Large space telescope engineering scale model optical design

The objective is to develop the detailed design and tolerance data for the LST engineering scale model optical system. This will enable MSFC to move forward to the optical element procurement phase and also to evaluate tolerances, manufacturing requirements, assembly/checkout procedures, reliability, operational complexity, stability requirements of the structure and thermal system, and the flexibility to change and grow

CLINICAL ASSESSMENT OF MOLDED FOOT ORTHOTICS USING FRONTAL PLANE GROUND REACTION FORCES

NI

Symbiont-mediated RNA interference in insects

RNA interference (RNAi) methods for insects are often limited by problems with double-stranded (ds) RNA delivery, which restricts reverse genetics studies and the development of RNAi-based biocides. We therefore delegated to insect symbiotic bacteria the task of: (i) constitutive dsRNA synthesis and (ii) trauma-free delivery. RNaseIII-deficient, dsRNA-expressing bacterial strains were created from the symbionts of two very diverse pest species: a long-lived blood-sucking bug, Rhodnius prolixus, and a short-lived globally invasive polyphagous agricultural pest, western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis). When ingested, the manipulated bacteria colonized the insects, successfully competed with the wild-type microflora, and sustainably mediated systemic knockdown phenotypes that were horizontally transmissible. This represents a significant advance in the ability to deliver RNAi, potentially to a large range of non-model insects

Multiwavelength Photometry and Progenitor Analysis of the Nova V906 Car

We present optical and infrared photometry of the classical nova V906 Car, also known as Nova Car 2018 and ASASSN-18fv, which was discovered by the All-Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae (ASAS-SN) on 2018 March 16.32 UT (MJD 58193.0). The nova reached its maximum on MJD 58222.56 at V max = 5.84 ± 0.09 mag, and had decline times of t2, v = 26.2 days and t3, v = 33.0 days. The data from Evryscope shows that the nova had already brightened to g' ≈ 13 mag five days before discovery, as compared with its quiescent magnitude of g = 20.13 ± 0.03. The extinction toward the nova, as derived from high-resolution spectroscopy, shows an estimate consistent with foreground extinction to the Carina Nebula of Av=1.11+0.54-0.39. The light curve resembles a rare C (cusp) class nova with a steep decline slope of α =-3.94 post-cusp flare. From the light-curve decline rate, we estimate the mass of the white dwarf to be M WD = <0.8M o˙, consistent with MWD = 0.71+0.23-0.19 derived from modeling the accretion disk of the system in quiescence. The donor star is likely a K-M dwarf of 0.23-0.43 Mo˙, which is heated by its companion

Atmospheric change causes declines in woodland arthropods and impacts specific trophic groups

1. Arthropod assemblages form a fundamental part of terrestrial ecosystems, underpinning ecosystem processes and services. Yet, little is known about how invertebrate communities, as a whole, respond to climatic and atmospheric changes, including predicted increases in carbon dioxide concentrations (CO2). 2. To date, woodland Free Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) studies have focused entirely on northern hemisphere managed plantations. We manipulated atmospheric CO2 in a mature, native Eucalyptus woodland (0.15 ha, >32 000 m3) in Australia, using the Eucalyptus FACE (‘EucFACE’) facility. We used three complementary sampling methods (vacuum sampling, pitfall and sticky trapping) to record invertebrate abundances under ambient and elevated levels of CO2 (400 versus 550 ppm). 3. Based on the collection of over 83 000 invertebrates, we found significant declines in the overall abundance of ground-dwelling (14.7%) and aerial (12.9%) arthropods under elevated CO2, with significant decreases in herbivore, omnivore, scavenger and parasitoid functional groups. Even though several groups showed varying declines in abundance, elevated CO2 did not measurably affect community composition. 4. The results of the present study indicate that atmospheric CO2 levels predicted within the next 35 years may cause declines in arthropod abundances in Eucalyptus woodland. Declines found in several functional groups suggest that elevated atmospheric CO2 has the potential to affect ecosystem processes, possibly including nutrient cycling by herbivores and omnivores, as well as biocontrol by parasitoids