Performance requirements analysis for payload delivery from a space station

Operations conducted from a space station in low Earth orbit which have different constraints and opportunities than those conducted from direct Earth launch were examined. While a space station relieves many size and performance constraints on the space shuttle, the space station's inertial orbit has different launch window constraints from those associated with customary Earth launches which reflect upon upper stage capability. A performance requirements analysis was developed to provide a reference source of parametric data, and specific case solutions and upper stage sizing trade to assist potential space station users and space station and upper stage developers assess the impacts of a space station on missions of interest

A Multiscale Progressive Failure Modeling Methodology for Composites that Includes Fiber Strength Stochastics

A multiscale modeling methodology was developed for continuous fiber composites that incorporates a statistical distribution of fiber strengths into coupled multiscale micromechanics/finite element (FE) analyses. A modified two-parameter Weibull cumulative distribution function, which accounts for the effect of fiber length on the probability of failure, was used to characterize the statistical distribution of fiber strengths. A parametric study using the NASA Micromechanics Analysis Code with the Generalized Method of Cells (MAC/GMC) was performed to assess the effect of variable fiber strengths on local composite failure within a repeating unit cell (RUC) and subsequent global failure. The NASA code FEAMAC and the ABAQUS finite element solver were used to analyze the progressive failure of a unidirectional SCS-6/TIMETAL 21S metal matrix composite tensile dogbone specimen at 650 degC. Multiscale progressive failure analyses were performed to quantify the effect of spatially varying fiber strengths on the RUC-averaged and global stress-strain responses and failure. The ultimate composite strengths and distribution of failure locations (predominately within the gage section) reasonably matched the experimentally observed failure behavior. The predicted composite failure behavior suggests that use of macroscale models that exploit global geometric symmetries are inappropriate for cases where the actual distribution of local fiber strengths displays no such symmetries. This issue has not received much attention in the literature. Moreover, the model discretization at a specific length scale can have a profound effect on the computational costs associated with multiscale simulations.models that yield accurate yet tractable results

Evaluation of a 2-1-1 Telephone Navigation Program to increase Cancer Control Behaviors: Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial

PURPOSE: to evaluate the effectiveness of a telephone navigation intervention for increasing use of cancer control services among underserved 2-1-1 callers. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: 2-1-1 call centers in Houston and Weslaco, Texas (located in the Rio Grande Valley near the Mexican border). PARTICIPANTS: 2-1-1 callers in need of Pap test, mammography, colorectal cancer screening, smoking cessation counseling, and/or HPV vaccination for a daughter (n = 1,554). A majority were low-income and described themselves as Black or Hispanic. INTERVENTION: Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a cancer control referral for the needed service(s) with telephone navigation from a trained cancer control navigator (n = 995) or a referral only (n = 559). MEASURES: Uptake of each individual service and any needed service. ANALYSIS: Assessed uptake in both groups using bivariate chi-square analyses and multivariable logistic regression analyses, adjusted for sociodemographic covariates. Both per-protocol and intent-to-treat approaches were used. RESULTS: Both interventions increased cancer control behaviors. Referral with navigation intervention resulted in significantly greater completion of any needed service (OR = 1.38; p = .042), Pap test (OR = 1.56; p = .023), and smoking cessation counseling (OR = 2.66; p = .044), than referral-only condition. Other outcomes showed the same trend although the difference was not statistically significant: mammography (OR = 1.53; p = .106); colorectal cancer screening (OR = 1.80; p = .095); and HPV vaccination of a daughter (OR = 1.61; p = .331). CONCLUSION: Adding cancer control referrals and navigation to an informational service like the 2-1-1 program can increase overall participation in cancer control services

The scope and impact of mobile health clinics in the United States: a literature review

As the U.S. healthcare system transforms its care delivery model to increase healthcare accessibility and improve health outcomes, it is undergoing changes in the context of ever-increasing chronic disease burdens and healthcare costs. Many illnesses disproportionately affect certain populations, due to disparities in healthcare access and social determinants of health. These disparities represent a key area to target in order to better our nation’s overall health and decrease healthcare expenditures. It is thus imperative for policymakers and health professionals to develop innovative interventions that sustainably manage chronic diseases, promote preventative health, and improve outcomes among communities disenfranchised from traditional healthcare as well as among the general population. This article examines the available literature on Mobile Health Clinics (MHCs) and the role that they currently play in the U.S. healthcare system. Based on a search in the PubMed database and data from the online collaborative research network of mobile clinics MobileHealthMap.org, the authors evaluated 51 articles with evidence on the strengths and weaknesses of the mobile health sector in the United States. Current literature supports that MHCs are successful in reaching vulnerable populations, by delivering services directly at the curbside in communities of need and flexibly adapting their services based on the changing needs of the target community. As a link between clinical and community settings, MHCs address both medical and social determinants of health, tackling health issues on a community-wide level. Furthermore, evidence suggest that MHCs produce significant cost savings and represent a cost-effective care delivery model that improves health outcomes in underserved groups. Even though MHCs can fulfill many goals and mandates in alignment with our national priorities and have the potential to help combat some of the largest healthcare challenges of this era, there are limitations and challenges to this healthcare delivery model that must be addressed and overcome before they can be more broadly integrated into our healthcare system

The effects of improved auditory feedback on the verbalizations of an autistic child

Allowing autistic children to control the volume and direction of their auditory inputs apparently affects their language behavior. Further studies are needed, however, to determine the extent that use of devices such as the Phonic Ear will be of value in increasing vocalizations in these children.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44598/1/10803_2005_Article_BF01531619.pd

Covert action failure and fiasco construction: William Hague’s 2011 Libyan venture

In 2011 William Hague, then British Foreign Secretary, authorized a Special Forces team to enter Libya and attempt to contact rebels opposed to Muammar Gaddafi in the unfolding civil war. However, its members were detained by the rebels, questioned and ejected from the country. This article puts the literature on public policy failures into dialogue with that on covert action as a tool of foreign policy. It asks: why did this not develop into a fully-fledged policy fiasco when journalists and politicians alike judged it to have been a major error of judgement on Hague’s part? Using narrative analysis of the contemporary reporting of this incident, we argue that the government – possessing the advantage of information asymmetry accruing from operational secrecy – was ultimately able to win the battle of narratives in a frame contestation process. The study of information asymmetry can enhance the recently revivified research into foreign policy failures

The O/OREOS Mission - Astrobiology in Low Earth Orbit

The O/OREOS (Organism/Organic Exposure to Orbital Stresses) nanosatellite is the first science demonstration spacecraft and flight mission of the NASA Astrobiology Small- Payloads Program (ASP). O/OREOS was launched successfully on November 19, 2010, to a high-inclination (72), 650-km Earth orbit aboard a US Air Force Minotaur IV rocket from Kodiak, Alaska. O/OREOS consists of 3 conjoined cubesat (each 1000 cu.cm) modules: (i) a control bus, (ii) the Space Environment Survivability of Living Organisms (SESLO) experiment, and (iii) the Space Environment Viability of Organics (SEVO) experiment. Among the innovative aspects of the O/OREOS mission are a real-time analysis of the photostability of organics and biomarkers and the collection of data on the survival and metabolic activity for micro-organisms at 3 times during the 6-month mission. We will report on the spacecraft characteristics, payload capabilities and first operational phase of the O/OREOS mission. The science and technology rationale of O/OREOS supports NASAs scientific exploration program by investigating the local space environment as well as space biology relevant to Moon and Mars missions. It also serves as precursor for experiments on small satellites, the International Space Station (ISS), future free-flyers and lunar surface exposure facilities