Universal stowage module for future space exploration, design drawings

For abstract, see N74-20534. For complete abstract, see

Tension strength of a thick graphite/epoxy laminate after impact by a 1/2-in. radius impactor

NASA is developing graphite/epoxy filament-wound cases for solid rocket motors of the space shuttle. They are wet-wound with AS4W graphite fiber and HBRF-55A epoxy. The membrane region is about 1.4 inches thick. Two 30-inch-diameter by 12-inch-long cylinders were impacted every two inches of circumference with 1/2-inch radius impactors that were dropped from various heights. One cylinder was empty and the other was filled with inert propellant. Two-inch-wide test specimens were cut from the cylinders. Each was centered on an impact site. The specimens were x-rayed and loaded to failure in uniaxial tension. Rigid body mechanics and the Hertz law were used to predict impact force, local deformations, contact diameters, and contact pressures. The depth of impact damage was predicted using Love's solution for pressure applied on part of the boundary of a semi-infinite body. The predictions were reasonably good. The strengths of the impacted specimens were reduced by as much as 37 percent without visible surface damage. Even the radiographs did not reveal the nonvisible damage

Racial disparity in cardiac procedures and mortality among long-term survivors of cardiac arrest

Background— It is unknown whether white and black Medicare beneficiaries have different rates of cardiac procedure utilization or long-term survival after cardiac arrest. Methods and Results— A total of 5948 elderly Medicare beneficiaries (5429 white and 519 black) were identified who survived to hospital discharge between 1990 and 1999 after admission for cardiac arrest. Demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical information about these patients was obtained from Medicare administrative files, the US census, and the American Hospital Association’s annual institutional survey. A Cox proportional hazard model that included demographic and clinical predictors indicated a hazard ratio for mortality of 1.30 (95% CI 1.09 to 1.55) for blacks aged 66 to 74 years compared with whites of the same age. The addition of cardiac procedures to this model lowered the hazard ratio for blacks to 1.23 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.46). In analyses stratified by race, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) had a mortality hazard ratio of 0.53 (95% CI 0.45 to 0.62) for white patients and 0.50 (95% CI 0.27 to 0.91) for black patients. Logistic regression models that compared procedure rates between races indicated odds ratios for blacks aged 66 to 74 years of 0.58 (95% CI 0.36 to 0.94) to receive an ICD and 0.50 (95% CI 0.34 to 0.75) to receive either revascularization or an ICD. Conclusions— There is racial disparity in long-term mortality among elderly cardiac arrest survivors. Both black and white patients benefited from ICD implantation, but blacks were less likely to undergo this potentially life-saving procedure. Lower rates of cardiac procedures may explain in part the lower survival rates among black patients

Universal stowage module for future space exploration

The design effort to develop, design, and fabricate a prototype Universal Stowage Module with universal restraints that are readily adaptable for most sizes and shapes of items that would be launched into space and returned aboard shuttle payloads is presented

What is the initiation step of the Grubbs-Hoveyda olefin metathesis catalyst?

Density function theory calculations reveal that the Grubbs-Hoveyda olefin metathesis pre-catalyst is activated by the formation of a complex in which the incoming alkene substrate and outgoing alkoxy ligand are both clearly associated with the ruthenium centre. The computed energies for reaction are in good agreement with the experimental values, reported here

Americans' Experiences in the Health Insurance Marketplaces: Results from The First Three Months

Conducted December 11–29, 2013, The Commonwealth Fund's second Affordable Care Act Tracking Survey interviewed a nationally representative sample of adults who are potentially eligible for the health reform law's new insurance options, whether private plans or Medicaid. Results show that by the end of December, 24 percent of potentially eligible adults had visited a marketplace to find a plan. The first survey, conducted in October, had found that 17 percent of people potentially eligible for coverage had visited the marketplaces during the first month of open enrollment. By the end of December, 41 percent of visitors were ages 19 to 34, and 77 percent reported being in good health. People's ability to compare benefits and premiums improved between October and December, but many reported challenges in plan selection. A majority of respondents say they are determined to gain coverage by the end of this year's open enrollment period

Bidirectional relations of religious orientation and depressive symptoms in adolescents : a short-term longitudinal study.

Religious orientation can be divided into intrinsic and extrinsic: intrinsically oriented individuals “live their religion,” whereas extrinsically oriented individuals practice religion mainly to gain external benefits. In adults, depression has been found to correlate negatively with intrinsic religious orientation and positively with extrinsic orientation. Studies of the relation between religiosity and depression typically have not been longitudinal, conducted with adolescents, controlled for the influence of other factors associated with depression (i.e., negative cognitions), or examined the reverse relation of depression predicting religious orientation. Our four-month longitudinal study of 273 ninth-grade students addressed these issues. Results showed that higher intrinsic religious orientation measured at baseline significantly predicted lower self-reported depressive symptoms four months later, controlling for initial level of depressive symptoms and cognitive style; in contrast, extrinsic orientation and the interaction between religious orientation and life events did not significantly predict later depressive symptoms. Self-reported depressive symptoms, however, did not predict either intrinsic or extrinsic religious orientation four months later. Factors contributing to different findings for adolescents versus adults in the relation between extrinsic religious orientation and depression are suggested

Characterization of Glycated Proteins by \u3csup\u3e13\u3c/sup\u3eC NMR Spectroscopy

13C NMR spectroscopy has been used to characterize Amadori (ketoamine) adducts formed by reaction of [2-13C]glucose with free amino groups of protein. The spectra of glycated proteins were acquired in phosphate buffer at pH 7.4 and were interpreted by reference to the spectra of model compounds, N alpha-formyl-N epsilon-fructose-lysine and glycated poly-L-lysine (GlcPLL). The anomeric carbon region of the spectrum (approximately 90-105 ppm) of glycated cytochrome c was superimposable on that of N alpha-formyl-N epsilon-fructose-lysine, and contained three peaks characteristic of the alpha- and beta-furanose and beta-pyranose anomers of Amadori adducts to peripheral lysine residues on protein (pK alpha approximately 10.5). The spectrum of GlcPLL yielded six anomeric carbon resonances; the second set of three was displaced about 2 ppm to lower shielding of the first and was assigned to the Amadori adduct at the alpha-amino terminus (pK alpha approximately 7.5). The spectrum of glycated RNase was similar to that of GlcPLL, but contained a third set of three signals attributable to modification of active site lysine 41 (pK alpha approximately 8.8). The assignments for RNase were confirmed by analysis of spectra taken at pH 4 and under denaturing conditions. The spectrum of glycated hemoglobin was comparable to that of GlcPLL, and distinct resonances could be assigned to Amadori adducts at amino-terminal valine and intrachain N epsilon-lysine residues. Chemical analyses were performed to measure the relative extent of alpha- and epsilon-amino group modification in the glycated macromolecules, and the results were compared with estimates based on integration of the NMR spectra