NASA Ares I Launch Vehicle First Stage Roll Control System Cold Flow Development Test Program Overview

The Ares I launch vehicle is the selected design, chosen to return humans to the moon, Mars, and beyond. It is configured in two inline stages: the First Stage is a Space Shuttle derived five-segment Solid Rocket Booster and the Upper Stage is powered by a Saturn V derived J-2X engine. During launch, roll control for the First Stage (FS) is handled by a dedicated Roll Control System (RoCS) located on the connecting Interstage. That system will provide the Ares I with the ability to counteract induced roll torque while any induced yaw or pitch moments are handled by vectoring of the booster nozzle. This paper provides an overview of NASA s Ares I FS RoCS cold flow development test program including detailed test objectives, types of tests run to meet those objectives, an overview of the results, and applicable lessons learned. The test article was built and tested at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. The FS RoCS System Development Test Article (SDTA) is a full scale, flight representative water flow test article whose primary objective was to obtain fluid system performance data to evaluate integrated system level performance characteristics and verify analytical models. Development testing and model correlation was deemed necessary as there is little historical precedent for similar large flow, pulsing systems such as the FS RoCS. The cold flow development test program consisted of flight-similar tanks, pressure regulators, and thruster valves, as well as plumbing simulating flight geometries, combined with other facility grade components and structure. Orifices downstream of the thruster valves were used to simulate the pressure drop through the thrusters. Additional primary objectives of this test program were to: evaluate system surge pressure (waterhammer) characteristics due to thruster valve operation over a range of mission duty cycles at various feed system pressures, evaluate temperature transients and heat transfer in the pressurization system, including regulator blowdown and propellant ullage performance, measure system pressure drops for comparison to analysis of tubing and components, and validate system activation and re-activation procedures for the helium pressurant system. Secondary objectives included: validating system processes for loading, unloading, and purging, validating procedures and system response for multiple failure scenarios, including relief valve operation, and evaluating system performance for contingency scenarios. The test results of the cold flow development test program are essential in validating the performance and interaction of the Roll Control System and anchoring analysis tools and results to a Critical Design Review level of fidelity

Concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and 2,4,6-tribromophenol in human placental tissues

Legacy environmental contaminants such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are widely detected in human tissues. However, few studies have measured PBDEs in placental tissues, and there are no reported measurements of 2,4,6-tribromophenol (2,4,6-TBP) in placental tissues. Measurements of these contaminants are important for understanding potential fetal exposures, as these compounds have been shown to alter thyroid hormone regulation in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we measured a suite of PBDEs and 2,4,6-TBP in 102 human placental tissues collected between 2010 and 2011 in Durham County, North Carolina, USA. The most abundant PBDE congener detected was BDE-47, with a mean concentration of 5.09 ng/g lipid (range: 0.12–141 ng/g lipid; detection frequency 91%); however, 2,4,6-TBP was ubiquitously detected and present at higher concentrations with a mean concentration of 15.4 ng/g lipid (range:1.31–316 ng/g lipid; detection frequency 100%). BDE-209 was also detected in more than 50% of the samples, and was significantly associated with 2,4,6-TBP in placental tissues, suggesting they may have a similar source, or that 2,4,6-TBP may be a degradation product of BDE-209. Interestingly, BDE-209 and 2,4,6-TBP were negatively associated with age (rs = − 0.16; p = 0.10 and rs = − 0.17; p = 0.08, respectively). The results of this work indicate that PBDEs and 2,4,6-TBP bioaccumulate in human placenta tissue and likely contribute to prenatal exposures to these environmental contaminants. Future studies are needed to determine if these joint exposures are associated with any adverse health measures in infants and children

Is tagging with visual implant elastomer a reliable technique for marking earthworms?

Visual implant elastomer (VIE) has recently been employed to investigate different aspects of earthworm ecology. However, a number of fundamental questions relating to the detection and positioning of the tag, its persistence and potential effects on earthworms remain unknown. Seven earthworm species belonging to three ecological groupings, with different pigmentation and burrowing behaviour, were tagged using different coloured VIE. External inspection after two days, one week and 1, 10 and 27 months were followed by preservation, dissection and internal inspection. Tags could be seen in living specimens to 27 months, and dissection revealed that in most cases they were lodged in the coelomic cavity, held in place by septa. However, over longer time periods (more than two years), the chlorogogenous tissue tended to bind to the tags and made external observation increasingly difficult. Migration of the VIE material towards the posterior of the earthworm and potential loss of the tag were only observed on rare occasions, and a recovery rate in excess of 98% was recorded. By introducing a reasonable amount of VIE into segments, just after the clitellum, this technique can become a valuable tool in earthworm ecology and life history studies, particularly in short-medium term laboratory and field experiments

The Molecular Environment of the Gamma-ray Source TeV J2032+4130

The mysterious very high energy gamma-ray source, TeV J2032+4130, is coincident with the powerful Cygnus OB2 stellar association, though a physical association between the two remains uncertain. It is possible that the detected very high energy photons are produced via an overdensity of locally accelerated cosmic rays impinging on molecular clouds in the source region. In order to test this hypothesis, we used the Kitt Peak 12m, the Heinrich-Hertz Submillimeter Telescope (HH-SMT), and the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory (FCRAO), to obtain observations in the J=1-->0 and J=2-->1 lines of both 12CO and 13CO. We report here on the detection of significant molecular material toward the TeV source region which could be acting as the target of locally accelerated CRs. We also find evidence of compact molecular clumps, showing large line widths in the CO spectra, possibly indicative of energetic processes in this region of Cygnus OB2.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ

A Polymorphism in the α4 Nicotinic Receptor Gene (Chrna4) Modulates Enhancement of Nicotinic Receptor Function by Ethanol

Several studies indicate that ethanol enhances the activity of α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR). Our laboratory has identified a polymorphism in the α4 gene that results in the substitution of an alanine (A) for threonine (T) at amino acid position 529 in the second intracellular loop of the α4 protein. Mouse strains expressing the A variant have, in general, greater nAChR-mediated 86 Rb + efflux in response to nicotine than strains with the T variant. However, the possibility of the polymorphism modulating the effects of ethanol on the 86 Rb + efflux response has not been investigated. Methods : We have used the 86 Rb + efflux method to study the acute effects of ethanol on the function of the α4β2 nAChR in the thalamus in six different mouse strains. Experiments were also performed on tissue samples taken from F2 intercross animals. The F2 animals were derived from A/J mice crossed with a substrain of C57BL/6J mice that carried a null mutation for the gene encoding the β2 nAChR subunit. Results : In strains carrying the A polymorphism (A/J, AKR/J, C3H/Ibg), coapplication of ethanol (10–100 mM) with nicotine (0.03–300 μM) increased maximal ion flux when compared with nicotine alone with no effect on agonist potency. In contrast, ethanol had little effect on the nicotine concentration-response curve in tissue prepared from strains carrying the T polymorphism (Balb/Ibg, C57BL/6J, C58/J). Experiments with the F2 hybrids demonstrated that one copy of the A polymorphism was sufficient to produce a significant enhancement of nAChR function by ethanol (50 mM) in animals that were also β2 +/+. Ethanol had no effect on nicotine concentration-response curves in T/T β2 +/+ animals. Conclusions : The results suggest that the A/T polymorphism influences the initial sensitivity of the α4β2 nAChR to ethanol.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65432/1/01.ALC.0000067973.41153.BC.pd

Assessing Psychological Well-Being: Self-Report Instruments for the NIH Toolbox

Objective— Psychological well-being (PWB) has a significant relationship with physical and mental health. As part of the NIH Toolbox for the Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function, we developed self-report item banks and short forms to assess PWB. Study Design and Setting— Expert feedback and literature review informed the selection of PWB concepts and the development of item pools for Positive Affect, Life Satisfaction, and Meaning and Purpose. Items were tested with a community-dwelling U.S. internet panel sample of adults aged 18 and above (N=552). Classical and item response theory (IRT) approaches were used to evaluate unidimensionality, fit of items to the overall measure, and calibrations of those items, including differential item function (DIF). Results— IRT-calibrated item banks were produced for Positive Affect (34 items), Life Satisfaction (16 items), and Meaning and Purpose (18 items). Their psychometric properties were supported based on results of factor analysis, fit statistics, and DIF evaluation. All banks measured the concepts precisely (reliability ≥0.90) for more than 98% of participants. Conclusion— These adult scales and item banks for PWB provide the flexibility, efficiency, and precision necessary to promote future epidemiological, observational, and intervention research on the relationship of PWB with physical and mental health

Two decades of monitoring earthworms in translocated grasslands at Manchester Airport

Construction of a second runway at Manchester Airport included a mitigation package of habitat restoration with relocation of earthworms as prey items for protected vertebrates. Translocation of turf in blocks was the standard method used for four of five monitored sites with loose soil moved at the other. To assess earthworm communities at these translocated grassland sites, monitoring was undertaken each October (1998–2019) by digging and hand sorting of soil, followed by vermifuge application. Fourteen earthworm species were recorded, representing all ecological groups, but the majority were endogeic species, dominated by Aporrectodea caliginosa. Total earthworm numbers fluctuated during the monitoring period, with lowest density at 4 m−2 and highest more than a hundred times larger. The overall mean from all sites across the monitoring period was 151 ind. m−2. The differences between sites such as total earthworm numbers and species richness were clearly influenced by the translocation method and specific site topography. Created Hummocks to 3 m for hibernating amphibians proved successful with grassland soil establishing well. Lumbricus terrestris failed to establish due to translocation technique. Using non-metric multidimensional scaling, integration of environmental data with earthworm records showed effects of soil moisture content, pH and rainfall on abundance of ecological groupings and particular species. In general, earthworm community composition was dynamic over the monitoring period suggesting that this and population size needs to be appraised over realistic timescales, which may be best monitored in decades

A pilot phase Ib study to evaluate tadalafil to overcome immunosuppression during chemoradiotherapy for IDH-wild-type glioblastoma

BACKGROUND: Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are critical regulators of immunosuppression and radioresistance in glioblastoma (GBM). The primary objective of this pilot phase Ib study was to validate the on-target effect of tadalafil on inhibiting MDSCs in peripheral blood and its safety when combined with chemoradiotherapy in GBM patients. METHODS: Patients with newly diagnosed IDH-wild-type GBM received radiation therapy (RT) and temozolomide (TMZ) combined with oral tadalafil for 2 months. A historical cohort of 12 GBM patients treated with RT and TMZ was used as the comparison group. The ratio of MDSCs, T cells, and cytokines at week 6 of RT compared to baseline were analyzed using flow cytometry. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Tadalafil was well tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicity among 16 evaluable patients. The tadalafil cohort had a significantly lower ratio of circulating MDSCs than the control: granulocytic-MDSCs (mean 0.78 versus 3.21, respectively, CONCLUSIONS: Concurrent tadalafil is well tolerated during chemoradiotherapy for GBM. Tadalafil is associated with a reduction of peripheral MDSCs after chemoradiotherapy and increased CD8 T-cell proliferation and activation

VEGF, FGF1, FGF2 and EGF gene polymorphisms and psoriatic arthritis

BACKGROUND: Angiogenesis appears to be a first-order event in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Among angiogenic factors, the cytokines vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and fibroblast growth factors 1 and 2 (FGF1 and FGF2) play a central role in the initiation of angiogenesis. Most of these cytokines have been shown to be upregulated in or associated with psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or ankylosing spondylitis (AS). As these diseases share common susceptibility associations with PsA, investigation of these angiogenic factors is warranted. METHODS: Two hundred and fifty-eight patients with PsA and 154 ethnically matched controls were genotyped using a Sequenom chip-based MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry platform. Four SNPs in the VEGF gene, three SNPs in the EGF gene and one SNP each in FGF1 and FGF2 genes were evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher's exact test, and the Cochrane-Armitage trend test. Associations with haplotypes were estimated by using weighted logistic models, where the individual haplotype estimates were obtained using Phase v2.1. RESULTS: We have observed an increased frequency in the T allele of VEGF +936 (rs3025039) in control subjects when compared to our PsA patients [Fisher's exact p-value = 0.042; OR 0.653 (95% CI: 0.434, 0.982)]. Haplotyping of markers revealed no significant associations. CONCLUSION: The T allele of VEGF in +936 may act as a protective allele in the development of PsA. Further studies regarding the role of pro-angiogenic markers in PsA are warranted