18,502 research outputs found
An unconfined, large-volume hydrogen/air explosion
Cause and results of the autoignition of 283 cubic meters of hydrogen gas, of which only about 10 percent exploded, are given. Results indicate that autoignition produces an explosion which could be described as a deflagration of explosive velocity, with a shock wave of sonic velocity and minor damage potential
Correlation of spray dropsize distribution and injector variables Interim report
Correlation of spray drop size distribution and injector variable
Improved large-mode area endlessly single-mode photonic crystal fibers
We numerically study the possibilities for improved large-mode area endlessly
single mode photonic crystal fibers for use in high-power delivery
applications. By carefully choosing the optimal hole diameter we find that a
triangular core formed by three missing neighboring air holes considerably
improves the mode area and loss properties compared to the case with a core
formed by one missing air hole. In a realized fiber we demonstrate an
enhancement of the mode area by ~30 % without a corresponding increase in the
attenuation.Comment: 3 pages including 3 eps-figures. Accepted for Optics Letter
A Study of Giant Pulses from PSR J1824-2452A
We have searched for microsecond bursts of emission from millisecond pulsars
in the globular cluster M28 using the Parkes radio telescope. We detected a
total of 27 giant pulses from the known emitter PSR J1824-2452A. At wavelengths
around 20 cm the giant pulses are scatter-broadened to widths of around 2
microseconds and follow power-law statistics. The pulses occur in two narrow
phase-windows which correlate in phase with X-ray emission and trail the peaks
of the integrated radio pulse-components. Notably, the integrated radio
emission at these phase windows has a steeper spectral index than other
emission. The giant pulses exhibit a high degree of polarization, with many
being 100% elliptically polarized. Their position angles appear random.
Although the integrated emission of PSR J1824-2452A is relatively stable for
the frequencies and bandwidths observed, the intensities of individual giant
pulses vary considerably across our bands. Two pulses were detected at both
2700 and 3500 MHz. The narrower of the two pulses is 20 ns wide at 3500 MHz. At
2700 MHz this pulse has an inferred brightness temperature at maximum of 5 x
10^37 K. Our observations suggest the giant pulses of PSR J1824-2452A are
generated in the same part of the magnetosphere as X-ray emission through a
different emission process to that of ordinary pulses.Comment: Accepted by Ap
Locating the source of projectile fluid droplets
The ill-posed projectile problem of finding the source height from spattered
droplets of viscous fluid is a longstanding obstacle to accident reconstruction
and crime scene analysis. It is widely known how to infer the impact angle of
droplets on a surface from the elongation of their impact profiles. However,
the lack of velocity information makes finding the height of the origin from
the impact position and angle of individual drops not possible. From aggregate
statistics of the spatter and basic equations of projectile motion, we
introduce a reciprocal correlation plot that is effective when the polar launch
angle is concentrated in a narrow range. The vertical coordinate depends on the
orientation of the spattered surface, and equals the tangent of the impact
angle for a level surface. When the horizontal plot coordinate is twice the
reciprocal of the impact distance, we can infer the source height as the slope
of the data points in the reciprocal correlation plot. If the distribution of
launch angles is not narrow, failure of the method is evident in the lack of
linear correlation. We perform a number of experimental trials, as well as
numerical calculations and show that the height estimate is insensitive to
aerodynamic drag. Besides its possible relevance for crime investigation,
reciprocal-plot analysis of spatter may find application to volcanism and other
topics and is most immediately applicable for undergraduate science and
engineering students in the context of crime-scene analysis.Comment: To appear in the American Journal of Physics (ms 23338). Improved
readability and organization in this versio
A pilot study for testing feasibility and preliminary influence of early intervention using text messaging for pressure ulcer prevention in individuals with spinal cord injury
Background
This pilot study assessed text messaging as an early intervention for preventing pressure ulcers (PrUs) in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) post-hospital discharge.
Method
Thirty-nine wheelchair-users discharged after acquiring a SCI, underwent randomisation into an intervention group (n = 20) with text messages and a control group (n = 19). All participants received standard post-discharge care and completed a skincare questionnaire before and 6-month after discharge. Primary outcomes included feasibility and acceptability of early intervention using text messaging, alongside performance, concordance, and attitudes toward skincare. Secondary outcomes measured perception and the incidence of PrUs.
Results
Baseline demographics were comparable between the intervention and control groups. Eight of 20 participants completed 6-month follow-up questionnaires in the intervention group, six participants completed the 6-month questionnaires in the control group,. Participants expressed high satisfaction with text messages, understanding of content, and increased confidence in preventing PrUs. At 6-month post-discharge, the intervention group showed improved prevention practices, heightened awareness of PrU risks, and increased perceived importance of prevention, which were not observed in the control group. However, there were no significant differences in PrU incidence, possibly due to the small sample size and short follow-up.
Conclusion
The study demonstrates that using text messaging as an early intervention for PrU prevention in individuals with SCI is feasible and well-received. Preliminary results suggest a positive impact on participants' attitudes and practices, indicating the potential of text messaging to reduce PrU incidence. However, further research with larger samples and extended follow-up is crucial to validate these promising initial findings
Kinetic pinning and biological antifreezes
Biological antifreezes protect cold-water organisms from freezing. An example
are the antifreeze proteins (AFPs) that attach to the surface of ice crystals
and arrest growth. The mechanism for growth arrest has not been heretofore
understood in a quantitative way. We present a complete theory based on a
kinetic model. We use the `stones on a pillow' picture. Our theory of the
suppression of the freezing point as a function of the concentration of the AFP
is quantitatively accurate. It gives a correct description of the dependence of
the freezing point suppression on the geometry of the protein, and might lead
to advances in design of synthetic AFPs.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Cytometric analysis, genetic manipulation and antibiotic selection of the snail embryonic cell line Bge from Biomphalaria glabrata, the intermediate host of Schistosoma mansoni.
The invertebrate cell line, Bge, from embryos of the snail Biomphalaria glabrata, remains to date the only established cell line from any species of the Phylum Mollusca. Since its establishment in 1976 by Eder Hansen, few studies have focused on profiling its cytometrics, growth characteristics or sensitivity to xenobiotics. Bge cells are reputed to be challenging to propagate and maintain. Therefore, even though this cell line is a noteworthy resource, it has not been studied widely. With growing interest in functional genomics, including genetic transformation, to elucidate molecular aspects of the snail intermediate hosts responsible for transmission of schistosomiasis, and aiming to enhance the convenience of maintenance of this molluscan cell line, we deployed the xCELLigene real time approach to study Bge cells. Doubling times for three isolates of Bge, termed CB, SL and UK, were longer than for mammalian cell lines - longer than 40 h in complete Bge medium supplemented with 7% fetal bovine serum at 25 °C, ranging from ∼42 h to ∼157 h when 40,000 cells were seeded. To assess the potential of the cells for genetic transformation, antibiotic selection was explored. Bge cells were sensitive to the aminonucleoside antibiotic puromycin (from Streptomyces alboniger) from 5 μg/ml to 200 ng/ml, displaying a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of ∼1.91 μg/ml. Sensitivity to puromycin, and a relatively quick kill time (<48 h in 5 μg/ml) facilitated use of this antibiotic, together with the cognate resistance gene (puromycin N-acetyl-transferase) for selection of Bge cells transformed with the PAC gene (puroR). Bge cells transfected with a plasmid encoding puroR were partially rescued when cultured in the presence of 5 μg/ml of puromycin. These findings pave the way for the development of functional genomic tools applied to the host-parasite interaction during schistosomiasis and neglected tropical trematodiases at large
Heart of glass anchors Rasip1 at endothelial cell-cell junctions to support vascular integrity.
Heart of Glass (HEG1), a transmembrane receptor, and Rasip1, an endothelial-specific Rap1-binding protein, are both essential for cardiovascular development. Here we performed a proteomic screen for novel HEG1 interactors and report that HEG1 binds directly to Rasip1. Rasip1 localizes to forming endothelial cell (EC) cell-cell junctions and silencing HEG1 prevents this localization. Conversely, mitochondria-targeted HEG1 relocalizes Rasip1 to mitochondria in cells. The Rasip1-binding site in HEG1 contains a 9 residue sequence, deletion of which abrogates HEG1's ability to recruit Rasip1. HEG1 binds to a central region of Rasip1 and deletion of this domain eliminates Rasip1's ability to bind HEG1, to translocate to EC junctions, to inhibit ROCK activity, and to maintain EC junctional integrity. These studies establish that the binding of HEG1 to Rasip1 mediates Rap1-dependent recruitment of Rasip1 to and stabilization of EC cell-cell junctions
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