Gauge dilution and leptogenesis

In this paper, we examine how gauge interactions can dilute the lepton asymmetry in lepton induced baryogenesis. Constraints imposed on Majorana masses keep this dilution at an acceptable level.Comment: 5 page

Quasi-optimum design of a six degree of freedom moving base simulator control system

The design of a washout control system for a moving base simulator is treated by a quasi-optimum control technique. The broad objective of the design is to reproduce the sensed motion of a six degree of freedom simulator as accurately as possible without causing the simulator excursions to exceed specified limits. A performance criterion is established that weights magnitude and direction errors in specific force and in angular velocity and attempts to maintain the excursion within set limits by penalizing excessive excursions. A FORTRAN routine for relizing the washout law was developed and typical time histories using the washout routine were simulated for a range of parameters in the penalty- and weighting-functions. These time histories and the listing of the routine are included in the report

Bound on the Dark Matter Density in the Solar System from Planetary Motions

High precision planet orbital data extracted from direct observation, spacecraft explorations and laser ranging techniques enable to put a strong constraint on the maximal dark matter density of a spherical halo centered around the Sun. The maximal density at Earth's location is of the order $10^5$ ${\rm GeV/cm^3}$ and shows only a mild dependence on the slope of the halo profile, taken between 0 and -2. This bound is somewhat better than that obtained from the perihelion precession limits.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figur

Preparation and characterization of electrodes for the NASA Redox storage system

Electrodes for the Redox energy storage system based on iron and chromium chloride reactants is discussed. The physical properties of several lots of felt were determined. Procedures were developed for evaluating electrode performance in lab scale cells. Experimental procedures for evaluating electrodes by cyclic voltammetry are described which minimize the IR losses due to the high internal resistance in the felt (distributed resistance). Methods to prepare electrodes which reduced the coevolution of hydrogen at the chromium electrode and eleminate the drop in voltage on discharge occasionally seen with previous electrodes were discussed. Single cells of 0.3329 ft area with improved membranes and electrodes are operating at over 80% voltage efficiency and coulombic efficiencies of over 98% at current densities of 16 to 20 amp % ft

The Histone 3'-Terminal Stem-Loop-Binding Protein Enhances Translation through a Functional and Physical Interaction with Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 4G (eIF4G) and eIF3

Metazoan cell cycle-regulated histone mRNAs are unique cellular mRNAs in that they terminate in a highly conserved stem-loop structure instead of a poly(A) tail. Not only is the stem-loop structure necessary for 3'-end formation but it regulates the stability and translational efficiency of histone mRNAs. The histone stem-loop structure is recognized by the stem-loop-binding protein (SLBP), which is required for the regulation of mRNA processing and turnover. In this study, we show that SLBP is required for the translation of mRNAs containing the histone stem-loop structure. Moreover, we show that the translation of mRNAs ending in the histone stem-loop is stimulated in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells expressing mammalian SLBP. The translational function of SLBP genetically required eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E), eIF4G, and eIF3, and expressed SLBP coisolated with S. cerevisiae initiation factor complexes that bound the 5' cap in a manner dependent on eIF4G and eIF3. Furthermore, eIF4G coimmunoprecipitated with endogenous SLBP in mammalian cell extracts and recombinant SLBP and eIF4G coisolated. These data indicate that SLBP stimulates the translation of histone mRNAs through a functional interaction with both the mRNA stem-loop and the 5' cap that is mediated by eIF4G and eIF3

Additional studies of quasi-optimum feedback control techniques

Quasi-optimal control technique for space vehicle attitude, bounded acceleration rendezvous in free space, and aircraft landing proble

Application of computational physics within Northrop

An overview of Northrop programs in computational physics is presented. These programs depend on access to today's supercomputers, such as the Numerical Aerodynamical Simulator (NAS), and future growth on the continuing evolution of computational engines. Descriptions here are concentrated on the following areas: computational fluid dynamics (CFD), computational electromagnetics (CEM), computer architectures, and expert systems. Current efforts and future directions in these areas are presented. The impact of advances in the CFD area is described, and parallels are drawn to analagous developments in CEM. The relationship between advances in these areas and the development of advances (parallel) architectures and expert systems is also presented

Analytical and experimental investigation of gas bearing tilting pad pivots Final report

Fretting damage in gas bearing tilting pad pivot

Genome-wide identification of FoxO-dependent gene networks in skeletal muscle during C26 cancer cachexia

BACKGROUND: Evidence from cachectic cancer patients and animal models of cancer cachexia supports the involvement of Forkhead box O (FoxO) transcription factors in driving cancer-induced skeletal muscle wasting. However, the genome-wide gene networks and associated biological processes regulated by FoxO during cancer cachexia are unknown. We hypothesize that FoxO is a central upstream regulator of diverse gene networks in skeletal muscle during cancer that may act coordinately to promote the wasting phenotype. METHODS: To inhibit endogenous FoxO DNA-binding, we transduced limb and diaphragm muscles of mice with AAV9 containing the cDNA for a dominant negative (d.n.) FoxO protein (or GFP control). The d.n.FoxO construct consists of only the FoxO3a DNA-binding domain that is highly homologous to that of FoxO1 and FoxO4, and which outcompetes and blocks endogenous FoxO DNA binding. Mice were subsequently inoculated with Colon-26 (C26) cells and muscles harvested 26 days later. RESULTS: Blocking FoxO prevented C26-induced muscle fiber atrophy of both locomotor muscles and the diaphragm and significantly spared force deficits. This sparing of muscle size and function was associated with the differential regulation of 543 transcripts (out of 2,093) which changed in response to C26. Bioinformatics analysis of upregulated gene transcripts that required FoxO revealed enrichment of the proteasome, AP-1 and IL-6 pathways, and included several atrophy-related transcription factors, including Stat3, Fos, and Cebpb. FoxO was also necessary for the cancer-induced downregulation of several gene transcripts that were enriched for extracellular matrix and sarcomere protein-encoding genes. We validated these findings in limb muscles and the diaphragm through qRT-PCR, and further demonstrate that FoxO1 and/or FoxO3a are sufficient to increase Stat3, Fos, Cebpb, and the C/EBPβ target gene, Ubr2. Analysis of the Cebpb proximal promoter revealed two bona fide FoxO binding elements, which we further establish are necessary for Cebpb promoter activation in response to IL-6, a predominant cytokine in the C26 cancer model. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide new evidence that FoxO-dependent transcription is a central node controlling diverse gene networks in skeletal muscle during cancer cachexia, and identifies novel candidate genes and networks for further investigation as causative factors in cancer-induced wasting.R01 AR060217 - NIAMS NIH HHS; R01 AR060209 - NIAMS NIH HHS; T32 HD043730 - NICHD NIH HHS; R00 HL098453 - NHLBI NIH HHS; R00HL098453 - NHLBI NIH HHS; R01AR060209 - NIAMS NIH HHS; R01AR060217 - NIAMS NIH HH