Data Fusion of Dual Foot-Mounted INS to Reduce the Systematic Heading Drift

In this report, we investigate the problem of applying a range constraint in order to reduce the systematic heading drift in a foot-mounted inertial navigation system (INS) (motion-tracking). We make use of two foot-mounted INS, one on each foot, which are aided with zero-velocity detectors. A novel algorithm is proposed in order to reduce the systematic heading drift. The proposed algorithm is based on the idea that the separation between the two feet at any given instance must always lie within a sphere of radius equal to the maximum possible spatial separation between the two feet. A Kalman filter, getting one measurement update and two observation updates is used in this algorithm.

Modal tailoring and closed-form solutions for rotating non-uniform Euler-Bernoulli beams

In this paper, the free vibration of a rotating Euler-Bernoulli beam is studied using an inverse problem approach. We assume a polynomial mode shape function for a particular mode, which satisfies all the four boundary conditions of a rotating beam, along with the internal nodes. Using this assumed mode shape function, we determine the linear mass and fifth order stiffness variations of the beam which are typical of helicopter blades. Thus, it is found that an infinite number of such beams exist whose fourth order governing differential equation possess a closed form solution for certain polynomial variations of the mass and stiffness, for both cantilever and pinned-free boundary conditions corresponding to hingeless and articulated rotors, respectively. A detailed study is conducted for the first, second and third modes of a rotating cantilever beam and the first and second elastic modes of a rotating pinned-free beam, and on how to pre-select the internal nodes such that the closed-form solutions exist for these cases. The derived results can be used as benchmark solutions for the validation of rotating beam numerical methods and may also guide nodal tailoring. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preferential polarization and its reversal in polycrystalline BiFeO3/La0.5Sr0.5CoO3 heterostructures

Polycrystalline BiFeO3 thin films were grown on La0.5Sr0.5CoO3 buffered Pt (200)/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrates under different oxygen partial pressures (10, 25, 50 and 100 mTorr) by puked laser ablation. Piezo-response Force Microscopy and Piezo-Force Spectroscopy have shown that all the films are ferroelectric in nature with locally switchable domains. It has also revealed a preferential downward domain orientation in as-grown films grown under lower oxygen partial pressure (10 and 25 mTorr) with a reversal of preferential domain orientation as the oxygen partial pressure is increased to 100 mTorr during laser ablation. Such phenomena are atypical of multi-grained polycrystalline ferroelectric films and have been discussed On the basis of detect formation with changing growth conditions. For the 50 mTorr grown film, asymmetric domain stability and retention during write-read studies has been observed which is attributed to grain-size-related defect concentration, affecting pinning centres that inhibit domain wall motion. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Comparative Study on Electrochemical Behaviour of Co3O4 and Co3O4-MWCNTs for Supercapacitors

Co3O4 and Co3O4/MWCNTs were prepared by hydrothermal process under autogenous pressure in Teflon lined autoclave and calcined at 250 degrees C. Both samples were characterized by PXRD, FT-IR, SEM-EDS, TEM & FT-Raman to evaluate their surface and bulk properties. The PXRD pattern of the materials indicated the formation of cubic phase of Co3O4. FT-IR results showed the presence of metal oxygen bond in the samples. The SEM and TEM images of the Co3O4 / MWCNTs indicated spherical and cubic aggregates of metal oxide particles (10-30 nm) decorated both on the surface and inside the tubes of carbon nanotubes. The characteristic Ig and Id (graphitic and defects) Raman bands indicated the retention of tubular structure of MWCNTs even after the deposition of Co3O4. The calcined Co3O4-MWCNTs composites and Co3O4 exhibited specific capacitance of 284 & 205 F/g at a sweep rate of 2mVs(-1) in 6M KOH by cyclic voltammetry. The psuedocapacitance performances of calcined Co3O4-MWCNTs were found to be better than Co3O4. Chronopotentiometric studies made for the materials at a current density of 500mA/g indicated 100% columbic efficiency at 2000th cycle for Co3O4/ MWCNTs which is a better electrode material than Co3O4.

Calcium binding properties of calcium dependent protein kinase 1 (CaCDPK1) from Cicer arietinum

Calcium plays a crucial role as a secondary messenger in all aspects of plant growth, development and survival. Calcium dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) are the major calcium decoders, which couple the changes in calcium level to an appropriate physiological response. The mechanism by which calcium regulates CDPK protein is not well understood. In this study, we investigated the interactions of Ca2+ ions with the CDPK1 isoform of Cicer arietinum (CaCDPK1) using a combination of biophysical tools. CaCDPK1 has four different EF hands as predicted by protein sequence analysis. The fluorescence emission spectrum of CaCDPK1 showed quenching with a 5 nm red shift upon addition of calcium, indicating conformational changes in the tertiary structure. The plot of changes in intensity against calcium concentrations showed a biphasic curve with binding constants of 1.29 mu M and 120 mu M indicating two kinds of binding sites. Isothermal calorimetric (ITC) titration with CaCl2 also showed a biphasic curve with two binding constants of 0.027 mu M and 1.7 mu M. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra showed two prominent peaks at 208 and 222 nm indicating that CaCDPK1 is a alpha-helical rich protein. Calcium binding further increased the alpha-helical content of CaCDPK1 from 75 to 81%. Addition of calcium to CaCDPK1 also increased fluorescence of 8-anilinonaphthalene-1-sulfonic acid (ANS) indicating exposure of hydrophobic surfaces. Thus, on the whole this study provides evidence for calcium induced conformational changes, exposure of hydrophobic surfaces and heterogeneity of EF hands in CaCDPK1. (C) 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Cytokines and Blastocyst Hatching

Blastocyst implantation into the uterine endometrium establishes early pregnancy. This event is regulated by blastocyst- and/or endometrium-derived molecular factors which include hormones, growth factors, cell adhesion molecules, cytokines and proteases. Their coordinated expression and function are critical for a viable pregnancy. A rate-limiting event that immediately precedes implantation is the hatching of blastocyst. Ironically, blastocyst hatching is tacitly linked to peri-implantation events, although it is a distinct developmental phenomenon. The exact molecular network regulating hatching is still unclear. A number of implantation-associated molecular factors are expressed in the pre-implanting blastocyst. Among others, cytokines, expressed by peri-implantation blastocysts, are thought to be important for hatching, making blastocysts implantation competent. Pro-inflammatory (IL-6, LIF, GM-CSF) and anti-inflammatory (IL-11, CSF-1) cytokines improve hatching rates; they modulate proteases (MMPs, tPAs, cathepsins and ISP1). However, functional involvement of cytokines and their specific mediation of hatching-associated proteases are unclear. There is a need to understand mechanistic roles of cytokines and proteases in blastocyst hatching. This review will assess the available knowledge on blastocyst-derived pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines and their role in potentially regulating blastocyst hatching. They have implications in our understanding of early embryonic loss and infertility in mammals, including humans.

The MHP36 line of murine neural stem cells expresses functional CXCR1 chemokine receptors that initiate chemotaxis in vitro.

Chemokines help to establish cerebral inflammation after ischemia, which comprises a major component of secondary brain injury. The CXCR4 chemokine receptor system induces neural stem cell migration, and hence has been implicated in brain repair. We show that CXCR1 and interleukin-8 also stimulate chemotaxis in murine neural stem cells from the MHP36 cell line. The presence of CXCR1 was confirmed by reverse transcriptase PCR and immunohistochemistry. Interleukin-8 evoked intracellular calcium currents, upregulated doublecortin (a protein expressed by migrating neuroblasts), and elicited positive chemotaxis in vitro. Therefore, effectors of the early innate immune response may also influence brain repair mechanisms.

Chemical kinetics and self-ignition in a model supersonic hydrogen-air combustor

Self-ignition tests of a model scramjet combustor were conducted by using parallel sonic injection of gaseous hydrogen from the base of a blade-like strut into a supersonic vitiated airstream. The range of stagnation pressure and temperature studied varied from 1.0 to 4.5 MPa and from 1300 to 2200 K, respectively. Experimental results show that the self-ignition limit, in terms of either global or local quantities of pressure and temperature, exhibits a nonmonotonic behavior resembling the classical homogeneous explosion limit of the hydrogen-oxygen system. Specifically, for a given temperature, increasing pressure from a low value can render a nonignitable mixture to first become ignitable, then nonignitable again, This correspondence shows that, despite the globally supersonic nonpremixed configuration studied herein, ignition is strongly influenced by the intricate chemical reaction mechanism and thereby exhibits the homogeneous explosion character. Consequently, self-ignition criteria based on a global reaction rate approximating the complex chemistry are inadequate. An auxiliary computational study on counterflow ignition was also conducted to systematically investigate the contamination effects of vitiated air. Results indicate that the net contamination effects for the present experimental data are expected to be substantially smaller than contributions from the individual contamination species because of the counterbalancing influences of the H2O-inhibition and NO-promotion reactions in effecting ignition.

Evaluación de la eficacia de cinco bioplaguicidas sobre poblaciones de gusano cogollero (Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith) y su efecto sobre el crecimiento y rendimiento en el cultivo de maiz (Zea mays L.)

Con el fin de evaluar la efectividad de cinco bioplaguicidas para el manejo del gusano cogollero (Spodoptera frugiperdaJ. E. Smith) en el cultivo de maíz, se estableció el presente ensayo en el Centro experimental de Campos Azules municipio de Masatepe, en época de primera del año 2003. Los bioplaguicidas evaluados corresponden a los nombres de Spintor, Dipel 8L, Dipel 6.4 WP, Dipel 2X, y VPN (Virus de la poliedrosis nuclear) junto a ellos se evaluó Cypermetrina como testigo químico y aplicación de agua como testigo absoluto. El genotipo utilizado fue la variedad NB-6. Los tratamientos fueron arreglados en diseño de bloques completos al azar con cuatro réplicas y las variables evaluadas fueron sometidas a análisis de varianza y separación múltiple de medias. Al evaluar el porcentaje de eficacia de los bioplaguicidas, los tratamientos Spintor y Dipel 6.4 WP mostraron los mayores promedios respectivamente en las dos evaluaciones realizadas presentando diferencias altamente significativas. El número de larvas por planta a los 33, 37, 44 y 51 días después de la siembra fue también altamente significativo. Para la variable altura de planta, se registraron diferencias estadísticas entre los tratamientos; a los 89 días después de la siembra, las plantas tratadas con Spintor presentaron la mayor altura promedio. En cuanto al rendimiento la diferencia entre los tratamientos fue altamente significativa obteniendo el mayor promedio el tratamiento con Spintor. No se observó diferencias significativas entre los tratamientos para las variables de mazorcas sanas, mazorcas podridas, mazorcas dañadas y peso de mil granos. En cuanto al análisis económico se demostró que económicamente el tratamiento con Spintor fue el más rentable presentando una taza de retorno marginal de 208.1 % con respecto al tratamiento con Cypermetrina (tratamiento tradicional) la cual fue de 741 %.

An incremental micromechanical scheme for nonlinear particulate composites

A general incremental micromechanical scheme for the nonlinear behavior of particulate composites is presented in this paper. The advantage of this scheme is that it can reflect partly the effects of the third invariant of the stress on the overall mechanical behavior of nonlinear composites. The difficulty involved is the determination of the effective compliance tensors of the anisotropic multiphase composites. This is completed by making use of the generalized self-consistent Mori-Tanaka method which was recently developed by Dai et al. (Polymer Composites 19(1998) 506-513; Acta Mechanica Solida 18 (1998) 199-208). Comparison with existing theoretical and numerical results demonstrates that the present incremental scheme is quite satisfactory. Based on this incremental scheme, the overall mechanical behavior of a hard-particle reinforced metal matrix composite with progressive particle debonding damage is investigated.

Efecto de cuatro niveles de fertilización orgánica sobre tres variedades de fresa (Fragaria spp.) en Las Sabanas, Madriz

Los pequeños agricultores de café del municipio de Las Sabanas, departamento de Madríz, en los últimos años han adoptado formas alternativas de producción, que contribuyan a reducir los impactos negati vos sobre el ambiente y además mejorar así la calidad de vida en la familia. Una de estas alternativas es el establecimiento del cultivo de fresa ( Fragaria spp.) manejado bajo el sistema de producción orgánico como cultivo complementario al cultivo de café. El estudio tiene como finalidad u objetivo obtener información sobre la respuesta de rendimiento del cultivo a través del mane jo orgánico bajo el uso de dos niveles de lombrihumus aplicados en la cantidad de 3,000 y 6,000 kg ha -1 , y dos niveles de biofertilizantes aplicados en la cantidad de 200 y 400 lt ha -1 , en los genotipos Festival, Britget y Chandler. El ensayo se estableció en julio del 2005, en la comunidad El Castillito, municipio Las Sabanas, departamento de Madríz. Los genotipos se establecieron en un diseño de Bloques Completos al Azar (BCA) con ar reglos en Parcelas Subdivididas y tres réplicas. Las unidades experimentales estu vieron constituidas por bancales de uno por dos metros, en las cuales se evaluaro n variables de crecimiento y rendimiento. Se realizó análisis de varianza y agrupación mediante LSD ( ∞ =0.05). Las principales plagas encont radas fueron el guazalo ( Didelphis marsupialis ) y gallina ciega ( Phyllophaga sp.), y enfermedades como mancha café en las hojas ( Marssonina fragariae ) y antracnosis en frutos ( Colletotrichum fragariae ). Las variables de rendimiento presentaron significac ión estadística en los genotipos. El rendimiento total fue significativo en los efectos principales (variedades, lombrihumus y biofertuilizante), en donde el mayor promedio fue de 8,208.34 kg ha -1 para Britget con la dosis de 3,000 kg ha -1 de lombrihumus y 400 lt ha -1 de biofertilizante; en cambio Chandler no superó los 450 kg ha -1 .

Dinamica de arvenses y entomofauna, bajo diferentes enmiendas nutricionales en nopal (Opuntia ficus indica L.) en Carazo

El nopal (Opuntia ficus indica L), es una Cactácea, endémico de América, es alternativa alimenticia para el trópico seco. En la finca Guadarrama, ubicada en Buena Vista Sur, carretera Casares-la Boquita, Diriamba, Carazo; se estableció el ensayo en julio, 2007; para determinar la influencia en aplicación de enmiendas nutricionales en nopal sobre dinámica de arvenses. El área presenta suelo arcilloso, la temperatura oscila entre 30-32 grados Celsius y humedad relativa de 60 %. El experimento tenía un área de 208 m2 en diseño BCA, con 6 tratamientos y 4 repeticiones, consistentes en dosis por planta de: 2 kg de compost, 2 kg de estiércol vacuno, 0.5 kg de gallinaza, 0.5 kg de lombrihumus, 0.03 kg de fertlizante 12-15-10, todo aplicado a la siembra y testigo sin aplicación. Las variables fueron: dominancia, abundancia, diversidad y entomofauna. Se realizaron dos controles manuales de malezas,a la siembra y a los 45 días después de la siembra. La mayor cobertura fue gallinaza (90 %), la menor el fertilizante químico (55 %); biomasa para monocotiledóneas, el mayor fue estiércol (113 kg/ha), el menor el fertilizante (83 kg/ha), para dicotiledóneas el mayor fue compost (52 kg/ha), el menor el fertilizante (13 kg/ha); abundancia, el mayor número de plantas por especies monocotiledoneas fue Cynodon dactylon L. con 87 plantas en gallinaza, para dicotiledóneas, Desmodium tortuosum D.C. con 9 plantas en lombrihumus; diversidad, encontramos 7 especies en compost y 3 en fertilizante. La entomofauna mostró una diversidad de 11 especies de insectos (fitófagos como Gryllus sp L. y entomófagos como Mantis sp).