Testing the Man-Rated Launch Vehicle

Although manned space flight is still in its infancy, testing of launch vehicles has progressed to a high degree of sophistication. As of December 1965, the Martin-built Gemini launch vehicle has launched seven Gemini spacecraft successfully out of seven attempts. This remarkable record was made possible by two facts: 1. The basic reliability of the hardware 2. The test program. This paper briefly describes the Gemini launch vehicle noting the major differences between it and the Titan II and discusses the test program. It is not proposed that this is the only method of testing a man-rated launch vehicle; however, it is a successful one. The Gemini launch vehicle is a basic Air Force Titan II which has been modified in certain areas to achieve man-rating (see Figure 1)

A survey of personnel practices in a leather company.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Boston Universit

Toxoplasma gondii and behavioral modification in hosts

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston UniversityToxoplasma gondii is a heteroxenous protozoan parasite that is found in nearly every species of mammal and billions of latently infected humans worldwide. The symptoms and morbidities associated with acute, congenital, and AIDS-associated toxoplasmosis are familiar to many, while those associated with latent toxoplasmosis are not nearly as well known. Behavioral manipulation is a common strategy of parasite and parasitoid species, and recent research into T. gondii has revealed that T. gondii infection alters the way rodents respond to the odor of the urine of its feline predators, which are also the definitive hosts of T. gondii. Humans have been found to be potentially affected by T. gondii as well: associations have been identified between latent T. gondii infection and psychiatric diseases (including schizophrenia), personality changes, and traffic accidents. This review investigates the state of current scientific knowledge related to Toxoplasma gondii, analyzes recent developments, and examines the implications on public health. We also provide critical analysis of the published literature and make suggestions for future research

Oman and the West: State formation in Oman since 1920.

This thesis analyses the external and internal influences on the process of state formation in Oman since 1920 and places this process in comparative perspective with the other states of the Gulf Cooperation Council. It considers the extent to which the concepts of informal empire and collaboration are useful in analysing the relationship between Oman, Britain and the United States. The theoretical framework is the historical materialist paradigm of International Relations. State formation in Oman since 1920 is examined in a historical narrative structured by three themes: (1) the international context of Western involvement, (2) the development of Western strategic interests in Oman and (3) their economic, social and political impact on Oman. The incorporation of the Arabian littoral into the security sphere of the British empire in India separated the Imamate in the mountainous interior of Oman from the British-backed Sultans in Muscat. This culminated in the Treaty of Sib in 1920 following which the government of the Sultanate was restructured by British officials. The discovery of oil in Bahrain in 1932 marked a new phase in the incorporation of the Arabian peninsula into the capitalist world-system. In south-east Arabia this led to the occupation of the interior in 1955 by the British-supported forces of Sa'id bin Taimur. The coup of 1970 in which Qabus became Sultan allowed the development of a pro-Western rentier state and the defeat of the rebels in Dhofar. British imperial withdrawal from the region was completed with the relinquishment of its bases in the Sultanate of Oman in 1977. The development of a strategic relationship between Oman and the United States in the 1980s enhanced American military deployment during the Kuwait crisis of 1990-1991. In the aftermath of this conflict Oman faces the challenge of political development in an environment of diminishing oil reserves

Examining place influence on alcohol related behaviour and health outcomes in New Zealand.

Much of the literature on the determinants of health, including alcohol consumption, has focussed on differences in individual socio-economic status as a primary risk factor. However, it has been shown that variation in health between places can be attributed to both the characteristics of the people who live in those places (composition) and also to the characteristics of the places where people live (context). From the 1990s, there has been considerable interest in the role of neighbourhoods, specifically whether their social and physical characteristics are important in explaining inequalities in health. The main aim of this thesis is to determine the influence of ‘place’ effects on alcohol-related behaviour and health and social outcomes in New Zealand. To achieve this, data was obtained for hospitalisation and mortality directly related to alcohol consumption. Age standardised rates of alcohol related hospitalisation and mortality were calculated for different census areas units over time. Secondly, a database of all alcohol outlets including type and category was obtained from the Liquor Licensing Authority and geocoded for all meshblocks in New Zealand. Using ArcGIS road network functionality, least cost distance to nearest alcohol outlets was calculated. In addition, two buffers (800 and 3000 metres) were created around the population weighted centroids of each meshblock. Statistical analysis was undertaken to examine the distribution of alcohol outlets in areas of differing socio-economic status. Thirdly, binary logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between various access measures developed and individual alcohol related behaviour from the New Zealand Health Survey (2006/07). Lastly, Ordinary Least Squares regression was used to establish the association between the density of alcohol outlets and crime, and alcohol related hospitalisation. The results reveal there is increasing geographic inequality of both hospitalisation and mortality between the most and the least deprived areas in New Zealand. Secondly, the results consistently show there is inequity in the availability of alcohol outlets; there are clear social patterns in the distribution of alcohol outlets with disproportionately high numbers in more socially deprived neighbourhoods. Thirdly, at the national level, after controlling for potential confounding factors, there was no association between either hazardous or frequent consumption of alcohol and access to alcohol outlets. However, there was an association for particular sub-populations in regards to hazardous and frequent consumption and access to alcohol outlets. Fourthly, although the explained variance was often quite low in outcome models for crime and hospitalisation, nevertheless most of the variance for crime was predicted by the density of alcohol outlets. A number of important theoretical and policy implications flow from this study. Alcohol outlets are modifiable structures in the environments that are amenable to policy interventions at a community and national level. Interventions could concentrate on three aspects to reduce excess consumption; zoning ordinances, reducing alcohol outlets in deprived areas and increased alcohol taxation. Starting with the first proposed intervention, zoning ordinances provide communities and local governments with the opportunity to regulate outlet numbers and locations as well as their trading hours. This intervention has the potential to reduce opportunities for obtaining alcohol. Secondly, a reduction in the number of alcohol outlets is likely to reduce consumption and consequently improve health and social outcomes. Finally, higher alcohol prices via increased taxation is likely to be a deterrent to excess consumption and related health outcomes. Three priority areas are identified and recommended for future research. Studies using a mixture of both qualitative and quantitative methods, to better understand the association between local purchases of alcohol, consumption and proximity to alcohol outlets would be beneficial. In addition, the use of qualitative methods to examine the influence of social capital and cohesion, culture and norms on alcohol consumption in areas with higher densities of, and better access to alcohol outlets, is imperative. Lastly, longitudinal studies are also recommended to investigate increases or decreases in the number of alcohol outlets over time and the impact of such changes on the consumption patterns of different sub-populations

Expansion of the Rio Prieto Water Distribution System

Sponsored by the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority, this project provides a hydraulic model for the expansion and optimization of water to the Rio Prieto region in the southwest of Puerto Rico. The technical and social-economic-political aspects of the expansion were examined through interviews, site visits, mapping and digitizing infrastructure, and determining population demand. Upon analysis of the hydraulic model, population predictions, and supply and demand data, the project team provided recommendations in order to aid in the expansion of the water distribution network

Occult blood in faeces is associated with all-cause and non-colorectal cancer mortality

Objective: An association between detectable faecal haemoglobin (f-Hb) and both the risk of death from colorectal cancer (CRC) and all-cause mortality has been reported. We set out to confirm or refute this observation in a UK population and to explore the association between f-Hb, as indicated by a positive guaiac faecal occult blood test (gFOBT) result, and different causes of death. Design: All individuals (134 192) who participated in gFOBT screening in Tayside, Scotland between 29/03/2000 and 29/03/2016 were studied by linking their test result (positive or negative) with mortality data from the National Records of Scotland database and following to 30/03/2016. Results: Those with a positive test result (n=2714) had a higher risk of dying than those with a negative result, from CRC: HR 7.79 (95% CI 6.13 to 9.89), p<0.0001, (adjusted for, gender, age, deprivation quintile and medication that can cause bleeding) and all non-CRC causes: HR 1.58 (95% CI 1.45 to 1.73), p<0·0001.· In addition, f-Hb detectable by gFOBT was significantly associated with increased risk of dying from circulatory disease, respiratory disease, digestive diseases (excluding CRC), neuropsychological disease, blood and endocrine disease and non-CRC. Conclusion: The presence of detectable f-Hb is associated with increased risk of death from a wide range of causes