Computational wing optimization and comparisons with experiment for a semi-span wing model

A computational wing optimization procedure was developed and verified by an experimental investigation of a semi-span variable camber wing model in the NASA Ames Research Center 14 foot transonic wind tunnel. The Bailey-Ballhaus transonic potential flow analysis and Woodward-Carmichael linear theory codes were linked to Vanderplaats constrained minimization routine to optimize model configurations at several subsonic and transonic design points. The 35 deg swept wing is characterized by multi-segmented leading and trailing edge flaps whose hinge lines are swept relative to the leading and trailing edges of the wing. By varying deflection angles of the flap segments, camber and twist distribution can be optimized for different design conditions. Results indicate that numerical optimization can be both an effective and efficient design tool. The optimized configurations had as good or better lift to drag ratios at the design points as the best designs previously tested during an extensive parametric study

Microfluidic stochastic confinement enhances analysis of rare cells by isolating cells and creating high density environments for control of diffusible signals

Rare cells can be difficult to analyze because they either occur in low numbers or coexist with a more abundant cell type, yet their detection is crucial for diagnosing disease and maintaining human health. In this tutorial review, we introduce the concept of microfluidic stochastic confinement for use in detection and analysis of rare cells. Stochastic confinement provides two advantages: (1) it separates rare single cells from the bulk mixture and (2) it allows signals to locally accumulate to a higher concentration around a single cell than in the bulk mixture. Microfluidics is an attractive method for implementing stochastic confinement because it provides simple handling of small volumes. We present technologies for microfluidic stochastic confinement that utilize both wells and droplets for the detection and analysis of single cells. We address how these microfluidic technologies have been used to observe new behavior, increase speed of detection, and enhance cultivation of rare cells. We discuss potential applications of microfluidic stochastic confinement to fields such as human diagnostics and environmental testing

Simulation of Dimensionally Reduced SYM-Chern-Simons Theory

A supersymmetric formulation of a three-dimensional SYM-Chern-Simons theory using light-cone quantization is presented, and the supercharges are calculated in light-cone gauge. The theory is dimensionally reduced by requiring all fields to be independent of the transverse dimension. The result is a non-trivial two-dimensional supersymmetric theory with an adjoint scalar and an adjoint fermion. We perform a numerical simulation of this SYM-Chern-Simons theory in 1+1 dimensions using SDLCQ (Supersymmetric Discrete Light-Cone Quantization). We find that the character of the bound states of this theory is very different from previously considered two-dimensional supersymmetric gauge theories. The low-energy bound states of this theory are very ``QCD-like.'' The wave functions of some of the low mass states have a striking valence structure. We present the valence and sea parton structure functions of these states. In addition, we identify BPS-like states which are almost independent of the coupling. Their masses are proportional to their parton number in the large-coupling limit.Comment: 18pp. 7 figures, uses REVTe

Reassessing the Host Defense Peptide Landscape

Current research has demonstrated that small cationic amphipathic peptides have strong potential not only as antimicrobials, but also as antibiofilm agents, immune modulators, and anti-inflammatories. Although traditionally termed antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) these additional roles have prompted a shift in terminology to use the broader term host defense peptides (HDPs) to capture the multi-functional nature of these molecules. In this review, we critically examined the role of AMPs and HDPs in infectious diseases and inflammation. It is generally accepted that HDPs are multi-faceted mediators of a wide range of biological processes, with individual activities dependent on their polypeptide sequence. In this context, we explore the concept of chemical space as it applies to HDPs and hypothesize that the various functions and activities of this class of molecule exist on independent but overlapping activity landscapes. Finally, we outline several emerging functions and roles of HDPs and highlight how an improved understanding of these processes can potentially be leveraged to more fully realize the therapeutic promise of HDPs

Cladoceran birth and death rates estimates

I. Birth and death rates of natural cladoceran populations cannot be measured directly. Estimates of these population parameters must be calculated using methods that make assumptions about the form of population growth. These methods generally assume that the population has a stable age distribution. 2. To assess the effect of variable age distributions, we tested six egg ratio methods for estimating birth and death rates with data from thirty-seven laboratory populations of Daphnia pulicaria. The populations were grown under constant conditions, but the initial age distributions and egg ratios of the populations varied. Actual death rates were virtually zero, so the difference between the estimated and actual death rates measured the error in both birth and death rate estimates. 3. The results demonstrate that unstable population structures may produce large errors in the birth and death rates estimated by any of these methods. Among the methods tested, Taylor and Slatkin's formula and Paloheimo's formula were most reliable for the experimental data. 4. Further analyses of three of the methods were made using computer simulations of growth of age-structured populations with initially unstable age distributions. These analyses show that the time interval between sampling strongly influences the reliability of birth and death rate estimates. At a sampling interval of 2.5 days (equal to the duration of the egg stage), Paloheimo's formula was most accurate. At longer intervals (7.5–10 days), Taylor and Slatkin's formula which includes information on population structure was most accurate

Two-Point Stress-Tensor Correlator in N=1 SYM(2+1)

Recent advances in string theory have highlighted the need for reliable numerical methods to calculate correlators at strong coupling in supersymmetric theories. We present a calculation of the correlator in N=1 SYM theory in 2+1 dimensions. The numerical method we use is supersymmetric discrete light-cone quantization (SDLCQ), which preserves the supersymmetry at every order of the approximation and treats fermions and bosons on the same footing. This calculation is done at large $N_c$. For small and intermediate r the correlator converges rapidly for all couplings. At small r the correlator behaves like 1/r^6, as expected from conformal field theory. At large r the correlator is dominated by the BPS states of the theory. There is, however, a critical value of the coupling where the large-r correlator goes to zero, suggesting that the large-r correlator can only be trusted to some finite coupling which depends on the transverse resolution. We find that this critical coupling grows linearly with the square root of the transverse momentum resolution.Comment: 16 pp., 9 figure

Managing the Socially Marginalized: Attitudes Towards Welfare, Punishment and Race

Welfare and incarceration policies have converged to form a system of governance over socially marginalized groups, particularly racial minorities. In both of these policy areas, rehabilitative and social support objectives have been replaced with a more punitive and restrictive system. The authors examine the convergence in individual-level attitudes concerning welfare and criminal punishment, using national survey data. The authors\u27 analysis indicates a statistically significant relationship between punitive attitudes toward welfare and punishment. Furthermore, accounting for the respondents\u27 racial attitudes explains the bivariate relationship between welfare and punishment. Thus, racial attitudes seemingly link support for punitive approaches to opposition to welfare expenditures. The authors discuss the implications of this study for welfare and crime control policies by way of the conclusion

Are Some Natural Environments More Psychologically Beneficial Than Others? The Importance of Type and Quality on Connectedness to Nature and Psychological Restoration

Exposure to nature can strengthen an individual’s sense of connectedness (i.e., emotional/cognitive bonds to the natural world) and enhance psychological restoration (e.g., feeling relaxed/refreshed). To date, there have been few large studies looking at the role that type and quality of natural environments may have on these outcomes. The present study used data from a large survey in England (sample analyzed = 4,515), which asked participants to recall a recent visit to nature. After controlling for covariates, respondents recalled greater connectedness to nature and restoration following visits to rural and coastal locations compared with urban green space, and to sites of higher environmental quality (operationalized by protected/designated area status, for example, nature reserves). A series of structural equation analyses provided evidence for a bidirectional association between connectedness and restoration. Consideration of the psychological benefits associated with different types and quality of environment has implications for human health, environmental management, and conservation

On the nature of surface roughness with application to contact mechanics, sealing, rubber friction and adhesion

Surface roughness has a huge impact on many important phenomena. The most important property of rough surfaces is the surface roughness power spectrum C(q). We present surface roughness power spectra of many surfaces of practical importance, obtained from the surface height profile measured using optical methods and the Atomic Force Microscope. We show how the power spectrum determines the contact area between two solids. We also present applications to sealing, rubber friction and adhesion for rough surfaces, where the power spectrum enters as an important input.Comment: Topical review; 82 pages, 61 figures; Format: Latex (iopart). Some figures are in Postscript Level

Isolation of viable antigen-specific CD8+ T cells based on membrane-bound tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α expression

Current technology to isolate viable cytokine-producing antigen-specific primary human T cells is limited to bi-specific antibody capture systems, which suffer from limited sensitivity and high background. Here, we describe a novel procedure for isolating antigen-specific human T cells based on their ability to produce tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Unlike many cytokines, TNF-α is initially produced in a biologically active membrane-bound form that is subsequently cleaved by TNF-α converting enzyme (TACE) to release the soluble form of TNF-α. By preventing this cleavage event, we show that TNF-α can be ‘trapped’ on the surface of the T cells from which it originates and directly labeled for viable isolation of these antigen-specific T cells. Together with other existing sorting procedures to isolate activated T cells, this new technique should permit the direct isolation of multi-functional T lymphocytes for further protein and gene expression analyses, as well as a detailed functional assessment of the potential role that TNF-α producing T cells play in the adaptive immune system