Chandra Observations of Eight Sources Discovered by INTEGRAL

We report on 0.3-10 keV observations with the Chandra X-ray Observatory of eight hard X-ray sources discovered within 8 degrees of the Galactic plane by the INTEGRAL satellite. The short (5 ks) Chandra observations of the IGR source fields have yielded very likely identifications of X-ray counterparts for three of the IGR sources: IGR J14091-6108, IGR J18088-2741, and IGR J18381-0924. The first two have very hard spectra in the Chandra band that can be described by a power-law with photon indices of Gamma = 0.6+/-0.4 and -0.7(+0.4)(-0.3), respectively (90% confidence errors are given), and both have a unique near-IR counterpart consistent with the Chandra position. IGR J14091-6108 also displays a strong iron line and a relatively low X-ray luminosity, and we argue that the most likely source type is a Cataclysmic Variable (CV), although we do not completely rule out the possibility of a High Mass X-ray Binary. IGR J18088-2741 has an optical counterpart with a previously measured 6.84 hr periodicity, which may be the binary orbital period. We also detect five cycles of a possible 800-950 s period in the Chandra light curve, which may be the compact object spin period. We suggest that IGR J18088-2741 is also most likely a CV. For IGR J18381-0924, the spectrum is intrinsically softer with Gamma = 1.5(+0.5)(-0.4), and it is moderately absorbed, nH = (4+/-1)e22 cm-2. There are two near-IR sources consistent with the Chandra position, and they are both classified as galaxies, making it likely that IGR J18381-0924 is an Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN). For the other five IGR sources, we provide lists of nearby Chandra sources, which may be used along with further observations to identify the correct counterparts, and we discuss the implications of the low inferred Chandra count rates for these five sources.Comment: Accepted by ApJ, 14 page

Thermal Model Approach to the YASA Machine for In-Wheel Traction Applications

The axial-flux permanent magnet (AFPM) machines with yokeless and segmented armature (YASA) topology are suitable for in-wheel traction systems due to the high power density and efficiency. To guarantee the reliable operation of the YASA machines, an accurate thermal analysis should be undertaken in detail during the electrical machine design phase. The technical contribution of this paper is to establish a detailed thermal analysis model of the YASA machine by the lumped parameter thermal network (LPTN) method. Compared with the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method and the finite element (FE) method, the LPTN method can obtain an accurate temperature distribution with low time consumption. Firstly, the LPTN model of each component of the YASA machine is constructed with technical details. Secondly, the losses of the YASA machine are obtained by the electromagnetic FE analysis. Then, the temperature distribution of the machine can be calculated by the LPTN model and loss information. Finally, a prototype of the YASA machine is manufactured and its temperature distribution under different operating conditions is tested by TT-K-30 thermocouple temperature sensors. The experimental data matches the LPTN results well

A Pseudo DNA Cryptography Method

The DNA cryptography is a new and very promising direction in cryptography research. DNA can be used in cryptography for storing and transmitting the information, as well as for computation. Although in its primitive stage, DNA cryptography is shown to be very effective. Currently, several DNA computing algorithms are proposed for quite some cryptography, cryptanalysis and steganography problems, and they are very powerful in these areas. However, the use of the DNA as a means of cryptography has high tech lab requirements and computational limitations, as well as the labor intensive extrapolation means so far. These make the efficient use of DNA cryptography difficult in the security world now. Therefore, more theoretical analysis should be performed before its real applications. In this project, We do not intended to utilize real DNA to perform the cryptography process; rather, We will introduce a new cryptography method based on central dogma of molecular biology. Since this method simulates some critical processes in central dogma, it is a pseudo DNA cryptography method. The theoretical analysis and experiments show this method to be efficient in computation, storage and transmission; and it is very powerful against certain attacks. Thus, this method can be of many uses in cryptography, such as an enhancement insecurity and speed to the other cryptography methods. There are also extensions and variations to this method, which have enhanced security, effectiveness and applicability.Comment: A small work that quite some people asked abou

A Comprehensive Investigation of Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglows Detected by TESS

Gamma-ray bursts produce afterglows that can be observed across the electromagnetic spectrum and can provide insight into the nature of their progenitors. While most telescopes that observe afterglows are designed to rapidly react to trigger information, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) continuously monitors sections of the sky at cadences between 30 minutes and 200 seconds. This provides TESS with the capability of serendipitously observing the optical afterglow of GRBs. We conduct the first extensive search for afterglows of known GRBs in archival TESS data reduced with the TESSreduce package, and detect 11 candidate signals that are temporally coincident with reported burst times. We classify 3 of these as high-likelihood GRB afterglows previously unknown to have been detected by TESS, one of which has no other afterglow detection reported on the Gamma-ray Coordinates Network. We classify 5 candidates as tentative and the remainder as unlikely. Using the afterglowpy package, we model each of the candidate light curves with a Gaussian and a top hat model to estimate burst parameters; we find that a mean time delay of $740\pm690\,$s between the explosion and afterglow onset is required to perform these fits. The high cadence and large field of view make TESS a powerful instrument for localising GRBs, with the potential to observe afterglows in cases when no other backup photometry is possible.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures, 5 table

A Novel Kunitzin-Like Trypsin Inhibitor Isolated from Defensive Skin Secretion of Odorrana versabilis

Protease inhibitors that were identified from amphibian skin secretions with low molecular weights and potent inhibitory activity were thought to be potential candidates for novel peptide drugs. Here, a novel peptide with trypsin inhibitory activity was found in the skin secretion of the Chinese bamboo leaf odorous frog, Odorrana versabilis. Based on the sequence alignments of sequencing results, the novel peptide (ALKYPFRCKAAFC) was named as Kunitzin-OV. The synthetic replicate of Kunitzin-OV was subjected to a series of functional assays, and it exhibited a trypsin inhibitory activity with a Ki value of 3.042 µM, whereas, when Lys-9 at P1 position was substituted by Phe, trypsin inhibitory activity was undetected and the chymotrypsin inhibitory activity was optimized with a Ki value of 2.874 µM. However, its protease-binding loop was catabolized by trypsin during the trypsin cleavage test. In conclusion, Kunizin-OV is a novel peptide with trypsin inhibitory activity as a member of kunitzins, which is a non-typical Kunitz-like trypsin inhibitor with a highly conserved reactive site (K-A) and quite a short sequence