Article comparing priority areas for wildlife species using different methods and data types. The authors used resource selection function (RSF) models to predict high priority areas and compared this to priority areas developed using two alternative methods: (1) modified conservation buffer, and (2) utilization distribution (UD) models.

This article presents a study with the aim to develop quantitative structure–property relationships (QSPRs) that would allow the understanding of molecular interactions in ionic liquids based on the structure of the cationic moiety.

This article proposes a new model to represent a vesicle membrane with internal nematic order whose equilibrium states depend on the competition between the bending, elastic and anchoring energies.

This article focuses on practical computing systems with heterogeneous computing resources, and designs a novel CDC approach, called batch-processing based coded computing (BPCC), which exploits the fact that every computing node can obtain some coded results before it completes the whole task. The scheme demonstrates promising performance in terms of high computational efficiency and robustness to uncertain disturbances.

Article describes study in which weathering and suspended matter fluxes of the Langtang Narayani river system in central Nepal Himalaya were investigated at 16 stations for one year, based on monthly water sampling in the lower reaches and bi-monthly in higher elevation areas, to determine temporal variations of weathering fluxes along an elevation profile between 169 and 3989 m asl.

Study used in vitro tape stripping to evaluate efficacy of an anhydrous gel containing sertaconazole nitrate.

Article discussing an investigation of the reaction of H + CS₂ products. The reaction was found to be pressure dependent and in the fall-off region or near the low pressure limit. Transition state theory yields an estimate for the high-pressure limit of addition over 290–300 K of 1.3 × 10−9 exp( −7.2 kJ mol −1 /RT) cm3 molecule −1 s −1. Uncertainties are discussed in the text.

The nova outburst is the second most violent explosion that occurs in a galaxy. This review presents the recent observational and theoretical studies that have demonstrated that there exist two classes of nova outburst. One type of nova occurs on a CO white dwarf and the other type of nova occurs on an ONeMg white dwarf. The second class of outbursts are much more violent and occur much more frequently then the first class of outbursts. Hydrodynamic simulations of both kinds of outbursts are in excellent agreement with the observations. 51 refs.

Recent technological advances in high-throughput data collection allow for the study of increasingly complex systems on the scale of the whole cellular genome and proteome. Gene network models are required to interpret large and complex data sets. Rationally designed system perturbations (e.g. gene knock-outs, metabolite removal, etc) can be used to iteratively refine hypothetical models, leading to a modeling-experiment cycle for high-throughput biological system analysis. We use fuzzy logic gene network models because they have greater resolution than Boolean logic models and do not require the precise parameter measurement needed for chemical kinetics-based modeling. The fuzzy gene network approach is tested by exhaustive search for network models describing cyclin gene interactions in yeast cell cycle microarray data, with preliminary success in recovering interactions predicted by previous biological knowledge and other analysis techniques. Our goal is to further develop this method in combination with experiments we are performing on bacterial regulatory networks.

Effective spatial domain decomposition for discrete ordinate (Sn) neutron transport calculations has been critical for exploiting massively parallel architectures typified by the ASCI White computer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. A combination of geometrical and computational constraints has posed a unique challenge as problems have been scaled up to several thousand processors. Carefully scripted decomposition and corresponding execution algorithms have been developed to handle a range of geometrical and hardware configurations.

The calculated performance of single stage and Venetian blind direct energy converters for Catalyzed D and D-/sup 3/He Tokamak reactors are discussed. Preliminary results on He pumping are outlined. The efficiency of D and T neutral beam injection is reviewed.

The spheromak, with its simply connected geometry, holds promise as a less expensive fusion reactor. It has reasonably good plasma beta and can be formed and sustained in steady state with a magnetized coaxial plasma gun. The Sustained Spheromak Physics Experiment (SSPX) shown in Fig. 1 was constructed to investigate the key issues of magnetic field generation and energy confinement. In addition to the coaxial gun, nine magnetic field coils are utilized to shape the vacuum magnetic flux. This flexibility allows operation in many different regimes producing very different plasma characteristics. Pulse length is extended and magnetic field strength is increased. Improved surface conditioning produces plasmas with low impurity content, and higher electron temperature, T{sub e}. Electron heat transport within the separatrix is reduced by a factor of 4. The results strongly suggest the existence of closed flux surfaces even though the plasma is connected to the coaxial source. The CORSICA Grad-Shafranov 2-d equilibrium code with data from edge magnetic probes along with T {sub e} and electron density ne from Thomson scattering is used to calculate internal profiles: normalized current {gamma} = {mu}{sub 0}J/B, safety factor = q, ohmic heating, thermal energy density, and thermal diffusivity = {xi}{sub e}. …

Geophysical models constitute an important component of calibration for nuclear explosion monitoring. We will focus on four major topics: (1) a priori geophysical models, (2) surface wave models, (3) receiver function derived profiles, and (4) stochastic geophysical models. The first, a priori models, can be used to predict a host of geophysical measurements, such as body wave travel times, and can be derived from direct regional studies or even by geophysical analogy. Use of these models is particularly important in aseismic regions or regions without seismic stations, where data of direct measurements might not exist. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has developed the Western Eurasia and North Africa (WENA) model which has been evaluated using a number of data sets, including travel times, surface waves, receiver functions, and waveform analysis (Pasyanos et al., 2004). We have joined this model with our Yellow Sea - Korean Peninsula (YSKP) model and the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) East Asia model to construct a model for all of Eurasia and North Africa. Secondly, we continue to improve upon our surface wave model by adding more paths. This has allowed us to expand the region to all of Eurasia and into Africa, increase the …

Large-aperture laser-resistant mirrors are required for the construction of the National Ignition Facility, a 1.8 MJ laser. In order to fabricate the 1408 mirrors, a development program was started in 1994 to improve coating quality, manufacturing rate, and lower unit cost. New technologies and metrology tools were scaled to meter size for facilitization in 1999 at Spectra-Physics and the Laboratory of Laser Energetics at the University of Rochester. Pilot production, to fabricate 5-10% of each component, commenced in 2001 and full production rates were achieved in 2002. Coating production will be completed in 2008 with the coating of 460 m{sup 2} of high-damage-threshold precision coatings on 100 tons of BK7 glass with yields exceeding 90%.

Optical diagnostics are currently being designed to analyze high-energy density physics experiments at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). Two independent line-imaging Velocity Interferometer System for Any Reflector (VISAR) interferometers have been fielded to measure shock velocities, breakout times, and emission of targets having sizes of 1-5 mm. An 8-inch-diameter, fused silica triplet lens collects light at f/3 inside the 30-foot-diameter NIF vacuum chamber. VISAR recordings use a 659.5-nm probe laser. By adding a specially coated beam splitter to the interferometer table, light at wavelengths from 540 to 645 nm is spilt into a thermal-imaging diagnostic. Because fused silica lenses are used in the first triplet relay, the intermediate image planes for different wavelengths separate by considerable distances. A corrector lens on the interferometer table reunites these separated wavelength planes to provide a good image. Thermal imaging collects light at f/5 from a 2-mm object placed at Target Chamber Center (TCC). Streak cameras perform VISAR and thermal-imaging recording. All optical lenses are on kinematic mounts so that pointing accuracy of the optical axis may be checked. Counter-propagating laser beams (orange and red) are used to align both diagnostics. The red alignment laser is selected to be at the 50 percent reflection …

Within collapsing protogalaxies, thermal instability leads to the formation of a population of cool fragments which are confined by the pressure of a residual hot background medium. The critical mass required for the cold clouds to become gravitationally unstable and to form stars is determined by both their internal temperature and external pressure. Massive first generation stars form in primordial clouds with sufficient column density to shield themselves from external UV photons emitted by nearby massive stars or AGNs. Less massive photoionized clouds gain mass due to ram pressure stripping by the residual halo gas. Collisions may also trigger thermal instability and fragmentation into cloudlets. While most cloudlets have substellar masses, the largest become self-gravitating and collapse to form protostellar cores without further fragmentation. The initial stellar mass function is established as these cores capture additional residual cloudlets. Energy dissipation from the mergers ensures that the cluster remains bound in the limit of low star formation efficiency. Dissipation also promotes the formation and retention of the most massive stars in the cluster center. On the scale of the protogalactic clouds, the formation of massive stars generates intense UV radiation which photoionizes gas and quenches star formation in nearby regions. As …

The pressure profile and plasma shape, parameterized by elongation ({kappa}), triangularity ({delta}), and squareness ({zeta}), strongly influence stability. In this study, ideal stability of single null and symmetric, double-null, advanced tokamak (AT) configurations is examined. All the various shapes are bounded by a common envelope and can be realized in the DIII-D tokamak. The calculated AT equilibria are characterized by P{sub 0}/{l_angle}P{r_brace} {approx} 2.0-4.5, weak negative central shear, high q{sub min} (>2.0), high bootstrap fraction, an H-mode pedestal, and varying shape parameters. The pressure profile is modeled by various polynomials together with a hyperbolic tangent pedestal, consistent with experimental observations. Stability is calculated with the DCON code and the resulting stability boundary is corroborated by GATO runs.

The uranium-0.8 wt % titanium (U-0.8 Ti) alloy is often used in weapon applications where high strength and fairly good ductility are necessary. Components are immersion quenched in water from the gamma phase to produce a martensitic structure that is amenable to aging. Undesirable conditions occur when a component occasionally cracks during the quenching process, and when tensile specimens fail prematurely during mechanical testing. These two failures prompted an investigative analysis and a series of studies to determine the causes of the cracking and erratic behavior observed in this alloy. Quench-related failures whereby components that cracked either during or immediately after the heat treatment/quenching operation were sectioned for metallographic examination of the microstructure to examine the degree of phase transformation. Examination of premature tensile specimen failures by scanning electron microscopy and x-ray imaging of fracture surfaces revealed pockets of inclusions at the crack origins. In addition, tests were conducted to evaluate the detrimental effects of internal hydrogen on ductility and crack initiation in this allay.

Photocopy of an article written for Westbank Picayune by Dona Price. The article goes into the addition of a grocery store to the Westbank area and what a big change that was to the community, considering that the closest grocery store that they had was miles away.

An article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about the upcoming collections and events at the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth. It is titled Little Journeys and has information about tours and group visits.

Recent theoretical developments in calculating fission barriers of hot rotating nuclei and their experimental tests are reviewed. The discussions are limited to macroscopic fission models (no shell effects), since experimental tests come primarily from heavy-ion induced reactions involving large angular momenta and internal excitation energies. The physics of the rotating finite range models with temperature is emphasized and the predictions of our model are compared with those of other macroscopic models and with statistically deduced experimental results. The difficulties associated with the statistical model analysis at high temperatures are discussed. 43 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab.

Recent observational and theoretical studies of the ZZ Ceti variables (DA degenerate dwarfs), the DBV variables (DB degenerate dwarfs), and the GW Vir variables (DO degenerate dwarfs) have shown them to be pulsating in nonradial g/sup +/-modes. The pulsation mechanism has been identified for each class of variable star and, in all cases, involves predictions of the stars envelope composition. The ZZ Ceti variables must have pure hydrogen surface layers, the DBV stars must have pure helium surface layers, and the GW Vir stars must have carbon and oxygen rich surface layers. 44 refs.

Future prospects regarding the numerical solution of the Navier-Stokes equations using the finite element method are discussed. Since the ultimate goal is to solve these equations in three-dimensions, only the primitive variable (u,P) formulation is considered. A novel feature of the two-dimensional solution technique relates to the methodology developed and employed for solving the semi-discretized system of ordinary differential equations, which are outlined in the section describing the development of the two-dimensional code. Following the discussion of numerical results from two-dimensional calculations, three-dimensional flows are discussed, where several potentially viable options are considered. (TFD)

Parallel programming promises improved processing speeds for hydrocodes, magnetohydrocodes, multiphase flow codes, thermal-hydraulics codes, wavecodes and other continuum dynamics codes. This paper presents the results of some investigations of parallel algorithms on three parallel processors: the CRAY X-MP, ELXSI and the HEP computers. Introduction and Background: We report the results of investigations of parallel algorithms for computational continuum dynamics. These programs (hydrocodes, wavecodes, etc.) produce simulations of the solutions to problems arising in the motion of continua: solid dynamics, liquid dynamics, gas dynamics, plasma dynamics, multiphase flow dynamics, thermal-hydraulic dynamics and multimaterial flow dynamics. This report restricts its scope to one-dimensional algorithms such as the von Neumann-Richtmyer (1950) scheme.