Design of internal support structures for an inflatable lunar habitat

NASA has a long range goal of constructing a fully equipped, manned lunar outpost on the near side of the moon by the year 2015. The proposed outpost includes an inflatable lunar habitat to support crews during missions longer that 12 months. A design for the internal support structures of the inflatable habitat is presented. The design solution includes material selection, substructure design, assembly plan development, and concept scale model construction. Alternate designs and design solutions for each component of the design are discussed. Alternate materials include aluminum, titanium, and reinforced polymers. Vertical support alternates include column systems, truss systems, suspension systems, and lunar lander supports. Horizontal alternates include beams, trusses, floor/truss systems, and expandable trusses. Feasibility studies on each alternate showed that truss systems and expandable trusses were the most feasible candidates for conceptual design. The team based the designs on the properties of 7075 T73 aluminum. The substructure assembly plan, minimizes assembly time and allows crews to construct the habitat without the use of EVA suits. In addition to the design solutions, the report gives conclusions and recommendations for further study of the inflatable habitat design

Reasonable Accommodation Under the ADA

This brochure is one of a series on human resources practices and workplace accommodations for persons with disabilities edited by Susanne M. Bruyère, Ph.D., CRC, SPHR, Director, Program on Employment and Disability, School of Industrial and Labor Relations – Extension Division, Cornell University. Cornell University was funded in the early 1990’s by the U.S. Department of Education National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research as a National Materials Development Project on the employment provisions (Title I) of the ADA (Grant #H133D10155). These updates, and the development of new brochures, have been funded by Cornell’s Program on Employment and Disability, the Pacific Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center, and other supporters

Unstructured-grid methods development for unsteady aerodynamic and aeroelastic analyses

The current status of unstructured grid methods development in the Unsteady Aerodynamics Branch at NASA-Langley is described. These methods are being developed for unsteady aerodynamic and aeroelastic analyses. The flow solvers are highlighted which were developed for the solution of the unsteady Euler equations and selected results are given which show various features of the capability. The results demonstrate 2-D and 3-D applications for both steady and unsteady flows. Comparisons are also made with solutions obtained using a structured grid code and with experimental data to determine the accuracy of the unstructured grid methodology. These comparisons show good agreement which thus verifies the accuracy

Driver Preference of Collision Warning Strategy and Modality

The success of collision warning systems depends on how well the algorithm and driver interface are tailored to driver capabilities and preferences. An effective collision warning system must promote a timely and appropriate driver response while minimizing annoyance associated with nuisance warnings. A within-subject experimental design examined warning strategy and modality by contrasting graded and imminent warning strategies with auditory and haptic warning modalities. Presented on a high, head-down display placed directly in front of the driver, visual warnings were displayed in the form of graded bars representing severity, or by an imminent collision icon. Visual warnings were paired with either an auditory warning or a haptic warning in the form of a vibrating seat. Results suggest that haptic warnings may be preferred over auditory warnings, with graded haptic warnings being preferred more than imminent haptic warnings. These results support previous findings of greater acceptance of graded compared to imminent warnings, and no decrement in performance or acceptance of a haptic versus an auditory warning

PATTERNS OF UNREPAIRED SHELL DAMAGE IN RECENT BRACHIOPODS FROM FIORDLAND (NEW ZEALAND)

In order to provide quantitative data concerning patterns of shell breakage and repair in rhynchonelliform brachiopods, we studied undisturbed death assemblages from a New Zealand fiord complex where three species of terebratulide and one rhynchonellide occur in dense mixed patches on the near vertical walls. Proportions of damaged (both repaired and non-repaired) individuals varied between both taxa and sampling site. However, the general observation was that few individuals show signs of having been able to repair damage but the proportion of individuals showing unrepaired, and hence presumably fatal, breakages was higher (up to 76% in Magasella sanguinea from one sample from Tricky Cove in Doubtful Sound). Damage was mostly concentrated around the anterior margins and affected both valves and is consistent with having been clamped between a set of either jaws or claws. Potential culprits include fish (wrasse), rock lobsters and echinoids. As yet it is unclear whether the damage results from deliberate feeding activity or as collateral damage from grazers feeding on other organisms on the fiord walls which may allow secondary predation by asteroids. The net effect is, however, the same, in that the damage appears to have been fatal. More structured sampling is now required to understand the spatial variation in this damage and mortality, and also to establish the culprits with more certainty

Differences in Simulated Car Following Behavior of Younger and Older Drivers

Older drivers are at risk for vehicle crashes due to impairments of visual processing and attention, placing these drivers at greater risk in driving tasks that require continuous attention to neighboring traffic, especially lead vehicles (LVs). We investigated car following behavior in 42 younger drivers (ages 18 to 44 years) and 58 older drivers (ages 65 to 86 years) in a driving simulator. The drivers were instructed to maintain two car lengths from a virtual LV. The LV varied its velocity according to a sum of three sine waves, making the velocity changes unpredictable to the drivers. A Fourier analysis was performed using the vehicle trajectory data to derive measures of coherence, gain, and delay as indices of car following behavior. These measures as well as headway distance were compared between the two groups. Older drivers were less able to match changes in the LV velocity indicated by lower coherence (0.76 v. 0.84, p=0.019) and larger gain (2.24 v. 1.74, p=0.031). However, these drivers followed further behind the LV than younger drivers, a potential compensatory strategy that may reduce collision risk for older drivers

Taekwondo training reduces blood catecholamine levels and arterial stiffness in postmenopausal women with stage-2 hypertension: randomized clinical trial

Objective: Menopause is associated with a progressive impairment of vascular function and muscular strength in women. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to determine if Taekwondo training could improve blood catecholamine levels, arterial stiffness, blood pressure (BP) and skeletal muscle strength in postmenopausal women with stage-2 hypertension. Methods: 20 postmenopausal women (70 ± 4 years old) with stage-2 hypertension were randomly assigned to a 1) Taekwondo training (TT; n = 10) or 2) Control (CON; n = 10) group. Taekwondo training was performed for 60 minutes/day, 3 days/week for 12-weeks. Results: There were significant (P \u3c 0.05) group by time interactions for resting epinephrine (EP) and norepinephrine (NE) levels, with EP decreasing in the TT group and NE increasing in the CON group. Additionally, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity, resting heart rate, and BP were significantly decreased, while hand grip and leg strength were significantly increased in the TT group compared to CON group. Conclusion: These results suggest that Taekwondo training can be a novel and beneficial mode of exercise for improving cardiovascular function and muscular strength in this population. Abbreviations: TT: Taekwondo training group; CON: control group; EP: epinephrine; NE: norepinephrine; ANS: autonomic nervous system; SNS: sympathetic nervous system; baPWV: brachial-ankle pulse wave velocit

Improvement of Lipids and Reduction of Oxidative Stress With Octacosanol After Taekwondo Training

Athletes in combat sports undergo rapid changes in body weight prior to competition in order to gain a size advantage over their opponent. However, these large weight changes with concomitant high-intensity exercise training create poor lipid profiles and high levels of oxidative stress, which can be detrimental to health and sport performance. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of the nutritional supplement octacosanol to combat the physiological detriments that occur in taekwondo players during rapid weight loss with high-intensity exercise training. Methods: A total of 26 male taekwondo players were randomly divided into 2 groups: An experimental group performed a 5% weight-loss and taekwondo training program with 40-mg octacosanol intake (OCT; n = 13) for 6 d, and a control group performed the same weight-loss and taekwondo training program with a placebo (CON; n = 13). Results: There were significant (P \u3c .05) group × time interactions for low-density lipoprotein and triglycerides, which significantly decreased (Δ18 [5] mg/dL and Δ80 [7] mg/dL, respectively), and high-density lipoprotein, which significantly increased (Δ10 [7] mg/dL), in the OCT group compared with the CON group. There were also significant (P \u3c .05) group × time interactions for superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and malondialdehyde (MDA), with SOD increasing (Δ226 [121] U/gHb) in the OCT group, while GPx decreased (Δ20 [13] U/gHb) and MDA increased (Δ72 [0.04] nmol/mL) in the CON group. Conclusion: These results suggest that octacosanol may be a beneficial supplement to protect against the poor cholesterol levels and oxidative stress that occurs during taekwondo training