Propagating Waves in a Monolayer of Gas-Fluidized Rods

We report on an observation of propagating compression waves in a quasi-two-dimensional monolayer of apolar granular rods fluidized by an upflow of air. The collective wave speed is an order of magnitude faster than the speed of the particles. This gives rise to anomalously large number fluctuations dN ~ $N^{0.72 \pm 0.04}$, which are greater than ordinary number fluctuations of N^{1/2}. We characterize the waves by calculating the spatiotemporal power spectrum of the density. The position of observed peaks, as a function of frequency w and wavevector k, yields a linear dispersion relationship in the long-time, long-wavelength limit and a wavespeed c = w/k. Repeating this analysis for systems at different densities and air speeds, we observe a linear increase in the wavespeed with increasing packing fraction with no dependence on the airflow. Although air-fluidized rods self-propel individually or in dilute collections, the parallel and perpendicular root-mean-square speeds of the rods indicate that they no longer self-propel when propagating waves are present. Based on this mutual exclusivity, we map out the phase behavior for the existence of waves vs self-propulsion as a function of density and fluidizing airflow

Diamonds and related minerals from the Dokolwayo Kimberlite, Kingdom of Swaziland

Includes bibliography.Several physical characteristics, the carbon isotopic compositions, inclusion mineralogy, and distribution of the Dokolwayo diamonds were investigated. A representative suite of concentrate garnet megacrysts and macrocrysts were analyzed for their compositions. Concentrate macrocryst spinels and silicate inclusions recovered from these spinels were analyzed. The physical characteristics of the diamonds investigated were mass, size, morphology and colour. The relationship between mass and size in a population of diamonds recovered from a single hypabyssal intrusion and the general production as a whole, was found to be statistically the same. The most recognizable morphology is the dodecahedron. Octahedra decrease in significance with a decrease in size. Colourless stones predominate. Brown stones are more common than yellow stones, which is uncommon in primary southern Africa diamond populations. Diamonds characterized by "Tanganyika naats" have hitherto not been described from southern Africa. The relationship between the various physical characteristics investigated indicate that the general Dokolwayo diamond population consists of at least four sub-populations

Earth resources-regional transfer activity contracts review

A regional transfer activity contracts review held by the Earth Resources Office was summarized. Contracts in the earth resources field primarily directed toward applications of satellite data and technology in solution of state and regional problems were reviewed. A summary of the progress of each contract was given in order to share experiences of researchers across a seven state region. The region included Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina. Research in several earth science disciplines included forestry, limnology, water resources, land use, geology, and mathematical modeling. The use of computers for establishment of information retrieval systems was also emphasized

The provision of education and training for healthcare professionals through the medium of the internet

This paper describes a new initiative to provide Internet based courses to student and professional occupational therapists in four centres in the UK, Belgium the Netherlands and Sweden. The basis of this collaborative Occupational Therapy Internet School (OTIS) is the concept of the “Virtual College”. This comprises the design and implementation of a sophisticated Internet-based system through which courses can be managed, prepared and delivered online in an effective fashion, and where students can communicate both with the staff and their peers. The aim is to support and facilitate the whole range of educational activities within a remote electronic environment. A major feature of the course organisation is the adoption of a problem-based approach in which students will collaborate internationally to propose effective intervention in given case study scenarios. The paper outlines the rationale for OTIS, the content and structure of the courseware, the technical specification of the system and evaluation criteria. In addition to the more conventional web-based learning facilities generally offered, a number of agent-based approaches are being adopted to assist in the management of the course by ensuring the proper delivery of course materials and to assist the functioning of project groups. </p

Limitations in Predicting Radiation-Induced Pharmaceutical Instability during Long-Duration Spaceflight

As human spaceflight seeks to expand beyond low-Earth orbit, NASA and its international partners face numerous challenges related to ensuring the safety of their astronauts, including the need to provide a safe and effective pharmacy for long-duration spaceflight. Historical missions have relied upon frequent resupply of onboard pharmaceuticals; as a result, there has been little study into the effects of long-term exposure of pharmaceuticals to the space environment. Of particular concern are the long-term effects of space radiation on drug stability, especially as missions venture away from the protective proximity of the Earth. Here we highlight the risk of space radiation to pharmaceuticals during exploration spaceflight, identifying the limitations of current understanding. We further seek to identify ways in which these limitations could be addressed through dedicated research efforts aimed towards the rapid development of an effective pharmacy for future spaceflight endeavors.Comment: in press, Nature Microgravit

Defect turbulence in inclined layer convection

We report experimental results on the defect turbulent state of undulation chaos in inclined layer convection of a fluid withPrandtl number $\approx 1$. By measuring defect density and undulation wavenumber, we find that the onset of undulation chaos coincides with the theoretically predicted onset for stable, stationary undulations. At stronger driving, we observe a competition between ordered undulations and undulation chaos, suggesting bistability between a fixed-point attractor and spatiotemporal chaos. In the defect turbulent regime, we measured the defect creation, annihilation, entering, leaving, and rates. We show that entering and leaving rates through boundaries must be considered in order to describe the observed statistics. We derive a universal probability distribution function which agrees with the experimental findings.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Study of methane fuel for subsonic transport aircraft

The cost and performance were defined for commercial transport using liquid methane including its fuel system and the ground facility complex required for the processing and storage of methane. A cost and performance comparison was made with Jet A and hydrogen powered aircraft of the same payload and range capability. Extensive design work was done on cryogenic fuel tanks, insulation systems as well as the fuel system itself. Three candidate fuel tank locations were evaluated, i.e., fuselage tanks, wing tanks or external pylon tanks

Hysterectomy, endometrial ablation, and levonorgestrel releasing intrauterine system (Mirena) for treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding : cost effectiveness analysis

Peer reviewedPublisher PD