1,127 research outputs found
A study for hypergolic vapor sensor development
In summary, the following tasks were completed within the scope of this work: (1) a portable Monomethylhydrazine analyzer was developed, designed, fabricated and tested. (2) A portable NO2 analyzer was developed, designed, fabricated and tested. (3) Sampling probes and accessories were designed and fabricated for this instrumentation. (4) Improvements and modifications were made to the model 7630 Ecolyzer in preparation for field testing. (5) Instrument calibration procedures and hydrazine handling techniques necessary to the successful application of this hardware were developed
Leaders of neuronal cultures in a quorum percolation model
We present a theoretical framework using quorum-percolation for describing
the initiation of activity in a neural culture. The cultures are modeled as
random graphs, whose nodes are excitatory neurons with kin inputs and kout
outputs, and whose input degrees kin = k obey given distribution functions pk.
We examine the firing activity of the population of neurons according to their
input degree (k) classes and calculate for each class its firing probability
\Phi_k(t) as a function of t. The probability of a node to fire is found to be
determined by its in-degree k, and the first-to-fire neurons are those that
have a high k. A small minority of high-k classes may be called "Leaders", as
they form an inter-connected subnetwork that consistently fires much before the
rest of the culture. Once initiated, the activity spreads from the Leaders to
the less connected majority of the culture. We then use the distribution of
in-degree of the Leaders to study the growth rate of the number of neurons
active in a burst, which was experimentally measured to be initially
exponential. We find that this kind of growth rate is best described by a
population that has an in-degree distribution that is a Gaussian centered
around k = 75 with width {\sigma} = 31 for the majority of the neurons, but
also has a power law tail with exponent -2 for ten percent of the population.
Neurons in the tail may have as many as k = 4, 700 inputs. We explore and
discuss the correspondence between the degree distribution and a dynamic
neuronal threshold, showing that from the functional point of view, structure
and elementary dynamics are interchangeable. We discuss possible geometric
origins of this distribution, and comment on the importance of size, or of
having a large number of neurons, in the culture.Comment: Keywords: Neuronal cultures, Graph theory, Activation dynamics,
Percolation, Statistical mechanics of networks, Leaders of activity, Quorum.
http://www.weizmann.ac.il/complex/tlusty/papers/FrontCompNeuro2010.pd
Toxic level hypergolic vapor detection sensor development
Development of an electrochemical sensor technology capable of PPB level hypergolic vapor sensing is reported. A portable instrument capable of meeting the design goals is described
PHYLOGENY OF THE ARCHAEBACTERIA AND EUKARYOTES: HOMOLOGY OF THE DNA-DEPENDENT RNA POLYMERASES
Effects of Hip Bracing on Gait Biomechanics, Pain and Function in Subjects With Mild to Moderate Hip Osteoarthritis
Hip Osteoarthritis (HOA) is a common joint disease with serious impact on the quality of life of the affected persons. Additionally, persons with HOA often show alterations in gait biomechanics. Developing effective conservative treatment strategies is of paramount importance, as joint replacement is only indicated for end-stage HOA. In contrast to knee osteoarthritis, little is known about the effectiveness of hip bracing for the management of HOA. Studies analysing mechanically unloading hip braces partly showed beneficial results. However, methodological limitations of these studies, such as small sample sizes or lack of control groups, limit the applicability of the results. Additionally, mechanically unloading braces might impose restrictions on motion and comfort and thus, might not be suitable for people with only mild or moderate symptoms. The aim of this study was to comprehensively quantify the effects of unilateral HOA as well as functional hip bracing on gait biomechanics, pain, proprioception and functional capacity in people with mild to moderate HOA. Hip and pelvis biomechanics during walking were analysed in 21 subjects with mild to moderate HOA under three bracing conditions: unbraced, immediately after brace application and after 1 week of brace usage. Additionally, pain, hip proprioception and functional capacity were assessed. A matched group of 21 healthy subjects was included as reference. Kinematic and kinetic data were collected using a 16-camera infrared motion capturing system and two force plates. Visual analogue scales, an angle reproduction test and a 6-min walking test were applied to measure pain, hip proprioception and functional capacity, respectively. Subjects with HOA walked slower, with reduced step length, sagittal hip range of motion and peak extension angle and had a reduced functional capacity. After 1 week of brace application step length, walking speed and functional capacity were significantly increased. Additionally, pain perception was significantly lower in the intervention period. These results encourage the application of functional hip braces in the management of mild to moderate HOA. However, as key parameters of HOA gait such as a reduced peak extension angle remained unchanged, the underlying mechanisms remain partly unclear and have to be considered in the future
Modularity in motor control : similarities in kinematic synergies across varying locomotion tasks
The vanishing ideal of a finite set of points with multiplicity structures
Given a finite set of arbitrarily distributed points in affine space with
arbitrary multiplicity structures, we present an algorithm to compute the
reduced Groebner basis of the vanishing ideal under the lexicographic ordering.
Our method discloses the essential geometric connection between the relative
position of the points with multiplicity structures and the quotient basis of
the vanishing ideal, so we will explicitly know the set of leading terms of
elements of I. We split the problem into several smaller ones which can be
solved by induction over variables and then use our new algorithm for
intersection of ideals to compute the result of the original problem. The new
algorithm for intersection of ideals is mainly based on the Extended Euclidean
Algorithm.Comment: 12 pages,12 figures,ASCM 201
A Machine Learning and Wearable Sensor Based Approach to Estimate External Knee Flexion and Adduction Moments During Various Locomotion Tasks
WHY IS THE LEFT KNEE RATHER PRONE TO INJURY DURING TEAM HANDBALL-SPECIFIC SIDE-CUTTING MANEUVERS TO THE RIGHT?
The purpose of this study was the biomechanical inter-leg evaluation in three team handball-specific side-cutting maneuvers. This should help to gain a better understanding how different movement executions potentially produce harmful demands to one or both knee joints. Therefore, eight competitive handball player performed the three most common side-cutting maneuvers to the right side (side-cutting maneuver was performed with alternating or simultaneous steps) in a game-like setting in a movement laboratory. Movement data were collected with a 3D motion capture system and two linked 3D force plates. The analysis of the side-cutting maneuvers revealed increased vertical and medio-lateral ground reaction force components on the left leg, which initiated the side-cutting maneuver. The peak knee abduction moments in the weight acceptance phase did not differ between the left and the right leg in all three side-cutting maneuvers. However, higher peak knee valgus angles occurred at the left leg, which increased with increasing stance time. The results of this study indicate that during the performance of handball-specific side-cutting maneuvers to the right, the left knee joint has a greater risk to get injured. Consequently, athletes and coaches should place special focus on the movement execution of the cutting initiating leg to reduce the risk of knee injuries. Furthermore, leg explosive strength and core stability should be in major focus in training exercises to prepare the athlete for the demands in such high intensity movements
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