Preliminary Testing of NASA's Molecular Adsorber Coating Technology for Future Missions to Mars

The Molecular Adsorber Coating (MAC) is a sprayable coatings technology that was developed at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The coating is comprised of highly porous, zeolite materials that help capture outgassed molecular contaminants on spaceflight applications. The adsorptive capabilities of the coating can alleviate molecular contamination concerns on or near sensitive surfaces and instruments within a spacecraft. This paper will discuss the preliminary testing of NASAs MAC technology for use on future missions to Mars. The study involves evaluating the coatings molecular adsorption properties in simulated test conditions, which include the vacuum environment of space and the Martian atmosphere. MAC adsorption testing was performed using a commonly used plasticizer called dioctyl phthalate (DOP) as the test contaminant

Using NASA's Molecular Adsorber Coating Technology During Thermal Vacuum Testing to Protect Critical Laser Flight Optics on the ATLAS Instrument

The Molecular Adsorber Coating (MAC) is a sprayable coatings technology that was developed at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The coating was designed to address molecular contamination concerns on or near sensitive surfaces and instruments within the spacecraft for flight or ground-based applications in vacuum conditions. This paper will discuss the use of NASA's MAC technology to isolate and protect the critical laser flight optics of the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) instrument on the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2). MAC was strategically used during thermal vacuum (TVAC) testing efforts to reduce the risk of contaminating the laser optical components from non-baked items and other unknown outgassing sources from the chamber environment. This paper summarizes the design and implementation efforts, and the chemical analysis of the MAC samples that were used during two recent TVAC tests for the ICESat-2/ATLAS mission

Liderazgo transformacional y confianza organizacional en funcionarios de municipalidades rurales de la región del Maule

58 p.La presente investigación, de tipo no experimental, transversal, tuvo como objetivo general identificar la relación entre confianza organizacional y liderazgo transformacional en una muestra de 117 funcionarios de dos municipios rurales de la región del Maule a través de una metodología cuantitativa, que incluye análisis descriptivos, correlacionales y análisis comparativos. Además, este estudio se fundamenta en la psicología organizacional positiva (POP), la que se enfoca en el estudio de variables relacionadas con el funcionamiento óptimo del ser humano. Dentro de este enfoque, se encuentra el modelo HERO (Healthy and Resilient Organizations) de organizaciones saludables y resilientes (Salanova et al., 2012), del que se extrajeron las variables investigadas. Entre los resultados relevantes, se obtuvo que las medias de las variables confianza organizacional y liderazgo transformacional son similares en ambas instituciones (MA=3,46; DTA=1,16; MB=3,76; DTB Se discuten los resultados obtenidos y se plantean sugerencias a considerar en próximos estudios de esta línea de investigación. =1,15) y correlacionan de manera positiva y significativa (r=0,519; p<0,001), lo que se explicaría, en parte, por la naturaleza similar de ambas organizaciones seleccionadas para la investigación. Palabras Clave: Psicología positiva, Modelo HERO, Liderazgo Transformacional, Confianza, Municipios rurales

Revising the WHO verbal autopsy instrument to facilitate routine cause-of-death monitoring.

OBJECTIVE: Verbal autopsy (VA) is a systematic approach for determining causes of death (CoD) in populations without routine medical certification. It has mainly been used in research contexts and involved relatively lengthy interviews. Our objective here is to describe the process used to shorten, simplify, and standardise the VA process to make it feasible for application on a larger scale such as in routine civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems. METHODS: A literature review of existing VA instruments was undertaken. The World Health Organization (WHO) then facilitated an international consultation process to review experiences with existing VA instruments, including those from WHO, the Demographic Evaluation of Populations and their Health in Developing Countries (INDEPTH) Network, InterVA, and the Population Health Metrics Research Consortium (PHMRC). In an expert meeting, consideration was given to formulating a workable VA CoD list [with mapping to the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) CoD] and to the viability and utility of existing VA interview questions, with a view to undertaking systematic simplification. FINDINGS: A revised VA CoD list was compiled enabling mapping of all ICD-10 CoD onto 62 VA cause categories, chosen on the grounds of public health significance as well as potential for ascertainment from VA. A set of 221 indicators for inclusion in the revised VA instrument was developed on the basis of accumulated experience, with appropriate skip patterns for various population sub-groups. The duration of a VA interview was reduced by about 40% with this new approach. CONCLUSIONS: The revised VA instrument resulting from this consultation process is presented here as a means of making it available for widespread use and evaluation. It is envisaged that this will be used in conjunction with automated models for assigning CoD from VA data, rather than involving physicians

Therapeutic Antibodies Targeting CSF1 Impede Macrophage Recruitment in a Xenograft Model of Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumor

Tenosynovial giant cell tumor is a neoplastic disease of joints that can cause severe morbidity. Recurrences are common following local therapy, and no effective medical therapy currently exists. Recent work has demonstrated that all cases overexpress macrophage colony-stimulating factor (CSF1), usually as a consequence of an activating gene translocation, resulting in an influx of macrophages that form the bulk of the tumor. New anti-CSF1 drugs have been developed; however there are no preclinical models suitable for evaluation of drug benefits in this disease. In this paper, we describe a novel renal subcapsular xenograft model of tenosynovial giant cell tumor. Using this model, we demonstrate that an anti-CSF1 monoclonal antibody significantly inhibits host macrophage infiltration into this tumor. The results from this model support clinical trials of equivalent humanized agents and anti-CSF1R small molecule drugs in cases of tenosynovial giant cell tumor refractory to conventional local therapy

Características demográficas, de salud y apoyo familiar de adultos mayores en el Programa de Cuidado Diurnos de Jacaleapa, El Paraíso, Honduras, 2020

El objetivo del estudio fue describir las características de los participantes en un programa de cuidados diurnos que reciben servicios integrados de salud y recreación social además de indagar las percepciones de sus familiares sobre el impacto del programa sobre el bienestar de en adultos mayores del centro de cuidados diurnos, Jacaleapa, Honduras. El diseño fue de tipo descriptivo, con una encuesta de corte transversal con 302 adultos mayores participantes y 302 familiares acompañantes. Se emplearon preguntas estructuradas sociodemográficas, de salud auto reportada, y apoyo familiar. Según las características demográficas, la mayoría fueron de sexo femenino (76.5%), en edades de 60-69 años (70.19%). El 68.9% de los adultos mayores finalizaron sólo su educación primaria; desempeñándose la mayor parte de su vida a quehaceres del hogar (73.8%). La gran mayoría reportó enfermedades crónicas (98%). El impacto percibido de los familiares fue muy positivo. En conclusión, el estudio permitió conocer la realidad acerca de las condiciones del adulto mayor a nivel demográfico y en salud lo que aporta a trazar estrategias que potencien la calidad de los servicios de salud al adulto mayor, en este caso al programa del Centro de Cuidados Diurno de Jacaleapa en el Paraíso

Differential Regulation of TCR-mediated Gene Transcription by Vav Family Members

Although all three Vav family members are expressed in T lymphocytes, the role that Vav3 plays in T cell activation is poorly defined. Here we show that, like Vav1, Vav3 undergoes rapid tyrosine phosphorylation after T cell receptor (TCR) cross-linkage and interacts with the adaptor molecules SLP76 and 3BP2 in a SH2-dependent manner. However, depletion of Vav1 but not Vav3 protein by RNA interference affects TCR-mediated IL-2 promoter activity. In contrast, Vav3 function is specifically required for coupling TCR stimulation to serum response element–mediated gene transcription. These data indicate that, although both Vav proteins are biochemically coupled to the TCR, they regulate distinct molecular pathways leading to defined gene transcriptional events

Severe early onset preeclampsia: short and long term clinical, psychosocial and biochemical aspects

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy specific disorder commonly defined as de novo hypertension and proteinuria after 20 weeks gestational age. It occurs in approximately 3-5% of pregnancies and it is still a major cause of both foetal and maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide1. As extensive research has not yet elucidated the aetiology of preeclampsia, there are no rational preventive or therapeutic interventions available. The only rational treatment is delivery, which benefits the mother but is not in the interest of the foetus, if remote from term. Early onset preeclampsia (<32 weeks’ gestational age) occurs in less than 1% of pregnancies. It is, however often associated with maternal morbidity as the risk of progression to severe maternal disease is inversely related with gestational age at onset2. Resulting prematurity is therefore the main cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity in patients with severe preeclampsia3. Although the discussion is ongoing, perinatal survival is suggested to be increased in patients with preterm preeclampsia by expectant, non-interventional management. This temporising treatment option to lengthen pregnancy includes the use of antihypertensive medication to control hypertension, magnesium sulphate to prevent eclampsia and corticosteroids to enhance foetal lung maturity4. With optimal maternal haemodynamic status and reassuring foetal condition this results on average in an extension of 2 weeks. Prolongation of these pregnancies is a great challenge for clinicians to balance between potential maternal risks on one the eve hand and possible foetal benefits on the other. Clinical controversies regarding prolongation of preterm preeclamptic pregnancies still exist – also taking into account that preeclampsia is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the Netherlands5 - a debate which is even more pronounced in very preterm pregnancies with questionable foetal viability6-9. Do maternal risks of prolongation of these very early pregnancies outweigh the chances of neonatal survival? Counselling of women with very early onset preeclampsia not only comprises of knowledge of the outcome of those particular pregnancies, but also knowledge of outcomes of future pregnancies of these women is of major clinical importance. This thesis opens with a review of the literature on identifiable risk factors of preeclampsia

Reconstruction of primary vertices at the ATLAS experiment in Run 1 proton–proton collisions at the LHC

This paper presents the method and performance of primary vertex reconstruction in proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment during Run 1 of the LHC. The studies presented focus on data taken during 2012 at a centre-of-mass energy of √s=8 TeV. The performance has been measured as a function of the number of interactions per bunch crossing over a wide range, from one to seventy. The measurement of the position and size of the luminous region and its use as a constraint to improve the primary vertex resolution are discussed. A longitudinal vertex position resolution of about 30μm is achieved for events with high multiplicity of reconstructed tracks. The transverse position resolution is better than 20μm and is dominated by the precision on the size of the luminous region. An analytical model is proposed to describe the primary vertex reconstruction efficiency as a function of the number of interactions per bunch crossing and of the longitudinal size of the luminous region. Agreement between the data and the predictions of this model is better than 3% up to seventy interactions per bunch crossing

Penilaian Kinerja Keuangan Koperasi di Kabupaten Pelalawan

This paper describe development and financial performance of cooperative in District Pelalawan among 2007 - 2008. Studies on primary and secondary cooperative in 12 sub-districts. Method in this stady use performance measuring of productivity, efficiency, growth, liquidity, and solvability of cooperative. Productivity of cooperative in Pelalawan was highly but efficiency still low. Profit and income were highly, even liquidity of cooperative very high, and solvability was good