Cell fusion is an important cellular process that occurs during differentiation of muscle, bone and trophoblast cells, during embryogenesis, and during morphogenesis. Cell fusion is a necessary event in the maturation of cells so that they maintain their specific functions throughout growth.

In physics and chemistry, freezing is the process whereby a liquid turns to a solid when cold enough. The freezing point is the temperature at which this happens. Melting, the process of turning a solid to a liquid, is almost the exact opposite of freezing. All known liquids undergo freezing when the temperature is lowered with the sole exception of helium, which remains fluid at absolute zero and can only be solidified under pressure. For most substances, the melting and freezing points are the same temperature, however, certain substances possess differing solid-liquid transition temperatures. For example, agar melts at 85 °C (185 °F) and solidifies from 31 °C to 40 °C (89.6 °F to 104 °F); this process is known as thermal hysteresis.

A fusion gene is a hybrid gene formed from two previously separate genes. It can occur as the result of a translocation, interstitial deletion, or chromosomal inversion. The fusion of two genes is often taken as evidence that these genes have related functions. Often, fusion genes are oncogenes; examples include BCR-ABL, FIG-ROS, TEL-AML1 (ALL with t(12 ; 21)), AML1-ETO (M2 AML with t(8 ; 21)) and TEL-JAK2. Biologists may also deliberately create fusion genes for research purposes. For example, by creating a fusion gene of a protein of interest and green fluorescent protein, the protein of interest may be observed in cells or tissue using fluorescence microscopy. The protein synthesized when a fusion gene is expressed is called a fusion protein.

In physics and nuclear chemistry, nuclear fusion is the process by which multiple atomic particles join together to form a heavier nucleus. It is accompanied by the release or absorption of energy. Iron and nickel nuclei have the largest binding energies per nucleon of all nuclei. The fusion of two nuclei with lower mass than iron generally releases energy while the fusion of nuclei heavier than iron absorbs energy; vice-versa for the reverse process, nuclear fission. Nuclear fusion occurs naturally in stars. Artificial fusion in human enterprises has also been achieved, although not yet completely controlled. Building upon the nuclear transmutation experiments of Ernest Rutherford done a few years earlier, fusion of light nuclei (hydrogen isotopes) was first observed by Mark Oliphant in 1932, and the steps of the main cycle of nuclear fusion in stars were subsequently worked out by Hans Bethe throughout the remainder of that decade. Research into fusion for military purposes began in the early 1940s, as part of the Manhattan Project, but was not successful until 1952. Research into controlled fusion for civilian purposes began in the 1950s, and continues to this day.

Fusion power refers to power generated by nuclear fusion reactions. In this kind of reaction, two light atomic nuclei fuse together to form a heavier nucleus and in doing so, release energy. In a more general sense, the term can also refer to the production of net usable power from a fusion source, similar to the usage of the term "steam power." Most design studies for fusion power plants involve using the fusion reactions to create heat, which is then used to operate a steam turbine, similar to most coal-fired power stations as well as fission-driven nuclear power stations. The largest current experiment is the Joint European Torus [JET]. In 1997, JET produced a peak of 16.1 MW of fusion power (65% of input power), with fusion power of over 10 MW sustained for over 0.5 sec. In June 2005, the construction of the experimental reactor ITER, designed to produce several times more fusion power than the power put into the plasma over many minutes, was announced. The production of net electrical power from fusion is planned for DEMO, the next generation experiment after ITER.

A fusion genre is a music genre which combines two or more genres. For example, rock and roll originally developed as a fusion of blues, gospel and country music. The main characteristics of fusion genres are variations in tempo, rhythm and sometimes the use of long musical "journeys" that can be divided into smaller parts, each with their own dynamics, style and tempo. Artists who work in fusion genres are often difficult to categorize within non-fusion styles. Most styles of fusion music are influenced by various musical genres. There are many reasons for this, the main reason being that most genres evolved out of other genres. When the new genre finally identifies itself as separate, there is often a large gray area in which musicians are left. These artists generally consider themselves part of both genres. A musician that plays music that is dominantly blues, influenced by rock, is often labelled a blues-rock musician. An example of a blues-rock group would be Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. Vaughan, a Texas blues guitarist, surrounded by a world in which rock was dominating music, used rock and blues together. One new fusion genre though evolved slightly differently. Instead of being stuck between an older genre and a newer genre, metalcore has bridged the gap between two older genres, metal and hardcore.

Fusion or, more specifically, jazz fusion or jazz rock, is a musical genre that merges jazz with elements of other styles of music, particularly funk, rock, R&B, ska, electronic, and world music, but also pop, classical, and folk music, or sometimes even metal, reggae, country, hip hop, etc. Fusion albums, even those that are made by the same group or artist, may include a variety of styles. In the late 1960s, jazz musicians began mixing the forms and improvisational techniques of jazz with the electric instruments of rock and the rhythms of soul and rhythm and blues. At the same time, some rock artists began adding jazz elements to their music. The 1970s were the most visible decade for fusion, but the style has been well represented during more recent times. Rather than being a codified musical style, fusion can be viewed as a musical tradition or approach. Some progressive rock music is also labeled as fusion. Fusion music is typically instrumental, often with complex time signatures, metres, rhythmic patterns, and extended track lengths, featuring lengthy improvisations. Many prominent fusion musicians are recognized as having a high level of virtuosity, combined with complex compositions and musical improvisation in metres rarely seen in other Western musical forms, perhaps best recognized in the work of jazz composers Dave Brubeck and Don Ellis. Fusion music generally receives little radio broadcast airplay in the United States, owing perhaps to its complexity, usual lack of vocals, and frequently extended track lengths. European radio is friendlier to fusion music, and the genre also has a significant following in Japan and South America. A number of Internet radio stations feature fusion music, including dedicated channels on services such as AOL Radio and Yahoo! Launchcast.

A fusional language (also called inflecting language) is a type of synthetic language, distinguished from agglutinative languages by its tendency to "squish together" many morphemes in a way which can be difficult to segment. The canonical examples of fusional languages are Latin, Russian, German or Polish; in general, all conservative Indo-European languages are fusional. Another notable group of fusional languages is the Semitic languages group. A high degree of fusion is also found in many Sami languages, such as Skolt Sami. A good illustration of fusionality in language is the Latin word bonus, "good" (masculine). The ending -us denotes masculine gender, nominative case, and singular number. Changing any of these features requires replacement of the suffix -us with something else. A feature that distinguishes fusional languages from agglutinating ones is the occurrence of irregular forms: this wouldn't happen in an agglutinating language since the synthetic elements retain a meaning of their own. Fusional languages are generally believed to have descended from agglutinating languages, though there is no linguistic evidence in the form of attested language changes to confirm this view. On the other hand, fusional languages generally tend to lose their inflection over the centuries—some languages much more quickly than others. For example, Slovenian, Lithuanian, and Armenian are about as fusional as Proto-Indo-European, but modern English and Afrikaans are nearly analytic. The Slavic languages have generally retained their inflection. Another typical feature of fusional languages is their systems of declensions. In German for instance the definite and indefinite articles are declined according to the grammatical gender of the noun and which of the four grammatical cases it falls into; these being nominative, accusative, genitive and dative.

Fusion cuisine combines elements of various culinary traditions while not fitting specifically into any. The term generally refers to the innovations in many contemporary restaurant cuisines since the 1970s.

Spinal fusion, also known as spondylosyndesis is a surgical technique used to combine two or more vertebrae. Supplementary bone tissue (either autograft or allograft) is used in conjunction with the body's natural osteoblastic processes. This procedure is used primarily to eliminate the pain caused by abnormal motion of the vertebrae by immobilizing the vertebrae themselves.

The phenomenon of tooth fusion arises through union of two normally separated tooth germs, and depending upon the stage of development of the teeth at the time of union, it may be either complete or incomplete. On some occasions, two independent pulp chambers and root canals can be seen. However, fusion can also be the union of a normal tooth bud to a supernumerary tooth germ. In these cases, the number of teeth is fewer if the anomalous tooth is counted as one tooth. In geminated teeth, division is usually incomplete and results in a large tooth crown that has a single root and a single canal. Both gemination and fusion are prevalent in primary dentition, with incisors being more affected. Tooth gemination, in contrast to fusion, arises when two teeth develop from one tooth bud and, as a result, the patient has a larger tooth but a normal number.

Dictionary

Latin fusus, past participle of fundere to pour, melt

Lists

1. welded, soldered; blended, combined, united. fused joined together into a whole; "united industries"; "the amalgamated colleges constituted a university"; "a consolidated school" [syn: amalgamate, amalgamated, coalesced, consolidated].
2. To liquefy by heat; to render fluid; to dissolve; to melt.
3. To unite or blend, as if melted together.
4. To be reduced from a solid to a fluid state by heat; to be melted; to melt.
5. To be blended, as if melted together.
6. A tube or casing filled with combustible matter, by means of which a charge of powder is ignited, as in blasting; called also fuzee.
7. See Fuze.
8. A wire, bar, or strip of fusible metal inserted for safety in an electric circuit.
9. When the current increases beyond a certain safe strength, the metal melts, interrupting the circuit and thereby preventing possibility of damage.
10. A plug fitted to the fuse hole of a shell to hold the fuse.
11. A fusible plug that screws into a receptacle, used as a fuse in electric wiring. any igniter that is used to initiate the burning of a propellant electrical device that can interrupt the flow of electrical current when it is overloaded make liquid or plastic by heating; "The storm fused the electric mains" become plastic or fluid or liquefied from heat; "The substances fused at a very high temperature" equip with a fuse; provide with a fuse.
12. If an electric plug or circuit is fused, it has a fuse in it. if a piece of electrical equipment is fused, it is fitted with a fuse.

Fused quartz

• Density: 2.203 g/cm3
• Hardness: 5.3–6.5 (Mohs Scale)
• Tensile strength: 48.3 MPa
• Compressive strength: >1.1 GPa
• Bulk modulus: ~37 GPa
• Rigidity modulus: 31 GPa
• Young's modulus: 71.7 GPa
• Poisson's ratio: 0.16
• Thermal conductivity: 1.3 W/(m·K)
• Specific heat capacity: 45.3 J/(mol·K)
• Softening point: c. 1665 °C
• Annealing point: c. 1140 °C
• Strain point: 1070 °C
• Electrical resistivity: >1018 ?×m
• Dielectric constant: 3.75 at 20 °C 1 MHz
• Dielectric loss factor: less than 0.0004 at 20 °C 1 MHz
• Index of refraction: at 587.6 nm (nd): 1.4585
• Strain-optic coefficients: p11=0.113, p12=0.252.
• Hamaker Constant: A=6.5 zJ.

Fused quartz and fused silica are types of glass containing primarily silica in amorphous (non-crystalline) form. They are manufactured using several different processes. Note that glasses formed by the traditional 'melt-quench' methods (heating the material to melting temperatures, then rapidly cooling to the solid glass phase), are often referred to as 'vitreous', as in 'vitreous silica'. The term 'vitreous' is synomynous with 'glass', when used in the melt-quench context. Fused quartz is manufactured by melting naturally occurring quartz crystals of high purity at approximately 2000°C, using either an electrically heated furnace (electrically fused) or a gas/oxygen-fuelled furnace (flame fused). Fused quartz is normally transparent. Fused quartz can also form naturally. The naturally occurring form is usually referred to as Metaquartzite and is formed under metamorphic conditions. An increase in heat causes the crystals within the quartz to become fused together. Fused silica is produced using high purity silica sand as the feedstock, and is normally melted using an electric furnace, resulting in a material that is translucent or opaque. (This opacity is caused by very small air bubbles trapped within the material.)