Metrication study for large space telescope

Various approaches which could be taken in developing a metric-system design for the Large Space Telescope, considering potential penalties on development cost and time, commonality with other satellite programs, and contribution to national goals for conversion to the metric system of units were investigated. Information on the problems, potential approaches, and impacts of metrication was collected from published reports on previous aerospace-industry metrication-impact studies and through numerous telephone interviews. The recommended approach to LST metrication formulated in this study cells for new components and subsystems to be designed in metric-module dimensions, but U.S. customary practice is allowed where U.S. metric standards and metric components are not available or would be unsuitable. Electrical/electronic-system design, which is presently largely metric, is considered exempt from futher metrication. An important guideline is that metric design and fabrication should in no way compromise the effectiveness of the LST equipment

Towards a Personalised Health System

This paper presents a Personalized Healthcare System (PHS), a decision support tool that can adapt to changing conditions, such as aging and illness, in individual patients. The system consists of three components: a unique personalised profile, a collection of web based tools and a web based repository for managing interactions between clinicians and tools. The proposed system makes extensive use of software agents, both for collecting the initial information required to construct a personalized profile and for transporting the information needed to use the on-line decision support tools. The paper discusses the operation of a PHS and suggests possible implementation issues

Planning research in the area of launch vehicle and propulsion programs Progress report, 1-31 Mar. 1968

Program and report reviews on launch vehicle upper stages and propulsion of advanced reentry spacecraf

Numerical methods for entrainment and detrainment in the multi-fluid Euler equations for convection

Convection schemes are a large source of error in global weather and climate models, and modern resolutions are often too fine to parameterise convection but are still too coarse to fully resolve it. Recently, numerical solutions of multi-fluid equations have been proposed for a more flexible and consistent treatment of sub-grid scale convection, including net mass transport by convection and non-equilibrium dynamics. The technique involves splitting the atmosphere into multiple fluids. For example, the atmosphere could be divided into buoyant updrafts and stable regions. The fluids interact through a common pressure, drag and mass transfers (entrainment and detrainment). Little is known about the numerical properties of mass transfer terms between the fluids. We derive mass transfer terms which relabel the fluids and derive numerical properties of the transfer schemes, including boundedness, momentum conservation and energy conservation on a co-located grid. Numerical simulations of the multi-fluid Euler equations using a C-grid are presented using stable and unstable treatments of the transfers on a well-resolved two-fluid dry convection test case. We find two schemes which are conservative, stable and bounded for large timesteps, and maintain their numerical properties on staggered grids

Immunosuppressive mechanisms in glioblastoma

Despite maximal surgical and medical therapy, the treatment of glioblastoma remains a seriously vexing problem, with median survival well under 2 years and few long-term survivors. Targeted therapy has yet to produce significant advances in treatment of these lesions in spite of advanced molecular characterization of glioblastoma and glioblastoma cancer stem cells. Recently, immunotherapy has emerged as a promising mode for some of the hardest to treat tumors, including metastatic melanoma. Although immunotherapy has been evaluated in glioblastoma in the past with limited success, better understanding of the failures of these therapies could lead to more successful treatments in the future. Furthermore, there is a persistent challenge for the use of immune therapy to treat glioblastoma secondary to the existence of redundant mechanisms of tumor-mediated immune suppression. Here we will address these mechanisms of immunosuppression in glioblastoma and therapeutic approache

Improved meteorological measurements from buoys and ships (IMET) : preliminary comparison of solar radiation air temperature shields

Several different types of solar radiation air temperature shields are evaluated for use at sea on ships and buoys. They include three types of static or Thaller shields, two vane oriented shields, and two fan ventilated shields. A preliminary data analysis is presented and discussed.Funding was provided by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. OCE-87-0961

Improved meteorological measurements from buoys and ships (IMET) : preliminary comparison of humidity sensors

Humidity sensors using various principles of operation are evaluated for the potential use at sea on buoys and ships. Thin film capacitive polymer sensors include the Vaisala Humicap HMP-14U (with WHOI electronics), Hy-Cal Engineerig Ultra-H (also with WHOI electronics), the new Vaisala HMP-35A, and the Rotronic MP-lOOF. Impedance sensors include the Thunder Scientific PC-2101, Phys-Chem PCRC-ll, and the General Eastern 850. The Hygrometrix 8503A is the only organically based cellulose crystallite sensor evaluated. Chilled mirror dew sensors include the EG&G 200M Dewtrak, which was used as a comparative standard, the General Eastern Dew-lO and the WHOI D10IQ Intelligent Dew Point Sensor. The IR-200 infrared optical hygrometer from Ophir is also included in this study. The performance of the EG&G 200M Dewtrak was quite disappointing. Errors of up to 2.5°C in air temperature were observed due to inadequate shielding from solar radiation.Funding was provided by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. OCE-87-09614

Improved meteorological measurements from buoys and ships (IMET) : preliminary report on barometric pressure sensors

Stability tests over periods ranging from 3 to 19 months have been carried out on Paroscientific models 215-AT and 760-15A, AIR DB-1A, Rosemount 1201F1B, Setra 270 and Heise 623 electronic barometers. The Paroscientific barometers had the highest accuracy, stability, and price, and the lowest power consumption. The Rosemount 1201FIB had excellent stability but high power consumption as well as price. The AIR DB-1A and Setra 270 have good stability and moderate power consumption and price. The tests are being expanded to include inexpensive sensors.Funding was provided by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. OCE-87-0961

Stable ultrahigh-density magneto-optical recordings using introduced linear defects

The stability of data bits in magnetic recording media at ultrahigh densities is compromised by thermal `flips' -- magnetic spin reversals -- of nano-sized spin domains, which erase the stored information. Media that are magnetized perpendicular to the plane of the film, such as ultrathin cobalt films or multilayered structures, are more stable against thermal self-erasure than conventional memory devices. In this context, magneto-optical memories seem particularly promising for ultrahigh-density recording on portable disks, and bit densities of $\sim$100 Gbit inch$^{-2}$ have been demonstrated using recent advances in the bit writing and reading techniques. But the roughness and mobility of the magnetic domain walls prevents closer packing of the magnetic bits, and therefore presents a challenge to reaching even higher bit densities. Here we report that the strain imposed by a linear defect in a magnetic thin film can smooth rough domain walls over regions hundreds of micrometers in size, and halt their motion. A scaling analysis of this process, based on the generic physics of disorder-controlled elastic lines, points to a simple way by which magnetic media might be prepared that can store data at densities in excess of 1 Tbit inch$^{-2}$.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, see also an article in TRN News at http://www.trnmag.com/Stories/041801/Defects_boost_disc_capacity_041801.htm