Opacified fibrous thermal insulation

Lightweight, opacified, glass fiber batting for high temperature insulation in cryogenic tanks has lower apparent thermal conductivity than untreated insulations. Decrease results from impeding the transmission of radiant energy without increasing the solid conductance of the material

Evaluation of liquid methane storage and transfer problems in supersonic aircraft

Evaluation of liquid methane storage and transfer problems for future supersonic aircraft cryogenic fuel requirement

Xwnt-5A: a maternal Wnt that affects morphogenetic movements after overexpression in embryos of Xenopus laevis

To contribute to an understanding of the roles and mechanisms of action of Wnts in early vertebrate development, we have characterized the normal expression of Xenopus laevis Wnt-5A, and investigated the consequences of misexpression of this putative signalling factor. Xwnt-5A transcripts are expressed throughout development, and are enriched in both the anterior and posterior regions of embryos at late stages of development, where they are found primarily in ectoderm, with lower levels of expression in mesoderm. Overexpression of Xwnt-5A in Xenopus embryos leads to complex malformations distinct from those achieved by ectopic expression of Xwnts −1, −3A, or −8. This phenotype is unlikely to result from Xwnt-5A acting as an inducing agent, as overexpression of Xwnt-5A does not rescue dorsal structures in UV-irradiated embryos, does not induce mesoderm in blastula caps, and Xwnt-5A does not alter the endogenous patterns of expression of goosecoid, Xbra, or Xwnt-8. To pursue whether Xwnt-5A has the capacity to affect morphogenetic movements, we investigated whether overexpression of Xwnt-5A alters the normal elongation of blastula cap explants induced by activin. Intriguingly, Xwnt-5A blocks the elongation of blastula caps in response to activin, without blocking the differentiation of either dorsal or ventral mesoderm within these explants. The data are consistent with Xwnt-5A having the potential activity of modifying the morphogenetic movements of tissues

Stigma resistance at the personal, peer, and public levels: A new conceptual model.

Stigma resistance is consistently linked with key recovery outcomes, yet theoretical work is limited. This study explored stigma resistance from the perspective of individuals with serious mental illness (SMI). Twenty-four individuals with SMI who were either peer-service providers (those with lived experience providing services; N = 14) or consumers of mental health services (N = 10) engaged in semistructured interviews regarding experiences with stigma, self-stigma, and stigma resistance, including key elements of this process and examples of situations in which they resisted stigma. Stigma resistance is an ongoing, active process that involves using one’s experiences, knowledge, and sets of skills at the (1) personal, (2) peer, and (3) public levels. Stigma resistance at the personal level involves (a) not believing stigma or catching and challenging stigmatizing thoughts, (b) empowering oneself by learning about mental health and recovery, (c) maintaining one’s recovery and proving stigma wrong, and (d) developing a meaningful identity apart from mental illness. Stigma resistance at the peer level involves using one’s experiences to help others fight stigma and at the public level, resistance involved (a) education, (b) challenging stigma, (c) disclosing one’s lived experience, and (d) advocacy work. Findings present a more nuanced conceptualization of resisting stigma, grounded in the experiences of people with SMI. Stigma resistance is an ongoing, active process of using one’s experiences, skills, and knowledge to develop a positive identity. Interventions should consider focusing on personal stigma resistance early on and increasing the incorporation of peers into services

Rebuilding community connections through experiential professional development

The authors argue that the narrowing of the K-12 curriculum in the past twenty years has changed the relationship between K-12 schoolteachers and the community. Using an ecological perspective as the theoretical lens, the article describes these changes as well as an effort by an economic development organization in Indiana to help rebuild those relationships through an experiential learning professional development activity. The article also includes sample teacher developed work plans for teaching economic concepts and skills through community based experiences

Pre-diagnostic and Diagnostic Stages of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Parent Perspective

This study examined the experiences of parents receiving an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis for their child. Mixed methods were used to give a detailed account of the sequence of events, parents’ experiences and actions associated with the ASD diagnosis. Parents waited nearly two and a half years (mean = 28.72 months) before receiving the ASD diagnosis. Parents with lower general and autism-specific social support, poorer physical health functioning and children with more severe communication problems reported longer wait times. Surprisingly, parents reported more positive than negative experiences from receiving the diagnosis. Paediatricians and psychologists were consulted most frequently; paediatricians and general physicians were rated most likely to neglect early ASD symptoms and least likely to make appropriate referrals. Qualitative analyses revealed seven themes describing the parent experience during the diagnostic process: “heightened awareness”, “initial search”, “dissatisfaction with medical or associated processionals”, “long process/delay”, “feeling uninformed”, “parent psychological and relational experiences” and “diagnosis goals”. A set of commonly experienced stages characterising the process of obtaining a diagnosis were identified and formulated into a six-stage model of diagnostic delay adapted from the patients’ health-seeking model

Post-Flight EDL Entry Guidance Performance for the 2011 Mars Science Laboratory Mission

Mars Science Laboratory landed Curiosity in Gale Crater on 5 Aug 2012. Curiosity landed successfully only 2.2 km away from the expected target given the onboard navigation state. Better than the average Apollo capsule splashdown miss distance. A late bank reversal and a suspected tail wind contributed to this slight miss. Entry guidance is derived from the Apollo capsule "final phase" logic and adjusts the range flown during entry by varying the direction of the lift vector (i.e., bank angle). Refinement of the guidance gains and alternative parachute deploy triggers to reduce the ellipse size will be studied for future Mars landing missions

Using a model of family adaptation to examine outcomes of caregivers of individuals with autism spectrum disorder transitioning into adulthood

Background The study examined the burden of caring for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) transitioning from high school and factors associated with burden derived from the Double ABCX model of family adaptation (i.e., autism symptom severity, problem behaviors, pile-up life demands, personality traits, social support, cognitive appraisals, and coping strategies). In particular, we were interested in the potential association between the “big 5” personality traits and burden. Method Participants (N = 105) were caregivers of individuals with ASD within two years pre- or post-graduation from high school. Results Primary caregivers reported moderate levels of burden. As hypothesized, burden was significantly associated with both child (i.e., increased autism symptom severity and problem behaviors) and caregiver characteristics (i.e., greater neuroticism, lower levels of extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and social support, and increased use of threat appraisals and passive-avoidance coping strategies). Using multiple regression, increased child behavior problems and increased caregiver use of passive-avoidance coping were identified as independent predictors of burden. Passive-avoidance coping mediated the relationship between caregiver burden and individual personality traits (i.e., neuroticism, extraversion, conscientiousness). Conclusions The results suggest that proximal variables, such as caregivers’ use of maladaptive coping strategies, explain the associations between burden and personality. Suggestions for interventions to relieve burden are discussed