Studies on the environmental stress corrosion cracking of model epoxy-glass composites.

The stress corrosion cracking of model epoxy-glass 0°/90°/0° crossply and 0 unidirectional composites in aqueous sulphuric acid has been studied. Specimens, in the form of coupons cut from laminates were tested under conditions of uniaxial tension at constant load, whilst partially immersed in an acidic environment. Two different modes of failure, which resulted in fracture were observed. In the "so-called" Mode I failure, fracture occurred within that part of the composite immersed in the acid,whereas in Mode II, it occurred in the unimmersed part. Both failure modes were observed for crossply and unidirectional composites. In unstressed 0°/90°/0° specimens a third failure mode (Mode III) was observed, in which the damage took the form of transverse and longitudinal cracking of the unimmersed part. The failure mode depended upon the magnitude of the initial applied strain, the nature of the environment, and the type of environment cell. At initial applied strains of greater than about 0.15% only Mode I failure was observed. The similarity between the times-to-failure of laminates with those recorded for single E-glass fibres showed that the resin was not providing significant protection from the acidic environment. To account for this result it is postulated that the acid rapidly permeates these composites through environmental microcracks, which form parallel to the axis of the glass reinforcement. in the 0° plies. The formation of these microcracks is due to a reduction in the resin/glass interfacial strength in the presence of acids. Confirmation of this phenomenon was obtained from experiments on the transverse cracking behaviour of crossply laminates, immersed in aqueous acid and tensile tested at constant strain rate. At initial applied strains of less than about 0.15% and depending upon the experimental conditions, failure was by either Mode I or II. Mode II, which occurs in shorter times than Mode I was observed in acids (e. g. sulphuric acid) giving rise to relatively insoluble glass degradation products, providing evaporation of moisture from the unimmersed part of the specimen was possible. The Mode II failure mechanism has been identified with the transport of the aqueous acid along the glass resin interface from the immersed to the unimmersed part of the composite. Here precipitation of the less soluble glass degradation products causes a localised stress sufficient to initiate and propagate a stress corrosion crack. At these strains both Mode I and II failures occur at times significantly greater than those observed for glass fibres. Mode III failure is similarly attributed to the precipitation of glass degradation products within the composite. Microscopical examination of the stress corrosion fracture surfaces did not reveal any morphological differences between Mode I and II failure, apart from the appearance of more crystalline products in the Mode II fractures. Although glass fibre fracture is the ultimate failure mechanism in these composites, stress corrosion of the fibre matrix interface was found to be a necessary precursor

Space Shuttle Cargo Processing at the Kennedy Space Center

This paper will discuss the various activities involved in processing the two basic types of cargo being prepared for launch by the Space Transportation System. An overview will be presented describing the independent processing systems used to ready the Space!abs and other horizontal cargo as well as upper stages and other vertical cargo. The interrelationship of these two types of preparations with the main line Space Shuttle test and checkout operations will be shown. In the explanation of each process, the ground support equipment and facilities of the Kennedy Space Center will also be described

Bedrest in healthy women: Effects of menstrual function and oral contraceptives

With the development of the space shuttle program, space flight for the first time is available to individuals who have not been specially selected and trained to be astronauts. In addition, women are being actively recruited into the space program, both as mission specialists and as career astronauts. One purpose of this project was to examine some of the physiological responses of women to a simulated weightlessness program (12 day horizontal bedrest), to compare their responses to those reported in men during similar programs, and to test whether menstrual function might alter some of the physiological changes which occur during bedrest, specifically changes in the plasma volume, exercise tolerance, and venous compliance before and after bedrest

Heavy Anionic Complex Creates a Unique Water Structure at a Soft Charged Interface

Ion hydration and interfacial water play crucial roles in numerous phenomena ranging from biological to industrial systems. Although biologically relevant (and mostly smaller) ions have been studied extensively in this context, very little experimental data exist about molecular scale behavior of heavy ions and their complexes at interfaces, especially under technologically significant conditions. It has recently been shown that PtCl62- complexes adsorb at positively charged interfaces in a two-step process that cannot fit into well-known empirical trends, such as Hofmeister series. Here, a combined vibrational sum frequency generation and molecular dynamics study reveals that a unique interfacial water structure is connected to this peculiar adsorption behavior. A novel sub-ensemble analysis of MD simulation results show that after adsorption, PtCl62- complexes partially retain their first and second hydration spheres, and it is possible to identify three different types of water molecules around them based on their orientational structures and hydrogen bonding strengths. These results have important implications for relating interfacial water structure and hydration enthalpy to the general understanding of specific ion effects. This in turn influences interpretation of heavy metal ion distribution across and reactivity within, liquid interfaces

William H. Grier, Sr. Scrapbooks - Accession 567

The William H. Grier, Sr. Papers include correspondence, clippings, memoranda, copies of the company newsletter, telegrams, and other papers, relating to the history of the Rock Hill Printing Company (RHPFC) and to the career of William H. Grier, Sr. (1901-1983) who was a company executive and trustee to Winthrop College (1953-1975). The Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company was founded in 1929 in Rock Hill, SC and was known locally as “The Bleachery.” It was one the nation’s largest textile finishing plants at its height. The Rock Hill plant bleached, dyed, printed and finished cloth and employed nearly 5,000 workers at its height in 1965. The plant site was placed on the National Register of Historic places in 2013. From 1936 to 1976 William H. Grier kept scrapbooks relating to his activities and the activities of the company. These materials are an excellent source for the history of “The Bleachery” and the textile industry in general. The 24 bound scrapbooks contain plant memoranda, newsletters, photographs, newspaper clippings, postcards, correspondence, promotional material, fabric samples, and other material relating to RHPFC. The memoranda and correspondence include information about raises, incentives, the annual Christmas Tree Celebration for the children of the workers, and other topics. The newspaper clippings relate such information as advances by the plant as well as trouble with organized labor. The photographs are of the plant, the workers, Grier and other officers, the area around the plant, and Rock Hill. “The Bleachery” printed and finished the first Rayon woven and printed in the South in 1938. There are fabric samples of the rayon in one of the scrapbooks. RHPFC put forth a great effort on the home front during WWII. They not only had a large number of their workers volunteer for military service but they also printed American flags and contributed other textile products to the war effort. The 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s were a time of change for the textile industry and these issues are reflected in the scrapbooks as well.https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/manuscriptcollection_findingaids/1681/thumbnail.jp

Interview with William Easley - OH 538

In his July 7, 2017 interview with Alex Windham, William Bill Easley detailed his thoughts and memories of his time associated with the Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company referred to locals as the Bleachery. Easley spoke of the time of the 1920s through 2017 and on the follow topics: Race relations, his father Joseph Easley Assistant Plant Manager of the Bleachery and his childhood around his father, day-to-day job responsibilities and actions when he began work for Springs, technology changes, the buyout of the Bleachery by Springs, the decline of the Bleachery, his work as a Springs employee, his thoughts on the redevelopment of the Bleachery site into University Center at Knowledge Park and his activities until 2017. Also Easley offered his opinions on how Rock Hill was impacted by the Bleachery from the 1930s to 2017.https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/oralhistoryprogram/1615/thumbnail.jp

Comorbid Medical Conditions as Predictors of Overall Survival in Glioblastoma Patients

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive central nervous system tumor with a poor prognosis. This study was conducted to determine any comorbid medical conditions that are associated with survival in GBM. Data were collected from medical records of all patients who presented to VCU Medical Center with GBM between January 2005 and February 2015. Patients who underwent surgery/biopsy were considered for inclusion. Cox proportional hazards regression modeling was performed to assess the relationship between survival and sex, race, and comorbid medical conditions. 163 patients met inclusion criteria. Comorbidities associated with survival on individual-characteristic analysis included: history of asthma (Hazard Ratio [HR]: 2.63; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.24–5.58; p = 0.01), hypercholesterolemia (HR: 1.95; 95% CI: 1.09–3.50; p = 0.02), and incontinence (HR: 2.29; 95% CI: 0.95–5.57; p = 0.07). History of asthma (HR: 2.22; 95% CI: 1.02–4.83; p = 0.04) and hypercholesterolemia (HR: 1.99; 95% CI: 1.11–3.56; p = 0.02) were associated with shorter survival on multivariable analysis. Surgical patients with GBM who had a prior history of asthma or hypercholesterolemia had significantly higher relative risk for mortality on individual-characteristic and multivariable analyses

Building a Model of Collaboration Between Historically Black and Historically White Universities

Despite increases over the last two decades in the number of degrees awarded to students from underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, enhancing diversity in these disciplines remains a challenge. This article describes a strategic approach to this challenge—the development of a collaborative partnership between two universities: the historically Black Elizabeth City State University and the historically White University of New Hampshire. The partnership, a type of learning organization built on three mutually agreed upon principles, strives to enhance opportunities for underrepresented students to pursue careers in the STEM disciplines. This article further describes six promising practices that framed the partnership, which resulted in the submission of nine proposals to federal agencies and the funding of four grants that led to the implementation, research, learning, and evaluation that followed

Text messaging and brief phone calls for weight loss in overweight and obese English- and Spanish-speaking adults: A 1-year, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND:Weight loss interventions based solely on text messaging (short message service [SMS]) have been shown to be modestly effective for short periods of time and in some populations, but limited evidence is available for positive longer-term outcomes and for efficacy in Hispanic populations. Also, little is known about the comparative efficacy of weight loss interventions that use SMS coupled with brief, technology-mediated contact with health coaches, an important issue when considering the scalability and cost of interventions. We examined the efficacy of a 1-year intervention designed to reduce weight among overweight and obese English- and Spanish-speaking adults via SMS alone (ConTxt) or in combination with brief, monthly health-coaching calls. ConTxt offered 2-4 SMS/day that were personalized, tailored, and interactive. Content was theory- and evidence-based and focused on reducing energy intake and increasing energy expenditure. Monthly health-coaching calls (5-10 minutes' duration) focused on goal-setting, identifying barriers to achieving goals, and self-monitoring. METHODS AND FINDINGS:English- and Spanish-speaking adults were recruited from October 2011 to March 2013. A total of 298 overweight (body mass index [BMI] 27.0 to 39.9 kg/m2) adults (aged 21-60 years; 77% female; 41% Hispanic; 21% primarily Spanish speaking; 44% college graduates or higher; 22% unemployed) were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either ConTxt only (n = 101), ConTxt plus health-coaching calls (n = 96), or standard print materials on weight reduction (control group, n = 101). We used computer-based permuted-block randomization with block sizes of three or six, stratified by sex and Spanish-speaking status. Participants, study staff, and investigators were masked until the intervention was assigned. The primary outcome was objectively measured percent of weight loss from baseline at 12 months. Differences between groups were evaluated using linear mixed-effects regression within an intention-to-treat framework. A total of 261 (87.2%) and 253 (84.9%) participants completed 6- and 12-month visits, respectively. Loss to follow-up did not differ by study group. Mean (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) percent weight loss at 12 months was -0.61 (-1.99 to 0.77) in the control group, -1.68 (-3.08 to -0.27) in ConTxt only, and -3.63 (-5.05 to -2.81) in ConTxt plus health-coaching calls. At 12 months, mean (95% CI) percent weight loss, adjusted for baseline BMI, was significantly different between ConTxt plus health-coaching calls and the control group (-3.0 [-4.99 to -1.04], p = 0.003) but not between the ConTxt-only and the control group (-1.07 [-3.05 to 0.92], p = 0.291). Differences between ConTxt plus health-coaching calls and ConTxt only were not significant (-1.95 [-3.96 to 0.06], p = 0.057). These findings were consistent across other weight-related secondary outcomes, including changes in absolute weight, BMI, and percent body fat at 12 months. Exploratory subgroup analyses suggested that Spanish speakers responded more favorably to ConTxt plus health-coaching calls than English speakers (Spanish contrast: -7.90 [-11.94 to -3.86], p < 0.001; English contrast: -1.82 [-4.03 to 0.39], p = 0.107). Limitations include the unblinded delivery of the intervention and recruitment of a predominantly female sample from a single site. CONCLUSIONS:A 1-year intervention that delivered theory- and evidence-based weight loss content via daily personalized, tailored, and interactive SMS was most effective when combined with brief, monthly phone calls. TRIAL REGISTRATION:ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01171586