Leadership for Policy Change

Provides options for utilizing foundation and government support to create and enhance community-based leadership development programs in communities of color

Characterization of an 8-cm Diameter Ion Source System

Results of tests characterizing an 8-cm diameter ion source are presented. The tests were conducted in three separate vacuum test facilities at the University of Alabama-Huntsville, Colorado State University, and L3 Communications' ETI division. Standard ion optics tests describing electron backstreaming and total-voltage-limited impingement current behavior as a function of beam current were used as guidelines for selecting operating conditions where more detailed ion beam measurements were performed. The ion beam was profiled using an in-vacuum actuating probe system to determine the total ion current density and the ion charge state distribution variation across the face of the ion source. Both current density and ExB probes were utilized. The ion current density data were used to obtain integrated beam current, beam flatness parameters, and general beam profile shapes. The ExB probe data were used to determine the ratio of doubly to singly charged ion current. The ion beam profile tests were performed at over six different operating points that spanned the expected operating range of the DAWN thrusters being developed at L3. The characterization tests described herein reveal that the 8-cm ion source is suitable for use in (a) validating plasma diagnostic equipment, (b) xenon ion sputtering and etching studies of spacecraft materials, (c) plasma physics research, and (d) the study of ion thruster optics at varying conditions

Knowledge About the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Among Employees at a Tertiary Cancer Center: Room for Improvement

Introduction: The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for routine vaccination of boys and girls to protect against HPV-related cancers and genital warts. To meet the Healthy People 2020 target for HPV vaccination, health care providers must understand the importance of strongly recommending the HPV vaccine to all eligible adolescents. We sought to determine HPV vaccination patterns among employees at a tertiary cancer center and their children and attitudes regarding HPV vaccination among the employees. Methods: All employees at a tertiary cancer center were invited to participate in a cross-sectional survey administered online during July and August 2015. The survey included questions about HPV vaccination of participants and their children, including reasons why vaccine-eligible employees and children had not been vaccinated. Results: Of those eligible, 13% of male and 33% of female employees and 44% of daughters and 24% of sons of employees had completed the vaccine series. The main reasons for not completing the series or not having one’s son completing the series were not knowing that the vaccine was needed and vaccine not recommended by a health care provider. The main reasons for not having one’s daughter complete the series were the two aforementioned reasons and daughter not yet sexually active. Conclusion: Opportunities exist to educate health care workers about the benefits of the HPV vaccine and to increase the number of providers who recommend HPV vaccination to their patients

Constant amplitude and post-overload fatigue crack growth behavior in PM aluminum alloy AA 8009

A recently developed, rapidly solidified, powder metallurgy, dispersion strengthened aluminum alloy, AA 8009, was fatigue tested at room temperature in lab air. Constant amplitude/constant delta kappa and single spike overload conditions were examined. High fatigue crack growth rates and low crack closure levels compared to typical ingot metallurgy aluminum alloys were observed. It was proposed that minimal crack roughness, crack path deflection, and limited slip reversibility, resulting from ultra-fine microstructure, were responsible for the relatively poor da/dN-delta kappa performance of AA 8009 as compared to that of typical IM aluminum alloys

In vivo Spectroscopic and Imaging Studies of Photosensitizer in Photodynamic Therapy

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) has emerged as a useful cancer treatment modality which utilizes a tumor localizing dye and activating light to selectively destroy neoplastic tissue. In an effort to understand the newly synthesized photosensitizers, we are studying them in a mouse tumor model grown on the dorsal side of the foot by in vivo magnetic resonance techniques. We have synthesized several photosensitizers which are specifically labeled with fluorine. Several coils appropriate for the tumor study by 19F NMR were designed and constructed for this project. The solenoid coil tunable to both 1Hand 19F nuclei was used to monitor the 19F labeled photosensitizer in the mouse foot tumor. An in vivo 19F NMR technique was used to study the retention of the photosensitizer over time in the tumor. We have used 31P NMR to study the outcome of PDT after using the new photosensitizer

From Earth to Orbit: An assessment of transportation options

The report assesses the requirements, benefits, technological feasibility, and roles of Earth-to-Orbit transportation systems and options that could be developed in support of future national space programs. Transportation requirements, including those for Mission-to-Planet Earth, Space Station Freedom assembly and operation, human exploration of space, space science missions, and other major civil space missions are examined. These requirements are compared with existing, planned, and potential launch capabilities, including expendable launch vehicles (ELV's), the Space Shuttle, the National Launch System (NLS), and new launch options. In addition, the report examines propulsion systems in the context of various launch vehicles. These include the Advanced Solid Rocket Motor (ASRM), the Redesigned Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM), the Solid Rocket Motor Upgrade (SRMU), the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME), the Space Transportation Main Engine (STME), existing expendable launch vehicle engines, and liquid-oxygen/hydrocarbon engines. Consideration is given to systems that have been proposed to accomplish the national interests in relatively cost effective ways, with the recognition that safety and reliability contribute to cost-effectiveness. Related resources, including technology, propulsion test facilities, and manufacturing capabilities are also discussed

Inclusive jet cross section in pˉp{\bar p p} collisions at s=1.8\sqrt{s}=1.8 TeV

The inclusive jet differential cross section has been measured for jet transverse energies, $E_T$, from 15 to 440 GeV, in the pseudorapidity region 0.1$\leq | \eta| \leq$0.7. The results are based on 19.5 pb$^{-1}$ of data collected by the CDF collaboration at the Fermilab Tevatron collider. The data are compared with QCD predictions for various sets of parton distribution functions. The cross section for jets with $E_T>200$ GeV is significantly higher than current predictions based on O($\alpha_s^3$) perturbative QCD calculations. Various possible explanations for the high-$E_T$ excess are discussed.Comment: 8 pages with 2 eps uu-encoded figures Submitted to Physical Review Letter

A versatile gene trap to visualize and interrogate the function of the vertebrate proteome

We report a multifunctional gene-trapping approach, which generates full-length Citrine fusions with endogenous proteins and conditional mutants from a single integration event of the FlipTrap vector. We identified 170 FlipTrap zebrafish lines with diverse tissue-specific expression patterns and distinct subcellular localizations of fusion proteins generated by the integration of an internal citrine exon. Cre-mediated conditional mutagenesis is enabled by heterotypic lox sites that delete Citrine and “flip” in its place mCherry with a polyadenylation signal, resulting in a truncated fusion protein. Inducing recombination with Cerulean-Cre results in fusion proteins that often mislocalize, exhibit mutant phenotypes, and dramatically knock down wild-type transcript levels. FRT sites in the vector enable targeted genetic manipulation of the trapped loci in the presence of Flp recombinase. Thus, the FlipTrap captures the functional proteome, enabling the visualization of full-length fluorescent fusion proteins and interrogation of function by conditional mutagenesis and targeted genetic manipulation