Search results for "Elements"
showing 10 items of 799 documents
Finite elements for nonlinear free vibrations analysis of smart laminates subjected to in-plane loadings
2015
Advanced composites, able to provide multi-functional capabilities besides the traditional structural functions, has been gaining attention in many technological fields. This inherent coupling of different physical fields can be exploited in transducer applications, structural health monitoring, vibration control, energy harvesting and other applications. Magneto-electro-elastic (MEE) composite materials are attracting increasing consideration as they couple mechanical, electrical and magnetic fields and this makes them particularly suitable for smart applications. Generally, single-phase materials exhibit either piezoelectric or piezomagnetic behavior and no direct magneto-electric couplin…
The effect of vertical ground movement on masonry walls simulated through an elastic–plastic interphase meso-model: a case study
2019
The present paper proposes an interphase model for the simulation of damage propagation in masonry walls in the framework of a mesoscopic approach. The model is thermodynamically consistent, with constitutive relations derived from a Helmholtz free potential energy. With respect to classic interface elements, the internal stress contribute is added to the contact stresses. It is considered that damage, in the form of loss of adhesion or cohesion, can potentially take place at each of the two blocks–mortar physical interfaces. Flow rules are obtained in the framework of the Theory of Plasticity, considering bilinear domains of ‘Coulomb with tension cut-off’ type. The model aims to be a first…
Stability and synthesis of superheavy elements: Fighting the battle against fission – example of $^{254}$No
2016
International audience; Superheavy nuclei exist solely due to quantum shell effects,which create a pocket in the potential-energy surface of the nucleus, thusproviding a barrier against spontaneous fission. Determining the height ofthe fission barrier and its angular-momentum dependence is important toquantify the role that microscopic shell corrections play in enhancing andextending the limits of nuclear stability. In this talk, the first measurement ofa fission barrier in the very heavy nucleus 254No will be presented.
Designing theme-based tabletop exercise for identifying and dealing with coordination problems in emergencies
2016
Tabletop exercises (TTXs) are used to train managers and other actors to deal with emergencies. These exercises that focus on the organisational coordination are planned and controlled by exercise managers through scenarios with predetermined events that participants discuss and act upon. Such exercises may lead to actors being ill prepared to deal with dynamic and emergent situations and problems. To address this knowledge gap, we apply an action design research approach to develop a TTX structured around non-sequential themes instead of predetermined events, thus allowing the participants to identify their own problems during the exercise. Our research contributes to existing knowledge by…
Capillary electrophoresis–inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry hyphenation for the determination at the nanogram scale of metal affinities an…
2012
Abstract A screening strategy based on hyphenated capillary electrophoresis and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (CE–ICP-MS) was developed to classify phosphorylated ligands according to their europium(III) binding affinity in a hydro-organic medium (sodium formate, pH 3.7, H2O/MeOH 90:10, v/v). Taking advantage of the high sensibility of ICP-MS for detecting phosphorus, this method enabled to assess the affinity of a variety of phosphorylated compounds, including phosphine oxides, thiophosphines, phosphonates, and phosphinates, in less than 1 h and using less than 5 ng of substance. By varying the total europium concentration, complexation constants could be determined accordin…
Rapid Synthesis of Radioactive Transition-Metal Carbonyl Complexes at Ambient Conditions
2012
Carbonyl complexes of radioactive transition metals can be easily synthesized with high yields by stopping nuclear fission or fusion products in a gas volume containing CO. Here, we focus on Mo, W, and Os complexes. The reaction takes place at pressures of around 1 bar at room temperature, i.e., at conditions that are easy to accommodate. The formed complexes are highly volatile. They can thus be transported within a gas stream without major losses to setups for their further investigation or direct use. The rapid synthesis holds promise for radiochemical purposes and will be useful for studying, e.g., chemical properties of superheavy elements.
Enhancerless Cytomegalovirus Is Capable of Establishing a Low-Level Maintenance Infection in Severely Immunodeficient Host Tissues but Fails in Expon…
2010
ABSTRACT Major immediate-early transcriptional enhancers are genetic control elements that act, through docking with host transcription factors, as a decisive regulatory unit for efficient initiation of the productive virus cycle. Animal models are required for studying the function of enhancers paradigmatically in host organs. Here, we have sought to quantitatively assess the establishment, maintenance, and level of in vivo growth of enhancerless mutants of murine cytomegalovirus in comparison with those of an enhancer-bearing counterpart in models of the immunocompromised or immunologically immature host. Evidence is presented showing that enhancerless viruses are capable of forming restr…
Potential Functional Significance of Brain-Type and Muscle-Type Nitric Oxide Synthase I Expressed in Adventitia and Media of Rat Aorta
1999
Abstract —Skeletal muscle and myocardium express μNOS I, an elongated splice variant of neuronal-type nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS I), and NOS III, endothelial-type NO synthase, respectively. This study was designed to elucidate whether vascular smooth muscle also contains a constitutively expressed NO synthase isoform. In the rat, μNOS I contains an insert of 102 nucleotides after nucleotide 2865 of the cDNA, yielding a protein of 164 kd. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction with primers flanking this insert and with insert-specific primers indicated that endothelium-denuded rat aorta expresses both brain-type NOS I and μNOS I. RNase protection analyses with an antisense RNA…
The human fascin gene promoter is highly active in mature dendritic cells due to a stage-specific enhancer.
2003
Abstract Dendritic cells (DC), regarded as the most efficient APCs of the immune system, are capable of activating naive T cells. Thus, DC are primary targets in immunotherapy. However, little is known about gene regulation in DC, and for efficient transcriptional targeting of human DC, a suitable promoter is still missing. Recently, we successfully used the promoter of the murine actin-bundling protein fascin to transcriptionally target DC by DNA vaccination in mice. In this study, we report on isolation of the human fascin promoter and characterization of its regulatory elements. The actively expressed gene was distinguished from a conserved inactive genomic locus and a continuous region …
Network dynamics of eukaryotic LTR retroelements beyond phylogenetic trees
2009
Abstract Background Sequencing projects have allowed diverse retroviruses and LTR retrotransposons from different eukaryotic organisms to be characterized. It is known that retroviruses and other retro-transcribing viruses evolve from LTR retrotransposons and that this whole system clusters into five families: Ty3/Gypsy, Retroviridae, Ty1/Copia, Bel/Pao and Caulimoviridae. Phylogenetic analyses usually show that these split into multiple distinct lineages but what is yet to be understood is how deep evolution occurred in this system. Results We combined phylogenetic and graph analyses to investigate the history of LTR retroelements both as a tree and as a network. We used 268 non-redundant …