cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
The Development of Natural Oil-Spill Sorbent from Straw Biomass Waste
Creators: name: Tijani, Mansour Mohammedramadan A
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Engineering--Chemical
subject: Engineering--Environmental
subject: Sorbent
subject: Biomass
subject: Oil Absorbency
subject: Flame Retardant
subject: Thermogravimetric Analysis
subject: Sorption Capacity
subject: Penetration Absorbency

description: The recovery of oil spilled on land or water has become an important issue due to environmental regulations. Canadian biomasses as fibrous material are naturally renewable and have potential to absorb oil-spill at different ranges. In this work, four Canadian biomasses (wheat, oat, barley and flax straws) were examined in order to evaluate their oil affinities and study parameters such as average particle size, moisture content, surface coating and reusability that could affect their oil affinities when used as sorbent. Moreover, one oil sorption model was adopted and then coupled with another developed model to approximate and verify the experimental findings of the biomass oil sorbent. The oil absorbency values of different biomass were analyzed and compared to each other. The effect of particle size on oil sorption capacity was also discussed. In addition, two flame retardant coatings were studied using a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). At the average particle size of 150-1000 µm, results showed that barley straw biomass had the highest absorbency value of 6.07 g/g, while flax straw had the lowest value of 3.69 g/g. Wheat and oat straws had oil absorbency values of 5.49 g/g and 5.00 g/g, respectively. The average particle size of 425-600 µm indicated better absorbency value for oat and wheat straws, while the added 11 wt% of moisture to dry oat straw decreased the oil sorption capacity up to 7.32%. The use of flame retardant coatings on oat straw biomass decreased the oil sorption capacity by 11.81% and 24.21% at 35 wt% of coating for flame retardant 1 and flame retardant 2 respectively. Furthermore the thermal stability study revealed major weight recovery for both flame retardant coatings at hemicellulose and lignocellulose degradation temperatures. It was also found that oat straw biomass could be regenerated and used for many sorption/desorption cycles as the reusability experiment showed 18.45% reduction in oil absorbency value after six consecutive cycles. The developed model, Penetration Absorbency (P.A.), showed that oat straw adsorbed oil at inter-particle level, while the results of Sorption Capacity (S.C.) model coupled with Penetration Absorbency (P.A.) model excellently predicted the oil absorptivity of raw and coated oat straw.
HIT-UAV: A high-altitude infrared thermal dataset for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-based object detection
Creators: name: Suo, Jiashun
name: Wang, Tianyi
name: Zhang, Xingzhou
name: Chen, Haiyang
name: Zhou, Wei
name: Shi, Weisong
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (cs.CV)
subject: Artificial Intelligence (cs.AI)
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences

description: We present the HIT-UAV dataset, a high-altitude infrared thermal dataset for object detection applications on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The dataset comprises 2,898 infrared thermal images extracted from 43,470 frames in hundreds of videos captured by UAVs in various scenarios including schools, parking lots, roads, and playgrounds. Moreover, the HIT-UAV provides essential flight data for each image, such as flight altitude, camera perspective, date, and daylight intensity. For each image, we have manually annotated object instances with bounding boxes of two types (oriented and standard) to tackle the challenge of significant overlap of object instances in aerial images. To the best of our knowledge, the HIT-UAV is the first publicly available high-altitude UAV-based infrared thermal dataset for detecting persons and vehicles. We have trained and evaluated well-established object detection algorithms on the HIT-UAV. Our results demonstrate that the detection algorithms perform exceptionally well on the HIT-UAV compared to visual light datasets since infrared thermal images do not contain significant irrelevant information about objects. We believe that the HIT-UAV will contribute to various UAV-based applications and researches. The dataset is freely available at https://github.com/suojiashun/HIT-UAV-Infrared-Thermal-Dataset.
Equivariant K-theory of compact Lie group actions with maximal rank isotropy
Creators: name: Adem, Alejandro
name: Gómez, José Manuel
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2012
Subjects: subject: Algebraic Topology (math.AT)
subject: FOS: Mathematics

description: Let G denote a compact connected Lie group with torsion-free fundamental group acting on a compact space X such that all the isotropy subgroups are connected subgroups of maximal rank. Let $T\subset G$ be a maximal torus with Weyl group W. If the fixed-point set $X^T$ has the homotopy type of a finite W-CW complex, we prove that the rationalized complex equivariant K-theory of X is a free module over the representation ring of G. Given additional conditions on the W-action on the fixed-point set $X^T$ we show that the equivariant K-theory of X is free over R(G). We use this to provide computations for a number of examples, including the ordered n-tuples of commuting elements in G with the conjugation action.
description: Accepted for publication by the Journal of Topology
On the fields of definition of genus-one covers of $\mathbb{P}^1$
Creators: name: Molyakov, Alexander
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Algebraic Geometry (math.AG)
subject: Number Theory (math.NT)
subject: FOS: Mathematics
subject: 14H30, 11G32, 11G05, 12F10

description: It is known that sometimes a Belyi pair is not defined over its field of moduli. Instead, it is defined over a finite degree extension of its field of moduli, called a field of definition. We show that given a number $m$ there exists a Belyi pair such that the degree of a field of definition over the field of moduli is greater than $m$. As a byproduct, we obtain a counterexample to the local-global principle for Belyi pairs.
description: 15 pages
Lockdown, girls and being active [other]
Creators: name: Metcalfe, Sarah Nicola
Publisher: name: Durham University
Year: 2020
Subjects: Lockdown
Physical Activity
Health
Girls
Gender

description: Research briefing for a project completed during lockdown in UK: research explored girls' perceptions of being active during lockdown and the impact this had on their health, wellbeing and embodied experiences.
The Resolved Stellar Population in 50 Regions of M83 from HST/WFC3 Early Release Science Observations
Creators: name: Kim, Hwihyun
name: Whitmore, Bradley C.
name: Chandar, Rupali
name: Saha, Abhijit
name: Kaleida, Catherine C.
name: Mutchler, Max
name: Cohen, Seth H.
name: Calzetti, Daniela
name: O'Connell, Robert W.
name: Windhorst, Rogier A.
name: Balick, Bruce
name: Bond, Howard E.
name: Carollo, C. Marcella
name: Disney, Michael J.
name: Dopita, Michael A.
name: Frogel, Jay A.
name: Hall, Donald N. B.
name: Holtzman, Jon A.
name: Kimble, Randy A.
name: McCarthy, Patrick J.
name: Paresce, Francesco
name: Silk, Joe I.
name: Trauger, John T.
name: Walker, Alistair R.
name: Young, Erick T.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2012
Subjects: subject: Astrophysics of Galaxies (astro-ph.GA)
subject: Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics (astro-ph.CO)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We present a multi-wavelength photometric study of ~15,000 resolved stars in the nearby spiral galaxy M83 (NGC5236, D=4.61Mpc) based on Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 observations using four filters: F336W, F438W, F555W, and F814W. We select 50 regions (an average size of 260 pc by 280 pc) in the spiral arm and inter-arm areas of M83, and determine the age distribution of the luminous stellar populations in each region. This is accomplished by correcting for extinction towards each individual star by comparing its colors with predictions from stellar isochrones. We compare the resulting luminosity weighted mean ages of the luminous stars in the 50 regions with those determined from several independent methods, including the number ratio of red-to-blue supergiants, morphological appearance of the regions, surface brightness fluctuations, and the ages of clusters in the regions. We find reasonably good agreement between these methods. We also find that young stars are much more likely to be found in concentrated aggregates along spiral arms, while older stars are more dispersed. These results are consistent with the scenario that star formation is associated with the spiral arms, and stars form primarily in star clusters and then disperse on short timescales to form the field population. The locations of Wolf-Rayet stars are found to correlate with the positions of many of the youngest regions, providing additional support for our ability to accurately estimate ages. We address the effects of spatial resolution on the measured colors, magnitudes, and age estimates. While individual stars can occasionally show measurable differences in the colors and magnitudes, the age estimates for entire regions are only slightly affected.
description: 28 pages, 17 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in ApJ
Applications of Optimization in Finance, Computable Bounds for Expected Shortfall (CVaR)
Creators: name: Esteki, Fataneh
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Mathematics
subject: FOS: Mathematics
subject: Expected Shortfall

description: This study is concerned with finding an algorithm for computing sharp bounds for the Expected Shortfall, motivated by its desirable theoretical and practical properties. Expected Shortfall is the conditional average loss above a given threshold. For more information refer to the thesis.
Evaluation of Fine Particles Removal from Invert Emulsion Drilling Fluid by Novel
Creators: name: Fard, Siavash
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2015
Subjects: Education
Engineering--Chemical
Engineering--Petroleum

description: Accumulation of fine particles in invert emulsion drilling fluids is known to adversely affect drilling performance and pose severe risks such as “stuck pipe”. Solid control systems fail to separate these particles mainly because of gelation and stable oil wet particles. As a result, the performance characteristics of the drilling fluid degrade over time. When a drilling fluid no longer meets operation requirements, or it is no longer cost effective to treat the fluid, the fluid is replaced and a mud changeover is performed and the old drilling fluid becomes a waste. This research looks into the technologies capable of removing fine particles and recycling invert emulsion fluid to extend operation life or facilitate disposal. Two novel technologies (i.e. microwave and ultrasound) are investigated to enhance phase separation and fine particles removal in invert emulsion drilling fluids. These two methods selectively target emulsion droplets and fine particles by heat generation (microwave) and orthokinetic, acoustic wake effect and mutual radiation pressure interaction mechanisms(ultrasound). In this thesis, invert emulsion drilling fluid was first contaminated with rev dust particles and aged for 24 h to simulate used drilling fluid. The contaminated samples underwent two treatments (i.e. microwave and ultrasound) for 5 minutes and centrifuged for 20 min at 3000 RCF, left at a standstill and visually observed for phase separation. The electrical stability and density of supernatant oil were measured along with microscopic analysis to provide an understanding of the mechanisms of phase separation after microwave and ultrasound radiation. Microwave was proven to be very effective for dewatering invert emulsion and phase separation. More than 50% of the initial base oil in the invert emulsion was recovered by the microwave treatment after centrifugation. Ultrasound was not as effective as microwave in terms of phase separation; however, very large aggregates of rev dust particles were formed after 5 min of sonication. Both methods greatly improved the phase separation and centrifugation efficiency.
Dynamic Local Search for the Maximum Clique Problem
Creators: name: Hoos, H. H.
name: Pullan, W.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2011
Subjects: subject: Artificial Intelligence (cs.AI)
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences

description: In this paper, we introduce DLS-MC, a new stochastic local search algorithm for the maximum clique problem. DLS-MC alternates between phases of iterative improvement, during which suitable vertices are added to the current clique, and plateau search, during which vertices of the current clique are swapped with vertices not contained in the current clique. The selection of vertices is solely based on vertex penalties that are dynamically adjusted during the search, and a perturbation mechanism is used to overcome search stagnation. The behaviour of DLS-MC is controlled by a single parameter, penalty delay, which controls the frequency at which vertex penalties are reduced. We show empirically that DLS-MC achieves substantial performance improvements over state-of-the-art algorithms for the maximum clique problem over a large range of the commonly used DIMACS benchmark instances.
Localization and trafficking of Kv channels in cardiac myocytes through the use of novel transfection methods
Creators: name: Wang, Tiantian
Publisher: name: University of British Columbia
Year: 2010

description: Voltage-gated K⁺ channels (Kv channels) play important roles in the repolarization and the termination of electrical excitation in cardiomyocytes, but very little is known about how their surface expression and localization are regulated. In this thesis, I report the characterization of Kv1.5 localization as well as the trafficking pathways utilized by Kv4.2 in ventricular myocytes. We have developed a new gene gun transfection method that, for the first time, allows the ready and convenient transfection of acutely isolated adult rat cardiac myocytes. Using this system combined with electrophysiology and confocal imaging experiments, we unequivocally demonstrate that tagged Kv1.5 is efficiently localized to the intercalated disk in ventricular myocytes. Furthermore, Kv1.5 deletion mutations known to reduce the surface expression of the channel in heterologous cells do not affect the channel localization to this structure. The ventricular myocyte transfection system combined with electrophysiological and imaging techniques has also been used identify the small GTPases that regulate the trafficking of cardiac Kv4.2. We demonstrate that the small GTPases Sar1, Rab1, Rab5, Rab4, Rab11and Rab7 are involved in specific steps in the forward and retrograde trafficking of Kv4.2 in rat ventricular myocytes. This work has provided critical insights into the trafficking of cardiac potassium channels and allows us to better understand the modulation of their function in the heart.
Nurse-Client Situated Interaction (NCSI): A Constructivist Grounded Theory of the Indicators and Clinical Reasoning Processes that Registered Nurses Use to Recognize Delirium in Older Adults in Acute Care Settings
Creators: name: EL HUSSEIN, MOHAMED
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Nursing
subject: FOS: Health sciences
subject: Nursing
subject: Gerontology
subject: Clinical

description: Delirium is an acute disorder of attention and cognition in older adults. It affects half of the older adults admitted to acute care settings and is a major cause of increasing mortality and healthcare costs. Delirium is preventable in 30–40% of cases and its early recognition is crucial to improve prognosis. Registered Nurses’ (RNs) prolonged interactions with older adults place them in an advantageous position to recognize delirium. Regrettably, RNs often fail to recognize delirium in older adults. The goal of this research was to identify the indicators and clinical reasoning processes that RNs use to recognize delirium in older adults in acute care settings. Purposive and theoretical sampling techniques were used to recruit 17 RNs for this study. Data gathering and analysis from participants’ interviews was done concurrently using Constructivist Grounded Theory. The logic of constant comparison and memo-writing facilitated the transitioning from initial to focused coding. Coding for processes culminated in the emergence of the Nurse-Client Situated Interaction (NCSI) as the core category of the substantive grounded theory. NCSI refers to the main strategies that RNs used to resolve concerns of delirium recognition in older adults in acute care settings. NCSI consists of 3 subcategories that emerged from data. Each subcategory is rooted in several properties that were derived directly from the rich descriptions provided by the participants in the interviews. The subcategories and their respective properties in relation to the current state of the science are discussed in this thesis. Discussions of the recommendations that are relevant to the practices of RNs are included. Finally, limitations of the study and the agenda for future research (concatenation) are discussed.
Catalysis in Charging Quantum Batteries
Creators: name: Rodriguez, Ricard Ravell
name: Ahmadi, Borhan
name: Mazurek, Pawel
name: Barzanjeh, Shabir
name: Alicki, Robert
name: Horodecki, Pawel
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We propose a novel approach for optimization of charging of harmonic oscillators (quantum batteries) coupled to a harmonic oscillator (charger), driven by laser field. We demonstrate that energy transfer limitations can be significantly mitigated in the presence of catalyst systems, mediating between the charger and quantum batteries. We show that these catalyst systems, either qubits or harmonic oscillators, enhance the amount of energy transferred to quantum batteries, while they themselves store almost no energy. It eliminates the need for optimizing frequency of the charging laser field, whose optimal value in the bare setting depends on coupling strengths between the charger and the batteries.
description: Experimental Section expanded, analysis of stability with respect to frequency fluctuactions added
Novel Expression and Roles for IKCa in Hippocampal Pyramidal Neurons
Creators: name: King, Brian
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Biology--Cell
subject: Neuroscience
subject: Pharmacology
subject: IKCa
subject: CA1
subject: sAHP

description: This study reports novel roles of the calcium-activated potassium channel of intermediate conductance, called IKCa, in pyramidal neurons of the CA1 region of the rat and mouse hippocampus. In addition to pharmacological profiling of the IKCa channel in these neurons, conducted using potent blockers of IKCa such as TRAM-34 and ChTx, single channels were found that fit the profile of IKCa including a potassium-selective single channel of ~30 pS conductance activated by calcium influx. In addition, the role of IKCa in generating the calcium-activated slow afterhyperpolarization (sAHP) was investigated. The molecular identity of the sAHP has eluded discovery for over 30 years despite it representing one of the strongest inhibitory responses in the brain. Here it is reported that IKCa channels generate a long-lasting, calcium-activated sAHP in response to bursts of synaptic activity and neuron firing, which is inhibited by TRAM-34. This work is important in identifying a novel ion channel in the brain and one of the primary contributors to the sAHP. These data will help to further our understanding of hippocampus-related phenomena, including behaviours such as spatial memory, with potential implications in other brain regions expressing IKCa channels.
Institutional implications of governance of local common pool resources on livestock water productivity in Ethiopia
Creators: name: Deneke, Tilaye Teklewold
name: Mapedza, Everisto
name: Amede, Tilahun
Publisher: name: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Year: 2011
Subjects: subject: 333.7 Landflächen, Naturräume für Freizeit und Erholung, Naturreservate, Energie

description: This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively.
description: Improving water productivity depends on how local communal water and grazing resources are governed. This involves institutional and organizational issues. In the mixed farming systems of the Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia, non-participatory water users’ associations, neglect of traditional water rights, corruption, village power relations, inequitable allocation of irrigated land and free-grazing practice impact the governance of local common pool resources (CPR). Indigenous governance structures for CPR such as the kire are participatory and effective in terms of rule enforcement. Externally initiated governance structures lack acceptance by farmers and sufficient support from local government. In order to improve water productivity in the mixed farming systems, institutional deficiencies need attention and existing indigenous governance structures require recognition and support.
Expected constraints on the Galactic magnetic field using PLANCK data
Creators: name: Fauvet, L.
name: Macías-Pérez, J. F.
name: Jaffe, T. R.
name: Banday, A. J.
name: Désert, F. -X.
name: Santos, D.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2012
Subjects: subject: Astrophysics of Galaxies (astro-ph.GA)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We explore in this paper the ability to constrain the Galactic magnetic field intensity and spatial distribution with the incoming data from the Planck satellite experiment. We perform realistic simulations of the Planck observations at the polarized frequency bands from 30 to 353 GHz for two all-sky surveys as expected for the nominal mission. These simulations include CMB, synchrotron and thermal dust Galactic emissions and instrumental noise. (Note that systematic effects are not considered in this paper). For the synchrotron and thermal dust Galactic emissions we use a coherent 3D model of the Galaxy describing its mater density and the magnetic field direction and intensity. We first simulate the synchrotron and dust emissions at 408 MHz and 545 GHz, respectively, and then we extrapolate them to the Planck frequency bands. We perform a likelihood analysis to compare the simulated data to a set of models obtained by varying the pitch angle of the regular magnetic field spatial distribution, the relative amplitude of the turbulent magnetic field, the radial scale of the electron and dust grain distributions, and the extrapolation spectral indices for the synchrotron and thermal dust emissions. We are able to set tight constraints on all the parameters considered. We have also found that the observed spatial variations of the synchrotron and thermal dust spectral indices should not affect our ability to recover the other parameters of the model. From this, we conclude that the Planck satellite experiment can precisely measure the main properties of the Galactic magnetic field. An accurate reconstruction of the matter distribution would require on the one hand an improved modelling of the ISM and on the other hand to use extra data sets like rotation measurements of pulsars.
description: A&A accepted
Improved Detection Instrument for Nitrogen Oxide Species
Creators: name: Odame-Ankrah, Charles Anim
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Atmospheric Sciences
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: Environmental Sciences
subject: Dinitrogen pentoxide,
subject: cavity ring down spectroscopy,
subject: nitrogen dioxide
subject: nitrate radical

description: This thesis describes a combined red and blue diode laser 6-channel cavity ring down spectrometer for simultaneous measurements of the atmospheric nitrogen oxides NO, NO2, NO3, N2O5 and of total peroxyacyl nitrates (PN) and total alkyl nitrates plus nitryl chloride (AN+ClNO2), referred to as "Improved Detection Instrument for Nitrogen Oxides" (iDINOS). NO2 and NO3 are quantified directly via their optical absorption at 405 nm and 662 nm, respectively. The other species are quantified via selective conversion to NO2 or NO3, either by thermal dissociation (N2O5, PN and AN) or by titration with excess O3 (NO). iDINOS has a precision (1σ, 1s) of 3 parts-per-trillion by volume (pptv) for N2O5 and 23 pptv for NO2. A prototype version of the instrument measured NO2 and N2O5 on a rooftop on the University of Calgary campus over a short period in August, 2010 and February, 2012. iDINOS was deployed at a ground site near the Abbotsford airport in the Lower Fraser Valley of British Columbia from 20 July to 4 August, 2012. The PN signal was usually in quantitative agreement with the sum of the mixing ratios of peroxyacyl nitric anhydride (PAN) and propionic nitric anhydride (PPN) measured in parallel by a custom-built PAN-GC, but showed substantial gaps in the day-time PN budget, in particular in the early morning hours. At night, N2O5 mixing ratios were quite low (<30 pptv), rationalized by titration of O3 and NO3 by biogenic hydrocarbons and NO. Mixing ratios of ClNO2 measured in parallel by chemical ionization mass spectrometry peaked 1 - 2 hours after sunrise following the break-up of the nocturnal surface layer suggesting efficient conversion of N2O5 to ClNO2 in the residual layer. In August 2013, iDINOS was deployed as part of Joint Oil Sands Monitoring program (JOSM) at a field site near Fort McKay, AB. NO3, N2O5 and ClNO2 were below their respective detection limits. The low NO3 levels indicate that NOx at this location and season is primarily processed by photochemical pathways. The PN signal was in quantitative agreement with the sum of the mixing ratios of PAN, PPN and peroxymethacrylic nitric anhydride (MPAN).
PDF fit in the fixed-flavor-number scheme
Creators: name: Alekhin, S.
name: Bluemlein, J.
name: Moch, S.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2012
Subjects: subject: High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph)
subject: High Energy Physics - Experiment (hep-ex)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We discuss the heavy-quark contribution to deep inelastic scattering in the scheme with $n_f=3,4,5$ fixed flavors. Based on the recent ABM11 PDF analysis of world data for deep-inelastic scattering and fixed-target data for the Drell-Yan process with the running-mass definition for heavy quarks we show that fixed flavor number scheme is sufficient for describing the deep-inelastic-scattering data in the entire kinematic range. We compare with other PDF sets and comment on the implications for measuring the strong coupling constant $α_s(M_Z)$.
description: 11 pages with 10 figures, to appear in the proceedings of the "Ringberg Workshop: New Trends in HERA Physics 2011", Ringberg Castle, Germany, 25-28 September, 2011
Transdifferentiation of Fibroblast into Chondrocytes
Creators: name: Cota-Elizondo, Perla A
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Education--Sciences
subject: Biology--Cell
subject: Biology--Molecular
subject: Reprogramming
subject: stem cell

description: Great strides have been made in generating autologous induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) via the process of cellular reprogramming. A key step in cellular reprogramming is the opening of chromatin. In newer transdifferentiation schemes, instead of reverting cells all the way to the embryonic state, cells can instead be redirected to specific cell types. One approach recently applied to the generation of cardiac and neural tissue involves partially reprogramming fibroblasts by blocking the JAK-STAT pathway followed by the introduction of specific differentiation factors. We have used a similar approach to transdifferentiate mouse embryo fibroblasts into chondrocytes. Following one day of exposure to the transcription factors Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc, (OSKM factors) and 10 days of exposure to a Jak inhibitor, resulting cells are dissociated and used to form micromass cultures for chondrogenic differentiation in the presence of TGF-b1 , and BMP-2. Cells formed aggregates, which differentiated into chondrocytes within 15 days, eventually formed hyaline and hypertrophic cartilage tissue based upon Alcian Blue, safranin-o and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. RT-PCR was used to establish a timeline of chondrocyte/cartilage gene expression. We also observed the expression of Col10 and Mmp13, which suggested the development of bone. Jak inhibitor made in all cases transdifferentiation into cartilage more efficient by avoiding bone formation.
Astrophysical Tests of Modified Gravity: A Screening Map of the Nearby Universe
Creators: name: Cabré, Anna
name: Vikram, Vinu
name: Zhao, Gong-Bo
name: Jain, Bhuvnesh
name: Koyama, Kazuya
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2012
Subjects: subject: Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics (astro-ph.CO)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Astrophysical tests of modified modified gravity theories in the nearby universe have been emphasized recently by Hui, Nicolis and Stubbs (2009) and Jain and VanderPlas (2011). A key element of such tests is the screening mechanism whereby general relativity is restored in massive halos or high density environments like the Milky Way. In chameleon theories of gravity, including all f(R) models, field dwarf galaxies may be unscreened and therefore feel an extra force, as opposed to screened galaxies. The first step to study differences between screened and unscreened galaxies is to create a 3D screening map. We use N-body simulations to test and calibrate simple approximations to determine the level of screening in galaxy catalogs. Sources of systematic errors in the screening map due to observational inaccuracies are modeled and their contamination is estimated. We then apply our methods to create a map out to 200 Mpc in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey footprint using data from the Sloan survey and other sources. In two companion papers this map will be used to carry out new tests of gravity using distance indicators and the disks of dwarf galaxies. We also make our screening map publicly available.
description: 21 pages, 10 figures
Gene expression pattern in individual multipotent hematopoietic progenitor cells: population dynamics in cell fate decision
Creators: name: Mojtahedi, Mitra
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Biology--Molecular
subject: Hematopoiesis
subject: Single cell gene expression analysis
subject: Digital PCR
subject: Cell fate decision
subject: Population dynamics

description: Cell fate decisions in multipotent progenitor cells are believed to be regulated by gene regulatory networks in a deterministic way. However, observation of cell fate behavior of individual cells point to stochastic process. Stochasticity is manifested as heterogeneity in clonal cell populations. According to dynamical systems framework, cell fates are stable attractor states and fate commitment is the exit from the progenitor attractor into a differentiated lineage attractor. As experimental system we studied the multipotent CMPs with the capability to commit to the erythroid (ERY) or myeloid (MYL) lineages and used single-cell RT-qPCR technique to measure in individual cells the expression of a set of TFs important in CMP multipotency and differentiation. We asked: how does the state of an individual cell as a dynamical system, change when the cell makes a binary decision? First, we confirmed that the heterogeneity of transcript expression of these TFs is the basis of priming otherwise identical cells for the downstream lineages of ERY and MYL. The cells that happen to be at opposite “borders” of the progenitor attractor basin displayed a bias towards the opposite prospective lineages. Second, analysis of transcript expression change following exposure to differentiation factors in multiple individual cells and over multiple time points revealed signs of a destabilization of the progenitor state. This indicates that cells undergo a bifurcation, or “critical phase transition”, in which the progenitor attractor state is converted into an instability that forces cells into the attractors of the committed lineage, ERY and MYL. Specifically, we found, as indicative of a critical phase transition, that gene-gene correlation increased (a sign of GRN activity), while cell-cell correlation decreased (a sign of state diversification due to instability). Third, a more detailed dissection of the MYL differentiation process along the axis of CD11b marker revealed the transient splitting of the uniform population into three discrete subpopulations of destabilized progenitor state, intended MYL and unintended ERY fates, in agreement with a progenitor state destabilization. This finding reveals that cytokines operate by selecting a latently present, rather than instructing the de novo establishment of the gene expression program of the desired lineage. Finally, to further dissect the role of selection and instruction, we explored the response of the progenitor cells to simultaneous exposure to both the ERY and MYL cytokines. We discovered evidence for both mechanisms in the lineage commitment process.
Design of efficient wireless power-transfer system and piezoelectric transducer for sonoporation-based drug delivery implants
Creators: name: Ram Rakhyani, Anil
Publisher: name: University of British Columbia
Year: 2010

description: Implantable devices are becoming popular in health and medical applications. In particular, localized and controlled drug release systems have gained clinical relevance in the treatment of many diseases. The power requirement for sonoporation-based systems is comparatively higher than that of other implantable devices. Efficient wireless power delivery and efficient small ultrasound transducer with low aspect ratio (G = length/thickness) is required to obtain high power transfer efficiency for implantable sonoporation based system. To provide power wirelessly to implantable device, resonance-based wireless power delivery system is considered. This system is modeled and optimized for given design constraints. The prototype 4-coil system achieves at least 2 × more efficiency as compared to prior art inductive links operating with comparable size and operating range. With implanted coil of diameter 22 mm and at operating distance of 20 mm, power transfer efficiency of 82% is achieved. The focus of the work is on power delivery in implantable devices. However, the method is general and can be applied to other applications that use wireless power transfer. Sono-Dynamic Therapy (SDT) uses ultrasonic cavitation to enhance the cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutic drugs. SDT requires ultrasound transducer to generate cavities. For implantable application, high electro-mechanical conversion efficiency of transducer is required to achieve high system efficiency and low heat losses in tissues. In the present work, identification of key parameters for transducer selection for implantable sonotherapy systems are given. Effects of ultrasound transducer’s aspect ratio reduction is analyzed and reduction in electro-acoustic conversion efficiency is explained using mode coupling between resonance modes of transducer. Energy harvesting and driver circuit is presented to convert wirelessly received power to drive transducer to generate acoustic waves. This work demonstrates the first prototype of a wirelessly powered sonoporation-based implantable system. Though only two blocks of the prototype are optimized, overall system efficiency is measured as 2.04 % which is close to the theoretical value of 2.24 % of present design. By using an efficient power amplifier (class-E amplifier, efficiency 80%), an overall system efficiency of 22% can be achieved.
Effect of Change in Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Balance (HLB) on the State of Stable Invert EMulsion Drilling Fluid
Creators: name: Ezeofor, Chukwuemeka Obiajulu
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Engineering--Petroleum
subject: Environmetal
subject: HLB
subject: Drilling Fluid

description: The purpose of this project is to modify the wettability of emulsion from being oil-wet to water wet to improve drilling waste management. The adopted strategy is to use the Hydrophilic- Lipophilic Balance (HLB) to alter the affinity of emulsifiers towards the continuous phase of an emulsion system. Invert emulsions with 90:10 ratios of mineral oils (either Drisol or Distillate 822) to deionized water were prepared using HLB numbers ranging from 4.3 to 14.4. Desired HLB values were achieved by corresponding combinations of Span 80 (HLB 4.3)/Tween 80 (HLB 15.0). The emulsions were aged and centrifuged. Emulsion stability was measured by visual phase separation. Invert emulsion with HLB 4.9 showed the highest stability. Corrected Emulsifier Combinations (CEB) with HLB numbers ranging from 10.2 to 14.4 were added to the stable invert emulsions of HLB 4.9 and different properties of the emulsion (phase separation, optical density and viscosity) were studied. The results showed that increase in HLB lead to increase in droplet size which is a desirable effect towards destabilizing the invert emulsion.
Long-lived electron spins in a modulation doped (100) GaAs quantum well
Creators: name: Colton, J. S.
name: Meyer, D.
name: Clark, K.
name: Craft, D.
name: Cutler, J.
name: Park, T.
name: White, P.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2012
Subjects: subject: Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We have measured T1 spin lifetimes of a 14 nm modulation-doped (100) GaAs quantum well using a time-resolved pump-probe Kerr rotation technique. The quantum well was selected by tuning the wavelength of the probe laser. T1 lifetimes in excess of 1 microsecond were measured at 1.5 K and 5.5 T, exceeding the typical T2* lifetimes that have been measured in GaAs and II-VI quantum wells by orders of magnitude. We observed effects from nuclear polarization, which were largely removable by simultaneous nuclear magnetic resonance, along with two distinct lifetimes under some conditions that likely result from probing two differently-localized subsets of electrons.
description: 7 pages; 7 figures
On the Properties of Special Functions on the linear-type lattices
Creators: name: Alvarez-Nodarse, R.
name: Cardoso, J. L.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2011
Subjects: subject: Classical Analysis and ODEs (math.CA)
subject: FOS: Mathematics
subject: 33D15, 33D45

description: We present a general theory for studying the difference analogues of special functions of hypergeometric type on the linear-type lattices, i.e., the solutions of the second order linear difference equation of hypergeometric type on a special kind of lattices: the linear type lattices. In particular, using the integral representation of the solutions we obtain several difference-recurrence relations for such functions. Finally, applications to $q$-classical polynomials are given.
Elektromobile Flotten im lokalen Energiesystem mit Photovoltaikeinspeisung unter Berücksichtigung von Unsicherheiten
Creators: name: Seddig, Katrin
Publisher: name: KIT Scientific Publishing
Year: 2020
Subjects: Elektromobilität
E-Flotten
Photovoltaik
Unsicherheit
Optimierungsmodell
electromobility
e-fleets
photovoltaics
uncertainty
optimization model

description: In diesem Buch wird ein Modell entwickelt, welches zur Identifizierung der Lastverschiebepotenziale von elektromobilen Flotten unter Berücksichtigung der Integration von Photovoltaik-Erzeugung und Unsicherheiten nutzbar ist. Es werden unterschiedliche Ansätze unter der Anwendung von Simulation, deterministischer und stochastischer Optimierung entwickelt, um den Ladevorgang von drei verschiedenen Elektrofahrzeugflotten an einer gemeinsam genutzten Ladeinfrastruktur unter Unsicherheit zu planen.
IGRJ17361-4441: a possible new accreting X-ray binary in NGC6388
Creators: name: Bozzo, E.
name: Ferrigno, C.
name: Stevens, J.
name: Belloni, T. M.
name: Rodriguez, J.
name: Hartog, P. R. den
name: Papitto, A.
name: Kreykenbohm, I.
name: Fontani, F.
name: Gibaud, L.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2011
Subjects: subject: High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: IGRJ17361-4441 is a newly discovered INTEGRAL hard X-ray transient, located in the globular cluster NGC6388. We report here the results of the X-ray and radio observations performed with Swift, INTEGRAL, RXTE, and the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) after the discovery of the source on 2011 August 11. In the X-ray domain, IGRJ17361-4441 showed virtually constant flux and spectral parameters up to 18 days from the onset of the outburst. The broad-band (0.5-100 keV) spectrum of the source could be reasonably well described by using an absorbed power-law component with a high energy cut-off (N_H\simeq0.8x10^(22) cm^(-2), Γ\simeq0.7-1.0, and E_cut\simeq25 keV) and displayed some evidence of a soft component below \sim2 keV. No coherent timing features were found in the RXTE data. The ATCA observation did not detect significant radio emission from IGRJ17361-4441, and provided the most stringent upper limit (rms 14.1 μJy at 5.5 GHz) to date on the presence of any radio source close to the NGC6388 center of gravity. The improved position of IGRJ17361-4441 in outburst determined from a recent target of opportunity observation with Chandra, together with the X-ray flux and radio upper limits measured in the direction of the source, argue against its association with the putative intermediate-mass black hole residing in the globular cluster and with the general hypothesis that the INTEGRAL source is a black hole candidate. IGRJ17361-4441 might be more likely a new X-ray binary hosting an accreting neutron star. The ATCA radio non-detection also permits us to derive an upper limit to the mass of the suspected intermediate massive black hole in NGC6388 of <600 M\odot. This is a factor of 2.5 lower than the limit reported previously.
description: Accepted for publication on A&A letter
Velocity autocorrelation function of a Brownian particle
Creators: name: Chakraborty, D.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2011
Subjects: subject: Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: In this article, we present molecular dynamics study of the velocity autocorrelation function (VACF) of a Brownian particle. We compare the results of the simulation with the exact analytic predictions for a compressible fluid from [6] and an approximate result combining the predictions from hydrodynamics at short and long times. The physical quantities which determine the decay were determined from separate bulk simulations of the Lennard-Jones fluid at the same thermodynamic state point.We observe that the long-time regime of the VACF compares well the predictions from the macroscopic hydrodynamics, but the intermediate decay is sensitive to the viscoelastic nature of the solvent.
description: 7 pages, 6 figures
Time-reversal symmetry breaking phase in the Hubbard model: a VCA study
Creators: name: Lu, Xiancong
name: Chioncel, Liviu
name: Arrigoni, Enrico
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2011
Subjects: subject: Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We study the stability of the time-reversal symmetry breaking staggered flux phase of a single band Hubbard model, within the Variational Cluster Approach (VCA). For intermediate and small values of the interaction $U$, we find metastable solutions for the staggered flux phase, with a maximum current per bond at $U\approx 3.2$. However, allowing for antiferromagnetic and superconducting long-range order it turns out that in the region at and close to half filling the antiferromagnetic phase is the most favorable energetically. The effect of nearest-neighbour interaction is also considered. Our results show that a negative nearest-neighbour interaction and finite doping favors the stability of the staggered-flux phase. We also present preliminary results for the three-band Hubbard model obtained with a restricted set of variational parameters. For this case, no spontaneous time-reversal symmetry breaking phase is found in our calculations.
description: 9 pages,8 figures
Noncommutative spectral geometry, dissipation and the origin of quantization
Creators: name: Sakellariadou, Mairi
name: Stabile, Antonio
name: Vitiello, Giuseppe
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2012
Subjects: subject: Mathematical Physics (math-ph)
subject: High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We present a physical interpretation of the doubling of the algebra, which is the basic ingredient of the noncommutative spectral geometry, developed by Connes and collaborators as an approach to unification. We discuss its connection to dissipation and to the gauge structure of the theory. We then argue, following 't Hooft's conjecture, that noncommutative spectral geometry classical construction carries implicit in its feature of the doubling of the algebra the seeds of quantization.
description: 9 pages, to appear in the Proceedings of the international conference "Emergent Quantum Mechanics (EmerQuM11)", November 11-13, 2011, University of Vienna
Supersymmetric Asymptotic AdS and Lifshitz Solutions in Einstein-Weyl and Conformal Supergravities
Creators: name: Lu, H.
name: Wang, Zhao-Long
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2012
Subjects: subject: High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We show that there exist supersymmetric Lifshitz vacua in off-shell Einstein-Weyl supergravity, in addition to the BPS AdS_4 vacuum. The Lifshitz exponents are determined by the product of the cosmological constant and the coupling of the Weyl-squared term. We then obtain the equations of the supersymmetric solutions that are asymptotic to the AdS or Lifshitz vacua. We obtain many examples of exact solutions as well as numerical ones. We find examples of extremal AdS black branes whose near-horizon geometry is AdS_2\times T^2. We also find an extremal Lifshitz black hole with z=-2, whose horizon coincides with the curvature singularity. However the asymptotic Lifshitz solutions are in general smooth wormholes. In conformal supergravity, we find intriguing examples of non-extremal "BPS" AdS and Lifshitz black holes whose local Killing spinor is divergent on the horizon. We show that all the supersymmetric asymptotic AdS and Lifshitz solutions have the vanishing Noether charge associated with some scaling symmetry. We also study the integrability condition of the Killing spinor equation and the supersymmetric invariance of the action. Finally we show that the only spherically-symmetric BPS solution is the AdS vacuum.
description: 28 pages, typos corrected, references added and further comments on the Lifshitz and AdS wormholes were added
Carta giacimentologica delle Alpi Apuane. Sezione n. 249100-Carrara. Scala 1:10.000
Creators: name: MECCHERI, MARCO
name: Massa, Giovanni
name: Bigoni, Gianluca
name: CONTI, PAOLO
name: CARMIGNANI, LUIGI
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023

description: Carta Geologica e Giacimentologica a scala 1:10.000 dei marmi delle Alpi Apuane. Foglio 249100 - Carrara. Università di Siena, 2004.
Geological and giacimentological map of the Alpi Apuane (Italy), at 1:10.000 scale, sheet 249100 - Carrara. University of Siena, 2004.
Do nonlinear waves in random media follow nonlinear diffusion equations?
Creators: name: Laptyeva, T. V.
name: Bodyfelt, J. D.
name: Flach, S.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2012
Subjects: subject: Chaotic Dynamics (nlin.CD)
subject: Other Condensed Matter (cond-mat.other)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Probably yes, since we find a striking similarity in the spatio-temporal evolution of nonlinear diffusion equations and wave packet spreading in generic nonlinear disordered lattices, including self-similarity and scaling.
description: 6 pages, 4 figures