Full-Scale Wind-Tunnel Investigation of Wing-Cooling Ducts Effects of Propeller Slipstream, Special Report

The safety of remotely operated vehicles depends on the correctness of the distributed protocol that facilitates the communication between the vehicle and the operator. A failure in this communication can result in catastrophic loss of the vehicle. To complicate matters, the communication system may be required to satisfy several, possibly conflicting, requirements. The design of protocols is typically an informal process based on successive iterations of a prototype implementation. Yet distributed protocols are notoriously difficult to get correct using such informal techniques. We present a formal specification of the design of a distributed protocol intended for use in a remotely operated vehicle, which is built from the composition of several simpler protocols. We demonstrate proof strategies that allow us to prove properties of each component protocol individually while ensuring that the property is preserved in the composition forming the entire system. Given that designs are likely to evolve as additional requirements emerge, we show how we have automated most of the repetitive proof steps to enable verification of rapidly changing designs

Full-Scale Wind-Tunnel Investigation of Wing Cooling Ducts, Special Report

The systematic investigation of wing cooling ducts at the NACA laboratory has been continued with tests in the full-scale wind tunnel on ducts of finite span. These results extend the previous investigation on section characteristics of ducts to higher Reynolds numbers and indicate the losses due to the duct ends. The data include comparisons between ducts completely within the ring and the conventional underslung ducts. Methods of flow regulation were studied and data were obtained for a wide range of internal duct resistance. The results show satisfactory correlation between the finite span and the previously measured section characteristics obtained with full-span ducts. The effects of the various design parameters on the duct characteristics are discussed. The cooling power required for the internal duct installation is shown to be only a small percentage of the engine power

A spatially explicit individual-based plant invasion model of Cortaderia jubata

It is the intent of this study to simulate the invasion of Cortaderia jubata, jubata grass, into a disturbed second growth redwood forest where the dynamics of the grass and its relationship to the environment are explored through a spatially explicit individual based landscape model. The field of neighborhood approach is used to simulate both the evolution of the forest and the grass. What is of particular interest is the success of the invader in terms of spatial distribution and time with regard to varying disturbance regimes. To assess these qualities, seed dispersal and the field of neighborhood each plant exerts are used to parameterize the model and a measurable plant attribute, self thinning, not included in the model assumptions, is used to test the model's validity.Thesis (M.S.)--Humboldt State University, Environmental Systems: Mathematical Modeling, 200

Nematode endoparasites do not codiversify with their stick insect hosts.

Host-parasite coevolution stems from reciprocal selection on host resistance and parasite infectivity, and can generate some of the strongest selective pressures known in nature. It is widely seen as a major driver of diversification, the most extreme case being parallel speciation in hosts and their associated parasites. Here, we report on endoparasitic nematodes, most likely members of the mermithid family, infecting different Timema stick insect species throughout California. The nematodes develop in the hemolymph of their insect host and kill it upon emergence, completely impeding host reproduction. Given the direct exposure of the endoparasites to the host's immune system in the hemolymph, and the consequences of infection on host fitness, we predicted that divergence among hosts may drive parallel divergence in the endoparasites. Our phylogenetic analyses suggested the presence of two differentiated endoparasite lineages. However, independently of whether the two lineages were considered separately or jointly, we found a complete lack of codivergence between the endoparasitic nematodes and their hosts in spite of extensive genetic variation among hosts and among parasites. Instead, there was strong isolation by distance among the endoparasitic nematodes, indicating that geography plays a more important role than host-related adaptations in driving parasite diversification in this system. The accumulating evidence for lack of codiversification between parasites and their hosts at macroevolutionary scales contrasts with the overwhelming evidence for coevolution within populations, and calls for studies linking micro- versus macroevolutionary dynamics in host-parasite interactions

Data management implementation plan for the site characterization of the Waste Area Grouping 1 Groundwater Operable Unit at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

The Waste Area Grouping (WAG) 1 Groundwater Operable Unit (OU) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is undergoing a site characterization. This project is not mandated by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA); therefore, no formalized meetings for data quality objective (DQO) development were held. Internally, DQOs were generated by the project team based on the end uses of the data to be collected. The 150-acre WAG 1 is contained within the ORNL security area. It includes all of the former ORNL radioisotope research, production, and maintenance facilities; former waste management areas; and some former administrative facilities. The goal of the WAG 1 Groundwater Site Characterization is to provide the necessary data on the nature and extent of groundwater contamination with an acceptable level of uncertainty to support the selection of remedial alternatives and to identify additional data needs for future actions. Primary objectives for the site characterization are: (1) To identify and characterize contaminant migration pathways based on the collection of groundwater data; (2) to identify sources of groundwater contamination and evaluate remedial actions which could be implemented to control or eliminate these sources; and (3) To conduct groundwater monitoring in support of other OUs in WAG 1 and the ORNL Groundwater OU

Shrinking wings for ultrasonic pitch production: hyperintense ultra-short-wavelength calls in a new genus of neotropical katydids (Orthoptera: tettigoniidae)

This article reports the discovery of a new genus and three species of predaceous katydid (Insecta: Orthoptera) from Colombia and Ecuador in which males produce the highest frequency ultrasonic calling songs so far recorded from an arthropod. Male katydids sing by rubbing their wings together to attract distant females. Their song frequencies usually range from audio (5 kHz) to low ultrasonic (30 kHz). However, males of Supersonus spp. call females at 115 kHz, 125 kHz, and 150 kHz. Exceeding the human hearing range (50 Hz–20 kHz) by an order of magnitude, these insects also emit their ultrasound at unusually elevated sound pressure levels (SPL). In all three species these calls exceed 110 dB SPL rms re 20 µPa (at 15 cm). Males of Supersonus spp. have unusually reduced forewings (<0.5 mm2). Only the right wing radiates appreciable sound, the left bears the file and does not show a particular resonance. In contrast to most katydids, males of Supersonus spp. position and move their wings during sound production so that the concave aspect of the right wing, underlain by the insect dorsum, forms a contained cavity with sharp resonance. The observed high SPL at extreme carrier frequencies can be explained by wing anatomy, a resonant cavity with a membrane, and cuticle deformation

Dissecting the Dynamics of HIV-1 Protein Sequence Diversity

10.1371/journal.pone.0059994PLoS ONE84

Whole exome re-sequencing implicates CCDC38 and cilia structure and function in resistance to smoking related airflow obstruction

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality and, whilst smoking remains the single most important risk factor, COPD risk is heritable. Of 26 independent genomic regions showing association with lung function in genome-wide association studies, eleven have been reported to show association with airflow obstruction. Although the main risk factor for COPD is smoking, some individuals are observed to have a high forced expired volume in 1 second (FEV1) despite many years of heavy smoking. We # hypothesised that these ‘‘resistant smokers’’ may harbour variants which protect against lung function decline caused by smoking and provide insight into the genetic determinants of lung health. We undertook whole exome re sequencing of 100 heavy smokers who had healthy lung function given their age, sex, height and smoking history and applied three complementary approaches to explore the genetic architecture of smoking resistance. Firstly, we identified novel functional variants in the ‘‘resistant smokers’’ and looked for enrichment of these novel variants within biological pathways. Secondly, we undertook association testing of all exonic variants individually with two independent control sets. Thirdly, we undertook gene-based association testing of all exonic variants. Our strongest signal of association with smoking resistance for a non-synonymous SNP was for rs10859974 (P = 2.3461024) in CCDC38, a gene which has previously been reported to show association with FEV1/FVC, and we demonstrate moderate expression of CCDC38 in bronchial epithelial cells. We identified an enrichment of novel putatively functional variants in genes related to cilia structure and function in resistant smokers. Ciliary function abnormalities are known to be associated with both smoking and reduced mucociliary clearance in patients with COPD. We suggest that genetic influences on the development or function of cilia in the bronchial epithelium may affect growth of cilia or the extent of damage caused by tobacco smoke

Large-scale association analysis identifies new lung cancer susceptibility loci and heterogeneity in genetic susceptibility across histological subtypes.

Although several lung cancer susceptibility loci have been identified, much of the heritability for lung cancer remains unexplained. Here 14,803 cases and 12,262 controls of European descent were genotyped on the OncoArray and combined with existing data for an aggregated genome-wide association study (GWAS) analysis of lung cancer in 29,266 cases and 56,450 controls. We identified 18 susceptibility loci achieving genome-wide significance, including 10 new loci. The new loci highlight the striking heterogeneity in genetic susceptibility across the histological subtypes of lung cancer, with four loci associated with lung cancer overall and six loci associated with lung adenocarcinoma. Gene expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) analysis in 1,425 normal lung tissue samples highlights RNASET2, SECISBP2L and NRG1 as candidate genes. Other loci include genes such as a cholinergic nicotinic receptor, CHRNA2, and the telomere-related genes OFBC1 and RTEL1. Further exploration of the target genes will continue to provide new insights into the etiology of lung cancer