Load-limiting landing gear footpad energy absorption system

As a precursor to future manned missions to the moon, an inexpensive, unmanned vehicle that could carry small, scientific payloads to the lunar surface was studied by NASA. The vehicle, called the Common Lunar Lander, required extremely optimized structural systems to increase the potential payload mass. A lightweight energy-absorbing system (LAGFEAS), which also acts as a landing load-limiter was designed to help achieve this optimized structure. Since the versatile and easily tailored system is a load-limiter, it allowed for the structure to be designed independently of the ever-changing landing energy predictions. This paper describes the LAGFEAS system and preliminary verification testing performed at NASA's Johnson Space Center for the Common Lunar Lander program

Stress-related herpesvirus reactivation in badgers can result in Clostridium proliferation

Clostridium perfringens is an important food-borne zoonotic pathogen and a member of the commensal gut microbiome of many mammals. Predisposing factors such as coinfection with other pathogens or diet change can, however, cause overgrowth and subsequent disease development. Here we investigated the occurrence of C. perfringens in a free-ranging badger population with up to 100% prevalence of herpesvirus infection. Herpesvirus reactivation is known to be associated with increased susceptibility bacterial infections. PCR screening of rectal swabs from 69 free-ranging badgers revealed 15.9% (11/69, 95% CI = 9.1–26.3%) prevalence of detectable C. perfringens (Type A) DNA in the digestive tracts of assymptomatic animals. The results of Fisher’s exact test revealed C. perfringens detection was not biased by age, sex and seasons. However, badgers with genital tract gammaherpesvirus (MusGHV-1) reactivation (p = 0.007) and infection with a specific MusGHV-1 genotype (p = 0.019) were more prone to of C. perfringens proliferation, indicating coinfection biased dynamics of intestinal C. perfringens. An inclusion pattern analysis further indicated that, causally, MusGHV-1 reactivation potentiated C. perfringens detection. Whether or not specific MusGHV-1 genotype infection or reactivation plays a role in C. perfringens overgrowth or disease development in badgers will require further investigation. Nevertheless, a postmortem examination of a single badger that died of fatal disease, likely associated with C. perfringens, revealed MusGHV-1 detection in the small intestine

A Curriculum Development Project for IBM Linux in Academia Program

This paper introduces the IBM Linux in Academia program and a curriculum development project initiated by the authors for the program. The service of IBM Linux in Academia program is based on the Linux virtual service concept in which a mainframe computer is partitioned into many Linux images supported by IBM’s Virtual Machine Operating System. On the IBM S/390 system, each image acts as an independent Linux server. This free service saves the acquisition and management cost of running multiple physically separated servers for participating universities. The curriculum development project intends to create and share curriculum materials for e-Business related courses among participants. The main IBM software used in this project includes DB2 Universal Database and WebSphere. The main objective in the first stage of this project is to develop a data warehouse generator to manipulate a large read-only database obtained from a real world health care application supplied by IBM. Through a web based user interface, an instructor could flexibly create a data warehouse using the Account Data Model developed by some of the authors from the read-only database with the desirable size and attributes to support pedagogical needs. Other aspects of the project are also addressed

Interpreting Lidar Measurements to Better Estimate Surface PM2.S in Study Regions of DISCOVER-AQ

The use of satellite AOD data to estimate surface PM2.5 has been broadly studied in various regions. Some showed good results while some showed relatively poor with the simple relationship between AOD and PM2.5. The key factor is the aerosol vertical distribution. Lidar extinction profiles provide insights into the aerosol mixing not only in the boundary layer but also quantifying residual aerosol abundance above boundary layer with e-folding scale height. The normalizing AOD by hazy layer height is proven better in correlating with PM2.5. In other words, extinction measurements near the surface can be a proxy for surface PM2.5. In this study, we will use NASA airborne HSRL (High Spectral Resolution Lidar) during SJV2007 (San Joaquin Valley, February 2007) and surface MPLNet (Micropulse Lidar Network) at GSFC between 2007 and 2010 to characterize the relationship for the DISCOVER-AQ (Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from COlumn and VERtically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality) field experiments; the first over Baltimore-Washington was conducted in July 2011

Bioactive properties and clinical safety of a novel milk protein peptide

Milk protein fractions and peptides have been shown to have bioactive properties. This preliminary study examined the potential mechanisms of action and clinical safety of novel milk protein peptide (MP). A novel MP mixture inhibits the tyrosine kinase activity of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2), and insulin receptor (IR) with IC50 of 9.85 μM, 7.7 μM, and 6.18 μM respectively. In vitro, this multi-kinase inhibitor causes apoptosis in HT-29 colon cancer cells, and in a C. elegans worm study, showed a weak but significant increase in lifespan. A six week double-blind, placebocontrolled study involving 73 healthy volunteers demonstrated that the MP mixture is safe to consume orally. All clinical blood markers remained within normal levels and no clinically significant side effects were reported. There was some evidence of improved insulin sensitivity, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and quality of life assessment of role of physical function. These data in combination with the observed in vitro anti-cancer properties warrant further clinical studies to investigate this MP mixture as a potential clinical nutrition intervention for improving the quality of life and clinical outcomes in cancer patients

Bioactive Properties and Clinical Safety of a Novel Milk Protein Peptide

Background: Milk protein fractions and peptides have been shown to have bioactive properties. This preliminary study examined the potential mechanisms of action and clinical safety of novel milk protein peptide ( MP). Findings: A novel MP mixture inhibits the tyrosine kinase activity of epidermal growth factor receptor ( EGFR), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2), and insulin receptor (IR) with IC(50) of 9.85 mu M, 7.7 mu M, and 6.18 mu M respectively. In vitro, this multi-kinase inhibitor causes apoptosis in HT-29 colon cancer cells, and in a C. elegans worm study, showed a weak but significant increase in lifespan. A six week double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 73 healthy volunteers demonstrated that the MP mixture is safe to consume orally. All clinical blood markers remained within normal levels and no clinically significant side effects were reported. There was some evidence of improved insulin sensitivity, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and quality of life assessment of role of physical function. Conclusions: These data in combination with the observed in vitro anti-cancer properties warrant further clinical studies to investigate this MP mixture as a potential clinical nutrition intervention for improving the quality of life and clinical outcomes in cancer patients