Intensity‐curvature functional‐based digital high‐pass filters

The intensity‐curvature functional (ICF) of a model polynomial function is defined on a pixel‐by‐pixel basis by the ratio between the intensity‐curvature term before interpolation and the intensity‐curvature term after interpolation. Through the comparison with the traditional high‐pass filter (HPF), this work presents evidence that the ICFs of three model polynomial functions can be tuned as HPFs. The evidence consists of the mathematical characterization of the ICF‐based HPFs, qualitative comparisons in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the human brain, and the determination of the finite impulse response (FIR) of the filters. The ICF‐based HPFs can remove periodic noise in the low‐frequency band.     

Simulation of mixing effects in a VVER-1000 reactor

This work has been performed in the framework of the OECD/NEA thermalhydraulic benchmark V1000CT-2. This benchmark is related to fluid mixing in the reactor vessel during a MSLB accident scenario in a VVER-1000 reactor. Coolant mixing in a VVER-1000 V320 reactor was investigated in plant experiments during the commissioning of the Unit 6 of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant. Non-uniform and asymmetric loop flow mixing in the reactor vessel has been observed in the event of symmetric main coolant pump operation. For certain flow conditions, the experimental evidence of an azimuthal shift of the main loop flows with respect to the cold leg axes (swirl) was found.Such asymmetric flow distribution was analyzed with the Trio_U code. Trio_U is a CFD code developed by the CEA Grenoble, aimed to supply an efficient computational tool to simulate transient thermalhydraulic turbulent flows encountered in nuclear systems. For the presented study, a LES approach was used to simulate turbulent mixing. Therefore, a very precise tetrahedral mesh with more than 10 million control volumes has been created.The Trio_U calculation has correctly reproduced the measured rotation of the flow when the CAD data of the constructed reactor pressure vessel where used. This is also true for the comparison of cold leg to assembly mixing coefficients. Using the design data, the calculated swirl was significantly underestimated. Due to this result, it might be possible to improve with CFD calculations the lower plenum flow mixing matrices which are usually used in system codes.     

Evaluation of Level of Confidence and Optimization of Roll-back Recovery with Checkpointing for Real-Time Systems

Increasing soft error rates for semiconductor devices manufactured in later technologies enforce the usage of fault tolerant techniques such as Roll-back Recovery with Checkpointing (RRC). As RRC introduces time overhead that increases the completion (execution) time, time constraints (deadlines) might be violated. This is a drawback for a class of computer systems where the correct operation is defined not only by providing the correct outcome of an operation but also by ensuring that the deadlines are met. These computer systems are referred to as real-time systems (RTSs). In general RTSs are classified as soft and hard RTSs depending on the consequences of violating the deadlines. For soft RTSs, where consequences of violating the deadlines are not very severe, research have focused on optimizing RRC and shown that it is possible to find the optimal number of checkpoints such that the average execution time (AET) is minimal. While minimal AET is important for soft RTSs, it is more important to provide a high probability that deadlines are met for hard RTSs, where consequences of violating the deadlines may be catastrophic. Hence, there is a need of probabilistic guarantees that jobs employing RRC complete before a given deadline. Traditionally, AET analysis have been used for soft RTSs and worst case execution time (WCET) analysis along with schedule feasibility have been used for hard RTSs. In this paper we introduce a reliability metric, Level of Confidence (LoC), which is equally applicable to both soft and hard RTS. LoC is used as a metric to evaluate to what extent a deadline is met. The main contributions of this paper are as follows. First, we present a mathematical framework for the evaluation of LoC when RRC is employed. Second, we provide a proof to verify the correctness of the proposed expression. Third, in the context of hard RTSs, we provide a method to obtain the optimal number of checkpoints that maximizes the LoC. Fourth, in the context of soft RTSs where the maximal LoC may not be needed, but instead some LoC requirement is needed, we present an optimization method for RRC that finds the number of checkpoints that results in the minimal completion time while the minimal completion time satisfies a given LoC requirement. Fifth, we use the proposed framework to evaluate and compare probabilistic guarantees when RRC is optimized towards soft RTSs.     

The Ephb2 Receptor Uses Homotypic,Head-to-Tail Interactions within Its Ectodomain as an Autoinhibitory Control Mechanism

The Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and their ephrin ligands direct axon pathfinding and neuronal cell migration, as well as mediate many other cell–cell communication events. Their dysfunctional signaling has been shown to lead to various diseases, including cancer. The Ephs and ephrins both localize to the plasma membrane and, upon cell–cell contact, form extensive signaling assemblies at the contact sites. The Ephs and the ephrins are divided into A and B subclasses based on their sequence conservation and affinities for each other. The molecular details of Eph–ephrin recognition have been previously revealed and it has been documented that ephrin binding induces higher-order Eph assemblies, which are essential for full biological activity, via multiple, distinct Eph–Eph interfaces. One Eph–Eph interface type is characterized by a homotypic, head-to-tail interaction between the ligand-binding and the fibronectin domains of two adjacent Eph molecules. While the previous Eph ectodomain structural studies were focused on A class receptors, we now report the crystal structure of the full ectodomain of EphB2, revealing distinct and unique head-to-tail receptor–receptor interactions. The EphB2 structure and structure-based mutagenesis document that EphB2 uses the head-to-tail interactions as a novel autoinhibitory control mechanism for regulating downstream signaling and that these interactions can be modulated by posttranslational modifications.     

Sol-gel Ag + Pd/SiO2 as a catalyst for reduction of NO with CO

A catalyst with an ultra high iridium load was prepared using a method involving multiple impregnations. The obtained iridium catalyst contained between 29 and 35 wt% of 2 nm-sized nanoparticles dispersed on a support such as reinforced alumina, bauxite and precipitated alumina. XAFS suggested a possible structural model of Ir₄ surrounded by oxygen. The decomposition of hydrazine hydrate to its elements was used as a probe reaction. The results showed that a catalyst support with a high mechanical strength such as reinforced alumina and bauxite is essential for sustaining the decomposition reaction of hydrazine hydrate where there is a high degree of mechanical and thermal shock. The decomposition reaction of hydrazine monohydrate (N₂H₄ · H₂O) proceeded rapidly to generate a CO_x-free hydrogen-rich gas through contact with the iridium catalyst at room temperature.