RSRM-11 (36OW011) ballistics mass properties (STS-35)

The propulsion performance and reconstructed mass properties data from Thiolol's RSRM-11 motors which were assigned to the STS-35 launch are contained. The Thiokol manufacturing designations for the motors were 360W011A/360W011B, which are referred to as RSRM-11A and RSRM-B, respectively. The launch of STS-35 occurred on 2 December 1990 at the Eastern Test Range (ETR). The data contained herein was input to the STS-35 Flight Evaluation Report. The SRM propellant, TP-H1148, is a composite type solid propellants, formulated of polybutediene acrylic acid, acryonitrile terpolymer binder, epoxy curing agent, ammonium perchlorate oxidizer, and aluminum powder fuel. A small amount of burning rate catalyst (iron oxide) was added to achieve the desired propellant burn rate. The propellant evaluation and raw material information for the RSRM-11 are included. The ballistic performance presented was based on the Operational Flight Instrumentation (OFI) 12.5 sample per second pressure data for the steady state and tail off portion of the pressure trace. Recent studies have shown that the transducers are affected by the measuring system at KSC and temperature gradients created by the igniter heaters. Therefore, an adjustment to the data from each transducer is made to make the initial reading match the atmospheric pressure at the time of launch

Long-range electron transfer in structurally engineered pentaammineruthenium (histidine-62) cytochrome c

In many biological processes, long-range electron transfer (ET) plays a key role. When the three-dimensional structures of proteins are accurately known, use of modified proteins and protein-protein complexes provides an experimental approach to study ET rates between two metal centers. For Ru(His)- modified proteins, the introduction of histidine residues at any desired surface location by site-directed mutagenesis opens the way for systematic investigations of ET pathways

A novel kinematics analysis method using quaternion interpolation – a case study in frog jumping

Spherical Linear Interpolation (SLERP) has long been used in computer animation to interpolate movements between two 3D orientations. We developed a forward kinematics (FK) approach using quaternions and SLERP to predict how frogs modulate jump kinematics between start posture and takeoff. Frog limb kinematics have been studied during various activities, yet the causal link between differences in joint kinematics and locomotor variation remains unknown. We varied 1) takeoff angle from 8 to 60 degrees; 2) turn angle from 0 to 18 degrees; and 3) initial body pitch from 0 to 70 degrees. Simulations were similar to experimentally observed frog kinematics. Findings suggest a fundamental mechanism whereby limb elevation is modulated by thigh and shank adduction. Forward thrust is produced by thigh and proximal foot retraction with little contribution from the shank except to induce asymmetries for turning. Kinematic shifts causing turns were subtle, marked only by slight counter-rotation of the left versus right shank as well as a 10% timing offset in proximal foot adduction. Additionally, inclining initial body tilt influenced the centre of mass trajectory to determine direction of travel at takeoff. Most importantly, our theory suggests firstly that the convergence of leg segment rotation axes toward a common orientation is crucial both for limb extension and for coordinating jump direction; and, secondly, the challenge of simulating 3D kinematics is simplified using SLERP because frog limbs approximately follow linear paths in unit quaternion space. Our methodology can be applied more broadly to study living and fossil frog taxa as well as to inspire new control algorithms for robotic limbs

Heat of Wetting of Soils

Many important soil processes such as base exchange capacity, plant food availability and moisture holding capacity, are influenced by the amount of surface per unit mass of soil. For this reason, measurements related to this soil characteristic may be used in connection with many soil problems. This article is concerned with the description of a method of measuring the relative surface area of soils with apparatus suited for student use. It consists in measuring the heat energy liberated by a dry soil which is wetted by water at the same temperature

Circular No. 59 - Control of Stinking Smut of Wheat with Copper Carbonate

Stinking smut or bunt of wheat is an ever-present and destructive disease in the wheat fields of Utah. During the past season (1925) this disease was especially prevalent, causing losses in certain fields of from 25 to 50 per cent, not counting the loss to the grower in reduced grade of grain. In the threshing of smutty wheat there is also the risk of loss from smut explosion. Almost every season cases of this sort are reported. In addition of all of the wheat tested by the U. S. Grain Inspector at Logan for Northern Utah and Southern Idaho 30 per cent showed smut infection in 1925. The average reduction for smut is near ten cents a bushel with a variation from five to twenty cents. The cost of producing a smutted crop may equal or even exceed the cost of producing a clean crop. Loss occurring from this disease, since it is preventable, can hardly be considered attached to the total gross returns; it is a subtraction from the net profit. Effective methods for the prevention of these losses by smut are now available to every grain grower

A projection method for statics and dynamics of lattice spin systems

A method based on Monte Carlo sampling of the probability flows projected onto the subspace of one or more slow variables is proposed for investigation of dynamic and static properties of lattice spin systems. We illustrate the method by applying it, with projection onto the order-parameter subspace, to the three-dimensional 3-state Potts model in equilibrium and to metastable decay in a three-dimensional 3-state kinetic Potts model.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, RevTex, final version to appear in Phys. Rev. Let

Charge trapping in polymer transistors probed by terahertz spectroscopy and scanning probe potentiometry

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and scanning probe potentiometry were used to investigate charge trapping in polymer field-effect transistors fabricated on a silicon gate. The hole density in the transistor channel was determined from the reduction in the transmitted terahertz radiation under an applied gate voltage. Prolonged device operation creates an exponential decay in the differential terahertz transmission, compatible with an increase in the density of trapped holes in the polymer channel. Taken in combination with scanning probe potentionmetry measurements, these results indicate that device degradation is largely a consequence of hole trapping, rather than of changes to the mobility of free holes in the polymer.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Soil survey of Vasse Research Station, Western Australia

This soil survey of the Vasse Research Station properties was carried out at the request of the Division of Plant Production of the Agriculture Western Australia. The survey followed a preliminary examination and mapping of soil series in the area by Mr T. Stoneman in 1982, after which it was concluded that more detailed survey work was required to assist farm management and research experimentation. The research station consists of two blocks, referred to here as the main block (Sussex Locations 1475, 1439, 2128, 2138, 2137, 2136, 2129, 2130, 2119, 2118, 2126 and 2125) and the hill block (Sussex Locations 3024, 3025 and part of 1864) approximately 12 km due south, and 15 km south-south-east respectively from Busselton. (Figure 1). The main (lowland) portion of the research station is approximately 610 ha in area and the hill block further south covers approximately 160 ha. The country is considered to be representative of much of the inland Swan Coastal Plain and its margin with the Whicher Range between Boyanup and Dunsborough. The work was conducted using a free survey technique where map unit boundaries and field observation sites were selected on the basis of air photo interpretation. Aerial photos enlarged to scales of 1:10,000 and 1:2000 respectively were used for the main and hill blocks. The final map presented in this report is at a uniform scale of 1:10,000. For those interested in the greater detail provided on the preliminary 1:2000 scale for the hill block map copies may be sought from the Division of Resource Management

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Peter R Mansfield, Barbara Mintzes and Dee Richard

Genome characterization and population genetic structure of the zoonotic pathogen, streptococcus canis

Background - Streptococcus canis is an important opportunistic pathogen of dogs and cats that can also infect a wide range of additional mammals including cows where it can cause mastitis. It is also an emerging human pathogen. Results - Here we provide characterization of the first genome sequence for this species, strain FSL S3-227 (milk isolate from a cow with an intra-mammary infection). A diverse array of putative virulence factors was encoded by the S. canis FSL S3-227 genome. Approximately 75% of these gene sequences were homologous to known Streptococcal virulence factors involved in invasion, evasion, and colonization. Present in the genome are multiple potentially mobile genetic elements (MGEs) [plasmid, phage, integrative conjugative element (ICE)] and comparison to other species provided convincing evidence for lateral gene transfer (LGT) between S. canis and two additional bovine mastitis causing pathogens (Streptococcus agalactiae, and Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. dysgalactiae), with this transfer possibly contributing to host adaptation. Population structure among isolates obtained from Europe and USA [bovine = 56, canine = 26, and feline = 1] was explored. Ribotyping of all isolates and multi locus sequence typing (MLST) of a subset of the isolates (n = 45) detected significant differentiation between bovine and canine isolates (Fisher exact test: P = 0.0000 [ribotypes], P = 0.0030 [sequence types]), suggesting possible host adaptation of some genotypes. Concurrently, the ancestral clonal complex (54% of isolates) occurred in many tissue types, all hosts, and all geographic locations suggesting the possibility of a wide and diverse niche. Conclusion - This study provides evidence highlighting the importance of LGT in the evolution of the bacteria S. canis, specifically, its possible role in host adaptation and acquisition of virulence factors. Furthermore, recent LGT detected between S. canis and human bacteria (Streptococcus urinalis) is cause for concern, as it highlights the possibility for continued acquisition of human virulence factors for this emerging zoonotic pathogen