On the Swimming of \textit{Dictyostelium} amoebae

Traditionally, the primary mode for locomotion of amoeboid cells was thought to be crawling on a substrate. Recently, it has been experimentally shown that \textit{Dictostelium} amoeba and neutrophils can also swim in a directed fashion. The mechanisms for amoeboid crawling and swimming were hypothesized to be similar. In this letter, we show that the shape changes generated by a crawling \textit{D. discoideum} cell are consistent with swimming.Comment: letter submitted to PNA

Life History Aspects of \u3ci\u3eAnthopotamus Verticis\u3c/i\u3e (Ephemeroptera: Potamanthidae)

The study of the larval development and life cycle of a population of the mayfly Anthopotamus verticis from the Tippecanoe River, Indiana was based on monthly and weekly sampling in 1990 and 1991. Larval head width and tusk length were directly correlated with body size; whereas wingpad development represented an exponential relationship with body size. Relative maturation of larvae was efficiently assessed, however. by using wingpad development. The morphology of eggs is described. Larval growth and development took place mainly from March to Au~st. Although emergence is protracted from mid-July to mid-August, the major recruitment of new larvae occurred in August. Only one cohort was ascertained. The species overwinters as mostly young larvae. The simple univoltine life cycle appears to be related to seasonal temperature

Singular perturbation analysis of AOTV-related trajectory optimization problems

The problem of real time guidance and optimal control of Aeroassisted Orbit Transfer Vehicles (AOTV's) was addressed using singular perturbation theory as an underlying method of analysis. Trajectories were optimized with the objective of minimum energy expenditure in the atmospheric phase of the maneuver. Two major problem areas were addressed: optimal reentry, and synergetic plane change with aeroglide. For the reentry problem, several reduced order models were analyzed with the objective of optimal changes in heading with minimum energy loss. It was demonstrated that a further model order reduction to a single state model is possible through the application of singular perturbation theory. The optimal solution for the reduced problem defines an optimal altitude profile dependent on the current energy level of the vehicle. A separate boundary layer analysis is used to account for altitude and flight path angle dynamics, and to obtain lift and bank angle control solutions. By considering alternative approximations to solve the boundary layer problem, three guidance laws were derived, each having an analytic feedback form. The guidance laws were evaluated using a Maneuvering Reentry Research Vehicle model and all three laws were found to be near optimal. For the problem of synergetic plane change with aeroglide, a difficult terminal boundary layer control problem arises which to date is found to be analytically intractable. Thus a predictive/corrective solution was developed to satisfy the terminal constraints on altitude and flight path angle. A composite guidance solution was obtained by combining the optimal reentry solution with the predictive/corrective guidance method. Numerical comparisons with the corresponding optimal trajectory solutions show that the resulting performance is very close to optimal. An attempt was made to obtain numerically optimized trajectories for the case where heating rate is constrained. A first order state variable inequality constraint was imposed on the full order AOTV point mass equations of motion, using a simple aerodynamic heating rate model

Asymptotic quantum cloning is state estimation

The impossibility of perfect cloning and state estimation are two fundamental results in Quantum Mechanics. It has been conjectured that quantum cloning becomes equivalent to state estimation in the asymptotic regime where the number of clones tends to infinity. We prove this conjecture using two known results of Quantum Information Theory: the monogamy of quantum correlations and the properties of entanglement breaking channels.Comment: 4 pages, REVTE

Dilaton Stabilization and Inflation in the D-brane World

We study the dilaton stabilization in the D-brane world in which a D-brane constitutes our universe. The dilaton can be stabilized due to the interplay between the D-brane tension and the negative scalar curvature of extra dimensions. Cosmic evolution of the dilaton is investigated with the obtained dilaton potential and it is found that inflation can be realized before the settlement of the dilaton.Comment: 10 pages, abstract correcte

Degradation of multiplier phototubes exposed to spatial radiations

Degradation of multiplier phototubes exposed to spatial radiation

Nanoindentation of the a and c domains in a tetragonal BaTiO3 single crystal

Nanoindentation in conjunction with piezoresponse force microscopy was used to study domain switching and to measure the mechanical properties of individual ferroelectric domains in a tetragonal BaTiO3 single crystal. It was found that nanoindentation has induced local domain switching; the a and c domains of BaTiO3 have different elastic moduli but similar hardness. Nanoindentation modulus mapping on the a and c domains further confirmed such difference in elasticity. Finite element modeling was used to simulate the von Mises stress and plastic strain profiles of the indentations on both a and c domains, which introduces a much higher stress level than the critical value for domain nucleation