We propose a simple method to significantly enhance the temporal coherence and spectral brightness of a self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) free-electron laser (FEL). In this purified SASE (pSASE) FEL, a few undulator sections (called slippage-boosted section) resonant at a subharmonic of the FEL radiation are used in the middle stage of the exponential growth regime to amplify the radia...

The single-stranded, positive-sense RNA genome of viruses in the genus Potyvirus encodes a large polyprotein that is cleaved to yield 10 mature proteins. The first three cleavage products are P1, HCpro and P3. An additional short open reading frame (ORF), called pipo, overlaps the P3 region of the polyprotein ORF. Four related potyviruses infecting sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) are predicted t...

Future planetary rovers are expected to probe across steep sandy slopes such as crater rims where wheel slippage can be a critical problem. One possible solution is to equip locomotion mechanisms with redundant actuators so that the rovers are able to actively reconfigure themselves to adapt to the target terrain. This study modeled a reconfigurable rover to analyze the effects of reconfigurati...

Slippery surfaces introduce various difficulties in motion planning and control. This paper presents a novel design and a motion planner for a mobile robot operating on slippery surfaces. The robot consists of an upper circular body and three identical semi-passive driving mechanisms. Each mechanism consists of a passive wheel that can roll, a rotation actuator along the normal axes and a linea...

Like the biological clock in the body, replication of each cell type (even different cells of the same organism) follows a timing program. Abnormal function of this timer could be an alarm for a disease like cancer. DNA replication starts from a specific point on the chromosome that is called the origin of replication. In contrast to prokaryotes in which DNA replication starts from a single ...

In this paper, we describe a production procedure of the one-to-one double helical complex of poly(dG)-poly(dC), characterized by a well-defined length (up to 10 kb) and narrow size distribution of molecules. Direct evidence of strands slippage during poly(dG)-poly(dC) synthesis by Klenow exo(-) fragment of polymerase I is obtained by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). We show that ...

Clinically significant laxity occurs in 10%-30% of knees after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Graft slippage and tension loss at the hamstring graft tibial fixation site during and after reconstruction surgery contribute to postoperative joint laxity and are detrimental to long-term knee stability and graft properties. Limiting graft slippage will reduce associated complications. We...

Ice accretion remains a costly, hazardous concern worldwide. Icephobic coatings reduce the adhesion between ice and a surface. However, only a handful of the icephobic systems reported to date reduce the ice adhesion sufficiently for the facile and passive removal of ice, such as under its own weight or by mild winds. Most of these icephobic surfaces have relied on sacrificial lubricants, which...