Ultra-Lightweight Deployable Antenna Membrane Technology for Future Non-terrestrial 6G Network and Earth Observation

A deployable antenna membrane is one of the promising solutions to achieve a higher speed of satellite communication and earth observation in small satellites. Unlike conventional deployable antennas, the proposed approach permits low flatness of the antenna membrane and compensates it electrically. By eliminating the conventional large deployment and support structure, the proposed non-planar membrane can be lighter and installed in small satellites. We introduce two types of membrane antennas: reflectarray antennas and active phased-array transceivers

Parameter identification in non-isothermal nucleation and growth processes

We study non-isothermal nucleation and growth phase transformations, which are described by a generalized Avrami model for the phase transition coupled with an energy balance to account for recalescence effects. The main novelty of our work is the identification of temperature dependent nucleation rates. We prove that such rates can be uniquely identified from measurements in a subdomain and apply an optimal control approach to develop a numerical strategy for its computation

A revisited Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorov model and the evolution of grain-size distributions in steel

The classical Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorov approach for nucleation and growth models of diffusive phase transitions is revisited and applied to model the growth of ferrite in multiphase steels. For the prediction of mechanical properties of such steels, a deeper knowledge of the grain structure is essential. To this end, a Fokker-Planck evolution law for the volume distribution of ferrite grains is developed and shown to exhibit a log-normally distributed solution. Numerical parameter studies are given and confirm expected properties qualitatively. As a preparation for future work on parameter identification, a strategy is presented for the comparison of volume distributions with area distributions experimentally gained from polished micrograph sections

The Reactions of Heme- And Verdoheme-Heme Oxygenase-1 Complexes With FMN-depleted NADPH-cytochrome P450 Reductase : Electrons Required for Verdoheme Oxidation Can Be Transferred Through a Pathway Not Involving FMN

Electrons utilized in the heme oxygenase (HO) reaction are provided by NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR). To investigate the electron transfer pathway from CPR to HO, we examined the reactions of heme and verdoheme, the second intermediate in the heme degradation, complexed with rat HO-1 (rHO-1) using a rat FMN-depleted CPR; the FMN-depleted CPR was prepared by dialyzing the CPR mutant, Y140A/Y178A, against 2 M KBr. Degradation of heme in complex with rHO-1 did not occur with FMN-depleted CPR, notwithstanding that the FMN-depleted CPR was able to associate with the heme-rHO-1 complex with a binding affinity comparable with that of the wild-type CPR. Thus, the first electron to reduce the ferric iron of heme complexed with rHO-1 must be transferred from FMN. In contrast, verdoheme was converted to the ferric biliverdin-iron chelate with FMN-depleted CPR, and this conversion was inhibited by ferricyanide, indicating that electrons are certainly required for conversion of verdoheme to a ferric biliverdin-iron chelate and that they can be supplied from the FMN-depleted CPR through a pathway not involving FMN, probably via FAD. This conclusion was supported by the observation that verdoheme dimethyl esters were accumulated in the reaction of the ferriprotoporphyrin IX dimethyl ester-rHO-1 complex with the wild-type CPR. Ferric biliverdin-iron chelate, generated with the FMN-depleted CPR, was converted to biliverdin by the addition of the wild-type CPR or desferrioxamine. Thus, the final electron for reducing ferric biliverdin-iron chelate to release ferrous iron and biliverdin is apparently provided by the FMN of CPR

Successful removal of side branch-jailed stent struts by reused balloon

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A revisited Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorov model and the evolution of grain-size distributions in steel

The classical Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorov approach for nucleation and growth models of diffusive phase transitions is revisited and applied to model the growth of ferrite in multiphase steels. For the prediction of mechanical properties of such steels, a deeper knowledge of the grain structure is essential. To this end, a Fokker-Planck evolution law for the volume distribution of ferrite grains is developed and shown to exhibit a log-normally distributed solution. Numerical parameter studies are given and confirm expected properties qualitatively. As a preparation for future work on parameter identification, a strategy is presented for the comparison of volume distributions with area distributions experimentally gained from polished micrograph sections.Comment: 16 pages, 19 figure

Vascular composition data supporting the role of N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the prevention of cardiovascular disease events

AbstractN-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are thought to have protective effects against cardiovascular disease. Here, we report the relationship between serum PUFA concentrations and plaque composition, as evaluated by virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS). Consecutive patients (n=61) who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were pre-operatively examined using VH-IVUS to assess the composition of culprit plaques. Gray-scale IVUS and VH-IVUS data of fibrous, fibro-fatty, necrotic core, and dense calcium regions of plaques were estimated at the minimal luminal area sites of culprit lesions. Serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and PUFAs, including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and arachidonic acid (AA), were compared between patients with (ACS, n=27) and without acute coronary syndrome (non-ACS, n=34) before PCI. Multiple logistic regression analysis of the data showed that EPA/AA under the median was more highly associated with ACS than hsCRP over the median. In addition, EPA/AA was negatively correlated with the percentage of fibrous plaque regions and EPA/AA and DHA/AA were positively correlated with the percentage of dense calcium regions in plaques. Furthermore, the correlation index of EPA/AA was the most highly (R=0.513) correlated with the percentage of dense calcium regions in plaques

Clinical Performance of a Salivary Amylase Activity Monitor During Hemodialysis Treatment

The hemodialysis procedure is thought to be a physical stressor in the majority of hemodialyzed patients. Previous studies suggest that elevated salivary amylase level may correlate with increased plasma norepinephrine level under psychological and physical stress conditions. In this study, we investigated biological stress reactivity during hemodialysis treatment using salivary amylase activity as a biomarker. Seven patients (male/female = 5/2, age: 67.7+/−5.9 years) who had been receiving regular 4 h hemodialysis were recruited. Salivary amylase activity was measured using a portable analyzer every hour during the hemodialysis session. Salivary amylase activity was shown to be relatively stable and constant throughout hemodialysis, whereas there were significant changes in systolic blood pressure and pulse rate associated with blood volume reduction. Our results show that hemodialysis treatment per se dose not affect salivary amylase activity