Discrete-Event Simulation of the Establishment of a Bare Beachhead for Long-Term Joint Logistics over the Shore (JLOTS) Operations

The United States military uses Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) operations to move soldiers, vehicles, and equipment across the globe for military and humanitarian missions. These logistics operations can only be accomplished through cooperation between commanders in all services.  The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center is developing a tool to analyze a set of early entry alternatives to optimize mission effectives and efficiencies in order to facilitate assured mobility and freedom of movement. This program is currently being developed under the name Planning Logistics Analysis Network System (PLANS). PLANS comprehensively covers air, land, and sea transportation infrastructure, regions of avoidance, and more. This research addresses a gap in strategic and operational planning by modeling the establishment of JLOTS operations on bare beach environments. The West Point developed discrete event simulation will determine the amount of time it takes to prepare a beach to sustain JLOTS operations under varying environmental and operational conditions

Using 3D Modeling to Describe the Electromotility of the Outer Hair Cell Protein Prestin, and its Role in Sound Perception Among Mammals

Prestin is one of the key motor proteins that has been identified in enabling auditory perception in mammals. By modulating its electromotility in response to changes in environmental voltage, prestin contracts and elongates in the plasma membrane of cochlear outer hair cells (OHCs). This allows different frequencies of sound to be processed quickly and precisely. Belonging to the SLC26A5 family of anion transporters, prestin is especially adept at binding anions in order to facilitate its oscillation through a series of unique conformations. Previous research has demonstrated that prestin is reversibly inhibited in the presence of salicylate. However, the broader mechanisms by which prestin senses and transduces voltage into cellular movement are not yet well understood. Previous studies have described the electromotility of prestin in terms of non-linear capacitance (NLC), wherein conformational changes in the protein are not linearly related to the voltage applied. High NLC is imperative for sound amplification in the cochlea, as this property enables OHCs’ selective response to different frequencies of incoming sound. 3D protein modeling was employed to better visualize the electromotility of this OHC protein by manipulating models of bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) prestin available in the Protein Data Bank. Using the software PyMOL, Chain A of prestin in the inhibited state (7S9E) and Chain B of the compact, sensor-up state (7S8X) were spliced together into a novel merged model that depicts the fluctuation in the cross-sectional area of the transmembrane regions. This was possible because prestin is a protein homodimer whose peptide subunits could be swapped and replaced accordingly upon manipulation in the program. Key elements of prestin’s topology were then highlighted on this nascent model to emphasize the locations of the 14 gate and core transmembrane (TM) helices, the site of anion binding, and the cytosolic STAS domain. The colors corresponding with these regions include salmon, light blue, dark violet, and lavender, respectively. Helices TM3 and TM10 play a pivotal role in facilitating the movement of prestin’s dimers when bound to specific ligands. Likewise, the pocket formed by residues Gln97, Phe101, Phe137, Leu397, Ser398, and Arg399 has been identified as the anion binding site in the homodimer. The binding stability of ligands is further enhanced via additional noncovalent forces present in the active site, including pi stacking between salicylate and Phe137, and Ser393’s participation in hydrogen bonding. Arg399, the only positively charged residue in the cavity, is known to rotate up and down while the protein is moving, and neutralization of this key residue has also been found to eliminate prestin’s NLC entirely in vitro. Other residues of note that have been described by researchers include a series of 13 amino acid replacements (depicted in gold) that appear to be shared by several echolocating mammals, indicating convergent evolution between bats, whales, and dolphins.https://nsuworks.nova.edu/protein_modeling_reports/1013/thumbnail.jp

Spatial Association Between Origin and Landfall of Hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean

Tropical storms such as hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons forming over warm areas near the equator in the ocean are studied by researchers since hurricanes can significantly impact physical and economical damages to communities and their inhabitants. Researchers study tropical storms for the prediction of path, intensity, and potential damage. Although advanced methods and technology allow researchers to track tropical storms in the ocean prior to its landfall, spatial dependency of hurricane paths remains little known. The purpose of this project is to study if there is a spatial dependency between the origin in the Atlantic Ocean and the landfall in the United States of hurricanes. To investigate spatial association between origin and landfall, we first define eight regions for the origin and five zones for the landfall. We map all historical hurricane data since 1851 on these defined regions using the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data. We examine the spatial associations between the origin and landfall for the entire hurricane season and for each month from June to December using various statistical analysis techniques. The results will be presented through contingency tables and map visualization methods. Our study will have spatial and temporal patterns of the hurricane paths, which allows for predictability of hurricane landfall in the United States. This research will provide some data-driven clues to accurately predict and map out a hurricane path before considering the use of a complicated mathematical model

Description of a new phyllostome bat from the isthmus of Panama

Volume: 15Start Page: 83End Page: 8

Establishment of Swedish enterprises in Estonia : A comparison between established Swedish enterprises in Sweden and in Estonia, its effects on the company

Bakgrund: Globalisering har medfört ökad konkurrens, vilket har ställt högre krav på svenska företag. Företagen måste ständigt utvecklas för att kunna behålla sin konkurrenskraft, och företagen kan bemöta den hårda konkurrensen genom en utflyttning av verksamheten till utlandet eller utveckling på hemmaplan. EU-utvidgningen har medfört förbättrad kommunikation mellan företag och medborgare i medlemsländerna, vilket i sin tur har bidragit till det ökade intresset för de Östeuropeiska länderna. Många svenska företag väljer att flytta till Estland på grund av den geografiska närheten, tillgång till nya marknader och strävan efter kostnadsreducering. Problem: Är etablering i låglöneländer ett lyckat alternativ för svenska småföretag? Syfte: Att studera skillnader mellan svenska företag som producerar i Sverige och i Estland. Utifrån dessa skillnader undersöka hur produktiviteten varierar beroende på var företaget bedriver sin verksamhet. Metod: Undersökningen baserades på intervjuer av fem företag. För att kunna utföra en jämförelse mellan verksamheterna har vi intervjuat företag som bedriver verksamhet i respektive land. Teori: I uppsatsen presenteras Prestationsfaktorer och Total Process Management, vilka beskriver olika faktorer som leder till bättre produktivitet. Även Ricardo Modellen om komparativa fördelar används för att kunna studera skillnader på komparativa fördelar mellan Sverige och Estland. Resultat: I undersökningen visade det sig att motivet till utflyttning inte enbart beror på komparativa fördelar mellan länder, utan hänsyn tas också till företagets bransch. Företagen i vår undersökning flyttade pg a. kostnadsreducering och kundnärhet, och det har lett till olika effekter,. De undersökta företagen som bedriver verksamhet i Sverige har påverkats dels av låg efterfrågan och dels av den asiatiska konkurrensen. Det framkom också att ett företag kunde effektivisera produktionen genom automatisering. Dessa företag har också påverkats av höga kostnader, t ex personal-, el- och energikostnader. Medan verksamheterna i Estland har gynnats av låg personalkostnad.Background: Globalization has caused an increased competition, which has increased the demands on Swedish companies. Companies require constant development to be able to retain their competitiveness. Furthermore companies can defend their position by moving operations abroad or by developing their domestic markets. The EU-enlargement has brought an increased communication between European countries; it has caused increased interest in the Eastern European countries. Many Swedish companies chose to move to Estonia because of the geographic proximity, for the access to new markets and the ambition in companies to reduce expenses. Purpose: To study differences between Swedish companies producing in Sweden and in Estonia. From the differences examine how productivity varies depending on the location of operations of the companies. Method: The examination is based on interviews with representatives from five companies. We have interviewed managers of companies having activities in each country, so that we were able to perform a comparison between the productivity of the companies located in Sweden and Estonia. Theory: Performance indicators and the Total Process Management tool are introduced in the thesis, describing factors that lead to better productivity. Ricardo’s model of Comparative Advantages was used. This model helped us to study the differences between Sweden and Estonia by comparing the comparative advantages each country is offering. Results: In the examination it was confirmed that the companies are moving their activities not only based on comparative advantages between countries, but also on the companies’ trade. The companies in our examination had moved because of reduction in expenses and to become closer to customers. The examined companies having activity in Sweden had been affected by low demand and by competition from Asia. It was also confirmed that a company was able to make production more effective by automation. These companies had also been affected by high expenses, for example personal related costs, electricity- and energy expenses. Whereas other activities had been privileged by low salaries expenses which the Estonian labour market can offer

729e rapport de la section technique

Simaïka Marcus H., Ahmad Mahmud. 729e rapport de la section technique. In: Comité de Conservation des Monuments de l'Art Arabe. Fascicule 38, exercice 1936-1940, 1944. p. 96

Procès-verbal n°197

Herz Max, Chafik, Simaïka Marcus H. Procès-verbal n°197. In: Comité de Conservation des Monuments de l'Art Arabe. Fascicule 29, exercice 1912, 1913. pp. 98-102

Note à la section technique. Ancienne fasqiya en mosaïque

Sayed Metoualli, Simaïka Marcus H., Pauty Edmond. Note à la section technique. Ancienne fasqiya en mosaïque. In: Comité de Conservation des Monuments de l'Art Arabe. Fascicule 36, exercice 1930-1932, 1936. p. 20