A Review of Target Mass Corrections

With recent advances in the precision of inclusive lepton--nuclear scattering experiments, it has become apparent that comparable improvements are needed in the accuracy of the theoretical analysis tools. In particular, when extracting parton distribution functions in the large-x region, it is crucial to correct the data for effects associated with the nonzero mass of the target. We present here a comprehensive review of these target mass corrections (TMC) to structure functions data, summarizing the relevant formulas for TMCs in electromagnetic and weak processes. We include a full analysis of both hadronic and partonic masses, and trace how these effects appear in the operator product expansion and the factorized parton model formalism, as well as their limitations when applied to data in the x->1 limit. We evaluate the numerical effects of TMCs on various structure functions, and compare fits to data with and without these corrections.Comment: 41 pages, 13 figures; minor updates to match published versio

From Autocracy to Democracy: The Effort to Establish Market Democracies in Iraq and Afghanistan Conference

The conference focused the legal, political, economic, and security issues facing post-war Iraq and Afghanistan

Separation of bacteria with imprinted polymeric films

Separation of compounds out of complex mixtures is a key issue that has been solved for small molecules by chromatography. However, general methods for the separation of large bio-particles, such as cells, are still challenging. We demonstrate integration of imprinted polymeric films (IPF) into a microfluidic chip, which preferentially capture cells matching an imprint template, and separate strains of cyanobacteria with 80–90% efficiency, despite a minimal difference in morphology and fluorescence, demonstrating its general nature. It is currently thought that the imprinting process, conducted while the polymer cures, transfers chemical information of the cell’s external structure to the substrate. Capture specificity and separation can be further enhanced by orienting the imprints parallel to the flow vector and tuning the pH to a lower range

Comparison of Design Approaches for Low-Cost Sampling Mechanisms in Open-Source Chemical Instrumentation

Robotic positioning systems are used in a variety of chemical instruments, primarily for liquid handling purposes, such as autosamplers from vials or well plates. Here, two approaches to the design of open-source autosampler positioning systems for use with 96-well plates are described and compared. The first system, a 3-axis design similar to many low-cost 3D printers that are available on the market, is constructed using an aluminum frame and stepper motors. The other system relies upon a series of 3D printed parts to achieve movement with a series of linker arms based on Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm (SCARA) design principles. Full printer design files, assembly instructions, software, and user directions are included for both samplers. The positioning precision of the 3-axis system is better than the SCARA mechanism due to finer motor control, albeit with a slightly higher cost of materials. Based on the improved precision of this approach, the 3-axis autosampler system was used to demonstrate the generation of a segmented flow droplet stream from adjacent wells within a 96-well plate

The Novel Calpain Inhibitor SJA6017 Improves Functional Outcome after Delayed Administration in a Mouse Model of Diffuse Brain Injury

A principal mechanism of calcium-mediated neuronal injury is the activation of neutral proteases known as calpains. Proteolytic substrates for calpain include receptor and cytoskeletal proteins, signal transduction enzymes and transcription factors. Recently, calpain inhibitors have been shown to provide benefit in rat models of focal head injury and focal cerebral ischemia. The present study sought to investigate, in experiment 1, the time course of calpain-mediated cytoskeletal injury in a mouse model of diffuse head injury by measuring the 150- and 145-kDa α-spectrin breakdown products (SBDP). Secondly, in experiment 2, we examined the effect of early (20 min postinjury) administration of the novel calpain inhibitor SJA6017 on functional outcome measured 24 h following injury and its effect on posttraumatic α-spectrin degradation. Lastly, in experiment 3, we examined the effect of delayed (4 or 6 h postinjury) administration of SJA6017 on 24-h postinjury functional outcome. In experiment 1, isoflurane-anesthetized male CF-1 mice (18-22 g) were subjected to a 750 g-cm weight drop-induced injury and were sacrificed for SBDP analysis at postinjury times of 30 min, and 1, 2, 6, 24 and 48 h (plus sham). In experiments 2 and 3, mice were injured as described, and delivered a single tail vein injection of either SJA6017 (0.3, 1, or 3 mg/kg) or vehicle (administered immediately, 4 or 6 h postinjury [3 mg/kg]). Functional outcome was evaluated in both studies , and, in experiment 2, 24-h postinjury assessment of SBDPs was determined. Following injury, the level of SBDP 145 was significantly different from sham at 24 and 48 h in cortical and at 24 h in the hippocampal tissues and at 48 h in the striatum. Immediate postinjury administration of SJA6017 resulted in a dose-related improvement in 24-h functional outcome (p < 0.05 at 3 mg/kg). Significance was maintained after a 4-h delay of the 3 mg/kg, but was lost after a 6-h delay. Despite improvement in functional outcome at 24 h, SJA6017 did not reduce spectrin breakdown in cortical or hippocampal tissues. These results support a role for calpain-mediated neuronal injury and the potential for a practical therapeutic window for calpain inhibition following traumatic brain injury. However, measurements of regional spectrin degradation may not be the most sensitive marker for determining the effects of calpain inhibition.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/63231/1/089771501317095269.pd

Monitoring Direct Effects of Delta, Atlas, and Titan Launches from Cape Canaveral Air Station

Launches of Delta, Atlas, and Titan rockets from Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS) have potential environmental effects that could arise from direct impacts of the launch exhaust (e.g., blast, heat), deposition of exhaust products of the solid rocket motors (hydrogen chloride, aluminum oxide), or other effects such as noise. Here we: 1) review previous reports, environmental assessments, and environmental impact statements for Delta, Atlas, and Titan vehicles and pad areas to clarity the magnitude of potential impacts; 2) summarize observed effects of 15 Delta, 22 Atlas, and 8 Titan launches; and 3) develop a spatial database of the distribution of effects from individual launches and cumulative effects of launches. The review of previous studies indicated that impacts from these launches can occur from the launch exhaust heat, deposition of exhaust products from the solid rocket motors, and noise. The principal effluents from solid rocket motors are hydrogen chloride (HCl), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), water (H2O), hydrogen (H2), carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide (CO2). The exhaust plume interacts with the launch complex structure and water deluge system to generate a launch cloud. Fall out or rain out of material from this cloud can produce localized effects from acid or particulate deposition. Delta, Atlas, and Titan launch vehicles differ in the number and size of solid rocket boosters and in the amount of deluge water used. All are smaller and use less water than the Space Shuttle. Acid deposition can cause damage to plants and animals exposed to it, acidify surface water and soil, and cause long-term changes to community composition and structure from repeated exposure. The magnitude of these effects depends on the intensity and frequency of acid deposition

Steady state free radical budgets and ozone photochemistry during TOPSE

A steady state model, constrained by a number of measured quantities, was used to derive peroxy radical levels for the conditions of the Tropospheric Ozone Production about the Spring Equinox (TOPSE) campaign. The analysis is made using data collected aboard the NCAR/NSF C-130 aircraft from February through May 2000 at latitudes from 40° to 85°N, and at altitudes from the surface to 7.6 km. HO2 + RO2 radical concentrations were measured during the experiment, which are compared with model results over the domain of the study showing good agreement on the average. Average measurement/model ratios are 1.04 (σ = 0.73) and 0.96 (σ = 0.52) for the MLB and HLB, respectively. Budgets of total peroxy radical levels as well as of individual free radical members were constructed, which reveal interesting differences compared to studies at lower latitudes. The midlatitude part of the study region is a significant net source of ozone, while the high latitudes constitute a small net sink leading to the hypothesis that transport from the middle latitudes can explain the observed increase in ozone in the high latitudes. Radical reservoir species concentrations are modeled and compared with the observations. For most conditions, the model does a good job of reproducing the formaldehyde observations, but the peroxide observations are significantly less than steady state for this study. Photostationary state (PSS) derived total peroxy radical levels and NO/NO2ratios are compared with the measurements and the model; PSS-derived results are higher than observations or the steady state model at low NO concentrations