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We present a highly efficient algorithm for computing the minimum distance between two solids of revolution, each of which is defined by a planar cross‐section region and a rotation axis. The boundary profile curve for the cross‐section is first approximated by a bounding volume hierarchy (BVH) of fat arcs. By rotating the fat arcs around the axis, we generate the BVH of fat tori that bounds the surface of revolution. The minimum distance between two solids of revolution is then computed very efficiently using the distance between fat tori, which can be boiled down to the minimum distance computation for circles in the three‐dimensional space. Our circle‐based approach to the solids of revolution has distinctive features of geometric simplification. The main advantage is in the effectiveness of our approach in handling the complex cases where the minimum distance is obtained in non‐convex regions of the solids under consideration. Though we are dealing with a geometric problem for solids, the algorithm actually works in a computational style similar to that of handling planar curves. Compared with conventional BVH‐based methods, our algorithm demonstrates outperformance in computing speed, often 10–100 times faster. Moreover, the minimum distance can be computed very efficiently for the solids of revolution under deformation, where the dynamic reconstruction of fat arcs dominates the overall computation time and takes a few milliseconds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Metallothionein (MT) is a valuable biomarker against xenobiotic heavy metal contamination in organs and blood of fish. In this study, MT was induced in carp blood by cadmium injection and was purified to homogeneity by DEAE-cellulose ion exchange column chromatography to be used dually as a standard and immunogen. A sensitive detection on carp MT was then followed using a batch-type direct-binding quartz crystal microbalance immunosensor system installed with a well cell. Among antibody immobilization methods tested, two methods that were carried out via a heterobifunctional thiolation cross-linker, and via the cross-linker and protein G showed their respective advantages in simplicity and sensitivity. When analyzed using the immunosensor for carp MT in the concentration range of 50–4000ng/mL, the limit of detection around 250ng/mL was obtained. Based on its reasonable sensitivity and real-time presentation for the sensor signal, the immunosensor of this study was presumed as a screening tool to monitor possible heavy metal contamination in a fish farm and imported fish. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aim: To screen and evaluate the biocontrol potential of Paenibacillus strains against disease complex caused by Meloidogyne incognita and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici interactions. Methods and Results: Paenibacillus strains were collected from rotten ginseng roots. The strains were tested under in vitro and pots for their inhibitory activities, and biocontrol potential against disease complex caused by M. incognita and F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici on tomato. In in vitro experiments, among 40 tested strains of Paenibacillus spp., 11 strains showed antifungal and nematicidal activities against F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici and M. incognita, respectively. Paenibacillus polymyxa GBR-462; GBR-508 and P. lentimorbus GBR-158 showed the strongest antifungal and nematicidal activities. These three strains used in pot experiment reduced the symptom development of the disease complex (wilting and plant death), and increased plant growth. The control effects were estimated to be 90–98%, and also reduced root gall formation by 64–88% compared to the untreated control. Conclusion: The protective properties of selected Paenibacillus strains make them as potential tool to reduce deleterious impact of disease complex plants. Significance and Impact of the Study: The study highlights biocontrol potential of Paenibacillus strains in management of disease complex caused by nematode-fungus interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop a method to use the mixed third and second harmonic electron cyclotron emission (ECE) signal in the DIII-D tokamak to reconstruct the electron temperature profile of a rotating magnetic island. The third harmonic ECE is removed by extracting the rotating-island-associated fluctuations in the mixed signal, and the extracted fluctuation is combined with the equilibrium temperature obtained from other diagnostics after correcting for the third harmonic reabsorption. The accuracy of the reconstruction is studied by considering a DIII-D shot where an unmixed signal from an island is available on the low field side of the plasma and a mixed signal from the same island is available from the high field side. It is found that the reconstruction method successfully reproduces the island shape and temperature perturbation magnitude without the distortion caused by third harmonic ECE mixing. However, the radial location of the reconstructed island is somewhat displaced relative to the location of the q = 2 surface in the axisymmetric equilibrium reconstruction, resulting in a corresponding inaccuracy in the absolute temperature of the island. It is conjectured that this may arise from an inaccuracy of the reconstructed axisymmetric equilibrium in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on focused microwave thermotherapy (FMT) which is a noninvasive microwave hyperthermia to increase the temperature of the target location to above 43°C while maintaining a normal temperature in other areas. It presents information on electromagnetic (EM) wave propagation. It mentions information on dielectric map which is created from magnetic resonance imaging or computer tomography.

The main issue of focused microwave thermotherapy is to find an appropriate model for the body's dielectric map and the target position for microwave treatment. This Letter proposes the method to synthesise the focusing array excitation vector from the preliminary evaluated dielectric image of the human body. The dielectric image is reconstructed from scattering signals measured by the same antenna array, and the array excitation vector is extracted from the singular value decomposition of the multi‐static scattering data matrix. To demonstrate the proposed technique, the authors solve a two‐dimensional inverse electromagnetic scattering problem and a bio‐heat equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal expansion and magnetostriction of polycrystalline and single-crystal Pr5 Ni2 Si3 were investigated over the temperature range 5-300 K. The results show two magnetic phase transitions, one corresponding to the Curie temperature and the other at a lower temperature exhibiting characteristics of a spin reorientation transition. In the temperature range below the Curie temperature, the thermal expansion in single-crystal samples exhibited a temperature dependent anisotropy. Specifically negative and positive magnetic contributions to the thermal expansion were observed along the directions parallel and perpendicular to the c axis respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The temperature influence of the matching liquid used in the microwave tomography platform system working from 3 to 6 GHz was analyzed on the article. The temperature impact of the matching liquid was found using the measured signal data. If the temperature of the matching liquid is maintained ideally, the measured signal data are obtained the stable data. But, the acquired signal data are obtained the unstable data because the temperature of matching liquid can not be maintained naturally. To obtain the stable data, the temperature control devices are required to maintain the temperature of matching liquid. Furthermore, the temperature variation of the matching liquid in the platform system is the important factor aimed for breast cancer detection. How much impact happened by the temperature variation was studied to overcome the temperature influence of the matching liquid. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:2978-2981, 2014 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ne–Kr gas mixtures with high Kr concentrations were applied to ac plasma display panels. Spatiotemporal behaviors of excited Kr atoms in the 1s5 metastable state and the 1s4 resonance state were measured by microscopic laser-absorption spectroscopy in the binary mixtures with Kr concentrations of 20% and 40%. A systematic comparison was done between the characteristics of Ne–Kr-filled panels and those of conventional Ne–Xe panels with the same structure but with lower Xe concentrations of 5% and 10%. For example, the total number of Kr*(1s5) atoms in a unit cell ranged from 7.4×107 to 2.0×108, at the peak was apparently smaller than the value of Xe*(1s5) atoms. However, when the difference in the decay rate of the excited atoms by three-body collision processes is taken into account, the production efficiency of vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) emission from Kr2* excimers is as large as that from Xe2* excimers in a usual panel since these processes lead directly to the formation of excimers. From the measured density of Kr*(1s4) atoms, it is estimated that the contribution of the atomic resonance line is smaller than the excimer band at those high Kr concentrations. In any case, by summing up those two contributions to the VUV emission, the overall efficiency in the Ne–Kr(40%) panel is estimated to be comparable to that in the Ne–Xe(10%) one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new form of doxorubicin hydrochloride (DRH)-containing chitosan microspheres (CMs) was prepared by employing an expanding-loading-shrinking (E-L-S) process. One hundred mg of pre-formed CMs were soaked in absolute ethanol and then placed in reduced pressure (the expanding process). Ten mg of DRH (2 mg ml-1) were added into the expanded CMs (the loading process). Next the microspheres were freeze-dried (the shrinking process). As a result of this E-L-S process, 10% (w/w) DRH-containing CMs (DRH-CM) were made. During 7 days, 22.6% of the DRH was observed to be released on the in vitro drug release study. In addition, these new DRH-CMs could be used for transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) procedure in VX2 hepatic tumour models of rabbit and the anti-tumour effects of DRH-CMs were investigated. On the post-CT scan 7 days after the TACE, total infarctions of the VX2 tumour were observed in 5 rabbits among the 6 total rabbits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This letter reports on an improved forward voltage drop (V[sub F]) and reverse leakage current (I[sub R]) in Schottky barrier rectifier using vanadium (V–SBR) as the barrier metal with a low barrier height (&fgr;[sub B]) and argon implantation. The V[sub F] for a V–SBR was as low as 0.25 V compared to 0.39 V for a molybdenum (Mo)–SBR at the same forward current density (J[sub F]) of 60 A/cm[sup 2]. This study was able to achieve a good result for J[sub F] in SBR. Presently, the conventional Schottky rectifier with a low &fgr;[sub B] metal is used to achieve low V[sub F], but at the expense of a high I[sub R]. To reduce this effect, crystalline Si was altered into amorphous Si using argon implantation on the n-epitaxial layer. Finally, a SBR with a high J[sub F] and low I[sub R] could be fabricated. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]