A program to develop a high-energy density primary battery with a minimum of 200 watt hours per pound of total battery weight third quarterly report, jan. - mar. 1965

Electrochemical study of prospective electrode- electrolyte systems for high-energy primary battery with minimum of 200 watt hours per pound of total battery weigh

A terrestrial search for dark contents of the vacuum, such as dark energy, using atom interferometry

We describe the theory and first experimental work on our concept for searching on earth for the presence of dark content of the vacuum (DCV) using atom interferometry. Specifically, we have in mind any DCV that has not yet been detected on a laboratory scale, but might manifest itself as dark energy on the cosmological scale. The experimental method uses two atom interferometers to cancel the effect of earth's gravity and diverse noise sources. It depends upon two assumptions: first, that the DCV possesses some space inhomogeneity in density, and second that it exerts a sufficiently strong non-gravitational force on matter. The motion of the apparatus through the DCV should then lead to an irregular variation in the detected matter-wave phase shift. We discuss the nature of this signal and note the problem of distinguishing it from instrumental noise. We also discuss the relation of our experiment to what might be learned by studying the noise in gravitational wave detectors such as LIGO.The paper concludes with a projection that a future search of this nature might be carried out using an atom interferometer in an orbiting satellite. The apparatus is now being constructed

Towards Quantum Superpositions of a Mirror: an Exact Open Systems Analysis

We analyze the recently proposed mirror superposition experiment of Marshall, Simon, Penrose, and Bouwmeester, assuming that the mirror's dynamics contains a non-unitary term of the Lindblad type proportional to -[q,[q,\rho]], with q the position operator for the center of mass of the mirror, and \rho the statistical operator. We derive an exact formula for the fringe visibility for this system. We discuss the consequences of our result for tests of environmental decoherence and of collapse models. In particular, we find that with the conventional parameters for the CSL model of state vector collapse, maintenance of coherence is expected to within an accuracy of at least 1 part in 10^{8}. Increasing the apparatus coupling to environmental decoherence may lead to observable modifications of the fringe visibility, with time dependence given by our exact result.Comment: 4 pages, RevTeX. Substantial changes mad

A program to develop a high-energy density primary battery with a minimum of 200 watt hours per pound of total battery weight Fifth quarterly report, 1 Jul. - 30 Sep. 1965

High energy density primary battery development - electrochemical half-cell screening of anode- electrolyte combinations, cell discharge, and potential studie

Entomopathogenic nematodes

What are entomopathogenic nematodes? Nematodes seem to have evolved to occupy nearly every niche imaginable, including a wide diversity of parasitic niches. Among the vast variety of parasitic nematodes, some have evolved an association with insect-pathogenic bacteria. Together the bacteria and nematode are a lethal duo. These nematodes are called ‘entomopathogenic nematodes’. Essentially the nematodes serve as mobile vectors for their insect-pathogenic bacteria cargo, like little Typhoid Marys. The nematodes seek out and invade potential hosts and release their pathogenic payload into the nutrient-rich hemolymph. Infected insect hosts die quickly, the bacteria proliferate, the nematodes feed on bacteria and insect tissues, and reproduce. When the host cadaver is depleted of resources, nematodes associated with pathogenic bacteria emerge and search for new hosts to infect (Figure 1). The cooperation with bacteria and the speed with which they kill set entomopathogenic nematodes apart from other nematode parasites

Glacial cycles promote greater dispersal, which can help explain larger clutch sizes, in north temperate birds

Earth’s glacial history and patterns in the life history traits of the planet’s avifauna suggest the following interpretations of how recent geological history has affected these key characteristics of the biota: 1) Increased colonizing ability has been an important advantage of increased dispersal, and life history strategies are better categorized by dispersive colonizing ability than by their intrinsic growth rates; 2) Birds of the North Temperate Zone show a greater tendency to disperse, and they disperse farther, than tropical or south temperate birds; 3) Habitat changes associated with glacial advance and retreat selected for high dispersal ability, particularly in the North; and 4) Selection for greater dispersal throughout the unstable Pleistocene has also resulted in other well-recognized life history contrasts, especially larger clutch sizes in birds of North Temperate areas

Relationships between scores on the Jefferson Scale of physician empathy, patient perceptions of physician empathy, and humanistic approaches to patient care: a validity study.

BACKGROUND: Empathy is the backbone of a positive physician-patient relationship. Physician empathy and the patient\u27s awareness of the physician\u27s empathic concern can lead to a more positive clinical outcome. MATERIAL/METHODS: The Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE) was completed by 36 physicians in the Family Medicine residency program at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, and 90 patients evaluated these physicians by completing the Jefferson Scale of Patient Perceptions of Physician Empathy (JSPPPE), and a survey about physicians\u27 humanistic approaches to patient care. RESULTS: A statistically significant correlation was found between scores of the JSPE and JSPPPE (r=0.48, p CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide further support for the validity of the JSPE. Implications for the assessments of empathy in the physician-patient relationship as related to clinical outcomes are discussed

The rationale and suggested approaches for research geosynchronous satellite measurements for severe storm and mesoscale investigations

The measurements from current and planned geosynchronous satellites provide quantitative estimates of temperature and moisture profiles, surface temperature, wind, cloud properties, and precipitation. A number of significant observation characteristics remain, they include: (1) temperature and moisture profiles in cloudy areas; (2) high vertical profile resolution; (3) definitive precipitation area mapping and precipitation rate estimates on the convective cloud scale; (4) winds from low level cloud motions at night; (5) the determination of convective cloud structure; and (6) high resolution surface temperature determination. Four major new observing capabilities are proposed to overcome these deficiencies: a microwave sounder/imager, a high resolution visible and infrared imager, a high spectral resolution infrared sounder, and a total ozone mapper. It is suggested that the four sensors are flown together and used to support major mesoscale and short range forecasting field experiments

On a two-parameter extension of the lattice KdV system associated with an elliptic curve

A general structure is developed from which a system of integrable partial difference equations is derived generalising the lattice KdV equation. The construction is based on an infinite matrix scheme with as key ingredient a (formal) elliptic Cauchy kernel. The consistency and integrability of the lattice system is discussed as well as special solutions and associated continuum equations.Comment: Submitted to the proceedings of the Oeresund PDE-symposium, 23-25 May 2002; 17 pages LaTeX, style-file include

High Temperature Expansion Study of the Nishimori multicritical Point in Two and Four Dimensions

We study the two and four dimensional Nishimori multicritical point via high temperature expansions for the $\pm J$ distribution, random-bond, Ising model. In $2d$ we estimate the the critical exponents along the Nishimori line to be $\gamma=2.37\pm 0.05$, $\nu=1.32\pm 0.08$. These, and earlier $3d$ estimates $\gamma =1.80\pm 0.15$, $\nu=0.85\pm 0.08$ are remarkably close to the critical exponents for percolation, which are known to be $\gamma=43/18$, $\nu=4/3$ in $d=2$ and $\gamma=1.805\pm0.02$ and $\nu=0.875\pm 0.008$ in $d=3$. However, the estimated $4d$ Nishimori exponents $\gamma=1.80\pm 0.15$, $\nu=1.0\pm 0.1$, are quite distinct from the $4d$ percolation results $\gamma=1.435\pm 0.015$, $\nu=0.678\pm 0.05$.Comment: 5 pages, RevTex, 3 postscript files; To appear in Physical Review