3,063 research outputs found
The local dayside reconnection rate for oblique interplanetary magnetic fields
We present an analysis of local properties of magnetic reconnection at the
dayside magnetopause for various interplanetary magnetic field (IMF)
orientations in global magnetospheric simulations. This has heretofore not been
practical because it is difficult to locate where reconnection occurs for
oblique IMF, but new techniques make this possible. The approach is to identify
magnetic separators, the curves separating four regions of differing magnetic
topology, which map the reconnection X-line. The electric field parallel to the
X-line is the local reconnection rate. We compare results to a simple model of
local two-dimensional asymmetric reconnection. To do so, we find the plasma
parameters that locally drive reconnection in the magnetosheath and
magnetosphere in planes perpendicular to the X-line at a large number of points
along the X-line. The global magnetohydrodynamic simulations are from the
three-dimensional Block-Adaptive, Tree Solarwind Roe-type Upwind Scheme
(BATS-R-US) code with a uniform resistivity, although the techniques described
here are extensible to any global magnetospheric simulation model. We find that
the predicted local reconnection rates scale well with the measured values for
all simulations, being nearly exact for due southward IMF. However, the
absolute predictions differ by an undetermined constant of proportionality,
whose magnitude increases as the IMF clock angle changes from southward to
northward. We also show similar scaling agreement in a simulation with oblique
southward IMF and a dipole tilt. The present results will be an important
component of a full understanding of the local and global properties of dayside
reconnection.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, 1 table, Submitted to Journal Geophysical
Research Space Physics February 12, 2016; Revised April 28, 201
Molecular Peptide Grafting as a Tool to Create Novel Protein Therapeutics
The study of peptides (synthetic or corresponding to discrete regions of proteins) has facilitated the understanding of protein structure-activity relationships. Short peptides can also be used as powerful therapeutic agents. However, the functional activity of many short peptides is usually substantially lower than that of their parental proteins. This is (as a rule) due to their diminished structural organization, stability, and solubility often leading to an enhanced propensity for aggregation. Several approaches have emerged to overcome these limitations, which are aimed at imposing structural constraints into the backbone and/or sidechains of the therapeutic peptides (such as molecular stapling, peptide backbone circularization and molecular grafting), therefore enforcing their biologically active conformation and thus improving their solubility, stability, and functional activity. This review provides a short summary of approaches aimed at enhancing the biological activity of short functional peptides with a particular focus on the peptide grafting approach, whereby a functional peptide is inserted into a scaffold molecule. Intra-backbone insertions of short therapeutic peptides into scaffold proteins have been shown to enhance their activity and render them a more stable and biologically active conformation
Tracing magnetic separators and their dependence on IMF clock angle in global magnetospheric simulations
A new, efficient, and highly accurate method for tracing magnetic separators
in global magnetospheric simulations with arbitrary clock angle is presented.
The technique is to begin at a magnetic null and iteratively march along the
separator by finding where four magnetic topologies meet on a spherical
surface. The technique is verified using exact solutions for separators
resulting from an analytic magnetic field model that superposes dipolar and
uniform magnetic fields. Global resistive magnetohydrodynamic simulations are
performed using the three-dimensional BATS-R-US code with a uniform
resistivity, in eight distinct simulations with interplanetary magnetic field
(IMF) clock angles ranging from 0 (parallel) to 180 degrees (anti-parallel).
Magnetic nulls and separators are found in the simulations, and it is shown
that separators traced here are accurate for any clock angle, unlike the last
closed field line on the Sun-Earth line that fails for southward IMF. Trends in
magnetic null locations and the structure of magnetic separators as a function
of clock angle are presented and compared with those from the analytic field
model. There are many qualitative similarities between the two models, but
quantitative differences are also noted. Dependence on solar wind density is
briefly investigated.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, Presented at 2012 AGU Fall Meeting and 2013
Geospace Environment Modeling (GEM) Worksho
Parametric Mass Modeling for Mars Entry, Descent and Landing System Analysis Study
This paper provides an overview of the parametric mass models used for the Entry, Descent, and Landing Systems Analysis study conducted by NASA in FY2009-2010. The study examined eight unique exploration class architectures that included elements such as a rigid mid-L/D aeroshell, a lifting hypersonic inflatable decelerator, a drag supersonic inflatable decelerator, a lifting supersonic inflatable decelerator implemented with a skirt, and subsonic/supersonic retro-propulsion. Parametric models used in this study relate the component mass to vehicle dimensions and mission key environmental parameters such as maximum deceleration and total heat load. The use of a parametric mass model allows the simultaneous optimization of trajectory and mass sizing parameters
Type And Material of Fixed Prosthodontic Appliances in Patients Living in the Region of MetkoviÄ
The aim of this study was to evaluate the type and the aesthetic material in relation to age, gender, level of education, employment, socio-economic status and frequency of visits to the dentist. The examination was performed on 212 patients who had a fixed prosthodontic appliance for more than a year (55% males and 45% females, age 18-80 yrs.). The following conclusions were made: 1. The older patients and retired patients had significantly more bridges than crowns (p0.05). Patients who visit their dentist regularly have significantly more crowns than bridges than
patients who visit their dentist irregularly or when in pain (p0.05). 2. Almost all fixed prosthodontic appliances older than 10 years were made of porcelain (98%), while acrylic veneer crowns were more frequent in appliances
older than 10 or 15 years (p0.05). Patients older than 60 years had more acrylic material compared to younger patients. While patients younger than 39 years had almost exclusively ceramic
appliances (p<0.01). Less educated patients had more acrylic veneer appliances. Employed patients had significantly more ceramic appliances than retired patients
Symmetry, singularities and integrability in complex dynamics III: approximate symmetries and invariants
The different natures of approximate symmetries and their corresponding first
integrals/invariants are delineated in the contexts of both Lie symmetries of
ordinary differential equations and Noether symmetries of the Action Integral.
Particular note is taken of the effect of taking higher orders of the
perturbation parameter. Approximate symmetries of approximate first
integrals/invariants and the problems of calculating them using the Lie method
are considered
The local dayside reconnection rate for oblique interplanetary magnetic fields
We present an analysis of local properties of magnetic reconnection at the dayside magnetopause for various interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) orientations in global magnetospheric simulations. This has heretofore not been practical because it is difficult to locate where reconnection occurs for oblique IMF, but new techniques make this possible. The approach is to identify magnetic separators, the curves separating four regions of differing magnetic topology, which map the reconnection X-line. The electric field parallel to the X-line is the local reconnection rate. We compare results to a simple model of local two-dimensional asymmetric reconnection. To do so, we find the plasma parameters that locally drive reconnection in the magnetosheath and magnetosphere in planes perpendicular to the X-line at a large number of points along the X-line. The global magnetohydrodynamic simulations are from the three-dimensional Block-Adaptive, Tree Solarwind Roe-type Upwind Scheme (BATS-R-US) code with a uniform resistivity, although the techniques described here are extensible to any global magnetospheric simulation model. We find that the predicted local reconnection rates scale well with the measured values for all simulations, being nearly exact for due southward IMF. However, the absolute predictions differ by an undetermined constant of proportionality, whose magnitude increases as the IMF clock angle changes from southward to northward. We also show similar scaling agreement in a simulation with oblique southward IMF and a dipole tilt. The present results will be an important component of a full understanding of the local and global properties of dayside reconnection
Asymmetric magnetic reconnection with a flow shear and applications to the magnetopause
We perform a theoretical and numerical study of anti-parallel 2D magnetic
reconnection with asymmetries in the density and reconnecting magnetic field
strength in addition to a bulk flow shear across the reconnection site in the
plane of the reconnecting fields, which commonly occurs at planetary
magnetospheres. We predict the speed at which an isolated X-line is convected
by the flow, the reconnection rate, and the critical flow speed at which
reconnection no longer takes place for arbitrary reconnecting magnetic field
strengths, densities, and upstream flow speeds, and confirm the results with
two-fluid numerical simulations. The predictions and simulation results counter
the prevailing model of reconnection at Earth's dayside magnetopause which says
reconnection occurs with a stationary X-line for sub-Alfvenic magnetosheath
flow, reconnection occurs but the X-line convects for magnetosheath flows
between the Alfven speed and double the Alfven speed, and reconnection does not
occur for magnetosheath flows greater than double the Alfven speed. We find
that X-line motion is governed by momentum conservation from the upstream
flows, which are weighted differently in asymmetric systems, so the X-line
convects for generic conditions including sub-Alfvenic upstream speeds. For the
reconnection rate, while the cutoff condition for symmetric reconnection is
that the difference in flows on the two sides of the reconnection site is twice
the Alfven speed, we find asymmetries cause the cutoff speed for asymmetric
reconnection to be higher than twice the asymmetric form of the Alfven speed.
The results compare favorably with an observation of reconnection at Earth's
polar cusps during a period of northward interplanetary magnetic field, where
reconnection occurs despite the magnetosheath flow speed being more than twice
the magnetosheath Alfven speed, the previously proposed suppression condition.Comment: 46 pages, 7 figures, abstract abridged here, accepted to Journal of
Geophysical Research - Space Physic
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