Development and application of a 3-D geometry/mass model for LDEF satellite ionizing radiation assessments

A three-dimensional geometry and mass model of the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) spacecraft and experiment trays was developed for use in predictions and data interpretation related to ionizing radiation measurements. The modeling approach, level of detail incorporated, example models for specific experiments and radiation dosimeters, and example applications of the model are described

Major John Bradford Homestead archaeological collections report

This report describes a collections management project undertaken on archaeological finds excavated at the Major John Bradford Homestead in 1972 and 1973. One of the chief goals of the project were to clean all artifacts that had not been processed after sorting the materials that had been processed and labeled and to reunite them with their provenience groups. The next goal was to catalogue all of the finds and to re-bag and re-box all of the materials in archivally appropriate bags and acid-free boxes and to provide a box inventory keyed to the catalogue so that future researchers or exhibit designers could readily locate objects of interest. A further goal was to provide a narrative about the excavations and to make suggestions about how to interpret the archaeological evidence and to suggest potential future research. All of these goals were met and are detailed in this report

Retrofitting the International Space Station.

Crew quarters (CQ) design was key to the habitability design of Skylab, with a specific goal of providing a private space for each crewmember, who might spend 6-8 hours a day there. Despite the privacy afforded by a designated place for each crewmember, Skylab crews reported poor sleep due to noise, light leaks, or disturbances by fellow crewmembers. Adams (1998) noted that Skylab lacked attachment points for relocating sleep restraints, thereby effectively precluding crewmembers from sleeping elsewhere. Generally speaking, Skylab's interior outfitting was not designed for modularity or reconfigurability. In contrast, one of the principal design features of the International Space Station (ISS) is the basic structure of the modules and the rack volumes they accommodate, the International Standard Payload Rack (ISPR). The ISPR is intended to allow interchangeability and reconfiguration. Feedback from expedition crews who have lived onboard the ISS include requests for an improved living environment. Designers can improve the living environment, in part, by learning from the experiences of these crews. By developing solutions that can be retrofitted to the existing basic structures, designers could offer an environment that enriches a crewmember's experience. Crew feedback has cited flexibility of use as a desirable feature during long-duration missions. For such missions, flexibility allows objects or environments to be used in different ways, requiring fewer amenities and less room to house those amenities, thereby reducing transportation demands and costs. Flexibility offers numerous advantages for space applications where the living volume is limited and delivery and maintenance costs are major concerns. A mounting structure and kit of parts system could offer flexibility of use, a benefit for crewmembers who desire visual stimulation and variety in the space station environment. Moreover, this approach is durable; any part would be able to be detached and updated, improved, or replaced. This chapter presents a design solution for a flexible CQ system. The process behind the solution involved a series of self-directed empirical exercises that provided insight and spurred concept generation. Subsequently, a review of relevant ISS specifications served to guide design development. The resulting design is compatible with the basic elements of existing CQ equipment, offers adaptability over time using a proposed kit of parts, and thus an interior strategy that allows crewmembers to tailor the layout and use of their private environment at any time

Profile of On-Line Anatomy Information Resources: Design and Instructional Implications

This study is based on a review of 40 on-line anatomy web resources compiled from sites selected from our own searches as well as sites reviewed and published by an external group (Voiglio et al., 1999, Surg. Radiol. Anat. 21:65-68; Frasca et al., 2000, Surg. Radiol. Anat. 22:107-110). The purpose of our survey was to propose criteria by which anatomy educators could judge the characteristics of the currently available web-based resources for incorporation into the courses they teach. Each site was reviewed and scored based on a survey matrix that included four main categories: 1). site background information, 2). content components, 3). interactivity features, and 4). user interface design components. The average score of the reviewed sites was 3.3 of the total possible score of 10, indicating the limited use of computer-based design features by the majority of sites. We found, however, a number of programs in each of the survey categories that could serve as prototypes for designing future on-line anatomy resources. From the survey we conclude that various design features are less important than the comprehensiveness, depth, and logical organization of content. We suggest that the content should be sufficient for supporting explicitly defined educational objectives, which should target specific end-user populations. The majority of anatomy programs currently accessible on-line fall short of these requirements. There is a need for a coordinated and synergistic effort to generate a comprehensive anatomical information resource that is of sufficient quality and depth to support higher levels of learning beyond the memorization of structure names. Such a resource is a prerequisite for meaningful on-line anatomy education

Evaluation of MEMS-based In-place Inclinometers in Cold Regions

INE/AUTC 12.3

2006 Archaeological Investigations at Town Creek Indian Mound State Historic Site

Research Report No. 26, Research Laboratories of Archaeology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Reports in this series discuss the findings of archaeological excavations and research projects undertaken by the RLA between 1984 and present