly Cloud; Schaefer, Craig; Acosta, Julie; Logan, Bridget Claire; Clark, Karen

To highlight New Mexico's multifaceted approach to widespread pharmacy naloxone distribution and to share the interventions as a tool for improving pharmacy-based naloxone practices in other states. New Mexico had the second highest drug overdose death rate in 2014 of which 53% were related to prescription opioids. Opioid overdose death is preventable through the use of naloxone, a safe and effective medication that reverses the effects of prescription opioids and heroin. Pharmacists can play an important role in providing naloxone to individuals who use prescription opioids. Not applicable. Not applicable. A multifaceted approach was utilized in New Mexico from the top down with legislative passage of provisions for a statewide standing order and New Mexico Department of Health support for pharmacy-based naloxone delivery. A bottom up approach was also initiated with the development and implementation of a training program for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Naloxone Medicaid claims were used to illustrate statewide distribution and utilization of the pharmacist statewide standing order for naloxone. Percent of pharmacies dispensing naloxone in each county were calculated. Trained pharmacy staff completed a program evaluation form. Questions about quality of instruction and ability of trainer to meet stated objectives were rated on a Likert scale. There were 808 naloxone Medicaid claims from 100 outpatient pharmacies during the first half of 2016, a 9-fold increase over 2014. The "A Dose of R x eality" training program evaluation indicated that participants felt the training was free from bias and met all stated objectives (4 out of 4 on Likert scale). A multi-pronged approach coupling state and community collaboration was successful in overcoming barriers and challenges associated with pharmacy naloxone distribution and ensured its success as an effective avenue for naloxone acquisition in urban and rural communities. Copyright © 2017 American Pharmacists

Benchmarking energy scenarios for China: perspectives from top-down, economic and bottom-up, technical modelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

This study uses a soft-linking methodology to harmonise two complex global top-down and bottom-up models with a regional China focus. The baseline follows the GDP and demographic trends of the Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSP2) scenario, down-scaled for China, while the carbon tax scenario fol......-specific modelling results further. These new sub-regional China features can now be used for a more detailed analysis of China's regional developments in a global context....

Vertical force and wrist deviation angle when using a walker to stand up and sit down.

Science.gov (United States)

Leung, Cherng-Yee; Yeh, Po-Chan

2011-08-01

Research investigating walkers suggests that safety and assistance for the elderly with weak lower limbs were important. However, the relationship between the use of a walker and the upper limbs has received little investigation. Standing up and sitting down are important daily activities. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore wrist deviation and vertical force among elderly individuals using a walker for assistance to stand up and sit down. In total, 64 elderly volunteers (M age = 80.22, SD = 9.36) were enrolled. Data were obtained from four load cells and a twin-axis wrist goniometer. Wrist deviation and vertical force were examined when participants used a walker with horizontal handles to assist in standing up and sitting down. Significant wrist angle deviation occurred with the use of a walker, with dorsiflexion of the right hand greater than that of the left. Males exerted significantly greater vertical force. In the sitting position, greater ulnar deviation was seen among experienced walker users, whereas during standing, experienced users exhibited greater dorsiflexion. The horizontal handles of most marketed walkers may cause user wrist deviations, suggesting researchers should pursue improvements in walker design.

Innovative gait robot for the repetitive practice of floor walking and stair climbing up and down in stroke patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Waldner Andreas

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Stair climbing up and down is an essential part of everyday's mobility. To enable wheelchair-dependent patients the repetitive practice of this task, a novel gait robot, G-EO-Systems (EO, Lat: I walk, based on the end-effector principle, has been designed. The trajectories of the foot plates are freely programmable enabling not only the practice of simulated floor walking but also stair climbing up and down. The article intended to compare lower limb muscle activation patterns of hemiparetic subjects during real floor walking and stairs climbing up, and during the corresponding simulated conditions on the machine, and secondly to demonstrate gait improvement on single case after training on the machine. Methods The muscle activation pattern of seven lower limb muscles of six hemiparetic patients during free and simulated walking on the floor and stair climbing was measured via dynamic electromyography. A non-ambulatory, sub-acute stroke patient additionally trained on the G-EO-Systems every workday for five weeks. Results The muscle activation patterns were comparable during the real and simulated conditions, both on the floor and during stair climbing up. Minor differences, concerning the real and simulated floor walking conditions, were a delayed (prolonged onset (duration of the thigh muscle activation on the machine across all subjects. Concerning stair climbing conditions, the shank muscle activation was more phasic and timely correct in selected patients on the device. The severely affected subject regained walking and stair climbing ability. Conclusions The G-EO-Systems is an interesting new option in gait rehabilitation after stroke. The lower limb muscle activation patterns were comparable, a training thus feasible, and the positive case report warrants further clinical studies.

Manufacturing at Nanoscale: Top-Down, Bottom-up and System Engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Xiang; Sun Cheng; Fang, Nicholas

2004-01-01

The current nano-technology revolution is facing several major challenges: to manufacture nanodevices below 20 nm, to fabricate three-dimensional complex nano-structures, and to heterogeneously integrate multiple functionalities. To tackle these grand challenges, the Center for Scalable and Integrated NAno-Manufacturing (SINAM), a NSF Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center, set its goal to establish a new manufacturing paradigm that integrates an array of new nano-manufacturing technologies, including the plasmonic imaging lithography and ultramolding imprint lithography aiming toward critical resolution of 1-10 nm and the hybrid top-down and bottom-up technologies to achieve massively parallel integration of heterogeneous nanoscale components into higher-order structures and devices. Furthermore, SINAM will develop system engineering strategies to scale-up the nano-manufacturing technologies. SINAMs integrated research and education platform will shed light to a broad range of potential applications in computing, telecommunication, photonics, biotechnology, health care, and national security

Experimental Evidence of Momentum Transport Induced by an Up-Down Asymmetric Magnetic Equilibrium in Toroidal Plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Camenen, Y.; Peeters, A. G.; Casson, F. J.; Hornsby, W. A.; Snodin, A. P.; Szepesi, G.; Bortolon, A.; Duval, B. P.; Federspiel, L.; Karpushov, A. N.; Piras, F.; Sauter, O.

2010-01-01

The first experimental evidence of parallel momentum transport generated by the up-down asymmetry of a toroidal plasma is reported. The experiments, conducted in the Tokamak a Configuration Variable, were motivated by the recent theoretical discovery of ion-scale turbulent momentum transport induced by an up-down asymmetry in the magnetic equilibrium. The toroidal rotation gradient is observed to depend on the asymmetry in the outer part of the plasma leading to a variation of the central rotation by a factor of 1.5-2. The direction of the effect and its magnitude are in agreement with theoretical predictions for the eight possible combinations of plasma asymmetry, current, and magnetic field.

Common Cause Case Study: An Estimated Probability of Four Solid Rocket Booster Hold-Down Post Stud Hang-ups

Science.gov (United States)

Cross, Robert

2005-01-01

Until Solid Rocket Motor ignition, the Space Shuttle is mated to the Mobil Launch Platform in part via eight (8) Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) hold-down bolts. The bolts are fractured using redundant pyrotechnics, and are designed to drop through a hold-down post on the Mobile Launch Platform before the Space Shuttle begins movement. The Space Shuttle program has experienced numerous failures where a bolt has hung up. That is, it did not clear the hold-down post before liftoff and was caught by the SRBs. This places an additional structural load on the vehicle that was not included in the original certification requirements. The Space Shuttle is currently being certified to withstand the loads induced by up to three (3) of eight (8) SRB hold-down experiencing a "hang-up". The results of loads analyses performed for (4) stud hang-ups indicate that the internal vehicle loads exceed current structural certification limits at several locations. To determine the risk to the vehicle from four (4) stud hang-ups, the likelihood of the scenario occurring must first be evaluated. Prior to the analysis discussed in this paper, the likelihood of occurrence had been estimated assuming that the stud hang-ups were completely independent events. That is, it was assumed that no common causes or factors existed between the individual stud hang-up events. A review of the data associated with the hang-up events, showed that a common factor (timing skew) was present. This paper summarizes a revised likelihood evaluation performed for the four (4) stud hang-ups case considering that there are common factors associated with the stud hang-ups. The results show that explicitly (i.e. not using standard common cause methodologies such as beta factor or Multiple Greek Letter modeling) taking into account the common factor of timing skew results in an increase in the estimated likelihood of four (4) stud hang-ups of an order of magnitude over the independent failure case.

Top-down instead of bottom-up estimates of uncertainty in INAA results?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bode, P.; De Nadai Fernandes, E.A.

2005-01-01

The initial publication of the ISO Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM) and many related documents has resulted in a worldwide awareness of the importance of a realistic estimate of the value reported after the +/- sign. The evaluation of uncertainty in measurement, as introduced by the GUM, is derived from the principles applied in physical measurements. Many testing laboratories have already experienced large problems in applying these principles in e.g. (bio)chemical measurements, resulting in time-consuming evaluations and costly additional experiments. Other, more pragmatic and less costly approaches have been proposed to obtain a realistic estimate of the range in which the true value of the measurement may be found with a certain degree of probability. One of these approaches, the 'top-down method', is based on the standard deviation in the results of intercomparison data. This approach is much easier for tests for which it is either difficult to establish a full measurement equation, or if e.g. matrix-matching reference materials are absent. It has been demonstrated that the GUM 'bottom-up' approach of evaluating uncertainty in measurement can easily be applied in instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) as all significant sources of uncertainty can be evaluated. INAA is therefore a valuable technique to test the validity of the top-down approach. In this contribution, examples of the top-down evaluation of uncertainty in INAA derived from participation in intercomparison rounds and proficiency testing schemes will be presented. The results will be compared with the bottom-up evaluation of uncertainty, and ease of applicability, validity and usefullness of both approaches will be discussed.

Ultra rapidly dissolving repaglinide nanosized crystals prepared via bottom-up and top-down approach: influence of food on pharmacokinetics behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Gadadare, Rahul; Mandpe, Leenata; Pokharkar, Varsha

2015-08-01

The present work was undertaken with the objectives of improving the dissolution velocity, related oral bioavailability, and minimizing the fasted/fed state variability of repaglinide, a poorly water-soluble anti-diabetic active by exploring the principles of nanotechnology. Nanocrystal formulations were prepared by both top-down and bottom-up approaches. These approaches were compared in light of their ability to provide the formulation stability in terms of particle size. Soluplus® was used as a stabilizer and Kolliphor™ E-TPGS was used as an oral absorption enhancer. In vitro dissolution profiles were investigated in distilled water, fasted and fed state simulated gastric fluid, and compared with the pure repaglinide. In vivo pharmacokinetics was performed in both the fasted and fed state using Wistar rats. Oral hypoglycemic activity was also assessed in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Nanocrystals TD-A and TD-B showed 19.86 and 25.67-fold increase in saturation solubility, respectively, when compared with pure repaglinide. Almost 10 (TD-A) and 15 (TD-B)-fold enhancement in the oral bioavailability of nanocrystals was observed regardless of the fasted/fed state compared to pure repaglinide. Nanocrystal formulations also demonstrated significant (p < 0.001) hypoglycemic activity with faster onset (less than 30 min) and prolonged duration (up to 8 h) compared to pure repaglinide (after 60 min; up to 4 h, respectively).

Top-down versus bottom-up processing of influence diagrams in probabilistic analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Timmerman, R.D.; Burns, T.J.; Dodds, H.L. Jr.

1986-01-01

Recent work by Phillips and Selby has shown that influence diagram methodology can be a useful analytical tool in reactor safety studies. In some instances an influence diagram can be used as a graphical representation of probabilistic dependence within a system or event sequence. Under these circumstances, Bayesian statistics is employed to transform the relationships depicted in the influence diagram into the correct expression for a desired marginal probability (e.g. the top node). Top-down and bottom-up algorithms have emerged as the dominant methods for quantifying influence diagrams. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate a potential error in employing the bottom-up algorithm when dealing with interdependencies

From War to Tolerance? Bottom-up and Top-down Approaches to (Rebuilding Interethnic Ties in the Areas of the Former Yugoslavia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boris Banovac

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In recent history the Balkans passed through periods of conflict and violence typical of many post-imperial nation-states that are unable to establish lateral links with their neighbors without or outside the central (imperial connection. In a way, these states imitated historical path of imperial conquests. In this regard, ethnic conflicts that escalated into wars of the former Yugoslavia can be taken as examples of an erratic transformation of post-imperial into modern nation-states that are eager to build up democracy at home and develop peaceful coexistence with others in international environment. Nevertheless, not all multiethnic areas were caught up in violence (e.g. instances of “peace enclaves” in multiethnic areas in Croatia, Bosnia and Heregovina and in Kosovo. Through such examples, which will be illustrated with results of empirical research, we recognize potentials for building tolerance from below. On the other hand, in most other places peace was a follow up of post-conflict processes. In these cases, local potentials of ethnic tolerance were rather weak. The paper provides some examples illustrating regional differences in this regard within Croatia. Actually, the whole process of normalization of ethnic relations in peaceful terms is far from being linear and is hardly going smoothly. Some parts of national elites foster distance and antagonism against the ”others”. On the other hand, especially following EU accession of Croatia, nationalistic rhetoric significantly receded on the level of the official politics. The question is then whether the impact of policies in institutional sphere, both national and international, i.e. top-down approach, is decisive in shaping inter-ethnic relations. The conclusion is that the institutional, top-down arrangements of peace and tolerance cannot be sustainable without concomitant bottom-up processes on micro level, which theoretically corresponds to a “conformant policy” against

A Range Ambiguity Suppression Processing Method for Spaceborne SAR with Up and Down Chirp Modulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Xuejiao; Qiu, Xiaolan; Han, Bing; Ding, Chibiao; Lei, Bin; Chen, Qi

2018-05-07

Range ambiguity is one of the factors which affect the SAR image quality. Alternately transmitting up and down chirp modulation pulses is one of the methods used to suppress the range ambiguity. However, the defocusing range ambiguous signal can still hold the stronger backscattering intensity than the mainlobe imaging area in some case, which has a severe impact on visual effects and subsequent applications. In this paper, a novel hybrid range ambiguity suppression method for up and down chirp modulation is proposed. The method can obtain the ambiguity area image and reduce the ambiguity signal power appropriately, by applying pulse compression using a contrary modulation rate and CFAR detecting method. The effectiveness and correctness of the approach is demonstrated by processing the archive images acquired by Chinese Gaofen-3 SAR sensor in full-polarization mode.

Integrating Top-down and Bottom-up Cybersecurity Guidance using XML

Science.gov (United States)

Lubell, Joshua

2016-01-01

This paper describes a markup-based approach for synthesizing disparate information sources and discusses a software implementation of the approach. The implementation makes it easier for people to use two complementary, but differently structured, guidance specifications together: the (top-down) Cybersecurity Framework and the (bottom-up) National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 800-53 security control catalog. An example scenario demonstrates how the software implementation can help a security professional select the appropriate safeguards for restricting unauthorized access to an Industrial Control System. The implementation and example show the benefits of this approach and suggest its potential application to disciplines other than cybersecurity. PMID:27795810

Integrating Top-down and Bottom-up Cybersecurity Guidance using XML.

Science.gov (United States)

Lubell, Joshua

2016-08-01

This paper describes a markup-based approach for synthesizing disparate information sources and discusses a software implementation of the approach. The implementation makes it easier for people to use two complementary, but differently structured, guidance specifications together: the (top-down) Cybersecurity Framework and the (bottom-up) National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 800-53 security control catalog. An example scenario demonstrates how the software implementation can help a security professional select the appropriate safeguards for restricting unauthorized access to an Industrial Control System. The implementation and example show the benefits of this approach and suggest its potential application to disciplines other than cybersecurity.

Unsupervised tattoo segmentation combining bottom-up and top-down cues

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Josef D.; Zhao, Nan; Yuan, Jiangbo; Liu, Xiuwen

2011-06-01

Tattoo segmentation is challenging due to the complexity and large variance in tattoo structures. We have developed a segmentation algorithm for finding tattoos in an image. Our basic idea is split-merge: split each tattoo image into clusters through a bottom-up process, learn to merge the clusters containing skin and then distinguish tattoo from the other skin via top-down prior in the image itself. Tattoo segmentation with unknown number of clusters is transferred to a figureground segmentation. We have applied our segmentation algorithm on a tattoo dataset and the results have shown that our tattoo segmentation system is efficient and suitable for further tattoo classification and retrieval purpose.

SNR 2 core dynamics and shut-down signals in a protected loss-of-flow incident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kleefeldt, K.

1982-01-01

The dynamic behavior of a 1300 MWe Core during a loss-of-flow incident has been analyzed by use of the SAS3D code for a given pump coast down characteristic and constant core inlet temperature. Emphasis was placed on the questions: How fast and via which monitored parameters can the incident be recognized by the reactor protection system. What is the tolerable time span for the shut-down action without exceeding safety limits. Key prameters and limit values as well as conceivable reactivity feed-back effects are discussed. The result is, that three out of four choosen monitored parameters are capable of initiating a shut-down action in time. In addition, the amount of shut-down reactivity required for a successful scram was briefly investigated

The Ideological Divide Concerning Climate Change Opinion: Integrating Top-Down and Bottom-Up Approaches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer eJacquet

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The United States wields disproportionate global influence in terms of carbon dioxide emissions and international climate policy. This renders it an especially important context in which to examine the interplay among social, psychological, and political factors in shaping attitudes and behaviors about climate change. In this article, we review the emerging literature addressing the liberal-conservative divide in the U.S. with respect to thought, communication, and action concerning climate change. Because of its theoretical and practical significance, we focus on the motivational basis for skepticism and inaction on the part of some, including top-down institutional forces, such as corporate strategy, and bottom-up psychological factors, such as ego, group, and system justification. Although more research is needed to elucidate fully the social, cognitive, and motivational bases of environmental attitudes and behavior, a great deal has been learned in just a few years by focusing on specific ideological factors in addition to general psychological principles.

Dynamics of relaxation to a stationary state for interacting molecular motors

Science.gov (United States)

Gomes, Luiza V. F.; Kolomeisky, Anatoly B.

2018-01-01

Motor proteins are active enzymatic molecules that drive a variety of biological processes, including transfer of genetic information, cellular transport, cell motility and muscle contraction. It is known that these biological molecular motors usually perform their cellular tasks by acting collectively, and there are interactions between individual motors that specify the overall collective behavior. One of the fundamental issues related to the collective dynamics of motor proteins is the question if they function at stationary-state conditions. To investigate this problem, we analyze a relaxation to the stationary state for the system of interacting molecular motors. Our approach utilizes a recently developed theoretical framework, which views the collective dynamics of motor proteins as a totally asymmetric simple exclusion process of interacting particles, where interactions are taken into account via a thermodynamically consistent approach. The dynamics of relaxation to the stationary state is analyzed using a domain-wall method that relies on a mean-field description, which takes into account some correlations. It is found that the system quickly relaxes for repulsive interactions, while attractive interactions always slow down reaching the stationary state. It is also predicted that for some range of parameters the fastest relaxation might be achieved for a weak repulsive interaction. Our theoretical predictions are tested with Monte Carlo computer simulations. The implications of our findings for biological systems are briefly discussed.

Reduction mechanism of dynamic loads on down wind rotor; Furyoku hatsuden system down wind rotor no doteki kaju no keigen kiko ni kansuru kenkyu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seki, K; Shimizu, Y; Yasui, T [Tokai University, Tokyo (Japan)

1997-11-25

Dynamic force on blades in a large wind mill changes with rotational speed for various reasons, such as wind shear that causes vertical distribution of wind velocity or titling angle. Therefore, a 2-blade system on a teetered hub is a practical selection for the coned, down-wind type. Use of teetered axis greatly reduces bending moment in the flap direction and that at the axis of rotation. An attempt was made to understand dynamic loads by inertial force resulting from oscillation of the blade rotating on the teetered axis, and thereby to avoid them. The in-plane load can be diminished to zero when the teetered axis is coincided with the center of gravity, but generally cannot be avoided when the blade is strained significantly, except it is operated at the rated condition. The in-plane load and bending moment can be avoided, when rotational freedom is given around the y axis. Dynamic load on a down-wind rotor can be avoided by use of universal joint. 3 refs., 6 figs.

Top-down versus bottom-up processing of influence diagrams in probabilistic analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Timmerman, R.D.; Burns, T.J.; Dodds, H.L. Jr.

1984-01-01

Recent work by Phillips et al., and Selby et al., has shown that influence diagram methodology can be a useful analytical tool in reactor safety studies. An influence diagram is a graphical representation of probabilistic dependence within a system or event sequence. Bayesian statistics are employed to transform the relationships depicted in the influence diagram into the correct expression for a desired marginal probability (e.g. the top event). As with fault trees, top-down and bottom-up algorithms have emerged as the dominant methods for quantifying influence diagrams. Purpose of this paper is to demonstrate a potential error in employing the bottom-up algorithm when dealing with interdependencies. In addition, the computing efficiency of both methods is discussed

A Range Ambiguity Suppression Processing Method for Spaceborne SAR with Up and Down Chirp Modulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xuejiao Wen

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Range ambiguity is one of the factors which affect the SAR image quality. Alternately transmitting up and down chirp modulation pulses is one of the methods used to suppress the range ambiguity. However, the defocusing range ambiguous signal can still hold the stronger backscattering intensity than the mainlobe imaging area in some case, which has a severe impact on visual effects and subsequent applications. In this paper, a novel hybrid range ambiguity suppression method for up and down chirp modulation is proposed. The method can obtain the ambiguity area image and reduce the ambiguity signal power appropriately, by applying pulse compression using a contrary modulation rate and CFAR detecting method. The effectiveness and correctness of the approach is demonstrated by processing the archive images acquired by Chinese Gaofen-3 SAR sensor in full-polarization mode.

Harsh-Environment Solid-State Gamma Detector for Down-hole Gas and Oil Exploration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peter Sandvik; Stanislav Soloviev; Emad Andarawis; Ho-Young Cha; Jim Rose; Kevin Durocher; Robert Lyons; Bob Pieciuk; Jim Williams; David O'Connor

2007-01-01

The goal of this program was to develop a revolutionary solid-state gamma-ray detector suitable for use in down-hole gas and oil exploration. This advanced detector would employ wide-bandgap semiconductor technology to extend the gamma sensor's temperature capability up to 200 C as well as extended reliability, which significantly exceeds current designs based on photomultiplier tubes. In Phase II, project tasks were focused on optimization of the final APD design, growing and characterizing the full scintillator crystals of the selected composition, arranging the APD device packaging, developing the needed optical coupling between scintillator and APD, and characterizing the combined elements as a full detector system preparing for commercialization. What follows is a summary report from the second 18-month phase of this program

Unsupervised Tattoo Segmentation Combining Bottom-Up and Top-Down Cues

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allen, Josef D [ORNL

2011-01-01

Tattoo segmentation is challenging due to the complexity and large variance in tattoo structures. We have developed a segmentation algorithm for nding tattoos in an image. Our basic idea is split-merge: split each tattoo image into clusters through a bottom-up process, learn to merge the clusters containing skin and then distinguish tattoo from the other skin via top-down prior in the image itself. Tattoo segmentation with unknown number of clusters is transferred to a gure-ground segmentation. We have applied our segmentation algorithm on a tattoo dataset and the results have shown that our tattoo segmentation system is e cient and suitable for further tattoo classi cation and retrieval purpose.

Playing up and playing down cultural identity: Introducing cultural influence and cultural variability.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferguson, Gail M; Nguyen, Jacqueline; Iturbide, Maria I

2017-01-01

Cultural variability (CV) is introduced as an overlooked dimension of cultural identity development pertaining to emphasizing and de-emphasizing the influence of a single cultural identity (i.e., cultural influence [CI]) on daily interactions and behaviors. The Cultural IDentity Influence Measure (CIDIM) is introduced as a novel measure of CI and CV, and hypothesis-driven validation is conducted in two samples along with exploration of associations between CV and well-being. A multicultural sample of 242 emerging adults participated in a daily diary study (Mage = 19.95 years, SDage = 1.40) by completing up to eight daily online surveys containing the CIDIM, criterion measures (ethnic identity, other group orientation, ethnic identity salience and daily variability in salience, social desirability), and measures of personal and interpersonal well-being. A second validation sample (n = 245) completed a 1-time survey with the CIDIM and a subset of criterion measures. Results using both samples show evidence of CI and CV and demonstrate the validity, reliability, and domain-sensitivity of the CIDIM. Further, CV made unique and positive contributions to predicting interaction quality after accounting for ethnic salience and variability in ethnic salience. An analytic approach utilizing standard deviations produced near-identical results to multilevel modeling and is recommended for parsimony. Ethnic minority and majority individuals make daily adjustments to play up and play down the influence of cultural identity on their social interactions and behaviors, and these adjustments predict interpersonal well-being. Cultural influence and cultural variability contribute to our emerging understanding of cultural identity as dynamic and agentic. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Equation of state of dense plasmas: Orbital-free molecular dynamics as the limit of quantum molecular dynamics for high-Z elements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Danel, J.-F.; Blottiau, P.; Kazandjian, L.; Piron, R.; Torrent, M. [CEA, DAM, DIF, 91297 Arpajon (France)

2014-10-15

The applicability of quantum molecular dynamics to the calculation of the equation of state of a dense plasma is limited at high temperature by computational cost. Orbital-free molecular dynamics, based on a semiclassical approximation and possibly on a gradient correction, is a simulation method available at high temperature. For a high-Z element such as lutetium, we examine how orbital-free molecular dynamics applied to the equation of state of a dense plasma can be regarded as the limit of quantum molecular dynamics at high temperature. For the normal mass density and twice the normal mass density, we show that the pressures calculated with the quantum approach converge monotonically towards those calculated with the orbital-free approach; we observe a faster convergence when the orbital-free approach includes the gradient correction. We propose a method to obtain an equation of state reproducing quantum molecular dynamics results up to high temperatures where this approach cannot be directly implemented. With the results already obtained for low-Z plasmas, the present study opens the way for reproducing the quantum molecular dynamics pressure for all elements up to high temperatures.

Preferential effect of isoflurane on top-down vs. bottom-up pathways in sensory cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Raz, Aeyal; Grady, Sean M; Krause, Bryan M; Uhlrich, Daniel J; Manning, Karen A; Banks, Matthew I

2014-01-01

The mechanism of loss of consciousness (LOC) under anesthesia is unknown. Because consciousness depends on activity in the cortico-thalamic network, anesthetic actions on this network are likely critical for LOC. Competing theories stress the importance of anesthetic actions on bottom-up "core" thalamo-cortical (TC) vs. top-down cortico-cortical (CC) and matrix TC connections. We tested these models using laminar recordings in rat auditory cortex in vivo and murine brain slices. We selectively activated bottom-up vs. top-down afferent pathways using sensory stimuli in vivo and electrical stimulation in brain slices, and compared effects of isoflurane on responses evoked via the two pathways. Auditory stimuli in vivo and core TC afferent stimulation in brain slices evoked short latency current sinks in middle layers, consistent with activation of core TC afferents. By contrast, visual stimuli in vivo and stimulation of CC and matrix TC afferents in brain slices evoked responses mainly in superficial and deep layers, consistent with projection patterns of top-down afferents that carry visual information to auditory cortex. Responses to auditory stimuli in vivo and core TC afferents in brain slices were significantly less affected by isoflurane compared to responses triggered by visual stimuli in vivo and CC/matrix TC afferents in slices. At a just-hypnotic dose in vivo, auditory responses were enhanced by isoflurane, whereas visual responses were dramatically reduced. At a comparable concentration in slices, isoflurane suppressed both core TC and CC/matrix TC responses, but the effect on the latter responses was far greater than on core TC responses, indicating that at least part of the differential effects observed in vivo were due to local actions of isoflurane in auditory cortex. These data support a model in which disruption of top-down connectivity contributes to anesthesia-induced LOC, and have implications for understanding the neural basis of consciousness.

Up-down quark mass difference effect in nuclear many-body systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, S.; Muto, K.; Oka, M.; Takeuchi, S.; Oda, T.

1995-01-01

A charge-symmetry-breaking nucleon-nucleon force due to the up-down quark mass difference is evaluated in the quark cluster model. It is applied to the shell-model calculation for the isovector mass shifts of isospin multiplets and the isospin-mixing matrix elements in 1s0d-shell nuclei. We find that the contribution of the quark mass difference effect is large and agrees with experiment. This contribution may explain the Okamoto-Nolen-Schiffer anomaly, alternatively to the meson-mixing contribution, which is recently predicted to be reduced by the large off-shell correction. (author)

Up-down quark mass difference effect in nuclear many-body systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, S.; Muto, K.; Oka, M.; Takeuchi, S.; Oda, T.

1996-01-01

A charge-symmetry-breaking nucleon-nucleon force due to the up-down quark mass difference is evaluated in the quark cluster model. It is applied to the shell-model calculation for the isovector mass shifts of isospin multiplets in 1s0d-shell nuclei. We find that the contribution of the quark mass difference effect explains the systematic behavior of experiment. This contribution is large and may explain the Okamoto-Nolen-Schiffer anomaly, alternatively to the meson-mixing contribution, which is recently predicted to be reduced by the large off-shell correction. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

Innovative gait robot for the repetitive practice of floor walking and stair climbing up and down in stroke patients

OpenAIRE

Hesse, Stefan; Waldner, Andreas; Tomelleri, Christopher

2010-01-01

Abstract Background Stair climbing up and down is an essential part of everyday's mobility. To enable wheelchair-dependent patients the repetitive practice of this task, a novel gait robot, G-EO-Systems (EO, Lat: I walk), based on the end-effector principle, has been designed. The trajectories of the foot plates are freely programmable enabling not only the practice of simulated floor walking but also stair climbing up and down. The article intended to compare lower limb muscle activation pat...

Investigation of scrape-off layer up-down asymmetries in diverted plasmas in TEXT-Upgrade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonnin, X.P.G.

1998-05-01

On diverted discharges in TEXT-U, whether it be in single-null or double-null configurations, up-down asymmetries have been noted, the sign and magnitude of which depend on plasma conditions. Geometrical effects play a role in double-null discharges but may not explain the observations. Moreover, they do not play a role in the single-null plasmas, which are topologically up-down symmetric, so the asymmetry must come from physical driving mechanisms. To fully understand these drives a realistic edge plasma must be simulated. In so doing, the authors hope to gain insight as to which physical processes intervene in creating such asymmetries. The B2-Eirene plasma simulation code, upgraded and partially rewritten to handle the various geometries, will be a useful tool in evaluating the respective influences of the driving terms. Several such mechanisms will be investigated, both computationally and experimentally, and compared with data from previous tokamak discharges. In the course of this, theoretical predictions for edge transport phenomena, for example, atomic drives, curvature drives and neoclassical drifts, possibly leading to asymmetries, will be compared to experiment

Rating parent-child interactions: joint engagement, communication dynamics, and shared topics in autism, Down syndrome, and typical development.

Science.gov (United States)

Adamson, Lauren B; Bakeman, Roger; Deckner, Deborah F; Nelson, P Brooke

2012-12-01

A battery of 17 rating items were applied to video records of typically-developing toddlers and young children with autism and Down syndrome interacting with their parents during the Communication Play Protocol. This battery provided a reliable and broad view of the joint engagement triad of child, partner, and shared topic. Ratings of the child's joint engagement correlated very strongly with state coding of joint engagement and replicated the finding that coordinated joint engagement was less likely in children with autism. Ratings of other child actions, of parent contributions, and of shared topics and communicative dynamics also documented pervasive variations related to diagnosis, language facility, and communicative context.

Analysis of HFETR shut-down state caused by loss of off-site power supply

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Jinghu

1997-01-01

During the last 15 years, there are more than 40 unplanned shut-downs caused by loss of off-site power in HFETR. Because HFETR is a special research reactor, the author describes the shut-down state as three period. The author also discusses the influence of the number of shut-down due to loss of off-site power supply on the reactor safety, and propose some suggestions and measures to reduce the effects

Marrying Up by Marrying Down: Status Exchange between Social Origin and Education in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwartz, Christine R; Zeng, Zhen; Xie, Yu

2016-11-01

Intermarriage plays a key role in stratification systems. Spousal resemblance reinforces social boundaries within and across generations, and the rules of intermarriage govern the ways that social mobility may occur. We examine intermarriage across social origin and education boundaries in the United States using data from the 1968-2013 Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Our evidence points to a pattern of status exchange-that is, persons with high education from modest backgrounds tend to marry those with lower education from more privileged backgrounds. Our study contributes to an active methodological debate by pinpointing the conditions under which the results pivot from evidence against exchange to evidence for exchange and advances theory by showing that the rules of exchange are more consistent with the notion of diminishing marginal utility than the more general theory of compensating differentials.

Harsh-Environment Solid-State Gamma Detector for Down-hole Gas and Oil Exploration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peter Sandvik; Stanislav Soloviev; Emad Andarawis; Ho-Young Cha; Jim Rose; Kevin Durocher; Robert Lyons; Bob Pieciuk; Jim Williams; David O' Connor

2007-08-10

The goal of this program was to develop a revolutionary solid-state gamma-ray detector suitable for use in down-hole gas and oil exploration. This advanced detector would employ wide-bandgap semiconductor technology to extend the gamma sensor's temperature capability up to 200 C as well as extended reliability, which significantly exceeds current designs based on photomultiplier tubes. In Phase II, project tasks were focused on optimization of the final APD design, growing and characterizing the full scintillator crystals of the selected composition, arranging the APD device packaging, developing the needed optical coupling between scintillator and APD, and characterizing the combined elements as a full detector system preparing for commercialization. What follows is a summary report from the second 18-month phase of this program.

Energy-environment policy modeling of endogenous technological change with personal vehicles. Combining top-down and bottom-up methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaccard, Mark; Murphy, Rose; Rivers, Nic

2004-01-01

The transportation sector offers substantial potential for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission abatement, but widely divergent cost estimates complicate policy making; energy-economy policy modelers apply top-down and bottom-up cost definitions and different assumptions about future technologies and the preferences of firms and households. Our hybrid energy-economy policy model is technology-rich, like a bottom-up model, but has empirically estimated behavioral parameters for risk and technology preferences, like a top-down model. Unlike typical top-down models, however, it simulates technological change endogenously with functions that relate the financial costs of technologies to cumulative production and adjust technology preferences as market shares change. We apply it to the choice of personal vehicles to indicate, first, the effect on cost estimates of divergent cost definitions and, second, the possible response to policies that require a minimum market share for low emission vehicles

Histones Induce the Procoagulant Phenotype of Endothelial Cells through Tissue Factor Up-Regulation and Thrombomodulin Down-Regulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Ji Eun; Yoo, Hyun Ju; Gu, Ja Yoon; Kim, Hyun Kyung

2016-01-01

The high circulating levels of histones found in various thrombotic diseases may compromise the anticoagulant barrier of endothelial cells. We determined how histones affect endothelial procoagulant tissue factor (TF) and anticoagulant thrombomodulin (TM). Surface antigens, soluble forms, and mRNA levels of TF and TM were measured by flow cytometry, ELISA, and real-time RT-PCR, respectively. TF and TM activity were measured using procoagulant activity, thrombin generation, or chromogenic assays. Involvement of the toll-like receptor (TLR) was assessed using the neutralizing antibodies. Histones dose-dependently induced surface antigens, activity and mRNA levels of endothelial TF. Histone-treated endothelial cells significantly shortened the lag time and enhanced the endogenous thrombin potential of normal plasma, which was normalized by a TF neutralizing antibody. Histones induced phosphatidylserine and protein-disulfide isomerase expression in endothelial cells. Histones also reduced the surface antigen, activity, and mRNA levels of endothelial TM. Polysialic acid and heparin reversed the histone-induced TF up-regulation and TM down-regulation. Activated protein C did not affect the TF up-regulation, but interrupted TM down-regulation. TLR2, and TLR4 inhibitors partially blocked the TF up-regulation. Histones induced the endothelial procoagulant phenotype through TF up-regulation and TM down-regulation. The effects of histones were partly mediated by TLR2, TLR4. Strategies to inhibit the harmful effects of histones in endothelial cells may be required in order to prevent a thrombotic environment.

The changing Chinese SEA indicator guidelines: Top-down or bottom-up?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Jingjing; Christensen, Per; Kørnøv, Lone

2014-01-01

In the last decades, China has introduced a set of indicators to guide the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) practice. The most recent indicator system proposed in 2009 is based on sector-specific guidelines and it found its justification in past negative experiences with more general guidelines (from 2003), which were mostly inspired by, or copied from, international experiences. Based on interviews with practitioners, researchers and administrators, we map and analyse the change in the national guidelines. This analysis is based on a description of the indicators that makes it possible to discern different aggregation levels of indicators and then trace the changes occurring under two sets of guidelines. The analysis also reveals the reasons and rationales behind the changes found in the guidelines. This analysis is inspired by implementation theory and a description of some of the more general trends in the development of SEA and other environmental policies in a recent Chinese context. Beside a more top-down, intentional approach specifying indicators for different sectors based on Chinese experiences from the preceding years, another significant change, following the new guidelines, is a more bottom-up approach which gives more discretion to practitioners. This entails a call for practitioners to make decisions on indicators, which involves an interpretation of the ones present in sector guidance. Highlights: • Focusing on the new Chinese national SEA guidelines proposed in 2009 • Mapping and analysing the most recent change in the indicator system • Revealing the reasons and rationales behind the changes found in the new guidelines • A top-down intention specifying indicators for different sectors • A bottom-up effect in giving discretion and interpretation of using indicators

The changing Chinese SEA indicator guidelines: Top-down or bottom-up?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao, Jingjing, E-mail: Jingjing@plan.aau.dk; Christensen, Per; Kørnøv, Lone

2014-01-15

In the last decades, China has introduced a set of indicators to guide the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) practice. The most recent indicator system proposed in 2009 is based on sector-specific guidelines and it found its justification in past negative experiences with more general guidelines (from 2003), which were mostly inspired by, or copied from, international experiences. Based on interviews with practitioners, researchers and administrators, we map and analyse the change in the national guidelines. This analysis is based on a description of the indicators that makes it possible to discern different aggregation levels of indicators and then trace the changes occurring under two sets of guidelines. The analysis also reveals the reasons and rationales behind the changes found in the guidelines. This analysis is inspired by implementation theory and a description of some of the more general trends in the development of SEA and other environmental policies in a recent Chinese context. Beside a more top-down, intentional approach specifying indicators for different sectors based on Chinese experiences from the preceding years, another significant change, following the new guidelines, is a more bottom-up approach which gives more discretion to practitioners. This entails a call for practitioners to make decisions on indicators, which involves an interpretation of the ones present in sector guidance. Highlights: • Focusing on the new Chinese national SEA guidelines proposed in 2009 • Mapping and analysing the most recent change in the indicator system • Revealing the reasons and rationales behind the changes found in the new guidelines • A top-down intention specifying indicators for different sectors • A bottom-up effect in giving discretion and interpretation of using indicators.

Cash Flow and Discount Rate Risk in Up and Down Markets: What is actually priced?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Botshekan, M.; Kraeussl, R.G.W.; Lucas, A.

2012-01-01

We test whether asymmetric preferences for losses versus gains affect the prices of cash flow versus discount rate risk. We construct a return decomposition distinguishing cash flow and discount rate betas in up and down markets. Using U.S. data, we find that downside cash flow and discount rate

High-Order Model and Dynamic Filtering for Frame Rate Up-Conversion.

Science.gov (United States)

Bao, Wenbo; Zhang, Xiaoyun; Chen, Li; Ding, Lianghui; Gao, Zhiyong

2018-08-01

This paper proposes a novel frame rate up-conversion method through high-order model and dynamic filtering (HOMDF) for video pixels. Unlike the constant brightness and linear motion assumptions in traditional methods, the intensity and position of the video pixels are both modeled with high-order polynomials in terms of time. Then, the key problem of our method is to estimate the polynomial coefficients that represent the pixel's intensity variation, velocity, and acceleration. We propose to solve it with two energy objectives: one minimizes the auto-regressive prediction error of intensity variation by its past samples, and the other minimizes video frame's reconstruction error along the motion trajectory. To efficiently address the optimization problem for these coefficients, we propose the dynamic filtering solution inspired by video's temporal coherence. The optimal estimation of these coefficients is reformulated into a dynamic fusion of the prior estimate from pixel's temporal predecessor and the maximum likelihood estimate from current new observation. Finally, frame rate up-conversion is implemented using motion-compensated interpolation by pixel-wise intensity variation and motion trajectory. Benefited from the advanced model and dynamic filtering, the interpolated frame has much better visual quality. Extensive experiments on the natural and synthesized videos demonstrate the superiority of HOMDF over the state-of-the-art methods in both subjective and objective comparisons.

Flipped Top-Down is Systematic Bottom-Up

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zaytsev, V.; Sturm, A.; Clark, T.

2016-01-01

The paper presents an experience report in course design for a versatile group of computer science students where their needs were surfaced and met by the combination of strict top-down exposure to course material and the flipped classroom model of lecturing.

Visual anticipation biases conscious perception but not bottom-up visual processing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul F.M.J. Verschure

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Theories of consciousness can be grouped with respect to their stance on embodiment, sensori-motor contingencies, prediction and integration. In this list prediction plays a key role and it is not clear which aspects of prediction are most prominent in the conscious scene. An evolving view on the brain is that it can be seen as a prediction machine that optimizes its ability to predict states of the world and the self through the top-down propagation of predictions and the bottom-up presentation of prediction errors. There are competing views though on whether prediction or prediction errors dominate the conscious scene. Yet, due to the lack of efficient indirect measures, the dynamic effects of prediction on perception, decision making and consciousness have been difficult to assess and to model. We propose a novel mathematical framework and psychophysical paradigm that allows us to assess both the hierarchical structuring of perceptual consciousness, its content and the impact of predictions and / or errors on the conscious scene. Using a displacement detection task combined with reverse correlation we reveal signatures of the usage of prediction at three different levels of perception: bottom-up early saccades, top-down driven late saccades and conscious decisions. Our results suggest that the brain employs multiple parallel mechanisms at different levels of information processing to restrict the sensory field using predictions. We observe that cognitive load has a quantifiable effect on this dissociation of the bottom-up sensory and top-down predictive processes. We propose a probabilistic data association model from dynamical systems theory to model this predictive bias in different information processing levels.

Impact of start-up and shut-down losses on the economic benefit of an integrated hybrid solar cavity receiver and combustor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, Jin Han; Hu, Eric; Nathan, Graham J.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • We present the benefits of integrating a solar cavity receiver and a combustor. • The hybrid solar receiver combustor is compared with its equivalent hybrid. • The start-up losses of the back-up boiler are calculated for a variable resource. • Levelized cost of electricity is reduced by up to 17%. • Fuel consumption is reduced by up to 31%. - Abstract: The impact of avoiding the start-up and shut-down losses of a solar thermal power plant by directly integrating the back-up boiler into a tubular solar-only cavity receiver is studied using a multiple time-step, piecewise-continuous model. A steady-state analytical model of the mass and energy flows through both this device and a solar-only cavity receiver reported previously are incorporated within a model of the solar power generating plant with storage. The performance of the Hybrid Solar Receiver Combustor (HSRC) is compared with an equivalent reference conventional hybrid solar thermal system employing a solar-only cavity receiver and a back-up boiler. The model accounts for start-up and shut-down losses of the boiler, threshold losses of the solar-only cavity receiver and the amount of trace heating required to avoid cooling of the heat transfer fluid. The model is implemented for a 12 month/five year time-series of historical Direct Normal Irradiation (DNI) at 1 h time-steps to account for the variability in the solar resource at four sites spanning Australia and the USA. A method to optimize the size of the heliostat field is also reported, based on the dumped fraction of solar power from the heliostat field. The Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) for the HSRC configuration was estimated to be reduced by up to 17% relative to the equivalent conventional hybrid solar thermal system depending on the cost of the fuel, the storage capacity and the solar resource, while the fuel consumption was estimated to be reduced by some 12–31%.

Simulation of Cardiovascular Response to the Head-Up/Head-Down Tilt at Different Angles

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yang; Lu, Hong-Bing; Jiao, Chun; Zhang, Li-Fan

2008-06-01

The disappearance of hydrostatic pressure is the original factor that causes the changes of cardiovascular system under microgravity. The hydrostatical changes can be simulated by postural changes. Especially the head-down position can be used to simulate the effects of microgravity. The goal of this investigation was to develop a mathematical model for simulation of the human cardiovascular responses to acute and prolonged exposure under microgravity environment. We were particularly interested in the redistribution of transmural pressures, flows, blood volume, and the consequent alterations in local hemodynamics in different cardiovascular compartments during acute exposure and chronic adjustments. As a preliminary study, we first developed a multi-element, distributed hemodynamic model of human cardiovascular system, and verified the model to simulate cardiovascular changes during head up/down tilt at various angles.

Trophic cascades of bottom-up and top-down forcing on nutrients and plankton in the Kattegat, evaluated by modelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Marcell Elo; Maar, Marie; Larsen, Janus

2017-01-01

The aim of the study was to investigate the relative importance of bottom-up and top-down forcing on trophic cascades in the pelagic food-web and the implications for water quality indicators (summer phytoplankton biomass and winter nutrients) in relation to management. The 3D ecological model....... On annual basis, the system was more bottom-up than top-down controlled. Microzooplankton was found to play an important role in the pelagic food web as mediator of nutrient and energy fluxes. This study demonstrated that the best scenario for improved water quality was a combined reduction in nutrient...

Ising ferromagnet: zero-temperature dynamic evolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira, P M C de; Newman, C M; Sidoravicious, V; Stein, D L

2006-01-01

The dynamic evolution at zero temperature of a uniform Ising ferromagnet on a square lattice is followed by Monte Carlo computer simulations. The system always eventually reaches a final, absorbing state, which sometimes coincides with a ground state (all spins parallel), and sometimes does not (parallel stripes of spins up and down). We initiate here the numerical study of 'chaotic time dependence' (CTD) by seeing how much information about the final state is predictable from the randomly generated quenched initial state. CTD was originally proposed to explain how nonequilibrium spin glasses could manifest an equilibrium pure state structure, but in simpler systems such as homogeneous ferromagnets it is closely related to long-term predictability and our results suggest that CTD might indeed occur in the infinite volume limit

Interactive effects of trait and state affect on top-down control of attention.

Science.gov (United States)

Hur, Juyoen; Miller, Gregory A; McDavitt, Jenika R B; Spielberg, Jeffrey M; Crocker, Laura D; Infantolino, Zachary P; Towers, David N; Warren, Stacie L; Heller, Wendy

2015-08-01

Few studies have investigated how attentional control is affected by transient affective states while taking individual differences in affective traits into consideration. In this study, participants completed a color-word Stroop task immediately after undergoing a positive, neutral or negative affective context manipulation (ACM). Behavioral performance was unaffected by any ACM considered in isolation. For individuals high in trait negative affect (NA), performance was impaired by the negative but not the positive or neutral ACM. Neuroimaging results indicate that activity in primarily top-down control regions of the brain (inferior frontal gyrus and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex) was suppressed in the presence of emotional arousal (both negative and positive ACMs). This effect appears to have been exacerbated or offset by co-occurring activity in other top-down control regions (parietal) and emotion processing regions (orbitofrontal cortex, amygdala and nucleus accumbens) as a function of the valence of state affect (positive or negative) and trait affect (trait NA or trait PA). Neuroimaging results are consistent with behavioral findings. In combination, they indicate both additive and interactive influences of trait and state affect on top-down control of attention. © The Author (2015). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

New dual gas puff imaging system with up-down symmetry on experimental advanced superconducting tokamak

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, S. C.; Shao, L. M.; Zweben, S. J.

2012-01-01

advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST). The two views are up-down symmetric about the midplane and separated by a toroidal angle of 66.6 degrees. A linear manifold with 16 holes apart by 10 mm is used to form helium gas cloud at the 130x130 mm (radial versus poloidal) objective plane. A fast camera...

The Interaction of Top-Down and Bottom-Up Statistics in the Resolution of Syntactic Category Ambiguity

Science.gov (United States)

Gibson, Edward

2006-01-01

This paper investigates how people resolve syntactic category ambiguities when comprehending sentences. It is proposed that people combine: (a) context-dependent syntactic expectations (top-down statistical information) and (b) context-independent lexical-category frequencies of words (bottom-up statistical information) in order to resolve…

Hydrothermal synthesis, characterization and up/down-conversion luminescence of barium rare earth fluoride nanocrystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jia, Li-Ping; Zhang, Qiang; Yan, Bing

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: Lanthanide ions doped bare earth rare earth fluoride nanocrystals are synthesized by hydrothermal technology and characterized. The down/up-conversion luminescence of them are discussed. - Highlights: • Mixed hydrothermal system H 2 O–OA (EDA)–O-A(LO-A) is used for synthesis. • Barium rare earth fluoride nanocrystals are synthesized comprehensively. • Luminescence for down-conversion and up-conversion are obtained for these systems. - Abstract: Mixed hydrothermal system H 2 O–OA (EDA)–O-A(LO-A) is developed to synthesize barium rare earth fluorides nanocrystals (OA = oleylamine, EDA = ethylenediamine, O-A = oleic acid and LO-A = linoleic acid). They are presented as BaREF 5 (RE = Ce, Pr, Nd, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Y, Tm, Lu) and Ba 2 REF 7 (RE = La, Sm, Ho, Er, Yb). The influence of reaction parameters (rare earth species, hydrothermal system and temperature) is checked on the phase and shape evolution of the fluoride nanocrystals. It is found that reaction time and temperature of these nanocrystals using EDA (180 °C, 6 h) is lower than those of them using OA (220 °C, 10 h). The photoluminescence properties of these fluorides activated by some rare earth ions (Nd 3+ , Eu 3+ , Tb 3+ ) are studied, and especially up-conversion luminescence of the four fluoride nanocrystal systems (Ba 2 LaF 7 :Yb, Tm(Er), Ba 2 REF 7 :Yb, Tm(Er) (RE = Gd, Y, Lu)) is observed

A prospective 20-year longitudinal follow-up of dementia in persons with Down syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

McCarron, M; McCallion, P; Reilly, E; Dunne, P; Carroll, R; Mulryan, N

2017-09-01

To examine dementia characteristics, age at onset and associated co-morbidities in persons with Down syndrome. A total of 77 people with Down syndrome aged 35 years and older were followed up from 1996 to 2015. The diagnosis of dementia was established using the modified ICD 10 Criteria and a combination of objective and informant-based tests. Cognitive tests included the Test for Severe Impairment and the Down Syndrome Mental Status Examination; adaptive behaviour was measured using the Daily Living Skills Questionnaire, and data from the Dementia Questionnaire for People with Intellectual Disabilities have been available since 2005. Over the 20-year period, 97.4% (75 of 77) persons developed dementia with a mean age of dementia diagnosis of 55 years (SD = 7.1, median = 56 years). Clinical dementia was associated with cognitive and function decline and seizure activity. Risk for dementia increased from 23% in those aged 50 years to 80% in those aged 65 years and above. There were no differences by level of ID. The previously reported high risk levels for dementia among people with Down syndrome were confirmed in this data as was the relationship with late onset epilepsy. The value of the instruments utilised in tracking decline and helping to confirm diagnosis is further highlighted. © 2017 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Slope-scale dynamic states of rockfalls

Science.gov (United States)

Agliardi, F.; Crosta, G. B.

2009-04-01

Rockfalls are common earth surface phenomena characterised by complex dynamics at the slope scale, depending on local block kinematics and slope geometry. We investigated the nature of this slope-scale dynamics by parametric 3D numerical modelling of rockfalls over synthetic slopes with different inclination, roughness and spatial resolution. Simulations were performed through an original code specifically designed for rockfall modeling, incorporating kinematic and hybrid algorithms with different damping functions available to model local energy loss by impact and pure rolling. Modelling results in terms of average velocity profiles suggest that three dynamic regimes (i.e. decelerating, steady-state and accelerating), previously recognized in the literature through laboratory experiments on granular flows, can set up at the slope scale depending on slope average inclination and roughness. Sharp changes in rock fall kinematics, including motion type and lateral dispersion of trajectories, are associated to the transition among different regimes. Associated threshold conditions, portrayed in "phase diagrams" as slope-roughness critical lines, were analysed depending on block size, impact/rebound angles, velocity and energy, and model spatial resolution. Motion in regime B (i.e. steady state) is governed by a slope-scale "viscous friction" with average velocity linearly related to the sine of slope inclination. This suggest an analogy between rockfall motion in regime B and newtonian flow, whereas in regime C (i.e. accelerating) an analogy with a dilatant flow was observed. Thus, although local behavior of single falling blocks is well described by rigid body dynamics, the slope scale dynamics of rockfalls seem to statistically approach that of granular media. Possible outcomes of these findings include a discussion of the transition from rockfall to granular flow, the evaluation of the reliability of predictive models, and the implementation of criteria for a

Application for tracking down the state of the Macedonian power system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bozhikj, Jasmina; Stoshikj, Margarita; Daskalova, Vesna

2001-01-01

The National Dispatch Centre has implemented a new application for tracking down the state of the Macedonian electro energetic system. Also it possibilities that it offers. (Original)cation, as well as the solutions and hardware-software base of this new application, as well as the solutions and possibilities that it offers. (Original)

Top-down and bottom-up aspects of active search in a real-world environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Foulsham, Tom; Chapman, Craig; Nasiopoulos, Eleni; Kingstone, Alan

2014-03-01

Visual search has been studied intensively in the labouratory, but lab search often differs from search in the real world in many respects. Here, we used a mobile eye tracker to record the gaze of participants engaged in a realistic, active search task. Participants were asked to walk into a mailroom and locate a target mailbox among many similar mailboxes. This procedure allowed control of bottom-up cues (by making the target mailbox more salient; Experiment 1) and top-down instructions (by informing participants about the cue; Experiment 2). The bottom-up salience of the target had no effect on the overall time taken to search for the target, although the salient target was more likely to be fixated and found once it was within the central visual field. Top-down knowledge of target appearance had a larger effect, reducing the need for multiple head and body movements, and meaning that the target was fixated earlier and from further away. Although there remains much to be discovered in complex real-world search, this study demonstrates that principles from visual search in the labouratory influence gaze in natural behaviour, and provides a bridge between these labouratory studies and research examining vision in natural tasks.

Dynamic ErbB4 Activity in Hippocampal-Prefrontal Synchrony and Top-Down Attention in Rodents.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Zhibing; Robinson, Heath L; Yin, Dong-Min; Liu, Yu; Liu, Fang; Wang, Hongsheng; Lin, Thiri W; Xing, Guanglin; Gan, Lin; Xiong, Wen-Cheng; Mei, Lin

2018-04-18

Top-down attention is crucial for meaningful behaviors and impaired in various mental disorders. However, its underpinning regulatory mechanisms are poorly understood. We demonstrate that the hippocampal-prefrontal synchrony associates with levels of top-down attention. Both attention and synchrony are reduced in mutant mice of ErbB4, a receptor of neuregulin-1. We used chemical genetic and optogenetic approaches to inactivate ErbB4 kinase and ErbB4+ interneurons, respectively, both of which reduce gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) activity. Such inhibitions in the hippocampus impair both hippocampal-prefrontal synchrony and top-down attention, whereas those in the prefrontal cortex alter attention, but not synchrony. These observations identify a role of ErbB4-dependent GABA activity in the hippocampus in synchronizing the hippocampal-prefrontal pathway and demonstrate that acute, dynamic ErbB4 signaling is required to command top-down attention. Because both neuregulin-1 and ErbB4 are susceptibility genes of schizophrenia and major depression, our study contributes to a better understanding of these disorders. VIDEO ABSTRACT. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Merging Bottom-Up with Top-Down: Continuous Lamellar Networks and Block Copolymer Lithography

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Ian Patrick

Block copolymer lithography is an emerging nanopatterning technology with capabilities that may complement and eventually replace those provided by existing optical lithography techniques. This bottom-up process relies on the parallel self-assembly of macromolecules composed of covalently linked, chemically distinct blocks to generate periodic nanostructures. Among the myriad potential morphologies, lamellar structures formed by diblock copolymers with symmetric volume fractions have attracted the most interest as a patterning tool. When confined to thin films and directed to assemble with interfaces perpendicular to the substrate, two-dimensional domains are formed between the free surface and the substrate, and selective removal of a single block creates a nanostructured polymeric template. The substrate exposed between the polymeric features can subsequently be modified through standard top-down microfabrication processes to generate novel nanostructured materials. Despite tremendous progress in our understanding of block copolymer self-assembly, continuous two-dimensional materials have not yet been fabricated via this robust technique, which may enable nanostructured material combinations that cannot be fabricated through bottom-up methods. This thesis aims to study the effects of block copolymer composition and processing on the lamellar network morphology of polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) and utilize this knowledge to fabricate continuous two-dimensional materials through top-down methods. First, block copolymer composition was varied through homopolymer blending to explore the physical phenomena surrounding lamellar network continuity. After establishing a framework for tuning the continuity, the effects of various processing parameters were explored to engineer the network connectivity via defect annihilation processes. Precisely controlling the connectivity and continuity of lamellar networks through defect engineering and

Interacting trophic forcing and the population dynamics of herring

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindegren, Martin; Ostman, Orjan; Gardmark, Anna

2011-01-01

-up nor top-down, but rather through multiple external and internal drivers. While in many studies single drivers have been identified, potential synergies of multiple factors, as well as their relative importance in regulating population dynamics of small pelagic fish, is a largely unresolved issue....... Using a statistical, age-structured modeling approach, we demonstrate the relative importance and influence of bottom-up (e.g., climate, zooplankton availability) and top-down (i.e., fishing and predation) factors on the population dynamics of Bothnian Sea herring (Clupea harengus) throughout its life...... cycle. Our results indicate significant bottom-up effects of zooplankton and interspecific competition from sprat (Sprattus sprattus), particularly on younger age classes of herring. Although top-down forcing through fishing and predation by grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) and Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua...

Employment in Adults with Down Syndrome in the United States: Results from a National Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Kumin, Libby; Schoenbrodt, Lisa

2016-01-01

Background: There is no current data about employment/unemployment of adults with Down syndrome in the United States. The data that exists includes adults with Down syndrome as part of the larger group of people with disabilities or people with intellectual disability. Method: This study used a survey to investigate paid and volunteer employment,…

Excited-state molecular photoionization dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pratt, S.T.

1995-01-01

This review presents a survey of work using resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization and double-resonance techniques to study excited-state photoionization dynamics in molecules. These techniques routinely provide detail and precision that are difficult to achieve in single-photon ionization from the ground state. The review not only emphasizes new aspects of photoionization revealed in the excited-state experiments but also shows how the excited-state techniques can provide textbook illustrations of some fundamental mechanisms in molecular photoionization dynamics. Most of the examples are confined to diatomic molecules. (author)

Advances and trends of head-up and head-down display systems in automobiles

Science.gov (United States)

Betancur, J. Alejandro; Osorio-Gomez, Gilberto; Agudelo, J. David

2014-06-01

Currently, in the automotive industry the interaction between drivers and Augmented Reality (AR) systems is a subject of analysis, especially the identification of advantages and risks that this kind of interaction represents. Consequently, this paper attempts to put in evidence the potential applications of Head-Up (Display (HUD) and Head-Down Display (HDD) systems in automotive vehicles, showing applications and trends under study. In general, automotive advances related to AR devices suggest the partial integration of the HUD and HDD in automobiles; however, the right way to do it is still a moot point.

Density- and trait-mediated top-down effects modify bottom-up control of a highly endemic tropical aquatic food web

Science.gov (United States)

C. M. Dalton; A. Mokiao-Lee; T. S. Sakihara; M. G. Weber; C. A. Roco; Z. Han; B. Dudley; R. A. MacKenzie; N. G. Hairston Jr.

2013-01-01

Benthic invertebrates mediate bottom–up and top–down influences in aquatic food webs, and changes in the abundance or traits of invertebrates can alter the strength of top–down effects. Studies assessing the role of invertebrate abundance and behavior as controls on food web structure are rare at the whole ecosystem scale. Here we use a comparative approach to...

Opinion Dynamics on Networks with Inference of Unobservable States of Others

Science.gov (United States)

Fujie, Ryo

In most opinion formation models which have been proposed, the agents decide their states (i.e. opinions) by referring to the states of others. However, the referred states of others are not necessarily observable and may be inferred. To investigate the effect of an inference of the states of others on opinion dynamics, I propose an extended voter model on networks where observable and referable node sets are different. These sets for a node defined as the nearest to the mo-th neighbors for observable nodes and the nearest to the mr-th neighbors for referable nodes. The state of referable but unobservable node which is the m-th neighbor (mo pagerank'' is conserved. This conserved quantity coincides with the fixation probability. On the other hand, in the case of mo =mr = 1 , the model comes down to the standard voter model on networks and the conserved quantity is a degree-weighted superposition of the states. Thus, the introduction of the inference changes the important opinion spreaders from the high-degree nodes to the high-betweenness pagerank nodes. This work is supported by the Collaboration Research Program of IDEAS, Chubu University IDEAS2016233.

Age-Related Inter-region EEG Coupling Changes during the Control of Bottom-up and Top-down Attention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ling eLi

2015-12-01

Full Text Available We investigated age-related changes in electroencephalographic (EEG coupling of theta-, alpha-, and beta-frequency bands during bottom-up and top-down attention. Arrays were presented with either automatic pop-out (bottom-up or effortful search (top-down behavior to younger and older participants. The phase-locking value (PLV was used to estimate coupling strength between scalp recordings. Behavioral performance decreased with age, with a greater age-related decline in accuracy for the search than for the pop-out condition. Aging was associated with a declined coupling strength of theta and alpha frequency bands, with a greater age-related decline in whole-brain coupling values for the search than for the pop-out condition. Specifically, prefronto-frontal coupling in theta- and alpha-bands, fronto-parietal and parieto-occipital couplings in beta-band for younger group showed a right hemispheric dominance, which was reduced with aging to compensate for the inhibitory dysfunction. While pop-out target detection was mainly associated with greater parieto-occipital beta-coupling strength compared to search condition regardless of aging. Furthermore, prefronto-frontal coupling in theta-, alpha- and beta-bands, and parieto-occipital coupling in beta-band functioned as predictors of behavior for both groups. Taken together these findings provide evidence that prefronto-frontal coupling of theta-, alpha-, and beta-bands may serve as a possible basis of aging during visual attention, while parieto-occipital coupling in beta-band could serve for a bottom-up function and be vulnerable to top-down attention control for younger and older groups.

Spin and tunneling dynamics in an asymmetrical double quantum dot with spin-orbit coupling: Selective spin transport device

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Madhav K.; Jha, Pradeep K.; Bhattacherjee, Aranya B.

2017-09-01

In this article, we study the spin and tunneling dynamics as a function of magnetic field in a one-dimensional GaAs double quantum dot with both the Dresselhaus and Rashba spin-orbit coupling. In particular, we consider different spatial widths for the spin-up and spin-down electronic states. We find that the spin dynamics is a superposition of slow as well as fast Rabi oscillations. It is found that the Rashba interaction strength as well as the external magnetic field strongly modifies the slow Rabi oscillations which is particularly useful for implementing solid state selective spin transport device.

Controlled synthesis of organic single-crystalline nanowires via the synergy approach of the bottom-up/top-down processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhuo, Ming-Peng; Zhang, Ye-Xin; Li, Zhi-Zhou; Shi, Ying-Li; Wang, Xue-Dong; Liao, Liang-Sheng

2018-03-15

The controlled fabrication of organic single-crystalline nanowires (OSCNWs) with a uniform diameter in the nanoscale via the bottom-up approach, which is just based on weak intermolecular interaction, is a great challenge. Herein, we utilize the synergy approach of the bottom-up and the top-down processes to fabricate OSCNWs with diameters of 120 ± 10 nm through stepwise evolution processes. Specifically, the evolution processes vary from the self-assembled organic micro-rods with a quadrangular pyramid-like end-structure bounded with {111}s and {11-1}s crystal planes to the "top-down" synthesized organic micro-rods with the flat cross-sectional {002}s plane, to the organic micro-tubes with a wall thickness of ∼115 nm, and finally to the organic nanowires. Notably, the anisotropic etching process caused by the protic solvent molecules (such as ethanol) is crucial for the evolution of the morphology throughout the whole top-down process. Therefore, our demonstration opens a new avenue for the controlled-fabrication of organic nanowires, and also contributes to the development of nanowire-based organic optoelectronics such as organic nanowire lasers.

Internal currents in PEMFC during start-up or shut-down

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maranzana, G.; Lottin, O.; Moyne, C.; Dillet, J.; Lamibrac, A.; Mainka, J.; Didierjean, S. [Nancy Univ. - CNRS (France). LEMTA

2010-07-01

Experiments show that the internal currents that occur during PEMFC start-up can reach up to 1 Acm{sup -2}. This is far more important than the expected order of magnitude of the current densities associated with carbon oxidation, which is only of a few mAcm{sup -2}. The predominant phenomenon that explains the internal currents is the charge and discharge of the double layer capacitances. A simple model with constant values of the electric parameters yields numerical results close to the experimental ones. It also explains the transient voltage rise (over the steady state open circuit voltage) that is sometimes observed experimentally shortly after the fuel cell start up. (orig.)

Comparison of the top-down and bottom-up approach to fabricate nanowire-based Silicon/Germanium heterostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wolfsteller, A.; Geyer, N.; Nguyen-Duc, T.-K.; Das Kanungo, P.; Zakharov, N.D.; Reiche, M.; Erfurth, W.; Blumtritt, H.; Werner, P.; Goesele, U.

2010-01-01

Silicon nanowires (NWs) and vertical nanowire-based Si/Ge heterostructures are expected to be building blocks for future devices, e.g. field-effect transistors or thermoelectric elements. In principle two approaches can be applied to synthesise these NWs: the 'bottom-up' and the 'top-down' approach. The most common method for the former is the vapour-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism which can also be applied to grow NWs by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Although MBE allows a precise growth control under highly reproducible conditions, the general nature of the growth process via a eutectic droplet prevents the synthesis of heterostructures with sharp interfaces and high Ge concentrations. We compare the VLS NW growth with two different top-down methods: The first is a combination of colloidal lithography and metal-assisted wet chemical etching, which is an inexpensive and fast method and results in large arrays of homogenous Si NWs with adjustable diameters down to 50 nm. The second top-down method combines the growth of Si/Ge superlattices by MBE with electron beam lithography and reactive ion etching. Again, large and homogeneous arrays of NWs were created, this time with a diameter of 40 nm and the Si/Ge superlattice inside.

Visual anticipation biases conscious decision making but not bottom-up visual processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathews, Zenon; Cetnarski, Ryszard; Verschure, Paul F M J

2014-01-01

Prediction plays a key role in control of attention but it is not clear which aspects of prediction are most prominent in conscious experience. An evolving view on the brain is that it can be seen as a prediction machine that optimizes its ability to predict states of the world and the self through the top-down propagation of predictions and the bottom-up presentation of prediction errors. There are competing views though on whether prediction or prediction errors dominate the formation of conscious experience. Yet, the dynamic effects of prediction on perception, decision making and consciousness have been difficult to assess and to model. We propose a novel mathematical framework and a psychophysical paradigm that allows us to assess both the hierarchical structuring of perceptual consciousness, its content and the impact of predictions and/or errors on conscious experience, attention and decision-making. Using a displacement detection task combined with reverse correlation, we reveal signatures of the usage of prediction at three different levels of perceptual processing: bottom-up fast saccades, top-down driven slow saccades and consciousnes decisions. Our results suggest that the brain employs multiple parallel mechanism at different levels of perceptual processing in order to shape effective sensory consciousness within a predicted perceptual scene. We further observe that bottom-up sensory and top-down predictive processes can be dissociated through cognitive load. We propose a probabilistic data association model from dynamical systems theory to model the predictive multi-scale bias in perceptual processing that we observe and its role in the formation of conscious experience. We propose that these results support the hypothesis that consciousness provides a time-delayed description of a task that is used to prospectively optimize real time control structures, rather than being engaged in the real-time control of behavior itself.

Temperature regulation of marine heterotrophic prokaryotes increases latitudinally as a breach between bottom-up and top-down controls

KAUST Repository

Moran, Xose Anxelu G.

2017-04-19

Planktonic heterotrophic prokaryotes make up the largest living biomass and process most organic matter in the ocean. Determining when and where the biomass and activity of heterotrophic prokaryotes are controlled by resource availability (bottom-up), predation and viral lysis (top-down) or temperature will help in future carbon cycling predictions. We conducted an extensive survey across subtropical and tropical waters of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans during the Malaspina 2010 Global Circumnavigation Expedition and assessed indices for these three types of controls at 109 stations (mostly from the surface to 4000 m depth). Temperature control was approached by the apparent activation energy in eV (ranging from 0.46 to 3.41), bottom-up control by the slope of the log-log relationship between biomass and production rate (ranging from -0.12 to 1.09) and top-down control by an index that considers the relative abundances of heterotrophic nanoflagellates and viruses (ranging from 0.82 to 4.83). We conclude that temperature becomes dominant (i.e. activation energy >1.5 eV) within a narrow window of intermediate values of bottom-up (0.3-0.6) and top-down 0.8-1.2) controls. A pervasive latitudinal pattern of decreasing temperature regulation towards the Equator, regardless of the oceanic basin, suggests that the impact of global warming on marine microbes and their biogeochemical function will be more intense at higher latitudes. Our analysis predicts that 1°C ocean warming will result in increased biomass of heterotrophic prokaryoplankton only in waters with <26°C of mean annual surface temperature. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Simple rules describe bottom-up and top-down control in food webs with alternative energy pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Wollrab, Sabine; Diehl, Sebastian; De Roos, André M

2012-09-01

Many human influences on the world's ecosystems have their largest direct impacts at either the top or the bottom of the food web. To predict their ecosystem-wide consequences we must understand how these impacts propagate. A long-standing, but so far elusive, problem in this endeavour is how to reduce food web complexity to a mathematically tractable, but empirically relevant system. Simplification to main energy channels linking primary producers to top consumers has been recently advocated. Following this approach, we propose a general framework for the analysis of bottom-up and top-down forcing of ecosystems by reducing food webs to two energy pathways originating from a limiting resource shared by competing guilds of primary producers (e.g. edible vs. defended plants). Exploring dynamical models of such webs we find that their equilibrium responses to nutrient enrichment and top consumer harvesting are determined by only two easily measurable topological properties: the lengths of the component food chains (odd-odd, odd-even, or even-even) and presence vs. absence of a generalist top consumer reconnecting the two pathways (yielding looped vs. branched webs). Many results generalise to other looped or branched web structures and the model can be easily adapted to include a detrital pathway. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd/CNRS.

Glassy Dynamics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Henrik J.; Sibani, Paolo

2007-01-01

The term glassy dynamics is often used to refer to the extremely slow relaxation observed in several types of many component systems. The time span needed to reach a steady, time independent, state will typically be far beyond experimentally accessible time scales. When melted alloys are cooled...... down they typically do not enter a crystalline ordered state. Instead the atoms retain the amorphous arrangement characteristic of the liquid high temperature phase while the mobility of the molecules decreases very many orders of magnitude. This colossal change in the characteristic dynamical time...

State-to-state dynamics of molecular energy transfer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gentry, W.R.; Giese, C.F. [Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis (United States)

1993-12-01

The goal of this research program is to elucidate the elementary dynamical mechanisms of vibrational and rotational energy transfer between molecules, at a quantum-state resolved level of detail. Molecular beam techniques are used to isolate individual molecular collisions, and to control the kinetic energy of collision. Lasers are used both to prepare specific quantum states prior to collision by stimulated-emission pumping (SEP), and to measure the distribution of quantum states in the collision products by laser-induced fluorescence (LIF). The results are interpreted in terms of dynamical models, which may be cast in a classical, semiclassical or quantum mechanical framework, as appropriate.

Word encoding during sleep is suggested by correlations between word-evoked up-states and post-sleep semantic priming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simon eRuch

2014-11-01

Full Text Available To test whether humans can encode words during sleep we played everyday words to men while they were napping and assessed priming from sleep-played words following waking. Words were presented during non-rapid eye movement (NREM sleep. Priming was assessed using a semantic and a perceptual priming test. These tests measured differences in the processing of words that had been or had not been played during sleep. Synonyms to sleep-played words were the targets in the semantic priming test that tapped the meaning of sleep-played words. All men responded to sleep-played words by producing up-states in their electroencephalogram. Up-states are NREM sleep-specific phases of briefly increased neuronal excitability. The word-evoked up-states might have promoted word processing during sleep. Yet, the mean performance in the priming tests administered following sleep was at chance level, which suggests that participants as a group failed to show priming following sleep. However, performance in the two priming tests was positively correlated to each other and to the magnitude of the word-evoked up-states. Hence, the larger a participant’s word-evoked up-states, the larger his perceptual and semantic priming. Those participants who scored high on all variables must have encoded words during sleep. We conclude that some humans are able to encode words during sleep, but more research is needed to pin down the factors that modulate this ability.

Extended Lagrangian Excited State Molecular Dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Bjorgaard, J A; Sheppard, D; Tretiak, S; Niklasson, A M N

2018-02-13

An extended Lagrangian framework for excited state molecular dynamics (XL-ESMD) using time-dependent self-consistent field theory is proposed. The formulation is a generalization of the extended Lagrangian formulations for ground state Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics [Phys. Rev. Lett. 2008 100, 123004]. The theory is implemented, demonstrated, and evaluated using a time-dependent semiempirical model, though it should be generally applicable to ab initio theory. The simulations show enhanced energy stability and a significantly reduced computational cost associated with the iterative solutions of both the ground state and the electronically excited states. Relaxed convergence criteria can therefore be used both for the self-consistent ground state optimization and for the iterative subspace diagonalization of the random phase approximation matrix used to calculate the excited state transitions. The XL-ESMD approach is expected to enable numerically efficient excited state molecular dynamics for such methods as time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TD-HF), Configuration Interactions Singles (CIS), and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT).

Localization of one-photon state in space and Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox in spontaneous parametric down conversion

Science.gov (United States)

Penin, A. N.; Reutova, T. A.; Sergienko, A. V.

1992-01-01

An experiment on one-photon state localization in space using a correlation technique in Spontaneous Parametric Down Conversion (SPDC) process is discussed. Results of measurements demonstrate an idea of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) paradox for coordinate and momentum variables of photon states. Results of the experiment can be explained with the help of an advanced wave technique. The experiment is based on the idea that two-photon states of optical electromagnetic fields arising in the nonlinear process of the spontaneous parametric down conversion (spontaneous parametric light scattering) can be explained by quantum mechanical theory with the help of a single wave function.

Localization of one-photon state in space and Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox in Spontaneous Parametric Down Conversion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Penin, A.N.; Reutova, T.A.; Sergienko, A.V.

1992-01-01

An experiment on one-photon state localization in space using a correlation technique in Spontaneous Parametric Down Conversion (SPDC) process is discussed. Results of measurements demonstrate an idea of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) paradox for coordinate and momentum variables of photon states. Results of the experiment can be explained with the help of an advanced wave technique. The experiment is based on the idea that two-photon states of optical electromagnetic fields arising in the nonlinear process of the spontaneous parametric down conversion (spontaneous parametric light scattering) can be explained by quantum mechanical theory with the help of a single wave function

Top-down versus bottom-up processing of influence diagrams in probabilistic analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Timmerman, R.D.; Burns, T.J.; Dodds, H.L. Jr.

1986-01-01

Recent work by Phillips et al and Selby et al has shown that influence diagram methodology can be a useful analytical tool in reactor safety studies. In some instances, an influence diagram can be used as a graphical representation of probabilistic dependence within a system or event sequence. Under these circumstances, Bayesian statistics is employed to transform the relationships depicted in the influence diagram into the correct expression for a desired marginal probability (e.g., the top node). In the references cited above, the authors demonstrated the usefulness of influence diagrams for assessing the reliability of operator performance during pressurized thermal shock transients. In addition, the use of influence diagrams identified the critical variables that had the greatest impact on operator reliability for a particular scenario (e.g., control room design, procedures, etc.). Top-down and bottom-up algorithms have emerged as the dominant methods for quantifying influence diagrams. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate a potential error in employing the bottom-up algorithm when dealing with interdependencies

Integrated Bottom-Up and Top-Down Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry for Characterization of Recombinant Human Growth Hormone Degradation Products.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yu Annie; Wu, Di; Auclair, Jared R; Salisbury, Joseph P; Sarin, Richa; Tang, Yang; Mozdzierz, Nicholas J; Shah, Kartik; Zhang, Anna Fan; Wu, Shiaw-Lin; Agar, Jeffery N; Love, J Christopher; Love, Kerry R; Hancock, William S

2017-12-05

With the advent of biosimilars to the U.S. market, it is important to have better analytical tools to ensure product quality from batch to batch. In addition, the recent popularity of using a continuous process for production of biopharmaceuticals, the traditional bottom-up method, alone for product characterization and quality analysis is no longer sufficient. Bottom-up method requires large amounts of material for analysis and is labor-intensive and time-consuming. Additionally, in this analysis, digestion of the protein with enzymes such as trypsin could induce artifacts and modifications which would increase the complexity of the analysis. On the other hand, a top-down method requires a minimum amount of sample and allows for analysis of the intact protein mass and sequence generated from fragmentation within the instrument. However, fragmentation usually occurs at the N-terminal and C-terminal ends of the protein with less internal fragmentation. Herein, we combine the use of the complementary techniques, a top-down and bottom-up method, for the characterization of human growth hormone degradation products. Notably, our approach required small amounts of sample, which is a requirement due to the sample constraints of small scale manufacturing. Using this approach, we were able to characterize various protein variants, including post-translational modifications such as oxidation and deamidation, residual leader sequence, and proteolytic cleavage. Thus, we were able to highlight the complementarity of top-down and bottom-up approaches, which achieved the characterization of a wide range of product variants in samples of human growth hormone secreted from Pichia pastoris.

Computational fluid dynamics analysis of an innovative start-up method of high temperature fuel cells using dynamic 3d model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kupecki Jakub

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The article presents a numerical analysis of an innovative method for starting systems based on high temperature fuel cells. The possibility of preheating the fuel cell stacks from the cold state to the nominal working conditions encounters several limitations related to heat transfer and stability of materials. The lack of rapid and safe start-up methods limits the proliferation of MCFCs and SOFCs. For that reason, an innovative method was developed and verified using the numerical analysis presented in the paper. A dynamic 3D model was developed that enables thermo-fluidic investigations and determination of measures for shortening the preheating time of the high temperature fuel cell stacks. The model was implemented in ANSYS Fluent computational fluid dynamic (CFD software and was used for verification of the proposed start-up method. The SOFC was chosen as a reference fuel cell technology for the study. Results obtained from the study are presented and discussed.

The landscape of fear: The missing link to understand top-down and bottom-up controls of prey abundance?

Science.gov (United States)

Identifying factors that may be responsible for affecting and possibly regulating the size of animal populations is a cornerstone in understanding population ecology. The main factors that are thought to influence population size are either resources (bottom-up), predation, (top-down), or interspec...

Scaling up liquid state machines to predict over address events from dynamic vision sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaiser, Jacques; Stal, Rainer; Subramoney, Anand; Roennau, Arne; Dillmann, Rüdiger

2017-09-01

Short-term visual prediction is important both in biology and robotics. It allows us to anticipate upcoming states of the environment and therefore plan more efficiently. In theoretical neuroscience, liquid state machines have been proposed as a biologically inspired method to perform asynchronous prediction without a model. However, they have so far only been demonstrated in simulation or small scale pre-processed camera images. In this paper, we use a liquid state machine to predict over the whole  [Formula: see text]  event stream provided by a real dynamic vision sensor (DVS, or silicon retina). Thanks to the event-based nature of the DVS, the liquid is constantly fed with data when an object is in motion, fully embracing the asynchronicity of spiking neural networks. We propose a smooth continuous representation of the event stream for the short-term visual prediction task. Moreover, compared to previous works (2002 Neural Comput. 2525 282-93 and Burgsteiner H et al 2007 Appl. Intell. 26 99-109), we scale the input dimensionality that the liquid operates on by two order of magnitudes. We also expose the current limits of our method by running experiments in a challenging environment where multiple objects are in motion. This paper is a step towards integrating biologically inspired algorithms derived in theoretical neuroscience to real world robotic setups. We believe that liquid state machines could complement current prediction algorithms used in robotics, especially when dealing with asynchronous sensors.

The temporal dynamics of speeded decision making

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dutilh, G.

2012-01-01

This dissertation sheds light on the temporal dynamics of behavior in speeded decision making. Participants on reaction time (RT) tasks learn, get distracted, speed up, slow down, get confused, get bored, and eventually may start guessing. One can safely say that participants' behavior is dynamic.

Development of Data Acquisition Set-up for Steady-state Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Srivastava, Amit K.; Gupta, Arnab D.; Sunil, S.; Khan, Ziauddin

2017-04-01

For short duration experiments, generally digitized data is transferred for processing and storage after the experiment whereas in case of steady-state experiment the data is acquired, processed, displayed and stored continuously in pipelined manner. This requires acquiring data through special techniques for storage and on-the-go viewing data to display the current data trends for various physical parameters. A small data acquisition set-up is developed for continuously acquiring signals from various physical parameters at different sampling rate for long duration experiment. This includes the hardware set-up for signal digitization, Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) based timing system for clock synchronization and event/trigger distribution, time slicing of data streams for storage of data chunks to enable viewing of data during acquisition and channel profile display through down sampling etc. In order to store a long data stream of indefinite/long time duration, the data stream is divided into data slices/chunks of user defined time duration. Data chunks avoid the problem of non-access of server data until the channel data file is closed at the end of the long duration experiment. A graphical user interface has been developed in Lab VIEW application development environment for configuring the data acquisition hardware and storing data chunks on local machine as well as at remote data server through Python for further data access. The data plotting and analysis utilities have been developed with Python software, which provides tools for further data processing. This paper describes the development and implementation of data acquisition for steady-state experiment.

Mixing and solid suspension of up-down agitators in a slab tank

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramsey, C.J.

1989-01-01

Seven different up-down agitators were studied for their ability to produce mixing and solid suspension in a slab tank. Mixing times were measured as the time needed to disperse injected dye. The solid suspension studies determined the minimum stroke frequency of the agitators needed for complete off-bottom suspension. The effects of stroke frequency, n; amplitude, a; blade width, w; blade clearance, c; and liquid depth, h, and weight percent solids, X, were studied. The most effective geometry, in terms of mixing, solid suspension and design simplicity, was a single flat blade with minimum off-bottom clearance and a blade width/tank thickness ratio, w/T, of 0.74 at the maximum stroke amplitude studied. 15 refs., 7 figs

Top down and bottom up selection drives variations in frequency and form of a visual signal.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeh, Chien-Wei; Blamires, Sean J; Liao, Chen-Pan; Tso, I-Min

2015-03-30

The frequency and form of visual signals can be shaped by selection from predators, prey or both. When a signal simultaneously attracts predators and prey selection may favour a strategy that minimizes risks while attracting prey. Accordingly, varying the frequency and form of the silken decorations added to their web may be a way that Argiope spiders minimize predation while attracting prey. Nonetheless, the role of extraneous factors renders the influences of top down and bottom up selection on decoration frequency and form variation difficult to discern. Here we used dummy spiders and decorations to simulate four possible strategies that the spider Argiope aemula may choose and measured the prey and predator attraction consequences for each in the field. The strategy of decorating at a high frequency with a variable form attracted the most prey, while that of decorating at a high frequency with a fixed form attracted the most predators. These results suggest that mitigating the cost of attracting predators while maintaining prey attraction drives the use of variation in decoration form by many Argiope spp. when decorating frequently. Our study highlights the importance of considering top-down and bottom up selection pressure when devising evolutionary ecology experiments.

Microwave amplification based on quasiparticle SIS up and down frequency converters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Kojima

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Heterodyne instruments have recently attained quantum-limited low-noise performance, particularly in radio astronomy, but it is difficult to develop large heterodyne arrays such as a modern radio camera using cryogenic sensitive detectors based on microwave kinetic inductance detectors, transition edge sensors, etc. In the realization of the heterodyne array, the reduction of power dissipation for semiconductor-based amplifiers remains a major challenge. Alternatively, superconducting parametric amplifiers still seem to have several barriers to application, especially in terms of operating temperature. Here, we show a novel concept of microwave amplification based on up and down frequency-conversion processes using quasiparticle superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS tunnel junctions. We demonstrate positive gain using a proof-of-concept test module, which operates with a power dissipation of several μW at a bath temperature of 4 K. The performance of the module suggests great potential for application in large arrays.

Wake states and forces associated with a cylinder rolling down an incline under gravity

Science.gov (United States)

Houdroge, Farah Yasmina; Thompson, Mark; Hourigan, Kerry; Leweke, Thomas

2014-11-01

The flow around a cylinder rolling along a wall at a constant velocity was recently investigated by Stewart et al. (JFM, 643, 648, 2010). They showed that the wake structure varies greatly as the Reynolds number was increased, and that the presence of the wall as well as the imposed motion of the body have a strong influence on the dominant wake structure and the wake transitions when the body is placed in free stream. In this work, attention is given to the flow dynamics and the fluid forces associated with a cylinder rolling down an incline under the influence of gravity. Increasing the inclination angle or the Reynolds number is shown to destabilize the wake flow. For a body close to neutrally buoyancy, the formation and shedding of vortices in its wake result in fluctuating forces and a final kinematic state in which the body's velocity is not constant. The non-dimensionalization of the main equations allows us to determine the essential parameters that govern the problem's dynamics. Furthermore, through numerical simulations we analyse in more detail the time-dependant fluid forces and the different structures of the wake in order to gain a better understanding of the physical mechanisms behind the motions of the fluid and the body. This research was supported by an Australian Research Council Discovery Project Grant DP130100822. We also acknowledge computing time support through National Computing Infrastructure projects D71 and N67.

The Ups and Downs of Repeated Cleavage and Internal Fragment Production in Top-Down Proteomics

Science.gov (United States)

Lyon, Yana A.; Riggs, Dylan; Fornelli, Luca; Compton, Philip D.; Julian, Ryan R.

2018-01-01

Analysis of whole proteins by mass spectrometry, or top-down proteomics, has several advantages over methods relying on proteolysis. For example, proteoforms can be unambiguously identified and examined. However, from a gas-phase ion-chemistry perspective, proteins are enormous molecules that present novel challenges relative to peptide analysis. Herein, the statistics of cleaving the peptide backbone multiple times are examined to evaluate the inherent propensity for generating internal versus terminal ions. The raw statistics reveal an inherent bias favoring production of terminal ions, which holds true regardless of protein size. Importantly, even if the full suite of internal ions is generated by statistical dissociation, terminal ions are predicted to account for at least 50% of the total ion current, regardless of protein size, if there are three backbone dissociations or fewer. Top-down analysis should therefore be a viable approach for examining proteins of significant size. Comparison of the purely statistical analysis with actual top-down data derived from ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) and higher-energy collisional dissociation (HCD) reveals that terminal ions account for much of the total ion current in both experiments. Terminal ion production is more favored in UVPD relative to HCD, which is likely due to differences in the mechanisms controlling fragmentation. Importantly, internal ions are not found to dominate from either the theoretical or experimental point of view. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

A general solution for the dynamics of a generalized non-degenerate optical parametric down-conversion interaction by virtue of the Lewis-Riesenfeld invariant theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Jiangfan; Jiang Zongfu; Xiao Fuliang; Huang Chunjia

2005-01-01

The dynamics of a generalized non-degenerate optical parametric down-conversion interaction whose Hamiltonian includes an arbitrary time-dependent driving part and a two-mode coupled part is studied by adopting the Lewis-Riesenfeld invariant theory. The closed formulae for the evolution of the quantum states and the evolution operators of the system are obtained. It is shown that various generalized squeezed states arise naturally in the process, and the two-mode squeezed effect is independent of the driving part. An explicitly analytical solution of the Schroedinger equation is further derived as the classical generalized force acting on each mode and the coupling of the two modes both have harmonic time dependences. This solution is found to be in agreement with previous research in special cases

Combined up conversion, down conversion and down shifting photo-luminescence of low cost erbium-ytterbium co-doped porous silicon produced by stain etching

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diaz-Herrera, B. [Departamento de Fisica Basica, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofisico Francisco Sanchez, 2, 38206 La Laguna, S/C de Tenerife (Spain); Linsun Power Technology (Quanzhou) Corp. Ltd. Co., Economic Development Zone, Jinjiang 362200, Fujian (China); Jimenez-Rodriguez, E. [Departamento de Fisica Basica, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofisico Francisco Sanchez, 2, 38206 La Laguna, S/C de Tenerife (Spain); Gonzalez-Diaz, B. [Departamento de Fisica Basica, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofisico Francisco Sanchez, 2, 38206 La Laguna, S/C de Tenerife (Spain); Instituto Tecnologico y de Energias Renovables, S.A. (ITER), Poligono Industrial de Granadilla, S/N, E38600, Granadilla de Abona (Spain); Montesdeoca-Santana, A. [Departamento de Fisica Basica, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofisico Francisco Sanchez, 2, 38206 La Laguna, S/C de Tenerife (Spain); Velazquez, J.J. [Departamento de Fisica Fundamental y Experimental, Electronica y Sistemas, Avenida Astrofisico Francisco Sanchez, 2, 38206 La Laguna, S/C de Tenerife (Spain); Guerrero-Lemus, R., E-mail: rglemus@ull.es [Departamento de Fisica Basica, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofisico Francisco Sanchez, 2, 38206 La Laguna, S/C de Tenerife (Spain); Fundacion de Estudios de Economia Aplicada, Programa Focus-Abengoa de Energia y Cambio Climaticoi, Jorge Juan 46, 28001 Madrid (Spain)

2011-07-01

In this work, erbium and ytterbium have been incorporated into luminescent porous silicon (PS) layers by simple impregnation of the PS substrate with a saturated nitrate solution of erbium and ytterbium. The photoluminescence of the co-doped rare earth layers have been evaluated. The doping process has been designed for its potential in silicon-based solar cell production, with the aim to improve the Shockley-Queisser limit with a reasonable cost effective method for the industry, which implies a significant enhancement of the efficiency under non-concentrated sunlight irradiation. The temperature and annealing time of the doping process were selected according to industry standards in order to ease a trial adoption. The composition was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy in order to characterize the doping profile. Different up-conversion and down-conversion contributions from the rare earths in the visible and IR were detected, together with the down shifting effect of the stain etched PS. There is no evidence of energy transference between the PS matrix and the rare earths.

Combined up conversion, down conversion and down shifting photo-luminescence of low cost erbium-ytterbium co-doped porous silicon produced by stain etching

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz-Herrera, B.; Jimenez-Rodriguez, E.; Gonzalez-Diaz, B.; Montesdeoca-Santana, A.; Velazquez, J.J.; Guerrero-Lemus, R.

2011-01-01

In this work, erbium and ytterbium have been incorporated into luminescent porous silicon (PS) layers by simple impregnation of the PS substrate with a saturated nitrate solution of erbium and ytterbium. The photoluminescence of the co-doped rare earth layers have been evaluated. The doping process has been designed for its potential in silicon-based solar cell production, with the aim to improve the Shockley-Queisser limit with a reasonable cost effective method for the industry, which implies a significant enhancement of the efficiency under non-concentrated sunlight irradiation. The temperature and annealing time of the doping process were selected according to industry standards in order to ease a trial adoption. The composition was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy in order to characterize the doping profile. Different up-conversion and down-conversion contributions from the rare earths in the visible and IR were detected, together with the down shifting effect of the stain etched PS. There is no evidence of energy transference between the PS matrix and the rare earths.

Bottom-up effects on biomass versus top-down effects on identity: a multiple-lake fish community manipulation experiment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lemmens, P.; Declerck, S.A.J.; Tuytens, K.; Vanderstukken, M.; De Meester, L.

2018-01-01

The extent to which ecosystems are regulated by top-down relative to bottom-up control has been a dominant paradigm in ecology for many decades. For lakes, it has been shown that predation by fish is an important determinant of variation in zooplankton and phytoplankton community characteristics.

Venom Proteomics of Indonesian King Cobra, Ophiophagus hannah: Integrating Top-Down and Bottom-Up Approaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Petras, Daniel; Heiss, Paul; Süssmuth, Roderich D; Calvete, Juan J

2015-06-05

We report on the first application of top-down mass spectrometry in snake venomics. De novo sequence tags generated by, and ProSight Lite supported analysis of, combined collisional based dissotiations (CID and HCD) recorded in a hybrid LTQ Orbitrap instrument in data-dependent mode identified a number of proteins from different toxin families, namely, 11 three-finger toxins (7-7.9 kDa), a Kunitz-type inhibitor (6.3 kDa), ohanin (11.9 kDa), a novel phospholipase A2 molecule (13.8 kDa), and the cysteine-rich secretory protein (CRISP) ophanin (25 kDa) from Indonesian king cobra venom. Complementary bottom-up MS/MS analyses contributed to the completion of a locus-resolved venom phenotypic map for Ophiophagus hannah, the world's longest venomous snake and a species of medical concern across its wide distribution range in forests from India to Southeast Asia. Its venom composition, comprising 32-35 proteins/peptides from 10 protein families, is dominated by α-neurotoxins and convincingly explains the main neurotoxic effects of human envenoming caused by king cobra bite. The integration of efficient chromatographic separation of the venom's components and locus-resolved toxin identification through top-down and bottom-up MS/MS-based species-specific database searching and de novo sequencing holds promise that the future will be bright for the field of venom research.

Step-down versus outpatient psychotherapeutic treatment for personality disorders: 6-year follow-up of the Ullevål personality project

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Although psychotherapy is considered the treatment of choice for patients with personality disorders (PDs), there is no consensus about the optimal level of care for this group of patients. This study reports the results from the 6-year follow-up of the Ullevål Personality Project (UPP), a randomized clinical trial comparing outpatient individual psychotherapy with a long-term step-down treatment program that included a short-term day hospital treatment followed by combined group and individual psychotherapy. Methods The UPP included 113 patients with PDs. Outcome was evaluated after 8 months, 18 months, 3 years and 6 years and was based on a wide range of clinical measures, such as psychosocial functioning, interpersonal problems, symptom severity, and axis I and II diagnoses. Results At the 6-year follow-up, there were no statistically significant differences in outcome between the treatment groups. Effect sizes ranged from medium to large for all outcome variables in both treatment arms. However, patients in the outpatient group had a marked decline in psychosocial functioning during the period between the 3- and 6-year follow-ups; while psychosocial functioning continued to improve in the step-down group during the same period. This difference between groups was statistically significant. Conclusions The findings suggest that both hospital-based long-term step-down treatment and long-term outpatient individual psychotherapy may improve symptoms and psychosocial functioning in poorly functioning PD patients. Social and interpersonal functioning continued to improve in the step-down group during the post-treatment phase, indicating that longer-term changes were stimulated during treatment. Trial registration NCT00378248. PMID:24758722

A comparison of top-down and bottom-up approaches to benthic habitat mapping to inform offshore wind energy development

Science.gov (United States)

LaFrance, Monique; King, John W.; Oakley, Bryan A.; Pratt, Sheldon

2014-07-01

Recent interest in offshore renewable energy within the United States has amplified the need for marine spatial planning to direct management strategies and address competing user demands. To assist this effort in Rhode Island, benthic habitat classification maps were developed for two sites in offshore waters being considered for wind turbine installation. Maps characterizing and representing the distribution and extent of benthic habitats are valuable tools for improving understanding of ecosystem patterns and processes, and promoting scientifically-sound management decisions. This project presented the opportunity to conduct a comparison of the methodologies and resulting map outputs of two classification approaches, “top-down” and “bottom-up” in the two study areas. This comparison was undertaken to improve understanding of mapping methodologies and their applicability, including the bottom-up approach in offshore environments where data density tends to be lower, as well as to provide case studies for scientists and managers to consider for their own areas of interest. Such case studies can offer guidance for future work for assessing methodologies and translating them to other areas. The traditional top-down mapping approach identifies biological community patterns based on communities occurring within geologically defined habitat map units, under the concept that geologic environments contain distinct biological assemblages. Alternatively, the bottom-up approach aims to establish habitat map units centered on biological similarity and then uses statistics to identify relationships with associated environmental parameters and determine habitat boundaries. When applied to the two study areas, both mapping approaches produced habitat classes with distinct macrofaunal assemblages and each established statistically strong and significant biotic-abiotic relationships with geologic features, sediment characteristics, water depth, and/or habitat

Heterobimetallic porphyrin complexes displaying triple dynamics: coupled metal motions controlled by constitutional evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Gac, Stéphane; Fusaro, Luca; Roisnel, Thierry; Boitrel, Bernard

2014-05-07

A bis-strap porphyrin ligand (1), with an overhanging carboxylic acid group on each side of the macrocycle, has been investigated toward the formation of dynamic libraries of bimetallic complexes with Hg(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II). Highly heteroselective metalation processes occurred in the presence of Pb(II), with Hg(II) or Cd(II) bound out-of-plane to the N-core and "PbOAc" bound to a carboxylate group of a strap on the opposite side. The resulting complexes, 1(Hg)·PbOAc and 1(Cd)·PbOAc, display three levels of dynamics. The first is strap-level (interactional dynamics), where the PbOAc moiety swings between the left and right side of the strap owing to a second sphere of coordination with lateral amide functions. The second is ligand-level (motional dynamics), where 1(Hg)·PbOAc and 1(Cd)·PbOAc exist as two degenerate states in equilibrium controlled by a chemical effector (AcO(-)). The process corresponds to a double translocation of the metal ions according to an intramolecular migration of Hg(II) or Cd(II) through the N-core, oscillating between the two equivalent overhanging carbonyl groups, coupled to an intermolecular pathway for PbOAc exchanging between the two equivalent overhanging carboxylate groups (N-core(up) ⇆ N-core(down) coupled to strap(down) ⇆ strap(up), i.e., coupled motion #1 in the abstract graphic). The third is library-level (constitutional dynamics), where a dynamic constitutional evolution of the system was achieved by the successive addition of two chemical effectors (DMAP and then AcO(-)). It allowed shifting equilibrium forward and backward between 1(Hg)·PbOAc and the corresponding homobimetallic complexes 1(Hg2)·DMAP and 1(Pb)·PbOAc. The latter displays a different ligand-level dynamics, in the form of an intraligand coupled migration of the Pb(II) ions (N-core(up) ⇆ strap(up) coupled to strap(down) ⇆ N-core(down), i.e., coupled motion #2 in the abstract graphic). In addition, the neutral "bridged" complexes 1HgPb and 1Cd

Sugarcane molasses-based bio-ethanol wastewater treatment by two-phase multi-staged up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) combination with up-flow UASB and down-flow hanging sponge.

Science.gov (United States)

Choeisai, P; Jitkam, N; Silapanoraset, K; Yubolsai, C; Yoochatchaval, W; Yamaguchi, T; Onodera, T; Syutsubo, K

2014-01-01

This study was designed to evaluate a treatment system for high strength wastewater (vinasse) from a sugarcane molasses-based bio-ethanol plant in Thailand. A laboratory-scale two-phase treatment system composed of a sulfate reducing (SR) tank and multi-staged up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (MS-UASB) reactor was used as the pre-treatment unit. Conventional UASB and down-flow hanging sponge (DHS) reactors were used as the post-treatment unit. The treatment system was operated for 300 days under ambient temperature conditions (24.6-29.6 °C). The hydraulic retention time (HRT) in each unit was kept at 25 h for the two-phase system and 23 h for the UASB&DHS. The influent concentration was allowed to reach up to 15,000 mg chemical oxygen demand (COD)/L. COD removal efficiency (based on influent COD) of the two-phase MS-UASB and the UASB&DHS was 54.9 and 18.7%, respectively. Due to the effective removal of sulfide in the SR tank, the MS-UASB achieved a high methane conversion ratio of up to 97%. In DHS, nitrification occurred at the outside portion of the sponge media while denitrification occurred at the inside. Consequently, 27% of the total nitrogen (TN) was removed. An amount of 32% of residual nitrogen (28 mgN/L) was in the form of nitrate, a better nitrogen state for fertilizer.

The case for refining bottom-up methane emission inventories using top-down measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Bryce F. J.; Iverach, Charlotte P.; Ginty, Elisa; Bashir, Safdar; Lowry, Dave; Fisher, Rebecca E.; France, James L.; Nisbet, Euan G.

2017-04-01

Bottom-up global methane emission estimates are important for guiding policy development and mitigation strategies. Such inventories enable rapid and consistent proportioning of emissions by industrial sectors and land use at various scales from city to country to global. There has been limited use of top-down measurements to guide refining emission inventories. Here we compare the EDGAR gridmap data version 4.2 with over 5000 km of daytime ground level mobile atmospheric methane surveys in eastern Australia. The landscapes and industries surveyed include: urban environments, dryland farming, intensive livestock farming (both beef and lamb), irrigation agriculture, open cut and underground coal mining, and coal seam gas production. Daytime mobile methane surveys over a 2-year period show that at the landscape scale there is a high level of repeatability for the mole fraction of methane measured in the ground level atmosphere. Such consistency in the mole fraction of methane indicates that these data can be used as a proxy for flux. A scatter plot of the EDGAR emission gridmap Log[ton substance / 0.1 degree x 0.1 degree / year] versus the median mole fraction of methane / 0.1 degree x 0.1 degree in the ground level atmosphere highlights that the extent of elevated methane emissions associated with coal mining in the Hunter coalfields, which covers an area of 56 km by 24 km, has been under-represented in the EDGAR input data. Our results also show that methane emissions from country towns (population poor information on the extent of urban gas leaks. Given the uncertainties associated with the base land use and industry data for each country, we generalise the Australian observations to the global inventory with caution. The extensive comparison of top-down measurements versus the EDGAR version 4.2 methane gridmaps highlights the need for adjustments to the base resource data and/or the emission factors applied for coal mining, especially emissions from underground

Dynamic Portfolio Optimization with Transaction Costs and State-Dependent Drift

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Palczewski, Jan; Poulsen, Rolf; Schenk-Hoppe, Klaus Reiner

2015-01-01

The problem of dynamic portfolio choice with transaction costs is often addressed by constructing a Markov Chain approximation of the continuous time price processes. Using this approximation, we present an efficient numerical method to determine optimal portfolio strategies under time- and state......-dependent drift and proportional transaction costs. This scenario arises when investors have behavioral biases or the actual drift is unknown and needs to be estimated. Our numerical method solves dynamic optimal portfolio problems with an exponential utility function for time-horizons of up to 40 years....... It is applied to measure the value of information and the loss from transaction costs using the indifference principle....

Down woody materials as an indicator of wildlife habitat, fuels, and carbon stocks of the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Christopher W. Woodall

2007-01-01

Why Are Down Woody Materials Important? The down woody materials (DWM) indicator is used to estimate the quantity of deadorganic material (resulting from plant mortality and leaf turnover) in forest ecosystems of the United States. The DWM indicator, coupled with other components of the enhanced Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program, can indicate the...

Abundance and size structure of planktonic protist communities in a Neotropical floodplain: effects of top-down and bottom-up controls

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bianca Ramos de Meira

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract: Aim: We aimed to assess the influence of bottom-up and top-down control mechanisms on the abundance and size structure of protist communities (heterotrophic flagellates and ciliates. We formulated the following hypothesis: bottom-up control mechanisms, related to the availability of resources in the environment, are responsible for structuring the abundance of these communities, whereas top-down control mechanisms, related to predation effects, determine the size pattern of these organisms. Methods Samples for planktonic organisms were taken in 20 shallow lakes belonging to the upper Paraná River floodplain. We evaluated linear regression models to select the best model which predicts the patterns observed according to Akaike Information Criterion. Results The best models selected to explain the abundance of heterotrophic flagellates included negative relations with picophytoplankton abundance and positive with rotifers abundance, while for their size structure, negative relationships were found with heterotrophic bacteria, ciliates and rotifers biovolumes. In relation to the ciliates, their abundances were positively related to the rotifers and picophytoplankton abundances and negatively with the heterotrophic bacteria abundance. On the other hand, for the size structure, the best models selected strong negative relations with the microcrustaceans biovolumes, in addition to relations with the different fractions of the phytoplankton. Conclusion For both flagellates and ciliates, their abundance is being mainly regulated by a bottom up control mechanism, whereas for the size structure the results showed that both food resources and predators were important, indicating that bottom-up and top-down mechanisms act simultaneously in determining the size of these microorganisms.

Automatic detection of lift-off and touch-down of a pick-up walker using 3D kinematics.

Science.gov (United States)

Grootveld, L; Thies, S B; Ogden, D; Howard, D; Kenney, L P J

2014-02-01

Walking aids have been associated with falls and it is believed that incorrect use limits their usefulness. Measures are therefore needed that characterize their stable use and the classification of key events in walking aid movement is the first step in their development. This study presents an automated algorithm for detection of lift-off (LO) and touch-down (TD) events of a pick-up walker. For algorithm design and initial testing, a single user performed trials for which the four individual walker feet lifted off the ground and touched down again in various sequences, and for different amounts of frame loading (Dataset_1). For further validation, ten healthy young subjects walked with the pick-up walker on flat ground (Dataset_2a) and on a narrow beam (Dataset_2b), to challenge balance. One 88-year-old walking frame user was also assessed. Kinematic data were collected with a 3D optoelectronic camera system. The algorithm detected over 93% of events (Dataset_1), and 95% and 92% in Dataset_2a and b, respectively. Of the various LO/TD sequences, those associated with natural progression resulted in up to 100% correctly identified events. For the 88-year-old walking frame user, 96% of LO events and 93% of TD events were detected, demonstrating the potential of the approach. Copyright © 2013 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pondering Motivational Ups and Downs throughout a Two-Month Period: A Complex Dynamic System Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Lasagabaster, David

2017-01-01

This paper describes a two-month longitudinal study in which five secondary education students learning English as a foreign language at school will be interviewed in order to analyse how their motivation varies during this period and what variables affect their motivational changes. The emphasis will thus be on motivation's dynamicity and…

How to measure top-down vs. bottom-up effects: A new population metric and its calibration on Daphnia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Polishchuk, L.; Vijverberg, J.; Voronov, D.A.; Mooij, W.M.

2013-01-01

Research on the role of top–down (predation) and bottom–up (food) effects in food webs has led to the understanding that the variability of these effects in space and time is a fundamental feature of natural systems. Consequently, our measurement tools must allow us to evaluate the effects from a

Bottom-up nutrient and top-down fish impacts on insect-mediated mercury flux from aquatic ecosystems.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Taylor A; Chumchal, Matthew M; Drenner, Ray W; Timmins, Gabrielle N; Nowlin, Weston H

2013-03-01

Methyl mercury (MeHg) is one of the most hazardous contaminants in the environment, adversely affecting the health of wildlife and humans. Recent studies have demonstrated that aquatic insects biotransport MeHg and other contaminants to terrestrial consumers, but the factors that regulate the flux of MeHg out of aquatic ecosystems via emergent insects have not been studied. The authors used experimental mesocosms to test the hypothesis that insect emergence and the associated flux of MeHg from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems is affected by both bottom-up nutrient effects and top-down fish consumer effects. In the present study, nutrient addition led to an increase in MeHg flux primarily by enhancing the biomass of emerging insects whose tissues were contaminated with MeHg, whereas fish decreased MeHg flux primarily by reducing the biomass of emerging insects. Furthermore, the authors found that these factors are interdependent such that the effects of nutrients are more pronounced when fish are absent, and the effects of fish are more pronounced when nutrient concentrations are high. The present study is the first to demonstrate that the flux of MeHg from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems is strongly enhanced by bottom-up nutrient effects and diminished by top-down consumer effects. Copyright © 2012 SETAC.

Dual-Functional Superhydrophobic Textiles with Asymmetric Roll-Down/Pinned States for Water Droplet Transportation and Oil-Water Separation.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Xiaojing; Li, Hongqiang; Lai, Xuejun; Zhang, Lin; Liao, Xiaofeng; Wang, Jing; Chen, Zhonghua; He, Jie; Zeng, Xingrong

2018-01-31

Superhydrophobic surfaces with tunable adhesion from lotus-leaf to rose-petal states have generated much attention for their potential applications in self-cleaning, anti-icing, oil-water separation, microdroplet transportation, and microfluidic devices. Herein we report a facile magnetic-field-manipulation strategy to fabricate dual-functional superhydrophobic textiles with asymmetric roll-down/pinned states on the two surfaces of the textile simultaneously. Upon exposure to a static magnetic field, fluoroalkylsilane-modified iron oxide (F-Fe 3 O 4 ) nanoparticles in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) moved along the magnetic field to construct discrepant hierarchical structures and roughnesses on the two sides of the textile. The positive surface (closer to the magnet, or P-surface) showed a water contact angle up to 165°, and the opposite surface (or O-surface) had a water contact angle of 152.5°. The P-surface where water droplets easily slid off with a sliding angle of 7.5° appeared in the "roll-down" state as Cassie mode, while the O-surface was in the "pinned" state as Wenzel mode, where water droplets firmly adhered even at vertical (90°) and inverted (180°) angles. The surface morphology and wetting mode were adjustable by varying the ratios of F-Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles and PDMS. By taking advantage of the asymmetric adhesion behaviors, the as-fabricated superhydrophobic textile was successfully applied in no-loss microdroplet transportation and oil-water separation. Our method is simple and cost-effective. The fabricated textile has the characteristics of superhydrophobicity, magnetic responsiveness, excellent chemical stability, adjustable surface morphology, and controllable adhesion. Our findings conceivably stand out as a new tool to fabricate functional superhydrophobic materials with asymmetric surface properties for various potential applications.

The Roxby Downs Indenture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Warnick, L.A.

1983-01-01

The Roxby Downs Indenture is an agreement between the South Australian Government and the companies proposing development at the Roxby Downs uranium deposit. A detailed analysis of the indenture and its ratifying act is presented. The act is intended to provide authority for aspects of performance by either State or developers and security for developers against inconsistent action by the State and interference by third parties

Decoding of top-down cognitive processing for SSVEP-controlled BMI

Science.gov (United States)

Min, Byoung-Kyong; Dähne, Sven; Ahn, Min-Hee; Noh, Yung-Kyun; Müller, Klaus-Robert

2016-11-01

We present a fast and accurate non-invasive brain-machine interface (BMI) based on demodulating steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs) in electroencephalography (EEG). Our study reports an SSVEP-BMI that, for the first time, decodes primarily based on top-down and not bottom-up visual information processing. The experimental setup presents a grid-shaped flickering line array that the participants observe while intentionally attending to a subset of flickering lines representing the shape of a letter. While the flickering pixels stimulate the participant’s visual cortex uniformly with equal probability, the participant’s intention groups the strokes and thus perceives a ‘letter Gestalt’. We observed decoding accuracy of 35.81% (up to 65.83%) with a regularized linear discriminant analysis; on average 2.05-fold, and up to 3.77-fold greater than chance levels in multi-class classification. Compared to the EEG signals, an electrooculogram (EOG) did not significantly contribute to decoding accuracies. Further analysis reveals that the top-down SSVEP paradigm shows the most focalised activation pattern around occipital visual areas; Granger causality analysis consistently revealed prefrontal top-down control over early visual processing. Taken together, the present paradigm provides the first neurophysiological evidence for the top-down SSVEP BMI paradigm, which potentially enables multi-class intentional control of EEG-BMIs without using gaze-shifting.

EFFECTS OF DYNAMIC AND STATIC STRETCHING WITHIN GENERAL AND ACTIVITY SPECIFIC WARM-UP PROTOCOLS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Samson

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of static and dynamic stretching protocols within general and activity specific warm-ups. Nine male and ten female subjects were tested under four warm-up conditions including a 1 general aerobic warm-up with static stretching, 2 general aerobic warm-up with dynamic stretching, 3 general and specific warm-up with static stretching and 4 general and specific warm-up with dynamic stretching. Following all conditions, subjects were tested for movement time (kicking movement of leg over 0.5 m distance, countermovement jump height, sit and reach flexibility and 6 repetitions of 20 metre sprints. Results indicated that when a sport specific warm-up was included, there was an 0.94% improvement (p = 0.0013 in 20 meter sprint time with both the dynamic and static stretch groups. No such difference in sprint performance between dynamic and static stretch groups existed in the absence of the sport specific warm-up. The static stretch condition increased sit and reach range of motion (ROM by 2.8% more (p = 0.0083 than the dynamic condition. These results would support the use of static stretching within an activity specific warm-up to ensure maximal ROM along with an enhancement in sprint performance

Top-down/bottom-up description of electricity sector for Switzerland using the GEM-E3 computable general equilibrium model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krakowski, R. A

2006-06-15

Participation of the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in the advancement and extension of the multi-region, Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model GEM-E3 (CES/KUL, 2002) focused primarily on two top-level facets: a) extension of the model database and model calibration, particularly as related to the second component of this study, which is; b) advancement of the dynamics of innovation and investment, primarily through the incorporation of Exogenous Technical Learning (ETL) into he Bottom-Up (BU, technology-based) part of the dynamic upgrade; this latter activity also included the completion of the dynamic coupling of the BU description of the electricity sector with the 'Top-Down' (TD, econometric) description of the economy inherent to the GEM-E3 CGE model. The results of this two- component study are described in two parts that have been combined in this single summary report: Part I describes the methodology and gives illustrative results from the BUTD integration, as well as describing the approach to and giving preliminary results from incorporating an ETL description into the BU component of the overall model; Part II reports on the calibration component of task in terms of: a) formulating a BU technology database for Switzerland based on previous work; incorporation of that database into the GEM-E3 model; and calibrating the BU database with the TD database embodied in the (Swiss) Social Accounting Matrix (SAM). The BUTD coupling along with the ETL incorporation described in Part I represent the major effort embodied in this investigation, but this effort could not be completed without the calibration preamble reported herein as Part II. A brief summary of the scope of each of these key study components is given. (author)

Top-down/bottom-up description of electricity sector for Switzerland using the GEM-E3 computable general equilibrium model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krakowski, R. A.

2006-06-01

Participation of the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in the advancement and extension of the multi-region, Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model GEM-E3 (CES/KUL, 2002) focused primarily on two top-level facets: a) extension of the model database and model calibration, particularly as related to the second component of this study, which is; b) advancement of the dynamics of innovation and investment, primarily through the incorporation of Exogenous Technical Learning (ETL) into he Bottom-Up (BU, technology-based) part of the dynamic upgrade; this latter activity also included the completion of the dynamic coupling of the BU description of the electricity sector with the 'Top-Down' (TD, econometric) description of the economy inherent to the GEM-E3 CGE model. The results of this two- component study are described in two parts that have been combined in this single summary report: Part I describes the methodology and gives illustrative results from the BUTD integration, as well as describing the approach to and giving preliminary results from incorporating an ETL description into the BU component of the overall model; Part II reports on the calibration component of task in terms of: a) formulating a BU technology database for Switzerland based on previous work; incorporation of that database into the GEM-E3 model; and calibrating the BU database with the TD database embodied in the (Swiss) Social Accounting Matrix (SAM). The BUTD coupling along with the ETL incorporation described in Part I represent the major effort embodied in this investigation, but this effort could not be completed without the calibration preamble reported herein as Part II. A brief summary of the scope of each of these key study components is given. (author)

State-dependent intrinsic predictability of cortical network dynamics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leila Fakhraei

Full Text Available The information encoded in cortical circuit dynamics is fleeting, changing from moment to moment as new input arrives and ongoing intracortical interactions progress. A combination of deterministic and stochastic biophysical mechanisms governs how cortical dynamics at one moment evolve from cortical dynamics in recently preceding moments. Such temporal continuity of cortical dynamics is fundamental to many aspects of cortex function but is not well understood. Here we study temporal continuity by attempting to predict cortical population dynamics (multisite local field potential based on its own recent history in somatosensory cortex of anesthetized rats and in a computational network-level model. We found that the intrinsic predictability of cortical dynamics was dependent on multiple factors including cortical state, synaptic inhibition, and how far into the future the prediction extends. By pharmacologically tuning synaptic inhibition, we obtained a continuum of cortical states with asynchronous population activity at one extreme and stronger, spatially extended synchrony at the other extreme. Intermediate between these extremes we observed evidence for a special regime of population dynamics called criticality. Predictability of the near future (10-100 ms increased as the cortical state was tuned from asynchronous to synchronous. Predictability of the more distant future (>1 s was generally poor, but, surprisingly, was higher for asynchronous states compared to synchronous states. These experimental results were confirmed in a computational network model of spiking excitatory and inhibitory neurons. Our findings demonstrate that determinism and predictability of network dynamics depend on cortical state and the time-scale of the dynamics.

Carbon Flux of Down Woody Materials in Forests of the North Central United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woodall, C.W.

2010-01-01

Across large scales, the carbon (C) flux of down woody material (DWM) detrital pools has largely been simulated based on forest stand attributes (e.g., stand age and forest type). The annual change in forest DWM C stocks and other attributes (e.g., size and decay class changes) was assessed using a forest inventory in the north central United States to provide an empirical assessment of strategic-scale DWM C flux. Using DWM inventory data from the USDA Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis program, DWM C stocks were found to be relatively static across the study region with an annual flux rate not statistically different from zero. Mean C flux rates across the study area were -0.25, -0.12, -0.01, and -0.04 (Mg/ha/yr) for standing live trees, standing dead trees, coarse woody debris, and fine woody debris, respectively. Flux rates varied in their both magnitude and status (emission/sequestration) by forest types, latitude, and DWM component size. Given the complex dynamics of DWM C flux, early implementation of inventory re measurement, and relatively low sample size, numerous future research directions are suggested.

Extending producer responsibility up and down the supply chain, challenges and limitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Scheijgrond, Jan-Willem

2011-09-01

Producers are given increasing responsibility by governmental organizations to address environmental and human rights issues along the supply chain. While producers indeed have a responsibility to address these issues, governments' expectations of producers are often too high and in some cases unrealistic. Ruggie's framework to protect, respect and remedy provides a useful tool to determine the responsibilities of government and business in relation to human rights. If it is applied to product-related environmental aspects, which affect human rights, it offers a good tool to evaluate whether producer responsibility has been implemented in a way to institutionally align business and governments. An analysis of extended producer responsibility up and down the supply chain on the basis of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) legislation, REACH legislation and conflict minerals shows that such alignment has not been achieved.

Bottom-up and top-down human impacts interact to affect a protected coastal Chilean marsh.

Science.gov (United States)

Fariña, José M; He, Qiang; Silliman, Brian R; Bertness, Mark D

2016-03-01

Many ecosystems, even in protected areas, experience multiple anthropogenic impacts. While anthropogenic modification of bottom-up (e.g., eutrophication) and top-down (e.g., livestock grazing) forcing often co-occurs, whether these factors counteract or have additive or synergistic effects on ecosystems is poorly understood. In a Chilean bio-reserve, we examined the interactive impacts of eutrophication and illegal livestock grazing on plant growth with a 4-yr fertilization by cattle exclusion experiment. Cattle grazing generally decreased plant biomass, but had synergistic, additive, and antagonistic interactions with fertilization in the low, middle, and high marsh zones, respectively. In the low marsh, fertilization increased plant biomass by 112%, cattle grazing decreased it by 96%, and together they decreased plant biomass by 77%. In the middle marsh, fertilization increased plant biomass by 47%, cattle grazing decreased it by 37%, and together they did not affect plant biomass. In the high marsh, fertilization and cattle grazing decreased plant biomass by 81% and 92%, respectively, but together they increased plant biomass by 42%. These interactions were also found to be species specific. Different responses of plants to fertilization and cattle grazing were likely responsible for these variable interactions. Thus, common bottom-up and top-down human impacts can interact in different ways to affect communities even within a single ecosystem. Incorporating this knowledge into conservation actions will improve ecosystem management in a time when ecosystems are increasingly challenged by multiple interacting human impacts.

Bottom-up-then-up-down Route for Multi-level Construction of Hierarchical Bi2S3 Superstructures with Magnetism Alteration

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Chengzhen; Wang, Lanfang; Dang, Liyun; Chen, Qun; Lu, Qingyi; Gao, Feng

2015-01-01

A bottom-up-then-up-down route was proposed to construct multi-level Bi2S3 hierarchical architectures assembled by two-dimensional (2D) Bi2S3 sheet-like networks. BiOCOOH hollow spheres and flower-like structures, which are both assembled by 2D BiOCOOH nanosheets, were prepared first by a “bottom-up” route through a “quasi-emulsion” mechanism. Then the BiOCOOH hierarchical structures were transferred to hierarchical Bi2S3 architectures through an “up-down” route by an ion exchange method. The obtained Bi2S3 nanostructures remain hollow-spherical and flower-like structures of the precursors but the constructing blocks are changed to 2D sheet-like networks interweaving by Bi2S3 nanowires. The close matching of crystal lattices between Bi2S3 and BiOCOOH was believed to be the key reason for the topotactic transformation from BiOCOOH nanosheets to 2D Bi2S3 sheet-like nanowire networks. Magnetism studies reveal that unlike diamagnetism of comparative Bi2S3 nanostructures, the obtained multi-level Bi2S3 structures display S-type hysteresis and ferromagnetism at low field which might result from ordered structure of 2D networks. PMID:26028331

Top down and bottom up selection drives variations in frequency and form of a visual signal

OpenAIRE

Yeh, Chien-Wei; Blamires, Sean J.; Liao, Chen-Pan; Tso, I.-Min

2015-01-01

The frequency and form of visual signals can be shaped by selection from predators, prey or both. When a signal simultaneously attracts predators and prey, selection may favour a strategy that minimizes risks while attracting prey. Accordingly, varying the frequency and form of the silken decorations added to their web may be a way that Argiope spiders minimize predation while attracting prey. Nonetheless, the role of extraneous factors renders the influences of top down and bottom up selecti...

Ups and downs and perspectives of a world disarmament policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taittinger, P.Ch.

2010-01-01

This text was published in 1980 after the invasion of Afghanistan by the Russian troops and the Islamic revolution in Iran. The author recalls the proposition made by the French president to the United Nations assembly which addressed the main principles to achieve disarmament: the right to security for each state, disarmament requires the involvement of every state and will benefit to the poorer ones (there is a link between disarmament and development), and regional situations must be taken into account. The author describes the new structures which have been set up after this special session of the United Nations Assembly (a disarmament commission and a disarmament committee). He stresses the importance of verification, and that of conventional arms reduction

Public engagement as a field of tension between bottom-up and top-down strategies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Horsbøl, Anders; Lassen, Inger

2012-01-01

In the ongoing debate about climate change, public engagement is given increasing prominence as a possible solution to a general lack of citizen participation in climate change mitigation efforts. Recent years have seen a surge in public engagement initiatives in many countries in the Western world....... These initiatives often have to deal with dilemmas between participatory aspects and other considerations such as planning efficiency, dilemmas that potentially bring about tension between bottom-up and top-down strategies. Literature on climate change issues has addressed the failure of public response, which has...... knowledge and information about climate change has not significantly changed people’s behaviour towards higher involvement....

Disentangling the Role of Cortico-Basal Ganglia Loops in Top-Down and Bottom-Up Visual Attention: An Investigation of Attention Deficits in Parkinson Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Tommasi, Giorgio; Fiorio, Mirta; Yelnik, Jérôme; Krack, Paul; Sala, Francesca; Schmitt, Emmanuelle; Fraix, Valérie; Bertolasi, Laura; Le Bas, Jean-François; Ricciardi, Giuseppe Kenneth; Fiaschi, Antonio; Theeuwes, Jan; Pollak, Pierre; Chelazzi, Leonardo

2015-06-01

It is solidly established that top-down (goal-driven) and bottom-up (stimulus-driven) attention mechanisms depend on distributed cortical networks, including prefrontal and frontoparietal regions. On the other hand, it is less clear whether the BG also contribute to one or the other of these mechanisms, or to both. The current study was principally undertaken to clarify this issue. Parkinson disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disorder primarily affecting the BG, has proven to be an effective model for investigating the contribution of the BG to different brain functions; therefore, we set out to investigate deficits of top-down and bottom-up attention in a selected cohort of PD patients. With this objective in mind, we compared the performance on three computerized tasks of two groups of 12 parkinsonian patients (assessed without any treatment), one otherwise pharmacologically treated and the other also surgically treated, with that of a group of controls. The main behavioral tool for our study was an attentional capture task, which enabled us to tap the competition between top-down and bottom-up mechanisms of visual attention. This task was suitably combined with a choice RT and a simple RT task to isolate any specific deficit of attention from deficits in motor response selection and initiation. In the two groups of patients, we found an equivalent increase of attentional capture but also comparable delays in target selection in the absence of any salient distractor (reflecting impaired top-down mechanisms) and movement initiation compared with controls. In contrast, motor response selection processes appeared to be prolonged only in the operated patients. Our results confirm that the BG are involved in both motor and cognitive domains. Specifically, damage to the BG, as it occurs in PD, leads to a distinct deficit of top-down control of visual attention, and this can account, albeit indirectly, for the enhancement of attentional capture, reflecting weakened

Significance of coast down time on safety and availability of a pool type fast breeder reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Natesan, K.; Velusamy, K.; Selvaraj, P.; Chellapandi, P.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Plant dynamics studies for quantifying the benefits of flow coast down time. • Establishment of minimum flow coast down time required for safety. • Assessment of influence of flow coast down on enhancing plant availability. • Synthesis of thermo mechanical benefits of flow coast down time on component design. - Abstract: Plant dynamic investigation towards establishing the influence of flow coast down time of primary and secondary sodium systems on safety and availability of plant has been carried out based on one dimensional analysis. From safety considerations, a minimum flow coast down time for primary sodium circuit is essential to be provided to limit the consequences of loss of flow event within allowable limits. Apart from safety benefits, large primary coast down time also improves plant availability by the elimination of reactor SCRAM during short term power failure events. Threshold values of SCRAM parameters also need optimization. By suitably selecting the threshold values for SCRAM parameters, significant reduction in the inertia of pumping systems can be derived to obtain desirable results on plant availability. With the optimization of threshold values and primary flow coast down behaviour equivalent to a halving time of 8 s, there is a possibility to eliminate reactor SCRAM during short term power failure events extending up to 0.75 s duration. Benefits of secondary flow halving on reducing transient thermal loading on components have also been investigated and mixed effects have been observed

Sponge communities on Caribbean coral reefs are structured by factors that are top-down, not bottom-up.

Science.gov (United States)

Pawlik, Joseph R; Loh, Tse-Lynn; McMurray, Steven E; Finelli, Christopher M

2013-01-01

Caribbean coral reefs have been transformed in the past few decades with the demise of reef-building corals, and sponges are now the dominant habitat-forming organisms on most reefs. Competing hypotheses propose that sponge communities are controlled primarily by predatory fishes (top-down) or by the availability of picoplankton to suspension-feeding sponges (bottom-up). We tested these hypotheses on Conch Reef, off Key Largo, Florida, by placing sponges inside and outside predator-excluding cages at sites with less and more planktonic food availability (15 m vs. 30 m depth). There was no evidence of a bottom-up effect on the growth of any of 5 sponge species, and 2 of 5 species grew more when caged at the shallow site with lower food abundance. There was, however, a strong effect of predation by fishes on sponge species that lacked chemical defenses. Sponges with chemical defenses grew slower than undefended species, demonstrating a resource trade-off between growth and the production of secondary metabolites. Surveys of the benthic community on Conch Reef similarly did not support a bottom-up effect, with higher sponge cover at the shallower depth. We conclude that the structure of sponge communities on Caribbean coral reefs is primarily top-down, and predict that removal of sponge predators by overfishing will shift communities toward faster-growing, undefended species that better compete for space with threatened reef-building corals.

Sponge communities on Caribbean coral reefs are structured by factors that are top-down, not bottom-up.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joseph R Pawlik

Full Text Available Caribbean coral reefs have been transformed in the past few decades with the demise of reef-building corals, and sponges are now the dominant habitat-forming organisms on most reefs. Competing hypotheses propose that sponge communities are controlled primarily by predatory fishes (top-down or by the availability of picoplankton to suspension-feeding sponges (bottom-up. We tested these hypotheses on Conch Reef, off Key Largo, Florida, by placing sponges inside and outside predator-excluding cages at sites with less and more planktonic food availability (15 m vs. 30 m depth. There was no evidence of a bottom-up effect on the growth of any of 5 sponge species, and 2 of 5 species grew more when caged at the shallow site with lower food abundance. There was, however, a strong effect of predation by fishes on sponge species that lacked chemical defenses. Sponges with chemical defenses grew slower than undefended species, demonstrating a resource trade-off between growth and the production of secondary metabolites. Surveys of the benthic community on Conch Reef similarly did not support a bottom-up effect, with higher sponge cover at the shallower depth. We conclude that the structure of sponge communities on Caribbean coral reefs is primarily top-down, and predict that removal of sponge predators by overfishing will shift communities toward faster-growing, undefended species that better compete for space with threatened reef-building corals.

Critical dynamics in population vaccinating behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Pananos, A Demetri; Bury, Thomas M; Wang, Clara; Schonfeld, Justin; Mohanty, Sharada P; Nyhan, Brendan; Salathé, Marcel; Bauch, Chris T

2017-12-26

Vaccine refusal can lead to renewed outbreaks of previously eliminated diseases and even delay global eradication. Vaccinating decisions exemplify a complex, coupled system where vaccinating behavior and disease dynamics influence one another. Such systems often exhibit critical phenomena-special dynamics close to a tipping point leading to a new dynamical regime. For instance, critical slowing down (declining rate of recovery from small perturbations) may emerge as a tipping point is approached. Here, we collected and geocoded tweets about measles-mumps-rubella vaccine and classified their sentiment using machine-learning algorithms. We also extracted data on measles-related Google searches. We find critical slowing down in the data at the level of California and the United States in the years before and after the 2014-2015 Disneyland, California measles outbreak. Critical slowing down starts growing appreciably several years before the Disneyland outbreak as vaccine uptake declines and the population approaches the tipping point. However, due to the adaptive nature of coupled behavior-disease systems, the population responds to the outbreak by moving away from the tipping point, causing "critical speeding up" whereby resilience to perturbations increases. A mathematical model of measles transmission and vaccine sentiment predicts the same qualitative patterns in the neighborhood of a tipping point to greatly reduced vaccine uptake and large epidemics. These results support the hypothesis that population vaccinating behavior near the disease elimination threshold is a critical phenomenon. Developing new analytical tools to detect these patterns in digital social data might help us identify populations at heightened risk of widespread vaccine refusal. Copyright © 2017 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

The Bias in the Presentation of Stimulation when the Up and Down Method is Used with Forced Choice Responding.

Science.gov (United States)

1980-07-01

where this technique has been used to measure sensory thresholds. In the psychological literature the up and down method is sometimes called the staircase...1969. 6. Smith, J. E. K., Stimulus programming in psychophysics. Psychometrika, 26: 27-33, 1961. 7. Taylor, M. M., and Creelman , C. D., PEST

Prokaryotic diversity and dynamics in a full-scale municipal solid waste anaerobic reactor from start-up to steady-state conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Cardinali-Rezende, Juliana; Colturato, Luís F D B; Colturato, Thiago D B; Chartone-Souza, Edmar; Nascimento, Andréa M A; Sanz, José L

2012-09-01

The prokaryotic diversity of an anaerobic reactor for the treatment of municipal solid waste was investigated over the course of 2 years with the use of 16S rDNA-targeted molecular approaches. The fermentative Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes predominated, and Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Tenericutes and the candidate division WWE1 were also identified. Methane production was dominated by the hydrogenotrophic Methanomicrobiales (Methanoculleus sp.) and their syntrophic association with acetate-utilizing and propionate-oxidizing bacteria. qPCR demonstrated the predominance of the hydrogenotrophic over aceticlastic Methanosarcinaceae (Methanosarcina sp. and Methanimicrococcus sp.), and Methanosaetaceae (Methanosaeta sp.) were measured in low numbers in the reactor. According to the FISH and CARD-FISH analyses, Bacteria and Archaea accounted for 85% and 15% of the cells, respectively. Different cell counts for these domains were obtained by qPCR versus FISH analyses. The use of several molecular tools increases our knowledge of the prokaryotic community dynamics from start-up to steady-state conditions in a full-scale MSW reactor. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A simple method for serving Web hypermaps with dynamic database drill-down

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carson Ewart R

2002-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background HealthCyberMap http://healthcybermap.semanticweb.org aims at mapping parts of health information cyberspace in novel ways to deliver a semantically superior user experience. This is achieved through "intelligent" categorisation and interactive hypermedia visualisation of health resources using metadata, clinical codes and GIS. HealthCyberMap is an ArcView 3.1 project. WebView, the Internet extension to ArcView, publishes HealthCyberMap ArcView Views as Web client-side imagemaps. The basic WebView set-up does not support any GIS database connection, and published Web maps become disconnected from the original project. A dedicated Internet map server would be the best way to serve HealthCyberMap database-driven interactive Web maps, but is an expensive and complex solution to acquire, run and maintain. This paper describes HealthCyberMap simple, low-cost method for "patching" WebView to serve hypermaps with dynamic database drill-down functionality on the Web. Results The proposed solution is currently used for publishing HealthCyberMap GIS-generated navigational information maps on the Web while maintaining their links with the underlying resource metadata base. Conclusion The authors believe their map serving approach as adopted in HealthCyberMap has been very successful, especially in cases when only map attribute data change without a corresponding effect on map appearance. It should be also possible to use the same solution to publish other interactive GIS-driven maps on the Web, e.g., maps of real world health problems.

Up, down, strange and charm quark masses with Nf=2+1+1 twisted mass lattice QCD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Carrasco

2014-10-01

Full Text Available We present a lattice QCD calculation of the up, down, strange and charm quark masses performed using the gauge configurations produced by the European Twisted Mass Collaboration with Nf=2+1+1 dynamical quarks, which include in the sea, besides two light mass degenerate quarks, also the strange and charm quarks with masses close to their physical values. The simulations are based on a unitary setup for the two light quarks and on a mixed action approach for the strange and charm quarks. The analysis uses data at three values of the lattice spacing and pion masses in the range 210–450 MeV, allowing for accurate continuum limit and controlled chiral extrapolation. The quark mass renormalization is carried out non-perturbatively using the RI′-MOM method. The results for the quark masses converted to the MS¯ scheme are: mud(2 GeV=3.70(17 MeV, ms(2 GeV=99.6(4.3 MeV and mc(mc=1.348(46 GeV. We obtain also the quark mass ratios ms/mud=26.66(32 and mc/ms=11.62(16. By studying the mass splitting between the neutral and charged kaons and using available lattice results for the electromagnetic contributions, we evaluate mu/md=0.470(56, leading to mu=2.36(24 MeV and md=5.03(26 MeV.

Continuous loudness response to acoustic intensity dynamics in melodies: effects of melodic contour, tempo, and tonality.

Science.gov (United States)

Olsen, Kirk N; Stevens, Catherine J; Dean, Roger T; Bailes, Freya

2014-06-01

The aim of this work was to investigate perceived loudness change in response to melodies that increase (up-ramp) or decrease (down-ramp) in acoustic intensity, and the interaction with other musical factors such as melodic contour, tempo, and tonality (tonal/atonal). A within-subjects design manipulated direction of linear intensity change (up-ramp, down-ramp), melodic contour (ascending, descending), tempo, and tonality, using single ramp trials and paired ramp trials, where single up-ramps and down-ramps were assembled to create continuous up-ramp/down-ramp or down-ramp/up-ramp pairs. Twenty-nine (Exp 1) and thirty-six (Exp 2) participants rated loudness continuously in response to trials with monophonic 13-note piano melodies lasting either 6.4s or 12s. Linear correlation coefficients >.89 between loudness and time show that time-series loudness responses to dynamic up-ramp and down-ramp melodies are essentially linear across all melodies. Therefore, 'indirect' loudness change derived from the difference in loudness at the beginning and end points of the continuous response was calculated. Down-ramps were perceived to change significantly more in loudness than up-ramps in both tonalities and at a relatively slow tempo. Loudness change was also greater for down-ramps presented with a congruent descending melodic contour, relative to an incongruent pairing (down-ramp and ascending melodic contour). No differential effect of intensity ramp/melodic contour congruency was observed for up-ramps. In paired ramp trials assessing the possible impact of ramp context, loudness change in response to up-ramps was significantly greater when preceded by down-ramps, than when not preceded by another ramp. Ramp context did not affect down-ramp perception. The contribution to the fields of music perception and psychoacoustics are discussed in the context of real-time perception of music, principles of music composition, and performance of musical dynamics. Copyright © 2014

Bottom-up and Top-down Input Augment the Variability of Cortical Neurons

Science.gov (United States)

Nassi, Jonathan J.; Kreiman, Gabriel; Born, Richard T.

2016-01-01

SUMMARY Neurons in the cerebral cortex respond inconsistently to a repeated sensory stimulus, yet they underlie our stable sensory experiences. Although the nature of this variability is unknown, its ubiquity has encouraged the general view that each cell produces random spike patterns that noisily represent its response rate. In contrast, here we show that reversibly inactivating distant sources of either bottom-up or top-down input to cortical visual areas in the alert primate reduces both the spike train irregularity and the trial-to-trial variability of single neurons. A simple model in which a fraction of the pre-synaptic input is silenced can reproduce this reduction in variability, provided that there exist temporal correlations primarily within, but not between, excitatory and inhibitory input pools. A large component of the variability of cortical neurons may therefore arise from synchronous input produced by signals arriving from multiple sources. PMID:27427459

Coexistence of spin frozen state and persistent spin dynamics in NaSrCo{sub 2}F{sub 7} as probed by μSR and NMR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dengre, Shanu; Sarkar, Rajib; Braeuninger, Sascha Albert; Brueckner, Felix; Materne, Philipp; Klauss, Hans-Henning [Institute for Solid State Physics, TU Dresden (Germany); Krizan, Jason W.; Cava, Robert J. [Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (United States); Luetkens, Hubertus; Baines, Chris [Laboratory for Muon-Spin Spectroscopy, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen (Switzerland)

2016-07-01

{sup 23}Na -and {sup 19}F NMR, and μSR experiments are performed to explore the microscopic properties of NaSrCo{sub 2}F{sub 7}, which is a newly discovered magnetically frustrated pyrochlore with weak bond disorder and with a frustration index of f = 42. While {sup 23}Na and {sup 19}F NMR experiments clearly suggest the presence of quasi static field distribution below ∝3 K as reflected in the huge NMR line broadening and wipe out effect of NMR signal intensity, μSR experiments on the other hand remains passive to this spin frozen state. Both NMR and μSR results indicate the slowing down of the magnetic (spin) fluctuations upon cooling towards the NMR spin frozen state. μSR relaxation rate increases slightly below ∝ 3 K, and remains not only constant down to 20 mK, but also stands independent in longitudinal magnetic field upto 4000 G implying that the spin fluctuations are dynamic. These observations suggest the coexistence of partial spin frozen state and persistent spin dynamics in NaSrCo{sub 2}F{sub 7}.

The cardiac copper chaperone proteins Sco1 and CCS are up-regulated, but Cox 1 and Cox4 are down-regulated, by copper deficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Getz, Jean; Lin, Dingbo; Medeiros, Denis M

2011-10-01

Copper is ferried in a cell complexed to chaperone proteins, and in the heart much copper is required for cytochrome c oxidase (Cox). It is not completely understood how copper status affects the levels of these proteins. Here we determined if dietary copper deficiency could up- or down-regulate select copper chaperone proteins and Cox subunits 1 and 4 in cardiac tissue of rats. Sixteen weanling male Long-Evans rats were randomized into treatment groups, one group receiving a copper-deficient diet (CCS, Sco1, Ctr1, Cox17, Cox1, and Cox4 by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. No changes were observed in the concentrations of CTR1 and Cox17 between copper-adequate and copper-deficient rats. CCS and Sco1 were up-regulated and Cox1 and Cox4 were both down-regulated as a result of copper deficiency. These data suggest that select chaperone proteins and may be up-regulated, and Cox1 and 4 down-regulated, by a dietary copper deficiency, whereas others appear not to be affected by copper status.

Integrated Assessment of Climate Change, Land-Use Changes, and Regional Carbon Dynamics in United States

Science.gov (United States)

Mu, J. E.; Sleeter, B. M.; Abatzoglou, J. T.

2015-12-01

The fact that climate change is likely to accelerate throughout this century means that climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture will need to adapt increasingly to climate change. This fact also means that understanding the potential for agricultural adaptation, and how it could come about, is important for ongoing technology investments in the public and private sectors, for infrastructure investments, and for the various policies that address agriculture directly or indirectly. This paper is an interdisciplinary study by collaborating with climate scientist, agronomists, economists, and ecologists. We first use statistical models to estimate impacts of climate change on major crop yields (wheat, corn, soybeans, sorghum, and cotton) and predict changes in crop yields under future climate condition using downscaled climate projections from CMIP5. Then, we feed the predicted yield changes to a partial equilibrium economic model (FASOM-GHG) to evaluate economic and environmental outcomes including changes in land uses (i.e., cropland, pastureland, forest land, urban land and land for conservation) in United States. Finally, we use outputs from FASOM-GHG as inputs for the ST-SIM ecological model to simulate future carbon dynamics through changes in land use under future climate conditions and discuss the rate of adaptation through land-use changes. Findings in this paper have several merits compared to previous findings in the literature. First, we add economic components to the carbon calculation. It is important to include socio-economic conditions when calculating carbon emission and/or carbon sequestration because human activities are the major contribution to atmosphere GHG emissions. Second, we use the most recent downscaled climate projections from CMIP5 to capture uncertainties from climate model projections. Instead of using all GCMs, we select five GCMs to represent the ensemble. Third, we use a bottom-up approach because we start from micro-level data

Flavour blindness and patterns of flavour symmetry breaking in lattice simulations of up, down and strange quarks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bietenholz, W. [Univ. Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City (Mexico). Inst. de Ciencias Nucleares; Bornyakov, V. [Inst. for High Energy Physics, Protovino (Russian Federation); Inst. for Theoretical and Experimental Physics, Moscow (Russian Federation); Goeckeler, M. [Regensburg Univ. (DE). Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik] (and others)

2011-02-15

QCD lattice simulations with 2+1 flavours typically start at rather large up-down and strange quark masses and extrapolate first the strange quark mass to its physical value and then the up-down quark mass. An alternative method of tuning the quark masses is discussed here in which the singlet quark mass is kept fixed, which ensures that the kaon always has mass less than the physical kaon mass. Using group theory the possible quark mass polynomials for a Taylor expansion about the flavour symmetric line are found, first for the general 1+1+1 flavour case and then for the 2+1 flavour case (when two quark flavours are mass degenerate). These enable highly constrained fits to be used in the extrapolation of hadrons to the physical pion mass. Numerical results for the 2+1 flavour case confirm the usefulness of this expansion and an extrapolation to the physical pion mass gives hadron mass values to within a few percent of their experimental values. Singlet quantities remain constant which allows the lattice spacing to be determined from hadron masses (without necessarily being at the physical point). Furthermore an extension of this programme to include partially quenched results is also given. (orig.)

Mesoporous ZSM-5 Zeolites in Acid Catalysis: Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pit Losch

2017-07-01

Full Text Available A top-down desilication of Al-rich ZSM-5 zeolites and a bottom-up mesopores creating method were evaluated in this study. Three liquid–solid and one gas–solid heterogeneously-catalysed reactions were chosen to establish relationships between zeolites textural properties and their catalytic behavior in acid-catalysed model reactions that are influenced by shape selectivity: Diels-Alder cyclization between isoprene and methylacrylate, Methanol-to-Olefins (MTO reaction, chlorination of iodobenzene with trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA, and Friedel-Crafts acylation of anisole by carboxylic acids with differing sizes. It is found amongst others that no optimal mesoporosity for all the different reactions can be easily obtained, but depending on the chosen application, a specific treatment has to be set to achieve high activity/selectivity and stability.

Emerging phenomena in neural networks with dynamic synapses and their computational implications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joaquin J. eTorres

2013-04-01

Full Text Available In this paper we review our research on the effect and computational role of dynamical synapses on feed-forward and recurrent neural networks. Among others, we report on the appearance of a new class of dynamical memories which result from the destabilisation of learned memory attractors. This has important consequences for dynamic information processing allowing the system to sequentially access the information stored in the memories under changing stimuli. Although storage capacity of stable memories also decreases, our study demonstrated the positive effect of synaptic facilitation to recover maximum storage capacity and to enlarge the capacity of the system for memory recall in noisy conditions. Possibly, the new dynamical behaviour can be associated with the voltage transitions between up and down states observed in cortical areas in the brain. We investigated the conditions for which the permanence times in the up state are power-law distributed, which is a sign for criticality, and concluded that the experimentally observed large variability of permanence times could be explained as the result of noisy dynamic synapses with large recovery times. Finally, we report how short-term synaptic processes can transmit weak signals throughout more than one frequency range in noisy neural networks, displaying a kind of stochastic multi-resonance. This effect is due to competition between activity-dependent synaptic fluctuations (due to dynamic synapses and the existence of neuron firing threshold which adapts to the incoming mean synaptic input.

An "up, no change, or down" system: Time-dependent expression of mRNAs in contused skeletal muscle of rats used for wound age estimation.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Jun-Hong; Zhu, Xi-Yan; Dong, Ta-Na; Zhang, Xiao-Hong; Liu, Qi-Qing; Li, San-Qiang; Du, Qiu-Xiang

2017-03-01

The combined use of multiple markers is considered a promising strategy in estimating the age of wounds. We sought to develop an "up, no change, or down" system and to explore how to combine and use various parameters. In total, 78 Sprague Dawley rats were divided randomly into a control group and contusion groups of 4-, 8-, 12-, 16-, 20-, 24-, 28-, 32-, 36-, 40-, 44-, and 48-h post-injury (n=6 per group). A contusion was produced in the right limb of the rats under diethyl ether anesthesia by a drop-ball technique; the animals were sacrificed at certain time points thereafter, using a lethal dose of pentobarbital. Levels of PUM2, TAB2, GJC1, and CHRNA1 mRNAs were detected in contused muscle using real-time PCR. An up, no change, or down system was developed with the relative quantities of the four mRNAs recorded as black, dark gray, or light gray boxes, representing up-, no change, or down-regulation of the gene of interest during wound repair. The four transcripts were combined and used as a marker cluster for color model analysis of each contusion group. Levels of PUM2, TAB2, and GJC1 mRNAs decreased, whereas that of CHRNA1 increased in wound repair (Psystem was adequate to distinguish most time groups with the color model. Thus, the proposed up, no change, or down system provide the means to determine the minimal periods of early wounds. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A MHD equilibrium code 'EQUCIR version 2' applicable to up-down asymmetric toroidal plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shinya, Kichiro; Ninomiya, Hiromasa

1981-01-01

Computer code EQUCIR version 2, which can analyse tokamak plasma equilibrium without assuming up-down symmetry with respect to the mid-plane, has been developed. This code is essentially the same as EQUCIR version 1 which has already been reported and can deal with only symmetrical plasma with respect to the mid-plane. Because data input stream is slightly different from version 1 physical background of the change and the method of calculation are explained. Data input manual for the different points is also summarized. The code has been applied to the analysis of INTOR single-null divertor plasmas and to the design of hybrid poloidal coils resulting in useful and powerful means for the design. (author)

Development of a downed woody debris forecasting tool using strategic-scale multiresource forest inventories

Science.gov (United States)

Matthew B. Russell; Christopher W. Woodall

2017-01-01

The increasing interest in forest biomass for energy or carbon cycle purposes has raised the need for forest resource managers to refine their understanding of downed woody debris (DWD) dynamics. We developed a DWD forecasting tool using field measurements (mean size and stage of stage of decay) for three common forest types across the eastern United States using field...

Distributed Dynamic State Estimation with Extended Kalman Filter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Du, Pengwei; Huang, Zhenyu; Sun, Yannan; Diao, Ruisheng; Kalsi, Karanjit; Anderson, Kevin K.; Li, Yulan; Lee, Barry

2011-08-04

Increasing complexity associated with large-scale renewable resources and novel smart-grid technologies necessitates real-time monitoring and control. Our previous work applied the extended Kalman filter (EKF) with the use of phasor measurement data (PMU) for dynamic state estimation. However, high computation complexity creates significant challenges for real-time applications. In this paper, the problem of distributed dynamic state estimation is investigated. One domain decomposition method is proposed to utilize decentralized computing resources. The performance of distributed dynamic state estimation is tested on a 16-machine, 68-bus test system.

Comparison of different methods for the determination of dynamic characteristics of low velocity anemometers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Melikov, Arsen Krikor; Popiolek, Z.

2004-01-01

Three methods for determining the dynamic characteristics of low velocity thermal anemometers were compared. They were: step-up velocity change and step-down velocity change methods and a method based on sinusoidal type velocity fluctuations. Two low velocity thermal anemometers with omnidirectio......Three methods for determining the dynamic characteristics of low velocity thermal anemometers were compared. They were: step-up velocity change and step-down velocity change methods and a method based on sinusoidal type velocity fluctuations. Two low velocity thermal anemometers...... with omnidirectional velocity sensors were tested. The results identify differences in frequency response of low velocity anemometers determined by the three methods. The time constant and the response time determined by the step-up velocity change method and the step-down velocity change method may be substantially...... different and insufficient for describing the frequency response of all low velocity thermal anemometers. Therefore the upper frequency, determined in tests with sinusoidal velocity fluctuations, is recommended to be used in indoor climate standards as a single parameter describing the dynamic...

Expectation dynamics: Ups and downs of alternative fuels

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Konrad, Kornelia Elke

2016-01-01

The transport sector must undergo radical changes if it is to reduce its carbon emissions, calling for alternative vehicles and fuel types. Researchers now analyse the expectation cycles for different fuel technologies and draw lessons for the role of US policy in supporting them.

Quantum molecular dynamics simulations of the thermophysical properties of shocked liquid ammonia for pressures up to 1.3 TPa.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Dafang; Zhang, Ping; Yan, Jun

2013-10-07

We investigate via quantum molecular-dynamics simulations the thermophysical properties of shocked liquid ammonia up to the pressure 1.3 TPa and temperature 120,000 K. The principal Hugoniot is predicted from the wide-range equation of state, which agrees well with the available experimental measurements up to 64 GPa. Our systematic study of the structural properties demonstrates that the liquid ammonia undergoes a gradual phase transition along the Hugoniot. At about 4800 K, the system transforms into a metallic, complex mixture state consisting of NH3, N2, H2, N, and H. Furthermore, we discuss the implications for the interiors of Uranus and Neptune.

Effect of surface tension on the dynamical behavior of bubble in rotating fluids under low gravity environment

Science.gov (United States)

Hung, R. J.; Tsao, Y. D.; Leslie, Fred W.; Hong, B. B.

1988-01-01

Time dependent evolutions of the profile of free surface (bubble shapes) for a cylindrical container partially filled with a Newtonian fluid of constant density, rotating about its axis of symmetry, have been studied. Numerical computations of the dynamics of bubble shapes have been carried out with the following situations: (1) linear functions of spin-up and spin-down in low and microgravity environments, (2) linear functions of increasing and decreasing gravity enviroment in high and low rotating cylidner speeds, (3) step functions of spin-up and spin-down in a low gravity environment, and (4) sinusoidal function oscillation of gravity environment in high and low rotating cylinder speeds. The initial condition of bubble profiles was adopted from the steady-state formulations in which the computer algorithms have been developed by Hung and Leslie (1988), and Hung et al. (1988).

45 CFR 400.103 - Coverage of refugees who spend down to State financial eligibility standards.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Coverage of refugees who spend down to State... Welfare OFFICE OF REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT, ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM Refugee Medical Assistance Conditions of Eligibility for...

Assessing Top-Down and Bottom-Up Contributions to Auditory Stream Segregation and Integration With Polyphonic Music.

Science.gov (United States)

Disbergen, Niels R; Valente, Giancarlo; Formisano, Elia; Zatorre, Robert J

2018-01-01

Polyphonic music listening well exemplifies processes typically involved in daily auditory scene analysis situations, relying on an interactive interplay between bottom-up and top-down processes. Most studies investigating scene analysis have used elementary auditory scenes, however real-world scene analysis is far more complex. In particular, music, contrary to most other natural auditory scenes, can be perceived by either integrating or, under attentive control, segregating sound streams, often carried by different instruments. One of the prominent bottom-up cues contributing to multi-instrument music perception is their timbre difference. In this work, we introduce and validate a novel paradigm designed to investigate, within naturalistic musical auditory scenes, attentive modulation as well as its interaction with bottom-up processes. Two psychophysical experiments are described, employing custom-composed two-voice polyphonic music pieces within a framework implementing a behavioral performance metric to validate listener instructions requiring either integration or segregation of scene elements. In Experiment 1, the listeners' locus of attention was switched between individual instruments or the aggregate (i.e., both instruments together), via a task requiring the detection of temporal modulations (i.e., triplets) incorporated within or across instruments. Subjects responded post-stimulus whether triplets were present in the to-be-attended instrument(s). Experiment 2 introduced the bottom-up manipulation by adding a three-level morphing of instrument timbre distance to the attentional framework. The task was designed to be used within neuroimaging paradigms; Experiment 2 was additionally validated behaviorally in the functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) environment. Experiment 1 subjects ( N = 29, non-musicians) completed the task at high levels of accuracy, showing no group differences between any experimental conditions. Nineteen listeners also

Technical Note: Linking climate change and downed woody debris decomposition across forests of the eastern United States

Science.gov (United States)

Russell, Matthew B.; Woodall, Christopher W.; D'Amato, Anthony W.; Fraver, Shawn; Bradford, John B.

2014-01-01

Forest ecosystems play a critical role in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. Forest carbon (C) is stored through photosynthesis and released via decomposition and combustion. Relative to C fixation in biomass, much less is known about C depletion through decomposition of woody debris, particularly under a changing climate. It is assumed that the increased temperatures and longer growing seasons associated with projected climate change will increase the decomposition rates (i.e., more rapid C cycling) of downed woody debris (DWD); however, the magnitude of this increase has not been previously addressed. Using DWD measurements collected from a national forest inventory of the eastern United States, we show that the residence time of DWD may decrease (i.e., more rapid decomposition) by as much as 13% over the next 200 years, depending on various future climate change scenarios and forest types. Although existing dynamic global vegetation models account for the decomposition process, they typically do not include the effect of a changing climate on DWD decomposition rates. We expect that an increased understanding of decomposition rates, as presented in this current work, will be needed to adequately quantify the fate of woody detritus in future forests. Furthermore, we hope these results will lead to improved models that incorporate climate change scenarios for depicting future dead wood dynamics in addition to a traditional emphasis on live-tree demographics.

Orchestrated structure evolution: accelerating direct-write nanomanufacturing by combining top-down patterning with bottom-up growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kitayaporn, Sathana; Baneyx, Francois; Schwartz, Daniel T [Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1750 (United States); Hoo, Ji Hao; Boehringer, Karl F, E-mail: dts@uw.edu [Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1750 (United States)

2010-05-14

Direct-write nanomanufacturing with scanning beams and probes is flexible and can produce high quality products, but it is normally slow and expensive to raster point-by-point over a pattern. We demonstrate the use of an accelerated direct-write nanomanufacturing method called 'orchestrated structure evolution' (OSE), where a direct-write tool patterns a small number of growth 'seeds' that subsequently grow into the final thin film pattern. Through control of seed size and spacing, it is possible to vary the ratio of 'top-down' to 'bottom-up' character of the patterning processes, ranging from conventional top-down raster patterning to nearly pure bottom-up space-filling via seed growth. Electron beam lithography (EBL) and copper electrodeposition were used to demonstrate trade-offs between process time and product quality over nano- to microlength scales. OSE can reduce process times for high-cost EBL patterning by orders of magnitude, at the expense of longer (but inexpensive) copper electrodeposition processing times. We quantify the degradation of pattern quality that accompanies fast OSE patterning by measuring deviations from the desired patterned area and perimeter. We also show that the density of OSE-induced grain boundaries depends upon the seed separation and size. As the seed size is reduced, the uniformity of an OSE film becomes more dependent on details of seed nucleation processes than normally seen for conventionally patterned films.

Excited State Spectra and Dynamics of Phenyl-Substituted Butadienes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wallace-Williams, Stacie E.; Schwartz, Benjamin J.; Møller, Søren

1994-01-01

indicate that phenyl torsional motion is not important to the excited-state dynamics and reveal alternative excited-state reaction pathways. The results demonstrate how molecular systems that are structually similar can exhibit different electronic properties and excited-state dynamics....

Hard Break-Up of Two-Nucleons and QCD Dynamics of NN Interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sargsian, Misak

2008-01-01

We discus recent developments in theory of high energy two-body break-up of few-nucleon systems. The characteristics of these reactions are such that the hard two-body quasielastic subprocess can be clearly separated from the accompanying soft subprocesses. We discuss in details the hard rescattering model (HRM) in which hard photodisintegration develops in two stages. At first, photon knocks-out an energetic quark which rescatters subsequently with a quark of the other nucleon. The latter provides a mechanism of sharing the initial high momentum of the photon between two outgoing nucleons. This final state hard rescattering can be expressed through the hard NN scattering amplitude. Within HRM we discuss hard break-up reactions involving D and 3 He targets and demonstrate how these reactions are sensitive to the dynamics of hard pn and pp interaction. Another development of HRM is the prediction of new helicity selection mechanism for hard two-body reactions, which was apparently confirmed in the recent JLab experiment.

Nonadiabatic excited-state molecular dynamics: On-the-fly limiting of essential excited states

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nelson, Tammie [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Naumov, Artem [Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow 143026 (Russian Federation); Fernandez-Alberti, Sebastian [Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Roque Saenz Pea 352, B1876BXD Bernal (Argentina); Tretiak, Sergei, E-mail: serg@lanl.gov [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States)

2016-12-20

The simulation of nonadiabatic dynamics in extended molecular systems involving hundreds of atoms and large densities of states is particularly challenging. Nonadiabatic coupling terms (NACTs) represent a significant numerical bottleneck in surface hopping approaches. Rather than using unreliable NACT cutting schemes, here we develop “on-the-fly” state limiting methods to eliminate states that are no longer essential for the non-radiative relaxation dynamics as a trajectory proceeds. We propose a state number criteria and an energy-based state limit. The latter is more physically relevant by requiring a user-imposed energy threshold. For this purpose, we introduce a local kinetic energy gauge by summing contributions from atoms within the spatial localization of the electronic wavefunction to define the energy available for upward hops. The proposed state limiting schemes are implemented within the nonadiabatic excited-state molecular dynamics framework to simulate photoinduced relaxation in poly-phenylene vinylene (PPV) and branched poly-phenylene ethynylene (PPE) oligomers for benchmark evaluation.

Episodic memory deficits slow down the dynamics of cognitive procedural learning in normal ageing

Science.gov (United States)

Beaunieux, Hélène; Hubert, Valérie; Pitel, Anne Lise; Desgranges, Béatrice; Eustache, Francis

2009-01-01

Cognitive procedural learning is characterized by three phases, each involving distinct processes. Considering the implication of the episodic memory in the first cognitive stage, the impairment of this memory system might be responsible for a slowing down of the cognitive procedural learning dynamics in the course of aging. Performances of massed cognitive procedural learning were evaluated in older and younger participants using the Tower of Toronto task. Nonverbal intelligence and psychomotor abilities were used to analyze procedural dynamics, while episodic memory and working memory were assessed to measure their respective contributions to learning strategies. This experiment showed that older participants did not spontaneously invoke episodic memory and presented a slowdown in the cognitive procedural learning associated with a late involvement of working memory. These findings suggest that the slowdown in the cognitive procedural learning may be linked with the implementation of different learning strategies less involving episodic memory in older subjects. PMID:18654928

Online Synchrophasor-Based Dynamic State Estimation using Real-Time Digital Simulator

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Khazraj, Hesam; Adewole, Adeyemi Charles; Udaya, Annakkage

2018-01-01

Dynamic state estimation is a very important control center application used in the dynamic monitoring of state variables. This paper presents and validates a time-synchronized phasor measurement unit (PMU)-based for dynamic state estimation by unscented Kalman filter (UKF) method using the real-...... using the RTDS (real-time digital simulator). The dynamic state variables of multi-machine systems are monitored and measured for the study on the transient behavior of power systems.......Dynamic state estimation is a very important control center application used in the dynamic monitoring of state variables. This paper presents and validates a time-synchronized phasor measurement unit (PMU)-based for dynamic state estimation by unscented Kalman filter (UKF) method using the real......-time digital simulator (RTDS). The dynamic state variables of the system are the rotor angle and speed of the generators. The performance of the UKF method is tested with PMU measurements as inputs using the IEEE 14-bus test system. This test system was modeled in the RSCAD software and tested in real time...

Dynamic changes of histone H3 marks during Caenorhabditis elegans lifecycle revealed by middle-down proteomics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sidoli, Simone; Vandamme, Julien; Elisabetta Salcini, Anna

2016-01-01

We applied a middle-down proteomics strategy for large scale protein analysis during in vivo development of Caenorhabditis elegans. We characterized post-translational modifications (PTMs) on histone H3 N-terminal tails at eight time points during the C. elegans lifecycle, including embryo, larval......-occurring PTMs. We measured temporally distinct combinatorial PTM profiles during C. elegans development. We show that the doubly modified form H3K23me3K27me3, which is rare or non-existent in mammals, is the most abundant PTM in all stages of C. elegans lifecycle. The abundance of H3K23me3 increased during...... that is transmitted during dauer formation. Collectively, our data describe the dynamics of histone H3 combinatorial code during C. elegans lifecycle and demonstrate the feasibility of using middle-down proteomics to study in vivo development of multicellular organisms. This article is protected by copyright. All...

Study of Movement Speeds Down Stairs

CERN Document Server

Hoskins, Bryan L

2013-01-01

The Study of Movement Speeds Down Stairs closely examines forty-three unique case studies on movement patterns down stairwells. These studies include observations made during evacuation drills, others made during normal usage, interviews with people after fire evacuations, recommendations made from compiled studies, and detailed results from laboratory studies. The methodology used in each study for calculating density and movement speed, when known, are also presented, and this book identifies an additional seventeen variables linked to altering movement speeds. The Study of Movement Speeds Down Stairs is intended for researchers as a reference guide for evaluating pedestrian evacuation dynamics down stairwells. Practitioners working in a related field may also find this book invaluable.

A semi-analytical solution to accelerate spin-up of a coupled carbon and nitrogen land model to steady state

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Y. Xia

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The spin-up of land models to steady state of coupled carbon–nitrogen processes is computationally so costly that it becomes a bottleneck issue for global analysis. In this study, we introduced a semi-analytical solution (SAS for the spin-up issue. SAS is fundamentally based on the analytic solution to a set of equations that describe carbon transfers within ecosystems over time. SAS is implemented by three steps: (1 having an initial spin-up with prior pool-size values until net primary productivity (NPP reaches stabilization, (2 calculating quasi-steady-state pool sizes by letting fluxes of the equations equal zero, and (3 having a final spin-up to meet the criterion of steady state. Step 2 is enabled by averaged time-varying variables over one period of repeated driving forcings. SAS was applied to both site-level and global scale spin-up of the Australian Community Atmosphere Biosphere Land Exchange (CABLE model. For the carbon-cycle-only simulations, SAS saved 95.7% and 92.4% of computational time for site-level and global spin-up, respectively, in comparison with the traditional method (a long-term iterative simulation to achieve the steady states of variables. For the carbon–nitrogen coupled simulations, SAS reduced computational cost by 84.5% and 86.6% for site-level and global spin-up, respectively. The estimated steady-state pool sizes represent the ecosystem carbon storage capacity, which was 12.1 kg C m⁻² with the coupled carbon–nitrogen global model, 14.6% lower than that with the carbon-only model. The nitrogen down-regulation in modeled carbon storage is partly due to the 4.6% decrease in carbon influx (i.e., net primary productivity and partly due to the 10.5% reduction in residence times. This steady-state analysis accelerated by the SAS method can facilitate comparative studies of structural differences in determining the ecosystem carbon storage capacity among biogeochemical models. Overall, the

Selective-field-ionization dynamics of a lithium m=2 Rydberg state: Landau-Zener model versus quantal approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foerre, M.; Hansen, J.P.

2003-01-01

The selective-field-ionization (SFI) dynamics of a Rydberg state of lithium with magnetic quantum number m=2 is studied in detail based on two different theoretical models: (1) a close coupling integration of the Schroedinger equation and (2) the multichannel (incoherent) Landau-Zener (MLZ) model. The m=2 states are particularly interesting, since they define a border zone between fully adiabatic (m=0,1) and fully diabatic (m>2) ionization dynamics. Both sets of calculations are performed up to, and above, the classical ionization limit. It is found that the MLZ model is excellent in the description of the fully diabatic dynamics while certain discrepancies between the time dependent quantal amplitudes appear when the dynamics become involved. Thus, in this region, the analysis of experimental SFI spectra should be performed with care

Approaches in studying the pharmacology of Chinese Medicine formulas: bottom-up, top-down-and meeting in the middle.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Tao; Zhong, Linda L D; Lin, Chen-Yuan; Zhao, Ling; Ning, Zi-Wan; Hu, Dong-Dong; Zhang, Man; Tian, Ke; Cheng, Chung-Wah; Bian, Zhao-Xiang

2018-01-01

Investigating the pharmacology is key to the modernization of Chinese Medicine (CM) formulas. However, identifying which are the active compound(s) of CM formulas, which biological entities they target, and through which signaling pathway(s) they act to modify disease symptoms, are still difficult tasks for researchers, even when equipped with an arsenal of advanced modern technologies. Multiple approaches, including network pharmacology, pharmaco-genomics, -proteomics, and -metabolomics, have been developed to study the pharmacology of CM formulas. They fall into two general categories in terms of how they tackle a problem: bottom-up and top-down. In this article, we compared these two different approaches in several dimensions by using the case of MaZiRenWan (MZRW, also known as Hemp Seed Pill), a CM herbal formula for functional constipation. Multiple hypotheses are easy to be proposed in the bottom-up approach (e.g. network pharmacology); but these hypotheses are usually false positives and hard to be tested. In contrast, it is hard to suggest hypotheses in the top-down approach (e.g. pharmacometabolomics); however, once a hypothesis is proposed, it is much easier to be tested. Merging of these two approaches could results in a powerful approach, which could be the new paradigm for the pharmacological study of CM formulas.

Controlling the dynamics of multi-state neural networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin, Tao; Zhao, Hong

2008-01-01

In this paper, we first analyze the distribution of local fields (DLF) which is induced by the memory patterns in the Q-Ising model. It is found that the structure of the DLF is closely correlated with the network dynamics and the system performance. However, the design rule adopted in the Q-Ising model, like the other rules adopted for multi-state neural networks with associative memories, cannot be applied to directly control the DLF for a given set of memory patterns, and thus cannot be applied to further study the relationships between the structure of the DLF and the dynamics of the network. We then extend a design rule, which was presented recently for designing binary-state neural networks, to make it suitable for designing general multi-state neural networks. This rule is able to control the structure of the DLF as expected. We show that controlling the DLF not only can affect the dynamic behaviors of the multi-state neural networks for a given set of memory patterns, but also can improve the storage capacity. With the change of the DLF, the network shows very rich dynamic behaviors, such as the 'chaos phase', the 'memory phase', and the 'mixture phase'. These dynamic behaviors are also observed in the binary-state neural networks; therefore, our results imply that they may be the universal behaviors of feedback neural networks

Capturing Dynamics in the Power Grid: Formulation of Dynamic State Estimation through Data Assimilation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Ning [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Huang, Zhenyu [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Meng, Da [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Elbert, Stephen T. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Wang, Shaobu [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Diao, Ruisheng [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2014-03-31

With the increasing complexity resulting from uncertainties and stochastic variations introduced by intermittent renewable energy sources, responsive loads, mobile consumption of plug-in vehicles, and new market designs, more and more dynamic behaviors are observed in everyday power system operation. To operate a power system efficiently and reliably, it is critical to adopt a dynamic paradigm so that effective control actions can be taken in time. The dynamic paradigm needs to include three fundamental components: dynamic state estimation; look-ahead dynamic simulation; and dynamic contingency analysis (Figure 1). These three components answer three basic questions: where the system is; where the system is going; and how secure the system is against accidents. The dynamic state estimation provides a solid cornerstone to support the other 2 components and is the focus of this study.

Suspension state increases reattachment of breast cancer cells by up-regulating lamin A/C.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaomei; Lv, Yonggang

2017-12-01

Extravasation is a rate-limiting step of tumor metastasis, for which adhesion to endothelium of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is the prerequisite. The suspension state of CTCs undergoing detachment from primary tumor is a persistent biomechanical cue, which potentially regulates the biophysical characteristics and cellular behaviors of tumor cells. In this study, breast tumor cells MDA-MB-231 in suspension culture condition were used to investigate the effect of suspension state on reattachment of CTCs. Our study demonstrated that suspension state significantly increased the adhesion ability of breast tumor cells. In addition, suspension state markedly promoted the formation of stress fibers and focal adhesions and reduced the motility in reattached breast cancer cells. Moreover, lamin A/C was reversibly accumulated at posttranscriptional level under suspension state, improving the cell stiffness of reattached breast cancer cells. Disruption of actin cytoskeleton by cytochalasin D caused lamin A/C accumulation. Conversely, decreasing actomyosin contraction by ROCK inhibitor Y27632 reduced lamin A/C level. Knocking down lamin A/C weakened the suspension-induced increase of adhesion, and also abolished the suspension-induced decrease of motility and increase of stress fibers and focal adhesion in reattaching tumor cells, suggesting a crucial role of lamin A/C. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that suspension state promoted the reattachment of breast tumor cells by up-regulating lamin A/C via cytoskeleton disruption. These findings highlight the important role of suspension state for tumor cells in tumor metastasis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spontaneous Up states in vitro: a single-metric index of the functional maturation and regional differentiation of the cerebral cortex

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavlos eRigas

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Understanding the development and differentiation of the neocortex remains a central focus of neuroscience. While previous studies have examined isolated aspects of cellular and synaptic organization, an integrated functional index of the cortical microcircuit is still lacking. Here we aimed to provide such an index, in the form of spontaneously recurring periods of persistent network activity -or Up states- recorded in mouse cortical slices. These coordinated network dynamics emerge through the orchestrated regulation of multiple cellular and synaptic elements and represent the default activity of the cortical microcircuit. To explore whether spontaneous Up states can capture developmental changes in intracortical networks we obtained local field potential recordings throughout the mouse lifespan. Two independent and complementary methodologies revealed that Up state activity is systematically modified by age, with the largest changes occurring during early development and adolescence. To explore possible regional heterogeneities we also compared the development of Up states in two distinct cortical areas and show that primary somatosensory cortex develops at a faster pace than primary motor cortex. Our findings suggest that in vitro Up states can serve as a functional index of cortical development and differentiation and can provide a baseline for comparing experimental and/or genetic mouse models.

Spontaneous Up states in vitro: a single-metric index of the functional maturation and regional differentiation of the cerebral cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Rigas, Pavlos; Adamos, Dimitrios A; Sigalas, Charalambos; Tsakanikas, Panagiotis; Laskaris, Nikolaos A; Skaliora, Irini

2015-01-01

Understanding the development and differentiation of the neocortex remains a central focus of neuroscience. While previous studies have examined isolated aspects of cellular and synaptic organization, an integrated functional index of the cortical microcircuit is still lacking. Here we aimed to provide such an index, in the form of spontaneously recurring periods of persistent network activity -or Up states- recorded in mouse cortical slices. These coordinated network dynamics emerge through the orchestrated regulation of multiple cellular and synaptic elements and represent the default activity of the cortical microcircuit. To explore whether spontaneous Up states can capture developmental changes in intracortical networks we obtained local field potential recordings throughout the mouse lifespan. Two independent and complementary methodologies revealed that Up state activity is systematically modified by age, with the largest changes occurring during early development and adolescence. To explore possible regional heterogeneities we also compared the development of Up states in two distinct cortical areas and show that primary somatosensory cortex develops at a faster pace than primary motor cortex. Our findings suggest that in vitro Up states can serve as a functional index of cortical development and differentiation and can provide a baseline for comparing experimental and/or genetic mouse models.

Scaling up from the grassroots and the top down: The impacts of multi-level governance on community forestry in Durango, Mexico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gustavo A García-López

2013-08-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes the local-level impacts of cross-scale linkages in Mexican community forestry by evaluating the operation of four inter-community forest associations (FAs. Based on one year of fieldwork in Durango, Mexico, the paper focuses on two inter-related issues: (1 the services that each association provides to their member communities and how they impact forest management and the development of communities’ forestry enterprises, and (2 the differences in services and impacts between top-down and bottom-up FAs. The findings show that FAs, as a form of cross-scale linkage, can be crucial for the provision of services, goods and infrastructure related to the protection and enhancement of community forests, the economic development of community enterprises, and the political representation of these communities. At the same time, the study finds important differences between top-down and bottom-up FAs, while pointing to some of the disadvantages of each type of linkage.

Assessing Top-Down and Bottom-Up Contributions to Auditory Stream Segregation and Integration With Polyphonic Music

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Niels R. Disbergen

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Polyphonic music listening well exemplifies processes typically involved in daily auditory scene analysis situations, relying on an interactive interplay between bottom-up and top-down processes. Most studies investigating scene analysis have used elementary auditory scenes, however real-world scene analysis is far more complex. In particular, music, contrary to most other natural auditory scenes, can be perceived by either integrating or, under attentive control, segregating sound streams, often carried by different instruments. One of the prominent bottom-up cues contributing to multi-instrument music perception is their timbre difference. In this work, we introduce and validate a novel paradigm designed to investigate, within naturalistic musical auditory scenes, attentive modulation as well as its interaction with bottom-up processes. Two psychophysical experiments are described, employing custom-composed two-voice polyphonic music pieces within a framework implementing a behavioral performance metric to validate listener instructions requiring either integration or segregation of scene elements. In Experiment 1, the listeners' locus of attention was switched between individual instruments or the aggregate (i.e., both instruments together, via a task requiring the detection of temporal modulations (i.e., triplets incorporated within or across instruments. Subjects responded post-stimulus whether triplets were present in the to-be-attended instrument(s. Experiment 2 introduced the bottom-up manipulation by adding a three-level morphing of instrument timbre distance to the attentional framework. The task was designed to be used within neuroimaging paradigms; Experiment 2 was additionally validated behaviorally in the functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI environment. Experiment 1 subjects (N = 29, non-musicians completed the task at high levels of accuracy, showing no group differences between any experimental conditions. Nineteen

Dynamic defense workshop :

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crosby, Sean Michael; Doak, Justin E.; Haas, Jason Juedes.; Helinski, Ryan; Lamb, Christopher C.

2013-02-01

On September 5th and 6th, 2012, the Dynamic Defense Workshop: From Research to Practice brought together researchers from academia, industry, and Sandia with the goals of increasing collaboration between Sandia National Laboratories and external organizations, de ning and un- derstanding dynamic, or moving target, defense concepts and directions, and gaining a greater understanding of the state of the art for dynamic defense. Through the workshop, we broadened and re ned our de nition and understanding, identi ed new approaches to inherent challenges, and de ned principles of dynamic defense. Half of the workshop was devoted to presentations of current state-of-the-art work. Presentation topics included areas such as the failure of current defenses, threats, techniques, goals of dynamic defense, theory, foundations of dynamic defense, future directions and open research questions related to dynamic defense. The remainder of the workshop was discussion, which was broken down into sessions on de ning challenges, applications to host or mobile environments, applications to enterprise network environments, exploring research and operational taxonomies, and determining how to apply scienti c rigor to and investigating the eld of dynamic defense.

Fuel cell/back-up battery hybrid energy conversion systems: Dynamic modeling and harmonic considerations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fathabadi, Hassan

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Novel technique to completely eliminate the harmful harmonics of fuel cell system. • Presenting a novel high accurate detailed electrochemical dynamic model of fuel cells. • Back-up battery system to compensate the slow dynamic response of fuel cell system. • Exact analysis of real electrochemical reactions occurring inside fuel cells. - Abstract: In this study, a novel dynamic model of fuel cells is presented. High accurate static and dynamic responses of the proposed model are experimentally validated by comparing simulated results with real experimental data. The obtained model together with theoretical results shows that a fuel cell or a fuel cell stack has very slow dynamic response, so that, it cannot adapt itself to the fast variations in load demand. It is shown that for adapting well a fuel cell stack to the load demand, the stack should be equipped with a proposed back-up battery system which compensates the slow dynamic response of the stack by providing a bidirectional path to transmit/absorb the extra instant power. It is proved that the conventional switching waveforms used in the converters of the stacks and back-up systems produce an enormous amount of harmful harmonics. Then, a novel technique is proposed to completely eliminate main harmful harmonics. It is worthwhile to note that all the other techniques only reduce the harmful harmonics. Simulated results verify that the back-up battery system together with applying the proposed technique provide a fast dynamic response for the fuel cell/back-up battery system, and also completely eliminate the main harmful harmonics

Non-adiabatic Excited State Molecule Dynamics Modeling of Photochemistry and Photophysics of Materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nelson, Tammie Renee [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Tretiak, Sergei [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-01-06

Understanding and controlling excited state dynamics lies at the heart of all our efforts to design photoactive materials with desired functionality. This tailor-design approach has become the standard for many technological applications (e.g., solar energy harvesting) including the design of organic conjugated electronic materials with applications in photovoltaic and light-emitting devices. Over the years, our team has developed efficient LANL-based codes to model the relevant photophysical processes following photoexcitation (spatial energy transfer, excitation localization/delocalization, and/or charge separation). The developed approach allows the non-radiative relaxation to be followed on up to ~10 ps timescales for large realistic molecules (hundreds of atoms in size) in the realistic solvent dielectric environment. The Collective Electronic Oscillator (CEO) code is used to compute electronic excited states, and the Non-adiabatic Excited State Molecular Dynamics (NA-ESMD) code is used to follow the non-adiabatic dynamics on multiple coupled Born-Oppenheimer potential energy surfaces. Our preliminary NA-ESMD simulations have revealed key photoinduced mechanisms controlling competing interactions and relaxation pathways in complex materials, including organic conjugated polymer materials, and have provided a detailed understanding of photochemical products and intermediates and the internal conversion process during the initiation of energetic materials. This project will be using LANL-based CEO and NA-ESMD codes to model nonradiative relaxation in organic and energetic materials. The NA-ESMD and CEO codes belong to a class of electronic structure/quantum chemistry codes that require large memory, “long-queue-few-core” distribution of resources in order to make useful progress. The NA-ESMD simulations are trivially parallelizable requiring ~300 processors for up to one week runtime to reach a meaningful restart point.

The changing contribution of top-down and bottom-up limitation of mesopredators during 220 years of land use and climate change

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pasanen-Mortensen, Marianne; Elmhagen, Bodil; Lindén, Harto; Bergström, Roger; Wallgren, Märtha; van der Velde, Ype; Cousins, Sara A.O.

2017-01-01

Apex predators may buffer bottom-up driven ecosystem change, as top-down suppression may dampen herbivore and mesopredator responses to increased resource availability. However, theory suggests that for this buffering capacity to be realized, the equilibrium abundance of apex predators must

State-to-state photodissociation dynamics of triatomic molecules: H2O in the B band

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang Bin; Xie Daiqian; Guo Hua

2012-01-01

State-to-state photodissociation dynamics of H 2 O in its B band has been investigated quantum mechanically on a new set of non-adiabatically coupled potential energy surfaces for the lowest two 1 A' states of H 2 O, which are developed at the internally contracted multi-reference configuration interaction level with the aug-cc-pVQZ basis set. Quantum dynamical calculations carried out using the Chebyshev propagator yield absorption spectra, product state distributions, branching ratios, and differential cross sections, which are in reasonably good agreement with the latest experimental results. Particular focus is placed here on the dependence of various dynamical observables on the photon energy. Detailed analyses of the dynamics have assigned the diffuse structure in absorption spectrum to short-time recurring dynamics near the HOH conical intersection. The non-adiabatic dissociation to the ground state OH product via the HOH conical intersection is facile, direct, fast, and produces rotationally hot OH(X-tilde) products. On the other hand, the adiabatic channel on the excited state leading to the OH(A-tilde) product is dominated by long-lived resonances, which depend sensitively on the potential energy surfaces.

Using Top-down and Bottom-up Costing Approaches in LMICs: The Case for Using Both to Assess the Incremental Costs of New Technologies at Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Cunnama, Lucy; Sinanovic, Edina; Ramma, Lebogang; Foster, Nicola; Berrie, Leigh; Stevens, Wendy; Molapo, Sebaka; Marokane, Puleng; McCarthy, Kerrigan; Churchyard, Gavin; Vassall, Anna

2016-02-01

Estimating the incremental costs of scaling-up novel technologies in low-income and middle-income countries is a methodologically challenging and substantial empirical undertaking, in the absence of routine cost data collection. We demonstrate a best practice pragmatic approach to estimate the incremental costs of new technologies in low-income and middle-income countries, using the example of costing the scale-up of Xpert Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB)/resistance to riframpicin (RIF) in South Africa. We estimate costs, by applying two distinct approaches of bottom-up and top-down costing, together with an assessment of processes and capacity. The unit costs measured using the different methods of bottom-up and top-down costing, respectively, are $US16.9 and $US33.5 for Xpert MTB/RIF, and $US6.3 and $US8.5 for microscopy. The incremental cost of Xpert MTB/RIF is estimated to be between $US14.7 and $US17.7. While the average cost of Xpert MTB/RIF was higher than previous studies using standard methods, the incremental cost of Xpert MTB/RIF was found to be lower. Costs estimates are highly dependent on the method used, so an approach, which clearly identifies resource-use data collected from a bottom-up or top-down perspective, together with capacity measurement, is recommended as a pragmatic approach to capture true incremental cost where routine cost data are scarce. © 2016 The Authors. Health Economics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Early Anthropogenic Hypothesis: Top-Down and Bottom-up Evidence

Science.gov (United States)

Ruddiman, W. F.

2014-12-01

Two complementary lines of evidence support the early anthropogenic hypothesis. Top-down evidence comes from comparing Holocene greenhouse-gas trends with those during equivalent intervals of previous interglaciations. The increases in CO2 and CH4 during the late Holocene are anomalous compared to the decreasing trends in a stacked average of previous interglaciations, thereby supporting an anthropogenic origin. During interglacial stage 19, the closest Holocene insolation analog, CO2 fell to 245 ppm by the time equivalent to the present, in contrast to the observed pre-industrial rise to 280-285 ppm. The 245-ppm level measured in stage 19 falls at the top of the natural range predicted by the original anthropogenic hypothesis of Ruddiman (2003). Bottom-up evidence comes from a growing list of archeological and other compilations showing major early anthropogenic transformations of Earth's surface. Key examples include: efforts by Dorian Fuller and colleagues mapping the spread of irrigated rice agriculture across southern Asia and its effects on CH4 emissions prior to the industrial era; an additional effort by Fuller showing the spread of methane-emitting domesticated livestock across Asia and Africa (coincident with the spread of fertile crescent livestock across Europe); historical compilations by Jed Kaplan and colleagues documenting very high early per-capita forest clearance in Europe, thus underpinning simulations of extensive pre-industrial clearance and large CO2 emissions; and wide-ranging studies by Erle Ellis and colleagues of early anthropogenic land transformations in China and elsewhere.

Scale up, then power down

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pichon, Max

2011-01-01

Full text: The University of Queensland has switched on what it says is Australia's largest solar photovoltaic installation, a 1.2MW system that spans 11 rooftops at the St Lucia campus. The UQ Solar Array, which effectively coats four buildings with more than 5,000 polycrystalline silicon solar panels, will generate about 1,850MWh a year. “During the day, the system will provide up to six per cent of the university's power requirements, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 1,650 tonnes of CO 2 -e per annum,”said Rodger Whitby, the GM of generation for renewables company Ingenero. It also underpins a number of cutting-edge research projects in diverse fields, according to Professor Paul Meredith, who oversaw the design and installation of the solar array. “A major objective of our array research program is to provide a clearer understanding of how to integrate megawatt- scale renewable energy sources into an urban grid,” said Professor Meredith, of the School of Mathematics and Physics and Global Change Institute. “Mid-size, commercial-scale renewable power generating systems like UQ's will become increasingly common in urban and remote areas. Addressing the engineering issues around how these systems can feed into and integrate with the grid is essential so that people can really understand and calculate their value as we transition to lower-emission forms of energy.” Electricity retailer Energex contributed $90,000 to the research project through state-of-the- art equipment to allow high-quality monitoring and analysis of the power feed. Another key research project addresses one of the most common criticisms of solar power: that it cannot replace baseload grid power. Through a partnership with Brisbane electricity storage technology company RedFlow, a 200kW battery bank will be connected to a 339kW section of the solar array. “The RedFlow system uses next-generation zinc bromine batteries,” Professor Meredith said. �

Top-down proteomics for the analysis of proteolytic events - Methods, applications and perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Tholey, Andreas; Becker, Alexander

2017-11-01

Mass spectrometry based proteomics is an indispensable tool for almost all research areas relevant for the understanding of proteolytic processing, ranging from the identification of substrates, products and cleavage sites up to the analysis of structural features influencing protease activity. The majority of methods for these studies are based on bottom-up proteomics performing analysis at peptide level. As this approach is characterized by a number of pitfalls, e.g. loss of molecular information, there is an ongoing effort to establish top-down proteomics, performing separation and MS analysis both at intact protein level. We briefly introduce major approaches of bottom-up proteomics used in the field of protease research and highlight the shortcomings of these methods. We then discuss the present state-of-the-art of top-down proteomics. Together with the discussion of known challenges we show the potential of this approach and present a number of successful applications of top-down proteomics in protease research. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Proteolysis as a Regulatory Event in Pathophysiology edited by Stefan Rose-John. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lactoferrin: Balancing Ups and Downs of Inflammation Due to Microbial Infections

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Elisa Drago-Serrano

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Lactoferrin (Lf is a glycoprotein of the primary innate immune-defense system of mammals present in milk and other mucosal secretions. This protein of the transferrin family has broad antimicrobial properties by depriving pathogens from iron, or disrupting their plasma membranes through its highly cationic charge. Noteworthy, Lf also exhibits immunomodulatory activities performing up- and down-regulation of innate and adaptive immune cells, contributing to the homeostasis in mucosal surfaces exposed to myriad of microbial agents, such as the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts. Although the inflammatory process is essential for the control of invasive infectious agents, the development of an exacerbated or chronic inflammation results in tissue damage with life-threatening consequences. In this review, we highlight recent findings in in vitro and in vivo models of the gut, lung, oral cavity, mammary gland, and liver infections that provide experimental evidence supporting the therapeutic role of human and bovine Lf in promoting some parameters of inflammation and protecting against the deleterious effects of bacterial, viral, fungal and protozoan-associated inflammation. Thus, this new knowledge of Lf immunomodulation paves the way to more effective design of treatments that include native or synthetic Lf derivatives, which may be useful to reduce immune-mediated tissue damage in infectious diseases.

Comparing the Immediate Effects of a Total Motion Release Warm-up and a Dynamic Warm-up Protocol on the Dominant Shoulder in Baseball Athletes.

Science.gov (United States)

Gamma, Stephen C; Baker, Russell; May, James; Seegmiller, Jeff G; Nasypany, Alan; Iorio, Steven M

2018-04-10

Gamma, SC, Baker, R, May, J, Seegmiller, JG, Nasypany, A, and Iorio, SM. Comparing the immediate effects of a total motion release warm-up and a dynamic warm-up protocol on the dominant shoulder in baseball athletes. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2017-A decrease in total range of motion (ROM) of the dominant shoulder may predispose baseball athletes to increased shoulder injury risk; the most effective technique for improving ROM is unknown. The purpose of this study was to compare the immediate effects of Total Motion Release (TMR) to a generic dynamic warm-up program in baseball athletes. Baseball athletes (n = 20) were randomly assigned to an intervention group: TMR group (TMRG; n = 10) or traditional warm-up group (TWG; n = 10). Shoulder ROM measurements were recorded for internal rotation (IR) and external rotation (ER), the intervention was applied, and postmeasurements were recorded. Each group then received the other intervention and postmeasurements were again recorded. The time main effect (p ≤ 0.001) and the time × group interaction effect were significant (p ≤ 0.001) for IR and ER. Post hoc analysis revealed that TMR produced significant increases in mean IR (p ≤ 0.005, d = 1.52) and ER (p ≤ 0.018, d = 1.22) of the dominant shoulder initially. When groups crossed-over, the TMRG experienced a decrease in mean IR and ER after the dynamic warm-up, whereas the TWG experienced a significant increase in mean IR (p ≤ 0.001, d = 3.08) and ER (p ≤ 0.001, d = 2.56) after TMR intervention. Total Motion Release increased IR and ER of the dominant shoulder more than a dynamic warm-up. Dynamic warm-up after TMR also resulted in decreased IR and ER; however, TMR after dynamic warm-up significantly improved IR and ER. Based on these results, TMR is more effective than a generic dynamic warm-up for improving dominant shoulder ROM in baseball players.

Ceramide-induced TCR up-regulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Menné, C; Lauritsen, Jens Peter Holst; Dietrich, J

2000-01-01

to increase T cell responsiveness. The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize potential pathways for TCR up-regulation. We found that ceramide affected TCR recycling dynamics and induced TCR up-regulation in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Experiments applying phosphatase......The TCR is a constitutively recycling receptor meaning that a constant fraction of TCR from the plasma membrane is transported inside the cell at the same time as a constant fraction of TCR from the intracellular pool is transported to the plasma membrane. TCR recycling is affected by protein...... kinase C activity. Thus, an increase in protein kinase C activity affects TCR recycling kinetics leading to a new TCR equilibrium with a reduced level of TCR expressed at the T cell surface. Down-regulation of TCR expression compromises T cell activation. Conversely, TCR up-regulation is expected...

Gripper driving device for moving a fuel up and down in a reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hatakenaka, Hideo.

1975-01-01

Object: To use a rope in one system to effect upward and downward movement of the gripper and opening and closing operation of a gripper opening and closing pawl to make the device smaller and the mechanism simpler. Structure: The device comprises two rope winding drums synchronously driven by a driving source for upward and downward movement of a gripper, a guide pulley arranged upwardly of each rope winding drum and displaced in relatively up and down opposite direction by a pawl operating portion for opening and closing the gripper, a gripper provided with a double-arm oscillating lever for suspending and supporting a rope and operating the opening and closing pawl supported within the gripper body and an actuator for operating the opening and closing pawl interlocked and connected to said lever, and two ropes mounted on the double arm lever of the gripper passing over the guide pulleys from the winding drums. (Kamimura, M.)

A combined bottom-up/top-down approach to prepare a sterile injectable nanosuspension.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Xi; Chen, Xi; Zhang, Ling; Lin, Xia; Zhang, Yu; Tang, Xing; Wang, Yanjiao

2014-09-10

To prepare a uniform nanosuspension of strongly hydrophobic riboflavin laurate (RFL) allowing sterile filtration, physical modification (bottom-up) was combined with high-pressure homogenization (top-down) method. Unlike other bottom-up approaches, physical modification with surfactants (TPGS and PL-100) by lyophilization controlled crystallization and compensated for the poor wettability of RFL. On one hand, crystal growth and aggregation during freezing was restricted by a stabilizer-layer adsorbed on the drug surface by hydrophobic interaction. On the other hand, subsequent crystallization of drug in the sublimation process was limited to the interstitial spaces between solvent crystals. After lyophilization, modified drug with a smaller particle size and better wettability was obtained. When adding surfactant solution, water molecules passed between the hydrophilic groups of surface active molecules and activated the polymer chains allowing them to stretch into water. The coarse suspension was crushed into a nanosuspension (MP=162 nm) by high-pressure homogenization. For long term stability, lyophilization was applied again to solidify the nanosuspension (sorbitol as cryoprotectant). A slight crystal growth to about 600 nm was obtained to allow slow release for a sustained effect after muscular administration. Moreover, no paw-licking responses and very slight muscular inflammation demonstrated the excellent biocompatibility of this long-acting RFL injection. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

ACUTE EFFECTS OF A RESISTED DYNAMIC WARM-UP PROTOCOL ON JUMPING PERFORMANCE

Science.gov (United States)

Cilli, M; Yildiz, S; Saglam, T; Camur, MH

2014-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the kinematic and kinetic changes when resistance is applied in horizontal and vertical directions, produced by using different percentages of body weight, caused by jumping movements during a dynamic warm-up. The group of subjects consisted of 35 voluntary male athletes (19 basketball and 16 volleyball players; age: 23.4 ± 1.4 years, training experience: 9.6 ± 2.7 years; height: 177.2 ± 5.7 cm, body weight: 69.9 ± 6.9 kg) studying Physical Education, who had a jump training background and who were training for 2 hours, on 4 days in a week. A dynamic warm-up protocol containing seven specific resistance movements with specific resistance corresponding to different percentages of body weight (2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 10%) was applied randomly on non consecutive days. Effects of different warm-up protocols were assessed by pre-/post- exercise changes in jump height in the countermovement jump (CMJ) and the squat jump (SJ) measured using a force platform and changes in hip and knee joint angles at the end of the eccentric phase measured using a video camera. A significant increase in jump height was observed in the dynamic resistance warm-up conducted with different percentages of body weight (p 0.05). In jump movements before and after the warm-up, while no significant difference between the vertical ground reaction forces applied by athletes was observed (p > 0.05), in some cases of resistance, a significant reduction was observed in hip and knee joint angles (p jumping movements, as well as an increase in jump height values. As a result, dynamic warm-up exercises could be applicable in cases of resistance corresponding to 6-10% of body weight applied in horizontal and vertical directions in order to increase the jump performance acutely. PMID:25435670

Effect of wetting-layer density of states on the gain and phase recovery dynamics of quantum-dot semiconductor optical amplifiers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jungho; Yu, Bong-Ahn

2015-01-01

We numerically investigate the effect of the wetting-layer (WL) density of states on the gain and phase recovery dynamics of quantum-dot semiconductor optical amplifiers in both electrical and optical pumping schemes by solving 1088 coupled rate equations. The temporal variations of the ultrafast gain and phase recovery responses at the ground state (GS) are calculated as a function of the WL density of states. The ultrafast gain recovery responses do not significantly depend on the WL density of states in the electrical pumping scheme and the three optical pumping schemes such as the optical pumping to the WL, the optical pumping to the excited state ensemble, and the optical pumping to the GS ensemble. The ultrafast phase recovery responses are also not significantly affected by the WL density of states except the optical pumping to the WL, where the phase recovery component caused by the WL becomes slowed down as the WL density of states increases. (paper)

Principal States of Dynamic Functional Connectivity Reveal the Link Between Resting-State and Task-State Brain: An fMRI Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Lin; Zhu, Yang; Sun, Junfeng; Deng, Lifu; He, Naying; Yang, Yang; Ling, Huawei; Ayaz, Hasan; Fu, Yi; Tong, Shanbao

2018-01-25

Task-related reorganization of functional connectivity (FC) has been widely investigated. Under classic static FC analysis, brain networks under task and rest have been demonstrated a general similarity. However, brain activity and cognitive process are believed to be dynamic and adaptive. Since static FC inherently ignores the distinct temporal patterns between rest and task, dynamic FC may be more a suitable technique to characterize the brain's dynamic and adaptive activities. In this study, we adopted [Formula: see text]-means clustering to investigate task-related spatiotemporal reorganization of dynamic brain networks and hypothesized that dynamic FC would be able to reveal the link between resting-state and task-state brain organization, including broadly similar spatial patterns but distinct temporal patterns. In order to test this hypothesis, this study examined the dynamic FC in default-mode network (DMN) and motor-related network (MN) using Blood-Oxygenation-Level-Dependent (BOLD)-fMRI data from 26 healthy subjects during rest (REST) and a hand closing-and-opening (HCO) task. Two principal FC states in REST and one principal FC state in HCO were identified. The first principal FC state in REST was found similar to that in HCO, which appeared to represent intrinsic network architecture and validated the broadly similar spatial patterns between REST and HCO. However, the second FC principal state in REST with much shorter "dwell time" implied the transient functional relationship between DMN and MN during REST. In addition, a more frequent shifting between two principal FC states indicated that brain network dynamically maintained a "default mode" in the motor system during REST, whereas the presence of a single principal FC state and reduced FC variability implied a more temporally stable connectivity during HCO, validating the distinct temporal patterns between REST and HCO. Our results further demonstrated that dynamic FC analysis could offer unique

System overview and walking dynamics of a passive dynamic walking robot with flat feet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xinyu Liu

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The concept of “passive dynamic walking robot” refers to the robot that can walk down a shallow slope stably without any actuation and control which shows a limit cycle during walking. By adding actuation at some joints, the passive dynamic walking robot can walk stably on level ground and exhibit more versatile gaits than fully passive robot, namely, the “limit cycle walker.” In this article, we present the mechanical structures and control system design for a passive dynamic walking robot with series elastic actuators at hip joint and ankle joints. We built a walking model that consisted of an upper body, knee joints, and flat feet and derived its walking dynamics that involve double stance phases in a walking cycle based on virtual power principle. The instant just before impact was chosen as the start of one step to reduce the number of independent state variables. A numerical simulation was implemented by using MATLAB, in which the proposed passive dynamic walking model could walk stably down a shallow slope, which proves that the derived walking dynamics are correct. A physical passive robot prototype was built finally, and the experiment results show that by only simple control scheme the passive dynamic robot could walk stably on level ground.

Forecasting house prices in the 50 states using Dynamic Model Averaging and Dynamic Model Selection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bork, Lasse; Møller, Stig Vinther

2015-01-01

We examine house price forecastability across the 50 states using Dynamic Model Averaging and Dynamic Model Selection, which allow for model change and parameter shifts. By allowing the entire forecasting model to change over time and across locations, the forecasting accuracy improves substantia......We examine house price forecastability across the 50 states using Dynamic Model Averaging and Dynamic Model Selection, which allow for model change and parameter shifts. By allowing the entire forecasting model to change over time and across locations, the forecasting accuracy improves...

Top-down and bottom-up lipidomic analysis of rabbit lipoproteins under different metabolic conditions using flow field-flow fractionation, nanoflow liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Byeon, Seul Kee; Kim, Jin Yong; Lee, Ju Yong; Chung, Bong Chul; Seo, Hong Seog; Moon, Myeong Hee

2015-07-31

This study demonstrated the performances of top-down and bottom-up approaches in lipidomic analysis of lipoproteins from rabbits raised under different metabolic conditions: healthy controls, carrageenan-induced inflammation, dehydration, high cholesterol (HC) diet, and highest cholesterol diet with inflammation (HCI). In the bottom-up approach, the high density lipoproteins (HDL) and the low density lipoproteins (LDL) were size-sorted and collected on a semi-preparative scale using a multiplexed hollow fiber flow field-flow fractionation (MxHF5), followed by nanoflow liquid chromatography-ESI-MS/MS (nLC-ESI-MS/MS) analysis of the lipids extracted from each lipoprotein fraction. In the top-down method, size-fractionated lipoproteins were directly infused to MS for quantitative analysis of targeted lipids using chip-type asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (cAF4-ESI-MS/MS) in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode. The comprehensive bottom-up analysis yielded 122 and 104 lipids from HDL and LDL, respectively. Rabbits within the HC and HCI groups had lipid patterns that contrasted most substantially from those of controls, suggesting that HC diet significantly alters the lipid composition of lipoproteins. Among the identified lipids, 20 lipid species that exhibited large differences (>10-fold) were selected as targets for the top-down quantitative analysis in order to compare the results with those from the bottom-up method. Statistical comparison of the results from the two methods revealed that the results were not significantly different for most of the selected species, except for those species with only small differences in concentration between groups. The current study demonstrated that top-down lipid analysis using cAF4-ESI-MS/MS is a powerful high-speed analytical platform for targeted lipidomic analysis that does not require the extraction of lipids from blood samples. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B

Two Paths to Transforming Markets through Public Sector EnergyEfficiency: Bottom Up versus Top Down

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Wie McGrory, Laura; Coleman, Philip; Fridley, David; Harris,Jeffrey; Villasenor Franco, Edgar

2006-05-10

The evolution of government purchasing initiatives in Mexicoand China, part of the PEPS (Promoting an Energy-efficient Public Sector)program, demonstrates the need for flexibility in designingenergy-efficiency strategies in the public sector. Several years ofpursuing a top-down (federally led) strategy in Mexico produced fewresults, and it was not until the program was restructured in 2004 tofocus on municipal-level purchasing that the program gained momentum.Today, a new partnership with the Mexican federal government is leadingto an intergovernmental initiative with strong support at the federallevel. By contrast, the PEPS purchasing initiative in China wassuccessfully initiated and led at the central government level withstrategic support from international experts. The very different successtrajectories in these two countries provide valuable lessons fordesigning country-specific public sector energy-efficiency initiatives.Enabling conditions for any successful public sector purchasinginitiative include the existence of mandatory energy-efficiencyperformance standards, an effective energy-efficiency endorsementlabeling program, an immediate need for energy conservation, a simplepilot phase (focusing on a limited number of strategically chosenproducts), and specialized technical assistance. Top-down purchasingprograms are likely to be more successful where there is high-levelpolitical endorsement and a national procurement law in place, supportedby a network of trained purchasers. Bottom-up (municipally led)purchasing programs require that municipalities have the authority to settheir own purchasing policies, and also benefit from existing networks ofcities, supported by motivated municipal leaders and trained purchasingofficials.

Costs of CO2 abatement in Egypt using both bottom-up and top-down approaches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El Mahgary, Y.; Ibrahim, A.-F.; Shama, M.A.-F.

1994-01-01

Within the frame of UNEP's project on the Methodologies of Determining the Costs of Abatement of GHG emissions, a case study on Egypt was undertaken by the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) in cooperation with the Egyptian Environment Affairs Authority (EEAA), together with an expert team from different Egyptian organizations. Both bottom-up and top-down approaches were used. Several measures/technologies, including energy conservation, fuel switching, use of renewable energy and material replacement, were considered to decrease CO 2 emissions. It was found that most of the measures were cost-effective, as a considerable potential for energy conservation exists in Egypt. The impact of energy conservation measures on the economy of the country was found to be positive using a macroeconomic model. (author)

Harmonic mode-locking and sub-round-trip time nonlinear dynamics of electro-optically controlled solid state laser

Science.gov (United States)

Gorbunkov, M. V.; Maslova, Yu Ya; Petukhov, V. A.; Semenov, M. A.; Shabalin, Yu V.; Tunkin, V. G.

2018-03-01

Harmonic mode-locking in a solid state laser due to optoelectronic control is studied numerically on the basis of two methods. The first one is detailed numeric simulation taking into account laser radiation fine time structure. It is shown that optimally chosen feedback delay leads to self-started mode-locking with generation of desired number of pulses in the laser cavity. The second method is based on discrete maps for short laser pulse energy. Both methods show that the application of combination of positive and negative feedback loops allows to reduce the period of regular nonlinear dynamics down to a fraction of a laser cavity round trip time.

Dynamics of entanglement of a three-level atom in motion interacting with two coupled modes including parametric down conversion

Science.gov (United States)

Faghihi, M. J.; Tavassoly, M. K.; Hatami, M.

In this paper, a model by which we study the interaction between a motional three-level atom and two-mode field injected simultaneously in a bichromatic cavity is considered; the three-level atom is assumed to be in a Λ-type configuration. As a result, the atom-field and the field-field interaction (parametric down conversion) will be appeared. It is shown that, by applying a canonical transformation, the introduced model can be reduced to a well-known form of the generalized Jaynes-Cummings model. Under particular initial conditions, which may be prepared for the atom and the field, the time evolution of state vector of the entire system is analytically evaluated. Then, the dynamics of atom by considering ‘atomic population inversion’ and two different measures of entanglement, i.e., ‘von Neumann entropy’ and ‘idempotency defect’ is discussed, in detail. It is deduced from the numerical results that, the duration and the maximum amount of the considered physical quantities can be suitably tuned by selecting the proper field-mode structure parameter p and the detuning parameters.

Dynamic screening and electron dynamics in low-dimensional metal systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silkin, V.M.; Quijada, M.; Vergniory, M.G.; Alducin, M.; Borisov, A.G.; Diez Muino, R.; Juaristi, J.I.; Sanchez-Portal, D.; Chulkov, E.V.; Echenique, P.M.

2007-01-01

Recent advances in the theoretical description of dynamic screening and electron dynamics in metallic media are reviewed. The time-dependent building-up of screening in different situations is addressed. Perturbative and non-perturbative theories are used to study electron dynamics in low-dimensional systems, such as metal clusters, image states, surface states and quantum wells. Modification of the electronic lifetimes due to confinement effects is analyzed as well

The structural dynamics of social class.

Science.gov (United States)

Kraus, Michael W; Park, Jun Won

2017-12-01

Individual agency accounts of social class persist in society and even in psychological science despite clear evidence for the role of social structures. This article argues that social class is defined by the structural dynamics of society. Specifically, access to powerful networks, groups, and institutions, and inequalities in wealth and other economic resources shape proximal social environments that influence how individuals express their internal states and motivations. An account of social class that highlights the means by which structures shape and are shaped by individuals guides our understanding of how people move up or down in the social class hierarchy, and provides a framework for interpreting neuroscience studies, experimental paradigms, and approaches that attempt to intervene on social class disparities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Linking top-down and bottom-up approaches for assessing the vulnerability of a 100 % renewable energy system in Northern-Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Borga, Marco; Francois, Baptiste; Hingray, Benoit; Zoccatelli, Davide; Creutin, Jean-Dominique; brown, Casey

2016-04-01

Due to their variable and un-controllable features, integration of Variable Renewable Energies (e.g. solar-power, wind-power and hydropower, denoted as VRE) into the electricity network implies higher production variability and increased risk of not meeting demand. Two approaches are commonly used for assessing this risk and especially its evolution in a global change context (i.e. climate and societal changes); top-down and bottom-up approaches. The general idea of a top-down approach is to drive analysis of global change or of some key aspects of global change on their systems (e.g., the effects of the COP 21, of the deployment of Smart Grids, or of climate change) with chains of loosely linked simulation models within a predictive framework. The bottom-up approach aims to improve understanding of the dependencies between the vulnerability of regional systems and large-scale phenomenon from knowledge gained through detailed exploration of the response to change of the system of interest, which may reveal vulnerability thresholds, tipping points as well as potential opportunities. Brown et al. (2012) defined an analytical framework to merge these two approaches. The objective is to build, a set of Climate Response Functions (CRFs) putting in perspective i) indicators of desired states ("success") and undesired states ("failure") of a system as defined in collaboration with stakeholders 2) exhaustive exploration of the effects of uncertain forcings and imperfect system understanding on the response of the system itself to a plausible set of possible changes, implemented a with multi-dimensionally consistent "stress test" algorithm, and 3) a set "ex post" hydroclimatic and socioeconomic scenarios that provide insight into the differential effectiveness of alternative policies and serve as entry points for the provision of climate information to inform policy evaluation and choice. We adapted this approach for analyzing a 100 % renewable energy system within a region

Dynamic state estimation assisted power system monitoring and protection

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Yinan

The advent of phasor measurement units (PMUs) has unlocked several novel methods to monitor, control, and protect bulk electric power systems. This thesis introduces the concept of "Dynamic State Estimation" (DSE), aided by PMUs, for wide-area monitoring and protection of power systems. Unlike traditional State Estimation where algebraic variables are estimated from system measurements, DSE refers to a process to estimate the dynamic states associated with synchronous generators. This thesis first establishes the viability of using particle filtering as a technique to perform DSE in power systems. The utility of DSE for protection and wide-area monitoring are then shown as potential novel applications. The work is presented as a collection of several journal and conference papers. In the first paper, we present a particle filtering approach to dynamically estimate the states of a synchronous generator in a multi-machine setting considering the excitation and prime mover control systems. The second paper proposes an improved out-of-step detection method for generators by means of angular difference. The generator's rotor angle is estimated with a particle filter-based dynamic state estimator and the angular separation is then calculated by combining the raw local phasor measurements with this estimate. The third paper introduces a particle filter-based dual estimation method for tracking the dynamic states of a synchronous generator. It considers the situation where the field voltage measurements are not readily available. The particle filter is modified to treat the field voltage as an unknown input which is sequentially estimated along with the other dynamic states. The fourth paper proposes a novel framework for event detection based on energy functions. The key idea is that any event in the system will leave a signature in WAMS data-sets. It is shown that signatures for four broad classes of disturbance events are buried in the components that constitute the

Slowing down of 100 keV antiprotons in Al foils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Nordlund

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Using energy degrading foils to slow down antiprotons is of interest for producing antihydrogen atoms. I consider here the slowing down of 100 keV antiprotons, that will be produced in the ELENA storage ring under construction at CERN, to energies below 10 keV. At these low energies, they are suitable for efficient antihydrogen production. I simulate the antihydrogen motion and slowing down in Al foils using a recently developed molecular dynamics approach. The results show that the optimal Al foil thickness for slowing down the antiprotons to below 5 keV is 910 nm, and to below 10 keV is 840 nm. Also the lateral spreading of the transmitted antiprotons is reported and the uncertainties discussed. Keywords: Antiprotons, Stopping power, Slowing down, Molecular dynamics

Can bottom-up processes of attention be a source of 'interference' in situations where top-down control of attention is crucial?

Science.gov (United States)

Nikolla, Dritan; Edgar, Graham; Catherwood, Dianne; Matthews, Tristan

2018-02-01

In this study, we investigate whether emotionally engaged bottom-up processes of attention can be a source of 'interference' in situations where top-down control of attention is necessary. Participants were asked to monitor and report on a video of a war scenario showing a developing battle in two conditions: emotionally positive and emotionally negative. Half of the participants (n = 15) were exposed to task-irrelevant pictures of positive emotional valence embedded within the scenario; the other half were exposed to task-irrelevant pictures of negative emotional valence. Sensitivity and Bias scores were calculated using signal detection theory. Overall, task accuracy scores were dependent upon the valence; negative pictures had an adverse effect on performance, whereas positive pictures improved performance. We concluded that negative emotional pictures interfered with top-down control of attention by attracting competing bottom-up processes of attention. We found the opposite effect for positive emotional stimuli. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

Top-Down and Bottom-Up Approaches in Engineering 1 T Phase Molybdenum Disulfide (MoS2 ): Towards Highly Catalytically Active Materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Chua, Chun Kiang; Loo, Adeline Huiling; Pumera, Martin

2016-09-26

The metallic 1 T phase of MoS2 has been widely identified to be responsible for the improved performances of MoS2 in applications including hydrogen evolution reactions and electrochemical supercapacitors. To this aim, various synthetic methods have been reported to obtain 1 T phase-rich MoS2 . Here, the aim is to evaluate the efficiencies of the bottom-up (hydrothermal reaction) and top-down (chemical exfoliation) approaches in producing 1 T phase MoS2 . It is established in this study that the 1 T phase MoS2 produced through the bottom-up approach contains a high proportion of 1 T phase and demonstrates excellent electrochemical and electrical properties. Its performance in the hydrogen evolution reaction and electrochemical supercapacitors also surpassed that of 1 T phase MoS2 produced through a top-down approach. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Two energy scales and two quasiparticle dynamics in the superconducting state of under-doped cuprates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Le Tacon, M.; Sacuto, A. [Paris-7 Univ., Lab. Mat riaux et Ph nom nes Quantiques (UMR 7162 CNRS), 75 (France); Laboratoire de Physique du Solide, ESPCI, 75 - Paris (France); Georges, A. [Centre de Physique Theorique, Ecole Polytechnique, 91 - Palaiseau (France); Kotliar, G. [Centre de Physique Theorique, Ecole Polytechnique, 91 - Palaiseau (France); Rutgers Univ., Serin Physics Lab. (United States); Gallais, Y. [Columbia Univ. New York, Dept. of Physics and Applied Physics, NY (United States); Colson, D.; Forget, A. [CEA Saclay, Service de Physique de l' Etat Condense, 91 - Gif-sur-Yvette (France)

2006-07-01

The superconducting state of under-doped cuprates is often described in terms of a single energy scale, associated with the maximum of the (d-wave) gap. Here, we report on electronic Raman scattering results, which show that the gap function in the under-doped regime is characterized by two energy scales, depending on doping in opposite manners. Their ratios to the maximum critical temperature are found to be universal in cuprates. Our experimental results also reveal two different quasiparticle dynamics in the under-doped superconducting state, associated with two regions of momentum space: nodal regions near the zeros of the gap and anti-nodal regions. While anti-nodal quasiparticles quickly loose coherence as doping is reduced, coherent nodal quasiparticles persist down to low doping levels. A theoretical analysis using a new sum-rule allows us to relate the low-frequency-dependence of the Raman response to the temperature-dependence of the superfluid density, both controlled by nodal excitations. (authors)

Sleep deprivation selectively disrupts top-down adaptation to cognitive conflict in the Stroop test.

Science.gov (United States)

Gevers, Wim; Deliens, Gaetane; Hoffmann, Sophie; Notebaert, Wim; Peigneux, Philippe

2015-12-01

Sleep deprivation is known to exert detrimental effects on various cognitive domains, including attention, vigilance and working memory. Seemingly at odds with these findings, prior studies repeatedly failed to evidence an impact of prior sleep deprivation on cognitive interference in the Stroop test, a hallmark paradigm in the study of cognitive control abilities. The present study investigated further the effect of sleep deprivation on cognitive control using an adapted version of the Stroop test that allows to segregate top-down (attentional reconfiguration on incongruent items) and bottom-up (facilitated processing after repetitions in responses and/or features of stimuli) components of performance. Participants underwent a regular night of sleep or a night of total sleep deprivation before cognitive testing. Results disclosed that sleep deprivation selectively impairs top-down adaptation mechanisms: cognitive control no longer increased upon detection of response conflict at the preceding trial. In parallel, bottom-up abilities were found unaffected by sleep deprivation: beneficial effects of stimulus and response repetitions persisted. Changes in vigilance states due to sleep deprivation selectively impact on cognitive control in the Stroop test by affecting top-down, but not bottom-up, mechanisms that guide adaptive behaviours. © 2015 European Sleep Research Society.

An integrated top-down and bottom-up proteomic approach to characterize the antigen-binding fragment of antibodies.

Science.gov (United States)

Dekker, Lennard; Wu, Si; Vanduijn, Martijn; Tolić, Nikolai; Stingl, Christoph; Zhao, Rui; Luider, Theo; Paša-Tolić, Ljiljana

2014-05-01

We have previously shown that different individuals exposed to the same antigen produce antibodies with identical mutations in their complementarity determining regions (CDR), suggesting that CDR tryptic peptides can serve as biomarkers for disease diagnosis and prognosis. Complete Fabs derived from disease specific antibodies have even higher potential; they could potentially be used for disease treatment and are required to identify the antigens toward which the antibodies are directed. However, complete Fab sequence characterization via LC-MS analysis of tryptic peptides (i.e. bottom-up) has proven to be impractical for mixtures of antibodies. To tackle this challenge, we have developed an integrated bottom-up and top-down MS approach, employing 2D chromatography coupled with Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTMS), and applied this approach for full characterization of the variable parts of two pharmaceutical monoclonal antibodies with sensitivity comparable to the bottom-up standard. These efforts represent an essential step toward the identification of disease specific antibodies in patient samples with potentially significant clinical impact. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

An Energy-Based State Observer for Dynamical Subsystems with Inaccessible State Variables

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Khalil, I.S.M.; Sabanovic, Asif; Misra, Sarthak

2012-01-01

This work presents an energy-based state estimation formalism for a class of dynamical systems with inaccessible/unknown outputs, and systems at which sensor utilization is impractical, or when measurements can not be taken. The power-conserving physical interconnections among most of the dynamical

Dynamics of polymers in the bulk state by neutron scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanaya, Toshiji; Kaji, Keisuke; Kawaguchi, Tatsuya; Inoue, Kazuhiko.

1992-01-01

Dynamics of polymers in the bulk state was studied by quasi- and inelastic neutron scattering techniques in the time range of 10 -13 to 10 -10 s. The present work can be classified into three parts: (i) dynamics in the glassy, state, (ii) dynamics near the glass transition and (iii) dynamics in the molten state. In the first section, we discuss the low energy excitation in glassy polymers, which is an origin of anomalous thermal properties of amorphous materials at low temperatures. In the next section, we study dynamics of amorphous polymers near the glass transition which is one of the current topics of solid state physics as well as polymer physics. It was found that two modes of motion appear near the glass transition in the energy ranges near 1 meV and of 10-30μeV. These fast and slow modes arising ca. 50K below T g and just above T g , respectively, are discussed from viewpoints of molecular basis. In the last section, dynamics in the molten state is investigated by focusing on the mechanism of local conformational transition of polymer chains. The results are analyzed in terms of jump diffusion model with damped vibrational motions and compared with the Kramers' rate theory. (author)

Ups and downs in mood and energy: Associations with academic outcomes in higher education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ben Bullock

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Individual differences in mood and energy may affect academic outcomes in higher education. With little previous research investigating this relationship it is not known whether mood and energy traits help or hinder academic performance. The current study addresses this gap in the literature by investigating ups (high mood and energy and downs (low mood and energy in a small sample of University students in their first year of a psychology degree. The results suggest that low mood and energy traits may be detrimental to academic performance. High mood and energy traits however, were not associated with academic performance. Implications of the findings, in particular those regarding low mood and energy, are that, unlike the trait itself, the behaviours associated with the trait (e.g., procrastination, distraction, low motivation are amenable to change through psychological interventions. Several of these interventions are discussed. 

Dynamics of superconductor bearings in a cryogenic failure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rastogi, Amit [Department of Engineering, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB2 1PZ (United Kingdom)]. E-mail: Amit.Rastogi@avizatechnology.com; Campbell, A.M. [Department of Engineering, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB2 1PZ (United Kingdom); Coombs, T.A. [Department of Engineering, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB2 1PZ (United Kingdom)

2006-08-01

The dynamics of superconductor bearings in a cryogenic failure scenario have been analyzed. As the superconductor warms up, the rotor goes through multiple resonance frequencies, begins to slow down and finally touches down when the superconductor goes through its transition temperature. The bearing can be modelled as a system of springs with axial, radial and cross stiffness. These springs go through various resonant modes as the temperature of the superconductor begins to rise. We have presented possible explanations for such behaviour.

Electronic structure and electron dynamics at Si(100)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weinelt, M. [Universitaet Erlangen-Nuernberg, Lehrstuhl fuer Festkoerperphysik, Erlangen (Germany); Max-Born-Institut, Berlin (Germany); Kutschera, M.; Schmidt, R.; Orth, C.; Fauster, T. [Universitaet Erlangen-Nuernberg, Lehrstuhl fuer Festkoerperphysik, Erlangen (Germany); Rohlfing, M. [International University Bremen, School of Engineering and Science, P.O. Box 750 561, Bremen (Germany)

2005-02-01

The electronic structure and electron dynamics at a Si(100) surface is studied by two-photon photoemission (2PPE). At 90 K the occupied D{sub up} dangling-bond state is located 150{+-}50 meV below the valence-band maximum (VBM) at the center of the surface Brillouin zone anti {gamma} and exhibits an effective hole mass of (0.5{+-}0.15)m{sub e}. The unoccupied D{sub down} band has a local minimum at anti {gamma} at 650{+-}50 meV above the VBM and shows strong dispersion along the dimer rows of the c(4 x 2) reconstructed surface. At 300 K the D{sub down} position shifts comparable to the Si conduction-band minimum by 40 meV to lower energies but the dispersion of the dangling-bond states is independent of temperature. The surface band bending for p-doped silicon is less than 30 meV, while acceptor-type defects cause significant and preparation-dependent band bending on n-doped samples. 2PPE spectra of Si(100) are dominated by interband transitions between the occupied and unoccupied surface states and emission out of transiently and permanently charged surface defects. Including electron-hole interaction in many-body calculations of the quasi-particle band structure leads us to assign a dangling-bond split-off state to a quasi-one-dimensional surface exciton with a binding energy of 130 meV. Electrons resonantly excited to the unoccupied D{sub down} dangling-bond band with an excess energy of about 350 meV need 1.5{+-}0.2 ps to scatter via phonon emission to the band bottom at anti {gamma} and relax within 5 ps with an excited hole in the occupied surface band to form an exciton living for nanoseconds. (orig.)

Bottom-up effects on top-down regulation of a floating aquatic plant by two weevil species: the context-specific nature of biological control

Science.gov (United States)

1. Plant nutrition (bottom-up effects) impacts a plant’s ability to sustain herbivory (top-down effects) and affects phytophagous insect fecundity. These factors potentially confound efficacy predictions for biological control projects. We investigated the relative importance of these two forces wi...

Reconciling Basin-Scale Top-Down and Bottom-Up Methane Emission Measurements for Onshore Oil and Gas Development: Cooperative Research and Development Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-14-572

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heath, Garvin A. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2017-12-04

The overall objective of the Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America (RPSEA)-funded research project is to develop independent estimates of methane emissions using top-down and bottom-up measurement approaches and then to compare the estimates, including consideration of uncertainty. Such approaches will be applied at two scales: basin and facility. At facility scale, multiple methods will be used to measure methane emissions of the whole facility (controlled dual tracer and single tracer releases, aircraft-based mass balance and Gaussian back-trajectory), which are considered top-down approaches. The bottom-up approach will sum emissions from identified point sources measured using appropriate source-level measurement techniques (e.g., high-flow meters). At basin scale, the top-down estimate will come from boundary layer airborne measurements upwind and downwind of the basin, using a regional mass balance model plus approaches to separate atmospheric methane emissions attributed to the oil and gas sector. The bottom-up estimate will result from statistical modeling (also known as scaling up) of measurements made at selected facilities, with gaps filled through measurements and other estimates based on other studies. The relative comparison of the bottom-up and top-down estimates made at both scales will help improve understanding of the accuracy of the tested measurement and modeling approaches. The subject of this CRADA is NREL's contribution to the overall project. This project resulted from winning a competitive solicitation no. RPSEA RFP2012UN001, proposal no. 12122-95, which is the basis for the overall project. This Joint Work Statement (JWS) details the contributions of NREL and Colorado School of Mines (CSM) in performance of the CRADA effort.

Leveraging Ensemble Dynamical Properties to Prioritize Exoplanet Follow-Up Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Ballard, Sarah

2017-01-01

The number of transiting exoplanets now exceeds several thousand, enabling ensemble studies of the dynamical properties of exoplanetary systems. We require a mixture model of dynamical conditions (whether frozen in from formation or sculpted by planet-planet interactions) to recover Kepler's yield of transiting planets. Around M dwarfs, which will be predominate sites of exoplanet follow-up atmospheric study in the next decade, even a modest orbital eccentricity can sterilize a planet. I will describe efforts to link cheap observables, such as number of transiting planets and presence of transit timing variations, to eccentricity and mutual inclination in exoplanet systems. The addition of a second transiting planet, for example, halves the expected orbital eccentricity. For the vast majority of TESS targets, the light curve alone will furnish the sum total of data about the exoplanet. Extracting information about orbital properties from these light curves will help prioritize precious follow-up resources.

Top-down or bottom-up: Contrasting perspectives on psychiatric diagnoses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Willem MA Verhoeven

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Willem MA Verhoeven1,2, Siegfried Tuinier1, Ineke van der Burgt31Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Venray, The Netherlands; 2Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; 3Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The NetherlandsAbstract: Clinical psychiatry is confronted with the expanding knowledge of medical genetics. Most of the research into the genetic underpinnings of major mental disorders as described in the categorical taxonomies, however, did reveal linkage with a variety of chromosomes. This heterogeneity of results is most probably due to the assumption that the nosological categories as used in these studies are disease entities with clear boundaries. If the reverse way of looking, the so-called bottom-up approach, is applied, it becomes clear that genetic abnormalities are in most cases not associated with a single psychiatric disorder but with a certain probability to develop a variety of aspecific psychiatric symptoms. The adequacy of the categorical taxonomy, the so-called top-down approach, seems to be inversely related to the amount of empirical etiological data. This is illustrated by four rather prevalent genetic syndromes, fragile X syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, 22q11 deletion syndrome, and Noonan syndrome, as well as by some cases with rare chromosomal abnormalities. From these examples, it becomes clear that psychotic symptoms as well as mood, anxiety, and autistic features can be found in a great variety of different genetic syndromes. A psychiatric phenotype exists, but comprises, apart from the chance to present several psychiatric symptoms, all elements from developmental, neurocognitive, and physical characteristics.Keywords: genetic disorders, psychiatric symptoms, phenotype, mental disorders

Computational fluid dynamics analysis of the initial stages of a VHTR air-ingress accident using a scaled-down model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ham, Tae K., E-mail: taekyu8@gmail.com [Nuclear Engineering Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Arcilesi, David J., E-mail: arcilesi.1@osu.edu [Nuclear Engineering Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Kim, In H., E-mail: ihkim0730@gmail.com [Nuclear Engineering Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Sun, Xiaodong, E-mail: sun.200@osu.edu [Nuclear Engineering Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Christensen, Richard N., E-mail: rchristensen@uidaho.edu [Nuclear Engineering Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Oh, Chang H. [Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID 83402 (United States); Kim, Eung S., E-mail: kes7741@snu.ac.kr [Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID 83402 (United States)

2016-04-15

Highlights: • Uncertainty quantification and benchmark study are performed to validate an ANSYS FLUENT computer model for a depressurization process in a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor. • An ANSYS FLUENT computer model of a 1/8th scaled-down geometry of a VHTR hot exit plenum is presented, which is similar to the experimental test facility that has been constructed at The Ohio State University. • Using the computer model of the scaled-down geometry, the effects of the depressurization process and flow oscillations on the subsequent density-driven stratified flow phenomenology are examined computationally. • The effects of the scaled-down hot exit plenum internal structure temperature on the density-driven stratified flow phenomenology are investigated numerically. - Abstract: An air-ingress accident is considered to be one of the design basis accidents of a very high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (VHTR). The air-ingress accident is initiated, in its worst-case scenario, by a complete break of the hot duct in what is referred to as a double-ended guillotine break. This leads to an initial loss of the primary helium coolant via depressurization. Following the depressurization process, the air–helium mixture in the reactor cavity could enter the reactor core via the hot duct and hot exit plenum. In the event that air ingresses into the reactor vessel, the high-temperature graphite structures in the reactor core and hot plenum will chemically react with the air, which could lead to damage of in-core graphite structures and fuel, release of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, core heat up, failure of the structural integrity of the system, and eventually the release of radionuclides to the environment. Studies in the available literature focus on the phenomena of the air ingress accident that occur after the termination of the depressurization, such as density-driven stratified flow, molecular diffusion, and natural circulation. However, a recent study

State dynamics of a double sandbar system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Price, T.D.; Ruessink, B.G.

2011-01-01

A 9.3-year dataset of low-tide time-exposure images from Surfers Paradise, Northern Gold Coast, Australia was used to characterise the state dynamics of a double sandbar system. The morphology of the nearshore sandbars was described by means of the sequential bar state classification scheme of

AIRLINE ITINERARY CHOICE IN A DYNAMIC SUPPLY ENVIRONMENT: RESULTS FROM A STATED PREFERENCE SURVEY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Uzi Freund-Feinstei

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the choice of airline itineraries in dynamic settings using a tailored stated preference survey. The paper hypothesizes that airline itinerary choice is not a one-time event, but a continuous process during a certain time frame. Consumers can choose either to purchase an itinerary, deferring choice up to the end of the sales period, or completely declining the purchase. Understanding such consumers’ behavior is specifically relevant to the tourism industry, where firms are extensively utilizing internet websites to offer their products (e.g., airline tickets, hotel rooms to consumers. The paper describes the stated preference survey with real itineraries of various airlines on medium and long-haul routes. Choice sets are composed with dynamic and static variables and socio-economic variables. Questionnaires were distributed electronically among various groups of respondents, yielding a sample of 914 persons. Results show that (i itinerary choice deferring takes place, with differences between tourists and business-travelers, (ii the decision whether to defer choice is affected by dynamically changing variables and by the length of each respondent’s allocated choice period, and (iii the proposed methodology is adequate for investigating choice in dynamic settings and thus indicating its potential for further research in transportation planning and in tourism.

2D FT-ICR MS of Calmodulin: A Top-Down and Bottom-Up Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Floris, Federico; van Agthoven, Maria; Chiron, Lionel; Soulby, Andrew J; Wootton, Christopher A; Lam, Yuko P Y; Barrow, Mark P; Delsuc, Marc-André; O'Connor, Peter B

2016-09-01

Two-dimensional Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (2D FT-ICR MS) allows data-independent fragmentation of all ions in a sample and correlation of fragment ions to their precursors through the modulation of precursor ion cyclotron radii prior to fragmentation. Previous results show that implementation of 2D FT-ICR MS with infrared multi-photon dissociation (IRMPD) and electron capture dissociation (ECD) has turned this method into a useful analytical tool. In this work, IRMPD tandem mass spectrometry of calmodulin (CaM) has been performed both in one-dimensional and two-dimensional FT-ICR MS using a top-down and bottom-up approach. 2D IRMPD FT-ICR MS is used to achieve extensive inter-residue bond cleavage and assignment for CaM, using its unique features for fragment identification in a less time- and sample-consuming experiment than doing the same thing using sequential MS/MS experiments. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

A dynamic state-level analysis of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roach, Travis

2013-01-01

As climate change and the regulation of carbon dioxide emissions play an increasingly important role in the global policy debate, careful consideration of the state-level determinants driving emissions must be considered. The importance of state-level determinants in the transmission of carbon dioxide matters especially for a country that differs from coast to coast in energy use and industry makeup like the United States. To add to the policy debate this paper estimates two models that account for the dynamic nature of emissions of carbon dioxide emissions at the state-level from 1980–2010 while taking account of scale, technique, and composition effects. When stochastic trends are taken account of, an environmental Kuznets curve relationship with a feasible turning point is found for carbon dioxide emissions. - Highlights: • State-level analysis of carbon dioxide emissions. • Dynamic panel estimation to account for time series properties. • Feasible environmental Kuznets curve for carbon dioxide emissions. • Implications for state environmental policy discussed

Dynamical and technological consequences of multiple isolas of steady states in a catalytic fluidised-bed reactor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bizon Katarzyna

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Steady-state characteristics of a catalytic fluidised bed reactor and its dynamical consequences are analyzed. The occurrence of an untypical steady-state structure manifesting in a form of multiple isolas is described. A two-phase bubbling bed model is used for a quantitative description of the bed of catalyst. The influence of heat exchange intensity and a fluidisation ratio onto the generation of isolated solution branches is presented for two kinetic schemes. Dynamical consequences of the coexistence of such untypical branches of steady states are presented. The impact of linear growth of the fluidisation ratio and step change of the cooling medium temperature onto the desired product yield is analyzed. The results presented in this study confirm that the identification of a region of the occurrence of multiple isolas is important due to their strong impact both on the process start-up and its control.

If One Goes up the Other Must Come Down: Examining Ipsative Relationships between Math and English Self-concept Trajectories across High School

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Philip D.; Marsh, Herbert W.; Morin, Alexandre J. S.; Seaton, Marjorie; Van Zanden, Brooke

2015-01-01

Background: The Internal-External frame of reference (IE) model suggests that as self-concept in one domain goes up (e.g., English) self-concept in other domains (e.g., mathematics) should go down (ipsative self-concept hypothesis). Aims: To our knowledge this assumption has not been tested. Testing this effect also provides a context for…

Debris transport evaluation during the blow-down phase of a LOCA using computational fluid dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jong Pil; Jeong, Ji Hwan; Kim, Won Tae; Kim, Man Woong; Park, Ju Yeop

2011-01-01

Highlights: → We conducted CFD simulation on the spreading of the coolant in the containment after a break of the hot leg. It is used to estimate the dispersion of the debris within the containment. → It was assumed that the small and fine debris is transported by the discharge flow so that a fraction of the small and fine debris transport can be estimated based on the amount of water. → The break flow was assumed to be a homogeneous two-phase mixture without phase separation. Isenthalpic expansion of the break flow was used to specify the inlet boundary condition of the break flow. → The fraction of the small and fine debris transported to the upper part is 73%; this value is close to the value calculated using 1D lumped-parameter codes by the USNRC and the KINS, respectively, while 48% more than the value shown in the NEI 04-07. - Abstract: The performance of the emergency recirculation water sump under the influence of debris accumulation following a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) has long been of safety concern. Debris generation and transport during a LOCA are significantly influenced by the characteristics of the ejected coolant flow. One-dimensional analyses previously have been attempted to evaluate the debris transport during the blow-down phase but the transport evaluation still has large uncertainties. In this work, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis was utilized to evaluate small and fine debris transport during the blow-down phase of a pressurized water reactor, OPR1000. The coolant ejected from the ruptured hot-leg was assumed to expand in an isenthalpic process. The transport of small and fine debris was assumed to be dominated by water-borne transport, and the transport fractions for the upper and lower parts of the containment were quantified based on the CFD analysis. It was estimated that 73% of small and fine debris is transported to the upper part of the containment. This value is close to the values estimated by nuclear

Bottom-up and Top-down Approaches to Explore Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate and Soluplus on the Crystallization Inhibition and Dissolution of Felodipine Extrudates.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jiali; Chen, Yuqi; Huang, Wencong; Wang, Hanning; Du, Yang; Xiong, Subin

2018-05-05

The objectives of this study were to explore sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and Soluplus on the crystallization inhibition and dissolution of felodipine (FLDP) extrudates by bottom-up and top-down approaches. FLDP extrudates with Soluplus and/or SDS were prepared by hot melt extrusion (HME), and characterized by PLM, DSC and FT-IR. Results indicated that Soluplus inhibited FLDP crystallization and the whole amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) were binary FLDP-Soluplus (1:3) and ternary FLDP-Soluplus-SDS(1:2:0.15∼0.3 and 1:3:0.2∼0.4) extrudates. Internal SDS (5%-10%) decreased Tgs of FLDP-Soluplus-SDS ternary ASDs without presenting molecular interactions with FLDP or Soluplus. The enhanced dissolution rate of binary or ternary Soluplus-rich ASDs in the non-sink condition of 0.05%SDS was achieved. Bottom-up approach indicated that Soluplus was a much stronger crystal inhibitor to the supersaturated FLDP in solutions than SDS. Top-down approach demonstrated that SDS enhanced the dissolution of Soluplus-rich ASDs via wettability and complexation with Soluplus to accelerate the medium uptake and erosion kinetics of extrudates, but induced FLDP recrystallization and resulted in incomplete dissolution of FLDP-rich extrudates. In conclusion, top-down approach is a promising strategy to explore the mechanisms of ASDs' dissolution, and small amount of SDS enhances the dissolution rate of polymer-rich ASDs in the non-sink condition. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Caries in Portuguese children with Down syndrome

OpenAIRE

Areias, Cristina Maria; Sampaio-Maia, Benedita; Guimaraes, Hercilia; Melo, Paulo; Andrade, David

2011-01-01

OBJECTIVES: Oral health in Down syndrome children has some peculiar aspects that must be considered in the follow-up of these patients. This study focuses on characterizing the environmental and host factors associated with dental caries in Portuguese children with and without Down syndrome. METHODS: A sibling-matched, population-based, cross-sectional survey was performed. RESULTS: Down syndrome children presented a significantly greater percentage of children without caries, 78% vs. 58% of ...

Random Sampling with Interspike-Intervals of the Exponential Integrate and Fire Neuron: A Computational Interpretation of UP-States.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreas Steimer

Full Text Available Oscillations between high and low values of the membrane potential (UP and DOWN states respectively are an ubiquitous feature of cortical neurons during slow wave sleep and anesthesia. Nevertheless, a surprisingly small number of quantitative studies have been conducted only that deal with this phenomenon's implications for computation. Here we present a novel theory that explains on a detailed mathematical level the computational benefits of UP states. The theory is based on random sampling by means of interspike intervals (ISIs of the exponential integrate and fire (EIF model neuron, such that each spike is considered a sample, whose analog value corresponds to the spike's preceding ISI. As we show, the EIF's exponential sodium current, that kicks in when balancing a noisy membrane potential around values close to the firing threshold, leads to a particularly simple, approximative relationship between the neuron's ISI distribution and input current. Approximation quality depends on the frequency spectrum of the current and is improved upon increasing the voltage baseline towards threshold. Thus, the conceptually simpler leaky integrate and fire neuron that is missing such an additional current boost performs consistently worse than the EIF and does not improve when voltage baseline is increased. For the EIF in contrast, the presented mechanism is particularly effective in the high-conductance regime, which is a hallmark feature of UP-states. Our theoretical results are confirmed by accompanying simulations, which were conducted for input currents of varying spectral composition. Moreover, we provide analytical estimations of the range of ISI distributions the EIF neuron can sample from at a given approximation level. Such samples may be considered by any algorithmic procedure that is based on random sampling, such as Markov Chain Monte Carlo or message-passing methods. Finally, we explain how spike-based random sampling relates to existing

Random Sampling with Interspike-Intervals of the Exponential Integrate and Fire Neuron: A Computational Interpretation of UP-States.

Science.gov (United States)

Steimer, Andreas; Schindler, Kaspar

2015-01-01

Oscillations between high and low values of the membrane potential (UP and DOWN states respectively) are an ubiquitous feature of cortical neurons during slow wave sleep and anesthesia. Nevertheless, a surprisingly small number of quantitative studies have been conducted only that deal with this phenomenon's implications for computation. Here we present a novel theory that explains on a detailed mathematical level the computational benefits of UP states. The theory is based on random sampling by means of interspike intervals (ISIs) of the exponential integrate and fire (EIF) model neuron, such that each spike is considered a sample, whose analog value corresponds to the spike's preceding ISI. As we show, the EIF's exponential sodium current, that kicks in when balancing a noisy membrane potential around values close to the firing threshold, leads to a particularly simple, approximative relationship between the neuron's ISI distribution and input current. Approximation quality depends on the frequency spectrum of the current and is improved upon increasing the voltage baseline towards threshold. Thus, the conceptually simpler leaky integrate and fire neuron that is missing such an additional current boost performs consistently worse than the EIF and does not improve when voltage baseline is increased. For the EIF in contrast, the presented mechanism is particularly effective in the high-conductance regime, which is a hallmark feature of UP-states. Our theoretical results are confirmed by accompanying simulations, which were conducted for input currents of varying spectral composition. Moreover, we provide analytical estimations of the range of ISI distributions the EIF neuron can sample from at a given approximation level. Such samples may be considered by any algorithmic procedure that is based on random sampling, such as Markov Chain Monte Carlo or message-passing methods. Finally, we explain how spike-based random sampling relates to existing computational

Sensitivity quantification of airport concrete pavement stress responses associated with top-down and bottom-up cracking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adel Rezaei-Tarahomi

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s rigid pavement design standard employs the NIKE3D-FAA software to compute critical pavement responses of concrete airport pavement structures. NIKE3D-FAA is a modification of the original NIKE3D three-dimensional finite element analysis program developed by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL of the U.S. Department of Energy, and is currently used in the FAA’s FAARFIELD program. This study evaluated the sensitivity of NIKE3D-FAA rigid pavement responses with respect to top-down and bottom-up cracking. The analysis was conducted by positioning a Boeing 777-300ER (B777-300ERaircraft at different locations (interior, corner, and edge of slab as baseline while varying other NIKE3D-FAA inputs, including rigid pavement geometric features, mechanical properties of paving and foundation materials, equivalent temperature gradient and thermal coefficient of Portland Cement Concrete (PCC layers. Several sensitivity charts were developed by examining the sensitivity of critical pavement responses to each input variation. Sensitivity evaluations were performed using a normalized sensitivity index (NSI as the quantitative metric. Using such sensitivity evaluation, the most significant NIKE3D-FAA input parameters for generating an effective synthetic database that will lower computational cost for future modeling developments were identified. Keywords: Sensitivity analysis, Airfield concrete pavement, Finite element analysis, Top down cracking

Simple configurations in the capture state and the general picture of nuclear state complications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soloviev, V.G.

1975-01-01

It is asserted that the effective nuclear forces and the methods of solving the many-body problem may serve as a basis for describing states of low, intermediate and high excitation energy. It is indicated that it is important to study nuclear structure complications with increasing excitation energy and fragmentation of single particle and many-particle states. The foundations of the model for describing fragmentation which is based on the account of the quadiparticle-phonon interaction are presented. The results of calculations of fragmentation for the (631)(spin down),(620)(spin up), (640)(spin up) and (600)(spin up) one-quasiparticle states in 239 U are given. It is shown that the state strength is distributed over a wide energy interval, the distribution maximum is shifted down with respect to the single-particle energy. The degree of fragmentation is shown to depend strongly on the position of the single-particle level with respect to the Fermi level. A modified version of the model is given for treating highly excited states of the type of giant resonances and for studying their influence on the structure of states of intermediate excitation energy. The general assumptions of the approach based on the operator form of the wave function of highly excited states are presented, and the contribution of individual simple configurations to the neutron resonance wave functions is estimated. It is shown in which case the valence neutron can be employed. The compound-state structure is discussed. (Auth.)

Dynamic pulse difference circuit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erickson, G.L.

1978-01-01

A digital electronic circuit of especial use for subtracting background activity pulses in gamma spectrometry is disclosed which comprises an up-down counter connected to count up with signal-channel pulses and to count down with background-channel pulses. A detector responsive to the count position of the up-down counter provides a signal when the up-down counter has completed one scaling sequence cycle of counts in the up direction. In an alternate embodiment, a detector responsive to the count position of the up-down counter provides a signal upon overflow of the counter

Time-dependent dynamical behavior of surface tension on rotating fluids under microgravity environment

Science.gov (United States)

Hung, R. J.; Tsao, Y. D.; Hong, B. B.; Leslie, F. W.

1988-01-01

Time dependent evolutions of the profile of free surface (bubble shapes) for a cylindrical container partially filled with a Newtonian fluid of constant density, rotating about its axis of symmetry, have been studied. Numerical computations of the dynamics of bubble shapes have been carried out with the following situations: (1) linear functions of spin-up and spin-down in low and microgravity environments, (2) step functions of spin-up and spin-down in a low gravity environment, and (3) sinusoidal function oscillation of gravity environment in high and low rotating cylinder speeds.

Distinct roles of SOM and VIP interneurons during cortical Up states

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Garrett T. Neske

2016-07-01

Full Text Available During cortical network activity, recurrent synaptic excitation among pyramidal neurons is approximately balanced by synaptic inhibition, which is provided by a vast diversity of inhibitory interneurons. The relative contributions of different interneuron subtypes to inhibitory tone during cortical network activity is not well understood. We previously showed that many of the major interneuron subtypes in mouse barrel cortex are highly active during Up states (Neske et al., 2015; while fast-spiking (FS, parvalbumin (PV-positive cells were the most active interneuron subtype, many non-fast-spiking (NFS, PV-negative interneurons were as active or more active than neighboring pyramidal cells. This suggests that the NFS cells could play a role in maintaining or modulating Up states. Here, using optogenetic techniques, we further dissected the functional roles during Up states of two major NFS, PV-negative interneuron subtypes: somatostatin (SOM-positive cells and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP-positive cells. We found that while pyramidal cell excitability during Up states significantly increased when SOM cells were optogenetically silenced, VIP cells did not influence pyramidal cell excitability either upon optogenetic silencing or activation. VIP cells failed to contribute to Up states despite their ability to inhibit SOM cells strongly. We suggest that the contribution of VIP cells to the excitability of pyramidal cells may vary with cortical state.

Translational and rotational dynamic analysis of a superconducting levitation system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cansiz, A; Hull, J R; Gundogdu, Oe

2005-01-01

The rotational dynamics of a disc-shaped permanent magnet rotor levitated over a high temperature superconductor was studied experimentally and theoretically. The interaction between the rotor magnet and the superconductor was modelled by assuming the magnet to be a magnetic dipole and the superconductor a diamagnet. In the magnetomechanical analysis of the superconductor part, the frozen image concept was combined with the diamagnetic image, and the damping in the system was neglected. The interaction potential of the system is the combination of magnetic and gravitational potentials. From the dynamical analysis the equations of motion of the permanent magnet were stated as a function of lateral, vertical, tilt, precision and rotating angles. The vibration behaviour and correlation of the vibration of one direction with that of another were determined with a numerical calculation based on the Runge-Kutta method. The various vibrational frequencies identified were vertical, radial, tilt, precession and rotation. The tests performed for experimental verifications were translational and rotational. The permanent magnet was 'spun up' under vacuum conditions to analyse the dynamics of the free 'spin down' behaviour of the permanent magnet

Seventh meeting of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis: reaching the vision by scaling up, scaling down, and reaching out

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

This report summarizes the 7th meeting of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GAELF), Washington DC, November 18–19, 2012. The theme, “A Future Free of Lymphatic Filariasis: Reaching the Vision by Scaling Up, Scaling Down and Reaching Out”, emphasized new strategies and partnerships necessary to reach the 2020 goal of elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF) as a public-health problem. PMID:24450283

Microscopic observation of magnon bound states and their dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Fukuhara, Takeshi; Schauß, Peter; Endres, Manuel; Hild, Sebastian; Cheneau, Marc; Bloch, Immanuel; Gross, Christian

2013-10-03

The existence of bound states of elementary spin waves (magnons) in one-dimensional quantum magnets was predicted almost 80 years ago. Identifying signatures of magnon bound states has so far remained the subject of intense theoretical research, and their detection has proved challenging for experiments. Ultracold atoms offer an ideal setting in which to find such bound states by tracking the spin dynamics with single-spin and single-site resolution following a local excitation. Here we use in situ correlation measurements to observe two-magnon bound states directly in a one-dimensional Heisenberg spin chain comprising ultracold bosonic atoms in an optical lattice. We observe the quantum dynamics of free and bound magnon states through time-resolved measurements of two spin impurities. The increased effective mass of the compound magnon state results in slower spin dynamics as compared to single-magnon excitations. We also determine the decay time of bound magnons, which is probably limited by scattering on thermal fluctuations in the system. Our results provide a new way of studying fundamental properties of quantum magnets and, more generally, properties of interacting impurities in quantum many-body systems.

State diagram for adhesion dynamics of deformable capsules under shear flow.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Zheng Yuan; Bai, Bo Feng

2016-08-17

Due to the significance of understanding the underlying mechanisms of cell adhesion in biological processes and cell capture in biomedical applications, we numerically investigate the adhesion dynamics of deformable capsules under shear flow by using a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamic model. This model is based on the coupling of the front tracking-finite element method for elastic mechanics of the capsule membrane and the adhesion kinetics simulation for adhesive interactions between capsules and functionalized surfaces. Using this model, three distinct adhesion dynamic states are predicted, such as detachment, rolling and firm-adhesion. Specifically, the effects of capsule deformability quantified by the capillary number on the transitions of these three dynamic states are investigated by developing an adhesion dynamic state diagram for the first time. At low capillary numbers (e.g. Ca state no longer appears, since capsules exhibit large deviation from the spherical shape.

Greenhouse Gas Dynamics in a Salt-Wedge Estuary Revealed by High Resolution Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy Observations.

Science.gov (United States)

Tait, Douglas R; Maher, Damien T; Wong, WeiWen; Santos, Isaac R; Sadat-Noori, Mahmood; Holloway, Ceylena; Cook, Perran L M

2017-12-05

Estuaries are an important source of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, but uncertainties remain in the flux rates and production pathways of greenhouse gases in these dynamic systems. This study performs simultaneous high resolution measurements of the three major greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide) as well as carbon stable isotope ratios of carbon dioxide and methane, above and below the pycnocline along a salt wedge estuary (Yarra River estuary, Australia). We identified distinct zones of elevated greenhouse gas concentrations. At the tip of salt wedge, average CO 2 and N 2 O concentrations were approximately five and three times higher than in the saline mouth of the estuary. In anaerobic bottom waters, the natural tracer radon ( 222 Rn) revealed that porewater exchange was the likely source of the highest methane concentrations (up to 1302 nM). Isotopic analysis of CH 4 showed a dominance of acetoclastic production in fresh surface waters and hydrogenotrophic production occurring in the saline bottom waters. The atmospheric flux of methane (in CO 2 equivalent units) was a major (35-53%) contributor of atmospheric radiative forcing from the estuary, while N 2 O contributed <2%. We hypothesize that the release of bottom water gases when stratification episodically breaks down will release large pulses of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.

A dynamical topology for the space of states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dittrich, J.

1979-01-01

A new topology is introduced for the space of states of a physical system. This topology is given by dynamics, every state has a neighbourhood consisting of states connected by the time evolution only. With respect to the new topology, all conservation laws can be treated as topological laws. (author)

Multiple time scale dynamics in the breakdown of superhydrophobicity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pirat, C.; Sbragaglia, M.; Peters, A.M.; Borkent, B.M.; Lammertink, Rob G.H.; Wessling, Matthias; Lohse, Detlef

2008-01-01

Drops deposited on rough and hydrophobic surfaces can stay suspended with gas pockets underneath the liquid, then showing very low hydrodynamic resistance. When this superhydrophobic state breaks down, the subsequent wetting process can show different dynamical properties. A suitable choice of the

Measuring Temporal Resolution (Release of Masking) with a Hughson-Westlake Up-Down Instead of a Békèsy-Tracking Procedure.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhebergen, Koenraad S; van Esch, Thamar E M; Dreschler, Wouter A

2015-06-01

A temporal resolution test in addition to the pure-tone audiogram may be of great clinical interest because of its relevance in speech perception and expected relevance in hearing aid fitting. Larsby and Arlinger developed an appropriate clinical test, but this test uses a Békèsy-tracking procedure for estimating masked thresholds in stationary and interrupted noise to assess release of masking (RoM) for temporal resolution. Generally the Hughson-Westlake up-down procedure is used in the clinic to measure the pure-tone thresholds in quiet. A uniform approach will facilitate clinical application and might be appropriate for RoM measurements as well. Because there is no golden standard for measuring the RoM in the clinic, we examine in the present study the Hughson-Westlake up-down procedure to measure the RoM and compare the results with the Békèsy-tracking procedure. The purpose of the current study was to examine the differences between a Békèsy-tracking procedure and the Hughson-Westlake up-down procedure for estimating masked thresholds in stationary and interrupted noise to assess RoM. RoM is assessed in eight normal-hearing (NH) and ten hearing-impaired (HI) listeners through both methods. Results from both methods are compared with each other and with predicted thresholds from a model. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, paired t tests. Some differences between the two methods were found. We used a model to quantify the results of the two measurement procedures. The results of the Hughson-Westlake procedure were clearly better in agreement with the model than the results of the Békèsy-tracking procedure. Furthermore, the Békèsy-tracking procedure showed more spread in the results of the NH listeners than the Hughson-Westlake procedure. The Hughson-Westlake procedure seems to be an applicable alternative for measuring RoM for temporal resolution in the clinical audiological practice. American Academy of Audiology.

A Passive Dynamic Walking Model Based on Knee-Bend Behaviour: Stability and Adaptability for Walking down Steep Slopes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kang An

2013-10-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a passive dynamic walking model based on knee-bend behaviour, which is inspired by the way human beings walk. The length and mass parameters of human beings are used in the walking model. The knee-bend mechanism of the stance leg is designed in the phase between knee-strike and heel-strike. q* which is the angular difference of the stance leg between the two events, knee-strike and knee-bend, is adjusted in order to find a stable walking motion. The results show that the stable periodic walking motion on a slope of r <0.4 can be found by adjusting q*. Furthermore, with a particular q* in the range of 0.12down more steps before falling down on an arbitrary slope. The walking motion is more stable and adaptable than the conventional walking motion, especially for steep slopes.

The effect of pure state structure on nonequilibrium dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Newman, C M; Stein, D L

2008-01-01

Motivated by short-range Ising spin glasses, we review some rigorous results and their consequences for the relation between the number/nature of equilibrium pure states and nonequilibrium dynamics. Two of the consequences for spin glass dynamics following an instantaneous deep quench to a temperature with broken spin flip symmetry are: (1) almost all initial configurations lie on the boundary between the basins of attraction of multiple pure states; (2) unless there are uncountably many pure states with almost all pairs having zero overlap, there can be no equilibration to a pure state as time t → ∞. We discuss the relevance of these results to the difficulty of equilibration of spin glasses. We also review some results concerning the 'nature versus nurture' problem of whether the large-t behavior of both ferromagnets and spin glasses following a deep quench is determined more by the initial configuration (nature) or by the dynamics realization (nurture)

Climate change, pink salmon, and the nexus between bottom-up and top-down forcing in the subarctic Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea.

Science.gov (United States)

Springer, Alan M; van Vliet, Gus B

2014-05-06

Climate change in the last century was associated with spectacular growth of many wild Pacific salmon stocks in the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea, apparently through bottom-up forcing linking meteorology to ocean physics, water temperature, and plankton production. One species in particular, pink salmon, became so numerous by the 1990s that they began to dominate other species of salmon for prey resources and to exert top-down control in the open ocean ecosystem. Information from long-term monitoring of seabirds in the Aleutian Islands and Bering Sea reveals that the sphere of influence of pink salmon is much larger than previously known. Seabirds, pink salmon, other species of salmon, and by extension other higher-order predators, are tightly linked ecologically and must be included in international management and conservation policies for sustaining all species that compete for common, finite resource pools. These data further emphasize that the unique 2-y cycle in abundance of pink salmon drives interannual shifts between two alternate states of a complex marine ecosystem.

Structural control of the upper plate on the down-dip segmentation of subduction dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Q.; Barbot, S.; Karato, S. I.; Shibazaki, B.; Matsuzawa, T.; Tapponnier, P.

2017-12-01

The geodetic and seismic discoveries of slow earthquakes in subduction zones have provided the observational evidence for the existence of the transition between megathrust earthquakes and the creeping behaviors. However, the mechanics behind slow earthquakes, and the period differential motion between the subducting slab and the overlying plate below the seismogenic zone, remain controversial. In Nankai subduction zone, the very-low-frequency earthquakes (VLFE), megathrust earthquakes, long-term slow earthquakes (duration of months or years) and the episodic tremor and slip zone (ETS) are located within the accretionary prism, the continental upper crust, the continental lower crust and the upmost mantle of the overriding plate, respectively. We use the rate-and-state friction law to simulate the periodic occurrence of VLFEs, megathrust earthquakes and the tremors in the ETS zone because of relatively high rock strength within these depth ranges. However, it is not feasible to use frictional instabilities to explain the long-term slow earthquakes in the lower crust where the ductile rock physics plays a significant role in the large-scale deformation. Here, our numerical simulations show that slow earthquakes at the depth of the lower crust may be the results of plastic instabilities in a finite volume of ductile material accompanying by the grain-size evolution. As the thickness of the fault zone increases with depth, deformation becomes distributed and the dynamic equilibrium of grain size, as a competition between thermally activated grain growth and damage-related grain size reduction, results in cycles of strain acceleration and strain deficit. In addition, we took into account the elevated pore pressure in the accretinary prism which is associated with small stress drop and low-frequency content of VLFEs and may contribute to the occurrence of tsunamigenic earthquakes. Hence, in our numerical simulations for the plate boundary system in Nankai, the down

A two-step combination of top-down and bottom-up fire emission estimates at regional and global scales: strengths and main uncertainties

Science.gov (United States)

Sofiev, Mikhail; Soares, Joana; Kouznetsov, Rostislav; Vira, Julius; Prank, Marje

2016-04-01

Top-down emission estimation via inverse dispersion modelling is used for various problems, where bottom-up approaches are difficult or highly uncertain. One of such areas is the estimation of emission from wild-land fires. In combination with dispersion modelling, satellite and/or in-situ observations can, in principle, be used to efficiently constrain the emission values. This is the main strength of the approach: the a-priori values of the emission factors (based on laboratory studies) are refined for real-life situations using the inverse-modelling technique. However, the approach also has major uncertainties, which are illustrated here with a few examples of the Integrated System for wild-land Fires (IS4FIRES). IS4FIRES generates the smoke emission and injection profile from MODIS and SEVIRI active-fire radiative energy observations. The emission calculation includes two steps: (i) initial top-down calibration of emission factors via inverse dispersion problem solution that is made once using training dataset from the past, (ii) application of the obtained emission coefficients to individual-fire radiative energy observations, thus leading to bottom-up emission compilation. For such a procedure, the major classes of uncertainties include: (i) imperfect information on fires, (ii) simplifications in the fire description, (iii) inaccuracies in the smoke observations and modelling, (iv) inaccuracies of the inverse problem solution. Using examples of the fire seasons 2010 in Russia, 2012 in Eurasia, 2007 in Australia, etc, it is pointed out that the top-down system calibration performed for a limited number of comparatively moderate cases (often the best-observed ones) may lead to errors in application to extreme events. For instance, the total emission of 2010 Russian fires is likely to be over-estimated by up to 50% if the calibration is based on the season 2006 and fire description is simplified. Longer calibration period and more sophisticated parameterization

Discrepancies and Uncertainties in Bottom-up Gridded Inventories of Livestock Methane Emissions for the Contiguous United States

Science.gov (United States)

Randles, C. A.; Hristov, A. N.; Harper, M.; Meinen, R.; Day, R.; Lopes, J.; Ott, T.; Venkatesh, A.

2017-12-01

In this analysis we used a spatially-explicit, bottom-up approach, based on animal inventories, feed intake, and feed intake-based emission factors to estimate county-level enteric (cattle) and manure (cattle, swine, and poultry) livestock methane emissions for the contiguous United States. Combined enteric and manure emissions were highest for counties in California's Central Valley. Overall, this analysis yielded total livestock methane emissions (8,916 Gg/yr; lower and upper bounds of 6,423 and 11,840 Gg/yr, respectively) for 2012 that are comparable to the current USEPA estimates for 2012 (9,295 Gg/yr) and to estimates from the global gridded Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) inventory (8,728 Gg/yr), used previously in a number of top-down studies. However, the spatial distribution of emissions developed in this analysis differed significantly from that of EDGAR. As an example, methane emissions from livestock in Texas and California (highest contributors to the national total) in this study were 36% lesser and 100% greater, respectively, than estimates by EDGAR. Thespatial distribution of emissions in gridded inventories (e.g., EDGAR) likely strongly impacts the conclusions of top-down approaches that use them, especially in the source attribution of resulting (posterior) emissions, and hence conclusions from such studies should be interpreted with caution.

Implementation of random set-up errors in Monte Carlo calculated dynamic IMRT treatment plans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stapleton, S; Zavgorodni, S; Popescu, I A; Beckham, W A

2005-01-01

The fluence-convolution method for incorporating random set-up errors (RSE) into the Monte Carlo treatment planning dose calculations was previously proposed by Beckham et al, and it was validated for open field radiotherapy treatments. This study confirms the applicability of the fluence-convolution method for dynamic intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) dose calculations and evaluates the impact of set-up uncertainties on a clinical IMRT dose distribution. BEAMnrc and DOSXYZnrc codes were used for Monte Carlo calculations. A sliding window IMRT delivery was simulated using a dynamic multi-leaf collimator (DMLC) transport model developed by Keall et al. The dose distributions were benchmarked for dynamic IMRT fields using extended dose range (EDR) film, accumulating the dose from 16 subsequent fractions shifted randomly. Agreement of calculated and measured relative dose values was well within statistical uncertainty. A clinical seven field sliding window IMRT head and neck treatment was then simulated and the effects of random set-up errors (standard deviation of 2 mm) were evaluated. The dose-volume histograms calculated in the PTV with and without corrections for RSE showed only small differences indicating a reduction of the volume of high dose region due to set-up errors. As well, it showed that adequate coverage of the PTV was maintained when RSE was incorporated. Slice-by-slice comparison of the dose distributions revealed differences of up to 5.6%. The incorporation of set-up errors altered the position of the hot spot in the plan. This work demonstrated validity of implementation of the fluence-convolution method to dynamic IMRT Monte Carlo dose calculations. It also showed that accounting for the set-up errors could be essential for correct identification of the value and position of the hot spot

Implementation of random set-up errors in Monte Carlo calculated dynamic IMRT treatment plans

Science.gov (United States)

Stapleton, S.; Zavgorodni, S.; Popescu, I. A.; Beckham, W. A.

2005-02-01

The fluence-convolution method for incorporating random set-up errors (RSE) into the Monte Carlo treatment planning dose calculations was previously proposed by Beckham et al, and it was validated for open field radiotherapy treatments. This study confirms the applicability of the fluence-convolution method for dynamic intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) dose calculations and evaluates the impact of set-up uncertainties on a clinical IMRT dose distribution. BEAMnrc and DOSXYZnrc codes were used for Monte Carlo calculations. A sliding window IMRT delivery was simulated using a dynamic multi-leaf collimator (DMLC) transport model developed by Keall et al. The dose distributions were benchmarked for dynamic IMRT fields using extended dose range (EDR) film, accumulating the dose from 16 subsequent fractions shifted randomly. Agreement of calculated and measured relative dose values was well within statistical uncertainty. A clinical seven field sliding window IMRT head and neck treatment was then simulated and the effects of random set-up errors (standard deviation of 2 mm) were evaluated. The dose-volume histograms calculated in the PTV with and without corrections for RSE showed only small differences indicating a reduction of the volume of high dose region due to set-up errors. As well, it showed that adequate coverage of the PTV was maintained when RSE was incorporated. Slice-by-slice comparison of the dose distributions revealed differences of up to 5.6%. The incorporation of set-up errors altered the position of the hot spot in the plan. This work demonstrated validity of implementation of the fluence-convolution method to dynamic IMRT Monte Carlo dose calculations. It also showed that accounting for the set-up errors could be essential for correct identification of the value and position of the hot spot.

Imaging Spin Dynamics on the Nanoscale using X-Ray Microscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hermann eStoll

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The dynamics of emergent magnetic quasiparticles, such as vortices, domain walls, and bubbles are studied by scanning transmission x-ray microscopy (STXM, combining magnetic (XMCD contrast with about 25 nm lateral resolution as well as 70 ps time resolution. Essential progress in the understanding of magnetic vortex dynamics is achieved by vortex core reversal observed by sub-GHz excitation of the vortex gyromode, either by ac magnetic fields or spin transfer torque. The basic switching scheme for this vortex core reversal is the generation of a vortex-antivortex pair. Much faster vortex core reversal is obtained by exciting azimuthal spin wave modes with (multi-GHz rotating magnetic fields or orthogonal monopolar field pulses in x and y direction, down to 45 ps in duration. In that way unidirectional vortex core reversal to the vortex core 'down' or 'up' state only can be achieved with switching times well below 100 ps. Coupled modes of interacting vortices mimic crystal properties. The individual vortex oscillators determine the properties of the ensemble, where the gyrotropic mode represents the fundamental excitation. By self-organized state formation we investigate distinct vortex core polarization configurations and understand these eigenmodes in an extended Thiele model. Analogies with photonic crystals are drawn. Oersted fields and spin-polarized currents are used to excite the dynamics of domain walls and magnetic bubbles. From the measured phase and amplitude of the displacement of domain walls we deduce the size of the non-adiabatic spin-transfer torque. For sensing applications, the displacement of domain walls is studied and a direct correlation between domain wall velocity and spin structure is found. Finally the synchronous displacement of multiple domain walls using perpendicular field pulses is demonstrated as a possible paradigm shift for magnetic memory and logic applications.

Dynamics of a producer-freeloader ecosystem on the brink of collapse

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Lei; Gore, Jeff

2014-01-01

Ecosystems can undergo sudden shifts to undesirable states, but recent studies with simple single-species ecosystems have demonstrated that advance warning can be provided by the slowing down of population dynamics near a tipping point. However, it is unclear how this “critical slowing down” will manifest in ecosystems with strong interactions between their components. Here we probe the dynamics of an experimental producer-freeloader ecosystem as it approaches a catastrophic collapse. Surprisingly, the producer population grows in size as the environment deteriorates, highlighting that population size can be a misleading measure of ecosystem stability. By analyzing the oscillatory producer-freeloader dynamics for over 100 generations in multiple environmental conditions, we find that the collective ecosystem dynamics slow down as the tipping point is approached. Analysis of the coupled dynamics of interacting populations may therefore be necessary to provide advance warning of collapse in complex communities. PMID:24785661

Gain dynamics of quantum dot devices for dual-state operation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaptan, Y., E-mail: yuecel.kaptan@physik.tu-berlin.de; Herzog, B.; Kolarczik, M.; Owschimikow, N.; Woggon, U. [Institut für Optik und Atomare Physik, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin (Germany); Schmeckebier, H.; Arsenijević, D.; Bimberg, D. [Institut für Festkörperphysik, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin (Germany); Mikhelashvili, V.; Eisenstein, G. [Technion Institute of Technology, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Haifa (Israel)

2014-06-30

Ground state gain dynamics of In(Ga)As-quantum dot excited state lasers are investigated via single-color ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy below and above lasing threshold. Two-color pump-probe experiments are used to localize lasing and non-lasing quantum dots within the inhomogeneously broadened ground state. Single-color results yield similar gain recovery rates of the ground state for lasing and non-lasing quantum dots decreasing from 6 ps to 2 ps with increasing injection current. We find that ground state gain dynamics are influenced solely by the injection current and unaffected by laser operation of the excited state. This independence is promising for dual-state operation schemes in quantum dot based optoelectronic devices.

The architecture of dynamic reservoir in the echo state network

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Hongyan; Liu, Xiang; Li, Lixiang

2012-09-01

Echo state network (ESN) has recently attracted increasing interests because of its superior capability in modeling nonlinear dynamic systems. In the conventional echo state network model, its dynamic reservoir (DR) has a random and sparse topology, which is far from the real biological neural networks from both structural and functional perspectives. We hereby propose three novel types of echo state networks with new dynamic reservoir topologies based on complex network theory, i.e., with a small-world topology, a scale-free topology, and a mixture of small-world and scale-free topologies, respectively. We then analyze the relationship between the dynamic reservoir structure and its prediction capability. We utilize two commonly used time series to evaluate the prediction performance of the three proposed echo state networks and compare them to the conventional model. We also use independent and identically distributed time series to analyze the short-term memory and prediction precision of these echo state networks. Furthermore, we study the ratio of scale-free topology and the small-world topology in the mixed-topology network, and examine its influence on the performance of the echo state networks. Our simulation results show that the proposed echo state network models have better prediction capabilities, a wider spectral radius, but retain almost the same short-term memory capacity as compared to the conventional echo state network model. We also find that the smaller the ratio of the scale-free topology over the small-world topology, the better the memory capacities.

Dissociated roles of the inferior frontal gyrus and superior temporal sulcus in audiovisual processing: top-down and bottom-up mismatch detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Uno, Takeshi; Kawai, Kensuke; Sakai, Katsuyuki; Wakebe, Toshihiro; Ibaraki, Takuya; Kunii, Naoto; Matsuo, Takeshi; Saito, Nobuhito

2015-01-01

Visual inputs can distort auditory perception, and accurate auditory processing requires the ability to detect and ignore visual input that is simultaneous and incongruent with auditory information. However, the neural basis of this auditory selection from audiovisual information is unknown, whereas integration process of audiovisual inputs is intensively researched. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and superior temporal sulcus (STS) are involved in top-down and bottom-up processing, respectively, of target auditory information from audiovisual inputs. We recorded high gamma activity (HGA), which is associated with neuronal firing in local brain regions, using electrocorticography while patients with epilepsy judged the syllable spoken by a voice while looking at a voice-congruent or -incongruent lip movement from the speaker. The STS exhibited stronger HGA if the patient was presented with information of large audiovisual incongruence than of small incongruence, especially if the auditory information was correctly identified. On the other hand, the IFG exhibited stronger HGA in trials with small audiovisual incongruence when patients correctly perceived the auditory information than when patients incorrectly perceived the auditory information due to the mismatched visual information. These results indicate that the IFG and STS have dissociated roles in selective auditory processing, and suggest that the neural basis of selective auditory processing changes dynamically in accordance with the degree of incongruity between auditory and visual information.

Top-down impact through a bottom-up mechanism: the effect of limpet grazing on growth, productivity and carbon allocation of Zostera marina L. (eelgrass).

Science.gov (United States)

Zimmerman, Richard C; Kohrs, Donald G; Alberte, Randall S

1996-09-01

The unusual appearance of a commensal eelgrass limpet [Tectura depicta (Berry)] from southern California at high density (up to 10 shoot -1 ) has coincided with the catastrophic decline of a subtidal Zostera marina L. meadow in Monterey Bay, California. Some commensal limpets graze the chloroplast-rich epidermis of eelgrass leaves, but were not known to affect seagrass growth or productivity. We evaluated the effect on eelgrass productivity of grazing by limpets maintained at natural densities (8±2 shoot -1 ) in a natural light mesocosm for 45 days. Growth rates, carbon reserves, root proliferation and net photosynthesis of grazed plants were 50-80% below those of ungrazed plants, but biomass-specific respiration was unaffected. The daily period of irradiance-saturated photosynthesis (H sat ) needed to maintain positive carbon balance in grazed plants approached 13.5 h, compared with 5-6 h for ungrazed plants. The amount of carbon allocated to roots of ungrazed plants was 800% higher than for grazed plants. By grazing the chlorophyll-rich epidermis, T. depicta induced carbon limitation in eelgrass growing in an other-wise light-replete environment. Continued northward movement of T. depicta, may have significant impacts on eelgrass production and population dynamics in the northeast Pacific, even thought this limpet consumes very little plant biomass. This interaction is a dramatic example of top-down control (grazing/predation) of eelgrass productivity and survival operating via a bottom-up mechanism (photosynthesis limitation).

Hydration dynamics in water clusters via quantum molecular dynamics simulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Turi, László, E-mail: turi@chem.elte.hu [Department of Physical Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest 112, P. O. Box 32, H-1518 (Hungary)

2014-05-28

We have investigated the hydration dynamics in size selected water clusters with n = 66, 104, 200, 500, and 1000 water molecules using molecular dynamics simulations. To study the most fundamental aspects of relaxation phenomena in clusters, we choose one of the simplest, still realistic, quantum mechanically treated test solute, an excess electron. The project focuses on the time evolution of the clusters following two processes, electron attachment to neutral equilibrated water clusters and electron detachment from an equilibrated water cluster anion. The relaxation dynamics is significantly different in the two processes, most notably restoring the equilibrium final state is less effective after electron attachment. Nevertheless, in both scenarios only minor cluster size dependence is observed. Significantly different relaxation patterns characterize electron detachment for interior and surface state clusters, interior state clusters relaxing significantly faster. This observation may indicate a potential way to distinguish surface state and interior state water cluster anion isomers experimentally. A comparison of equilibrium and non-equilibrium trajectories suggests that linear response theory breaks down for electron attachment at 200 K, but the results converge to reasonable agreement at higher temperatures. Relaxation following electron detachment clearly belongs to the linear regime. Cluster relaxation was also investigated using two different computational models, one preferring cavity type interior states for the excess electron in bulk water, while the other simulating non-cavity structure. While the cavity model predicts appearance of several different hydrated electron isomers in agreement with experiment, the non-cavity model locates only cluster anions with interior excess electron distribution. The present simulations show that surface isomers computed with the cavity predicting potential show similar dynamical behavior to the interior clusters of

Rotating UPS installations and dynamic energy storage. Comparison of static and rotating UPS and comparison of dynamic energy storage using batteries - Final Report; Rotierende USV-Anlagen und dynamische Energiespeicherung. Vergleich der statischen mit rotierenden USV-Anlagen und Vergleich der dynamischen Energiespeicherung mit Batterieanlagen - Schlussbericht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mauchle, P.; Schnyder, G.

2010-01-15

As an alternative to the static UPS-Systems (uninterruptible power supply systems), rotating UPS-Systems can be applied. The application and the realisation of rotating UPS-Systems are different to the one of static UPS-Systems. Furthermore at the rotating UPS-Systems is to distinguish, if the UPS-System is realised as a diesel dynamic UPS-System, with an activity up from 400 kVA, or if the dynamic part is limited to the energy storage, with an activity up from 60 kVA. The diesel dynamic UPS-Systems are composed of a synchronous machine, an asynchronous machine with a flywheel, respectively a kinetic module and the diesel engine. The connection to the critical user at the low voltage network occurs using an inductor and the accordant switchgears. The application of a diesel dynamic UPS-System is optimal when it can be connected with an emergency power supply. With the realisation of dynamic energy storages, battery systems can be avoided respectively can be reduced or the lifetime of batteries can be extended. It is only possible to avoid the batteries if the requested autonomous time of the UPS-System is shorter than two minutes. Is an autonomous time longer than 2 minutes necessary, battery systems have to be realised for the energy storage. Thereby dynamic energy storage in parallel to the battery system is useful, because the dynamic energy storage will compensate temporary voltage drops or short power failures. In this way the number of charge and discharge cycles of the battery system will be reduced and therefore the lifetime of the battery will be extended. The use of a dynamic or static UPS system is dependent on the requirements of the powered load. Taking into account various criteria it can be found for each specific application the optimal type of UPS system. (authors)

Monocytes from cystic fibrosis patients are locked in an LPS tolerance state: down-regulation of TREM-1 as putative underlying mechanism.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos del Fresno

Full Text Available Cystic Fibrosis (CF is an inherited pleiotropic disease that results from abnormalities in the gene that codes for the chloride channel, Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR. CF patients are frequently colonized by several pathogens, but the mechanisms that allow colonization in spite of apparently functional immune systems are incompletely understood. In this paper we show that blood peripheral monocytes isolated from CF patients are found in an endotoxin tolerance state, yet this is not due to a deficient TLR activation. On the other hand, levels of the amplifier of inflammatory responses, TREM-1 (Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid cells, are notably down-regulated in monocytes from patients, in comparison to those extracted from healthy volunteers. Furthermore, the soluble form of TREM-1 (sTREM-1 was not detected in the sera of patients. Additionally, and in strict contrast to patients who suffer from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD, CF monocytes challenged ex vivo with LPS neither up-regulated membrane-anchored TREM-1 nor sTREM-1. Finally, similar levels of PGE(2 expression and p65 translocation into the nucleus were found in both patients and healthy volunteers, thus suggesting that TREM-1 regulation is neither controlled by PGE(2 levels nor by p65 activation in this case. However, PU.1 translocation into the nucleus was significantly higher in CF monocytes than in controls, suggesting a role for this transcription factor in the control of TREM-1 expression. We conclude that down-regulation of TREM-1 expression in cystic fibrosis patients is at least partly responsible for the endotoxin tolerance state in which their monocytes are locked.

Multi spin-flip dynamics: a solution of the one-dimensional Ising model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novak, I.

1990-01-01

The Glauber dynamics of interacting Ising spins (the single spin-flip dynamics) is generalized to p spin-flip dynamics with a simultaneous flip of up to p spins in a single configuration move. The p spin-flip dynamics is studied of the one-dimensional Ising model with uniform nearest-neighbour interaction. For this case, an exact relation is given for the time dependence of magnetization. It was found that the critical slowing down in this model could be avoided when p spin-flip dynamics with p>2 was considered. (author). 17 refs

Top-Down and Bottom-Up Identification of Proteins by Liquid Extraction Surface Analysis Mass Spectrometry of Healthy and Diseased Human Liver Tissue

Science.gov (United States)

Sarsby, Joscelyn; Martin, Nicholas J.; Lalor, Patricia F.; Bunch, Josephine; Cooper, Helen J.

2014-09-01

Liquid extraction surface analysis mass spectrometry (LESA MS) has the potential to become a useful tool in the spatially-resolved profiling of proteins in substrates. Here, the approach has been applied to the analysis of thin tissue sections from human liver. The aim was to determine whether LESA MS was a suitable approach for the detection of protein biomarkers of nonalcoholic liver disease (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, NASH), with a view to the eventual development of LESA MS for imaging NASH pathology. Two approaches were considered. In the first, endogenous proteins were extracted from liver tissue sections by LESA, subjected to automated trypsin digestion, and the resulting peptide mixture was analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) (bottom-up approach). In the second (top-down approach), endogenous proteins were extracted by LESA, and analyzed intact. Selected protein ions were subjected to collision-induced dissociation (CID) and/or electron transfer dissociation (ETD) mass spectrometry. The bottom-up approach resulted in the identification of over 500 proteins; however identification of key protein biomarkers, liver fatty acid binding protein (FABP1), and its variant (Thr→Ala, position 94), was unreliable and irreproducible. Top-down LESA MS analysis of healthy and diseased liver tissue revealed peaks corresponding to multiple (~15-25) proteins. MS/MS of four of these proteins identified them as FABP1, its variant, α-hemoglobin, and 10 kDa heat shock protein. The reliable identification of FABP1 and its variant by top-down LESA MS suggests that the approach may be suitable for imaging NASH pathology in sections from liver biopsies.

Fiber up-tapering and down-tapering for low-loss coupling between anti-resonant hollow-core fiber and solid-core fiber

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Naiqian; Wang, Zefeng; Xi, Xiaoming

2017-10-01

In this paper, we demonstrate a novel method for the low-loss coupling between solid-core multi-mode fibers (MMFs) and anti-resonant hollow-core fibers (AR-HCFs). The core/cladding diameter of the MMF is 50/125μm and the mode field diameter of the AR-HCFs are 33.3μm and 71.2μm of the ice-cream type AR-HCFs and the non-node type ARHCFs, respectively. In order to match the mode field diameters of these two specific AR-HCFs, the mode field diameter of the MMFs is increased or decreased by up-tapering or down-tapering the MMFs. Then, according to the principle of coupled fiber mode matching, the optimal diameter of tapered fiber for low-loss coupling is calculated. Based on beam propagation method, the calculated coupling losses without tapering process are 0.31dB and 0.89dB, respectively for a MMF-HCF-MMF structure of the ice-cream type AR-HCFs and the non-node type AR-HCFs. These values can be reduced to 0.096dB and 0.047dB when the outer diameters of the MMF are down-tapered to 116μm and up-tapered to 269μm, respectively. What's more, these results can also be verified by existing experiments.

New Scenario of Dynamical Heterogeneity in Supercooled Liquid and Glassy States of 2D Monatomic System.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Hoang, Vo; Teboul, Victor; Odagaki, Takashi

2015-12-24

Via analysis of spatiotemporal arrangements of atoms based on their dynamics in supercooled liquid and glassy states of a 2D monatomic system with a double-well Lennard-Jones-Gauss (LJG) interaction potential, we find a new scenario of dynamical heterogeneity. Atoms with the same or very close mobility have a tendency to aggregate into clusters. The number of atoms with high mobility (and size of their clusters) increases with decreasing temperature passing over a maximum before decreasing down to zero. Position of the peak moves toward a lower temperature if mobility of atoms in clusters is lower together with an enhancement of height of the peak. In contrast, the number of atoms with very low mobility or solidlike atoms (and size of their clusters) has a tendency to increase with decreasing temperature and then it suddenly increases in the vicinity of the glass transition temperature leading to the formation of a glassy state. A sudden increase in the number of strongly correlated solidlike atoms in the vicinity of a glass transition temperature (Tg) may be an origin of a drastical increase in viscosity of the glass-forming systems approaching the glass transition. In fact, we find that the diffusion coefficient decays exponentially with a fraction of solidlike atoms exhibiting a sudden decrease in the vicinity of the glass transition region.

Learning State Space Dynamics in Recurrent Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Simard, Patrice Yvon

Fully recurrent (asymmetrical) networks can be used to learn temporal trajectories. The network is unfolded in time, and backpropagation is used to train the weights. The presence of recurrent connections creates internal states in the system which vary as a function of time. The resulting dynamics can provide interesting additional computing power but learning is made more difficult by the existence of internal memories. This study first exhibits the properties of recurrent networks in terms of convergence when the internal states of the system are unknown. A new energy functional is provided to change the weights of the units in order to the control the stability of the fixed points of the network's dynamics. The power of the resultant algorithm is illustrated with the simulation of a content addressable memory. Next, the more general case of time trajectories on a recurrent network is studied. An application is proposed in which trajectories are generated to draw letters as a function of an input. In another application of recurrent systems, a neural network certain temporal properties observed in human callosally sectioned brains. Finally the proposed algorithm for stabilizing dynamics around fixed points is extended to one for stabilizing dynamics around time trajectories. Its effects are illustrated on a network which generates Lisajous curves.

Ultrafast excited-state dynamics of 2,5-dimethylpyrrole.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Dongyuan; Min, Yanjun; Chen, Zhichao; He, Zhigang; Yuan, Kaijun; Dai, Dongxu; Yang, Xueming; Wu, Guorong

2018-04-17

The ultrafast excited-state dynamics of 2,5-dimethylpyrrole following excitation at wavelengths in the range of 265.7-216.7 nm is studied using the time-resolved photoelectron imaging method. It is found that excitation at longer wavelengths (265.7-250.2 nm) results in the population of the S1(1πσ*) state, which decays out of the photoionization window in about 90 fs. At shorter pump wavelengths (242.1-216.7 nm), the assignments are less clear-cut. We tentatively assign the initially photoexcited state(s) to the 1π3p Rydberg state(s) which has lifetimes of 159 ± 20, 125 ± 15, 102 ± 10 and 88 ± 10 fs for the pump wavelengths of 242.1, 238.1, 232.6 and 216.7 nm, respectively. Internal conversion to the S1(1πσ*) state represents at most a minor decay channel. The methyl substitution effects on the decay dynamics of the excited states of pyrrole are also discussed. Methyl substitution on the pyrrole ring seems to enhance the direct internal conversion from the 1π3p Rydberg state to the ground state, while methyl substitution on the N atom has less influence and the internal conversion to the S1(πσ*) state represents a main channel.

For Boys: Trouble "Down There"

Science.gov (United States)

... Development Infections Diseases & Conditions Pregnancy & Baby Nutrition & Fitness Emotions & Behavior School & Family Life First Aid & Safety Doctors & ... another problem "down there"? Let's start with some definitions. You might have grown up calling it something ...

Estimating a theoretical model of state banking competition using a dynamic panel: the Brazilian case

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fábio A. Miessi Sanches

2009-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper we set up a model of regional banking competition based on Bresnahan (1982, Lau (1982 and Nakane (2002. The structural model is estimated using data from eight Brazilian states and a dynamic panel. The results show that on average the level of competition in the Brazilian banking system is high, even tough the null of perfect competition can be rejected at the usual significance levels. This result also prevails at the state level: Rio Grande do Sul, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Pernambuco and Minas Gerais have high degree of competition.

Environmental fluctuations restrict eco-evolutionary dynamics in predator-prey system.

Science.gov (United States)

Hiltunen, Teppo; Ayan, Gökçe B; Becks, Lutz

2015-06-07

Environmental fluctuations, species interactions and rapid evolution are all predicted to affect community structure and their temporal dynamics. Although the effects of the abiotic environment and prey evolution on ecological community dynamics have been studied separately, these factors can also have interactive effects. Here we used bacteria-ciliate microcosm experiments to test for eco-evolutionary dynamics in fluctuating environments. Specifically, we followed population dynamics and a prey defence trait over time when populations were exposed to regular changes of bottom-up or top-down stressors, or combinations of these. We found that the rate of evolution of a defence trait was significantly lower in fluctuating compared with stable environments, and that the defence trait evolved to lower levels when two environmental stressors changed recurrently. The latter suggests that top-down and bottom-up changes can have additive effects constraining evolutionary response within populations. The differences in evolutionary trajectories are explained by fluctuations in population sizes of the prey and the predator, which continuously alter the supply of mutations in the prey and strength of selection through predation. Thus, it may be necessary to adopt an eco-evolutionary perspective on studies concerning the evolution of traits mediating species interactions. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Dynamic state estimation techniques for large-scale electric power systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rousseaux, P.; Pavella, M.

1991-01-01

This paper presents the use of dynamic type state estimators for energy management in electric power systems. Various dynamic type estimators have been developed, but have never been implemented. This is primarily because of dimensionality problems posed by the conjunction of an extended Kalman filter with a large scale power system. This paper precisely focuses on how to circumvent the high dimensionality, especially prohibitive in the filtering step, by using a decomposition-aggregation hierarchical scheme; to appropriately model the power system dynamics, the authors introduce new state variables in the prediction step and rely on a load forecasting method. The combination of these two techniques succeeds in solving the overall dynamic state estimation problem not only in a tractable and realistic way, but also in compliance with real-time computational requirements. Further improvements are also suggested, bound to the specifics of the high voltage electric transmission systems

Relationship between the climbing up and climbing down stairs domain scores on the FES-DMD, the score on the Vignos Scale, age and timed performance of functional activities in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lilian A. Y. Fernandes

2014-12-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Knowing the potential for and limitations of information generated using different evaluation instruments favors the development of more accurate functional diagnoses and therapeutic decision-making. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between the number of compensatory movements when climbing up and going down stairs, age, functional classification and time taken to perform a tested activity (TA of going up and down stairs in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD. METHOD: A bank of movies featuring 30 boys with DMD performing functional activities was evaluated. Compensatory movements were assessed using the climbing up and going down stairs domain of the Functional Evaluation Scale for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (FES-DMD; age in years; functional classification using the Vignos Scale (VS, and TA using a timer. Statistical analyses were performed using the Spearman correlation test. RESULTS: There is a moderate relationship between the climbing up stairs domain of the FES-DMD and age (r=0.53, p=0.004 and strong relationships with VS (r=0.72, p=0.001 and TA for this task (r=0.83, p<0.001. There were weak relationships between the going down stairs domain of the FES-DMD-going down stairs with age (r=0.40, p=0.032, VS (r=0.65, p=0.002 and TA for this task (r=0.40, p=0.034. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that the evaluation of compensatory movements used when climbing up stairs can provide more relevant information about the evolution of the disease, although the activity of going down stairs should be investigated, with the aim of enriching guidance and strengthening accident prevention. Data from the FES-DMD, age, VS and TA can be used in a complementary way to formulate functional diagnoses. Longitudinal studies and with broader age groups may supplement this information.

Periodic medical check-up among residents of three Nigerian South-western States

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Saheed Opeyemi Usman

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Objectives: General medical examination is a common form of preventive medicine. Periodic medical check-up generally involves thorough history, physical examination and screening of asymptomatic persons by physicians on a regular basis as part of a routine health care process. Periodic medical check-up is considered effective in preventing illness and promoting health and reducing morbidity and mortality. This study is therefore designed to determine the knowledge, attitude and practice of periodic medical check-up among residents of Osun, Ondo and Ekiti States of Nigeria. It is also to determine the influence of educational status on its practice and compare the outcomes in the three states. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional survey study utilizing both qualitative and quantitative method of data collection was conducted at various locations across the three states. The locations included those of public servants, private sector workers, artisans, traders, business men/women, farmers, among others. Results: 1200 consenting residents participated in the study in each of the three states. 518 (43.2% of the respondents in Ondo State are males while 682 (57.8% are females. 465 (38.8% of the respondents in Ekiti State are males while 735 (61.2% are females. 494 (41.2% of the respondents in Osun State are males while 706 (59.8% are females. The mean age in Ondo, Ekiti and Osun were 43.8 +/- 10.7 years, 44.6 +/- 11.5 years and 41.7 +/- 10.1 years respectively. 89.2%, 88.3% and 87.4% of the respondents are aware of periodic medical check-up in Ondo, Ekiti and Osun states respectively. Conclusion: There is high level of awareness of periodic medical check-up in all three states but the level of practice of routine medical check-up is low. The majority of the respondents probably don't practice it because their health insurance plan does not cover the medical check-up or due to individual/organizational financial constraints. [J Contemp Med 2016

Integration of bottom-up and top-down models for the energy system. A practical case for Denmark

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacobsen, H.; Morthorst, P.E.; Nielsen, L.; Stephensen, P.

1996-07-01

The main objective of the project was to integrate the Danish macro economic model ADAM with elements from the energy simulation model BRUS, developed at Risoe. The project has been carried out by Risoe National Laboratory with assistance from the Ministry of Finance. A theoretical part focuses on the differences between top-down and bottom-up modelling of the energy-economy interaction. A combined hybrid model seems a relevant alternative to the two traditional approaches. The hybrid model developed is called Hybris and includes models for: supply of electricity and heat, household demand for electricity, and household demand for heat. These three models interact in a iterative procedure with the macro economic model ADAM through a number of links. A reference case as well as a number of scenarios illustrating the capabilities of the model has been set up.Hybris is a simulation model which is capable of analyzing combined CO 2 reduction initiatives as regulation of the energy supply system and a CO 2 tax in an integrated and consistent way. (au) 32 tabs., 98 ills., 55 refs

Optical analysis of down-conversion OLEDs

Science.gov (United States)

Krummacher, Benjamin; Klein, Markus; von Malm, Norwin; Winnacker, Albrecht

2008-02-01

Phosphor down-conversion of blue organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) is one approach to generate white light, which offers the possibility of easy color tuning, a simple device architecture and color stability over lifetime. In this article previous work on down-conversion devices in the field of organic solid state lighting is briefly reviewed. Further, bottom emitting down-conversion OLEDs are studied from an optical point of view. Therefore the physical processes occurring in the down-conversion layer are translated into a model which is implemented in a ray tracing simulation. By comparing its predictions to experimental results the model is confirmed. For the experiments a blue-emitting polymer OLED (PLED) panel optically coupled to a series of down-conversion layers is used. Based on results obtained from ray tracing simulation some of the implications of the model for the performance of down-conversion OLEDs are discussed. In particular it is analysed how the effective reflectance of the underlying blue OLED and the particle size distribution of the phosphor powder embedded in the matrix of the down-conversion layer influence extraction efficiency.

Upper airway morphology in Down Syndrome patients under dexmedetomidine sedation

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Rajeev Subramanyam

Full Text Available Abstract Background and objectives: Children with Down Syndrome are vulnerable to significant upper airway obstruction due to relative macroglossia and dynamic airway collapse. The objective of this study was to compare the upper airway dimensions of children with Down Syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea with normal airway under dexmedetomidine sedation. Methods: IRB approval was obtained. In this retrospective study, clinically indicated dynamic sagittal midline magnetic resonance images of the upper airway were obtained under low (1 mcg/kg/h and high (3 mcg/kg/h dose dexmedetomidine. Airway anteroposterior diameters and sectional areas were measured as minimum and maximum dimensions by two independent observers at soft palate (nasopharyngeal airway and at base of the tongue (retroglossal airway. Results and conclusions: Minimum anteroposterior diameter and minimum sectional area at nasopharynx and retroglossal airway were significantly reduced in Down Syndrome compared to normal airway at both low and high dose dexmedetomidine. However, there were no significant differences between low and high dose dexmedetomidine in both Down Syndrome and normal airway. The mean apnea hypopnea index in Down Syndrome was 16 ± 11. Under dexmedetomidine sedation, children with Down Syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea when compared to normal airway children show significant reductions in airway dimensions most pronounced at the narrowest points in the nasopharyngeal and retroglossal airways.

Upper airway morphology in Down Syndrome patients under dexmedetomidine sedation.

Science.gov (United States)

Subramanyam, Rajeev; Fleck, Robert; McAuliffe, John; Radhakrishnan, Rupa; Jung, Dorothy; Patino, Mario; Mahmoud, Mohamed

2016-01-01

Children with Down Syndrome are vulnerable to significant upper airway obstruction due to relative macroglossia and dynamic airway collapse. The objective of this study was to compare the upper airway dimensions of children with Down Syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea with normal airway under dexmedetomidine sedation. IRB approval was obtained. In this retrospective study, clinically indicated dynamic sagittal midline magnetic resonance images of the upper airway were obtained under low (1mcg/kg/h) and high (3mcg/kg/h) dose dexmedetomidine. Airway anteroposterior diameters and sectional areas were measured as minimum and maximum dimensions by two independent observers at soft palate (nasopharyngeal airway) and at base of the tongue (retroglossal airway). Minimum anteroposterior diameter and minimum sectional area at nasopharynx and retroglossal airway were significantly reduced in Down Syndrome compared to normal airway at both low and high dose dexmedetomidine. However, there were no significant differences between low and high dose dexmedetomidine in both Down Syndrome and normal airway. The mean apnea hypopnea index in Down Syndrome was 16±11. Under dexmedetomidine sedation, children with Down Syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea when compared to normal airway children show significant reductions in airway dimensions most pronounced at the narrowest points in the nasopharyngeal and retroglossal airways. Copyright © 2015 Sociedade Brasileira de Anestesiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

[Upper airway morphology in Down Syndrome patients under dexmedetomidine sedation].

Science.gov (United States)

Subramanyam, Rajeev; Fleck, Robert; McAuliffe, John; Radhakrishnan, Rupa; Jung, Dorothy; Patino, Mario; Mahmoud, Mohamed

2016-01-01

Children with Down Syndrome are vulnerable to significant upper airway obstruction due to relative macroglossia and dynamic airway collapse. The objective of this study was to compare the upper airway dimensions of children with Down Syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea with normal airway under dexmedetomidine sedation. IRB approval was obtained. In this retrospective study, clinically indicated dynamic sagittal midline magnetic resonance images of the upper airway were obtained under low (1mcg/kg/h) and high (3mcg/kg/h) dose dexmedetomidine. Airway anteroposterior diameters and sectional areas were measured as minimum and maximum dimensions by two independent observers at soft palate (nasopharyngeal airway) and at base of the tongue (retroglossal airway). Minimum anteroposterior diameter and minimum sectional area at nasopharynx and retroglossal airway were significantly reduced in Down Syndrome compared to normal airway at both low and high dose dexmedetomidine. However, there were no significant differences between low and high dose dexmedetomidine in both Down Syndrome and normal airway. The mean apnea hypopnea index in Down Syndrome was 16±11. Under dexmedetomidine sedation, children with Down Syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea when compared to normal airway children show significant reductions in airway dimensions most pronounced at the narrowest points in the nasopharyngeal and retroglossal airways. Copyright © 2015 Sociedade Brasileira de Anestesiologia. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

[Methodological aspects in the evaluation of turn-over and up/down sizing as indicators of work-related stress].

Science.gov (United States)

Veronesi, G; Bertù, L; Mombelli, S; Cimmino, L; Caravati, G; Conti, M; Abate, T; Ferrario, M M

2011-01-01

We discuss the methodological aspects related to the evaluation of turn-over and up-down sizing as indicators of work-related stress, in complex organizations like a university hospital. To estimate the active workers population we developed an algorithm which integrated several administrative databases. The indicators were standardized to take into account some potential confounders (age, sex, work seniority) when considering different hospital structures and job mansions. Main advantages of our method include flexibility in the choice of the analysis detail (hospital units, job mansions, a combination of both) and the possibility to describe over-time trends to measure the success of preventive strategies.

Tracking excited-state charge and spin dynamics in iron coordination complexes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Wenkai; Alonso-Mori, Roberto; Bergmann, Uwe

2014-01-01

to spin state, can elucidate the spin crossover dynamics of [Fe(2,2'-bipyridine)(3)](2+) on photoinduced metal-to-ligand charge transfer excitation. We are able to track the charge and spin dynamics, and establish the critical role of intermediate spin states in the crossover mechanism. We anticipate......Crucial to many light-driven processes in transition metal complexes is the absorption and dissipation of energy by 3d electrons(1-4). But a detailed understanding of such non-equilibrium excited-state dynamics and their interplay with structural changes is challenging: a multitude of excited...... states and possible transitions result in phenomena too complex to unravel when faced with the indirect sensitivity of optical spectroscopy to spin dynamics(5) and the flux limitations of ultrafast X-ray sources(6,7). Such a situation exists for archetypal poly-pyridyl iron complexes, such as [Fe(2...

Nuclear spin state-resolved cavity ring-down spectroscopy diagnostics of a low-temperature H3+ -dominated plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hejduk, Michal; Dohnal, Petr; Varju, Jozef; Rubovič, Peter; Plašil, Radek; Glosík, Juraj

2012-01-01

We have applied a continuous-wave near-infrared cavity ring-down spectroscopy method to study the parameters of a H 3 + -dominated plasma at temperatures in the range 77–200 K. We monitor populations of three rotational states of the ground vibrational state corresponding to para and ortho nuclear spin states in the discharge and the afterglow plasma in time and conclude that abundances of para and ortho states and rotational temperatures are well defined and stable. The non-trivial dependence of a relative population of para- H 3 + on a relative population of para-H 2 in a source H 2 gas is described. The results described in this paper are valuable for studies of state-selective dissociative recombination of H 3 + ions with electrons in the afterglow plasma and for the design of sources of H 3 + ions in a specific nuclear spin state. (paper)

Nuclear spin state-resolved cavity ring-down spectroscopy diagnostics of a low-temperature H_3^+ -dominated plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Hejduk, Michal; Dohnal, Petr; Varju, Jozef; Rubovič, Peter; Plašil, Radek; Glosík, Juraj

2012-04-01

We have applied a continuous-wave near-infrared cavity ring-down spectroscopy method to study the parameters of a H_3^+ -dominated plasma at temperatures in the range 77-200 K. We monitor populations of three rotational states of the ground vibrational state corresponding to para and ortho nuclear spin states in the discharge and the afterglow plasma in time and conclude that abundances of para and ortho states and rotational temperatures are well defined and stable. The non-trivial dependence of a relative population of para- H_3^+ on a relative population of para-H2 in a source H2 gas is described. The results described in this paper are valuable for studies of state-selective dissociative recombination of H_3^+ ions with electrons in the afterglow plasma and for the design of sources of H_3^+ ions in a specific nuclear spin state.

Nonlinear dynamics and damage induced properties of soft matter with application in oncology

Science.gov (United States)

Naimark, O.

2017-09-01

Molecular-morphological signs of oncogenesis could be linked to multiscale collective effects in molecular, cell and tissue related to defects (damage) dynamics. It was shown that nonlinear behavior of biological systems can be linked to the existence of characteristic collective open state modes providing the coherent expression dynamics. New type of criticality in nonequilibrium systems with defects—structural-scaling transition allows the definition of the `driving force' for a biological soft matter related to consolidated open states. The set of collective open states (breathers, autosolitons and blow-up modes) in the molecular ensembles provides the collective expression dynamics to attract the entire system (cell, tissue) toward a few preferred global states. The co-existence of three types of collective modes determines the multifractal scenario of biological soft matter dynamics. The appearance of `globally convergent' dynamics corresponding to the coherent behavior of multiscale blow-up open states (blow-up gene expression) leads to anomalous localized softening (blow-up localized damage) and the subjection of the cells (or tissue) to monofractal dynamics. This dynamics can be associated with cancer progression.

Are Gravitational Waves Spinning Down PSR J1023+0038?

Science.gov (United States)

Haskell, B; Patruno, A

2017-10-20

The pulsar J1023+0038 rotates with a frequency ν≈592  Hz and has been observed to transition between a radio state, during which it is visible as a millisecond radio pulsar, and a low-mass x-ray binary (LMXB) state, during which accretion powered x-ray pulsations are visible. Timing during the two phases reveals that during the LMXB phase the neutron star is spinning down at a rate of ν[over ˙]≈-3×10^{-15}  Hz/s, which is approximately 27% faster than the rate measured during the radio phase, ν[over ˙]≈-2.4×10^{-15}  Hz/s, and is at odds with the predictions of accretion models. We suggest that the increase in spin-down rate is compatible with gravitational wave emission, particularly with the creation of a "mountain" during the accretion phase. We show that asymmetries in pycnonuclear reaction rates in the crust can lead to a large enough mass quadrupole to explain the observed spin-down rate, which thus far has no other self-consistent explanation. We also suggest two observational tests of this scenario, involving radio timing at the onset of the next millisecond radio pulsar phase, when the mountain should dissipate, and accurate timing during the next LMXB phase to track the increase in torque as the mountain builds up. Another possibility is that an unstable r mode with an amplitude α≈5×10^{-8} may be present in the system.

Top-down and bottom-up approaches for cost estimating new reactor designs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berbey, P.; Gautier, G.M.; Duflo, D.; Rouyer, J.L.

2007-01-01

For several years, Generation-4 designs will be 'pre-conceptual' for the less mature concepts and 'preliminary' for the more mature concepts. In this situation, appropriate data for some of the plant systems may be lacking to develop a bottom-up cost estimate. Therefore, a more global approach, the Top-Down Approach (TDA), is needed to help the designers and decision makers in comparing design options. It utilizes more or less simple models for cost estimating the different parts of a design. TDA cost estimating effort applies to a whole functional element whose cost is approached by similar estimations coming from existing data, ratios and models, for a given range of variation of parameters. Modeling is used when direct analogy is not possible. There are two types of models, global and specific ones. Global models are applied to cost modules related to Code Of Account. Exponential formulae such as Ci = Ai + (Bi x Pi n ) are used when there are cost data for comparable modules in nuclear or other industries. Specific cost models are developed for major specific components of the plant: - process equipment such as reactor vessel, steam generators or large heat exchangers. - buildings, with formulae estimating the construction cost from base cost of m3 of building volume. - systems, when unit costs, cost ratios and models are used, depending on the level of detail of the design. Bottom Up Approach (BUA), which is based on unit prices coming from similar equipment or from manufacturer consulting, is very valuable and gives better cost estimations than TDA when it can be applied, that is at a rather late stage of the design. Both approaches are complementary when some parts of the design are detailed enough to be estimated by BUA, and when BUA results are used to check TDA results and to improve TDA models. This methodology is applied to the HTR (High Temperature Reactor) concept and to an advanced PWR design

Wave disturbance overwhelms top-down and bottom-up control of primary production in California kelp forests.

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, Daniel C; Rassweiler, Andrew; Carr, Mark H; Cavanaugh, Kyle C; Malone, Daniel P; Siegel, David A

2011-11-01

We took advantage of regional differences in environmental forcing and consumer abundance to examine the relative importance of nutrient availability (bottom-up), grazing pressure (top-down), and storm waves (disturbance) in determining the standing biomass and net primary production (NPP) of the giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera in central and southern California. Using a nine-year data set collected from 17 sites we show that, despite high densities of sea urchin grazers and prolonged periods of low nutrient availability in southern California, NPP by giant kelp was twice that of central California where nutrient concentrations were consistently high and sea urchins were nearly absent due to predation by sea otters. Waves associated with winter storms were consistently higher in central California, and the loss of kelp biomass to winter wave disturbance was on average twice that of southern California. These observations suggest that the more intense wave disturbance in central California limited NPP by giant kelp under otherwise favorable conditions. Regional patterns of interannual variation in NPP were similar to those of wave disturbance in that year-to-year variation in disturbance and NPP were both greater in southern California. Our findings provide strong evidence that regional differences in wave disturbance overwhelmed those of nutrient supply and grazing intensity to determine NPP by giant kelp. The important role of disturbance in controlling NPP revealed by our study is likely not unique to giant kelp forests, as vegetation dynamics in many systems are dominated by post-disturbance succession with climax communities being relatively uncommon. The effects of disturbance frequency may be easier to detect in giant kelp because it is fast growing and relatively short lived, with cycles of disturbance and recovery occurring on time scales of years. Much longer data sets (decades to centuries) will likely be needed to properly evaluate the role of

Validation of the Seven Up Seven Down Inventory in bipolar offspring : screening and prediction of mood disorders. Findings from the Dutch Bipolar Offspring Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mesman, E; Youngstrom, E A; Juliana, N K; Nolen, W A; Hillegers, M H J

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To validate the Seven Up Seven Down (7U7D), an abbreviated version of the General Behavior Inventory (GBI), as screener for mood disorders and test its ability to predict mood disorders over time in individuals at risk for bipolar disorder (BD). METHODS: Bipolar offspring (n=108) were

Validation of the Seven Up Seven Down Inventory in bipolar offspring : screening and prediction of mood disorders. Findings from the Dutch Bipolar Offspring Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mesman, Esther; Youngstrom, E. A.; Juliana, N. K.; Nolen, W. A.; Hillegers, M. H. J.

2017-01-01

Objective: To validate the Seven Up Seven Down (7U7D), an abbreviated version of the General Behavior Inventory (GBI), as screener for mood disorders and test its ability to predict mood disorders over time in individuals at risk for bipolar disorder (BD). Methods: Bipolar offspring (n=108) were

Top-Down-Assisted Bottom-Up Method for Homologous Protein Sequencing: Hemoglobin from 33 Bird Species

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Yang; Laskay, Ünige A.; Vilcins, Inger-Marie E.; Barbour, Alan G.; Wysocki, Vicki H.

2015-11-01

Ticks are vectors for disease transmission because they are indiscriminant in their feeding on multiple vertebrate hosts, transmitting pathogens between their hosts. Identifying the hosts on which ticks have fed is important for disease prevention and intervention. We have previously shown that hemoglobin (Hb) remnants from a host on which a tick fed can be used to reveal the host's identity. For the present research, blood was collected from 33 bird species that are common in the U.S. as hosts for ticks but that have unknown Hb sequences. A top-down-assisted bottom-up mass spectrometry approach with a customized searching database, based on variability in known bird hemoglobin sequences, has been devised to facilitate fast and complete sequencing of hemoglobin from birds with unknown sequences. These hemoglobin sequences will be added to a hemoglobin database and used for tick host identification. The general approach has the potential to sequence any set of homologous proteins completely in a rapid manner.

The dynamic state monitoring of bearings system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marek Krynke

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The article discusses the methods of dynamic state monitoring of bearings system. A vibration signal contains important technical information about the machine condition and is currently the most frequently used in diagnostic bearings systems. One of the main ad-vantages of machine condition monitoring is identifying the cause of failure of the bearings and taking preventative measures, otherwise the operation of such a machine will lead to frequent replacement of the bearings. Monitoring changes in the course of the operation of machin-ery repair strategies allows keeping the conditioned state of dynamic failure conditioned preventive repairs and repairs after-failure time. In addition, the paper also presents the fundamental causes of bearing failure and identifies mechanisms related to the creation of any type of damage.

Quantum mechanical aspects of dynamical neutron polarization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Betz, T.; Badurek, G.; Jericha, E.

2007-01-01

Dynamic Neutron Polarization (DNP) is a concept which allows to achieve complete polarization of slow neutrons, virtually without any loss of intensity. There the neutrons pass through a combination of a static and a rotating magnetic field in resonance, like in a standard NMR apparatus. Depending on their initial spin state, they end up with different kinetic energies and therefore different velocity. In a succeeding magnetic precession field this distinction causes a different total precession angle. Tuning the field strength can lead to a final state where two original anti-parallel spin states are aligned parallel and hence to polarization. The goal of this work is to describe the quantum mechanical aspects of DNP and to work out the differences to the semi-classical treatment. We show by quantum mechanical means, that the concept works and DNP is feasible, indeed. Therefore, we have to take a closer look to the behavior of neutron wave functions in magnetic fields. In the first Section we consider a monochromatic continuous beam. The more realistic case of a pulsed, polychromatic beam requires a time-dependent field configuration and will be treated in the second Section. In particular the spatial separation of the spin up- and down-states is considered, because it causes an effect of polarization damping so that one cannot achieve a fully polarized final state. This effect is not predicted by the semi-classical treatment of DNP. However, this reduction of polarization is very small and can be neglected in realistic DNP-setups

Fragmentation dynamics of ionized neon clusters (Ne(n), n=3-14) embedded in helium nanodroplets.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonhommeau, David; Halberstadt, Nadine; Viel, Alexandra

2006-01-14

We report a theoretical study of the nonadiabatic fragmentation dynamics of ionized neon clusters embedded in helium nanodroplets for cluster sizes up to n=14 atoms. The dynamics of the neon atoms is modeled using the molecular dynamics with quantum transitions method of Tully [J. Chem. Phys. 93, 1061 (1990)] with the nuclei treated classically and transitions between electronic states quantum mechanically. The potential-energy surfaces are derived from a diatomics-in-molecules model to which induced dipole-induced dipole interactions are added. The effect of the spin-orbit interaction is also discussed. The helium environment is modeled by a friction force acting on charged atoms whose speed exceeds the critical Landau velocity. The dependence of the fragment size distribution on the friction strength and on the initial nanodroplet size is investigated. By comparing with the available experimental data obtained for Ne3+ and Ne4+, a reasonable value for the friction coefficient, the only parameter of the model, is deduced. This value is then used to predict the effect of the helium environment on the dissociation dynamics of larger neon clusters, n=5-14. The results show stabilization of larger fragments than in the gas phase, but fragmentation is not completely caged. In addition, two types of dynamics are characterized for Ne4+: fast and explosive, therefore leaving no time for friction to cool down the process when dynamics starts on one of the highest electronic states, and slower, therefore leading to some stabilization by helium when it starts on one of the lowest electronic states.

Initial riparian down wood dynamics in relation to thinning and buffer width

Science.gov (United States)

Paul D. Anderson; Deanna H. Olson; Adrian. Ares

2013-01-01

Down wood plays many functional roles in aquatic and riparian ecosystems. Simplifi cation of forest structure and low abundance of down wood in stream channels and riparian areas is a common legacy of historical management in headwater forests west of the Cascade Range in the US northwest. Contemporary management practices emphasize the implementation of vegetation...

Terrestrial Planet Formation: Dynamical Shake-up and the Low Mass of Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Bromley, Benjamin C.; Kenyon, Scott J.

2017-05-01

We consider a dynamical shake-up model to explain the low mass of Mars and the lack of planets in the asteroid belt. In our scenario, a secular resonance with Jupiter sweeps through the inner solar system as the solar nebula depletes, pitting resonant excitation against collisional damping in the Sun’s protoplanetary disk. We report the outcome of extensive numerical calculations of planet formation from planetesimals in the terrestrial zone, with and without dynamical shake-up. If the Sun’s gas disk within the terrestrial zone depletes in roughly a million years, then the sweeping resonance inhibits planet formation in the asteroid belt and substantially limits the size of Mars. This phenomenon likely occurs around other stars with long-period massive planets, suggesting that asteroid belt analogs are common.

Pick-up and impact of flexible bodies

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, H.; Hanna, J. A.

2017-09-01

Picking up, laying down, colliding, rolling, and peeling are partial-contact interactions involving moving discontinuities. We examine the balances of momentum and energy across a moving discontinuity in a string, with allowance for injection or dissipation by singular supplies. We split the energy dissipation according to its invariance properties, discuss analogies with systems of particles and connections with the literature on shocks and phase transition fronts in various bodies, and derive a compatibility relation between supplies of momentum and translation-invariant energy. For a moving contact discontinuity between a string and a smooth rigid plane in the presence of gravity, we find a surprising asymmetry between the processes of picking up and laying down, such that steady-state kinks in geometry and associated jumps in tension are not admissible during pick-up. This prediction is consistent with experimental observations. We briefly discuss related problems including the falling folded chain, peeling of an adhesive tape, and the "chain fountain". Our approach is applicable to the study of impact and locomotion, and to systems such as moored floating structures and some musical instruments that feature vibrating string and cable elements interacting with a surface.

Top-down and bottom-up characterization of nitrated birch pollen allergen Bet v 1a with CZE hyphenated to an Orbitrap mass spectrometer.

Science.gov (United States)

Gusenkov, Sergey; Stutz, Hanno

2018-02-01

Tyrosine (Tyr) residues of the major pollen allergen of birch Betula verrucosa, Bet v 1a, were nitrated by peroxynitrite. This modification enhances the allergenicity. Modified tyrosines were identified by analyzing intact allergen variants in combination with top-down and bottom-up approaches. Therefore, a laboratory-built sheath-liquid assisted ESI interface was applied for hyphenation of CE to an Orbitrap mass spectrometer to localize individual nitration sites. The major focus was on identification of primary nitration sites. The top-down approach unambiguously identified Tyr 5 as the most prominent modification site. Fragments from the allergen core and the C-terminal part carried up to three potential nitration sites, respectively. Thus, a bottom-up approach with tryptic digest was used as a complementary strategy which allowed for the unambiguous localization of nitration sites within the respective peptides. Nitration propensity for individual Tyr residues was addressed by comparison of MS signals of nitrated peptides relative to all cognates of homolog primary sequence. Combined data identified surface exposed Tyr 5 and Tyr 66 as major nitration sites followed by less accessible Tyr 158 whereas Tyr 81, 83 and 150 possess a lower nitration tendency and are apparently modified in variants with higher nitration levels. © 2018 The Authors. Electrophoresis published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

Optimal control of peridinin excited-state dynamics

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Dietzek, B.; Chábera, P.; Hanf, R.; Tschierlei, S.; Popp, J.; Pascher, T.; Yartsev, A.; Polívka, Tomáš

2010-01-01

Roč. 373, 1-2 (2010), s. 129-136 ISSN 0301-0104 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50510513 Keywords : peridin * excited-state dynamics * coherent control Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 2.017, year: 2010

Evaluation of dynamic message signs and their potential impact on traffic flow.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-01

Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) has a rich data archive of the messages posted to the : Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) and the time stamps when they were posted and taken down. The archive : also contains traffic information surrounding the ...

Excited State Structural Dynamics of Carotenoids and Charge Transfer Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Tassle, Aaron Justin

2006-01-01

This dissertation describes the development and implementation of a visible/near infrared pump/mid-infrared probe apparatus. Chapter 1 describes the background and motivation of investigating optically induced structural dynamics, paying specific attention to solvation and the excitation selection rules of highly symmetric molecules such as carotenoids. Chapter 2 describes the development and construction of the experimental apparatus used throughout the remainder of this dissertation. Chapter 3 will discuss the investigation of DCM, a laser dye with a fluorescence signal resulting from a charge transfer state. By studying the dynamics of DCM and of its methyl deuterated isotopomer (an otherwise identical molecule), we are able to investigate the origins of the charge transfer state and provide evidence that it is of the controversial twisted intramolecular (TICT) type. Chapter 4 introduces the use of two-photon excitation to the S1 state, combined with one-photon excitation to the S2 state of the carotenoid beta-apo-8'-carotenal. These 2 investigations show evidence for the formation of solitons, previously unobserved in molecular systems and found only in conducting polymers Chapter 5 presents an investigation of the excited state dynamics of peridinin, the carotenoid responsible for the light harvesting of dinoflagellates. This investigation allows for a more detailed understanding of the importance of structural dynamics of carotenoids in light harvesting

Excited-State Dynamics of Carotenoids Studied by Femtosecond Transient Absorption Spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Ingu; Pang, Yoonsoo; Lee, Sebok

2014-01-01

Carotenoids, natural antenna pigments in photosynthesis share a symmetric backbone of conjugated polyenes. Contrary to the symmetric and almost planar geometries of carotenoids, excited state structure and dynamics of carotenoids are exceedingly complex. In this paper, recent infrared and visible transient absorption measurements and excitation dependent dynamics of 8'-apo-β-caroten-8'-al and 7',7'-dicyano-7'-apo-β-carotene will be reviewed. The recent visible transient absorption measurements of 8'-apo-β-caroten-8'-al in polar and nonpolar solvents will also be introduced to emphasize the complex excited-state dynamics and unsolved problems in the S 2 and S 1 excited states

A neural mechanism of dynamic gating of task-relevant information by top-down influence in primary visual cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamiyama, Akikazu; Fujita, Kazuhisa; Kashimori, Yoshiki

2016-12-01

Visual recognition involves bidirectional information flow, which consists of bottom-up information coding from retina and top-down information coding from higher visual areas. Recent studies have demonstrated the involvement of early visual areas such as primary visual area (V1) in recognition and memory formation. V1 neurons are not passive transformers of sensory inputs but work as adaptive processor, changing their function according to behavioral context. Top-down signals affect tuning property of V1 neurons and contribute to the gating of sensory information relevant to behavior. However, little is known about the neuronal mechanism underlying the gating of task-relevant information in V1. To address this issue, we focus on task-dependent tuning modulations of V1 neurons in two tasks of perceptual learning. We develop a model of the V1, which receives feedforward input from lateral geniculate nucleus and top-down input from a higher visual area. We show here that the change in a balance between excitation and inhibition in V1 connectivity is necessary for gating task-relevant information in V1. The balance change well accounts for the modulations of tuning characteristic and temporal properties of V1 neuronal responses. We also show that the balance change of V1 connectivity is shaped by top-down signals with temporal correlations reflecting the perceptual strategies of the two tasks. We propose a learning mechanism by which synaptic balance is modulated. To conclude, top-down signal changes the synaptic balance between excitation and inhibition in V1 connectivity, enabling early visual area such as V1 to gate context-dependent information under multiple task performances. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dynamics of temporally localized states in passively mode-locked semiconductor lasers

Science.gov (United States)

Schelte, C.; Javaloyes, J.; Gurevich, S. V.

2018-05-01

We study the emergence and the stability of temporally localized structures in the output of a semiconductor laser passively mode locked by a saturable absorber in the long-cavity regime. For large yet realistic values of the linewidth enhancement factor, we disclose the existence of secondary dynamical instabilities where the pulses develop regular and subsequent irregular temporal oscillations. By a detailed bifurcation analysis we show that additional solution branches that consist of multipulse (molecules) solutions exist. We demonstrate that the various solution curves for the single and multipeak pulses can splice and intersect each other via transcritical bifurcations, leading to a complex web of solutions. Our analysis is based on a generic model of mode locking that consists of a time-delayed dynamical system, but also on a much more numerically efficient, yet approximate, partial differential equation. We compare the results of the bifurcation analysis of both models in order to assess up to which point the two approaches are equivalent. We conclude our analysis by the study of the influence of group velocity dispersion, which is only possible in the framework of the partial differential equation model, and we show that it may have a profound impact on the dynamics of the localized states.

Causal relations among events and states in dynamic geographical phenomena

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Zhaoqiang; Feng, Xuezhi; Xuan, Wenling; Chen, Xiuwan

2007-06-01

There is only a static state of the real world to be recorded in conventional geographical information systems. However, there is not only static information but also dynamic information in geographical phenomena. So that how to record the dynamic information and reveal the relations among dynamic information is an important issue in a spatio-temporal information system. From an ontological perspective, we can initially divide the spatio-temporal entities in the world into continuants and occurrents. Continuant entities endure through some extended (although possibly very short) interval of time (e.g., houses, roads, cities, and real-estate). Occurrent entities happen and are then gone (e.g., a house repair job, road construction project, urban expansion, real-estate transition). From an information system perspective, continuants and occurrents that have a unique identity in the system are referred to as objects and events, respectively. And the change is represented implicitly by static snapshots in current spatial temporal information systems. In the previous models, the objects can be considered as the fundamental components of the system, and the change is modeled by considering time-varying attributes of these objects. In the spatio-temporal database, the temporal information that is either interval or instant is involved and the underlying data structures and indexes for temporal are considerable investigated. However, there is the absence of explicit ways of considering events, which affect the attributes of objects or the state. So the research issue of this paper focuses on how to model events in conceptual models of dynamic geographical phenomena and how to represent the causal relations among events and the objects or states. Firstly, the paper reviews the conceptual modeling in a temporal GIS by researchers. Secondly, this paper discusses the spatio-temporal entities: objects and events. Thirdly, this paper investigates the causal relations amongst

Dynamic thermal analysis of machines in running state

CERN Document Server

Wang, Lihui

2014-01-01

With the increasing complexity and dynamism in today’s machine design and development, more precise, robust and practical approaches and systems are needed to support machine design. Existing design methods treat the targeted machine as stationery. Analysis and simulation are mostly performed at the component level. Although there are some computer-aided engineering tools capable of motion analysis and vibration simulation etc., the machine itself is in the dry-run state. For effective machine design, understanding its thermal behaviours is crucial in achieving the desired performance in real situation. Dynamic Thermal Analysis of Machines in Running State presents a set of innovative solutions to dynamic thermal analysis of machines when they are put under actual working conditions. The objective is to better understand the thermal behaviours of a machine in real situation while at the design stage. The book has two major sections, with the first section presenting a broad-based review of the key areas of ...

Fractional Stark state selective electric field ionization of very high-n Rydberg states of molecules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dietrich, H.; Mueller-Dethlefs, K.; Baranov, L.Y.

1996-01-01

For the first time fractional Stark state selective electric field ionization of very high-n (n approx-gt 250) molecular Rydberg states is observed. An open-quote open-quote offset close-quote close-quote electric pulse selectively ionizes the more fragile open-quote open-quote red close-quote close-quote (down shifted in energy) Stark states. The more resilient open-quote open-quote bluer close-quote close-quote, or up-shifted, ones survive and are shifted down in energy upon application of a second (open-quote open-quote probe close-quote close-quote) pulse of opposite direction (diabatic Stark states close-quote inversion). Hence, even for smaller probe than offset fields ionization is observed. The offset/probe ratio allows one to control spectral peak shapes in zero-kinetic-energy photoelectron spectroscopy. copyright 1995 The American Physical Society

Development of Unavailability Estimation Method Considering Various Operating States of Dynamic Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, Seung Ki; Kang, Hyun Gook; Seong, Poong Hyun

2011-01-01

A dynamic system can be defined as a system which has a state at any given time which can be represented by a point in an appropriate state space. In order to analyze the dynamic systems, various failure mechanisms with time requirements such as the failure orders of sub-components and the changes of system states with time need to be modeled and quantitatively estimated. Since the conventional static fault tree analysis has imitations when applied to the dynamic systems, two types of dynamic fault tree methods have been developed. Dugan et al. proposed four dynamic gates to handle failure mechanisms composed of sequence-dependent events and Cepin and Mavko proposed the use of house events to handle failure mechanisms of dynamic systems which have various operating states with time. However, modeling a fault tree from a complex system is a cumbersome task even for the experts who is familiar to it, and demands a great amount of attention and caution to avoid errors. In order to model complex systems more conveniently from system block diagrams compared to the fault tree, a reliability graph with general gates (RGGG) was developed by introduction of general gates to a conventional reliability graph. The RGGG is an easy-to-modeling method as powerful as fault tree. It was also improved to analyze the dynamic failure mechanisms composed of sequence-dependent events with the addition of dynamic nodes. In this paper, unavailability assessment method for dynamic systems which have various operating states is proposed using the RGGG method. To achieve this, a novel concept of reliability matrix for the RGGG is introduced and Bayesian Networks are used for the quantification

Dynamical generation of maximally entangled states in two identical cavities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alexanian, Moorad

2011-01-01

The generation of entanglement between two identical coupled cavities, each containing a single three-level atom, is studied when the cavities exchange two coherent photons and are in the N=2,4 manifolds, where N represents the maximum number of photons possible in either cavity. The atom-photon state of each cavity is described by a qutrit for N=2 and a five-dimensional qudit for N=4. However, the conservation of the total value of N for the interacting two-cavity system limits the total number of states to only 4 states for N=2 and 8 states for N=4, rather than the usual 9 for two qutrits and 25 for two five-dimensional qudits. In the N=2 manifold, two-qutrit states dynamically generate four maximally entangled Bell states from initially unentangled states. In the N=4 manifold, two-qudit states dynamically generate maximally entangled states involving three or four states. The generation of these maximally entangled states occurs rather rapidly for large hopping strengths. The cavities function as a storage of periodically generated maximally entangled states.

Congenital leukemoid reaction followed by fatal leukemia. A case with Down's syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, H P; Menaka, H; Lim, K H; Yong, H S

1980-10-01

A serial clinical, hematologic, and cytogenetic study was done on a baby with Down's syndrome in whom a myeloid leukemoid reaction developed at birth that spontaneously regressed within a month only to relapse two years later to an acute undifferentiated stem cell leukemia. He died 1 1/2 months after onset. The unresolved controversy of the diagnosis of the congenital leukemia-like state is discussed. The importance of following up such patients with apparent remission of their congenital leukemia-like disorder is emphasized.

Steady State Dynamic Operating Behavior of Universal Motor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Khan Burdi

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A detailed investigation of the universal motor is developed and used for various dynamic steady state and transient operating conditions of loads. In the investigation, output torque, motor speed, input current, input/output power and efficiency are computed, compared and analyzed for different loads. While this paper discusses the steady-state behavior of the universal motor, another companion paper, ?Transient dynamic behavior of universal motor?, will discuss its transient behavior in detail. A non-linear generalized electric machine model of the motor is considered for the analysis. This study was essential to investigate effect of output load on input current, power, speed and efficiency of the motor during operations. Previously such investigation is not known

Investigating the Intersession Reliability of Dynamic Brain-State Properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Derek M; Zhao, Yrian; Keilholz, Shella D; Schumacher, Eric H

2018-06-01

Dynamic functional connectivity metrics have much to offer to the neuroscience of individual differences of cognition. Yet, despite the recent expansion in dynamic connectivity research, limited resources have been devoted to the study of the reliability of these connectivity measures. To address this, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 100 Human Connectome Project subjects were compared across 2 scan days. Brain states (i.e., patterns of coactivity across regions) were identified by classifying each time frame using k means clustering. This was done with and without global signal regression (GSR). Multiple gauges of reliability indicated consistency in the brain-state properties across days and GSR attenuated the reliability of the brain states. Changes in the brain-state properties across the course of the scan were investigated as well. The results demonstrate that summary metrics describing the clustering of individual time frames have adequate test/retest reliability, and thus, these patterns of brain activation may hold promise for individual-difference research.

Dilaton dynamics from production of tensionless membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cremonini, Sera; Watson, Scott

2006-01-01

In this paper we consider classical and quantum corrections to cosmological solutions of 11D supergravity (SUGRA) coming from dynamics of membrane states. We first consider the supermembrane spectrum following the approach of Russo and Tseytlin for consistent quantization. We calculate the production rate of Bogomol'nyi-Prasad-Sommerfield (BPS) membrane bound states in a cosmological background and find that such effects are generically suppressed by the Planck scale, as expected. However, for a modified brane spectrum possessing enhanced symmetry, production can be finite and significant. We stress that this effect could not be anticipated given only a knowledge of the low-energy effective theory. Once on shell, inclusion of these states leads to an attractive force pulling the dilaton towards a fixed point of S-duality, namely g s =1. Although the SUGRA description breaks down in this regime, inclusion of the enhanced states suggests that the center of M-theory moduli space is a dynamical attractor. Moreover, our results seem to suggest that string dynamics does indeed favor a vacuum near fixed points of duality

Translational and rotational dynamic analysis of a superconducting levitation system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cansiz, A [Electric-Electronic Engineering Department, Ataturk University, Erzurum (Turkey); Hull, J R [Energy Technology Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL (United States); Gundogdu, Oe [Mechanical Engineering Department, Ataturk University, Erzurum (Turkey)

2005-07-01

The rotational dynamics of a disc-shaped permanent magnet rotor levitated over a high temperature superconductor was studied experimentally and theoretically. The interaction between the rotor magnet and the superconductor was modelled by assuming the magnet to be a magnetic dipole and the superconductor a diamagnet. In the magnetomechanical analysis of the superconductor part, the frozen image concept was combined with the diamagnetic image, and the damping in the system was neglected. The interaction potential of the system is the combination of magnetic and gravitational potentials. From the dynamical analysis the equations of motion of the permanent magnet were stated as a function of lateral, vertical, tilt, precision and rotating angles. The vibration behaviour and correlation of the vibration of one direction with that of another were determined with a numerical calculation based on the Runge-Kutta method. The various vibrational frequencies identified were vertical, radial, tilt, precession and rotation. The tests performed for experimental verifications were translational and rotational. The permanent magnet was 'spun up' under vacuum conditions to analyse the dynamics of the free 'spin down' behaviour of the permanent magnet.

Caries in Portuguese children with Down syndrome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina Maria Areias

2011-01-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: Oral health in Down syndrome children has some peculiar aspects that must be considered in the follow-up of these patients. This study focuses on characterizing the environmental and host factors associated with dental caries in Portuguese children with and without Down syndrome. METHODS: A sibling-matched, population-based, cross-sectional survey was performed. RESULTS: Down syndrome children presented a significantly greater percentage of children without caries, 78% vs. 58% of non-Down syndrome siblings. This difference in the DMFT index (number of decayed, missing and filled teeth essentially reflects data obtained from treated teeth, for which 91% of children with Down syndrome had never had a tooth treated vs. 67% of siblings. This result was statistically significant, whereas results for decayed and lost teeth did not differ between Down syndrome children and their unaffected siblings. Additionally, in Down syndrome children, a delayed eruption of the second molar occurs. Down syndrome children and their siblings have similar oral hygiene habits, but a higher percentage of Down syndrome children visit a dentist before the age of three years, in comparison to their siblings. Bruxism was also more common in Down syndrome children compared to their siblings. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that Portuguese children with Down syndrome have lower caries rates than children without Down syndrome. This reduced prevalence may be associated with the parents' greater concern about oral health care in Down syndrome children, resulting in their taking them sooner to visit a dentist, as well as to a higher bruxism prevalence and delayed tooth eruption.

Caries in Portuguese children with Down syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Areias, Cristina Maria; Sampaio-Maia, Benedita; Guimaraes, Hercilia; Melo, Paulo; Andrade, David

2011-01-01

Oral health in Down syndrome children has some peculiar aspects that must be considered in the follow-up of these patients. This study focuses on characterizing the environmental and host factors associated with dental caries in Portuguese children with and without Down syndrome. A sibling-matched, population-based, cross-sectional survey was performed. Down syndrome children presented a significantly greater percentage of children without caries, 78% vs. 58% of non-Down syndrome siblings. This difference in the DMFT index (number of decayed, missing and filled teeth) essentially reflects data obtained from treated teeth, for which 91% of children with Down syndrome had never had a tooth treated vs. 67% of siblings. This result was statistically significant, whereas results for decayed and lost teeth did not differ between Down syndrome children and their unaffected siblings. Additionally, in Down syndrome children, a delayed eruption of the second molar occurs. Down syndrome children and their siblings have similar oral hygiene habits, but a higher percentage of Down syndrome children visit a dentist before the age of three years, in comparison to their siblings. Bruxism was also more common in Down syndrome children compared to their siblings. Our results show that Portuguese children with Down syndrome have lower caries rates than children without Down syndrome. This reduced prevalence may be associated with the parents' greater concern about oral health care in Down syndrome children, resulting in their taking them sooner to visit a dentist, as well as to a higher bruxism prevalence and delayed tooth eruption.

Macroscopic description of complex adaptive networks coevolving with dynamic node states

Science.gov (United States)

Wiedermann, Marc; Donges, Jonathan F.; Heitzig, Jobst; Lucht, Wolfgang; Kurths, Jürgen

2015-05-01

In many real-world complex systems, the time evolution of the network's structure and the dynamic state of its nodes are closely entangled. Here we study opinion formation and imitation on an adaptive complex network which is dependent on the individual dynamic state of each node and vice versa to model the coevolution of renewable resources with the dynamics of harvesting agents on a social network. The adaptive voter model is coupled to a set of identical logistic growth models and we mainly find that, in such systems, the rate of interactions between nodes as well as the adaptive rewiring probability are crucial parameters for controlling the sustainability of the system's equilibrium state. We derive a macroscopic description of the system in terms of ordinary differential equations which provides a general framework to model and quantify the influence of single node dynamics on the macroscopic state of the network. The thus obtained framework is applicable to many fields of study, such as epidemic spreading, opinion formation, or socioecological modeling.

Non-linear wave packet dynamics of coherent states

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

In recent years, the non-linear quantum dynamics of these states have revealed some striking features. It was found that under the action of a Hamil- tonian which is a non-linear function of the photon operator(s) only, an initial coherent state loses its coherent structure quickly due to quantum dephasing induced by the non-.

The energy landscape of glassy dynamics on the amorphous hafnium diboride surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, Duc; Girolami, Gregory S.; Mallek, Justin; Cloud, Andrew N.; Abelson, John R.; Lyding, Joseph; Gruebele, Martin

2014-01-01

Direct visualization of the dynamics of structural glasses and amorphous solids on the sub-nanometer scale provides rich information unavailable from bulk or conventional single molecule techniques. We study the surface of hafnium diboride, a conductive ultrahigh temperature ceramic material that can be grown in amorphous films. Our scanning tunneling movies have a second-to-hour dynamic range and single-point current measurements extend that to the millisecond-to-minute time scale. On the a-HfB 2 glass surface, two-state hopping of 1–2 nm diameter cooperatively rearranging regions or “clusters” occurs from sub-milliseconds to hours. We characterize individual clusters in detail through high-resolution (<0.5 nm) imaging, scanning tunneling spectroscopy and voltage modulation, ruling out individual atoms, diffusing adsorbates, or pinned charges as the origin of the observed two-state hopping. Smaller clusters are more likely to hop, larger ones are more likely to be immobile. HfB 2 has a very high bulk glass transition temperature T g , and we observe no three-state hopping or sequential two-state hopping previously seen on lower T g glass surfaces. The electronic density of states of clusters does not change when they hop up or down, allowing us to calibrate an accurate relative z-axis scale. By directly measuring and histogramming single cluster vertical displacements, we can reconstruct the local free energy landscape of individual clusters, complete with activation barrier height, a reaction coordinate in nanometers, and the shape of the free energy landscape basins between which hopping occurs. The experimental images are consistent with the compact shape of α-relaxors predicted by random first order transition theory, whereas the rapid hopping rate, even taking less confined motion at the surface into account, is consistent with β-relaxations. We make a proposal of how “mixed” features can show up in surface dynamics of glasses

Excited-State Dynamics of Carotenoids Studied by Femtosecond Transient Absorption Spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Ingu; Pang, Yoonsoo [Department of Physics and Photon Science, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Sebok [Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of)

2014-03-15

Carotenoids, natural antenna pigments in photosynthesis share a symmetric backbone of conjugated polyenes. Contrary to the symmetric and almost planar geometries of carotenoids, excited state structure and dynamics of carotenoids are exceedingly complex. In this paper, recent infrared and visible transient absorption measurements and excitation dependent dynamics of 8'-apo-β-caroten-8'-al and 7',7'-dicyano-7'-apo-β-carotene will be reviewed. The recent visible transient absorption measurements of 8'-apo-β-caroten-8'-al in polar and nonpolar solvents will also be introduced to emphasize the complex excited-state dynamics and unsolved problems in the S{sub 2} and S{sub 1} excited states.

Dynamic ultraslow optical-matter wave analog of an event horizon.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, C J; Deng, L; Hagley, E W; Ge, Mo-Lin

2014-08-29

We investigate theoretically the effects of a dynamically increasing medium index on optical-wave propagation in a rubidium condensate. A long pulsed pump laser coupling a D2 line transition produces a rapidly growing internally generated field. This results in a significant optical self-focusing effect and creates a dynamically growing medium index anomaly that propagates ultraslowly with the internally generated field. When a fast probe pulse injected after a delay catches up with the dynamically increasing index anomaly, it is forced to slow down and is prohibited from crossing the anomaly, thereby realizing an ultraslow optical-matter wave analog of a dynamic white-hole event horizon.

Slowing down of 100 keV antiprotons in Al foils

Science.gov (United States)

Nordlund, K.

2018-03-01

Using energy degrading foils to slow down antiprotons is of interest for producing antihydrogen atoms. I consider here the slowing down of 100 keV antiprotons, that will be produced in the ELENA storage ring under construction at CERN, to energies below 10 keV. At these low energies, they are suitable for efficient antihydrogen production. I simulate the antihydrogen motion and slowing down in Al foils using a recently developed molecular dynamics approach. The results show that the optimal Al foil thickness for slowing down the antiprotons to below 5 keV is 910 nm, and to below 10 keV is 840 nm. Also the lateral spreading of the transmitted antiprotons is reported and the uncertainties discussed.

Designing non-Hermitian dynamics for conservative state evolution on the Bloch sphere

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Sunkyu; Piao, Xianji; Park, Namkyoo

2018-03-01

An evolution on the Bloch sphere is the fundamental state transition, including optical polarization controls and qubit operations. Conventional evolution of a polarization state or qubit is implemented within a closed system that automatically satisfies energy conservation from the Hermitian formalism. Although particular forms of static non-Hermitian Hamiltonians, such as parity-time-symmetric Hamiltonians, allow conservative states in an open system, the criteria for the energy conservation in a dynamical open system have not been fully explored. Here, we derive the condition of conservative state evolution in open-system dynamics and its inverse design method, by developing the non-Hermitian modification of the Larmor precession equation. We show that the geometrically designed locus on the Bloch sphere can be realized by different forms of dynamics, leading to the isolocus family of non-Hermitian dynamics. This increased degree of freedom allows the complementary phenomena of error-robust and highly sensitive evolutions on the Bloch sphere, which could be applicable to stable polarizers, quantum gates, and optimized sensors in dynamical open systems.

Characterization of axisymmetric disruption dynamics toward VDE avoidance in tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, Y.

2002-01-01

Disruption experiments on Alcator C-Mod and ASDEX-Upgrade tokamaks and axisymmetric MHD simulations using the TSC have explicated the underlying mechanisms of Vertical Displacement Events (VDEs) and a diversity of disruption dynamics. First, the neutral point, which is known as an initial vertical plasma position advantageous to VDE avoidance, is shown to be fairly insensitive to plasma shape and current profile parameters, while the VDE rate significantly depends on those parameters. Secondly, it is clarified that a rapid flattening of the plasma current profile frequently seen at the thermal quench drags a single null-diverted, up-down asymmetric plasma vertically toward divertor, whereas the dragging effect is absent in up-down symmetric limiter discharges. As a consequence, the occurrence of downward-going VDEs predominates over the upward-going ones in bottom-diverted discharges, being consistent with experiments in ASDEX-Upgrade. Together with the attractive force that arises from passive shell currents induced by the current quench and vanishes at the neutral point, the dragging effect explains many details of the VDE dynamics over the whole period of disruptive termination. (author)

The influence of local majority opinions on the dynamics of the Sznajd model

Science.gov (United States)

Crokidakis, Nuno

2014-03-01

In this work we study a Sznajd-like opinion dynamics on a square lattice of linear size L. For this purpose, we consider that each agent has a convincing power C, that is a time-dependent quantity. Each high convincing power group of four agents sharing the same opinion may convince its neighbors to follow the group opinion, which induces an increase of the group's convincing power. In addition, we have considered that a group with a local majority opinion (3 up/1 down spins or 1 up/3 down spins) can persuade the agents neighboring the group with probability p, since the group's convincing power is high enough. The two mechanisms (convincing powers and probability p) lead to an increase of the competition among the opinions, which avoids dictatorship (full consensus, all spins parallel) for a wide range of model's parameters, and favors the occurrence of democratic states (partial order, the majority of spins pointing in one direction). We have found that the relaxation times of the model follow log-normal distributions, and that the average relaxation time τ grows with system size as τ ~ L5/2, independent of p. We also discuss the occurrence of the usual phase transition of the Sznajd model.

The influence of local majority opinions on the dynamics of the Sznajd model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crokidakis, Nuno [Departamento de Física, PUC-Rio, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

2014-03-11

In this work we study a Sznajd-like opinion dynamics on a square lattice of linear size L. For this purpose, we consider that each agent has a convincing power C, that is a time-dependent quantity. Each high convincing power group of four agents sharing the same opinion may convince its neighbors to follow the group opinion, which induces an increase of the group's convincing power. In addition, we have considered that a group with a local majority opinion (3 up/1 down spins or 1 up/3 down spins) can persuade the agents neighboring the group with probability p, since the group's convincing power is high enough. The two mechanisms (convincing powers and probability p) lead to an increase of the competition among the opinions, which avoids dictatorship (full consensus, all spins parallel) for a wide range of model's parameters, and favors the occurrence of democratic states (partial order, the majority of spins pointing in one direction). We have found that the relaxation times of the model follow log-normal distributions, and that the average relaxation time τ grows with system size as τ ∼ L{sup 5/2}, independent of p. We also discuss the occurrence of the usual phase transition of the Sznajd model.

Detecting brain dynamics during resting state: a tensor based evolutionary clustering approach

Science.gov (United States)

Al-sharoa, Esraa; Al-khassaweneh, Mahmood; Aviyente, Selin

2017-08-01

Human brain is a complex network with connections across different regions. Understanding the functional connectivity (FC) of the brain is important both during resting state and task; as disruptions in connectivity patterns are indicators of different psychopathological and neurological diseases. In this work, we study the resting state functional connectivity networks (FCNs) of the brain from fMRI BOLD signals. Recent studies have shown that FCNs are dynamic even during resting state and understanding the temporal dynamics of FCNs is important for differentiating between different conditions. Therefore, it is important to develop algorithms to track the dynamic formation and dissociation of FCNs of the brain during resting state. In this paper, we propose a two step tensor based community detection algorithm to identify and track the brain network community structure across time. First, we introduce an information-theoretic function to reduce the dynamic FCN and identify the time points that are similar topologically to combine them into a tensor. These time points will be used to identify the different FC states. Second, a tensor based spectral clustering approach is developed to identify the community structure of the constructed tensors. The proposed algorithm applies Tucker decomposition to the constructed tensors and extract the orthogonal factor matrices along the connectivity mode to determine the common subspace within each FC state. The detected community structure is summarized and described as FC states. The results illustrate the dynamic structure of resting state networks (RSNs), including the default mode network, somatomotor network, subcortical network and visual network.

The effect of warm-up, static stretching and dynamic stretching on hamstring flexibility in previously injured subjects.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O'Sullivan, Kieran

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: Warm-up and stretching are suggested to increase hamstring flexibility and reduce the risk of injury. This study examined the short-term effects of warm-up, static stretching and dynamic stretching on hamstring flexibility in individuals with previous hamstring injury and uninjured controls. METHODS: A randomised crossover study design, over 2 separate days. Hamstring flexibility was assessed using passive knee extension range of motion (PKE ROM). 18 previously injured individuals and 18 uninjured controls participated. On both days, four measurements of PKE ROM were recorded: (1) at baseline; (2) after warm-up; (3) after stretch (static or dynamic) and (4) after a 15-minute rest. Participants carried out both static and dynamic stretches, but on different days. Data were analysed using Anova. RESULTS: Across both groups, there was a significant main effect for time (p < 0.001). PKE ROM significantly increased with warm-up (p < 0.001). From warm-up, PKE ROM further increased with static stretching (p = 0.04) but significantly decreased after dynamic stretching (p = 0.013). The increased flexibility after warm-up and static stretching reduced significantly (p < 0.001) after 15 minutes of rest, but remained significantly greater than at baseline (p < 0.001). Between groups, there was no main effect for group (p = 0.462), with no difference in mean PKE ROM values at any individual stage of the protocol (p > 0.05). Using ANCOVA to adjust for the non-significant (p = 0.141) baseline difference between groups, the previously injured group demonstrated a greater response to warm-up and static stretching, however this was not statistically significant (p = 0.05). CONCLUSION: Warm-up significantly increased hamstring flexibility. Static stretching also increased hamstring flexibility, whereas dynamic did not, in agreement with previous findings on uninjured controls. The effect of warm-up and static stretching on flexibility was greater in those with reduced