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At least 397 records · Page 22

Correlation functions for pairs and groups of galaxies

There are many studies on the correlation functions of galaxies, of clusters of galaxies, even of superclusters (e.g., Groth and Peebles 1977; Davies and Peebles 1983; Kalinkov and Kuneva 1985, 1986; Bahcall 1988 and references therein) but not so many on pairs and groups of galaxies. Results of the calculations of two-point correlation fuctions for some catalogs of pairs and groups of galaxies are given. It is assumed that the distances to pairs and groups of galaxies are given by their mean redshifts according to R = sigma (sup n, sub i-1) V sub i/nH (sub 0), where n is the number of galaxies in the system and H sub 0 = 100 km s(exp -1) Mpc(exp -1).

Kalinkov, M.↗

Premorbid determinants of left ventricular dysfunction in a novel model of gradually induced pressure overload in the adult canine

BACKGROUND: When a pressure overload is placed on the left ventricle, some patients develop relatively modest hypertrophy whereas others develop extensive hypertrophy. Likewise, the occurrence of contractile dysfunction also is variable. The cause of this heterogeneity is not well understood. METHODS AND RESULTS: We recently developed a model of gradual proximal aortic constriction in the adult canine that mimicked the heterogeneity of the hypertrophic response seen in humans. We hypothesized that differences in outcome were related to differences present before banding. Fifteen animals were studied initially. Ten developed left ventricular dysfunction (dys group). Five dogs maintained normal function (nl group). At baseline, the nl group had a lower mean systolic wall stress (96 +/- 9 kdyne/cm2; dys group, 156 +/- 7 kdyne/cm2; P < .0002) and greater relative left ventricular mass (left ventricular weight [g]/body wt [kg], 5.1 +/- 0.36; dys group, 3.9 +/- 0.26; P < .02). On the basis of differences in mean systolic wall stress at baseline, we predicted outcome in the next 28 dogs by using a cutoff of 115 kdyne/cm2. Eighteen of 20 dogs with baseline mean systolic stress > 115 kdyne/cm2 developed dysfunction whereas 6 of 8 dogs with resting stress < or = 115 kdyne/cm2 maintained normal function. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that this canine model mimicked the heterogeneous hypertrophic response seen in humans. In the group that eventually developed dysfunction there was less cardiac mass despite 60% higher wall stress at baseline, suggesting a different set point for regulating myocardial growth in the two groups.

Non-NASA Center↗

The luminosity function of galaxies in compact groups

We use counts of faint galaxies in the regions of compact groups to extend the study of the luminosity function of galaxies in compact groups to absolute magnitudes as faint as M(sub B) = -14.5 + 5 log h. We find a slope of the faint end of the luminosity function of approximately alpha = -0.8, with a formal uncertainty of 0.15. This slope is not significantly different from that found for galaxies in other environments. Our results do not support previous suggestions of a dramatic underabundance of intrinsically faint galaxies in compact groups, which were based on extrapolations from fits at brighter magnitudes. The normal faint-end slope of the luminosity function in compact groups is in agreement with previous evidence that most galaxies in compact groups have not been dramatically affected by recent merging.

Ribeiro, A. L. B.↗

FLIT: A Generic Fortran Library based on Interfaces and Templates

This Fortran code consists of multiple modules with a focus on simplifying array operations, image processing, and numerical computation especially for computational geophysics applications. We intend to use this code to demonstrate the application and usefulness of Fortran interface and templates for generic programming, especially for computational geophysics and seismology applications. The code has several notable features. Firstly, it is based on a modularized structure, where each module contains multiple functions but with a focus of functionality. Secondly, it heavily uses interfaces and templates for improving the genericness and convenience of the resulting code, where a same function interface can enclose a group of functions that perform the same functionality but with inputs/output variables of different data types. Thirdly, it includes a variety of generic functions with an emphasis on array operations, such as rotation, flipping, cropping, padding, fast Fourier transform, Gaussian blurring, interpolation, and so on. We name this package FLIP – a generic Fortran Library based on Interfaces and Templates.

Gao, Kai↗

Thermally stable hydrocarbon-based anion exchange membrane and ionomers

An anion exchange membrane is composed of a copolymer of 1,1-diphenylethylene and one or more styrene monomers, such as 4-tert-butylstyrene. The copolymer includes a backbone substituted with a plurality of ionic groups coupled to phenyl groups on the backbone via hydrocarbyl tethers between about 1 and about 7 carbons in length. High-temperature conditions enabled by these copolymers enhance conductivity performance, making them particularly suitable for use in anion exchange membranes in fuel cells, electrolyzers employing hydrogen, ion separations, etc. The properties of the membranes can be tuned via the degree of functionalization of the phenyl groups and selection of the functional groups, such as quaternary ammonium groups. Several processes can be used to incorporate the desired ionic functional groups into the polymers, such as chloromethylation, radical bromination, Friedel-Crafts acylation and alkylation, sulfonation followed by amination, or combinations thereof.

Lee, Sangwoo↗

Customer and mission influence on space station architecture

Overall Space Station architecture is presented in schematic outlines and plans. How the customer and mission needs influence this design is studied. The uses, occupants, activities, interfaces, utilities, locomotion, environments, and technological costs are all factors which influence the architecture. User and system functions are profiled, interfaces are characterized and functions are grouped. These lead to packaging of functions into modules and the design of system and user accommodations.

Runge, F. C.↗

Sulfonate Group Improves the Solubility and Electrocatalytic Performance of Ru‐Based bda‐ and pda‐Type Water Oxidation Catalysts under Neutral Conditions

Four ruthenium water oxidation catalysts that bear carboxylate and sulfonate groups in the active site have been synthesized and analyzed for their catalytic activity. Here, the sulfonate‐containing catalysts show higher electrochemical activity in pH 7 phosphate buffer with 4 times larger catalytic current, improved durability with sacrificial oxidant, and increased solubility compared to similar species containing two carboxylate groups. Density functional theory calculations suggest that the sulfonate group provides a more favorable geometry for water nucleophilic attack, which is both the energetically most favorable mechanism calculated and the experimentally predicted mechanism under electrochemical conditions. Further experimental studies have been performed to show that under certain conditions catalysts can perform well electrochemically under pH conditions as low as 1.6 and that various structural components can greatly change solubility and catalytic operation.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Vehicle Engineering Development Activities at the Marshall Space Flight Center

New initiatives in the Space Transportation Directorate at the Marshall Space Flight Center include an emphasis on Vehicle Engineering to enhance the strong commitment to the Directorate's projects in the development of flight hardware and flight demonstrators for the advancement of space transportation technology. This emphasis can be seen in the activities of a newly formed organization in the Transportation Directorate, The Vehicle Subsystems Engineering Group. The functions and type of activities that this group works on are described. The current projects of this group are outlined including a brief description of the status and type of work that the group is performing. A summary section is included to describe future activities.

Fisher, Mark F.↗

Interaction of Planar Brushes with End-Functionalized Carboxylic or Amine Groups: Water Structure, Hydrogen Bonds, and Electrostatic Correlations

In this work we present a detailed analysis of two parallel plates grafted with polyethylene glycol (PEG) terminated with carboxylic or amine groups, and discuss the cases of opposite and same charge in the presence of electrolytes. We analyze the screening of charged groups by electrolytes, the role of hydrogen bonds in enhancing attraction or repulsion, hydration forces, competitive binding with counterions, and the hydrogen bond network, crucial to stabilizing the system. Our simulations reveal that, for large plate separation, the system is well described as a “Stern layer”, characterized by strong counterion binding and a subsequent weak diffuse layer. For short plate separation, the system is characterized by strong correlations among end groups and counterions. We also discuss the relevance of charged carboxylic/amine groups in different problems with a particular emphasis on nanoparticle assembly.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Modeling Respiratory Toxicity of Authentic Lunar Dust

The lunar expeditions of the Apollo operations from the 60 s and early 70 s have generated awareness about lunar dust exposures and their implication towards future lunar explorations. Critical analyses on the reports from the Apollo crew members suggest that lunar dust is a mild respiratory and ocular irritant. Currently, NASA s space toxicology group is functioning with the Lunar Airborne Dust Toxicity Assessment Group (LADTAG) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to investigate and examine toxic effects to the respiratory system of rats in order to establish permissible exposure levels (PELs) for human exposure to lunar dust. In collaboration with the space toxicology group, LADTAG and NIOSH the goal of the present research is to analyze dose-response curves from rat exposures seven and twenty-eight days after intrapharyngeal instillations, and model the response using BenchMark Dose Software (BMDS) from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Via this analysis, the relative toxicities of three types of Apollo 14 lunar dust samples and two control dust samples, titanium dioxide (TiO2) and quartz will be determined. This will be executed for several toxicity endpoints such as cell counts and biochemical markers in bronchoaveolar lavage fluid (BALF) harvested from the rats.

Santana, Patricia A.↗

An NAFP Project: Use of Object Oriented Methodologies and Design Patterns to Refactor Software Design

In the early problem-solution era of software programming, functional decompositions were mainly used to design and implement software solutions. In functional decompositions, functions and data are introduced as two separate entities during the design phase, and are followed as such in the implementation phase. Functional decompositions make use of refactoring through optimizing the algorithms, grouping similar functionalities into common reusable functions, and using abstract representations of data where possible; all these are done during the implementation phase. This paper advocates the usage of object-oriented methodologies and design patterns as the centerpieces of refactoring software solutions. Refactoring software is a method of changing software design while explicitly preserving its external functionalities. The combined usage of object-oriented methodologies and design patterns to refactor should also benefit the overall software life cycle cost with improved software.

Shaykhian, Gholam Ali↗

Overview of Langley systems studies

Late in 1990, the NASA Systems Integration Group began functioning and the aircraft systems studies entered a second phase. This group proposed tightly coordinated Ames/Langley/Lewis/industry studies that would address a series of tasks to evaluate progress, recommend appropriate direction, and emphasize changes in technology elements based on system level payoffs and potential success assessments. Based on technical and economic assessment studies of the High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) to date, Mach 2.4 was chosen as the primary focus for the High Speed Research Program with Mach numbers 2.0 and 1.6 being backups in case of technology shortfalls. Langley has established an interdisciplinary team to strengthen the multidisciplinary aspects of aircraft design and analysis. The vehicle focus of this team is the HSCT. At Langley, early HSCT studies focused on turbojet powered aircraft. They also concluded that variable sweep wing concepts require 50/50 subsonic/supersonic to payoff for Mach 3.0 concept. Progress has been good in low sonic boom concepts.

Dollyhigh, Samuel D.↗

Synthesis of Perfluorinated Polymers

Long-chain perfluoropolyethers containing functional pendent groups were investigated as possible candidates for new sealants and elastomers that function in extreme environments. Of specific interest was development of materials exhibiting high thermal and oxidative stability at temperatures around 400 degrees C, low-temperature flexibility with glass transition at about 50 degrees C, and hydrolytic stability as well as compatibility with metals and resistance to fuels.

Rosser, R. W.↗

Excitation of turbulence by density waves

A nonlinear system describes the microdynamical state of turbulence that is excited by density waves. It consists of an equation of propagation and a master equation. A group-scaling generates the scaled equations of many interacting groups of distribution functions. The two leading groups govern the transport processes of evolution and eddy diffusivity. The remaining sub-groups represent the relaxation for the approach of diffusivity to equilibrium. In strong turbulence, the sub-groups disperse themselves and the ensemble acts like a medium that offers an effective damping to close the hierarchy. The kinetic equation of turbulence is derived. It calculates the eddy viscosity and identifies the effective damping of the assumed medium self-consistently. It formulates the coupling mechanism for the intensification of the turbulent energy at the expense of the wave energy, and the transfer mechanism for the cascade. The spectra of velocity and density fluctuations find the power law k sup-2 and k sup-4, respectively.

Tichen, C. M.↗

Intragroup and Galaxy-linked Diffuse X-ray Emission In Hickson Compact Groups

Isolated compact groups (CGs) of galaxies present a range of dynamical states, group velocity dispersions, and galaxy morphologies with which to study galaxy evolution, particularly the properties of gas both within the galaxies and in the intragroup medium. As part of a large, multiwavelength examination of CGs, we present an archival study of diffuse X-ray emission in a subset of nine Hickson compact groups (HCGs) observed with the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. We find that seven of the groups in our sample exhibit detectable diffuse emission. However, unlike large-scale emission in galaxy clusters, the diffuse features in the majority of the detected groups are linked to the individual galaxies, in the form of both plumes and halos likely as a result of vigourous star formation or activity in the galaxy nucleus, as well as in emission from tidal features. Unlike previous studies from earlier X-ray missions, HCGs 31, 42, 59, and 92 are found to be consistent with the L(sub X-Tau) relationship from clusters within the errors, while HCGs 16 and 31 are consistent with the cluster L(sub X-sigma) relation, though this is likely coincidental given that the hot gas in these two systems is largely due to star formation. We find that L(sub X) increases with decreasing group Hi to dynamical-mass ratio with tentative evidence for a dependence in X-ray luminosity on Hi morphology whereby systems with intragroup Hi indicative of strong interactions are considerably more X-ray luminous than passively evolving groups. We also find a gap in the L(sub X) of groups as a function of the total group specific star formation rate. Our findings suggest that the hot gas in these groups is not in hydrostatic equilibrium and these systems are not low-mass analogs of rich groups or clusters, with the possible exception of HCG 62.

Desjardins, Tyler D.↗

The Thiamine-Pyrophosphate-Motif

Thiamin pyrophosphate (TPP), a derivative of vitamin B1, is a cofactor for enzymes performing catalysis in pathways of energy production including the well known decarboxylation of a-keto acid dehydrogenases followed by transketolation. TPP-dependent enzymes constitute a structurally and functionally diverse group exhibiting multimeric subunit organization, multiple domains and two chemically equivalent catalytic centers. Annotation of functional TPP-dependcnt enzymes, therefore, has not been trivial due to low sequence similarity related to this complex organization. Our approach to analysis of structures of known TPP-dependent enzymes reveals for the first time features common to this group, which we have termed the TPP-motif. The TPP-motif consists of specific spatial arrangements of structural elements and their specific contacts to provide for a flip-flop, or alternate site, enzymatic mechanism of action. Analysis of structural elements entrained in the flip-flop action displayed by TPP-dependent enzymes reveals a novel definition of the common amino acid sequences. These sequences allow for annotation of TPP-dependent enzymes, thus advancing functional proteomics. Further details of three-dimensional structures of TPP-dependent enzymes will be discussed.

Ciszak, Ewa↗