Performance of self bit synchronizers for the detection of anticorrelated binary signals

Self bit synchronizers for detection of anticorrelated binary systems of digital communication system

Performance of self bit synchronization systems

Optimum estimator for random signal sequence derived by digital computer and evaluated by Monte Carlo metho

Hub-mounted actuators for blade pitch collective control

Blade collective pitch control is provided for a rotor system by rotary actuators located between adjacent blades. Each actuator is connected to the leading edge of one adjacent blade and the trailing edge of the other adjacent blade

Salmonine Consumption and Competition for Endemic Prey Fishes in Bear Lake, Utah-Idaho

Two principal sport fish—the indigenous Bonneville cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki utah and the introduced lake trout Salvelinus namaycush—are the dominant piscivores in Bear Lake, a 282-km^2 oligotrophic system. These piscivores rely predominantly on four endemic prey fish species that make up a major portion of the unique Bear Lake fish assemblage. We estimated the annual biomass of pelagic and benthic prey fish by using hydroacoustic and trawling techniques. We also estimated the lakewide abundance of piscivores with a multiple mark–recapture survey and used a bioenergetics model to compare the population-level consumption of prey fish with prey fish production. Prey fish biomass declined to a minimum during 1991 and 1992 but subsequently recovered to reach maximum levels during 1994 and 1995. The proportion of maximum ration estimates from model simulations indicated that the piscivores were consuming well below maximum rations during a period when predation exceeded prey fish production, thereby providing the potential for a predator–prey imbalance. Predation impacts by lake trout cohorts were prolonged because of high survivorship and long life expectancy. Although cutthroat trout outnumbered lake trout, the larger, more piscivorous size-classes of cutthroat trout accounted for only 12.5% of their population. This information, combined with overlapping diets and declining condition factors at increased piscivore biomass, also indicates that lake trout may be competing with cutthroat trout during periods of low prey fish resources. Lake trout predation on juvenile cutthroat trout, combined with competition with other age-classes, also contributes to the poor survival of cutthroat trout. Although prey fish abundance appears to be largely influenced by bottom-up factors related to water elevation, lake trout exert a decoupled predatory threat to the endemic prey fish populations and have the potential to suppress endemic fishes during unpredictable periods of poor prey fish production

Thin presentation of knots and lens spaces

This paper concerns thin presentations of knots K in closed 3-manifolds M^3 which produce S^3 by Dehn surgery, for some slope gamma. If M does not have a lens space as a connected summand, we first prove that all such thin presentations, with respect to any spine of M have only local maxima. If M is a lens space and K has an essential thin presentation with respect to a given standard spine (of lens space M) with only local maxima, then we show that K is a 0-bridge or 1-bridge braid in M; furthermore, we prove the minimal intersection between K and such spines to be at least three, and finally, if the core of the surgery K_gamma yields S^3 by r-Dehn surgery, then we prove the following inequality: |r| <= 2g, where g is the genus of K_gamma.Comment: Published by Algebraic and Geometric Topology at http://www.maths.warwick.ac.uk/agt/AGTVol3/agt-3-23.abs.htm

Genomic Prediction of Testcross Performance in Canola (Brassica napus)

The work was funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) grant SN14/16-1 to RS and funding to RN, RS, and HJ from the European Union FP7 Marie Curie Initial Training Network INTERCROSSING

Effect of RpoN, RpoS and LuxS Pathways on the Biofilm Formation and Antibiotic Sensitivity of Borrelia burgdorferi

Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, is capable of forming biofilm in vivo and in vitro, a structure well known for its resistance to antimicrobial agents. For the formation of biofilm, signaling processes are required to communicate with the surrounding environment such as it was shown for the RpoN—RpoS alternative sigma factor and for the LuxS quorum-sensing pathways. Therefore, in this study, the wild-type B. burgdorferi and different mutant strains lacking RpoN, RpoS, and LuxS genes were studied for their growth characteristic and development of biofilm structures and markers as well as for their antibiotic sensitivity. Our results showed that all three mutants formed small, loosely formed aggregates, which expressed previously identified Borrelia biofilm markers such as alginate, extracellular DNA, and calcium. All three mutants had significantly different sensitivity to doxycyline in the early log phase spirochete cultures; however, in the biofilm rich stationary cultures, only LuxS mutant showed increased sensitivity to doxycyline compared to the wild-type strain. Our findings indicate that all three mutants have some effect on Borrelia biofilm, but the most dramatic effect was found with LuxS mutant, suggesting that the quorum-sensing pathway plays an important role of Borrelia biofilm formation and antibiotic sensitivity

Repeatability and Reproducibility of Compression Strength Measurements Conducted According to ASTM E9

Ten commercial laboratories participated in an interlaboratory study to establish the repeatability and reproducibility of compression strength tests conducted according to ASTM International Standard Test Method E9. The test employed a cylindrical aluminum AA2024-T351 test specimen. Participants measured elastic modulus and 0.2 % offset yield strength, YS(0.2 % offset), using an extensometer attached to the specimen. The repeatability and reproducibility of the yield strength measurement, expressed as coefficient of variations were cv(sub r)= 0.011 and cv(sub R)= 0.020 The reproducibility of the test across the laboratories was among the best that has been reported for uniaxial tests. The reported data indicated that using diametrically opposed extensometers, instead of a single extensometer doubled the precision of the test method. Laboratories that did not lubricate the ends of the specimen measured yield stresses and elastic moduli that were smaller than those measured in laboratories that lubricated the specimen ends. A finite element analysis of the test specimen deformation for frictionless and perfect friction could not explain the discrepancy, however. The modulus measured from stress-strain data were reanalyzed using a technique that finds the optimal fit range, and applies several quality checks to the data. The error in modulus measurements from stress-strain curves generally increased as the fit range decreased to less than 40 % of the stress range