Hypersonic performance, stability and control characteristics of a .0075 scale model Rockwell International 089B-139B orbiter configuration

An investigation was made in the Langley Continuous Flow Hypersonic Tunnel at a Mach number of 10.3 to study the hypersonic aerodynamic characteristics of a Rockwell International shuttle orbiter configuration. Tests were made at a Reynolds number of 790,000 x 106 based on body length with an angle-of-attack range of 10 to 35 deg and sideslip variations of +1 to -9 deg. The effects of elevon and body flap deflection were investigated

Equation level matching: An extension of the method of matched asymptotic expansion for problems of wave propagation

We introduce an alternative to the method of matched asymptotic expansions. In the "traditional" implementation, approximate solutions, valid in different (but overlapping) regions are matched by using "intermediate" variables. Here we propose to match at the level of the equations involved, via a "uniform expansion" whose equations enfold those of the approximations to be matched. This has the advantage that one does not need to explicitly solve the asymptotic equations to do the matching, which can be quite impossible for some problems. In addition, it allows matching to proceed in certain wave situations where the traditional approach fails because the time behaviors differ (e.g., one of the expansions does not include dissipation). On the other hand, this approach does not provide the fairly explicit approximations resulting from standard matching. In fact, this is not even its aim, which to produce the "simplest" set of equations that capture the behavior

Adjuvant gemcitabine and concurrent radiation for patients with resected pancreatic cancer: a phase II study

The safety and efficacy of gemcitabine and concurrent radiation to the upper abdomen followed by weekly gemcitabine in patients with resected pancreatic cancer was determined. Patients with resected adenocarcinoma of the pancreas were treated with intravenous gemcitabine administered twice-weekly (40 mg m−2) for 5 weeks concurrent with upper abdominal radiation (50.4 Gy in 5½ weeks). At the completion of the chemoradiation, patients without disease progression were given gemcitabine (1000 mg m−2) weekly for two cycles. Each cycle consisted of 3 weeks of treatment followed by 1 week without treatment. Forty-seven patients were entered, 46 of whom are included in this analysis. Characteristics: median age 61 years (range 35–79); 24 females (58%); 73% stage T3/T4; and 70% lymph node positive. Grade III/IV gastrointestinal or haematologic toxicities were infrequent. The median survival was 18.3 months, while the median time to disease recurrence was 10.3 months. Twenty-four percent of patients were alive at 3 years. Only six of 34 patients with progression experienced local regional relapse as a component of the first site of failure. These results confirm the feasibility of delivering adjuvant concurrent gemcitabine and radiation to the upper abdomen. This strategy produced good local regional tumour control

Climate Engineering Responses to Climate Emergencies

Despite efforts to stabilize CO_2 concentrations, it is possible that the climate system could respond abruptly with catastrophic consequences. Intentional intervention in the climate system to avoid or ameliorate such consequences has been proposed as one possible response, should such a scenario arise. In a one-week study, the authors of this report conducted a technical review and evaluation of proposed climate engineering concepts that might serve as a rapid palliative response to such climate emergency scenarios. Because of their potential to induce a prompt (less than one year) global cooling, this study concentrated on Shortwave Climate Engineering (SWCE) methods for moderately reducing the amount of shortwave solar radiation reaching the Earth. The study's main objective was to outline a decade-long agenda of technical research that would maximally reduce the uncertainty surrounding the benefits and risks associated with SWCE. For rigor of technical analysis, the study focused the research agenda on one particular SWCE concept--stratospheric aerosol injection--and in doing so developed several conceptual frameworks and methods valuable for assessing any SWCE proposal.Comment: 66 pp., 5 figs., published by Novim, Santa Barbara, Cal., revised referenc

Conserved in VivoPhosphorylation of Calnexin at Casein Kinase II Sites as Well as a Protein Kinase C/Proline-directed Kinase Site

Calnexin is a lectin-like chaperone of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) that couples temporally and spatially N-linked oligosaccharide modifications with the productive folding of newly synthesized glycoproteins. Calnexin was originally identified as a major type I integral membrane protein substrate of kinase(s) associated with the ER. Casein kinase II (CK2) was subsequently identified as an ER-associated kinase responsible for the in vitro phosphorylation of calnexin in microsomes (Ou, W-J., Thomas, D. Y., Bell, A. W., and Bergeron, J. J. M. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 23789-23796). We now report on the in vivo sites of calnexin phosphorylation. After 32PO4 labeling of HepG2 and Madin-Darby canine kidney cells, immunoprecipitated calnexin was phosphorylated exclusively on serine residues. Using nonradiolabeled cells, we subjected calnexin immunoprecipitates to in gel tryptic digestion followed by nanoelectrospray mass spectrometry employing selective scans specific for detection of phosphorylated fragments. Mass analyses identified three phosphorylated sites in calnexin from either HepG2 or Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. The three sites were localized to the more carboxyl-terminal half of the cytosolic domain: S534DAE (CK2 motif), S544QEE (CK2 motif), and S563PR. We conclude that CK2 is a kinase that phosphorylates calnexin in vivo as well as in microsomes in vitro. Another yet to be identified kinase (protein kinase C and/or proline-directed kinase) is directed toward the most COOH-terminal serine residue. Elucidation of the signaling cascade responsible for calnexin phosphorylation at these sites in vivo may define a novel regulatory function for calnexin in cargo folding and transport to the ER exit sites

Au-Ag template stripped pattern for scanning probe investigations of DNA arrays produced by Dip Pen Nanolithography

We report on DNA arrays produced by Dip Pen Nanolithography (DPN) on a novel Au-Ag micro patterned template stripped surface. DNA arrays have been investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) showing that the patterned template stripped substrate enables easy retrieval of the DPN-functionalized zone with a standard optical microscope permitting a multi-instrument and multi-technique local detection and analysis. Moreover the smooth surface of the Au squares (abput 5-10 angstrom roughness) allows to be sensitive to the hybridization of the oligonucleotide array with label-free target DNA. Our Au-Ag substrates, combining the retrieving capabilities of the patterned surface with the smoothness of the template stripped technique, are candidates for the investigation of DPN nanostructures and for the development of label free detection methods for DNA nanoarrays based on the use of scanning probes.Comment: Langmuir (accepted

Levy stable distribution and [0,2] power law dependence of acoustic absorption on frequency

The absorption of acoustic wave propagation in a broad variety of lossy media is characterized by an empirical power law function of frequency, w^y. It has long been noted that exponent y ranges from 0 to 2 for diverse media. Recently, the present author developed a fractional Laplacian wave equation to accurately model the power law dissipation, which can be further reduced to the fractional Laplacian diffusion equation. The latter is known underlying the Levy stable distribution theory. Consequently, the parameters y is found to be the Levy stability index, which is known bounded within 0<y\le2. This finding first provides a theoretical explanation of empirical observations 0<y<=2. Statistically, the frequency-dependent absorption can thus be understood a Levy stable process, where the parameter y describes the fractal nature of attenuative media.Comment: Welcome any comments to [email protected]

Fatal gemcitabine-induced pulmonary toxicity in metastatic gallbladder adenocarcinoma

Gemcitabine is a chemotherapy agent that may cause unpredictable side effects. In this report, we describe a fatal gemcitabine-induced pulmonary toxicity in a patient with gallbladder metastatic adenocarcinoma. A 72-year-old patient was submitted to an elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and a tubular adenocarcinoma in the gallbladder was incidentally diagnosed. CT scan and ultrasound before the surgery did not show any tumor. After the surgery a Pet scan was positive for a hot-spot in the left colon. The colonic lesion was conveniently removed and the histology evaluation confirmed the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma tubular. The patient was then submitted to three sections of 1,600 mg/m2 of gemcitabine with intervals of 1 week. Three weeks later he developed severe respiratory distress. A helicoidal CT scan showed diffuse and severe interstitial pneumonitis, and lung biopsy confirmed accelerated usual interstitial pneumonia consistent with drug-induced toxicity. The patient presented unfavorable evolution with progressive worsening of respiratory function, hypotension, and renal failure. He died 1 month later in spite of methylprednisolone pulse therapy, large spectrum antimicrobial therapy, and full support of respiratory, hemodynamic and renal systems. Gemcitabine-induced pulmonary toxicity is usually a dramatic condition. Physicians should suspect pulmonary toxicity in patients with respiratory distress after gemcitabine chemotherapy, mainly in elderly patients

Adjuvant gemcitabine and concurrent radiation for patients with resected pancreatic cancer: a phase II study

The safety and efficacy of gemcitabine and concurrent radiation to the upper abdomen followed by weekly gemcitabine in patients with resected pancreatic cancer was determined. Patients with resected adenocarcinoma of the pancreas were treated with intravenous gemcitabine administered twice-weekly (40 mg m−2) for 5 weeks concurrent with upper abdominal radiation (50.4 Gy in 5½ weeks). At the completion of the chemoradiation, patients without disease progression were given gemcitabine (1000 mg m−2) weekly for two cycles. Each cycle consisted of 3 weeks of treatment followed by 1 week without treatment. Forty-seven patients were entered, 46 of whom are included in this analysis. Characteristics: median age 61 years (range 35–79); 24 females (58%); 73% stage T3/T4; and 70% lymph node positive. Grade III/IV gastrointestinal or haematologic toxicities were infrequent. The median survival was 18.3 months, while the median time to disease recurrence was 10.3 months. Twenty-four percent of patients were alive at 3 years. Only six of 34 patients with progression experienced local regional relapse as a component of the first site of failure. These results confirm the feasibility of delivering adjuvant concurrent gemcitabine and radiation to the upper abdomen. This strategy produced good local regional tumour control