Folding retractable protective dome for space vehicle equipment

A folding, retractable dome for protecting a feature, such as a docking mechanism, a hatch or other equipment at an exterior surface of a space vehicle, includes a plurality of arcuate ribs, each having opposite ends respectively pinioned at opposite sides of the feature at the surface of the vehicle for rotational movement about an axis of rotation extending through the opposite ends and through an arcuate path of revolution extending over the feature, and a flexible cover attached to each of the ribs such that, in a deployed configuration of the dome, in which adjacent ribs are rotated apart from each other at a maximum relative angle therebetween, the cover is stretched generally tangentially between the adjacent ribs to form a generally arcuate shield over the feature, and in a retracted position of the dome, in which adjacent ribs are rotated together at a minimum relative angle therebetween, the cover is collapsed to define folded pleats between the adjacent ribs

The Flash Pattern of Photosynthetic Oxygen Evolution after Treatment with Low Concentrations of Hydroxylamine as a Function of the Previous S1/S0-Ratio Further Evidence that NH2OH Reduces the Water Oxidizing Complex in the Dark

Flash induced oxygen evolution patterns of isolated PS II complexes from the cyanobacterium Synechococcus were measured with a Joliot-type electrode. By suitable preflash and dark adaptation procedures, samples were prepared in the state S1 (100%), as well as enriched in S0 (60% S0, 40% S,). After treatment with low concentrations of NH2OH (≤ 100 μм), the two flash patterns were identical. This is further evidence for a reduction of the water oxidizing complex by hydroxylamine in the dark. Two reduced states (S-1 and S-2) below S0 are formed by this reduction

Darwin's Duchenne: Eye constriction during infant joy and distress

Darwin proposed that smiles with eye constriction (Duchenne smiles) index strong positive emotion in infants, while cry-faces with eye constriction index strong negative emotion. Research has supported Darwin's proposal with respect to smiling, but there has been little parallel research on cry-faces (open-mouth expressions with lateral lip stretching). To investigate the possibility that eye constriction indexes the affective intensity of positive and negative emotions, we first conducted the Face-to-Face/Still-Face (FFSF) procedure at 6 months. In the FFSF, three minutes of naturalistic infant-parent play interaction (which elicits more smiles than cry-faces) are followed by two minutes in which the parent holds an unresponsive still-face (which elicits more cry-faces than smiles). Consistent with Darwin's proposal, eye constriction was associated with stronger smiling and with stronger cry-faces. In addition, the proportion of smiles with eye constriction was higher during the positive-emotion eliciting play episode than during the still-face. In parallel, the proportion of cry-faces with eye constriction was higher during the negative-emotion eliciting still-face than during play. These results are consonant with the hypothesis that eye constriction indexes the affective intensity of both positive and negative facial configurations. A preponderance of eye constriction during cry-faces was observed in a second elicitor of intense negative emotion, vaccination injections, at both 6 and 12 months of age. The results support the existence of a Duchenne distress expression that parallels the more well-known Duchenne smile. This suggests that eye constriction-the Duchenne marker-has a systematic association with early facial expressions of intense negative and positive emotion. © 2013 Mattson et al

Prospects for multiwavelength polarization observations of GRB afterglows and the case GRB 030329

We explore the prospects for simultaneous, broad-band, multiwavelength polarimetric observations of GRB afterglows. We focus on the role of cosmic dust in GRB host galaxies on the observed percentage polarization of afterglows in the optical/near-infrared bands as a function of redshift. Our driving point is the afterglow of GRB 030329, for which we obtained polarimetric data in the R band and K band simultaneously about 1.5 days after the burst. We argue that polarimetric observations can be very sensitive to dust in a GRB host, because dust can render the polarization of an afterglow wavelength-dependent. We discuss the consequences for the interpretation of observational data and emphasize the important role of very early polarimetric follow-up observations in all bands, when afterglows are still bright, to study the physical properties of dust and magnetic fields in high-z galaxies.Comment: accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

Study of fuel cells using storable rocket propellants Final report, 18 Aug. 1965 - 23 Jun. 1969

Operating fuel cells on gaseous nitrogen tetroxide and aerozine 5

“It’s hard to tell”. The challenges of scoring patients on standardised outcome measures by multidisciplinary teams: a case study of Neurorehabilitation

Background Interest is increasing in the application of standardised outcome measures in clinical practice. Measures designed for use in research may not be sufficiently precise to be used in monitoring individual patients. However, little is known about how clinicians and in particular, multidisciplinary teams, score patients using these measures. This paper explores the challenges faced by multidisciplinary teams in allocating scores on standardised outcome measures in clinical practice. Methods Qualitative case study of an inpatient neurorehabilitation team who routinely collected standardised outcome measures on their patients. Data were collected using non participant observation, fieldnotes and tape recordings of 16 multidisciplinary team meetings during which the measures were recited and scored. Eleven clinicians from a range of different professions were also interviewed. Data were analysed used grounded theory techniques. Results We identified a number of instances where scoring the patient was 'problematic'. In 'problematic' scoring, the scores were uncertain and subject to revision and adjustment. They sometimes required negotiation to agree on a shared understanding of concepts to be measured and the guidelines for scoring. Several factors gave rise to this problematic scoring. Team members' knowledge about patients' problems changed over time so that initial scores had to be revised or dismissed, creating an impression of deterioration when none had occurred. Patients had complex problems which could not easily be distinguished from each other and patients themselves varied in their ability to perform tasks over time and across different settings. Team members from different professions worked with patients in different ways and had different perspectives on patients' problems. This was particularly an issue in the scoring of concepts such as anxiety, depression, orientation, social integration and cognitive problems. Conclusion From a psychometric perspective these problems would raise questions about the validity, reliability and responsiveness of the scores. However, from a clinical perspective, such characteristics are an inherent part of clinical judgement and reasoning. It is important to highlight the challenges faced by multidisciplinary teams in scoring patients on standardised outcome measures but it would be unwarranted to conclude that such challenges imply that these measures should not be used in clinical practice for decision making about individual patients. However, our findings do raise some concerns about the use of such measures for performance management

UHF Modulation and Fourier Transform Differential Time Domain Techniques for Measuring Strain Via Fiber Optics

The design and manufacture of future space transportation and delivery systems will be strongly driven by safety, cost, maintenance and reliability considerations. Advanced composite structural components are likely to be a key element in realizing these system objectives. Composites have the additional potential of enabling the embedment of sensors for system health monitoring, which supports requirements for low cost safety, maintenance and repair diagnosis

A Fiber Optic RF Resonant Cavity Sensor for Strain Sensing-Forrcs

A fiber optic vibration and strain sensor described by Rogowski et al [1] implemented a radio frequency (rf) phase locked loop in an optical strain gauge bonded to or embedded in a composite structure. A laser is modulated at radio frequency by a voltage controlled oscillator. The phase delay through the optical fiber transmission line is compared to the source oscillator, and the resulting error signal shifts the oscillator, locking the phase. Strain in the specimen (a composite panel) produces a change in optical phase length in the fiber. Tracking the frequency change gives a measure of the integrated strain transduced into the fiber from the strained panel. Strain level sensitivity on the order of 0.1 microstrains has been reported [1]. However, considerable confusion surrounds the performance of the reported sensor, since noise presumed to arise from cladding/core mode interference and splice reflections makes significant filtering necessary, reducing the bandwidth of the sensor, e.g., increasing the response time to detect strains [2]. This limits vibration control applications

Exome sequencing of pleuropulmonary blastoma reveals frequent biallelic loss of TP53 and two hits in DICER1 resulting in retention of 5p-derived miRNA hairpin loop sequences

Pleuropulmonary blastoma is a rare childhood malignancy of lung mesenchymal cells that can remain dormant as epithelial cysts or progress to high-grade sarcoma. Predisposing germline loss-of-function DICER1 variants have been described. We sought to uncover additional contributors through whole exome sequencing of 15 tumor/normal pairs, followed by targeted resequencing, miRNA analysis and immunohistochemical analysis of additional tumors. In addition to frequent biallelic loss of TP53 and mutations of NRAS or BRAF in some cases, each case had compound disruption of DICER1: a germline (12 cases) or somatic (3 cases) loss-of-function variant plus a somatic missense mutation in the RNase IIIb domain. 5p-Derived microRNA (miRNA) transcripts retained abnormal precursor miRNA loop sequences normally removed by DICER1. This work both defines a genetic interaction landscape with DICER1 mutation and provides evidence for alteration in miRNA transcripts as a consequence of DICER1 disruption in cancer

Frequency-specific hippocampal-prefrontal interactions during associative learning

Much of our knowledge of the world depends on learning associations (for example, face-name), for which the hippocampus (HPC) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) are critical. HPC-PFC interactions have rarely been studied in monkeys, whose cognitive and mnemonic abilities are akin to those of humans. We found functional differences and frequency-specific interactions between HPC and PFC of monkeys learning object pair associations, an animal model of human explicit memory. PFC spiking activity reflected learning in parallel with behavioral performance, whereas HPC neurons reflected feedback about whether trial-and-error guesses were correct or incorrect. Theta-band HPC-PFC synchrony was stronger after errors, was driven primarily by PFC to HPC directional influences and decreased with learning. In contrast, alpha/beta-band synchrony was stronger after correct trials, was driven more by HPC and increased with learning. Rapid object associative learning may occur in PFC, whereas HPC may guide neocortical plasticity by signaling success or failure via oscillatory synchrony in different frequency bands.National Institute of Mental Health (U.S.) (Conte Center Grant P50-MH094263-03)National Institute of Mental Health (U.S.) (Fellowship F32-MH081507)Picower Foundatio