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This article tested the cross-species application of the Affymetrix 600K Chicken SNP array in five species of North American prairie grouse (Centrocercus and Tympanuchus genera). This study study provided evidence for successful cross-species application of the chicken SNP array in grouse which diverged ca. 37 mya from the chicken lineage. As far as the authors are concerned, this is the first reported application of a SNP array in non-passerine birds, and it demonstrates the feasibility of using commercial SNP arrays in research on non-model bird species.

This article focuses on Al0.7CoCrFeNi, a lamellar dual-phase (fcc + B2) precipitation-strengthenable eutectic high entropy alloy. The back-stresses from the coherent L12 precipitate were insufficient to cause improvement in twin nucleation, owing to elevated twinning stress under quasi-static testing. However, under dynamic testing high density of twins were observed.

Nano-scale mechanical forces generated by motor proteins are crucial to normal cellular and organismal functioning. The ability to measure and exploit such forces would be important to developing motile biomimetic nanodevices powered by biological motors for Nanomedicine. Axonemal dynein motors positioned inside the sperm flagellum drive microtubule sliding giving rise to rhythmic beating of the flagellum. This force-generating action makes it possible for the sperm cell to move through viscous media. Here we report new nano-scale information on how the propulsive force is generated by the sperm flagellum and how this force varies over time. Single cell recordings reveal discrete {approx}50 ms pulses oscillating with amplitude 9.8 {+-} 2.6 nN independent of pulse frequency (3.5-19.5 Hz). The average work carried out by each cell is 4.6 x 10{sup -16} J per pulse, equivalent to the hydrolysis of {approx}5,500 ATP molecules. The mechanochemical coupling at each active dynein head is {approx}2.2 pN/ATP, and {approx}3.9 pN per dynein arm, in agreement with previously published values obtained using different methods.

The potential energy surface corresponding the complex resonance energy of the 2B1 Feshbach resonance state of the water anion is constructed in its full dimensionality. Complex Kohn variational scattering calculations are used to compute the resonance width, while large-scale Configuration Interaction calculations are used to compute the resonance energy. Near the equilibrium geometry, an accompanying ground state potential surface is constructed from Configuration Interaction calculations that treat correlation at a level similar to that used in the calculations on the anion.

The ATLAS Collaboration at CERN is preparing for the data taking and analysis at the LHC that will start in 2007. Therefore, a series of Data Challenges was started in 2002 whose goals are the validation of the Computing Model, of the complete software suite, of the data model, and to ensure the correctness of the technical choices to be made. A major feature of the first Data Challenge was the preparation and the deployment of the software required for the production of large event samples as a worldwide-distributed activity. It should be noted that it was not an option to ''run everything at CERN'' even if we had wanted to; the resources were not available at CERN to carry out the production on a reasonable time-scale. The great challenge of organizing and then carrying out this large-scale production at a significant number of sites around the world had the refore to be faced. However, the benefits of this are manifold: apart from realizing the required computing resources, this exercise created worldwide momentum for ATLAS computing as a whole. This report describes in detail the main steps carried out in DC1 and what has been learned from them as a …

In the favored progenitor scenario, Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) arise from a white dwarf accreting material from a non-degenerate companion star. Soon after the white dwarf explodes, the ejected supernova material engulfs the companion star; two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations by Marietta et al. (2001) show that, in the interaction, the companion star carves out a conical hole of opening angle 30-40 degrees in the supernova ejecta. In this paper we use multi-dimensional Monte Carlo radiative transfer calculations to explore the observable consequences of an ejecta-hole asymmetry. We calculate the variation of the spectrum, luminosity, and polarization with viewing angle for the aspherical supernova near maximum light. We find that the supernova looks normal from almost all viewing angles except when one looks almost directly down the hole. In the latter case, one sees into the deeper, hotter layers of ejecta. The supernova is relatively brighter and has a peculiar spectrum characterized by more highly ionized species, weaker absorption features, and lower absorption velocities. The spectrum viewed down the hole is comparable to the class of SN 1991T-like supernovae. We consider how the ejecta-hole asymmetry may explain the current spectropolarimetric observations of SNe Ia, and suggest a few observational signatures of …

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out on the DNA oligonucleotide GGGAACAACTAG:CTAGTTGTTCCC in its native form and with guanine in the central G19:C6 base pair replaced by 8-oxoguanine (8oxoG). A box of explicit water molecules was used for solvation and Na+ counterions were added to neutralize the system. The direction and magnitude of global bending were assessed by a technique used previously to analyze simulations of DNA containing a thymine dimer. The presence of 8oxoG did not greatly affect the magnitude of DNA bending; however, bending into the major groove was significantly more probable when 8oxoG replaced G19. Crystal structures of glycosylases bound to damaged-DNA substrates consistently show a sharp bend into the major groove at the damage site. We conclude that changes in bending dynamics that assist the formation of this kink are a part of the mechanism by which glycosylases of the base excision repair pathway recognize the presence of 8oxoG in DNA.

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In theories with large extra dimensions, constraints from cosmology lead to non-trivial lower bounds on the gravitational scale M, corresponding to upper bounds on the radii of the compact extra dimensions. These constraints are especially relevant to the case of two extra dimensions, since only if M is 10 TeV or less do deviations from the standard gravitational force law become evident at distances accessible to planned sub-mm gravity experiments. By examining the graviton decay contribution to the cosmic diffuse gamma radiation, we derive, for the case of two extra dimensions, a conservative bound M > 110TeV, corresponding to r{sub 2} < 5.1 x 10{sup -5} mm, well beyond the reach of these experiments. We also consider the constraint coming from graviton overclosure of the universe and derive an independent bound M > 6.5/{radical}h TeV, or r{sub 2} < .015hmm.

Successful development of metallic filters with high temperature oxidation/corrosion resistance for fly ash capture is a key to enabling advanced coal combustion and power generation technologies. Compared to ceramic filters, metallic filters can offer increased resistance to impact and thermal fatigue, greatly improving filter reliability. A beneficial metallic filter structure, composed of a thin-wall (0.5mm) tube with uniform porosity (about 30%), is being developed using a unique spherical powder processing and partial sintering approach, combined with porous sheet rolling and resistance welding. Alloy choices based on modified superalloys, e.g., Ni-16Cr-4.5Al-3Fe (wt.%), are being tested in porous and bulk samples for oxide (typically alumina) scale stability in simulated oxidizing/sulfidizing atmospheres found in PFBC and IGCC systems at temperatures up to 850 C. Recent ''hanging o-ring'' exposure tests in actual combustion systems at a collaborating DOE site (EERC) have been initiated to study the combined corrosive effects from particulate deposits and hot exhaust gases. New studies are exploring the correlation between sintered microstructure, tensile strength, and permeability of porous sheet samples.

This paper presents information and data relative to recent advances in the development at Oak Ridge National Laboratory of porous inorganic membranes for high-temperature hydrogen separation. The Inorganic Membrane Technology Laboratory, which was formerly an organizational element of Bechtel Jacobs Company, LLC, was formally transferred to Oak Ridge National Laboratory on August 1, 2002, as a result of agreements reached between Bechtel Jacobs Company, the management and integration contractor at the East Tennessee Technology Park (formerly the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant or Oak Ridge K-25 Site); UT-Battelle, the management and operating contractor of Oak Ridge National Laboratory; and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Operations Office. Research emphasis during the last year has been directed toward the development of high-permeance (high-flux) and high-separation-factor metal-supported membranes. Performance data for these membranes are presented and are compared with performance data for membranes previously produced under this program and for membranes produced by other researchers. New insights into diffusion mechanisms are included in the discussion. Fifteen products, many of which are the results of research sponsored by the DOE Fossil Energy Advanced Research Materials Program, have been declared unclassified and have been approved for commercial production.

Proliferation of electron microscopes with field emission guns, imaging filters and hardware spherical aberration correctors (giving higher spatial and energy resolution) has resulted in the need to construct special laboratories. As resolutions improve, transmission electron microscopes (TEMs) and scanning transmission electron microscopes (STEMs) become more sensitive to ambient conditions. State-of-the-art electron microscopes require state-of-the-art environments, and this means careful design and implementation of microscope sites, from the microscope room to the building that surrounds it. Laboratories have been constructed to house high-sensitive instruments with resolutions ranging down to sub-Angstrom levels; we present the various design philosophies used for some of these laboratories and our experiences with them. Four facilities are described: the National Center for Electron Microscopy OAM Laboratory at LBNL; the FEGTEM Facility at the University of Sheffield; the Center for Integrative Molecular Biosciences at TSRI; and the Advanced Microscopy Laboratory at ORNL.

The Control System for the Advanced Light Source uses in-house designed IndustryPack (IP) I/O Modules in compact PCI (cPCI) chassis to control instrumentation. Each module consists of digital I/O ports and 16-bit analog I/O interfaced to instrumentation via a cPCI rear I/O card. During the past few years of installed operation, several factors have prompted investigation into the design of a new IP I/O Module. The ADC channels have significant offset drift over periods of days of initial installed operation. An in-situ calibration procedure was developed to address this problem, but it lacks speed and is inconvenient to perform. Digital I/O port limitations have led to increasing amounts of wasted I/O. Fast orbit feedback requires faster ADC sampling and better filtering than the current IP module offers. This paper discusses the issues related to the current IP I/O Module and the design of a new Double-size IP I/O Module.

Computational fluid-dynamics numerical models are developed for joule-heated slurry fed waste glass melters, such as the Defense Waste Processing Facility Melter. An important feature of the analyses is the simulation of the cold cap region with its thermally resistant foamy layer. Using a simplified model which describes the foam void fraction as a function of temperature, based on laboratory sample testing, characteristic features of the cold cap are simulated. Two- and three-dimensional models are presented.

Defense Waste Processing Facility melter production data from three waste batches were analyzed using a lumped parameter approach which separates effects of melter feed, heater temperature, and power on melt rate under various modes of operation. A detailed distribution of power inputs and heat consumption pathways, as provided by the lumped parameter model, evaluated possible causes of melt rate reduction and other operational data. Theoretical aspects of the steady state analysis, as well as transient analysis, are presented.The lumped model complements the more detailed multi-dimensional computational models by providing boundary conditions for such models, and is the only practical way of predicting transients.

A wide field space-based imaging telescope is necessary to fully exploit the technique of observing dark matter via weak gravitational lensing. This first paper in a three part series outlines the survey strategies and relevant instrumental parameters for such a mission. As a concrete example of hardware design, we consider the proposed Supernova/Acceleration Probe (SNAP). Using SNAP engineering models, we quantify the major contributions to this telescope's Point Spread Function (PSF). These PSF contributions are relevant to any similar wide field space telescope. We further show that the PSF of SNAP or a similar telescope will be smaller than current ground-based PSFs, and more isotropic and stable over time than the PSF of the Hubble Space Telescope. We outline survey strategies for two different regimes - a ''wide'' 300 square degree survey and a ''deep'' 15 square degree survey that will accomplish various weak lensing goals including statistical studies and dark matter mapping.

In this paper we investigate the microstructural accommodation of nonstoichiometry in (Ba{sub x}Sr{sub 1{minus}x}Ti{sub 1+y}O{sub 3+z}) thin films grown by chemical vapor deposition. Films with three different (Ba+Sr)/Ti ratios of 49/51 (y=0.04 in the notation of the formula above), of 48/52 (y=0.08) and of 46.5/53.5 (y=O.15), were studied. High-resolution electron microscopy is used to study the microstructure of the BST films. High-spatial resolution electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) is used to reveal changes in chemistry and local atomic environment both at grain boundaries and within grains as a function of titanium excess. We find an amorphous phase at the grain boundaries and grain boundary segregation of excess titanium in the samples with y=0.15. In addition, EELS is also used to show that excess titanium is being partially accommodated in the grain interior. Implications for the film electrical and dielectric properties are outlined.

Infrared thermal imaging has become increasingly popular as a nondestructive evaluation method for characterizing materials and detecting defects. One technique, which was utilized in this study, is front-flash thermal imaging. We have developed a thermal imaging system that uses this technique to characterize advanced material systems, including continuous fiber ceramic composite (CFCC) components. In a front-flash test, pulsed heat energy is applied to the surface of a sample, and decay of the surface temperature is then measured by the thermal imaging system. CFCC samples with drilled flat-bottom holes at the back surface (to serve as ''flaws'') were examined. The surface-temperature/time relationship was analyzed to determine the depths of the flaws from the front surface of the CFCC material. Experimental results on carbon/carbon and CFCC samples are presented and discussed.

We have seen that many different types of intermolecular interactions in organic conducting cation radical salts. Hydrogen bonding between the donor molecules and the anions is weak but not negligible. The ionic Madelung energy is insufficient to completely intersperse anions and cations, thus the layers favored by the van der Waals interactions remain intact. The search for new conducting and superconducting salts has been mainly by trial-and-error methods, even though simple substitutions have been employed in order to obtain isostructural analogs of successful (e.g., superconducting) salts. However, even seemingly minor substitutions sometimes destroy the packing type, and different crystal structures result. Simulations with the aim at predicting crystal structures have not succeeded, mainly because the different interaction types are of comparable energy, and the delocalized and partial charges render the calculations of the ionic terms extremely unreliable. Clearly, the development of suitable crystal modeling techniques with predictive capabilities is one of the great needs of the field.

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A unique model of fusion product (fp) slowing down and thermalization in field-reversed mirror (FRM) plasmas has been developed. It couples the Hill's spherical vortex representation of a field-reversed equilibrium with a monte carlo treatment of coulomb scattering, and thus provides a complete picture of fps from birth through their thermal diffusion. The incorporation of drag and scattering effects allows the code to address both the energy deposition and the ash buildup question. Results of several test cases are presented along with selected results from FRM studies.

In previous studies we have investigated after-burning effects of a fuel-rich explosive (TNT). In that case the detonation only releases about 30 % of the available energy, but generates a hot cloud of fuel that can burn in the ambient air, thus evoking an additional energy release that is distributed in space and time. The current series of small-scale experiments can be looked upon as a natural generalization of this mechanism: a booster charge disperses a (non-explosive) fuel, provides mixing with air and - by means of the hot detonation products - energy to ignite the fuel. The current version of our miniature Shock-Dispersed-Fuel (SDF) charges consists of a spherical booster charge of 0.5 g PETN, embedded in a paper cylinder of approximately 2.2 cm3, which is filled with powdered fuel compositions. The main compositions studied up to now contain aluminum powder, hydrocarbon powders like polyethylene or sucrose and/or carbon particles. These charges were studied in three different chambers of 4-1, 6.6-1 and 40.5-1 volume. In general, the booster charge was sufficient to initiate burning of the fuel. This modifies the pressure signatures measured with a number of wall gages and increases the quasi-static overpressure level obtained in the chambers. …

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