Project Antares: A low cost modular launch vehicle for the future

The single stage to orbit launch vehicle Antares is based upon the revolutionary concept of modularity, enabling the Antares to efficiently launch communications satellites, as well as heavy payloads, into Earth's orbit and beyond. The basic unit of the modular system, a single Antares vehicle, is aimed at launching approximately 10,000 kg into low Earth orbit (LEO). When coupled with a Centaur upper stage it is capable of placing 3500 kg into geostationary orbit. The Antares incorporates a reusable engine, the Dual Mixture Ratio Engine (DMRE), as its propulsive device. This enables Antares to compete and excel in the satellite launch market by dramatically reducing launch costs. Antares' projected launch costs are $1340 per kg to LEO which offers a tremendous savings over launch vehicles available today. Inherent in the design is the capability to attach several of these vehicles together to provide heavy lift capability. Any number of these vehicles, up to seven, can be attached depending on the payload and mission requirements. With a seven vehicle configuration Antares's modular concept provides a heavy lift capability of approximately 70,000 kg to LEO. This expandability allows for a wider range of payload options such as large Earth satellites, Space Station Freedom support, and interplanetary spacecraft, and also offers a significant cost savings over a mixed fleet based on different launch vehicles

Missouri Hunger Atlas 2013

This atlas assesses the extent of food insecurity in the state of Missouri. It also begins to gauge how well public programs are doing in meeting the needs of those of our fellow citizens who have difficulty acquiring sufficient amounts and qualities of food. The concept of food security, as the Food Assistance and Nutrition Research Program within the United States Department of Agriculture defines it, refers to "access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life." Food insecurity in this country is normally due to insufficient resources for food purchases, and the majority of food insecure households avoid hunger by relying on a more narrow range of foods or acquiring food through private and public assistance programs. In 2011, 50.1 million Americans lived in food insecure households, 16.7 million were children. The USDA reported that 14.7 percent of households in the US experienced "low food security" in 2011. Households experiencing "very low food security" accounted for 5.6% of households, meaning the food intake of some household members was reduced and their normal eating patterns were disrupted because of the lack of money and other resources

This American dream

This piece is part of a special section of “hundreds” for Kathleen Stewart

Rectal indomethacin reduces the risk of post-ERCP pancreatitis

A clinical appraisal and clinical application of Elmunzer BJ, Scheiman JM, Lehman GA, Chak A, Mosler P, et al. A randomized trial of rectal indomethacin to prevent post-ERCP pancreatitis. N Engl J Med. 2012;366:1414–22. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa111110

Understanding and Intervening in Children\u27s Tick Risk Perceptions and Protective Behaviors: A Grounded Theory

Children, ages 8 years and younger, are at a particularly high risk of contracting a tick-borne disease. This is partially due to the misconceptions spread about tick protective behavior and a poor understanding of how antibiotic treatment can help. Because most communities and families believe that tick control is the individual’s responsibility, looking at the interaction between ticks and human children is essential to understanding the individual’s motivations to protect themselves. To help alleviate the number of individuals contracting tick-borne diseases, misconceptions must be addressed, intervention programs implemented, and a behavioral change must occur. This study used a qualitative research design through interviews within a constructivist grounded theory, a qualitative approach. Purposeful and snowball sampling were used to conduct interviews with children ranging from 8 to 10 years of age, who have had a tick interaction, live in a Midwestern state, and who spend at least six hours outside on average a week. It was found that the use of tick protective behaviors is determined by the participants mentality (negative, neutral, or positive), the source of tick information (parents, teachers, or counselors), the tick content, tick interactions, and the frequency of the tick interactions. Based on the findings, the research is meant to be a tool for caregivers and Extension educators to empower children to believe in their own self-efficacy to perform tick protective behaviors, such as tick checks, wearing repellent, wearing proper clothing, proper removal, and knowing when and who to ask for help. Advisor: Louise Lynch-O’Brie

The reconstructed Indonesian warm pool sea surface temperatures from tree rings and corals: Linkages to Asian monsoon drought and El Niño–Southern Oscillation

[ 1] The west Pacific warm pool is the heat engine for the globe's climate system. Its vast moisture and heat exchange profoundly impact conditions in the tropics and higher latitudes. Here, September - November sea surface temperature (SST) variability is reconstructed for the warm pool region (15 degrees S - 5 degrees N, 110 - 160 degrees E) surrounding Indonesia using annually resolved teak ring width and coral delta O-18 records. The reconstruction dates from A. D. 1782 - 1992 and accounts for 52% of the SST variance over the most replicated period. Significant correlations are found with El Nino - Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and monsoon indices at interannual to decadal frequency bands. Negative reconstructed SST anomalies coincide with major volcanic eruptions, while other noteworthy extremes are at times synchronous with Indian and Indonesian monsoon drought, particularly during major warm ENSO episodes. While the reconstruction adds to the sparse network of proxy reconstructions available for the tropical Indo-Pacific, additional proxies are needed to clarify how warm pool dynamics have interacted with global climate in past centuries to millennia.</p

From the Editors

Editorial introduction to the third issue of Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

From the editors

Editorial introduction to the second issue of Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

Binocular refraction- a comparative technique

Binocular refraction- a comparative techniqu