Close encounters involving RAVE stars beyond the 47 Tucanae tidal radius

The most accurate 6D phase-space information from the Radial Velocity Experiment (RAVE) was used to integrate the orbits of 105 stars around the galactic globular cluster 47 Tucanae, to look for close encounters between them in the past, with a minimum distance approach less than the cluster tidal radius. The stars are currently over the distance range 3.0 kpc $<$ d $<$ 5.5 kpc. Using the uncertainties in the current position and velocity vector for both, star and cluster, 105 pairs of star-cluster orbits were generated in a Monte Carlo numerical scheme, integrated over 2 Gyr and considering an axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric Milky-Way-like Galactic potential, respectively. In this scheme, we identified 20 potential cluster members that had close encounters with the globular cluster 47 Tucanae, all of which have a relative velocity distribution (V$_{rel}$) less than 200 km s$^{-1}$ at the minimum distance approach. Among these potential members, 9 had close encounters with the cluster with velocities less than the escape velocity of 47 Tucanae, therefore a scenario of tidal stripping seems likely. These stars have been classified with a 93\% confidence level, leading to the identification of extratidal cluster stars. For the other 11 stars, V$_{rel}$ exceeds the escape velocity of the cluster, therefore they were likely ejected or are unassociated interlopers.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, 2 table, Accepted for publication in MNRA

Properties of the solvation force of a two-dimensional Ising strip in scaling regimes

We consider d=2 Ising strip with surface fields acting on boundary spins. Using the properties of the transfer matrix spectrum we identify two pseudotransition temperatures and show that they satisfy similar scaling relations as expected for real transition temperatures in strips with d>2. The solvation force between the boundaries of the strip is analysed as a function of temperature, surface fields and the width of the strip. For large widths the solvation force can be described by scaling functions in three different regimes: in the vicinity of the critical wetting temperature of 2D semi-infinite system, in the vicinity of the bulk critical temperature, and in the regime of weak surface fields where the critical wetting temperature tends towards the bulk critical temperature. The properties of the relevant scaling functions are discussed

All-Metallic Phase Change Thermal Management Systems for Transient Spacecraft Loads

In this work, we explore the thermal properties of gallium as an effective phase change material for thermal management applications. Thermal storage and dissipation of gallium manufactured heat sinks were compared to conventional phase change heat sinks. The comparison revealed a 50-fold (80 K versus 1.5 K) potential reduction in temperature during the phase change process due to the high density, thermal conductivity, and latent heat of fusion. The gallium creates shallow thermal gradients when transiently heated, producing a nearly isothermal process. Computational estimates using lumped sum parameters were able to provide simple modeling to predict the results. Gallium based phase change devices offer a combination of low volume, small temperature drops across the device, simplicity of manufacture and design, and high energy storage applications

Can the palatability of healthy, satiety-promoting foods increase with repeated exposure during weight loss?

Repeated exposure to sugary, fatty, and salty foods often enhances their appeal. However, it is unknown if exposure influences learned palatability of foods typically promoted as part of a healthy diet. We tested whether the palatability of pulse containing foods provided during a weight loss intervention which were particularly high in fiber and low in energy density would increase with repeated exposure. At weeks 0, 3, and 6, participants (n = 42; body mass index (BMI) 31.2 ± 4.3 kg/m²) were given a test battery of 28 foods, approximately half which had been provided as part of the intervention, while the remaining half were not foods provided as part of the intervention. In addition, about half of each of the foods (provided as part or not provided as part of the intervention) contained pulses. Participants rated the taste, appearance, odor, and texture pleasantness of each food, and an overall flavor pleasantness score was calculated as the mean of these four scores. Linear mixed model analyses showed an exposure type by week interaction effect for taste, texture and overall flavor pleasantness indicating statistically significant increases in ratings of provided foods in taste and texture from weeks 0 to 3 and 0 to 6, and overall flavor from weeks 0 to 6. Repeated exposure to these foods, whether they contained pulses or not, resulted in a ~4% increase in pleasantness ratings. The long-term clinical relevance of this small increase requires further study.T32 AT000815 - NCCIH NIH HH

Genetic Structure of Northern Bobwhites in Northeast Mississippi and Southwest Tennessee

Precipitous declines in northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) populations across most of the natural range may increase susceptibility to genetic isolation, restrict gene flow among subpopulations, and exacerbate vulnerability to catastrophic stochastic processes. We characterized the level of genetic variability of 223 individual bobwhites representing 4 disjunct populations in northeast Mississippi and southwest Tennessee in 2002. Analyses at 8 microsatellite loci suggested observed heterozygosity was lower than expected but showed no significant heterozygosity excess. Estimates of FIS coefficients were positive in each subpopulation, but low overall, suggesting only minor loss in heterozygosity over the entire population. Gene diversity was high and genetic differentiation within and among subpopulations and isolation by distance effects were minimal, suggesting adequate levels of gene flow. We suggest, despite population losses, gene flow is maintained among subpopulations, which may reflect the bobwhite’s ability to disperse successfully in the agricultural landscape in this region. Maintenance of gene flow across seemingly inhospitable landscapes suggests focal area management directives may enhance population sustainability. Greater understanding of the genetic structure of northern bobwhite populations on larger geographic scales and across the species’ range is paramount to population recovery

A Comparative Study of Interval Management Control Law Capabilities

This paper presents a new tool designed to allow for rapid development and testing of different control algorithms for airborne spacing. This tool, Interval Management Modeling and Spacing Tool (IM MAST), is a fast-time, low-fidelity tool created to model the approach of aircraft to a runway, with a focus on their interactions with each other. Errors can be induced between pairs of aircraft by varying initial positions, winds, speed profiles, and altitude profiles. Results to-date show that only a few of the algorithms tested had poor behavior in the arrival and approach environment. The majority of the algorithms showed only minimal variation in performance under the test conditions. Trajectory-based algorithms showed high susceptibility to wind forecast errors, while performing marginally better than the other algorithms under other conditions. Trajectory-based algorithms have a sizable advantage, however, of being able to perform relative spacing operations between aircraft on different arrival routes and flight profiles without employing ghosting. methods. This comes at the higher cost of substantially increased complexity, however. Additionally, it was shown that earlier initiation of relative spacing operations provided more time for corrections to be made without any significant problems in the spacing operation itself. Initiating spacing farther out, however, would require more of the aircraft to begin spacing before they merge onto a common route

Selenium Toxicity in Growing Swine

The Food and Drug Administration has approved sodium selenite and sodium selenate as supplements to pig starter diets up to a level of .3 parts per million (ppm) of selenium. In view of this, the potential exists for selenium poisoning to occur through accidental contamination, incorrect mixing or incorrect formulation of the diet. However, little research has been conducted to determine the maximum level of dietary selenium that could be tolerated without affecting pig performance. The objectives of this study were to establish the level at which selenium becomes toxic to growing swine and to determine which of the parameters evaluated is the best indication of chronic selenium poisoning

Effect of Sodium Selenite Levels on Tissue and Blood Composition and Performance of Growing-Finishing Swine

A second trial was conducted to further study the problem of selenium toxicity. In this experiment, sodium selenite was utilized as the selenium source. The FDA has approved sodium selenite and sodium selenate supplementation of pig starter diets up to a level of .3 parts per million (ppm) of selenium. The study reported herein was conducted to determine the effect of sodium selenite levels on tissue and blood composition and performance of growing-finishing swine

Ultra-Slow Vacancy-Mediated Tracer Diffusion in Two Dimensions: The Einstein Relation Verified

We study the dynamics of a charged tracer particle (TP) on a two-dimensional lattice all sites of which except one (a vacancy) are filled with identical neutral, hard-core particles. The particles move randomly by exchanging their positions with the vacancy, subject to the hard-core exclusion. In case when the charged TP experiences a bias due to external electric field ${\bf E}$, (which favors its jumps in the preferential direction), we determine exactly the limiting probability distribution of the TP position in terms of appropriate scaling variables and the leading large-N ($n$ being the discrete time) behavior of the TP mean displacement $\bar{{\bf X}}_n$; the latter is shown to obey an anomalous, logarithmic law $|\bar{{\bf X}}_n| = \alpha_0(|{\bf E}|) \ln(n)$. On comparing our results with earlier predictions by Brummelhuis and Hilhorst (J. Stat. Phys. {\bf 53}, 249 (1988)) for the TP diffusivity $D_n$ in the unbiased case, we infer that the Einstein relation $\mu_n = \beta D_n$ between the TP diffusivity and the mobility $\mu_n = \lim_{|{\bf E}| \to 0}(|\bar{{\bf X}}_n|/| {\bf E} |n)$ holds in the leading in $n$ order, despite the fact that both $D_n$ and $\mu_n$ are not constant but vanish as $n \to \infty$. We also generalize our approach to the situation with very small but finite vacancy concentration $\rho$, in which case we find a ballistic-type law $|\bar{{\bf X}}_n| = \pi \alpha_0(|{\bf E}|) \rho n$. We demonstrate that here, again, both $D_n$ and $\mu_n$, calculated in the linear in $\rho$ approximation, do obey the Einstein relation.Comment: 25 pages, one figure, TeX, submitted to J. Stat. Phy