1,784 research outputs found
Apollo experience report: Mission evaluation team postflight documentation
The various postflight reports prepared by the mission evaluation team, including the final mission evaluation report, report supplements, anomaly reports, and the 5-day mission report, are described. The procedures for preparing each report from the inputs of the various disciplines are explained, and the general method of reporting postflight results is discussed. Recommendations for postflight documentation in future space programs are included. The official requirements for postflight documentation and a typical example of an anomaly report are provided as appendixes
Comments on the course of solar activity during the declining phase of solar cycle 20 (1970ā74)
In the declining phase of solar cycle 20 (1970ā74) three pulses of activity occurred and resulted in two well defined āstillstandsā in the smoothed means of sunspot, 2800 MHz, and calcium plage data. Marked diminutions in spot and 2800 MHz flux took place in 1970 and 1971, respectively, and were accompanied by concomitant decreases in flare-occurrence. Studies of the latitude distribution of spots and flares show the extent of the dominance of the northern hemisphere in cycle 20 and the marked phase shift between northern and southern hemispheres. In the years studied, the longitudes of centers of activity clustered in identifiable zones or hemispheres for relatively long intervals of time. From mid-1973 to mid-1974 the Sun had a relatively inactive hemisphere centered on ā¼0Ā° longitude. The relationship of certain well defined ācoronal holesā to this inactive hemisphere of the chromosphere is noted. The first two spot groups of the new cycle formed in November 1974 and January 1975 in the longitude zone associated with relatively high levels of old cycle activity, a repetition of the pattern observed in 1963ā64.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43738/1/11207_2004_Article_BF00153289.pd
Recent advances in hepatic transplantation at the University of Pittsburgh.
FK506 undoubtedly improved the survival advantage of hepatic allotransplantation. Hepatic-intestinal and multivisceral transplantation has also become a feasible therapy for patients with combined intestinal and liver failure. With better understanding of the immunologic and metabolic aspects of allo- and xenotransplantation, further clinical attempts to transplant animal organs to humans may be considered with the hope for a better outcome in the very near future
Methanol masers probing the ordered magnetic field of W75N
The role of magnetic fields during the protostellar phase of high-mass
star-formation is a debated topic. In particular, it is still unclear how
magnetic fields influence the formation and dynamic of disks and outflows. Most
current information on magnetic fields close to high-mass protostars comes from
H2O and OH maser observations. Recently, the first 6.7 GHz methanol maser
polarization observations were made, and they reveal strong and ordered
magnetic fields. The morphology of the magnetic field during high-mass
star-formation needs to be investigated on small scales, which can only be done
using very long baseline interferometry observations. The massive star-forming
regionW75N contains three radio sources and associated masers, while a
large-scale molecular bipolar outflow is also present. Polarization
observations of the 6.7 GHz methanol masers at high angular resolution probe
the strength and structure of the magnetic field and determine its relation to
the outflow. Eight of the European VLBI network antennas were used to measure
the linear polarization and Zeeman-splitting of the 6.7 GHz methanol masers in
the star-forming region W75N. We detected 10 methanol maser features, 4 of
which were undetected in previous work. All arise near the source VLA1 of W75N.
The linear polarization of the masers reveals a tightly ordered magnetic field
over more than 2000 AU around VLA1 that is exactly aligned with the large-scale
molecular outflow. This is consistent with the twisted magnetic field model
proposed for explaining dust polarization observations. The Zeeman-splitting
measured on 3 of the maser features indicates a dynamically important magnetic
field in the maser region of the order of 50mG. We suggest VLA1 is the powering
sources of the bipolar outflow.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, accepted by Astronomy and Astrophysic
A Markov Chain based method for generating long-range dependence
This paper describes a model for generating time series which exhibit the
statistical phenomenon known as long-range dependence (LRD). A Markov Modulated
Process based upon an infinite Markov chain is described. The work described is
motivated by applications in telecommunications where LRD is a known property
of time-series measured on the internet. The process can generate a time series
exhibiting LRD with known parameters and is particularly suitable for modelling
internet traffic since the time series is in terms of ones and zeros which can
be interpreted as data packets and inter-packet gaps. The method is extremely
simple computationally and analytically and could prove more tractable than
other methods described in the literatureComment: 8 pages, 2 figure
The Complex Wind Torus and Jets of PSR B1706-44
We report on Chandra ACIS imaging of the pulsar wind nebula (PWN) of the
young Vela-like PSR B1706-44, which shows the now common pattern of an
equatorial wind and polar jets. The structure is particularly rich, showing a
relativistically boosted termination shock, jets with strong confinement, a
surrounding radio/X-ray PWN and evidence for a quasi-static `bubble nebula'.
The structures trace the pulsar spin geometry and illuminate its possible
relation to SNR G343.1-2.3. We also obtain improved estimates of the pulsar
flux and nebular spectrum, constraining the system age and energetics.Comment: To appear in the Astrophysical Journal. 15pp, 4 figures in 7 file
Evolutionary fine-tuning of conformational ensembles in FimH during host-pathogen interactions
Positive selection in the two-domain type 1 pilus adhesin FimH enhances Escherichia coli fitness in urinary tract infection (UTI). We report a comprehensive atomic-level view of FimH in two-state conformational ensembles in solution, composed of one low-affinity tense (T) and multiple high-affinity relaxed (R) conformations. Positively selected residues allosterically modulate the equilibrium between these two conformational states, each of which engages mannose through distinct binding orientations. A FimH variant that only adopts the R state is severely attenuated early in a mouse model of uncomplicated UTI but is proficient at colonizing catheterized bladders in vivo or bladder transitional-like epithelial cells in vitro. Thus, the bladder habitat has barrier(s) to R stateāmediated colonization possibly conferred by the terminally differentiated bladder epithelium and/or decoy receptors in urine. Together, our studies reveal the conformational landscape in solution, binding mechanisms, and adhesive strength of an allosteric two-domain adhesin that evolved āmoderateā affinity to optimize persistence in the bladder during UTI
Path Selection for Quantum Repeater Networks
Quantum networks will support long-distance quantum key distribution (QKD)
and distributed quantum computation, and are an active area of both
experimental and theoretical research. Here, we present an analysis of
topologically complex networks of quantum repeaters composed of heterogeneous
links. Quantum networks have fundamental behavioral differences from classical
networks; the delicacy of quantum states makes a practical path selection
algorithm imperative, but classical notions of resource utilization are not
directly applicable, rendering known path selection mechanisms inadequate. To
adapt Dijkstra's algorithm for quantum repeater networks that generate
entangled Bell pairs, we quantify the key differences and define a link cost
metric, seconds per Bell pair of a particular fidelity, where a single Bell
pair is the resource consumed to perform one quantum teleportation. Simulations
that include both the physical interactions and the extensive classical
messaging confirm that Dijkstra's algorithm works well in a quantum context.
Simulating about three hundred heterogeneous paths, comparing our path cost and
the total work along the path gives a coefficient of determination of 0.88 or
better.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figure
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