5,189 research outputs found

    Integrated modeling of advanced optical systems

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    This poster session paper describes an integrated modeling and analysis capability being developed at JPL under funding provided by the JPL Director's Discretionary Fund and the JPL Control/Structure Interaction Program (CSI). The posters briefly summarize the program capabilities and illustrate them with an example problem. The computer programs developed under this effort will provide an unprecedented capability for integrated modeling and design of high performance optical spacecraft. The engineering disciplines supported include structural dynamics, controls, optics and thermodynamics. Such tools are needed in order to evaluate the end-to-end system performance of spacecraft such as OSI, POINTS, and SMMM. This paper illustrates the proof-of-concept tools that have been developed to establish the technology requirements and demonstrate the new features of integrated modeling and design. The current program also includes implementation of a prototype tool based upon the CAESY environment being developed under the NASA Guidance and Control Research and Technology Computational Controls Program. This prototype will be available late in FY-92. The development plan proposes a major software production effort to fabricate, deliver, support and maintain a national-class tool from FY-93 through FY-95

    Loss of strength in Ni3Al at elevated temperatures

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    Stress decrease above the stress peak temperature (750 K) is studied in h123i single crystals of Ni3(Al, 3 at.% Hf ). Two thermally activated deformation mechanisms are evidenced on the basis of stress relaxation and strain rate change experiments. From 500 to 1070 K, the continuity of the activation volume/temperature curves reveals a single mechanism of activation enthalpy 3.8 eV/atom and volume 90 b3 at 810K with an athermal stress of 330 MPa. Over the very same temperature interval, impurity or solute diffusion towards dislocation cores is evidenced through serrated yielding, peculiar shapes of stress–strain curves while changing the rate of straining and stress relaxation experiments. This complicates the identification of the deformation mechanism, which is likely connected with cube glide. From 1070 to 1270 K, the high-temperature mechanism has an activation enthalpy and volume of 4.8 eV/atom and 20 b3, respectively, at 1250 K

    Effects of removal of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids on plasma extravasation and mechanical allodynia in a trigeminal neuropathic pain model

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Neuropathic pain (NP) is partially mediated by neuroinflammatory mechanisms, and also modulates local neurogenic inflammation. Dietary lipids, in particular the total amount and relative proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) of the ω-3 and ω-6 families, have been reported to modify the threshold for thermal and mechanical allodynia in the partial sciatic nerve ligation model of NP in rats. The effects of dietary lipids on other popular NP models, such as the chronic constriction injury (CCI), have not yet been examined. It is also unknown whether dietary PUFAs exert any effect on the capsaicin (CAP)-induced neurogenic inflammation under control or NP conditions. In this study we investigated these interrelated phenomena in the trigeminal territory, which has been much less explored, and for which not all data derived from limb nerves can be directly applied.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We studied the effects of a CCI of the infraorbital nerve (IoN) on the development of mechanical allodynia and CAP-induced plasma extravasation in rats fed either a regular diet (RD), or a modified diet (MD) with much lower total content and ω-3:ω-6 ratio of PUFAs. In rats kept on MD, mechanical allodynia following CCI-IoN was more pronounced and developed earlier. Extravasation was substantially increased in naive rats fed MD, and displayed differential diet-depending changes one and four weeks after CCI-IoN. When compared with basal levels (in naive and/or sham cases), the net effect of CCI-IoN on ipsilateral extravasation was a reduction in the MD group, but an increase in the RD group, effectively neutralizing the original intergroup differences.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In summary, PUFA intake reduces CAP-induced neurogenic plasma extravasation in the trigeminal territory, and their removal significantly alters the mechanical allodynia and the plasma extravasation that result from a unilateral CCI-IoN. It is likely that this "protective" effect of dietary lipids is temporary. Also, the presence of contralateral effects of CCI-IoN precludes using the contralateral side as control.</p

    Military spending and economic growth in China: a regime-switching analysis

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    This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.This article investigates the impact of military spending changes on economic growth in China over the period 1953 to 2010. Using two-state Markov-switching specifications, the results suggest that the relationship between military spending changes and economic growth is state dependent. Specifically, the results show that military spending changes affect the economic growth negatively during a slower growth-higher variance state, while positively within a faster growth-lower variance one. It is also demonstrated that military spending changes contain information about the growth transition probabilities. As a policy tool, the results indicate that increases in military spending can be detrimental to growth during slower growth-higher growth volatility periods. © 2014 © 2014 The Author(s). Published by Taylor & Francis

    The response function of a sphere in a viscoelastic two-fluid medium

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    In order to address basic questions of importance to microrheology, we study the dynamics of a rigid sphere embedded in a model viscoelastic medium consisting of an elastic network permeated by a viscous fluid. We calculate the complete response of a single bead in this medium to an external force and compare the result to the commonly-accepted, generalized Stokes-Einstein relation (GSER). We find that our response function is well approximated by the GSER only within a particular frequency range determined by the material parameters of both the bead and the network. We then discuss the relevance of this result to recent experiments. Finally we discuss the approximations made in our solution of the response function by comparing our results to the exact solution for the response function of a bead in a viscous (Newtonian) fluid.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figure

    New fat free mass - fat mass model for use in physiological energy balance equations

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Forbes equation relating fat-free mass (<it>FFM</it>) to fat mass (<it>FM</it>) has been used to predict longitudinal changes in <it>FFM </it>during weight change but has important limitations when paired with a one dimensional energy balance differential equation. Direct use of the Forbes model within a one dimensional energy balance differential equation requires calibration of a translate parameter for the specific population under study. Comparison of translates to a representative sample of the US population indicate that this parameter is a reflection of age, height, race and gender effects.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We developed a class of fourth order polynomial equations relating <it>FFM </it>to <it>FM </it>that consider age, height, race and gender as covariates eliminating the need to calibrate a parameter to baseline subject data while providing meaningful individual estimates of <it>FFM</it>. Moreover, the intercepts of these polynomial equations are nonnegative and are consistent with observations of very low <it>FM </it>measured during a severe Somali famine. The models preserve the predictive power of the Forbes model for changes in body composition when compared to results from several longitudinal weight change studies.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The newly developed <it>FFM</it>-<it>FM </it>models provide new opportunities to compare individuals undergoing weight change to subjects in energy balance, analyze body composition for individual parameters, and predict body composition during weight change when pairing with energy balance differential equations.</p

    Elevated antibody to D-alanyl lipoteichoic acid indicates caries experience associated with fluoride and gingival health

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    BACKGROUND: Acidogenic, acid-tolerant bacteria induce dental caries and require D-alanyl glycerol lipoteichoic acid (D-alanyl LTA) on their cell surface. Because fluoride inhibits acid-mediated enamel demineralization, an elevated antibody response to D-alanyl LTA may indicate subjects with more acidogenic bacteria and, therefore, an association of DMFT with fluoride exposure and gingival health not apparent in low responders. METHODS: Cluster analysis was used to identify low antibody content. Within low and high responders (control and test subjects), the number of teeth that were decayed missing and filled (DMFT), or decayed only (DT) were regressed against fluoride exposure in the water supply and from dentrifice use. The latter was determined from gingival health: prevalences of plaque (PL) and bleeding on probing (BOP), and mean pocket depth (PD). Age was measured as a possible confounding cofactor. RESULTS: In 35 high responders, DMFT associated with length of exposure to fluoridated water (F score), PL and BOP (R(2) = 0.51, p < 0.001), whereas in 67 low D-ala-IgG responders, DMFT associated with PL, age, and PD (R(2) = 0.26, p < 0.001). BOP correlated strongly with number of 7 7 decayed teeth (DT) in 54 high responders (R(2) = 0.57, p < 0.001), but poorly in 97 low responders (R(2) = 0.12, p < 0.001). The strength of the PD association with DMFT, or of BOP with DT, in high responders significantly differed from that in low responders (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Caries associates with gingival health and fluoridated water exposure in high D-alanyl LTA antibody responders
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