Hand-held electron beam gun and external power supply Final report, Jun. 1965 - Oct. 1966

Design, fabrication, and evaluation of hand held electron beam gun and external power supply for electron beam welding in spac

A Program of Photometric Measurements of Solar Irradiance Fluctuations from Ground-based Observations

Photometric observations of the sun have been carried out at the San Fernando Observatory since early 1985. Since 1986, observations have been obtained at two wavelengths in order to separately measure the contributions of sunspots and bright facular to solar irradiance variations. Researchers believe that the contributions of sunspots can be measured to an accuracy of about plus or minus 30 ppm. The effect of faculae is much less certain, with uncertainties in the range of plus or minus 300 ppm. The larger uncertainty for faculae reflects both the greater difficulty in measuring the facular area, due to their lower contrast compared to sunspots, and the greater uncertainty in their contrast variation with viewing angle on the solar disk. Recent results from two separate photometric telescopes will be compared with bolometric observations from the active cavity radiometer irradiance monitor (ACRIM) that was on board the Solar Max satellite

Future impacts of fresh water resource management: sensitivity of coastal deltas

We present an assessment of contemporary and future effective sealevel rise (ESLR) using a sample of 40 deltas distributed worldwide. For any delta, ESLR is a net rate defined by eustatic sea-level rise, natural gross rates of fluvial sediment deposition and subsidence, and accelerated subsidence due to groundwater and hydrocarbon extraction. Present-day ESLR, estimated from geospatial data and a simple model of deltaic dynamics, ranges from 0.5 to 12.5 mm year-1. Reduced accretion of fluvial sediment from upstream siltation of reservoirs and freshwater consumptive irrigation losses are primary determinants of ESLR in nearly 70% of the deltas, while for only 12% eustatic sea-level rise predominates. Future scenarios indicate a much larger impact on deltas than previously estimated. Serious challenges to human occupancy of deltas worldwide are conveyed by upland watershed factors, which have been studied less comprehensively than the climate change and sea-level rise question

Geometry and Destiny

The recognition that the cosmological constant may be non-zero forces us to re-evaluate standard notions about the connection between geometry and the fate of our Universe. An open Universe can recollapse, and a closed Universe can expand forever. As a corollary, we point out that there is no set of cosmological observations we can perform that will unambiguously allow us to determine what the ultimate destiny of the Universe will be.Comment: 7 pages, Gravity Research Foundation Essa

Climatically driven loss of calcium in steppe soil as a sink for atmospheric carbon

During the last several thousand years the semi‐arid, cold climate of the Russian steppe formed highly fertile soils rich in organic carbon and calcium (classified as Chernozems in the Russian system). Analysis of archived soil samples collected in Kemannaya Steppe Preserve in 1920, 1947, 1970, and fresh samples collected in 1998 indicated that the native steppe Chernozems, however, lost 17–28 kg m−2 of calcium in the form of carbonates in 1970–1998. Here we demonstrate that the loss of calcium was caused by fundamental shift in the steppe hydrologic balance. Previously unleached soils where precipitation was less than potential evapotranspiration are now being leached due to increased precipitation and, possibly, due to decreased actual evapotranspiration. Because this region receives low levels of acidic deposition, the dissolution of carbonates involves the consumption of atmospheric CO2. Our estimates indicate that this climatically driven terrestrial sink of atmospheric CO2 is ∼2.1–7.4 g C m−2 a−1. In addition to the net sink of atmospheric carbon, leaching of pedogenic carbonates significantly amplified seasonal amplitude of CO2 exchange between atmosphere and steppe soil

Kinesin Light Chains Are Essential for Axonal Transport in Drosophila

Kinesin is a heterotetramer composed of two 115-kD heavy chains and two 58-kD light chains. The microtubule motor activity of kinesin is performed by the heavy chains, but the functions of the light chains are poorly understood. Mutations were generated in the Drosophila gene Kinesin light chain (Klc), and the phenotypic consequences of loss of Klc function were analyzed at the behavioral and cellular levels. Loss of Klc function results in progressive lethargy, crawling defects, and paralysis followed by death at the end of the second larval instar. Klc mutant axons contain large aggregates of membranous organelles in segmental nerve axons. These aggregates, or organelle jams (Hurd, D.D., and W.M. Saxton. 1996. Genetics. 144: 1075-1085), contain synaptic vesicle precursors as well as organelles that may be transported by kinesin, kinesin-like protein 68D, and cytoplasmic dynein, thus providing evidence that the loss of Klc function blocks multiple pathways of axonal transport. The similarity of the Klc and Khc ((Saxton et al. Cell 64:1093-1102; Hurd, D.D., and W.M. Saxton. 1996. Genetics 144: 1075-1085) mutant phenotypes indicates that KLC is essential for kinesin function, perhaps by tethering KHC to intracellular cargos or by activating the kinesin motor

Cytotoxicity Study Of Mezzetiaparviflorabecc. Woodbark

The cytotoxic activity of acetone insoluble extract of MezzetiaparvifloraBecc. Wood bark was evaluated on HeLa cell line and it was compared with normal vero cell line to confirming the use of the plant as a traditional medicine for tumor. The experiment with normal vero cell line using MTT assay showed a percentage of cell viability of 96.8% at1000 µg of concentration which was not increase with the increase of concentration of the extract. Whereas, the experiment on HeLa cell line showed a low cytotoxic activity with the viability percentage was found to be 87.4% at1000μg/ml. Therefore the extract was categorized as non-toxic and the next studies is necessary to explore the mechanism liable of the using of the plant extract as anticancer traditional

A proposal for the coherent propagation studies portion of the 10.6-micrometer laser communications experiment Advanced Technology Satellite-F technical proposal

Coherent propagation study proposal for ATS-F 10.6 micrometer laser communications experimen

Epstein-Barr Virus Infection of CR2-Transfected Epithelial Cells Reveals the Presence of MHC Class II on the Virion

AbstractEpithelial cell lines transfected with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) receptor CR2 are susceptible to infection by EBV. Following infection with certain EBV strains we found that these cells became positive for MHC class II. The class II was confirmed as being of viral and not target cell origin by immunostaining with HLA-specific monoclonal antibodies. Electron microscopic immunogold staining confirmed the presence of MHC class II on the surface of the virion. While some MHC class I was also found on the EB virion, other cell surface molecules were absent. Dual color immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy analysis demonstrated colocalization of class II with EBV-encoded structural proteins (MA and VCA) in infected epithelial cells. However, preincubation of EBV with antibodies against either MHC class I or MHC class II failed to affect either EBV binding or EBV infection. The presence of MHC on the surface of the EB virion may be a consequence of the intracellular pathways through which productive virus exits from the cell and may influence the target cell tropism of EBV

Passage-time distributions from a spin-boson detector model

The passage-time distribution for a spread-out quantum particle to traverse a specific region is calculated using a detailed quantum model for the detector involved. That model, developed and investigated in earlier works, is based on the detected particle's enhancement of the coupling between a collection of spins (in a metastable state) and their environment. We treat the continuum limit of the model, under the assumption of the Markov property, and calculate the particle state immediately after the first detection. An explicit example with 15 boson modes shows excellent agreement between the discrete model and the continuum limit. Analytical expressions for the passage-time distribution as well as numerical examples are presented. The precision of the measurement scheme is estimated and its optimization discussed. For slow particles, the precision goes like $E^{-3/4}$, which improves previous $E^{-1}$ estimates, obtained with a quantum clock model.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures; minor changes, references corrected; accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.