Objective Function for Numerical Mean Absorption Bands Optimization

Mean absorption coefficients (MACs) offer great potential for fast numerical calculation of radiation heat transfer. They are based on replacing complex absorption coefficient spectrum by a handful of frequency bands with a single, temperature dependent value assigned to each band. Accuracy of radiation transfer calculation thus depends on the accurate interpretation of the mean value inside each frequency band as well as on the proper band distribution. Yet finding optimal band distribution is not an easy task often requiring numerical optimization process. This contribution focuses on the parameters of such optimization process, namely selection of an objective function and its effect on the optimal band distribution. It demonstrates, that improper objective functions can produce physically unreasonable artifacts in the calculation of radiation heat transfer. Optimal formulation of the objective function is proposed in this contribution

Localisation of RNAs into the germ plasm of vitellogenic xenopus oocytes

We have studied the localisation of mRNAs in full-grown Xenopus laevis oocytes by injecting fluorescent RNAs, followed by confocal microscopy of the oocyte cortex. Concentrating on RNA encoding the Xenopus Nanos homologue, nanos1 (formerly Xcat2), we find that it consistently localised into aggregated germ plasm ribonucleoprotein (RNP) particles, independently of cytoskeletal integrity. This implies that a diffusion/entrapment-mediated mechanism is active, as previously reported for previtellogenic oocytes. Sometimes this was accompanied by localisation into scattered particles of the “late”, Vg1/VegT pathway; occasionally only late pathway localisation was seen. The Xpat RNA behaved in an identical fashion and for neither RNA was the localisation changed by any culture conditions tested. The identity of the labelled RNP aggregates as definitive germ plasm was confirmed by their inclusion of abundant mitochondria and co-localisation with the germ plasm protein Hermes. Further, the nanos1/Hermes RNP particles are interspersed with those containing the germ plasm protein Xpat. These aggregates may be followed into the germ plasm of unfertilized eggs, but with a notable reduction in its quantity, both in terms of injected molecules and endogenous structures. Our results conflict with previous reports that there is no RNA localisation in large oocytes, and that during mid-oogenesis even germ plasm RNAs localise exclusively by the late pathway. We find that in mid oogenesis nanos1 RNA also localises to germ plasm but also by the late pathway. Late pathway RNAs, Vg1 and VegT, also may localise into germ plasm. Our results support the view that mechanistically the two modes of localisation are extremely similar, and that in an injection experiment RNAs might utilise either pathway, the distinction in fates being very subtle and subject to variation. We discuss these results in relation to their biological significance and the results of others

Hormad1 mutation disrupts synaptonemal complex formation, recombination, and chromosome segregation in mammalian meiosis

Meiosis is unique to germ cells and essential for reproduction. During the first meiotic division, homologous chromosomes pair, recombine, and form chiasmata. The homologues connect via axial elements and numerous transverse filaments to form the synaptonemal complex. The synaptonemal complex is a critical component for chromosome pairing, segregation, and recombination. We previously identified a novel germ cell-specific HORMA domain encoding gene, Hormad1, a member of the synaptonemal complex and a mammalian counterpart to the yeast meiotic HORMA domain protein Hop1. Hormad1 is essential for mammalian gametogenesis as knockout male and female mice are infertile. Hormad1 deficient (Hormad1-/-) testes exhibit meiotic arrest in the early pachytene stage, and synaptonemal complexes cannot be visualized by electron microscopy. Hormad1 deficiency does not affect localization of other synaptonemal complex proteins, SYCP2 and SYCP3, but disrupts homologous chromosome pairing. Double stranded break formation and early recombination events are disrupted in Hormad1-/- testes and ovaries as shown by the drastic decrease in the γH2AX, DMC1, RAD51, and RPA foci. HORMAD1 co-localizes with cH2AX to the sex body during pachytene. BRCA1, ATR, and γH2AX co-localize to the sex body and participate in meiotic sex chromosome inactivation and transcriptional silencing. Hormad1 deficiency abolishes γH2AX, ATR, and BRCA1 localization to the sex chromosomes and causes transcriptional de-repression on the X chromosome. Unlike testes, Hormad1-/- ovaries have seemingly normal ovarian folliculogenesis after puberty. However, embryos generated from Hormad1-/- oocytes are hyper- and hypodiploid at the 2 cell and 8 cell stage, and they arrest at the blastocyst stage. HORMAD1 is therefore a critical component of the synaptonemal complex that affects synapsis, recombination, and meiotic sex chromosome inactivation and transcriptional silencing. © 2010 Shin et al

Optimization of 3-band Mean Absorption Coefficients

In this paper we present a process for mean absorption coefficient optimal band selection applied to the 3-band model of radiation in an air electrical arc. For fixed temperature, the divergence of radiation flux in an infinite cylindrical plasma column is calculated using spectrally resolved absorption coefficient and serves as a reference value. Optimization process is used to properly select the bands of 3-band mean absorption approximation using both unmodified and limited Planck mean absorption coefficient. The ac-curacy of aforementioned two approximation methods is evaluated

Radiation Transfer in Arc Plasmas

In this paper, attention has been given to the absorption properties of the arc plasma at the different pressure conditions. Calculations of the absorption coefficients for a thermal plasma have been performed as a function of the temperature and the frequency. Methods for prediction of the average absorption coefficients were described and compared in detail

Approximate Determination of Radiation Properties in the Arc Plasmas With Admixtures of Copper Vapours

The aim of this paper is to evaluate radiation properties of air arc plasmas with various admixtures of copper vapours. The first order of the method of spherical harmonics (P1-approximation) has been used as the way to solve the equation of radiation transfer. Calculations of the absorption coefficients for a thermal plasma have been performed as a function of the temperature and the frequency. The frequency variable in the equation of transfer was handled by means of multigroup method. Methods for prediction of the average absorption coefficients were described and compared in detail. The net emission coefficients have been determined for comparison

Diagnostics of Various Phenomena in LV Devices Under Real Switching Conditions

The article deals with issues to be tackled when performing experiments with low voltage devices under real switching conditions and subsequently discusses various phenomena in an experimental device. The first part describes optimum setting of diagnostic equipment - mainly for optical diagnostic methods. The second part describes some phenomena encountered during switching process under real switching conditions - arc roots movement (cathode and anode spots). These phenomena are not only important for experimental study itself but also form necessary input data for numerical models and their validation

Modelling of Radiative Transfer in Air Arc Plasma

The objective of this work is to compare the accuracy of several approximate models of radiative properties for the prediction of radiative transfer in air arc plasma at the temperatures in the range of 300 - 25 000 K and the pressure of 0.1 MPa. Calculated absorption coefficients are used to generate the parameters of different models. The radiative transfer inside the cylindrically symmetrical air plasma with prescribed temperature profile was studied. The equation of radiative transfer was solved using the P1 and SP3 approximations, calculated radiative source term in the energy equation (net emission) was compared with results obtained by spectral integration