Technologies for aerobraking

Aerobraking is one of the largest contributors to making both lunar and Mars missions affordable. The use of aerobraking/aeroassist over all propulsive approaches saves as much as 60 percent of the initial mass required in low earth orbit (LEO); thus, the number and size of earth to orbit launch vehicles is reduced. Lunar transfer vehicles (LTV), which will be used to transport personnel and materials from LEO to lunar outpost, will aerobrake into earth's atmosphere at approximately 11 km/sec on return from the lunar surface. Current plans for both manned and robotic missions to Mars use aerocapture during arrival at Mars and at return to Earth. At Mars, the entry velocities will range from about 6 to 9.5 km/sec, and at Earth the return velocity will be about 12.5 to 14 km/sec. These entry velocities depend on trajectories, flight dates, and mission scenarios and bound the range of velocities required for the current studies. In order to successfully design aerobrakes to withstand the aerodynamic forces and heating associated with these entry velocities, as well as to make them efficient, several critical technologies must be developed. These are vehicle concepts and configurations, aerothermodynamics, thermal protection system materials, and guidance, navigation, and control systems. The status of each of these technologies are described, and what must be accomplished in each area to meet the requirements of the Space Exploration Initiative is outlined

PRODUCTION OF HIGH LEVELS OF TRANSGENC FACTOR IX WITHOUT GENE RESCUE, AND ITS THERAPEUTIC USES

A non-human transgenic mammalian animal, as described above, contains an exogenous double stranded DNA sequence stably integrated into the genome of the animal, which comprises cis-acting regulatory units operably linked to a DNA sequence encoding human FIX protein without the benefit of the presence of a complete milk gene sequence for gene rescue, and a signal sequence is active in directing newly expressed Factor IX into the milk of the animal at levels in an unactivated form that is suitable for Subsequent processing for therapeutic applications in treating Hemophilia B. The transgenic mammals are preferably pigs, cows, sheep, goats and rabbits. The applications include milk derivatives for oral delivery and oral tolerization in the treatment of Hemophilia B

Frog foams and natural protein surfactants

Foams and surfactants are relatively rare in biology because of their potential to harm cell membranes and other delicate tissues. However, in recent work we have identified and characterized a number of natural surfactant proteins found in the foam nests of tropical frogs and other unusual sources. These proteins, and their associated foams, are relatively stable and bio-compatible, but with intriguing molecular structures that reveal a new class of surfactant activity. Here we review the structures and functional mechanisms of some of these proteins as revealed by experiments involving a range of biophysical and biochemical techniques, with additional mechanistic support coming from more recent site-directed mutagenesis studies

Supersymmetric analysis for the Dirac equation with spin-symmetric and pseudo-spin-symmetric interactions

A supersymmetric analysis is presented for the d-dimensional Dirac equation with central potentials under spin-symmetric (S(r) = V(r)) and pseudo-spin-symmetric (S(r) = - V(r)) regimes. We construct the explicit shift operators that are required to factorize the Dirac Hamiltonian with the Kratzer potential. Exact solutions are provided for both the Coulomb and Kratzer potentials.Comment: 12 page

Do Childhood Vaccines Have Non-Specific Effects on Mortality

A recent article by Kristensen et al. suggested that measles vaccine and bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine might\ud reduce mortality beyond what is expected simply from protection against measles and tuberculosis. Previous reviews of the potential effects of childhood vaccines on mortality have not considered methodological features of reviewed studies. Methodological considerations play an especially important role in observational assessments, in which selection factors for vaccination may be difficult to ascertain. We reviewed 782 English language articles on vaccines and childhood mortality and found only a few whose design met the criteria for methodological rigor. The data reviewed suggest that measles vaccine delivers its promised reduction in mortality, but there is insufficient evidence to suggest a mortality benefit above that caused by its effect on measles disease and its sequelae. Our review of the available data in the literature reinforces how difficult answering these considerations has been and how important study design will be in determining the effect of specific vaccines on all-cause mortality.\u

Summary Judgment in the Shadow of Erie

This essay addresses one particular challenge to federal summary judgment practice: the possibility of a successful challenge to Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, pursuant to Erie Railroad v. Tompkins and its progeny. Part II of this essay addresses differences between summary judgment as practiced in federal courts pursuant to Federal Rule 56 and summary judgment as practiced in state courts, focusing in particular on differences in the ways the federal courts and some state courts allocate the burdens on moving and non-moving parties.Part III suggests that these differences are problematic under Erie and its progeny, and in particular under the Supreme Court’s 2001 decision in Semtek International, Inc. v. Lockheed Martin Corp. Part III looks ahead to the Erie case decided in the Supreme Court’s 2010 term and considers the possible impact of that case on Federal Rule 56.6 The essay concludes that, in light of the Supreme Court’s Erie jurisprudence, the future of uniform summary judgment practice in federal courts is at least uncertain

Enhancing Biblical interpretation in the local church

https://place.asburyseminary.edu/ecommonsatsdissertations/1042/thumbnail.jp

Aqueous solubilization of C60 fullerene by natural protein surfactants, latherin and ranaspumin-2

C60 fullerene is not soluble in water and dispersion usually requires organic solvents, sonication or vigorous mechanical mixing. However, we show here that mixing of pristine C60 in water with natural surfactant proteins latherin and ranaspumin-2 (Rsn-2) at low concentrations yields stable aqueous dispersions with spectroscopic properties similar to those previously obtained by more vigorous methods. Particle sizes are significantly smaller than those achieved by mechanical dispersion alone, and concentrations are compatible with clusters approximating 1:1 protein:C60 stoichiometry. These proteins can also be adsorbed onto more intractable carbon nanotubes. This promises to be a convenient way to interface a range of hydrophobic nanoparticles and related materials with biological macromolecules, with potential to exploit the versatility of recombinant protein engineering in the development of nano-bio interface devices. It also has potential consequences for toxicological aspects of these and similar nanoparticles