Data policy and availability supporting global change research, development, and decision-making: An information perspective

An explosion of information has created a crisis for today's information age. It has to be determined how to use the best available information sources, tools, and technology. To do this it is necessary to have leadership at the interagency level to promote a coherent information policy. It is also important to find ways to educate the users of information regarding the tools available to them. Advances in technology resulted in efforts to shift from Disciplinary and Mission-oriented Systems to Decision Support Systems and Personalized Information Systems. One such effort is being made by the Interagency Working Group on Data Management for Global Change (IAWGDMGC). Five federal agencies - the Department of Commerce (DOC), Department of Energy (DOE), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Library of Medicine (NLM), and Department of Defense (DOD) - have an on-going cooperative information management group, CENDI (Commerce, Energy, NASA, NLM, and Defense Information), that is meeting the challenge of coordinating and integrating their information management systems. Although it is beginning to be technically feasible to have a system with text, bibliographic, and numeric data online for the user to manipulate at the user's own workstation, it will require national recognition that the resource investment in such a system is worthwhile, in order to promote its full development. It also requires close cooperation between the producers and users of the information - that is, the research and policy community, and the information community. National resources need to be mobilized in a coordinated manner to move people into the next generation of information support systems

Matter-wave grating distinguishing conservative and dissipative interactions

We propose an optical grating for matter waves that separates molecules depending on whether their interaction with the light is conservative or dissipative. Potential applications include fundamental tests of quantum mechanics, measurement of molecular properties and the ability to selectively prepare matter waves with different internal temperatures

Hidden momentum of electrons, nuclei, atoms and molecules

We consider the positions and velocities of electrons and spinning nuclei and demonstrate that these particles harbour hidden momentum when located in an electromagnetic field. This hidden momentum is present in all atoms and molecules, however it is ultimately cancelled by the momentum of the electromagnetic field. We point out that an electron vortex in an electric field might harbour a comparatively large hidden momentum and recognise the phenomenon of 'hidden hidden momentum'

Ideal velocity focusing in a reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer

AbstractA single-stage ion mirror in a time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer (MS) can perform first order velocity focusing of ions initially located at a start focal plane while second order velocity focusing can be achieved using a double-stage reflectron. The situation is quite different when an ion source extraction field is taken into account. In this case which is common in any practical matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) TOF-MS a single-stage reflectron, for example, cannot perform velocity focusing at all. In this paper an exact, analytic solution for an electric field inside a one-dimensional reflectron has been found to achieve universal temporal focusing of ions having an initial velocity distribution. The general solution is valid for arbitrary electric field distributions in the upstream (from the ion source to the reflectron) and downstream (from the reflectron to an ion detector) regions and in a decelerating part of the reflectron of a reflectron TOF mass spectrometer. The results obtained are especially useful for designing MALDI reflectron TOF mass spectrometers in which the initial velocity distribution of MALDI ions is the major limiting factor for achieving high mass resolution. Using analytical expressions obtained for an arbitrary case, convenient working formulas are derived for the case of a reflectron TOF-MS with a dual-stage extraction ion source. The special case of a MALDI reflectron TOF-MS with an ion source having a low acceleration voltage (or large extraction region) is considered. The formulas derived correct the effect of the acceleration regions in a MALDI ion source and after the reflectron before detecting ions

Planar Curve Registration using Bayesian Inversion

We study parameterisation-independent closed planar curve matching as a Bayesian inverse problem. The motion of the curve is modelled via a curve on the diffeomorphism group acting on the ambient space, leading to a large deformation diffeomorphic metric mapping (LDDMM) functional penalising the kinetic energy of the deformation. We solve Hamilton's equations for the curve matching problem using the Wu-Xu element [S. Wu, J. Xu, Nonconforming finite element spaces for $2m^\text{th}$ order partial differential equations on $\mathbb{R}^n$ simplicial grids when $m=n+1$, Mathematics of Computation 88 (316) (2019) 531-551] which provides mesh-independent Lipschitz constants for the forward motion of the curve, and solve the inverse problem for the momentum using Bayesian inversion. Since this element is not affine-equivalent we provide a pullback theory which expedites the implementation and efficiency of the forward map. We adopt ensemble Kalman inversion using a negative Sobolev norm mismatch penalty to measure the discrepancy between the target and the ensemble mean shape. We provide several numerical examples to validate the approach.Comment: 45 pages, 9 figure

Characterization of injectable liquid embolic particles

Cerebral aneurysms can be found in over 2% of the American population, and their rupture into hemorrhagic stroke carries a 40% mortality rate. This makes their treatment important to clinicians trying to prevent this from happening to millions of people. A novel polymer, poly(propylene glycol) diacrylate and pentaerythritol tetrakis (3-mercaptopropionate) (PPODA-QT), has been developed in order to successfully embolize these aneurysms. It is injected through a catheter into the aneurysm, where it cures and the aneurysm can heal itself, eliminating the risk of rupture and stroke. This thesis focuses on the embolic risks presented during the injection and curing of PPODA-QT. The first aim of this project was to build an endovascular flow model that could accurately mimic conditions found in the human body. This was used to practice procedures and evaluate embolic risk. In the second aim, multiple microscopy methods were used to capture and analyze particles shed downstream during the procedure to ensure that the injection would be safe for use in living models. In the final aim, rabbit aneurysm models were used to confirm that no negative embolic effects were observed. A model was built that could control pressure, temperature, and pressure. The model was designed with customizable inserts that could be changed to model various anatomies. Differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy was used to analyze filters that captured downstream particles produced during the procedure. Feasibility of inline digital holography was also performed. Finally, a rabbit aneurysm model was developed in order to treat different aneurysm morphologies. This thesis presents a series of methods that can be used to study of the embolic risks of a novel aneurysm treatment with the potential to impact millions of lives

A Novel Role of Protein Tyrosine Kinase2 in Mediating Chloride Secretion in Human Airway Epithelial Cells

Ca2+ activated Cl− channels (CaCC) are up-regulated in cystic fibrosis (CF) airway surface epithelia. The presence and functional properties of CaCC make it a possible therapeutic target to compensate for the deficiency of Cl− secretion in CF epithelia. CaCC is activated by an increase in cytosolic Ca2+, which not only activates epithelial CaCCs, but also inhibits epithelial Na+ hyperabsorption, which may also be beneficial in CF. Our previous study has shown that spiperone, a known antipsychotic drug, activates CaCCs and stimulates Cl− secretion in polarized human non-CF and CF airway epithelial cell monolayers in vitro, and in Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) knockout mice in vivo. Spiperone activates CaCC not by acting in its well-known role as an antagonist of either 5-HT2 or D2 receptors, but through a protein tyrosine kinase-coupled phospholipase C-dependent pathway. Moreover, spiperone independently activates CFTR through a novel mechanism. Herein, we performed a mass spectrometry analysis and identified the signaling molecule that mediates the spiperone effect in activating chloride secretion through CaCC and CFTR. Proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (PYK2) is a non-receptor protein tyrosine kinase, which belongs to the focal adhesion kinase family. The inhibition of PYK2 notably reduced the ability of spiperone to increase intracellular Ca2+ and Cl− secretion. In conclusion, we have identified the tyrosine kinase, PYK2, as the modulator, which plays a crucial role in the activation of CaCC and CFTR by spiperone. The identification of this novel role of PYK2 reveals a new signaling pathway in human airway epithelial cells

Relativistic properties of a molecule : energy, linear momentum, angular momentum and boost momentum to order 1/c2

We give an explicit and general description of the energy, linear momentum, angular momentum and boost momentum of a molecule to order $1/c^2$, where it necessary to take account of kinetic contributions made by the electrons and nuclei as well as electromagnetic contributions made by the intramolecular field. A wealth of interesting subtleties are encountered that are not seen at order $1/c^0$, including relativistic Hall shifts, anomalous velocities and hidden momenta. Some of these have well known analogues in solid state physics