783 research outputs found
Generalized stacking fault energy surfaces and dislocation properties of aluminum
We have employed the semidiscrete variational generalized Peierls-Nabarro
model to study the dislocation core properties of aluminum. The generalized
stacking fault energy surfaces entering the model are calculated by using
first-principles Density Functional Theory (DFT) with pseudopotentials and the
embedded atom method (EAM). Various core properties, including the core width,
splitting behavior, energetics and Peierls stress for different dislocations
have been investigated. The correlation between the core energetics and
dislocation character has been explored. Our results reveal a simple
relationship between the Peierls stress and the ratio between the core width
and atomic spacing. The dependence of the core properties on the two methods
for calculating the total energy (DFT vs. EAM) has been examined. The EAM can
give gross trends for various dislocation properties but fails to predict the
finer core structures, which in turn can affect the Peierls stress
significantly (about one order of magnitude).Comment: 25 pages, 12 figure
Status Update on the Threat of Babesiosis Returning to the United States
Babesiosis is a hemolytic disease caused by protozoan parasites in the genus Babesia, transmitted through the saliva of infected ticks. The most economically important species, Babesia bigemina and B. bovis, infect cattle and are the etiological agents of bovine babesiosis. In the southern United States, eradication efforts directed against the tick vectors, Boophilus spp., began in the early 1900s. A quarantine zone in south Texas along the US/Mexico border was subsequently established following the eradication of the disease in the US. The permanent quarantine zone, spanning approximately 33% of the total shared border between Texas and Mexico, has helped limit the reintroduction of the vector and disease, and reduced the incidence of the tick vectors. Further, a strict regimen of broad monitoring and surveillance activities coupled with a rapid response and systematic application of containment procedures under the joint jurisdiction of the Texas Animal Health Commission and the United States Department of Agriculture has proven effective in enforcing the permanent quarantine zone and preventing the emergence of babesiosis into the United States. However, the presence of exotic game animals has helped facilitate the spread of the tick vectors and, when coupled with expanding populations of native deer that can host the tick vectors, the prevalence of Boophilus spp. ticks suggests an increased risk of the return of bovine babesiosis to the United States. This mini-review will examine the efforts in south Texas during 2018 to prevent the spread of cattle fever ticks
DESIGNING MICROARRAYS
Microarrays allow the simultaneous assessment of expression levels for thousands of genes across various treatment conditions and time. It has been shown that in these experiments expression levels can also be affected by factors in the printing of the slide, in the hybridization process, and in the post-hybridization process. Recently, variations of the incomplete block design were proposed as a way to avoid confounding the expression levels of interest with several of these nuisance factors. In this paper, we propose additional design procedures to remove factors that contribute to the spatial variability on a slide. This approach requires the use of replication, and involves designing how the replicates are to be positioned on the slide. We demonstrate these techniques using an experiment involving sixty-four genes, four replicates per slide, and five treatment conditions
Unloading work of breathing during high-frequency oscillatory ventilation: a bench study
INTRODUCTION: With the 3100B high-frequency oscillatory ventilator (SensorMedics, Yorba Linda, CA, USA), patients' spontaneous breathing efforts result in a high level of imposed work of breathing (WOB). Therefore, spontaneous breathing often has to be suppressed during high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV). A demand-flow system was designed to reduce imposed WOB. METHODS: An external gas flow controller (demand-flow system) accommodates the ventilator fresh gas flow during spontaneous breathing simulation. A control algorithm detects breathing effort and regulates the demand-flow valve. The effectiveness of this system has been evaluated in a bench test. The Campbell diagram and pressure time product (PTP) are used to quantify the imposed workload. RESULTS: Using the demand-flow system, imposed WOB is considerably reduced. The demand-flow system reduces inspiratory imposed WOB by 30% to 56% and inspiratory imposed PTP by 38% to 59% compared to continuous fresh gas flow. Expiratory imposed WOB was decreased as well by 12% to 49%. In simulations of shallow to normal breathing for an adult, imposed WOB is 0.5 J l(-1 )at maximum. Fluctuations in mean airway pressure on account of spontaneous breathing are markedly reduced. CONCLUSION: The use of the demand-flow system during HFOV results in a reduction of both imposed WOB and fluctuation in mean airway pressure. The level of imposed WOB was reduced to the physiological range of WOB. Potentially, this makes maintenance of spontaneous breathing during HFOV possible and easier in a clinical setting. Early initiation of HFOV seems more possible with this system and the possibility of weaning of patients directly on a high-frequency oscillatory ventilator is not excluded either
Structure and Strength of Dislocation Junctions: An Atomic Level Analysis
The quasicontinuum method is used to simulate three-dimensional
Lomer-Cottrell junctions both in the absence and in the presence of an applied
stress. The simulations show that this type of junction is destroyed by an
unzipping mechanism in which the dislocations that form the junction are
gradually pulled apart along the junction segment. The calculated critical
stress needed for breaking the junction is comparable to that predicted by line
tension models. The simulations also demonstrate a strong influence of the
initial dislocation line directions on the breaking mechanism, an effect that
is neglected in the macroscopic treatment of the hardening effect of junctions.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
The influence of transition metal solutes on dislocation core structure and values of Peierls stress and barrier in tungsten
Several transition metals were examined to evaluate their potential for
improving the ductility of tungsten. The dislocation core structure and Peierls
stress and barrier of screw dislocations in binary
tungsten-transition metal alloys (WTM) were investigated using
first principles electronic structure calculations. The periodic quadrupole
approach was applied to model the structure of dislocation. Alloying
with transition metals was modeled using the virtual crystal approximation and
the applicability of this approach was assessed by calculating the equilibrium
lattice parameter and elastic constants of the tungsten alloys. Reasonable
agreement was obtained with experimental data and with results obtained from
the conventional supercell approach. Increasing the concentration of a
transition metal from the VIIIA group, i.e. the elements in columns headed by
Fe, Co and Ni, leads to reduction of the elastic constant and
increase of elastic anisotropy A=. Alloying W with a group
VIIIA transition metal changes the structure of the dislocation core from
symmetric to asymmetric, similar to results obtained for WRe
alloys in the earlier work of Romaner {\it et al} (Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 195503
(2010))\comments{\cite{WRECORE}}. In addition to a change in the core symmetry,
the values of the Peierls stress and barrier are reduced. The latter effect
could lead to increased ductility in a tungsten-based
alloy\comments{\cite{WRECORE}}. Our results demonstrate that alloying with any
of the transition metals from the VIIIA group should have similar effect as
alloying with Re.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, 3 table
Albumin administration prevents neurological damage and death in a mouse model of severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia
Therapies to prevent severe neonatal unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia and kernicterus are phototherapy and, in unresponsive cases, exchange transfusion, which has significant morbidity and mortality risks. Neurotoxicity is caused by the fraction of unconjugated bilirubin not bound to albumin (free bilirubin, Bf). Human serum albumin (HSA) administration was suggested to increase plasma bilirubin-binding capacity. However, its clinical use is infrequent due to difficulties to address its potential preventive and curative benefits, and to the absence of reliable markers to monitor bilirubin neurotoxicity risk. We used a genetic mouse model of unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia showing severe neurological impairment and neonatal lethality. We treated mutant pups with repeated HSA administration since birth, without phototherapy application. Daily intraperitoneal HSA administration completely rescued neurological damage and lethality, depending on dosage and administration frequency. Albumin infusion increased plasma bilirubin-binding capacity, mobilizing bilirubin from tissues to plasma. This resulted in reduced plasma Bf, forebrain and cerebellum bilirubin levels. We showed that, in our experimental model, Bf is the best marker to determine the risk of developing neurological damage. These results support the potential use of albumin administration in severe acute hyperbilirubinemia conditions to prevent or treat bilirubin neurotoxicity in situations in which exchange transfusion may be required.</p
Review of Major Crop and Animal Arthropod Pests of South Texas
The Lower Rio Grande Valley is an area in Texas that consists of the four southern-most counties. This area contains a diverse range of agriculture and land-use including vegetable, row-crop and livestock production. The year-around cool to hot subtropical climate means that green vegetation is continually present, including many crops. Geographically, it shares an international border, making it a region vulnerable to new invasive species and the re-introduction of pests that have been previously eliminated in the United States. These combined factors lead to an array of arthropod pests that may have serious impacts on the crops, animals, and people in the region. This review focuses on arthropod pests that have historically, currently, or have the potential to significantly impact vegetables, row-crops, livestock, and humans in the LRGV. This is not an all-inclusive re-view but aims to focus on many of the arthropods that have been significant in the last 20 years
Finite Sized Atomistic Simulations of Screw Dislocations
The interaction of screw dislocations with an applied stress is studied using
atomistic simulations in conjunction with a continuum treatment of the role
played by the far field boundary condition. A finite cell of atoms is used to
consider the response of dislocations to an applied stress and this introduces
an additional force on the dislocation due to the presence of the boundary.
Continuum mechanics is used to calculate the boundary force which is
subsequently accounted for in the equilibrium condition for the dislocation.
Using this formulation, the lattice resistance curve and the associated Peierls
stress are calculated for screw dislocations in several close packed metals. As
a concrete example of the boundary force method, we compute the bow out of a
pinned screw dislocation; the line-tension of the dislocation is calculated
from the results of the atomistic simulations using a variational principle
that explicitly accounts for the boundary force.Comment: LaTex, 20 pages, 11 figure
Enhancing axial localization with wavefront control
Enhancing the ability to resolve axial details is crucial in
three-dimensional optical imaging. We provide experimental evidence showcasing
the ultimate precision achievable in axial localization using vortex beams. For
Laguerre-Gauss (LG) beams, this remarkable limit can be attained with just a
single intensity scan. This proof-of-principle demonstrates that microscopy
techniques based on LG vortex beams can potentially benefit from the introduced
quantum-inspired superresolution protocol.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures. Comments welcom
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