The field of nanodielectrics has had a significant impact on voltage endurance characteristics of electrical insulation. Improved time-to-breakdown behavior, resulting in reduced aging of insulation, and enhanced thermal stability are of considerable importance in industrial applications. This chapter discusses several specific aspects of nanodielectrics and their role in the future of electrical insulation and dielectric sciences.

GeoChip is a comprehensive functional gene array that targets key functional genes involved in the geochemical cycling of N, C, and P, sulfate reduction, metal resistance and reduction, and contaminant degradation. Studies have shown the GeoChip to be a sensitive, specific, and high-throughput tool for microbial community analysis that has the power to link geochemical processes with microbial community structure. However, several challenges remain regarding the development and applications of microarrays for microbial community analysis.

Populus trees face constant challenges from the environment during their life cycle. To ensure their survival and reproduction, Populus trees deploy various types of defenses, one of which is the production of a myriad of secondary metabolites. Compounds derived from the shikimate-phenylpropanoid pathway are the most abundant class of secondary metabolites synthesized in Populus. Among other major classes of secondary metabolites in Populus are terpenoids and fatty acid-derivatives. Some of the secondary metabolites made by Populus trees have been functionally characterized. Some others have been associated with certain biological/ecological processes, such as defense against insects and microbial pathogens or acclimation or adaptation to abiotic stresses. Functions of many Populus secondary metabolites remain unclear. The advent of various novel genomic tools will enable us to explore in greater detail the complexity of secondary metabolism in Populus. Detailed data mining of the Populus genome sequence can unveil candidate genes of secondary metabolism. Metabolomic analysis will continue to identify new metabolites synthesized in Populus. Integrated genomics that combines various omics tools will prove to be the most powerful approach in revealing the molecular and biochemical basis underlying the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites in Populus. Characterization of the biological/ecological functions of secondary metabolites as …

Mobile robotic mapping is now considered to be a sufficiently mature field with demonstrated successes in various domains. While much progress has been made in the development of computationally efficient and consistent mapping schemes, it is still murky, at best, on how these maps can be evaluated. We are motivated by the absence of an accepted standard for quantitatively measuring the performance of robotic mapping systems against user-defined requirements. It is our belief that the development of standardized methods for quantitatively evaluating existing robotic technologies will improve the utility of mobile robots in already established application areas, such as vacuum cleaning, robot surveillance, and bomb disposal. This approach will also enable the proliferation and acceptance of such technologies in emerging markets. This chapter summarizes our preliminary efforts by bringing together the research community towards addressing this important problem which has ramifications not only from researchers perspective but also from consumers, robot manufacturers, and developers viewpoints.

The permafrost microbial community has been described as 'a community of survivors' (Friedman 1994). Because of the permanently cold condition and the long term isolation of the permafrost sediments, the permafrost microorganisms have acquired various adaptive features in the membrane, enzymes, and macromolecular synthesis. This chapter reviews the different adaptive mechanisms used by permafrost microorganisms with a focus on the proteomic level of cryoadaptation that have recently been identified during the low temperature growth in permafrost bacteria.

This review represents an overview of the existence, distribution and abundance of the photoautotrophic microorganisms in the deep subsurface permafrost of the Northeast Russia and McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. The morphology, growth rate, spectral properties, phylogenetic position of the viable permafrost green algae and cyanobacteria have been studied. Viable photoautotrophs were represented by unicellular green algae and filamentous cyanobacteria with low growth rate. Spectral studies of ancient cyanobacteria and green algae did not reveal any significant differences between them and their contemporary relatives. Phylogenetic analyses have shown that permafrost photoautotrophs were closely related to strains and more often to uncultured environmental clones from cold regions.

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From the date its role in heredity was discovered, DNA has been generating interest among scientists from different fields of knowledge: physicists have studied the three dimensional structure of the DNA molecule, biologists tried to decode the secrets of life hidden within these long molecules, and technologists invent and improve methods of DNA analysis. The analysis of the nucleotide sequence of DNA occupies a special place among the methods developed. Thanks to the variety of sequencing technologies available, the process of decoding the sequence of genomic DNA (or whole genome sequencing) has become robust and inexpensive. Meanwhile the assembly of whole genome sequences remains a challenging task. In addition to the need to assemble millions of DNA fragments of different length (from 35 bp (Solexa) to 800 bp (Sanger)), great interest in analysis of microbial communities (metagenomes) of different complexities raises new problems and pushes some new requirements for sequence assembly tools to the forefront. The genome assembly process can be divided into two steps: draft assembly and assembly improvement (finishing). Despite the fact that automatically performed assembly (or draft assembly) is capable of covering up to 98% of the genome, in most cases, it still contains incorrectly assembled reads. …

Our reliance on the cyber infrastructure has further grown and the dependencies have become more complex. The infrastructure and applications running on it are not generally governed by the rules of bounded systems and inherit the properties of unbounded systems, such as the absence of global control, borders and barriers. Furthermore, the quest for increasing functionality and ease of operation is often at the cost of controllability, potentially opening up avenues for exploitation and failures. Intelligence is information valued for its currency and relevance rather than its detail or accuracy. In the presence of information explosion, i.e., the pervasive abundance of (public/private) information and the effects of such, intelligence has the potential to shift the advantages in the dynamic game of defense and attacks in cyber space. Gathering, analyzing, and making use of information constitutes a business-/sociopolitical-/military-intelligence gathering activity and ultimately poses significant advantages and liabilities to the survivability of "our" society. The combination of increased vulnerability, increased stakes and increased threats make cyber security and information intelligence (CSII) one of the most important emerging challenges in the evolution of modern cyberspace. The goal of the workshop is to establish, debate and challenge the far-reaching agenda that broadly and comprehensively …

Ledger containing minutes of the City Council in Abilene, Texas documenting the group's discussions and activities from January 8, 2009 to December 17, 2009.

In this paper, we present a Simple Distributed Particle Swarm Optimization (SDPSO) algorithm that can be used to track the optimal solution in a dynamic and noisy environment. The classic PSO algorithm lacks the ability to track changing optimum in a dynamic environment. Several approaches have been investigated to enhance the PSO algorithm s ability in dynamic environments. However, in dealing with dynamic environments, these approaches have lost PSO s original strengths of decentralized control and ease of implementation. The SDPSO algorithm proposed in this paper maintains these classic PSO features as well as provides the optimum result tracking capability in dynamic environments. In this research, the DF1 multimodal dynamic environment generator proposed by Morrison and De Jong is used to evaluate the classic PSO, SDPSO and other two adaptive PSOs.

This chapter broadly describes the formation, basic microstructure, and fundamental optoelectronic properties of nanocomposites synthesized by ion implantation. It is not meant as a complete literature survey and by no means includes all references on a subject that has seen a considerable amount of research effort in the past 15 years. However, it should be a good starting point for those new to the field and in a concise way summarize the main lines of research by discussing the optical, magnetic, and smart properties of these nanoparticles and the dependence of these properties on the overall microstructure. The chapter concludes with an outlook for the future.

This Synthesis and Assessment Product focuses on the connection between the scientific ability to predict climate on seasonal scales and the opportunity to incorporate such understanding into water resource management decisions. It directly addresses decision support experiments and evaluations that have used seasonal-to-interannual forecasts and observational data, and is expected to inform (1) decision makers about the relative success of experiences of others who have experimented with these forecasts and data in resource management; (2) climatologists, hydrologists, and social scientists on how to advance the delivery of decision-support resources that use the most recent forecast products, methodologies, and tools; and (3) science and resource managers as they plan for future investments in research related to forecasts and their role in decision support. It is important to note, however, that while the focus of this Product is on the water resources management sector, the findings within this Synthesis and Assessment Product may be directly transferred to other sectors.

This document is part of the Synthesis and Assessment Products described in the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) Strategic Plan. The U.S. Government's CCSP is responsible for providing the best science-based knowledge possible to inform management of the risks and opportunities associated with changes in the climate and related environmental systems. To support its mission, the CCSP has commissioned 21 "synthesis and assessment products" (SAPs) to advance decision making on climate change-related issues by providing current evaluations of climate change science and identifying priorities for research, observation, and decision support. This Synthesis and Assessment Product (SAP), developed as part of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program, examines potential effects of sea-level rise from climate change during the twenty-first century, with a focus on the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. Using scientific literature and policy-related documents, the SAP describes the physical environments; potential changes to coastal environments, wetlands, and vulnerable species; societal impacts and implications of sea-level rise; decisions that may be sensitive to sea-level rise; opportunities for adaptation; and institutional barriers to adaptation.

This Report (SAP 4.2) focuses on the thresholds of Climate Change in Ecosystems. As defined in this Synthesis and Assessment Report, 'an ecological threshold is the point at which there is an abrupt change in an ecosystem quality, property, or phenomenon, or where small changes in one or more external conditions produce large and persistent responses in an ecosystem'.Ecological thresholds occur when external factors, positive feedbacks, or nonlinear instabilities in a system cause changes to propagate in a domino-like fashion that is potentially irreversible. This report reviews threshold changes in North American ecosystems that are potentially induced by climatic change and addresses the significant challenges these threshold crossings impose on resource and land managers. Sudden changes to ecosystems and the goods and services they provide are not well understood, but they are extremely important if natural resource managers are to succeed in developing adaptation strategies in a changing world. The report provides an overview of what is known about ecological thresholds and where they are likely to occur. It also identifies those areas where research is most needed to improve knowledge and understand the uncertainties regarding them. The report suggests a suite of potential actions that land and resource managers …

This report critically reviews current knowledge about global distributions and properties of atmospheric aerosols as they relate to aerosol impacts on climate. It assesses possible steps to substantially reduce uncertainties in aerosol radiative forcing estimates.

This report discusses the current state of understanding about the characteristics and implications of uncertainty related to climate change and variability to an audience of policymakers, decision makers, and members of the media and general public with an interest in developing a fundamental understanding of the issue.

This Climate Change Science Program Synthesis and Assessment Product addresses current capabilities to integrate observations of the climate system into a consistent description of past and current conditions through the method of reanalysis. In addition, the Product assesses present capabilities to attribute causes for climate variations and trends over North America during the reanalysis period, which extends from the mid-twentieth century to the present. This Product reviews Past Climate Variability and Change in the Arctic and at High Latitudes. Paleoclimate records play a key role in our understanding of Earth's past and present climate system and in our confidence in predicting future climate changes. Paleoclimate data help to elucidate past and present active mechanisms of climate change by placing the short instrumental record into a longer term context and by permitting models to be tested beyond the limited time that instrumental measurements have been available. Recent observations in the Arctic have identified large ongoing changes and important climate feedback mechanisms that multiply the effects of global-scale climate changes. As discussed in this report, paleoclimate data show that land and sea ice have grown with cooling temperatures and have shrunk with warming ones, amplifying temperature changes while causing and responding to …

Logbook from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, documenting the names, locations, and run-times of video-taped news segments that aired each day from January through June in 2009.

Document outlining diabetes care and statistical information from Texas, as well as organizational information about the Texas Diabetes Council including the agency's strategic plan for 2010-2011.

Guide to Texas Senators serving during 2009, including photographs and biographies, as well as general information about the Senate.

Biweekly, comprehensive compilation of decisions, reports, public notices, and other documents of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

It is time to re-evaluate all available options that might not be permanent yet have the potential to buy time, bridging to a future when new energy system technologies and a transformed energy infrastructure can fully address the climate challenge. Terrestrial sequestration is one option large enough to make a contribution in the coming decades using proven land management methods and with the possibility that new technologies could significantly enhance the opportunity. Here we review progress on key scientific, economic, and social issues; postulate the extent to which new technologies might significantly enhance terrestrial sequestration potential; and address remaining research needs.