316 research outputs found
Analytical and experimental stability investigation of a hardware-in-the-loop satellite docking simulator
The European Proximity Operation Simulator (EPOS) of the DLR-German Aerospace
Center is a robotics-based simulator that aims at validating and verifying a
satellite docking phase. The generic concept features a robotics tracking
system working in closed loop with a force/torque feedback signal. Inherent
delays in the tracking system combined with typical high stiffness at contact
challenge the stability of the closed-loop system. The proposed concept of
operations is hybrid: the feedback signal is a superposition of a measured
value and of a virtual value that can be tuned in order to guarantee a desired
behavior. This paper is concerned with an analytical study of the system's
closed-loop stability, and with an experimental validation of the hybrid
concept of operations in one dimension (1D). The robotics simulator is modeled
as a second-order loop-delay system and closed-form expressions for the
critical delay and associated frequency are derived as a function of the
satellites' mass and the contact dynamics stiffness and damping parameters. A
numerical illustration sheds light on the impact of the parameters on the
stability regions. A first-order Pade approximation provides additional means
of stability investigation. Experiments were performed and tests results are
described for varying values of the mass and the damping coefficients. The
empirical determination of instability is based on the coefficient of
restitution and on the observed energy. There is a very good agreement between
the critical damping values predicted by the analysis and observed during the
tests...Comment: 16 page
Functional Maps Representation on Product Manifolds
We consider the tasks of representing, analyzing and manipulating maps
between shapes. We model maps as densities over the product manifold of the
input shapes; these densities can be treated as scalar functions and therefore
are manipulable using the language of signal processing on manifolds. Being a
manifold itself, the product space endows the set of maps with a geometry of
its own, which we exploit to define map operations in the spectral domain; we
also derive relationships with other existing representations (soft maps and
functional maps). To apply these ideas in practice, we discretize product
manifolds and their Laplace--Beltrami operators, and we introduce localized
spectral analysis of the product manifold as a novel tool for map processing.
Our framework applies to maps defined between and across 2D and 3D shapes
without requiring special adjustment, and it can be implemented efficiently
with simple operations on sparse matrices.Comment: Accepted to Computer Graphics Foru
Direct perturbation theory on the shift of Electron Spin Resonance
We formulate a direct and systematic perturbation theory on the shift of the
main paramagnetic peak in Electron Spin Resonance, and derive a general
expression up to second order. It is applied to one-dimensional XXZ and
transverse Ising models in the high field limit, to obtain explicit results
including the polarization dependence for arbitrary temperature.Comment: 5 pages (no figures) in REVTE
Large-scale, multidirectional larval connectivity among coral reef fish populations in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
Larval dispersal is the key process by which populations of most marine fishes and invertebrates are connected and replenished. Advances in larval tagging and genetics have enhanced our capacity to track larval dispersal, assess scales of population connectivity, and quantify larval exchange among no-take marine reserves and fished areas. Recent studies have found that reserves can be a significant source of recruits for populations up to 40 km away, but the scale and direction of larval connectivity across larger seascapes remain unknown. Here, we apply genetic parentage analysis to investigate larval dispersal patterns for two exploited coral reef groupers (Plectropomus maculatus and Plectropomus leopardus) within and among three clusters of reefs separated by 60-220 km within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Australia. A total of 69 juvenile P. maculatus and 17 juvenile P. leopardus (representing 6% and 9% of the total juveniles sampled, respectively) were genetically assigned to parent individuals on reefs within the study area. We identified both short-distance larval dispersal within regions (200 m to 50 km) and long-distance, multidirectional dispersal of up to similar to 250 km among regions. Dispersal strength declined significantly with distance, with best-fit dispersal kernels estimating median dispersal distances of similar to 110 km for P. maculatus and similar to 190 km for P. leopardus. Larval exchange among reefs demonstrates that established reserves form a highly connected network and contribute larvae for the replenishment of fished reefs at multiple spatial scales. Our findings highlight the potential for long-distance dispersal in an important group of reef fishes, and provide further evidence that effectively protected reserves can yield recruitment and sustainability benefits for exploited fish populations
Preface
No AbstractPeer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/38319/1/1687_ftp.pd
Human tribbles-1 controls proliferation and chemotaxis of smooth muscle cells via MAPK signaling pathways
Migration and proliferation of smooth muscle cells are key to a number of physiological and pathological processes, including wound healing and the narrowing of the vessel wall.Previous work has shown links between inflammatory stimuli and vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration through mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation, though the molecular mechanisms of this process are poorly understood.
Here we report that tribbles-1, a recently described modulator of MAPK activation controls vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and chemotaxis via the Jun Kinase pathway. Our findings demonstrate that this regulation takes place via direct interactions between tribbles-1 and MKK4/SEK1, a Jun activator kinase. The
activity of this kinase is dependent on tribbles-1 levels, whilst the activation and the expression of MKK4/SEK1 is not. In addition, tribbles-1 expression is elevated in
human atherosclerotic arteries compared to non-atherosclerotic controls, suggesting that this protein may pay a role in disease in vivo. In summary, the data presented here suggest an important regulatory role for trb-1 in vascular smooth muscle cell biology
Electron Spin Resonance in S=1/2 antiferromagnetic chains
A systematic field-theory approach to Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) in the
quantum antiferromagnetic chain at low temperature (compared to the
exchange coupling ) is developed. In particular, effects of a transverse
staggered field and an exchange anisotropy (including a dipolar
interaction) on the ESR lineshape are discussed. In the lowest order
of perturbation theory, the linewidth is given as and
, respectively. In the case of a transverse staggered
field, the perturbative expansion diverges at lower temperature;
non-perturbative effects at very low temperature are discussed using exact
results on the sine-Gordon field theory. We also compare our field-theory
results with the predictions of Kubo-Tomita theory for the high-temperature
regime, and discuss the crossover between the two regimes. It is argued that a
naive application of the standard Kubo-Tomita theory to the
Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction gives an incorrect result. A rigorous and
exact identity on the polarization dependence is derived for certain class of
anisotropy, and compared with the field-theory results.Comment: 53 pages in REVTEX, 7 figures in EPS included; revised version with
missing references and correction
Tensile strength assay comparing the resistance between two different autologous platelet concentrates (leucocyte-platelet rich fibrin versus advanced-platelet rich fibrin): a pilot study
Background: Since the leucocyte-platelet rich fibrin (L-PRF) was published in 2001, many studies have been developed, analyzing its properties, and also verifying new possibilities to improve it. Thereby, it emerges the advanced-platelet rich fibrin (A-PRF) with a protocol that optimizes the properties obtained by the L-PRF. Nonetheless, there is a gap in the literature to landmark the evolutive process concerning the mechanical properties in specific the resistance to tensile strength which consequently may influence the time for membrane degradation. Thus, this study had the goal to compare the resistance to the traction of membranes produced with the original L-PRF and A-PRF protocols, being the first to this direct comparison. Findings: The harvest of blood from a healthy single person, with no history of anticoagulant usage. We performed the protocols described in the literature, within a total of 13 membranes produced for each protocol (n = 26). Afterward, the membranes were prepared and submitted to a traction test assessing the maximal and the average traction achieved for each membrane. The data were analyzed statistically using the unpaired t test. Regarding average traction, A-PRF obtained a value of 0.0288 N mm−2 and L-PRF 0.0192 N mm−2 (p < 0.05 using unpaired t test). For maximal traction, A-PRF obtained 0.0752 N mm−2 and L-PRF 0.0425 N mm−2 (p < 0.05 using unpaired t test). Conclusion: With this study, it was possible to conclude that indeed A-PRF has a significative higher maximal traction score and higher average traction compared to L-PRF, indicating that it had a higher resistance when two opposing forces are applied.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
JNK modulates FOXO3a for the expression of the mitochondrial death and mitophagy marker BNIP3 in pathological hypertrophy and in heart failure
Bcl-2 E1B 19-KDa interacting protein 3 (BNIP3) is a mitochondrial death and mitophagy marker, which is involved in inducing cardiac remodeling post myocardial infarction. In this study, we show that BNIP3 expression increases in stressed cardiomyocytes in vitro and in response to pressure overload in vivo, and that its transcription is directly related to JNK activity. BNIP3 expression gradually increased in the first weeks after pressure overload and peaked at the heart failure stage. Ultrastructurally, the mitochondrial area was inversely proportional to BNIP3 expression. Both JNK and AKT activities increased with pressure overload; however, JNK signaling dominated over AKT signaling for the activation of the transcription factor FOXO3a and for the transcription of its effector, BNIP3. 3-methyladenine attenuated JNK signaling and significantly decreased BNIP3 expression and reversed cardiac remodeling in heart failure. Ultrastructurally, the mitochondrial area was significantly increased in the 3-methyladenine group compared with placebo. Moreover, adenoviral gene delivery of dominant negative JNK in a rat model of pressure overload hypertrophy abolished the increase in BNIP3 expression in response to pressure overload. These results suggest that JNK signaling is a critical modulator of the transcription factor FOXO3a driving the expression of its effector, BNIP3, in heart failure and that JNK, through BNIP3, induces mitochondrial apoptosis and mitophagy
- …