A Thesis Presented to the President and the Faculty of Marquette University for the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering

In the work covered by this thesis it is desired to examine an undeveloped water power for the purpose of producing electrical energy as a commercial comodity. Experience has taught that it is best to ascertain first where the product will find its market, and to follow up a satisfactory showing at that end by determining the power capacity of the source, the feasibility of harnessing the same, and the cost of accomplishing this. This program would be adopted in any commercial enterprise to insure a reliable conclusion, and will be followed as closely as possible in the work covered by this thesis. Reference was made to the following books; Mead Water Power ; Von Schom Hydro Electric Practice ; Bulletin No. XX of the Wisconsin Geological and Natural Survey, entitled Water Powers of Wisconsin. ; U.S. Weather Reports; Hughes and Saford Hydraulics ; and Gillette\u27s Cost Data

Analysis of gene expression in the bovine corpus luteum through generation and characterisation of 960 ESTs

To gain new insights into gene identity and gene expression in the bovine corpus luteum (CL) a directionally cloned CL cDNA library was constructed, screened with a total CL cDNA probe and clones representing abundant and rare mRNA transcripts isolated. The 5Vterminal DNA sequence of 960 cDNA clones, composed of 192 abundant and 768 rare mRNA transcripts was determined and clustered into 351 non-redundant expressed sequence tag (EST) groups. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that 309 (88%) of the ESTs showed significant homology to existing sequences in the protein and nucleotide public databases. Several previously unidentified bovine genes encoding proteins associated with key aspects of CL function including extracellular matrix remodelling, lipid metabolism/steroid biosynthesis and apoptosis, were identified. Forty-two (12%) of the ESTs showed homology with human or with other uncharacterised ESTs, some of these were abundantly expressed and may therefore play an important role in primary CL function. Tissue-specificity and temporal CL gene expression of selected clones previously unidentified in bovine CL tissue was also examined. The most interesting finds indicated that mRNA encoding squalene epoxidase was constitutively expressed in CL tissue throughout the oestrous cycle and 7-fold down-regulated ( P < 0.05)in late luteal tissue, concomitant with the disappearance of systemic progesterone, suggesting that de novo cholesterol biosynthesis plays an important role in steroidogenesis. The mRNA encoding the growth factor, insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-related protein 1 (IGFBP-rP1), remained constant during the oestrous cycle and was 1.8-fold up-regulated ( P < 0.05) in late luteal tissue implying a role in CL regression

802.16e System Profile for NASA Extra-Vehicular Activities

This report identifies an 802.16e system profile that is applicable to a lunar surface wireless network, and specifically for meeting extra-vehicular activity (EVA) data flow requirements. EVA suit communication needs are addressed. Design-driving operational scenarios are considered. These scenarios are then used to identify a configuration of the 802.16e system (system profile) that meets EVA requirements, but also aim to make the radio realizable within EVA constraints. Limitations of this system configuration are highlighted. An overview and development status is presented by Toyon Research Corporation concerning the development of an 802.16e compatible modem under NASA s Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Program. This modem is based on the recommended system profile developed as part of this report. Last, a path forward is outlined that presents an evolvable solution for the EVA radio system and lunar surface radio networks. This solution is based on a custom link layer, and 802.16e compliant physical layer compliant to the identified system profile, and a later progression to a fully interoperable 802.16e system

The Host Galaxy and Redshift of the Repeating Fast Radio Burst FRB 121102

The precise localization of the repeating fast radio burst (FRB 121102) has provided the first unambiguous association (chance coincidence probability $p\lesssim3\times10^{-4}$) of an FRB with an optical and persistent radio counterpart. We report on optical imaging and spectroscopy of the counterpart and find that it is an extended ($0.6^{\prime\prime}-0.8^{\prime\prime}$) object displaying prominent Balmer and [OIII] emission lines. Based on the spectrum and emission line ratios, we classify the counterpart as a low-metallicity, star-forming, $m_{r^\prime} = 25.1$ AB mag dwarf galaxy at a redshift of $z=0.19273(8)$, corresponding to a luminosity distance of 972 Mpc. From the angular size, the redshift, and luminosity, we estimate the host galaxy to have a diameter $\lesssim4$ kpc and a stellar mass of $M_*\sim4-7\times 10^{7}\,M_\odot$, assuming a mass-to-light ratio between 2 to 3$\,M_\odot\,L_\odot^{-1}$. Based on the H$\alpha$ flux, we estimate the star formation rate of the host to be $0.4\,M_\odot\,\mathrm{yr^{-1}}$ and a substantial host dispersion measure depth $\lesssim 324\,\mathrm{pc\,cm^{-3}}$. The net dispersion measure contribution of the host galaxy to FRB 121102 is likely to be lower than this value depending on geometrical factors. We show that the persistent radio source at FRB 121102's location reported by Marcote et al (2017) is offset from the galaxy's center of light by $\sim$200 mas and the host galaxy does not show optical signatures for AGN activity. If FRB 121102 is typical of the wider FRB population and if future interferometric localizations preferentially find them in dwarf galaxies with low metallicities and prominent emission lines, they would share such a preference with long gamma ray bursts and superluminous supernovae.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, Published in ApJ Letters. V2: Corrected mistake in author lis

Influence of Na+-Independent Cl¯-HCO3¯ Exchange on the Slow Force Response to Myocardial Stretch

Previous work demonstrated that the slow force response (SFR) to stretch is due to the increase in calcium transients (Ca2+T) produced by an autocrine-paracrine mechanism of locally produced angiotensin II/endothelin activating Na+-H+ exchange. Although a rise in pHi is presumed to follow stretch, it was observed only in the absence of extracellular bicarbonate, suggesting pHi compensation through the Na+-independent Cl¯-HCO3¯ exchange (AE) mechanism. Because available AE inhibitors do not distinguish between different bicarbonate-dependent mechanisms or even between AE isoforms, we developed a functional inhibitory antibody against both the AE3c and AE3fl isoforms (anti-AE3Loop III) that was used to explore if pHi would rise in stretched cat papillary muscles superfused with bicarbonate after AE3 inhibition. In addition, the influence of this potential increase in pHi on the SFR was analyzed. In this study, we present evidence that cancellation of AE3 isoforms activity (either by superfusion with bicarbonate-free buffer or with anti-AE3Loop III) results in pHi increase after stretch and the magnitude of the SFR was larger than when AE was operative, despite of similar increases in [Na+]i and Ca2+T under both conditions. Inhibition of reverse mode Na+-Ca2+ exchange reduced the SFR to the half when the AE was inactive and totally suppressed it when AE3 was active. The difference in the SFR magnitude and response to inhibition of reverse mode Na+-Ca2+ exchange can be ascribed to a pHi-induced increase in myofilament Ca2+ responsiveness.Facultad de Ciencias MédicasCentro de Investigaciones Cardiovasculare

Influence of Na+-Independent Cl¯-HCO3¯ Exchange on the Slow Force Response to Myocardial Stretch

Previous work demonstrated that the slow force response (SFR) to stretch is due to the increase in calcium transients (Ca2+T) produced by an autocrine-paracrine mechanism of locally produced angiotensin II/endothelin activating Na+-H+ exchange. Although a rise in pHi is presumed to follow stretch, it was observed only in the absence of extracellular bicarbonate, suggesting pHi compensation through the Na+-independent Cl¯-HCO3¯ exchange (AE) mechanism. Because available AE inhibitors do not distinguish between different bicarbonate-dependent mechanisms or even between AE isoforms, we developed a functional inhibitory antibody against both the AE3c and AE3fl isoforms (anti-AE3Loop III) that was used to explore if pHi would rise in stretched cat papillary muscles superfused with bicarbonate after AE3 inhibition. In addition, the influence of this potential increase in pHi on the SFR was analyzed. In this study, we present evidence that cancellation of AE3 isoforms activity (either by superfusion with bicarbonate-free buffer or with anti-AE3Loop III) results in pHi increase after stretch and the magnitude of the SFR was larger than when AE was operative, despite of similar increases in [Na+]i and Ca2+T under both conditions. Inhibition of reverse mode Na+-Ca2+ exchange reduced the SFR to the half when the AE was inactive and totally suppressed it when AE3 was active. The difference in the SFR magnitude and response to inhibition of reverse mode Na+-Ca2+ exchange can be ascribed to a pHi-induced increase in myofilament Ca2+ responsiveness.Facultad de Ciencias MédicasCentro de Investigaciones Cardiovasculare

Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) - Optical Telescope Assembly (OTA) Status

The WFIRST Mission is the next large astrophysical observatory for NASA after the James Webb Space Telescope and is the top priority mission from the 2010 National Academy of Sciences' decadal survey. The WFIRST OTA includes the inherited primary and secondary mirrors with precision metering structures that are to be integrated to new mirror assemblies to provide optical feeds to the two WFIRST science instruments. We present here: (1) the results for the review of the inherited hardware for WFIRST through a thorough technical pedigree process, (2) the status of the effort to establish the capability of the telescope to perform at a cooler operational temperature of 265K, and (3) the status of the work in requirement development for OTA to incorporate the inherited hardware, and (4) the path forward

Postural directionality and head tremor in cervical dystonia

Background: Although abnormal head and neck postures are defining features of cervical dystonia (CD), head tremor (HT) is also common. However, little is known about the relationship between abnormal postures and HT in CD. Methods: We analyzed clinical data and video recordings from 185 patients enrolled by the Dystonia Coalition. We calculated the likelihood of their HT and HT type ( regular vs. jerky ) given directionality of abnormal head postures, disease duration, sex, and age. Results: Patients with retrocollis were more likely to have HT than patients with anterocollis (X Discussion: We found that HT is more likely for CD patients with a specific directionality in their predominant posture. Our finding that CD patients with longer disease duration have a higher likelihood of HT also raises the question of whether HT becomes more likely over time in individual patients

VAST: An ASKAP Survey for Variables and Slow Transients

The Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) will give us an unprecedented opportunity to investigate the transient sky at radio wavelengths. In this paper we present VAST, an ASKAP survey for Variables and Slow Transients. VAST will exploit the wide-field survey capabilities of ASKAP to enable the discovery and investigation of variable and transient phenomena from the local to the cosmological, including flare stars, intermittent pulsars, X-ray binaries, magnetars, extreme scattering events, interstellar scintillation, radio supernovae and orphan afterglows of gamma ray bursts. In addition, it will allow us to probe unexplored regions of parameter space where new classes of transient sources may be detected. In this paper we review the known radio transient and variable populations and the current results from blind radio surveys. We outline a comprehensive program based on a multi-tiered survey strategy to characterise the radio transient sky through detection and monitoring of transient and variable sources on the ASKAP imaging timescales of five seconds and greater. We also present an analysis of the expected source populations that we will be able to detect with VAST.Comment: 29 pages, 8 figures. Submitted for publication in Pub. Astron. Soc. Australi

Tracing the Nuclear Accretion History of the Red Galaxy Population

We investigate the evolution of the hard X-ray luminosity of the red galaxy population using a large sample of 3316 red galaxies selected over a wide range in redshift (0.3<z<0.9) from a 1.4 deg^2 region in the Bootes field of the NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey (NDWFS). The red galaxies are early-type, bulge-dominated galaxies and are selected to have the same evolution corrected, absolute R-band magnitude distribution as a function of redshift to ensure we are tracing the evolution in the X-ray properties of a comparable optical population. Using a stacking analysis of 5-ks Chandra/ACIS observations within this field to study the X-ray emission from these red galaxies in three redshift bins, we find that the mean X-ray luminosity increases as a function of redshift. The large mean X-ray luminosity and the hardness of the mean X-ray spectrum suggests that the X-ray emission is largely dominated by AGN rather than stellar sources. The hardness ratio can be reproduced by either an absorbed (N_H ~2 x 10^22 cm^-2) Gamma=1.7 power-law source, consistent with that of a population of moderately obscured Seyfert-like AGN, or an unabsorbed Gamma=0.7 source suggesting a radiatively inefficient accretion flow (e.g., an advection-dominated accretion flow). We also find that the emission from this sample of red galaxies constitutes at least 5% of the hard X-ray background. These results suggest a global decline in the mean AGN activity of normal early-type galaxies from z~1 to the present, which indicates that we are witnessing the tailing off of the accretion activity onto SMBHs in early-type galaxies since the quasar epoch.Comment: 23 pages, accepted for publication in Ap