Lightweight universal joint transmits both torque and thrust

A lightweight universal joint uses a thin steel flexure plate to transmit torque and a steel rod to transmit thrust. Both the plate and rod are independently mounted and can act individually

Sealed separable connection Patent

Sealed separable connection for thin wall metal tub

Application of structural analysis and matrix interpretive system

Computer program for matrix manipulations of structural analysi

A shock spectra and impedance method to determine a bound for spacecraft structural loads

A method to determine a bound of structural loads for a spacecraft mounted on a launch vehicle is developed. The method utilizes the interface shock spectra and the relative impedance of the spacecraft and launch vehicle. The method is developed for single-degree-of-freedom models and then generalized to multidegree-of-freedom models

Designing dual-plate meteoroid shields: A new analysis

Physics governing ultrahigh velocity impacts onto dual-plate meteor armor is discussed. Meteoroid shield design methodologies are considered: failure mechanisms, qualitative features of effective meteoroid shield designs, evaluating/processing meteoroid threat models, and quantitative techniques for optimizing effective meteoroid shield designs. Related investigations are included: use of Kevlar cloth/epoxy panels in meteoroid shields for the Halley's Comet intercept vehicle, mirror exposure dynamics, and evaluation of ion fields produced around the Halley Intercept Mission vehicle by meteoroid impacts

Community- versus healthcare-acquired bloodstream infections at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa

Background. Bloodstream infections (BSIs) cause considerable morbidity and mortality. The  epidemiology of bacterial infections differs in community and hospital settings. Regular surveillance and  reporting of pathogens and antimicrobial susceptibility can assist in appropriate management of BSIs.Objectives. To describe the distribution of organisms and of antibiotic susceptibility among isolates from blood cultures at a tertiary academic hospital during a 1-year period, stratifying by place of infection  acquisition.Methods. This was a retrospective descriptive study of bloodstream isolates from cultures from adults (>13 years of age) routinely submitted between 1 October 2011 and 30 September 2012 to the clinical  laboratory at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa. Community-acquired infections were compared with healthcare-acquired infections, defined as infections developing at least 48 hours after admission or within 3 months of admission to a healthcare facility. Frequencies and proportions of  infecting organisms are presented, along with susceptibility results for selected pathogens. The hospital-acquired isolates were stratified by ward (emergency, general medical or general surgical ward or intensive care unit (ICU)) to determine organism frequency and susceptibility patterns by hospital ward.Results. Among adults, 740 non-duplicate pathogens were isolated from BSIs. Nearly three-quarters of infections were healthcare acquired. Enterobacteriaceae and non-fermentative Gram-negative bacilli were predominant among healthcare-acquired pathogens (39.2% and 28.5%, respectively), while   Enterobacteriaceae and Gram-positive organisms were the most common among community-acquired pathogens (39.2% and 54.3%, respectively). The majority of community-acquired Enterobacteriaceae were highly susceptible to antibiotics (gentamicin 95.6%, ceftriaxone 96.1% and ciprofloxacin 92.2%),  whereas 64.6% of healthcare-associated isolates were susceptible to gentamicin, 58.5% to ceftriaxone and 70% to ciprofloxacin. All community-acquired Staphylococcus aureus isolates v. 52.4% of   healthcare-acquired isolates were susceptible to cloxacillin. The susceptibility of healthcare-acquired Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumanii complex isolates was <80% to all antibiotics with the exception of colistin. Klebsiella spp., S. aureus and Escherichia coli were the commonest causes of healthcareacquired infections in all areas outside of the ICUs, whereas Acinetobacter was common in the  ICUs and rare in all other areas.Conclusion. The distinction between community- and healthcare-acquired infections is critical in antibiotic selection because narrowspectrum agents can be utilised for community-acquired infections. The considerable antibiotic resistance of healthcare-acquired pathogens highlights the importance of infection prevention and control. This type of surveillance could be incorporated into routine laboratory practice

Issues in Teaching Second Language Reading

Look through the window of any second or foreign language (L2) reading classroom and, invariably, you will see teacher and students seated with books open in front of them. This superficial similarity masks vast differences in teaching methodology, however. As the 20th century draws to a close, there are, around the world, at least four distinctive approaches to the teaching of L2 reading: grammar-translation, comprehension questions, skills and stategies, and extensive reading. After briei descriptions of the four approaches to teaching reading, this paper surveys a selection of recent articles and books that address important concems in L2 reading pedagogy. Finally, questions are raised about the relationship of theory, research, and teaching practice

A submerged Late Cretaceous podocarpaceous forest, west coast, South Africa

During mini-submersible dives in De Beers offshore concessions on the middle shelf of Namaqualand, on the west coast of South Africa, a fossil forest was located and sampled. Over an area of 2 km2 there are numerous in situ and prostrate trunks on a gentle slope, 136-140 m below sea level and about 32 km offshore. Micro-palaeontological dating shows that the sediments are of Coniacian age. The silicified woods have been identified as members of the Podocarpaceae and one new species is described, Podocarpoxylon jago Bamford & Stevenson sp. nov. The second species identified is P. umzambense Schultze-Motel. These woods are compared with other west coast woods, both onshore and offshore, and the Upper Cretaceous coastal environment is postulated