Ultraviolet Image Analysis of Spacecraft Exhaust Plumes

Data obtained during the April 26, 2000 MirEx experiment is used to infer the chemical mechanisms responsible for ultraviolet radiation observed to emanate from Russian spacecraft exhaust plumes in low Earth orbit. The principle objective of this experiment was to use the Mir Space Station instruments to study the plume collisional processes occurring in the rarified atmosphere of the far-field; at distances greater than one kilometer away from the spacecraft. This was accomplished by observing the automated Progress cargo ship as the auxiliary engines were being retrofired in a ram-burn configuration at 330 kilometers in altitude above Earth. The primary emitters, observed within the 240 nm to 360 nm operating region of the instruments, were the molecular transitions of OH (A 2Σ+ -7 X 2Π), occurring at 306 nm, and NH (A 3Π -7 X 3Σ−), occurring at 336 nm. Proposed reactions for forming the excited-state OH and NH molecules begin with the ambient gases present in the upper thermosphere. The collision pair for the atmospheric species is postulated to be gaseous water, which is expelled as a product of rocket engine combustion. It is concluded that the most likely atmospheric species are atomic oxygen and nitrogen. The activation energy for both reactions is the same; that energy required to break an O-H bond in the water. The inclusion of the atmospheric wind velocity contribution to the collision velocity is proven to provide sufficient energy for each of the proposed reactions to proceed

Functional outcome measures for distal radius fractures : a systematic review

Objective: This systematic review aimed to identify and describe the utility of functional outcome measures reported in intervention trials between 2010 and 2020, and to map these measures to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) model. Method: The search was carried out on MEDLINE, CINAHL and Cochrane Register of Clinical Trials. Peer-reviewed intervention studies detailing the functional outcome measures used for any treatment for distal radius fracture were selected. Participant characteristics, outcome measures reported and the trends in their use over time and geographical locations were extracted. Results: This review analysed 119 studies. Thirty-one functional outcome measures were used across 36 countries. Ninety-two percent of studies measured both the Body Function/Structure and Activity/Participation domains of the ICF. The most frequently used measures were the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire, Range of Motion and Grip Strength. There is a lack of measures on successful return to meaningful occupation. Conclusion: The outcome measures identified were equally spread across the ICF domains. There is a growing importance of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures to supplement performance-based measures, but a lack of measure on successful return to meaningful occupation

The Advanced Modeling, Simulation and Analysis Capability Roadmap Vision for Engineering

This paper summarizes a subset of the Advanced Modeling Simulation and Analysis (AMSA) Capability Roadmap that was developed for NASA in 2005. The AMSA Capability Roadmap Team was chartered to "To identify what is needed to enhance NASA's capabilities to produce leading-edge exploration and science missions by improving engineering system development, operations, and science understanding through broad application of advanced modeling, simulation and analysis techniques." The AMSA roadmap stressed the need for integration, not just within the science, engineering and operations domains themselves, but also across these domains. Here we discuss the roadmap element pertaining to integration within the engineering domain, with a particular focus on implications for future observatory missions. The AMSA products supporting the system engineering function are mission information, bounds on information quality, and system validation guidance. The Engineering roadmap element contains 5 sub-elements: (1) Large-Scale Systems Models, (2) Anomalous Behavior Models, (3) advanced Uncertainty Models, (4) Virtual Testing Models, and (5) space-based Robotics Manufacture and Servicing Models

New Library Website

An announcement for the opening of the library's new website after a 2015 redesign

Length and Geometric Patterns of the Greater Palatine Canal Observed in Cone Beam Computed Tomography

The greater palatine canal is an important anatomical structure that is often utilized as a pathway for infiltration of local anesthesia to affect sensation and hemostasis. Increased awareness of the length and anatomic variation in the anatomy of this structure is important when performing surgical procedures in this area (e.g., placement of osseointegrated dental implants). We examined the anatomy of the greater palatine canal using data obtained from CBCT scans of 500 subjects. Both right and left canals were viewed (N = 1000) in coronal and sagittal planes, and their paths and lengths determined. The average length of the greater palatine canal was 29 mm (±3  mm), with a range from 22 to 40 mm. Coronally, the most common anatomic pattern consisted of the canal traveling inferior-laterally for a distance then directly inferior for the remainder (43.3%). In the sagittal view, the canal traveled most frequently at an anterior-inferior angle (92.9%)

Stress, illness perceptions, behaviours and healing in venous leg ulcers: findings from a prospective observational study

Objective: To investigate the impact of stress, illness perceptions and behaviours on healing of venous leg ulcers. Methods: A prospective observational study of 63 individuals for 24 weeks investigated possible psychosocial predictors of healing. There were two indices of healing: rate of change in ulcer area and number of weeks to heal. Psychological variables were assessed at baseline using self-report measures (Perceived Stress Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire, adapted Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities, Adherence Questionnaire and Short-Form Health Survey). Results: Controlling for socio-demographic and clinical variables, over the 24 weeks a slower rate of change in ulcer area was predicted by greater stress (standardised beta =-0.61, p=0.008); depression (standardised beta =-0.51, p=0.039); holding negative perceptions or beliefs about the ulcer (standardised beta =-1.4, p=0.045). By 24 weeks 69% of ulcers had closed. A more negative emotional response to the ulcer at baseline, (i.e., emotional representation of the ulcer), was associated with a greater number of weeks to heal [Hazard Ratio (HR) = 0.63, 95% CI 0.41 - 0.95, p=0.028]. Higher educational attainment (HR= 3.22, 95% CI 1.37 - 7.55, p=0.007) and better adherence to compression bandaging (HR= 1.41 95% CI 1.06 - 1.88, p=0.019) were associated with fewer weeks to heal. No other psychosocial variable (stress; perceptions about the ulcer; health behaviours) predicted weeks to heal. Conclusions: Alongside ulcer-related predictors, psychological and sociodemographic factors were associated with healing. Future research should explore mediating mechanisms underlying these associations and develop interventions to target these variables

The Impact of an Introductory Course on Ph.D. Students: A Qualitative Analysis of Student Perceptions

This qualitative case study examined Ph.D. students’ perceptions of the impact of a full semester introductory course at a Tier-1 research institution. Results from multiple data sources including open-coded interviews and reflective entries yielded three overarching perceptions of the impact of the introductory class by its first-year students: (1) the establishment of community; (2) contributions to students’ knowledge base through cultivation of academic tools within a Ph.D. program, both departmentally and programmatically; and (3) addressing and relieving “imposter syndrome.” Results indicated participants benefited from a semester-long introductory course as it contributed to community building and socialization, acquisition of needed skills and dispositions of the field, and assisted in managing imposter syndrome. Additionally, participants offered suggestions regarding course improvement. The study contributes to the body of post-secondary literature, as little work has been conducted on semester-long introductory courses at the doctoral level

Dairy foods and dairy protein consumption is inversely related to markers of adiposity in obese men and women

A number of intervention studies have reported that the prevalence of obesity may be in part inversely related to dairy food consumption while others report no association. We sought to examine relationships between energy, protein and calcium consumption from dairy foods (milk, yoghurt, cheese, dairy spreads, ice-cream) and adiposity including body mass index (BMI), waist (WC) and hip circumference (HC), and direct measures of body composition using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (% body fat and abdominal fat) in an opportunistic sample of 720 overweight/obese Australian men and women. Mean (SD) age, weight and BMI of the population were 51 ± 10 year, 94 ± 18 kg and 32.4 ± 5.7 kg/m2, respectively. Reduced fat milk was the most commonly consumed dairy product (235 ± 200 g/day), followed by whole milk (63 ± 128 g/day) and yoghurt (53 ± 66 g/day). Overall dairy food consumption (g/day) was inversely associated with BMI, % body fat and WC (all p < 0.05). Dairy protein and dairy calcium (g/day) were both inversely associated with all adiposity measures (all p < 0.05). Yoghurt consumption (g/day) was inversely associated with % body fat, abdominal fat, WC and HC (all p < 0.05), while reduced fat milk consumption was inversely associated with BMI, WC, HC and % body fat (all p < 0.05). Within a sample of obese adults, consumption of dairy products, dairy protein, and calcium was associated with more favourable body composition

Auditory-Motor Mapping Training in a More Verbal Child with Autism

We tested the effect of Auditory-Motor Mapping Training (AMMT), a novel, intonation-based treatment for spoken language originally developed for minimally verbal (MV) children with autism, on a more-verbal child with autism. We compared this child’s performance after 25 therapy sessions with that of: (1) a child matched on age, autism severity, and expressive language level who received 25 sessions of a non-intonation-based control treatment Speech Repetition Therapy (SRT); and (2) a matched pair of MV children (one of whom received AMMT; the other, SRT). We found a significant Time × Treatment effect in favor of AMMT for number of Syllables Correct and Consonants Correct per stimulus for both pairs of children, as well as a significant Time × Treatment effect in favor of AMMT for number of Vowels Correct per stimulus for the more-verbal pair. Magnitudes of the difference in post-treatment performance between AMMT and SRT, adjusted for Baseline differences, were: (a) larger for the more-verbal pair than for the MV pair; and (b) associated with very large effect sizes (Cohen’s d &gt; 1.3) in the more-verbal pair. Results hold promise for the efficacy of AMMT for improving spoken language production in more-verbal children with autism as well as their MV peers and suggest hypotheses about brain function that are testable in both correlational and causal behavioral-imaging studies