METHOD FOR MODULATING EICOSANOID MEDIATED IMMUNE RESPONSES IN ARTHROPODS

The invention is directed to compositions which alter the health of invertebrate organisms by affecting eicosanoid mediated immune responses, and methods of using the compositions. The invention provides pharmaceutical com positions and biopesticide compositions. The pharmaceuti cal composition is composed of an effective amount of at least one biologically active agent which enhances or inhib its eicosanoid-mediated immune responses in invertebrate Species and a physiological compatible carrier. The biope Sticide composition is composed of a biopesticidal amount of an inhibitor of eicosanoid-mediated immune responses in invertebrates and a physiologically acceptable carrier. The pharmaceutical compositions are useful to treat invertebrate Species to enhance or inhibit immune responses. The bio pesticide composition is useful to control the growth of or eradicate invertebrate pests. Methods are provided for deter mining which and what amounts of the biologically active agents are useful in the composition

An investigation of the solar cycle response of odd-nitrogen in the thermosphere

This annual report covers the first year of funding for the study of the solar cycle variations of odd-nitrogen (N((sup 2)D), N((sup 4)S), NO) in the Earth's thermosphere. The study uses the extensive data base generated by the Atmosphere Explorer (AE) satellites, and the Solar Mesosphere Explorer Satellite. The AE data are being used, for the first time, to define the solar variability effect on the odd-nitrogen species through analysis of the emissions at 520 nano-m from N((sup 2)D) and the emission from O(+)((sup 2)P). Additional AE neutral and ion density data are used to help define and quantify the physical processes controlling the variations. The results from the airglow study will be used in the next two years of this study to explain the solar cycle changes in NO measured by the Solar Mesosphere Explorer

METHOD FOR MODULATING EICOSANOID MEDIATED IMMUNE RESPONSES IN ARTHROPODS

The invention is directed to compositions which alter the health of invertebrate organisms by affecting eicosanoid mediated immune responses, and methods of using the compositions. The invention provides pharmaceutical com positions and biopesticide compositions. The pharmaceuti cal composition is composed of an effective amount of at least one biologically active agent which enhances or inhib its eicosanoid-mediated immune responses in invertebrate Species and a physiological compatible carrier. The biope Sticide composition is composed of a biopesticidal amount of an inhibitor of eicosanoid-mediated immune responses in invertebrates and a physiologically acceptable carrier. The pharmaceutical compositions are useful to treat invertebrate Species to enhance or inhibit immune responses. The bio pesticide composition is useful to control the growth of or eradicate invertebrate pests. Methods are provided for deter mining which and what amounts of the biologically active agents are useful in the composition

Curso intensivo de regresion logistica

Núm al catàleg de Patrimoni: 3887 (institut Mental i Església)Bernader, J. O

Commercialization and Human Settlement of the Moon and Cislunar Space A Look Ahead at the Possibilities over the Next 50 Years

Over 50 years have passed since the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey debuted in April 1968. In the film, Dr. Heywood Floyd flies to a large artificial gravity space station orbiting Earth aboard a commercial space plane. He then embarks on a commuter flight to the Moon arriving there 25hours later. Today, on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing, the images portrayed in 2001 still remain well beyond our capabilities. This paper examines key technologies and systems (in-situ resource utilization, fission power, advanced chemical and nuclear propulsion),and orbiting infrastructure elements (providing a propellant depot and cargo transfer function),that could be developed by NASA and the private sector in future decades allowing the operational capabilities presented in 2001 to be achieved, albeit on a more spartan scale. Lunar derived propellants (LDPs) will be essential to reducing the launch mass requirements from Earth and developing a reusable lunar transportation system (LTS) that can allow initial outposts to evolve into settlements supporting a variety of commercial activities like in-situ propellant production. Deposits of icy regolith found within permanently shadowed craters at the lunar pole scan supply the feedstock material to produce liquid oxygen (LO2) and hydrogen (LH2) propellan tneeded by surface-based lunar landing vehicles (LLVs) using chemical rocket engines. Along the Moon's nearside equatorial corridor, iron oxide-rich volcanic glass beads from vast pyroclasticdeposits, together with mare regolith, can provide the materials to produce lunar-derived LO2plus other important solar wind implanted (SWI) volatiles, including H2 and helium-3. Mega watt classfission power systems will be essential for providing continuous "24/7" power to LLVs will provide cargo and passenger "orbit-to-surface" access and willalso be used to transport LDP to Space Transportation Nodes (STNs) located in lunar polar(LPO) and equatorial orbits (LLO). Spaced-based, reusable lunar transfer vehicles (LTVs),operating between STNs in low Earth orbit (LEO), LLO, and LPO, and able to refuel with LDPs,can offer unique mission capabilities including short transit time crewed cargo transports. Even acommuter shuttle service similar to that portrayed in 2001 appears possible, allowing 1-way trip times to and from the Moon as short as 24 hours. The performance of LTVs using both RL10B-2chemical rockets, and a variant of the nuclear thermal rocket (NTR), the LO2-Augmented NTR(LANTR), are examined and compared. The bipropellant LANTR engine utilizes its divergent nozzle section as an afterburner into which oxygen is injected and supersonically combusted with reactor-heated hydrogen emerging from the engine's sonic throat. If only 1% of the LDP obtained from icy regolith, volcanic glass, and SWI volatile deposits were available for use in lunar orbit,such a supply could support routine commuter flights to the Moon for many thousands of years!This paper provides a look ahead at what might be possible in the not too distant future,quantifies the operational characteristics of key in-space and surface technologies and systems,and provides conceptual designs for the various architectural elements discussed

Phospholipase A2 in Salivary Glands Isolated from Tobacco Hornworms, \u3ci\u3eManduca sexta\u3c/i\u3e

We describe a phospholipase A2 (PLA2) associated with the salivary glands of tobacco hornworms, Manduca sexta. This enzyme is able to hydrolyze arachidonic acid from the sn-2 position of PLs. Addition of the calcium chelator, EGTA, or calcium, to the Tris reaction buffer impaired the PLA2 activity, from which we infer the enzyme requires very low concentrations of calcium or perhaps other ions for optimal activity. PLA2 activity was sensitive to protein concentration (highest activity at 25 μg protein per μl), reaction time (optimal at 30 min), buffer pH (optimal at pH 8–10), and reaction temperature (optimal range 18–38°C). The salivary gland PLA2 was sensitive to the site-specific inhibitor, oleyloxyethylphosphorylcholine and stable to freezing at –80°C, but not –20°C. The biological significance of this enzyme may relate to hydrolysis of fatty acid moieties from dietary PLs for absorption by midgut epithelia. This salivary gland enzyme may also be responsible for killing food-borne bacteria

Preliminary Sizing Study of Ares-I and Ares-V Liquid Hydrogen Tanks

A preliminary sizing study of two cryogenic propellant tanks was performed using a FORTRAN optimization program to determine weight efficient orthogrid designs for the tank barrels sections only. Various tensile and compressive failure modes were considered, including general buckling of cylinders with a shell buckling knockdown factor. Eight independent combinations of three design requirements were also considered and their effects on the tanks weight. The approach was to investigate each design case with a variable shell buckling knockdown factor, determining the most weight efficient combination of orthogrid design parameters. Numerous optimization analyses were performed, and the results presented herein compare the effects of the different design requirements and shell buckling knockdown factor. Through a series of comparisons between design requirements or shell buckling knockdown factors, the relative change in overall tank barrel weights is shown. The findings indicate that the design requirements can substantually increase the tank weight while a less conservative shell buckling knockdown factor can modestly reduce the tank weight

Effect of Manual Ivy Removal on Seedling Recruitment in Forest Park, Portland, OR

English and Irish ivy (Hedera helix and H. hibernica) are invasive lianas which have become especially intrusive in the Pacific Northwest, as evidenced by their invasion of many areas in Forest Park, Portland, OR. The most common strategy for ivy control is currently manual removal, though the potential consequences of this method have not been well studied. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of manual ivy removal with respect to its influence on native plant diversity, abundance, species richness, and evenness by comparing these parameters in 1-m2 plots manually cleared of ivy to paired control plots. Prior to plot establishment, evidence of deer herbivory of ivy was observed at this site. Four weeks after manual removal, treated plots were less diverse and hosted a lower abundance of native plants than control plots. Ten weeks after ivy removal, treated and control plots were equally diverse, and treated plots showed greater abundance of plant cover than controls. This trend persisted at twenty-six weeks after treatment. Treated and control plots were not significantly different in species richness or evenness at any time. These results suggest that manual ivy removal temporarily disturbs native plant life, but the negative effects are overcome as quickly as ten weeks after treatment, at which time native plants are more successful. Manual removal as a method to control ivy in this region appears effective within one growing season

Key Technologies, Systems, and Infrastructure Enabling the Commercialization and Human Settlement of the Moon and Cislunar Space

Over 50 years have passed since 2001: A Space Odyssey debuted in April 1968. In the film, Dr. Heywood Floydflies to a large artificial gravity space station orbiting Earth aboard a commercial space plane. He then embarks on acommuter flight to the Moon arriving there 25 hours later. Today, in this the 50th anniversary year of the Apollo 11lunar landing, the images portrayed in 2001 still remain well beyond our capabilities. This paper examines keytechnologies and systems (e.g., in-situ resource utilization, fission power, advanced chemical and nuclearpropulsion), and supporting orbital infrastructure (providing a propellant and cargo transfer function), that could bedeveloped by NASA and industry over the next 30 years allowing the operational capabilities presented in 2001 to beachieved, albeit on a more spartan scale. Lunar-derived propellants (LDPs) will be essential to developing a reusablelunar transportation system that can allow initial outposts to evolve into settlements supporting a variety ofcommercial activities. Deposits of icy regolith discovered at the lunar poles can supply the feedstock material neededto produce liquid oxygen (LO2) and hydrogen (LH2) propellants. On the lunar nearside, near the equator, iron oxiderichvolcanic glass beads from vast pyroclastic deposits, together with mare regolith, can provide the feedstockmaterials to produce lunar-derived LO2 plus other important solar wind implanted (SWI) volatiles, including H2and helium-3. Megawatt-class fission power systems will be essential for providing continuous "24/7" power toprocessing plants, human settlements and commercial enterprises that develop on the Moon and in orbit. Reusablelunar landing vehicles will provide cargo and passenger "orbit-to-surface" access and will also transport LDP to Space Transportation Nodes (STNs) located in lunar polar (LPO) and equatorial orbits (LLO). Reusable space-based,lunar transfer vehicles (LTVs), operating between STNs in low Earth orbit, LLO, and LPO, and able to refuel with LDPs, offer unique mission capabilities including short transit time crewed cargo transports. Even commuter flights similar to that portrayed in 2001 appear possible, allowing 1-way trip times to and from the Moon as short as 24hours. The performance of LTVs using both RL10B-2 chemical rockets, and a variant of the nuclear thermal rocket(NTR), the LO2-Augmented NTR (LANTR), are examined and compared. If only 1% of the LDP obtained from icyregolith, volcanic glass, and SWI volatile deposits were available for use in lunar orbit, such a supply could support routine commuter flights to the Moon for many thousands of years. This paper provides a look ahead at what might be possible in the not too distant future, quantifies the operational characteristics of key in-space and surface technologies and systems, and provides conceptual designs for the various architectural elements discussed