Human-Powered Swing Generator

Many developing countries lack sufficient resources to provide enough electricity for every family to live with a satisfying level of comfort and convenience. Our project proposes a solution that provides families with an alternative access to electricity using a playground swing. This project addresses the design and construction of the Human-Powered Swing Generator, which converts mechanical energy to electrical energy for charging a battery. The charged battery serves as a source of DC energy for potential DC purposes, such as charging a cell phone

A Fuzzy Logic Approach for Separation Assurance and Collision Avoidance for Unmanned Aerial Systems

In the coming years, operations in low altitude airspace will vastly increase as the capabilities and applications of small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) continue to multiply. Therefore, solutions to managing sUAS in highly congested airspace must be explored. In this study, a Fuzzy Logic based approach was used to help mitigate the risk of collisions between aircraft using separation assurance and collision avoidance techniques. The system was evaluated for its effectiveness to mitigate the risk of mid-air collisions between aircraft. This system utilizes only current state information and can resolve potential conflicts without knowledge of intruder intent. The avoidance logic was verified using formal methods and shown to select the correct action in all instances. Additionally, the Fuzzy Logic Controllers were shown to always turn the vehicles in the correct direction. Numerical testing demonstrated that the avoidance system was able to prevent a mid-air collision between two sUAS in all tested cases. Simulations were also performed in a three-dimensional environment with a heterogenous fleet of sUAS performing a variety of realistic missions. Simulations showed that the system was 99.98 effective at preventing mid-air collisions when separation assurance was disabled (unmitigated case) and 100 effective when enabled (mitigated case)

Adult tobacco surveillance report, Pennsylvania 2013

Public Health Relevance: Tobacco is associated with many of the leading causes of death in the United States. The public health and financial burdens associated with tobacco use are substantial and, unfortunately, do not merely end at the user—secondhand smoke from people using combustible forms of tobacco subject those in their surroundings to increased health risks. Active and passive users contribute to tobacco being the leading cause of preventable, premature death. Reporting Period: Survey interviews were conducted from January 1-June 30, 2013. Description of System: The Pennsylvania Adult Tobacco Survey (PA ATS) is a state-administered, random-digit dial survey of non-institutionalized adults, aged 18 and over implemented when funding is available. Objective: This report aims to detail the current prevalence of different forms of tobacco use and the attitudes/opinions surrounding the subject as determined by the 2013 PA ATS. Additionally, this survey will be used to evaluate progress on reaching tobacco use Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) objectives. Results: More than one in five (22.8%; 95% CI, 21.0%-24.6%) Pennsylvanians are current smokers, however 68.5% (95% CI, 64.1%-72.9%) are interested in quitting for good. Use of any form of tobacco was highest in the following demographics: males (38.4%; 95% CI, 35.3%-41.5%); 18-24 year olds (43.5%; 95% CI, 36.1%-51.0%); less than a high school degree (44.6%; 95% CI, 38.3%-50.9%); household incom

Senior Recital: Timothy Nathaniel Marshall, bass-baritone

This recital is presented in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree Bachelor of Music in Performance. Mr. Marshall studies voice with Oral Moses.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/musicprograms/1049/thumbnail.jp

Intensive Archeological Survey Of Old Airport Road At Burgess Creek In Parker County, Texas

On August 10 and 11, 2011, Blanton & Associates, Inc. (B&A) conducted an intensive non-collection archeological survey (augmented by backhoe trenching) at the request of Aguirre & Fields, LP and on behalf of the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) Ft. Worth District, of Old Airport Road at Burgess Creek in Parker County Texas (CSJ: 0902-38-062). Investigations occurred prior to proposed roadway improvements including the relocation of approximately 1,600 feet of Old Airport Road southwest of its existing location and a new bridge at Burgess Creek. Survey efforts discovered two historic archeological sites; 41PR147 and 41PR148. Site 41PR147 is a hand-dug water well and 41PR148 consists of three soil erosion control structures likely constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the mid to late 1930s. Given the lack of any unusual construction technique or design, no associated surface or subsurface artifact scatter, and no associated features, it is B&A’s opinion that 41PR147 cannot provide any new or important information and is not, therefore, eligible for inclusion to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or worthy of State Archeological Landmark (SAL) designation. It is also the opinion of B&A that the NRHP and SAL eligibility of site 41PR148 is currently unknown. Based on the above data, B&A recommends that the proposed construction at 41PR147 should be allowed to proceed as planned without additional investigations, as no archeological historic properties eligible for inclusion to the NRHP or sites warranting SAL designation would be affected by the project. B&A further recommends that because the eligibility of site 41PR148 for inclusion to the National Register of Historic Places is currently unknown, it should be avoided by the proposed construction. No artifacts were collected during the current survey. Project records and a copy of the final report will be curated at the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) at The University of Texas at San Antonio

Physical properties of sediments from Keathley Canyon and Atwater Valley, JIP Gulf of Mexico gas hydrate drilling program

This paper is not subject to U.S. copyright. The definitive version was published in Marine and Petroleum Geology 25 (2008): 896-905, doi:10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2008.01.018.Physical property measurements and consolidation behavior are different between sediments from Atwater Valley and Keathley Canyon in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Void ratio and bulk density of Atwater Valley sediment from a seafloor mound (holes ATM1 and ATM2) show little effective stress (or depth) dependence to 27 meters below seafloor (mbsf), perhaps owing to fluidized transport through the mound itself with subsequent settling onto the seafloor or mound flanks. Off-mound sediments (hole AT13-2) have bulk physical properties that are similar to mound sediments above 27 mbsf, but void ratio and porosity decrease below that depth. Properties of shallow (<50 mbsf) Keathley Canyon sediments (KC151-3) change with increasing effective stress (or depth) compared to Atwater Valley, but vary little below that depth. Organic carbon is present in concentrations between typical near-shore and deep-sea sediments. Organic carbon-to-nitrogen ratios suggest that the organic matter contained in Atwater Valley off-mound and mound sites came from somewhat different sources. The difference in organic carbon-to-nitrogen ratios between Atwater Valley and Keathley Canyon is more pronounced. At Keathley Canyon a more terrigenous source of the organic matter is indicated. Grain sizes are typically silty clay or clay within the two basins reflecting similar transport energy. However, the range in most shallow sediment properties is significantly different between the two basins. Bulk density profiles agree with logging results in Atwater Valley and Keathley Canyon. Agreement between lab-derived and logging-derived properties supports using logging data to constrain bulk physical properties where cores were not collected.Support of this research was provided by the USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program, the USGS Energy Program, and the National Energy Technology Laboratory

Six new species and reports of Hydnum (Cantharellales) from eastern North America

Five species of Hydnum have been generally recognized from eastern North America based on morphological recognition: H. albidum, H. albomagnum, H. repandum and varieties, H. rufescens, and H.umbilicatum. Other unique North American species, such as H. caespitosum and H. washingtonianum, are either illegitimately named or considered synonymous with European taxa. Here, seventeen phylogenetic species of Hydnum are detected from eastern North America based on a molecular phylogenetic survey of ITS sequences from herbarium collections and GenBank data, including environmental sequences. Based on current distribution results, sixteen of these species appear endemic to North America. Of these, six species are described as new: H. alboaurantiacum, H. cuspidatum, H. ferruginescens, H. subconnatum, H. subtilior, and H. vagabundum. Geographic range extensions and taxonomic notes are provided for five additional species recently described as new from eastern North America. A new name, H. geminum, is proposed for H.caespitosum Banning ex Peck, non Valenti. Overall, species of Hydnum are best recognized by a combination of morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses. Taxonomic descriptions are provided for seventeen species, including epitype designations for H. albidum, H. albomagnum, and H. umbilicatum, taxa described more than 100 years ago, and molecular annotation of the isotype of H. washingtonianum. Photographs and a key to eastern North American Hydnum species are presented

Capture Latch Assembly for the NASA Docking System

Final Paper and not the abstract is attached. a summary of the Design, Development, and Qualification of the Capture Latch Assembly (CLA) for the NASA Docking System Block 1 (NDSB1). The CLA is an integral part of the Soft Capture System (SCS) of the NDSB1, serving the purpose of connecting the mating SCS Rings of two docking vehicles. The paper will present an overview of the function of the CLA and its basic concept of operations, including a summary of the major components of the CLA. The development, qualification, and production of the CLA will then be described. Particular focus will be provided on two major issues that occurred during production and qualification of the CLA. The first issue was failures of the CLA Motor (CLM) during acceptance testing (AT). The failures of the CLM were ultimately determined to be due to design defects and manufacturing errors in the motor commutation sensor assembly. The second issue was failure of the secondary release mechanism, or Contingency Capture Latch Release (CCLR) mechanism during development and qualification testing. The CCLR failures were found to be a result of excess free play in the release mechanism, resulting in wear leading to galling inside the release mechanism. An overview of each failure will be provided, along with a summary of the failure investigation and recovery process. Finally, Lessons Learned from each of the major issues and the overall development of the Capture Latch will be presented

IN VIVO HEMATOPOIETIC CELL ENGRAFTMENT IS MODULATED BY DPPIV/CD26 INHIBITION AND RHEB2 OVEREXPRESSION

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is an important modality used to treat patients with hematologic diseases and malignancies. A better understanding of the biological processes controlling hematopoietic cell functions such as migration/homing, proliferation and self-renewal is required for improving HCT therapies. This study focused on the role of two biologically relevant proteins, dipeptidylpeptidase IV (DPPIV/CD26) and Ras homologue enriched in brain 2 (Rheb2), in modulating hematopoietic cell engraftment. The first goal of this study was to determine the role of the protein DPPIV/CD26 in modulating the engraftment of human umbilical cord blood (hUCB) CD34+ stem/progenitor cells using a NOD/SCID mouse xenograft model, and based upon previous work demonstrating a role for this enzyme in Stromal-Derived Factor-1/CXCL12 mediated migration and homing. Related to this first goal, pretreatment with an inhibitor of DPPIV/CD26 peptidase activity increased engraftment of hUCB CD34+ cells in vivo in recipient Non Obese Diabetic/Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (NOD/SCID) mice while not disturbing their differentiation potential following transplantation. These results support using DPPIV/CD26 inhibition as a strategy for enhancing the efficacy of cord blood transplantation. The second goal was to determine, by overexpression, the role of the Rheb2 in affecting the balance between proliferation and in vivo repopulating activity of mouse hematopoietic cells. Rheb2 is known to activate the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, a pathway important in hematopoiesis. Rheb2 overexpression increased the proliferation and mTOR signaling of two hematopoietic cell lines, 32D and BaF3, in response to delayed IL-3 addition. In primary mouse hematopoietic cells, Rheb2 overexpression enhanced the proliferation and expansion of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) and phenotypic hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in vitro. In addition, HPC survival was enhanced by Rheb2 overexpression. Using in vivo competitive repopulation assays, Rheb2 overexpression transiently expanded immature HPC/HSC populations shortly after transplantation, but reduced the engraftment of total transduced cells. These findings support previous work showing that signaling proteins able to enhance the proliferative status of hematopoietic stem cells often cause exhaustion of self-renewal and repopulating ability. These studies of hematopoietic engraftment modulated by both of these molecules provide information which may be important to future work on HCT