Thermoelectric Outer Planets Spacecraft (TOPS) electronic packaging and cabling development summary report

Electronic packaging and cabling activities performed in support of the Thermoelectric Outer Planets Spacecraft (TOPS) Advanced Systems Technology (AST) project are detailed. It describes new electronic compartment, electronic assembly, and module concepts, and a new high-density, planar interconnection technique called discrete multilayer (DML). Development and qualification of high density cabling techniques, using small gage wire and microminiature connectors, are also reported

Book Review: \u3ci\u3eBiologie des Coleopteres Chrysomelides\u3c/i\u3e by Pierre Jolivetj

The main biological aspects of this economically important group of beetles, the Chrysomelidae, are summarized in this new work by the internationally known author, Dr. Pierre Jolivet. Around 37,000 species are now described and more remain to be named. The size and diversity of the family are less than those of the weevils (Curculionidae), but probably there will be a total of 40 to 50 thousand species once the canopy fauna is better known. For instance, we still know nothing about the biology and the host plants of the Madagascaran leaf beetles and surely many more species from that region await description

Book Review: \u3ci\u3eBiologie des Coleopteres Chrysomelides\u3c/i\u3e by Pierre Jolivetj

The main biological aspects of this economically important group of beetles, the Chrysomelidae, are summarized in this new work by the internationally known author, Dr. Pierre Jolivet. Around 37,000 species are now described and more remain to be named. The size and diversity of the family are less than those of the weevils (Curculionidae), but probably there will be a total of 40 to 50 thousand species once the canopy fauna is better known. For instance, we still know nothing about the biology and the host plants of the Madagascaran leaf beetles and surely many more species from that region await description

CSE style manual and requirements for publication in \u3ci\u3eInsecta Mundi\u3c/i\u3e

The CSE quarterly journal, Insecta Mundi, is among the very few journals that have no page charges. Even so, the Center for Systematic Entomology is entirely financed through dues, subscriptions, and donations of cash, property, and time. We have found it necessary to make certain requirements for publication in the journal. (See also information on front inside cover of the journal.

Collapsars - Gamma-Ray Bursts and Explosions in "Failed Supernovae"

Using a two-dimensional hydrodynamics code (PROMETHEUS), we study the continued evolution of rotating massive helium stars whose iron core collapse does not produce a successful outgoing shock, but instead forms a black hole. We study the formation of a disk, the associated flow patterns, and the accretion rate for disk viscosity parameter, alpha ~ 0.001 and 0.1. For the standard 14 solar mass model the average accretion rate for 15 s is 0.07 solar masses per second and the total energy deposited along the rotational axes by neutrino annihilation is (1 - 14) x 10**51 erg, depending upon the evolution of the Kerr parameter and uncertain neutrino efficiencies. Simulated deposition of this energy in the polar regions results in strong relativistic outflow - jets beamed to about 1.5% of the sky. The jets remain highly focused, and are capable of penetrating the star in 5 - 10 s. After the jet breaks through the surface of the star, highly relativistic flow can commence. Because of the sensitivity of the mass ejection and jets to accretion rate, angular momentum, and disk viscosity, and the variation of observational consequences with viewing angle, a large range of outcomes is possible ranging from bright GRBs like GRB 971214 to faint GRB-supernovae like SN 1998bw. X-ray precursors are also possible as the jet first breaks out of the star. While only a small fraction of supernovae make GRBs, we predict that all GRBs longer than a few seconds will make supernovae similar to SN 1998bw. However, hard, energetic GRBs shorter than a few seconds will be difficult to make in this model.Comment: Latex, 66 pages including 27 figures (9 color), Submitted to The Astrophysical Journal, latex uses aaspp4.sty. Figures also available at http://www.ucolick.org/~andre

Preliminary archaeoentomological analyses of permafrost-preserved cultural layers from the pre-contact Yup’ik Eskimo site of Nunalleq, Alaska : implications, potential and methodological considerations

Acknowledgements Site excavation and samples collection were conducted by archaeologists from the University of Aberdeen, with the help of archaeologists and student excavators from the University of Aberdeen University of Alaska Fairbanks and Bryn Mawr College, Kuskokwim Campus, College of Rural Alaska and residents of Quinhagak and Mekoryuk. This study is funded through AHRC grant to the project ‘Understanding Cultural Resilience and Climate Change on the Bering Sea through Yup’ik Ecological Knowledge, Lifeways, Learning and Archaeology’ to Rick Knecht, Kate Britton and Charlotta Hillderal (University of Aberdeen; AH/K006029/1). Thanks are due to Qanirtuuq Inc. and Quinhagak, Alaska for sampling permissions and to entomologists working at the CNC in Ottawa for allowing access to reference collections of beetles, lice and fleas. Yves Bousquet, Ales Smetana and Anthony E. Davies are specially acknowledged for their help with the identification of coleopteran specimens. Finally, we would also like to thank Scott Elias for useful comments on the original manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

A dynamical model of surrogate reactions

A new dynamical model is developed to describe the whole process of surrogate reactions; transfer of several nucleons at an initial stage, thermal equilibration of residues leading to washing out of shell effects and decay of populated compound nuclei are treated in a unified framework. Multi-dimensional Langevin equations are employed to describe time-evolution of collective coordinates with a time-dependent potential energy surface corresponding to different stages of surrogate reactions. The new model is capable of calculating spin distributions of the compound nuclei, one of the most important quantity in the surrogate technique. Furthermore, various observables of surrogate reactions can be calculated, e.g., energy and angular distribution of ejectile, and mass distributions of fission fragments. These features are important to assess validity of the proposed model itself, to understand mechanisms of the surrogate reactions and to determine unknown parameters of the model. It is found that spin distributions of compound nuclei produced in $^{18}$O+$^{238}$U $\rightarrow ^{16}$O+$^{240*}$U and $^{18}$O+$^{236}$U $\rightarrow ^{16}$O+$^{238*}$U reactions are equivalent and much less than 10$\hbar$, therefore satisfy conditions proposed by Chiba and Iwamoto (PRC 81, 044604(2010)) if they are used as a pair in the surrogate ratio method.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figure

An experimental testbed for the study of hydrodynamic issues in supernovae

More than a decade after the explosion of supernova 1987A, unresolved discrepancies still remain in attempts to numerically simulate the mixing processes initiated by the passage of a very strong shock through the layered structure of the progenitor star. Numerically computed velocities of the radioactive 56Ni56Ni and 56Co,56Co, produced by shock-induced explosive burning within the silicon layer, for example, are still more than 50% too low as compared with the measured velocities. To resolve such discrepancies between observation and simulation, an experimental testbed has been designed on the Omega Laser for the study of hydrodynamic issues of importance to supernovae (SNe). In this paper, results are presented from a series of scaled laboratory experiments designed to isolate and explore several issues in the hydrodynamics of supernova explosions. The results of the experiments are compared with numerical simulations and are generally found to be in reasonable agreement. © 2001 American Institute of Physics.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/69986/2/PHPAEN-8-5-2446-1.pd

Pharmacogenetic Association of NOS3 Variants with Cardiovascular Disease in Patients with Hypertension: The GenHAT Study

Nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS3) catalyzes production of NO in the endothelium and may play a role in cardiovascular disease (CVD). We assessed the pharmacogenetic associations of three NOS3 polymorphisms and three antihypertensive drugs with CVD outcomes. Hypertensive subjects (n = 30,280) from a multi-center, double-blind clinical trial were randomized to chlorthalidone, amlodipine, or lisinopril treatment (mean follow up, 4.9 years). Outcomes included coronary heart disease (CHD: fatal CHD and nonfatal myocardial infarction); stroke; heart failure (fatal, requiring hospitalization, or outpatient treatment); all-cause mortality; and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Main effects of NOS3 variants on outcome and genotype-treatment interactions were tested. For NOS3 −690 C>T (rs3918226), a higher hazard ratio (HR) was found in minor allele carriers for CHD (CC = 1.00, CT+TT = 1.12 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.00–1.26), P = 0.048). For NOS3 −922 A>G (rs1800779), a higher HR was found in minor allele carriers for heart failure (AA = 1.00, AG+GG = 1.10 (CI = 1.00–1.21), P = 0.046). Significant pharmacogenetic findings were observed for stroke and all-cause mortality. For −690 C>T, a lower HR was observed for stroke in minor allele carriers when treated with amlodipine versus lisinopril (CC = 0.85 (CI = 0.73–0.99), CT+TT = 0.49 (CI = 0.31–0.80), P = 0.04). For glu298asp G>T (rs1799983), a lower HR was observed for all-cause mortality in minor allele carriers when treated with amlodipine versus lisinopril (GG = 1.01 (CI = 0.91–1.13), GT+TT = 0.85 (CI = 0.75–0.97), P = 0.04). We observed significant associations with NOS3 variants and CHD and heart failure and significant pharmacogenetic effects for stroke and all cause mortality. This suggests that NOS3 variants may potentially provide useful clinical information with respect to treatment decisions in the future

Estimating offsets for avian displacement effects of anthropogenic impacts

Biodiversity offsetting, or compensatory mitigation, is increasingly being used in temperate grassland ecosystems to compensate for unavoidable environmental damage from anthropogenic developments such as transportation infrastructure, urbanization, and energy development. Pursuit of energy independence in the United States will expand domestic energy production. Concurrent with this increased growth is increased disruption to wildlife habitats, including avian displacement from suitable breeding habitat. Recent studies at energy-extraction and energy-generation facilities have provided evidence for behavioral avoidance and thus reduced use of habitat by breeding waterfowl and grassland birds in the vicinity of energy infrastructure. To quantify and compensate for this loss in value of avian breeding habitat, it is necessary to determine a biologically based currency so that the sufficiency of offsets in terms of biological equivalent value can be obtained. We describe a method for quantifying the amount of habitat needed to provide equivalent biological value for avifauna displaced by energy and transportation infrastructure, based on the ability to define five metrics: impact distance, impact area, pre-impact density, percent displacement, and offset density. We calculate percent displacement values for breeding waterfowl and grassland birds and demonstrate the applicability of our avian-impact offset method using examples for wind and oil infrastructure. We also apply our method to an example in which the biological value of the offset habitat is similar to the impacted habitat, based on similarity in habitat type (e.g., native prairie), geographical location, land use, and landscape composition, as well as to an example in which the biological value of the offset habitat is dissimilar to the impacted habitat. We provide a worksheet that informs potential users how to apply our method to their specific developments and a framework for developing decision-support tools aimed at achieving landscape-level conservation goals