Direct Simulation Monte Carlo for Thin Film Bearings

The direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) scheme is used to study the gas flow under a read/write head positioned nanometers above a moving disk drive platter (the slider bearing problem). In most cases, impressive agreement is found between the particle-based simulation and numerical solutions of the continuum hydrodynamic Reynolds equation which has been corrected for slip. However, at very high platter speeds the gas is far from equilibrium, and the load capacity for the slider bearing cannot be accurately computed from the hydrodynamic pressure

Theory of excitation of Rydberg polarons in an atomic quantum gas

We present a quantum many-body description of the excitation spectrum of Rydberg polarons in a Bose gas. The many-body Hamiltonian is solved with functional determinant theory, and we extend this technique to describe Rydberg polarons of finite mass. Mean-field and classical descriptions of the spectrum are derived as approximations of the many-body theory. The various approaches are applied to experimental observations of polarons created by excitation of Rydberg atoms in a strontium Bose-Einstein condensate.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1706.0371

Serological diagnosis of Q fever endocarditis

The diagnosis of Q fever endocarditis cannot be made by bacterial cultures and necessitates serological identification of specific antibodies to Coxiella burnetii which stimulates mainly the production of anti-phase II antibodies during the acute diséase, but primarily anti-phase I antibodies in endocarditis. Indirect micro-immunofluorescence allows rapid detection of specific IgA, IgG and IgM. The results of serological analyses of 191 acute cases of Q fever were compared with those of 8 cases of Coxiella burnetii endocarditis. All sera were evaluated by complement fixation and microimmunofluorescence tests. The highest titre differences between primary Q fever and Q fever endocarditis were observed with anti-phase IIgA and IgG antibodies measured by microimmunofluorescence followed by anti-phase I antibodies measured by complement fixation tests. Anti-phase IIgG and IgM titres were consistently higher than anti-phase II titres in endocarditis. The reverse is true in acute Q fever. In addition, anti-phase I Ig A appeared to be diagnostic for Coxiella burnetii endocarditis. Accordingly we recommend the testing of these specific IgA, IgG, and IgM by microimmunofluorescence in cases of culture-negative endocarditis. These tests could also prove useful for following the development of Coxiella burnetii endocarditis in patients under treatmen

Statistics of S-matrix poles in Few-Channel Chaotic Scattering: Crossover from Isolated to Overlapping Resonances

We derive the explicit expression for the distribution of resonance widths in a chaotic quantum system coupled to continua via M equivalent open channels. It describes a crossover from the $\chi^2$ distribution (regime of isolated resonances) to a broad power-like distribution typical for the regime of overlapping resonances. The first moment is found to reproduce exactly the Moldauer-Simonius relation between the mean resonance width and the transmission coefficient. This fact may serve as another manifestation of equivalence between the spectral and the ensemble averaging.Comment: 4 two-column pages, RevTex. text is slightly modified; some misprints are correcte

Underwater Exploration and Mapping

This paper analyzes the open challenges of exploring and mapping in the underwater realm with the goal of identifying research opportunities that will enable an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) to robustly explore different environments. A taxonomy of environments based on their 3D structure is presented together with an analysis on how that influences the camera placement. The difference between exploration and coverage is presented and how they dictate different motion strategies. Loop closure, while critical for the accuracy of the resulting map, proves to be particularly challenging due to the limited field of view and the sensitivity to viewing direction. Experimental results of enforcing loop closures in underwater caves demonstrate a novel navigation strategy. Dense 3D mapping, both online and offline, as well as other sensor configurations are discussed following the presented taxonomy. Experimental results from field trials illustrate the above analysis.acceptedVersio

Towards Mapping of Underwater Structures by a Team of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

In this paper, we discuss how to effectively map an underwater structure with a team of robots considering the specific challenges posed by the underwater environment. The overarching goal of this work is to produce high-definition, accurate, photorealistic representation of underwater structures. Due to the many limitations of vision underwater, operating at a distance from the structure results in degraded images that lack details, while operating close to the structure increases the accumulated uncertainty due to the limited viewing area which causes drifting. We propose a multi-robot mapping framework that utilizes two types of robots: proximal observers which map close to the structure and distal observers which provide localization for proximal observers and bird’s-eye-view situational awareness. The paper presents the fundamental components and related current results from real shipwrecks and simulations necessary to enable the proposed framework, including robust state estimation, real-time 3D mapping, and active perception navigation strategies for the two types of robots. Then, the paper outlines interesting research directions and plans to have a completely integrated framework that allows robots to map in harsh environments.acceptedVersio

Lyme disease in Wisconsin: epidemiologic, clinical, serologic, and entomologic findings.

In 1980-82, 80 individuals (71 Wisconsin residents) had confirmed Lyme disease (LD-c) reported; 39 additional patients had probable or possible LD. All cases of LD-c occurred during May-November; 73 percent occurred during June-July; 54 (68 percent) occurred in males. The mean age was 38.7 years (range, 7-77 years). Among LD-c patients, likely exposure to the presumed vector Ixodes dammini (ID) occurred in 22 different Wisconsin counties. Antibodies to the ID spirochete that causes LD occurred in 33 of 49 LD-c cases versus 0 of 18 in ill controls (p less than .001) and in 13 of 26 LD-c cases treated with penicillin or tetracycline versus 16 of 19 LD-c cases not treated. Early antibiotic therapy appears to blunt the antibody response to the ID spirochete. Regional tick surveys conducted in Wisconsin during each November in 1979-82 have demonstrated regions of greater density of ID. Utilizing comparable tick collection in these surveys, increases were noted in the percentage of deer with ID from 24 percent (31/128) in 1979 to 38 percent (58/152) in 1981, in the standardized mean value of ID/deer from 1.0 in 1979 to 2.2 in 1981, in the percentage of ID of the total ticks collected from 13 percent in 1979 to 71 percent in 1981, or in the ratio of ID to Dermacentor albipictus ticks from 0.14 in 1979 to 2.44 in 1981. However, a reduction in the density of ID/deer was noted generally throughout Wisconsin in 1982 when compared to 1981. LD is widespread in Wisconsin, with ecologic and clinical features similar to those occurring along the eastern seaboard

Dissemination of Spotted Fever Rickettsia Agents in Europe by Migrating Birds

Migratory birds are known to play a role as long-distance vectors for many microorganisms. To investigate whether this is true of rickettsial agents as well, we characterized tick infestation and gathered ticks from 13,260 migratory passerine birds in Sweden. A total of 1127 Ixodes spp. ticks were removed from these birds and the extracted DNA from 957 of them was available for analyses. The DNA was assayed for detection of Rickettsia spp. using real-time PCR, followed by DNA sequencing for species identification. Rickettsia spp. organisms were detected in 108 (11.3%) of the ticks. Rickettsia helvetica, a spotted fever rickettsia associated with human infections, was predominant among the PCR-positive samples. In 9 (0.8%) of the ticks, the partial sequences of 17kDa and ompB genes showed the greatest similarity to Rickettsia monacensis, an etiologic agent of Mediterranean spotted fever-like illness, previously described in southern Europe as well as to the Rickettsia sp.IrITA3 strain. For 15 (1.4%) of the ticks, the 17kDa, ompB, gltA and ompA genes showed the greatest similarity to Rickettsia sp. strain Davousti, Rickettsia japonica and Rickettsia heilongjiangensis, all closely phylogenetically related, the former previously found in Amblyomma tholloni ticks in Africa and previously not detected in Ixodes spp. ticks. The infestation prevalence of ticks infected with rickettsial organisms was four times higher among ground foraging birds than among other bird species, but the two groups were equally competent in transmitting Rickettsia species. The birds did not seem to serve as reservoir hosts for Rickettsia spp., but in one case it seems likely that the bird was rickettsiemic and that the ticks had acquired the bacteria from the blood of the bird. In conclusion, migratory passerine birds host epidemiologically important vector ticks and Rickettsia species and contribute to the geographic distribution of spotted fever rickettsial agents and their diseases