Design and assembly of a catalyst bed gas generator for the catalytic decomposition of high concentration hydrogen peroxide propellants and the catalytic combustion of hydrocarbon/air mixtures

A method for designing and assembling a high performance catalyst bed gas generator for use in decomposing propellants, particularly hydrogen peroxide propellants, for use in target, space, and on-orbit propulsion systems and low-emission terrestrial power and gas generation. The gas generator utilizes a sectioned catalyst bed system, and incorporates a robust, high temperature mixed metal oxide catalyst. The gas generator requires no special preheat apparatus or special sequencing to meet start-up requirements, enabling a fast overall response time. The high performance catalyst bed gas generator system has consistently demonstrated high decomposition efficiency, extremely low decomposition roughness, and long operating life on multiple test articles

Application of a mixed metal oxide catalyst to a metallic substrate

A method for applying a mixed metal oxide catalyst to a metallic substrate for the creation of a robust, high temperature catalyst system for use in decomposing propellants, particularly hydrogen peroxide propellants, for use in propulsion systems. The method begins by forming a prepared substrate material consisting of a metallic inner substrate and a bound layer of a noble metal intermediate. Alternatively, a bound ceramic coating, or frit, may be introduced between the metallic inner substrate and noble metal intermediate when the metallic substrate is oxidation resistant. A high-activity catalyst slurry is applied to the surface of the prepared substrate and dried to remove the organic solvent. The catalyst layer is then heat treated to bind the catalyst layer to the surface. The bound catalyst layer is then activated using an activation treatment and calcinations to form the high-activity catalyst system

High-temperature catalyst for catalytic combustion and decomposition

A robust, high temperature mixed metal oxide catalyst for propellant composition, including high concentration hydrogen peroxide, and catalytic combustion, including methane air mixtures. The uses include target, space, and on-orbit propulsion systems and low-emission terrestrial power and gas generation. The catalyst system requires no special preheat apparatus or special sequencing to meet start-up requirements, enabling a fast overall response time. Start-up transients of less than 1 second have been demonstrated with catalyst bed and propellant temperatures as low as 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The catalyst system has consistently demonstrated high decomposition effeciency, extremely low decomposition roughness, and long operating life on multiple test particles

Building effective service linkages in primary mental health care: a narrative review part 2

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Primary care services have not generally been effective in meeting mental health care needs. There is evidence that collaboration between primary care and specialist mental health services can improve clinical and organisational outcomes. It is not clear however what factors enable or hinder effective collaboration. The objective of this study was to examine the factors that enable effective collaboration between specialist mental health services and primary mental health care.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A narrative and thematic review of English language papers published between 1998 and 2009. An expert reference group helped formulate strategies for policy makers. Studies of descriptive and qualitative design from Australia, New Zealand, UK, Europe, USA and Canada were included. Data were extracted on factors reported as enablers or barriers to development of service linkages. These were tabulated by theme at clinical and organisational levels and the inter-relationship between themes was explored.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A thematic analysis of 30 papers found the most frequently cited group of factors was "partnership formation", specifically role clarity between health care workers. Other factor groups supporting clinical partnership formation were staff support, clinician attributes, clinic physical features and evaluation and feedback. At the organisational level a supportive institutional environment of leadership and change management was important. The expert reference group then proposed strategies for collaboration that would be seen as important, acceptable and feasible. Because of the variability of study types we did not exclude on quality and findings are weighted by the number of studies. Variability in local service contexts limits the generalisation of findings.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The findings provide a framework for health planners to develop effective service linkages in primary mental health care. Our expert reference group proposed five areas of strategy for policy makers that address organisational level support, joint clinical problem solving, local joint care guidelines, staff training and supervision and feedback.</p

A prospective, multi-method, multi-disciplinary, multi-level, collaborative, social-organisational design for researching health sector accreditation [LP0560737]

BACKGROUND: Accreditation has become ubiquitous across the international health care landscape. Award of full accreditation status in health care is viewed, as it is in other sectors, as a valid indicator of high quality organisational performance. However, few studies have empirically demonstrated this assertion. The value of accreditation, therefore, remains uncertain, and this persists as a central legitimacy problem for accreditation providers, policymakers and researchers. The question arises as to how best to research the validity, impact and value of accreditation processes in health care. Most health care organisations participate in some sort of accreditation process and thus it is not possible to study its merits using a randomised controlled strategy. Further, tools and processes for accreditation and organisational performance are multifaceted. METHODS/DESIGN: To understand the relationship between them a multi-method research approach is required which incorporates both quantitative and qualitative data. The generic nature of accreditation standard development and inspection within different sectors enhances the extent to which the findings of in-depth study of accreditation process in one industry can be generalised to other industries. This paper presents a research design which comprises a prospective, multi-method, multi-level, multi-disciplinary approach to assess the validity, impact and value of accreditation. DISCUSSION: The accreditation program which assesses over 1,000 health services in Australia is used as an exemplar for testing this design. The paper proposes this design as a framework suitable for application to future international research into accreditation. Our aim is to stimulate debate on the role of accreditation and how to research it.Jeffrey Braithwaite, Johanna Westbrook, Marjorie Pawsey, David Greenfield, Justine Naylor, Rick Iedema, Bill Runciman, Sally Redman, Christine Jorm, Maureen Robinson, Sally Nathan and Robert Gibber

Evacetrapib and Cardiovascular Outcomes in High-Risk Vascular Disease

BACKGROUND: The cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibitor evacetrapib substantially raises the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level, reduces the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level, and enhances cellular cholesterol efflux capacity. We sought to determine the effect of evacetrapib on major adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with high-risk vascular disease. METHODS: In a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial, we enrolled 12,092 patients who had at least one of the following conditions: an acute coronary syndrome within the previous 30 to 365 days, cerebrovascular atherosclerotic disease, peripheral vascular arterial disease, or diabetes mellitus with coronary artery disease. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either evacetrapib at a dose of 130 mg or matching placebo, administered daily, in addition to standard medical therapy. The primary efficacy end point was the first occurrence of any component of the composite of death from cardiovascular causes, myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary revascularization, or hospitalization for unstable angina. RESULTS: At 3 months, a 31.1% decrease in the mean LDL cholesterol level was observed with evacetrapib versus a 6.0% increase with placebo, and a 133.2% increase in the mean HDL cholesterol level was seen with evacetrapib versus a 1.6% increase with placebo. After 1363 of the planned 1670 primary end-point events had occurred, the data and safety monitoring board recommended that the trial be terminated early because of a lack of efficacy. After a median of 26 months of evacetrapib or placebo, a primary end-point event occurred in 12.9% of the patients in the evacetrapib group and in 12.8% of those in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 1.01; 95% confidence interval, 0.91 to 1.11; P=0.91). CONCLUSIONS: Although the cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibitor evacetrapib had favorable effects on established lipid biomarkers, treatment with evacetrapib did not result in a lower rate of cardiovascular events than placebo among patients with high-risk vascular disease. (Funded by Eli Lilly; ACCELERATE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01687998 .)

The botanical provenance and taphonomy of Late Cretaceous Chatham amber, Chatham Islands, New Zealand

Fossil resin (amber) has been recently reported as common, but small, sedimentary components throughout thelower Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian; 99–94 Ma) strata of the Tupuangi Formation, Chatham Islands, easternZealandia. From these deposits, resin has also been identified and obtained from well-preserved, coalified specimensof the conifer fossil Protodammara reimatamorioriMays and Cantrill, 2018. Here, we employed attenuatedtotal reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) to both dispersed and in situ amber specimens.These resulted in very similar chemical signatures, indicating that these fossils are likely from the same orclosely-related botanical sources. The FTIR data are typical of a conifer source within the ‘cupressaceous resins’category of Tappert et al. (2011). Carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (13C NMR) facilitatedthe probable identification of these ambers as ‘Class Ib' (sensu Anderson et al. 1992). Based on these spectraldata sets, the likely botanical sources of the amber were either Araucariaceae or Cupressaceae; both of these coniferfamilies were common and widespread in the Southern Hemisphere during the Cretaceous. However, themorphology and anatomy of P. reimatamoriori support an affinity to the latter family, thus indicating that the Cretaceousamber of the Chatham Islands was generally produced by members of the Cupressaceae. Comparing theFTIR data to the published spectra of modern resins, we also identify a band ratio which may aid in distinguishingbetween the FTIR spectra of Araucariaceae and Cupressaceae, and outline the limitations to this approach. A highconcentration of ester bonds in Chatham amber specimens, which exceeds typical Cupressaceae resins, is probablycaused by taphonomic alteration via thermal maturation. The source of thermal alteration was likely preburialwildfires,conditions forwhich P. reimatamoriori was adapted to as part of its life cycle. A comparison of ambersof the Chatham Islands with modern resins and amber from various localities in Australasia reveals that,taphonomic influences aside, Chatham amber has a unique signature, suggesting that members of the basalCupressaceae (e.g., Protodammara) were not major contributors to other documented Australasian amber deposits.The closest analogy to Chatham amber deposits appears to be the Upper Cretaceous Raritan Formation,USA, which is characterised by its rich amber, charcoal and Cupressaceae fossil assemblages. This study furthersupports the hypotheses that the early Late Cretaceous south polar forests were dominated by Cupressaceae,and regularly disturbed by wildfires.Fieldwork and research supported by National Geographic Society (grant 9761-15) awarded to C.M.; additional financial support provided by the Paleontological Society and Monash University.</p