540 research outputs found
Extraction of Small Boat Harmonic Signatures from Passive Sonar
This paper investigates the extraction of acoustic signatures from small boats using a passive sonar system. Noise radiated from a small boats consists of broadband noise and harmonically related tones that correspond to engine and propeller specifications. A signal processing method to automatically extract the harmonic structure of noise radiated from small boats is developed. The Harmonic Extraction and Analysis Tool (HEAT) estimates the instantaneous fundamental frequency of the harmonic tones, refines the fundamental frequency estimate using a Kalman filter, and automatically extracts the amplitudes of the harmonic tonals to generate a harmonic signature for the boat. Results are presented that show the HEAT algorithms ability to extract these signatures
Torts
Covers cases on violation of civil rights—damages (Peterson); on personal injuries as community property—res ipsa loquitur (Duggan); on defamation (Duggan); on storekeeper\u27s liability (Bader); on children staying after school—invitees or licensees (Bader); and on attractive nuisances (Brown)
Environmental Quality Management in a Region with External Development Pressures
The objective of this study was to examine the problems of managing residuals and environmental quality in a region facing potentially rapid growth as a consequence of externally made development decisions. The research adapted and applied the residuals environmental management concept which recognizes the need for an integration of physical methods, implementation incentives and institutional arrangements in controlling air, water and solid residuals. The area selected for study, the Uintah Basin in Southeastern utah, has the potential for extensive energy resource and mineral development and could experience a large population influx and accelerated economic growth as a result. in the face of a wide range of possible resource developments, the study used an alternative futures approach, in which combinations of exogenous events leading to different types and levels of economic activities and employment inpacts were identified. Economic and land use simulation models were applied to project the effects of the futures on the basin. Materials balances were then drawn up for major polluting activities to determine the residuals that would be produced and discharged to the environment if there were not controls. An environmental impact and management model, structured as al inear programming model, was used to evaluate environmental management strategies. The model incorporated various production processes and residuals treatment methods. Air and water quality simulation models were applied to assess environmental impacts and generate model constraints. Several dimesnsions of environmental management strategies were analyzed including alternative production processes, waste treatment methods, and various implementation incentives such as effluent charges, effluent standards and effects of legal restructions. This report was submitted in fulfillment of Contract No. R-803203 by the Utah Water Research Laboratory, Utah State University under the sponsorship of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This report covers the period July 22, 1974 to january 31, 1977, and was completed as of February 21, 1977
Alignment between PIN1 Polarity and Microtubule Orientation in the Shoot Apical Meristem Reveals a Tight Coupling between Morphogenesis and Auxin Transport
Morphogenesis during multicellular development is regulated by intercellular signaling molecules as well as by the mechanical properties of individual cells. In particular, normal patterns of organogenesis in plants require coordination between growth direction and growth magnitude. How this is achieved remains unclear. Here we show that in Arabidopsis thaliana, auxin patterning and cellular growth are linked through a correlated pattern of auxin efflux carrier localization and cortical microtubule orientation. Our experiments reveal that both PIN1 localization and microtubule array orientation are likely to respond to a shared upstream regulator that appears to be biomechanical in nature. Lastly, through mathematical modeling we show that such a biophysical coupling could mediate the feedback loop between auxin and its transport that underlies plant phyllotaxis
Quantum nondemolition measurement of mechanical motion quanta
The fields of opto- and electromechanics have facilitated numerous advances
in the areas of precision measurement and sensing, ultimately driving the
studies of mechanical systems into the quantum regime. To date, however, the
quantization of the mechanical motion and the associated quantum jumps between
phonon states remains elusive. For optomechanical systems, the coupling to the
environment was shown to preclude the detection of the mechanical mode
occupation, unless strong single photon optomechanical coupling is achieved.
Here, we propose and analyse an electromechanical setup, which allows to
overcome this limitation and resolve the energy levels of a mechanical
oscillator. We find that the heating of the membrane, caused by the interaction
with the environment and unwanted couplings, can be suppressed for carefully
designed electromechanical systems. The results suggest that phonon number
measurement is within reach for modern electromechanical setups.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures plus 24 pages, 11 figures supplemental materia
Whole genome analysis for 163 gRNAs in Cas9-edited mice reveals minimal off-target activity.
Genome editing with CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins holds exceptional promise for correcting variants causing genetic disease. To realize this promise, off-target genomic changes cannot occur during the editing process. Here, we use whole genome sequencing to compare the genomes of 50 Cas9-edited founder mice to 28 untreated control mice to assess the occurrence of S. pyogenes Cas9-induced off-target mutagenesis. Computational analysis of whole-genome sequencing data detects 26 unique sequence variants at 23 predicted off-target sites for 18/163 guides used. While computationally detected variants are identified in 30% (15/50) of Cas9 gene-edited founder animals, only 38% (10/26) of the variants in 8/15 founders validate by Sanger sequencing. In vitro assays for Cas9 off-target activity identify only two unpredicted off-target sites present in genome sequencing data. In total, only 4.9% (8/163) of guides tested have detectable off-target activity, a rate of 0.2 Cas9 off-target mutations per founder analyzed. In comparison, we observe ~1,100 unique variants in each mouse regardless of genome exposure to Cas9 indicating off-target variants comprise a small fraction of genetic heterogeneity in Cas9-edited mice. These findings will inform future design and use of Cas9-edited animal models as well as provide context for evaluating off-target potential in genetically diverse patient populations
The two metallicity groups of the globular cluster M22: a chemical perspective
We present a detailed chemical composition analysis of 35 red giant stars in
the globular cluster M22. High resolution spectra for this study were obtained
at five observatories, and analyzed in a uniform manner. We have determined
abundances of representative light proton-capture, alpha, Fe-peak and
neutron-capture element groups. Our aim is to better understand the peculiar
chemical enrichment history of this cluster, in which two stellar groups are
characterized by a different content in iron, neutron capture elements Y, Zr
and Ba, and alpha element Ca. The principal results of this study are: (i)
substantial star-to-star metallicity scatter (-2.0<[Fe/H]<-1.6); (ii)
enhancement of s-process/r-process neutron-capture abundance ratios in a
fraction of giants, positively correlated with metallicity; (iii) sharp
separation between the s-process rich and s-process poor groups by [La/Eu]
ratio; (iv) possible increase of [Cu/Fe] ratios with increasing [Fe/H],
suggesting that this element also has a significant s-process component; and
(v) presence of Na-O and C-N anticorrelations in both the stellar groups.Comment: 26 pages, 19 figures. Accepted for publication in A&
The MACHO Project 9 Million Star Color-Magnitude Diagram of the Large Magellanic Cloud
We present a 9 million star color-magnitude diagram (9M CMD) of the LMC bar.
The 9M CMD reveals a complex superposition of different age and metallicity
stellar populations, with important stellar evolutionary phases occurring over
3 orders of magnitude in number density. First, we count the non-variable
supergiants, the associated Cepheids, and measure the effective temperatures
defining the instability strip. Lifetime predictions of stellar evolution
theory are tested, with implications for the origin of low-luminosity Cepheids.
The highly-evolved AGB stars have a bimodal distribution in brightness, which
we interpret as discrete old populations (>1 Gyr). The faint AGB may be
metal-poor and very old. We identify the clusters NGC 411 and M3 as templates
for the admixture of old stellar populations. However, there are indications
that the old and metal-poor field population has a red HB morphology: the RR
Lyraes lie on the red edge of the instability strip, the AGB-bump is very red,
and the ratio of AGB-bump stars to RR Lyraes is quite large. If the HB second
parameter is age, the old and metal-poor field population likely formed after
the oldest clusters. Lifetime predictions of stellar evolution theory lead us
to associate a significant fraction of the red HB clump giants with the same
old and metal-poor population producing the RR Lyraes and the AGB-bump. In this
case, compared to the age-dependent luminosity predictions of stellar evolution
theory, the red HB clump is too bright relative to the RR Lyraes and AGB-bump.
Last, the surface density profile of RR Lyraes is fit by an exponential,
favoring a disk-like rather than spheroidal distribution. We conclude that the
age of the LMC disk is probably similar to the age of the Galactic disk.
(ABRIDGED)Comment: to appear in the Astronomical Journal, 49 pages, 12 figures,
aaspp4.st
Quantum Fluctuation Theorems
Recent advances in experimental techniques allow one to measure and control
systems at the level of single molecules and atoms. Here gaining information
about fluctuating thermodynamic quantities is crucial for understanding
nonequilibrium thermodynamic behavior of small systems. To achieve this aim,
stochastic thermodynamics offers a theoretical framework, and nonequilibrium
equalities such as Jarzynski equality and fluctuation theorems provide key
information about the fluctuating thermodynamic quantities. We review the
recent progress in quantum fluctuation theorems, including the studies of
Maxwell's demon which plays a crucial role in connecting thermodynamics with
information.Comment: As a chapter of: F. Binder, L. A. Correa, C. Gogolin, J. Anders, and
G. Adesso (eds.), "Thermodynamics in the quantum regime - Fundamental Aspects
and New Directions", (Springer International Publishing, 2018
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