Double Cutoff Research Articles

Pore structure evolution of mortars with manufactured sand aggregate under the influence of aggregate size and water saturation environment

To investigate the effect of aggregate size on pore structure and pore evolution in water saturation of manufactured sand aggregate (MSA) mortars, five MSA mortars with small range of aggregate sizes were prepared and their pore characterization were monitored over 365 days. The findings showed that an increased surface volume ratio (SVR) leads to an increase in total and macroporous porosity, and three pores with different connectivity were quantified using double T2 cutoff method. Moreover, continued hydration by unhydrated cement caused an increase in micropores during the initial stage of service in a water-saturated environment for 365 days, and an increase in macropores at the later stage as a result of enhanced hydraulic solvation, furthermore, solvation was more significant in the mortar with larger SVR to the point where it eventually produced pores larger than 100 μm. This research would provide guidance for the durability evaluation of cement mortars.

A method to classify coal pore system by using cumulative amplitude ratio and its dynamic variation

AbstractAs coal pore development is decisive for choosing the engineering site and predicting the CO2 storage capacity, this paper provides a new method to define the double T2 cutoff values by using cumulative amplitude ratio measured by nuclear magnetic resonance measurements, classifies the coal pore systems, and analyzes the influences on cumulative amplitude ratio. The following cognitions are achieved. The minimum ratio always varies narrowly and ranges from 0.9 to 1.1, which is quite stable and approximately equals to 1. Ranges of maximum and average ratios are 1.2–3.5 and 1.1–1.8, respectively. T2c1 represents the dividing point of diffusion pore and permeation pore, and its average value is about 4.1 ms. T2c2 represents the dividing point of permeation pore and cleat, with an average value of about 81.9 ms. The volumetric proportions of diffusion pore range from 1.5% to 76.2%, with an average value of 34.6%; the volumetric proportions of permeation pore are from 14.9% to 98.5%, with an average of 46.8%; while the volumetric proportions of cleat are between 8.4% and 57.5%, with an average of 26.6%. According to the different influencing degrees on maximum and average ratios, three types of parameters can be divided. The first type is strong correlation parameters and includes permeability, volumetric percentage of cleat, and relative volumetric percentage of cleat. The second type is medium correlation parameters, such as volumetric percentage of diffusion pore. The third type is weak correlation parameters, including T2 cutoff values, porosity, and maximum vitrinite reflectance. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Impact of inclined double-cutoff walls under hydraulic structures on uplift forces, seepage discharge and exit hydraulic gradient

In hydraulic structures design, using cutoff walls is essential to reduce and control the resultant uplift force (U), seepage discharge (Q), and exit hydraulic gradient (i). This research investigates the effectiveness of inclined double cutoff walls under hydraulic structures, considering the influence of depths, locations, and inclination angles of the upstream and downstream cutoff walls by using Finite Element Method (FEM). The results confirmed that installing a deeper cutoff wall on the downstream reduces the exit gradient even further. In the case of the cutoff walls located in the upstream and downstream ends, the exit gradient will be less than when the cutoff walls are installed at a closer distance. Increasing the inclination angle of downstream cutoff wall has a major impact on exit gradient reduction. Embedment of cutoff walls in the upstream and downstream ends with right angles and equal depths reduces the seepage discharge more than other cases.

Effect of an inhomogeneous electron density profile on the transmission microwave frequency spectrum of the cutoff probe

The cutoff probe (CP), which precisely measures electron density from a microwave transmission (S 21) spectrum, has been successfully developed through physical models under the assumption of homogeneous plasma between the probe tips. In practice, however, the chamber and sheath structure, flow effects, and the probe insertion itself produce plasma inhomogeneity between the probe tips, which necessitates the study of any related effects on the CP measurement results. This paper investigated the effect of inhomogeneous plasma on the S 21 of the CP through a three-dimensional E/M wave simulation with various density gradient directions. The simulations found, notably, double cutoff peaks and a cutoff frequency shift in the S 21 that depend on the gradient direction. These results are analyzed via a simple circuit model of the CP, and their origins are elucidated at the end of this paper.

Investigation on the Double CutOff Phenomenon Observed in Protocatechuic Acid and Its Alkyl Esters under Various CAT-Based Assays.

A strange cutoff phenomenon of a series of protocatechuic acid alkyl esters had been noticed using the conjugated autoxidizable triene (CAT) assay. Two parabolic shapes of antioxidant activities of protocatechuic acid alkyl esters described as ″the double cutoff effect″ have been speculated as a result of an oxidative driving force generated in the aqueous phase. The aim of this research was to investigate the double cutoff effect using various types of oxidation driving forces in different CAT-based assays. To further explain the phenomenon, the natural oxidation of conjugated autoxidizable triene (NatCAT) assay has been developed for the first time by relying solely on only the lipid autoxidation of tung oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions. In conclusion, NatCAT exhibited different antioxidant and oxidation patterns from both CAT and apolar radical-initiated CAT assays, and only one cutoff point was obtained. This discovery would lead to a greater understanding of the complexity of antioxidant/lipid oxidation dynamics in O/W emulsion systems.

Diagnostic potential of simplified methods for measuring glomerular filtration rate to detect chronic kidney disease in dogs.

BackgroundGlomerular filtration rate (GFR) is the most sensitive indicator of initial renal function decline during chronic kidney disease (CKD), but conventional protocols for measuring GFR are labor‐intensive and stressful for the dog.ObjectivesTo assess the diagnostic potential for detecting CKD with simplified GFR protocols based on iohexol plasma clearance.AnimalsSeventeen CKD‐positive and 23 CKD‐negative dogs of different breeds and sex.MethodsProspective nonrandomized study. Plasma iohexol was measured 5, 15, 60, 90, and 180 minutes after injection. Glomerular filtration rate was calculated using 5 samples (GFR5) or simplified protocols based on 1, 2, or 3 samples. The GFR5 and simplified GFR were compared by Bland‐Altmann and concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) analysis, and diagnostic accuracy for CKD by receiver operating characteristic curves. A gray zone for each protocol was bounded by the fourth quartile of the CKD‐positive population (lower cutoff) and the first quartile of the CKD‐negative population (upper cutoff).ResultsAll simplified protocols gave reliable GFR measurements, comparable to reference GFR5 (CCC >0.92). Simplified protocols which included the 180‐minutes sampling granted the best GFR measure (CCC: 0.98), with strong diagnostic potential for CKD (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve ± SE: 0.98 ± 0.01). A double cutoff including a zone of CKD uncertainty guaranteed reliable diagnosis outside the gray area and identified borderline dogs inside it.ConclusionsThe simplified GFR protocols offer an accurate, hands‐on tool for CKD diagnosis in dogs. The gray zone might help decision‐making in the management of early kidney dysfunction.

On the entanglement entropy of quantum fields in causal sets

In order to understand the detailed mechanism by which a fundamental discreteness can provide a finite entanglement entropy, we consider the entanglement entropy of two classes of free massless scalar fields on causal sets that are well approximated by causal diamonds in Minkowski spacetime of dimensions 2, 3 and 4. The first class is defined from discretised versions of the continuum retarded Green functions, while the second uses the causal set’s retarded nonlocal d’Alembertians parametrised by a length scale lk. In both cases we provide numerical evidence that the area law is recovered when the double-cutoff prescription proposed in Sorkin and Yazdi (2016 Entanglement entropy in causal set theory (arXiv:1611.10281)) is imposed. We discuss in detail the need for this double cutoff by studying the effect of two cutoffs on the quantum field and, in particular, on the entanglement entropy, in isolation. In so doing, we get a novel interpretation for why these two cutoff are necessary, and the different roles they play in making the entanglement entropy on causal sets finite.

Mid-infrared Excess from the West Hot Spot of the Radio Galaxy Pictor A Unveiled by WISE

Abstract Mid-infrared properties are reported of the west hot spot of the radio galaxy Pictor A with the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). The mid-infrared counterpart to the hot spot, WISE J051926.26−454554.1, is listed in the AllWISE source catalog. The source was detected in all four of the WISE photometric bands. A comparison between the WISE and radio images reinforces the physical association of the WISE source to the hot spot. The WISE flux density of the source was carefully evaluated. A close investigation of the multi-wavelength synchrotron spectral energy distribution from the object reveals a mid-infrared excess at the wavelength of μm with a statistical significance of over the simple power-law extrapolation from the synchrotron radio spectrum. The excess is reinforced by single and double cutoff power-law modeling of the radio-to-optical spectral energy distribution. The synchrotron cutoff frequency of the main and excess components was evaluated as Hz and Hz, respectively. From the cutoff frequency, the magnetic field of the emission region was constrained as a function of the region size. In order to interpret the excess component, an electron population different from the main one dominating the observed radio spectrum is necessary. The excess emission is proposed to originate in a substructure within the hot spot, in which the magnetic field is a factor of a few stronger than that in the minimum-energy condition. The relation of the mid-infrared excess to the X-ray emission is briefly discussed.

Evidence-based Medicine versus the Conventional Approach to Journal Club Sessions: Which One Is More Successful in Teaching Critical Appraisal Skills?

This study aimed to compare evidence-based medicine (EBM) vs. conventional approaches to journal club sessions in teaching critical appraisal skills in reading papers by emergency medicine residents. This double cut off discontinuation regression quasi-experimental study was conducted among emergency medicine residents. EBM vs. the conventional approach were applied to teach critical appraisal skills for half of the residents as an experimental group and another half as a control group respectively. Both groups participated in one hour monthly journal club sessions for six months. Before and after the study, all participants were examined by two tests: the Fresno Test (FT) [to evaluate their knowledge about EBM] and the Critical Appraisal Skills Test (CAST) [to evaluate their competency with critical appraisal skills]. The allocation of the participants into the experimental or control groups was according to their CAST scores before the study. 50 emergency medicine residents participated. After the study, the scores of both groups in the FT and CAST significantly improved (p<0.01), and the promotion of scores of the FT and CAST in the experimental group were more than that of the conventional group (p<0.0001). The current study indicated that an evidence-based medicine approach in journal club sessions was comparatively more advantageous compared to the conventional approach in teaching critical appraisal skills for reading papers among the residents of emergency medicine.

Analysis of Seepage Under Hydraulic Structures Using Slide Program

In this study, “SLIDE” program was used to analyze seepage flow under the hydraulic structure through single and multi- layers soils and its effect on structures with inclined cut-off at downstream, at upstream, and at both of them. The distribution curves of uplift pressure along the floor had been reached as well as the distribution of exit gradient at downstream. In the first experiment which included hydraulic structure based at single layers, results are compared with the general case (no cut-off) obtained when using single cutoff, minimum value of the uplift pressure and seepage quantity occurred when using cutoff at upstream side with Ө=45° which given decreasing 40.3%, 28.5% respectively and minimum value of exist gradient occur when using cutoff at downstream side with Ө 120° which given decreasing 8.03%. while using double cutoff minimum value of uplift pressure ,exist gradient ,seepage occur when using double inclined cutoff at upstream with Ө = 45° and downstream side with Ө 120° which given decreasing (42.1%, 8.03%, 30%) its contacted that using double cutoff given decreasing in each uplift pressure, exist gradient, seepage at the same time.

Efficient Calculations with Multisite Local Orbitals in a Large-Scale DFT Code CONQUEST.

Multisite local orbitals, which are formed from linear combinations of pseudoatomic orbitals from a target atom and its neighbor atoms, have been introduced in the large-scale density functional theory calculation code CONQUEST. Multisite local orbitals correspond to local molecular orbitals so that the number of required local orbitals can be minimal. The multisite support functions are determined by using the localized filter diagonalization (LFD) method [ Phys. Rev. B 2009 , 80 , 205104 ]. Two new methods, the double cutoff method and the smoothing method, are introduced to the LFD method to improve efficiency and stability. The Hamiltonian and overlap matrices with multisite local orbitals are constructed by efficient sparse-matrix multiplications in CONQUEST. The investigation of the calculated energetic and geometrical properties and band structures of bulk Si, Al, and DNA systems demonstrate the accuracy and the computational efficiency of the present method. The representability of both occupied and unoccupied band structures with the present method has been also confirmed.

S100P-Binding Protein, S100PBP, Mediates Adhesion through Regulation of Cathepsin Z in Pancreatic Cancer Cells

Several S100 proteins are up-regulated in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most significant being S100P. We previously reported on S100PBP, a binding partner of S100P, that shows no homology to any described protein and whose functions are completely unknown. To determine S100PBP expression across human tissues and organs, immunohistochemistry was performed using both multiorgan- and in-house-constructed pancreatic tissue microarrays. To establish S100PBP functions, cell lines with either stably overexpressed or silenced S100PBP were generated and investigated using Affymetrix gene expression arrays and complementary functional assays. We show that S100PBP is differentially expressed in various healthy and tumor specimens, which is both cancer- and tissue-type dependent. In healthy pancreas, S100PBP is expressed in the nuclear/perinuclear region of both exocrine and endocrine compartments. In early precancerous lesions, S100PBP is translocated to the cytoplasm, whereas in PDAC and metastatic lesions, its expression is significantly diminished. The most pronounced phenotypic change after manipulation of S100PBP expression was seen in adhesion; this was significantly reduced after S100PBP up-regulation and increased after S100PBP silencing. Up-regulation or silencing of S100PBP also led to a concomitant change in the levels of the protease cathepsin Z, the silencing of which significantly reduced PDAC cell adhesion. We further demonstrate that the interaction of cathepsin Z with arginine-glycine-aspartic acid-binding integrins, specifically αvβ5, mediates the changes seen in adhesion of PDAC cells.

Cutoffを2重に用いた前処理の性能評価(行列・固有値問題の解法とその応用, 平成20年研究部会連合発表)

Cutoffを2重に用いた前処理の性能評価(行列・固有値問題の解法とその応用, 平成20年研究部会連合発表)

Comparison of simple tests for the non‐invasive diagnosis of clinically silent cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis C

Biopsy is the gold standard for assessing cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection, but it is expensive and at risk of complications. Alternative non-invasive methods have been developed but their usefulness remains uncertain. To compare the accuracy of five non-invasive scores in detecting cirrhosis. We reviewed the charts and liver biopsies of 228 consecutive, treatment-naïve, hepatitis C virus-positive patients, 13.2% of whom with histological diagnosis of cirrhosis. The five alternative scores were age-platelet index, cirrhosis discriminant score, aspartate transaminases to platelet ratio index, Pohl's index, and aspartate transaminases/alanine transaminases ratio. The specificities of the scores were good (87-100%), but not so their sensitivities (17-67%). Accordingly positive likelihood ratios were generally good but negative likelihood ratios were suboptimal. Combinations of the scores independently related to cirrhosis only slightly change this diagnostic accuracy. Using double cut-offs to exclude/diagnoses cirrhosis, cirrhosis discriminant score classified 21% of patients without misdiagnoses and aspartate transaminases to platelet ratio index classified 85% of case with 9% of misdiagnoses. The five scores showed variable sensitivities and specificities in detecting liver cirrhosis, both individually and in combination. The use of double cut-off points may make the cirrhosis discriminant score and aspartate transaminases to platelet ratio index useful to reduce the number of patients submitted to liver biopsy.

Observation of compositional pulling phenomenon in AlxGa1−xN (0.4&amp;lt;x&amp;lt;1.0) films grown on (0001) sapphire substrates

High Al content AlxGa1−xN (0.4&amp;lt;x&amp;lt;1.0) films were grown at 1050 °C either on (0001) sapphire substrates or on AlN films by alternative supply of group III metalorganics (trimethylaluminum and trimethylgallium) and NH3 in an inductively heated quartz reactor operated at atmospheric pressure. θ–2θ x-ray diffraction data show a compositional separation in the AlxGa1−xN films grown on low-temperature (LT) aluminum nitride (AlN) buffer layer-coated (0001) sapphire substrates. Absorption spectroscopic measurements also reveal double cutoff edges in the AlxGa1−xN sample grown directly on a LT AlN-coated (0001) sapphire substrate while only one absorption edge having higher energy was observed in the AlxGa1−xN film grown on a 0.1-μm-thick high-temperature (HT) AlN intermediate layer, which was deposited on top of the (0001) sapphire substrate. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopic observations show the bilayer nature of the AlxGa1−xN films grown directly on the LT AlN-coated sapphire substrate. Such a compositional pulling phenomenon in the AlxGa1−xN film without a HT AlN intermediate layer is attributed to the extensive biaxial strain caused by the large mismatch between the AlxGa1−xN film and the (0001) sapphire substrate.

E-Cadherin Complex Protein Expression and Survival in Ovarian Carcinoma

Objective.The aim of this study was to analyze the correlation between expression of E-cadherin complex proteins, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and c-erbB-2 and disease outcome in advanced-stage ovarian carcinomas.Methods. Sections from 75 primary ovarian carcinomas (=37) and metastatic lesions (=38) from 45 patients diagnosed with advanced-stage ovarian carcinoma (FIGO stage III–IV) were immunostained and evaluated for staining pattern, extent, and intensity. Patients were divided in two groups based on disease outcome. Long-term survivors (21 patients) and short-term survivors (24 patients) were defined using a double cutoff of 36 months for disease-free survival (DFS) and 60 months for overall survival (OS). Mean follow-up period was 70 months. The mean values for DFS and OS were 109 and 125 months for long-term survivors, as compared to 3 and 21 months for short-term survivors, respectively.Results. Comparison of all primary and metastatic lesions showed upregulation of γ-catenin protein expression in the latter (P = 0.05). When segregated according to disease outcome, the expression of all studied proteins, with the exception of EGFR, was more diffuse in tumors of short-term survivors. The presence of cytoplasmic staining for c-erbB-2 was associated with poor survival in the entire cohort (P = 0.007), as well as in primary tumors alone (P = 0.003), in survival analysis. Similar results were seen in the evaluation of primary tumors for γ-catenin (P = 0.002).Conclusions. γ-Catenin, and possibly c-erbB-2, are valid markers of poor survival in advanced-stage ovarian carcinoma.

Structural behaviour of the Manicouagan 3 cutoff

A positive double cutoff wall was used to control the foundation seepage and to minimize the danger of piping, for a 107 m (350 ft) high earthfill dam founded on 126 m (420 ft) of pervious and highly compressible alluvial deposits.At the end of the first year of operation (Dec., 1976), the cutoff walls had deflected 285 mm (11.2 in.) downstream and had been vertically compressed by 140 mm (5.5 in.). These deformations were caused by the combined action of the weight of the dam and the reservoir load and were monitored by a comprehensive instrumentation.The reading of the instruments indicates that 85% of the vertical deformation in the walls is mainly due to the load transmitted by the negative skin friction between the walls and the surrounding compressible alluvium, whereas the compression induced by the dam's weight, transferred directly through the inspection tunnel (acting as a pile cap), is only 15%. A large part of the wall's compression is attributed to the creep of the concrete.The presence of an arching effect in the foundation due to the particular shape of the canyon has been confirmed by the instrument readings. This phenomenon was previously brought to light by the finite element analysis.The structural analysis of the behaviour of the cutoff walls confirms the necessity of the twin walls, because the stresses induced in the single wall (negative friction on both sides) would have been dangerously close to the ultimate strength of the concrete.