Modular space station phase B extension integrated ground operations

Requirements for development test, manufacturing, facilities, GSE, training, logistics support, and launch operations are described. The prime integrating requirement is the early establishment of a common data base and its use throughout the design, development, and operational life of the station. The common data base is defined, and the concept of its use is presented. Development requirements for the station modules and subsystems are outlined along with a master development phasing chart

Transracial adoptions: Common challenges and needed resources

The purpose of this study was to identify common challenges families encounter when adopting a child of a different race and/or ethnicity than themselves. When children are adopted into a family where the members do not share their same race and/or ethnicity, they have a more difficult time fitting in at school and feeling like they have a secure place in society

Field-Flow Fractionation of Carbon Nanotubes and Related Materials

During the grant period, we carried out FFF studies of carbonaceous soot, single-walled and multi-walled carbon nanotubes, carbon nano-onions and polyoxometallates. FFF alone does not provide enough information to fully characterize samples, so our suite of characterization techniques grew to include light scattering (especially Photon Correlation Spectroscopy), scanning and transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and spectroscopic methods. We developed convenient techniques to deposit and examine minute FFF fractions by electron microscopy. In collaboration with Arthur Cammers (University of Kentucky), we used Flow Field-Flow Fractionation (Fl-FFF) to monitor the solution-phase growth of keplerates, a class of polyoxometallate (POM) nanoparticles. We monitored the evolution of Mo-POM nanostructures over the course of weeks by by using flow field-flow fractionation and corroborated the nanoparticle structures by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Total molybdenum in the solution and precipitate phases was monitored by using inductively coupled plasma analyses, and total Mo-POM concentration by following the UV-visible spectra of the solution phase. We observe crystallization-driven formation of (Mo132) keplerate and solution phase-driven evolution of structurally related nanoscopic species (3-60 nm). FFF analyses of other classes of materials were less successful. Attempts to analyze platelets of layered materials, including exfoliated graphite (graphene) and TaS2 and MoS2, were disappointing. We were not able to optimize flow conditions for the layered materials. The metal sulfides react with the aqueous carrier liquid and settle out of suspension quickly because of their high density

Metallacumulenes and carbide complexes. Final performance report

We investigated many aspects of transition metal complexes of carbon-rich ligands, including cumulated transition metal carbene complexes of the types vinylidene (M=C=CR{sub 2})(M = Fe, Ru, Os, Mo, W), allenylidene (M=C=C=CR{sub 2}), and butatrienylidene (M=C=C=CR{sub 2}), as well as ``naked`` carbon ligands C{sub 1}, C{sub 2}, and C{sub 3}. In the last 3 years, we began to put some effort into studying the fullerenes. Finally, we investigated initial aspects of the coordination chemistry of thiophenes, from the perspectives of (1) modeling the transition- metal-catalyzed hydrodesulfurization of fossil fuels and (2) development of metal-doped, polythiophene-based polymers

Thermal Degradation Comparison of Amino Acid Salts, Alkanolamines and Diamines in CO2 Capture

In the selection of candidates for post-combustion CO2 absorption, solvent degradation has become a general concern due to the significant impact on operational cost and the intention to use thermal compression from high temperature stripping to minimize the overall process energy. In this research, structural analogs of amino acid salts, alkanolamines and diamines were thermally degraded in order to explore their thermal stability from a structural standpoint. Functional groups, amine orders and steric effect were investigated for their impact on amine thermal degradation. Primary amines with chain structures showed a thermal stability trend as diamine \u3e alkanolamine \u3e amino acid salt. For alknolamine and diamine structural isomers, the primary amines are more stable than the secondary amines. Steric hindrance around the amine group was shown to play a positive role in protecting amines against thermal degradation

\u3csup\u3e26\u3c/sup\u3eAl-Containing Acidic and Basic Sodium Aluminum Phosphate Preparation and Use in Studies of Oral Aluminum Bioavailability from Foods Utilizing \u3csup\u3e26\u3c/sup\u3eAl as an Aluminum Tracer

We synthesized 26Al-containing acidic and basic (alkaline) sodium aluminum phosphates (SALPs) which are FDA-approved leavening and emulsifying agents, respectively, and used them to determine the oral bioavailability of aluminum incorporated in selected foods. We selected applicable methods from published syntheses (patents) and scaled them down (∼3000- and 850-fold) to prepare ∼300–400 mg of each SALP. The 26Al was incorporated at the beginning of the syntheses to maximize 26Al and 27Al equilibration and incorporate the 26Al in the naturally-occurring Al-containing chemical species of the products. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the two SALP samples and some intermediate samples. Multi-elemental analysis (MEA) was used to determine Na, Al and P content. Commercial products were included for comparison. Satisfactory XRD analyses, near infrared spectra and MEA results confirmed that we synthesized acidic and basic SALP, as well as some of the syntheses intermediates. The 26Al-containing acidic and basic SALPs were incorporated into a biscuit material and a processed cheese, respectively. These were used in oral bioavailability studies conducted in rats in which the 26Al present in blood after its oral absorption was quantified by accelerator mass spectrometry. The results showed oral Al bioavailability from acidic SALP in biscuit was ∼0.02% and from basic SALP in cheese ∼0.05%, lower than our previous determination of Al bioavailability from drinking water, ∼0.3%. Both food and water can appreciably contribute to the Al absorbed from typical human Al intake

Ectopic gene expression and homeotic transformations in arthropods using recombinant Sindbis viruses

AbstractBackground: The morphological diversity of arthropods makes them attractive subjects for studying the evolution of developmental mechanisms. Comparative analyses suggest that arthropod diversity has arisen largely as a result of changes in expression patterns of genes that control development. Direct analysis of how a particular gene functions in a given species during development is hindered by the lack of broadly applicable techniques for manipulating gene expression.Results: We report that the Arbovirus Sindbis can be used to deliver high levels of gene expression in vivo in a number of non-host arthropod species without causing cytopathic effects in infected cells or impairing development. Using recombinant Sindbis virus, we investigated the function of the homeotic gene Ultrabithorax in the development of butterfly wings and beetle embryos. Ectopic Ultrabithorax expression in butterfly forewing imaginal discs was sufficient to cause the transformation of characteristic forewing properties in the adult, including scale morphology and pigmentation, to those of the hindwing. Expression of Ultrabithorax in beetle embryos outside of its endogenous expression domain affected normal development of the body wall cuticle and appendages.Conclusions: The homeotic genes have long been thought to play an important role in the diversification of arthropod appendages. Using recombinant Sindbis virus, we were able to investigate homeotic gene function in non-model arthropod species. We found that Ultrabithorax is sufficient to confer hindwing identity in butterflies and alter normal development of anterior structures in beetles. Recombinant Sindbis virus has broad potential as a tool for analyzing how the function of developmental genes has changed during the diversification of arthropods

Catalytic Transformations of Alkynes via Ruthenium Vinylidene and Allenylidene Intermediates

NOTICE: This is the peer reviewed version of the following book chapter: Varela J. A., González-Rodríguez C., Saá C. (2014). Catalytic Transformations of Alkynes via Ruthenium Vinylidene and Allenylidene Intermediates. In: Dixneuf P., Bruneau C. (eds) Ruthenium in Catalysis. Topics in Organometallic Chemistry, vol 48, pp. 237-287. Springer, Cham. [doi: 10.1007/3418_2014_81]. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Springer Verlag Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.Vinylidenes are high-energy tautomers of terminal alkynes and they can be stabilized by coordination with transition metals. The resulting metal-vinylidene species have interesting chemical properties that make their reactivity different to that of the free and metal π-coordinated alkynes: the carbon α to the metal is electrophilic whereas the β carbon is nucleophilic. Ruthenium is one of the most commonly used transition metals to stabilize vinylidenes and the resulting species can undergo a range of useful transformations. The most remarkable transformations are the regioselective anti-Markovnikov addition of different nucleophiles to catalytic ruthenium vinylidenes and the participation of the π system of catalytic ruthenium vinylidenes in pericyclic reactions. Ruthenium vinylidenes have also been employed as precatalysts in ring closing metathesis (RCM) or ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). Allenylidenes could be considered as divalent radicals derived from allenes. In a similar way to vinylidenes, allenylidenes can be stabilized by coordination with transition metals and again ruthenium is one of the most widely used metals. Metalallenylidene complexes can be easily obtained from terminal propargylic alcohols by dehydration of the initially formed metal-hydroxyvinylidenes, in which the reactivity of these metal complexes is based on the electrophilic nature of Cα and Cγ, while Cβ is nucleophilic. Catalytic processes based on nucleophilic additions and pericyclic reactions involving the π system of ruthenium allenylidenes afford interesting new structures with high selectivity and atom economy