Global Precipitation Measurement Mission: Architecture and Mission Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bundas, David

2005-01-01

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission is a collaboration between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and other partners, with the goal of monitoring the diurnal and seasonal variations in precipitation over the surface of the earth. These measurements will be used to improve current climate models and weather forecasting, and enable improved storm and flood warnings. This paper gives an overview of the mission architecture and addresses some of the key trades that have been completed, including the selection of the Core Observatory s orbit, orbit maintenance trades, and design issues related to meeting orbital debris requirements.

Understanding synergy.

PubMed

Geary, Nori

2013-02-01

Analysis of the interactive effects of combinations of hormones or other manipulations with qualitatively similar individual effects is an important topic in basic and clinical endocrinology as well as other branches of basic and clinical research related to integrative physiology. Functional, as opposed to mechanistic, analyses of interactions rely on the concept of synergy, which can be defined qualitatively as a cooperative action or quantitatively as a supra-additive effect according to some metric for the addition of different dose-effect curves. Unfortunately, dose-effect curve addition is far from straightforward; rather, it requires the development of an axiomatic mathematical theory. I review the mathematical soundness, face validity, and utility of the most frequently used approaches to supra-additive synergy. These criteria highlight serious problems in the two most common synergy approaches, response additivity and Loewe additivity, which is the basis of the isobole and related response surface approaches. I conclude that there is no adequate, generally applicable, supra-additive synergy metric appropriate for endocrinology or any other field of basic and clinical integrative physiology. I recommend that these metrics be abandoned in favor of the simpler definition of synergy as a cooperative, i.e., nonantagonistic, effect. This simple definition avoids mathematical difficulties, is easily applicable, meets regulatory requirements for combination therapy development, and suffices to advance phenomenological basic research to mechanistic studies of interactions and clinical combination therapy research.

Scientific Synergy between LSST and Euclid

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rhodes, Jason; Nichol, Robert C.; Aubourg, Éric

We report that Euclid and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) are poised to dramatically change the astronomy landscape early in the next decade. The combination of high-cadence, deep, wide-field optical photometry from LSST with high-resolution, wide-field optical photometry, and near-infrared photometry and spectroscopy from Euclid will be powerful for addressing a wide range of astrophysical questions. We explore Euclid/LSST synergy, ignoring the political issues associated with data access to focus on the scientific, technical, and financial benefits of coordination. We focus primarily on dark energy cosmology, but also discuss galaxy evolution, transient objects, solar system science, and galaxy clustermore » studies. We concentrate on synergies that require coordination in cadence or survey overlap, or would benefit from pixel-level co-processing that is beyond the scope of what is currently planned, rather than scientific programs that could be accomplished only at the catalog level without coordination in data processing or survey strategies. Also, we provide two quantitative examples of scientific synergies: the decrease in photo-z errors (benefiting many science cases) when high-resolution Euclid data are used for LSST photo-z determination, and the resulting increase in weak-lensing signal-to-noise ratio from smaller photo-z errors. We briefly discuss other areas of coordination, including high-performance computing resources and calibration data. Finally, we address concerns about the loss of independence and potential cross-checks between the two missions and the potential consequences of not collaborating.« less

Scientific Synergy between LSST and Euclid

DOE PAGES

Rhodes, Jason; Nichol, Robert C.; Aubourg, Éric; ...

2017-12-07

We report that Euclid and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) are poised to dramatically change the astronomy landscape early in the next decade. The combination of high-cadence, deep, wide-field optical photometry from LSST with high-resolution, wide-field optical photometry, and near-infrared photometry and spectroscopy from Euclid will be powerful for addressing a wide range of astrophysical questions. We explore Euclid/LSST synergy, ignoring the political issues associated with data access to focus on the scientific, technical, and financial benefits of coordination. We focus primarily on dark energy cosmology, but also discuss galaxy evolution, transient objects, solar system science, and galaxy clustermore » studies. We concentrate on synergies that require coordination in cadence or survey overlap, or would benefit from pixel-level co-processing that is beyond the scope of what is currently planned, rather than scientific programs that could be accomplished only at the catalog level without coordination in data processing or survey strategies. Also, we provide two quantitative examples of scientific synergies: the decrease in photo-z errors (benefiting many science cases) when high-resolution Euclid data are used for LSST photo-z determination, and the resulting increase in weak-lensing signal-to-noise ratio from smaller photo-z errors. We briefly discuss other areas of coordination, including high-performance computing resources and calibration data. Finally, we address concerns about the loss of independence and potential cross-checks between the two missions and the potential consequences of not collaborating.« less

Hand Grasping Synergies As Biometrics.

PubMed

Patel, Vrajeshri; Thukral, Poojita; Burns, Martin K; Florescu, Ionut; Chandramouli, Rajarathnam; Vinjamuri, Ramana

2017-01-01

Recently, the need for more secure identity verification systems has driven researchers to explore other sources of biometrics. This includes iris patterns, palm print, hand geometry, facial recognition, and movement patterns (hand motion, gait, and eye movements). Identity verification systems may benefit from the complexity of human movement that integrates multiple levels of control (neural, muscular, and kinematic). Using principal component analysis, we extracted spatiotemporal hand synergies (movement synergies) from an object grasping dataset to explore their use as a potential biometric. These movement synergies are in the form of joint angular velocity profiles of 10 joints. We explored the effect of joint type, digit, number of objects, and grasp type. In its best configuration, movement synergies achieved an equal error rate of 8.19%. While movement synergies can be integrated into an identity verification system with motion capture ability, we also explored a camera-ready version of hand synergies-postural synergies. In this proof of concept system, postural synergies performed well, but only when specific postures were chosen. Based on these results, hand synergies show promise as a potential biometric that can be combined with other hand-based biometrics for improved security.

Feasibility of Synergy-Based Exoskeleton Robot Control in Hemiplegia.

PubMed

Hassan, Modar; Kadone, Hideki; Ueno, Tomoyuki; Hada, Yasushi; Sankai, Yoshiyuki; Suzuki, Kenji

2018-06-01

Here, we present a study on exoskeleton robot control based on inter-limb locomotor synergies using a robot control method developed to target hemiparesis. The robot control is based on inter-limb locomotor synergies and kinesiological information from the non-paretic leg and a walking aid cane to generate motion patterns for the assisted leg. The developed synergy-based system was tested against an autonomous robot control system in five patients with hemiparesis and varying locomotor abilities. Three of the participants were able to walk using the robot. Results from these participants showed an improved spatial symmetry ratio and more consistent step length with the synergy-based method compared with that for the autonomous method, while the increase in the range of motion for the assisted joints was larger with the autonomous system. The kinematic synergy distribution of the participants walking without the robot suggests a relationship between each participant's synergy distribution and his/her ability to control the robot: participants with two independent synergies accounting for approximately 80% of the data variability were able to walk with the robot. This observation was not consistently apparent with conventional clinical measures such as the Brunnstrom stages. This paper contributes to the field of robot-assisted locomotion therapy by introducing the concept of inter-limb synergies, demonstrating performance differences between synergy-based and autonomous robot control, and investigating the range of disability in which the system is usable.

Forest Biomass Mapping From Lidar and Radar Synergies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sun, Guoqing; Ranson, K. Jon; Guo, Z.; Zhang, Z.; Montesano, P.; Kimes, D.

2011-01-01

The use of lidar and radar instruments to measure forest structure attributes such as height and biomass at global scales is being considered for a future Earth Observation satellite mission, DESDynI (Deformation, Ecosystem Structure, and Dynamics of Ice). Large footprint lidar makes a direct measurement of the heights of scatterers in the illuminated footprint and can yield accurate information about the vertical profile of the canopy within lidar footprint samples. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is known to sense the canopy volume, especially at longer wavelengths and provides image data. Methods for biomass mapping by a combination of lidar sampling and radar mapping need to be developed. In this study, several issues in this respect were investigated using aircraft borne lidar and SAR data in Howland, Maine, USA. The stepwise regression selected the height indices rh50 and rh75 of the Laser Vegetation Imaging Sensor (LVIS) data for predicting field measured biomass with a R(exp 2) of 0.71 and RMSE of 31.33 Mg/ha. The above-ground biomass map generated from this regression model was considered to represent the true biomass of the area and used as a reference map since no better biomass map exists for the area. Random samples were taken from the biomass map and the correlation between the sampled biomass and co-located SAR signature was studied. The best models were used to extend the biomass from lidar samples into all forested areas in the study area, which mimics a procedure that could be used for the future DESDYnI Mission. It was found that depending on the data types used (quad-pol or dual-pol) the SAR data can predict the lidar biomass samples with R2 of 0.63-0.71, RMSE of 32.0-28.2 Mg/ha up to biomass levels of 200-250 Mg/ha. The mean biomass of the study area calculated from the biomass maps generated by lidar- SAR synergy 63 was within 10% of the reference biomass map derived from LVIS data. The results from this study are preliminary, but do show the

Electromechanical Power for NASA Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manzo, Michelle A.

2005-01-01

NASA has a wide range of missions that require electrochemical power sources. These needs are met with a variety of options that include primary and secondary cells and batteries, fuel cells, and regenerative fuel cells. This presentation wil cover an overview of NASA missions and requirements for electrochemical power sources and investigate the synergy and diversity that exist between NASA's requirements and those for military tactical power sources. Current development programs at GRC and other NASA centers, aimed at meeting NASA's future requirements will also be discussed.

Hand Grasping Synergies As Biometrics

PubMed Central

Patel, Vrajeshri; Thukral, Poojita; Burns, Martin K.; Florescu, Ionut; Chandramouli, Rajarathnam; Vinjamuri, Ramana

2017-01-01

Recently, the need for more secure identity verification systems has driven researchers to explore other sources of biometrics. This includes iris patterns, palm print, hand geometry, facial recognition, and movement patterns (hand motion, gait, and eye movements). Identity verification systems may benefit from the complexity of human movement that integrates multiple levels of control (neural, muscular, and kinematic). Using principal component analysis, we extracted spatiotemporal hand synergies (movement synergies) from an object grasping dataset to explore their use as a potential biometric. These movement synergies are in the form of joint angular velocity profiles of 10 joints. We explored the effect of joint type, digit, number of objects, and grasp type. In its best configuration, movement synergies achieved an equal error rate of 8.19%. While movement synergies can be integrated into an identity verification system with motion capture ability, we also explored a camera-ready version of hand synergies—postural synergies. In this proof of concept system, postural synergies performed well, but only when specific postures were chosen. Based on these results, hand synergies show promise as a potential biometric that can be combined with other hand-based biometrics for improved security. PMID:28512630

The Lunar Prospector Discovery Mission: mission and measurement description.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubbard, G. S.; Binder, A. B.; Feldman, W.

1998-06-01

Lunar Prospector, the first competitively selected planetary mission in NASA's Discovery Program, is described with emphasis on the radiation spectrometer instrumentation and anticipated scientific data return. Scheduled to be launched in January 1998, the mission will conduct a one year orbital survey of the Moon's composition and structure. The suite of five instruments are outlined: neutron spectrometer, alpha particle spectrometer, gamma-ray spectrometer, electron reflectometer and magnetometer. Scientific requirements and measurement approach to detect water/ice to a sensitivity of 50 ppm (hydrogen), measure key elemental constituents, detect radioactive gas release events and accurately map the Moon's gravitational and magnetic fields are given. A brief overview of the programmatic accomplishments in meeting a tightly constrained schedule and budget is also provided.

The Lunar Prospector discovery mission: mission and measurement description.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubbard, G. S.; Binder, A. B.; Feldman, W.

Lunar Prospector, the first competitively selected planetary mission in NASA's discovery program, is described with emphasis on the radiation spectrometer instrumentation and anticipated scientific data return. Scheduled to be launched in January 1998, the mission will conduct a one year orbital survey of the moon's composition and structure. The suite of five instruments will be outlined: neutron spectrometer, alpha particle spectrometer, gamma-ray spectrometer, electron reflectometer and magnetometer. Scientific requirements and measurement approach to detect water ice to a sensitivity of 50 ppm (hydrogen), measure key elemental constituents, detect radioactive gas release events and accurately map the moon's gravitational and magnetic fields are given. A brief overview of the programmatic accomplishments in meeting a tightly constrained schedule and budget is also provided.

Power Systems for Human Exploration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cataldo, Robert L.

1998-01-01

Power system options were reviewed for their appropriateness to meet mission requirements and guidelines. Contending system technologies include: solar, nuclear, isotopic, electro-chemical and chemical. Mission elements can basically be placed into two categories; in-space transportation systems, both cargo and piloted; and surface systems, both stationary and mobile. All transportation and surface element power system requirements were assessed for application synergies that would suggest common hardware (duplicates of the same or similar design) or multi-use (reuse system in a different application/location), wherever prudent.

Evidence for sparse synergies in grasping actions.

PubMed

Prevete, Roberto; Donnarumma, Francesco; d'Avella, Andrea; Pezzulo, Giovanni

2018-01-12

Converging evidence shows that hand-actions are controlled at the level of synergies and not single muscles. One intriguing aspect of synergy-based action-representation is that it may be intrinsically sparse and the same synergies can be shared across several distinct types of hand-actions. Here, adopting a normative angle, we consider three hypotheses for hand-action optimal-control: sparse-combination hypothesis (SC) - sparsity in the mapping between synergies and actions - i.e., actions implemented using a sparse combination of synergies; sparse-elements hypothesis (SE) - sparsity in synergy representation - i.e., the mapping between degrees-of-freedom (DoF) and synergies is sparse; double-sparsity hypothesis (DS) - a novel view combining both SC and SE - i.e., both the mapping between DoF and synergies and between synergies and actions are sparse, each action implementing a sparse combination of synergies (as in SC), each using a limited set of DoFs (as in SE). We evaluate these hypotheses using hand kinematic data from six human subjects performing nine different types of reach-to-grasp actions. Our results support DS, suggesting that the best action representation is based on a relatively large set of synergies, each involving a reduced number of degrees-of-freedom, and that distinct sets of synergies may be involved in distinct tasks.

Effective force control by muscle synergies

PubMed Central

Berger, Denise J.; d'Avella, Andrea

2014-01-01

Muscle synergies have been proposed as a way for the central nervous system (CNS) to simplify the generation of motor commands and they have been shown to explain a large fraction of the variation in the muscle patterns across a variety of conditions. However, whether human subjects are able to control forces and movements effectively with a small set of synergies has not been tested directly. Here we show that muscle synergies can be used to generate target forces in multiple directions with the same accuracy achieved using individual muscles. We recorded electromyographic (EMG) activity from 13 arm muscles and isometric hand forces during a force reaching task in a virtual environment. From these data we estimated the force associated to each muscle by linear regression and we identified muscle synergies by non-negative matrix factorization. We compared trajectories of a virtual mass displaced by the force estimated using the entire set of recorded EMGs to trajectories obtained using 4–5 muscle synergies. While trajectories were similar, when feedback was provided according to force estimated from recorded EMGs (EMG-control) on average trajectories generated with the synergies were less accurate. However, when feedback was provided according to recorded force (force-control) we did not find significant differences in initial angle error and endpoint error. We then tested whether synergies could be used as effectively as individual muscles to control cursor movement in the force reaching task by providing feedback according to force estimated from the projection of the recorded EMGs into synergy space (synergy-control). Human subjects were able to perform the task immediately after switching from force-control to EMG-control and synergy-control and we found no differences between initial movement direction errors and endpoint errors in all control modes. These results indicate that muscle synergies provide an effective strategy for motor coordination. PMID

Effective force control by muscle synergies.

PubMed

Berger, Denise J; d'Avella, Andrea

2014-01-01

Muscle synergies have been proposed as a way for the central nervous system (CNS) to simplify the generation of motor commands and they have been shown to explain a large fraction of the variation in the muscle patterns across a variety of conditions. However, whether human subjects are able to control forces and movements effectively with a small set of synergies has not been tested directly. Here we show that muscle synergies can be used to generate target forces in multiple directions with the same accuracy achieved using individual muscles. We recorded electromyographic (EMG) activity from 13 arm muscles and isometric hand forces during a force reaching task in a virtual environment. From these data we estimated the force associated to each muscle by linear regression and we identified muscle synergies by non-negative matrix factorization. We compared trajectories of a virtual mass displaced by the force estimated using the entire set of recorded EMGs to trajectories obtained using 4-5 muscle synergies. While trajectories were similar, when feedback was provided according to force estimated from recorded EMGs (EMG-control) on average trajectories generated with the synergies were less accurate. However, when feedback was provided according to recorded force (force-control) we did not find significant differences in initial angle error and endpoint error. We then tested whether synergies could be used as effectively as individual muscles to control cursor movement in the force reaching task by providing feedback according to force estimated from the projection of the recorded EMGs into synergy space (synergy-control). Human subjects were able to perform the task immediately after switching from force-control to EMG-control and synergy-control and we found no differences between initial movement direction errors and endpoint errors in all control modes. These results indicate that muscle synergies provide an effective strategy for motor coordination.

Synergy of debris mitigation and removal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, Hugh G.; White, Adam E.; Crowther, Richard; Stokes, Hedley

2012-12-01

Since the end of the 20th Century there has been considerable effort made to devise mitigation measures to limit the growth of the debris population. This activity has led to the implementation of a "25-year rule" by a number of space-faring nations for the post-mission disposal of spacecraft and orbital stages intersecting the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) region. Through the use of projections made by computer models, it was anticipated that this 25-year rule, together with passivation and suppression of mission-related debris, would be sufficient to prevent the unconstrained growth of the LEO debris population. In the last decade both the LEO debris environment and the debris modelling capability have seen significant changes. In particular, recent population growth has been driven by a number of major break-ups, including the intentional destruction of the Fengyun-1C spacecraft and the collision between Iridium 33 and Cosmos 2251. State-of-the-art evolutionary models indicate that the LEO debris population will continue to grow in spite of good compliance with the commonly adopted mitigation measures and even in the absence of new launches. Consequently, this has led to considerable interest in the development of remediation measures and, especially, in debris removal. In this paper, we present a new and large study of debris mitigation and removal using the University of Southampton's evolutionary model, DAMAGE, together with the latest MASTER model population of objects ≥10 cm in LEO. Here, we have employed a concurrent approach to mitigation and remediation, whereby changes to the PMD rule and the inclusion of other mitigation measures have been considered together with multiple removal strategies. In this way, we have been able to demonstrate the synergy of these mitigation and remediation measures and to identify potential, aggregate solutions to the space debris problem. The results suggest that reducing the PMD rule offers benefits that include an increase in

Muscle synergies and complexity of neuromuscular control during gait in cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Steele, Katherine M; Rozumalski, Adam; Schwartz, Michael H

2015-12-01

Individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) have impaired movement due to a brain injury near birth. Understanding how neuromuscular control is altered in CP can provide insight into pathological movement. We sought to determine if individuals with CP demonstrate reduced complexity of neuromuscular control during gait compared with unimpaired individuals and if changes in control are related to functional ability. Muscle synergies during gait were retrospectively analyzed for 633 individuals (age range 3.9-70y): 549 with CP (hemiplegia, n=122; diplegia, n=266; triplegia, n=73; quadriplegia, n=88) and 84 unimpaired individuals. Synergies were calculated using non-negative matrix factorization from surface electromyography collected during previous clinical gait analyses. Synergy complexity during gait was compared with diagnosis subtype, functional ability, and clinical examination measures. Fewer synergies were required to describe muscle activity during gait in individuals with CP compared with unimpaired individuals. Changes in synergies were related to functional impairment and clinical examination measures including selective motor control, strength, and spasticity. Individuals with CP use a simplified control strategy during gait compared with unimpaired individuals. These results were similar to synergies during walking among adult stroke survivors, suggesting similar neuromuscular control strategies between these clinical populations. © 2015 Mac Keith Press.

Synergies Between Asteroseismology and Exoplanetary Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huber, Daniel

Over the past decade asteroseismology has become a powerful method to systematically characterize host stars and dynamical architectures of exoplanet systems. In this contribution I review current key synergies between asteroseismology and exoplanetary science such as the precise determination of planet radii and ages, the measurement of orbital eccentricities, stellar obliquities and their impact on hot Jupiter formation theories, and the importance of asteroseismology on spectroscopic analyses of exoplanet hosts. I also give an outlook on future synergies such as the characterization of sub-Neptune-size planets orbiting solar-type stars, the study of planet populations orbiting evolved stars, and the determination of ages of intermediate-mass stars hosting directly imaged planets.

Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) Operation Summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nio, Tomomi; Saito, Susumu; Stocker, Erich; Pawloski, James H.; Murayama, Yoshifumi; Ohata, Takeshi

2015-01-01

The Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) is a joint U.S. and Japan mission to observe tropical rainfall, which was launched by H-II No. 6 from Tanegashima in Japan at 6:27 JST on November 28, 1997. After the two-month commissioning of TRMM satellite and instruments, the original nominal mission lifetime was three years. In fact, the operations has continued for approximately 17.5 years. This paper provides a summary of the long term operations of TRMM.

Motor Synergies and the Equilibrium-Point Hypothesis

PubMed Central

Latash, Mark L.

2010-01-01

The article offers a way to unite three recent developments in the field of motor control and coordination: (1) The notion of synergies is introduced based on the principle of motor abundance; (2) The uncontrolled manifold hypothesis is described as offering a computational framework to identify and quantify synergies; and (3) The equilibrium-point hypothesis is described for a single muscle, single joint, and multi-joint systems. Merging these concepts into a single coherent scheme requires focusing on control variables rather than performance variables. The principle of minimal final action is formulated as the guiding principle within the referent configuration hypothesis. Motor actions are associated with setting two types of variables by a controller, those that ultimately define average performance patterns and those that define associated synergies. Predictions of the suggested scheme are reviewed, such as the phenomenon of anticipatory synergy adjustments, quick actions without changes in synergies, atypical synergies, and changes in synergies with practice. A few models are briefly reviewed. PMID:20702893

Motor synergies and the equilibrium-point hypothesis.

PubMed

Latash, Mark L

2010-07-01

The article offers a way to unite three recent developments in the field of motor control and coordination: (1) The notion of synergies is introduced based on the principle of motor abundance; (2) The uncontrolled manifold hypothesis is described as offering a computational framework to identify and quantify synergies; and (3) The equilibrium-point hypothesis is described for a single muscle, single joint, and multijoint systems. Merging these concepts into a single coherent scheme requires focusing on control variables rather than performance variables. The principle of minimal final action is formulated as the guiding principle within the referent configuration hypothesis. Motor actions are associated with setting two types of variables by a controller, those that ultimately define average performance patterns and those that define associated synergies. Predictions of the suggested scheme are reviewed, such as the phenomenon of anticipatory synergy adjustments, quick actions without changes in synergies, atypical synergies, and changes in synergies with practice. A few models are briefly reviewed.

Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission Development Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Azarbarzin, Ardeshir Art

2011-01-01

Mission Objective: (1) Improve scientific understanding of the global water cycle and fresh water availability (2) Improve the accuracy of precipitation forecasts (3) Provide frequent and complete sampling of the Earth s precipitation Mission Description (Class B, Category I): (1) Constellation of spacecraft provide global precipitation measurement coverage (2) NASA/JAXA Core spacecraft: Provides a microwave radiometer (GMI) and dual-frequency precipitation radar (DPR) to cross-calibrate entire constellation (3) 65 deg inclination, 400 km altitude (4) Launch July 2013 on HII-A (5) 3 year mission (5 year propellant) (6) Partner constellation spacecraft.

Dietary antioxidant synergy in chemical and biological systems.

PubMed

Wang, Sunan; Zhu, Fan

2017-07-24

Antioxidant (AOX) synergies have been much reported in chemical ("test-tube" based assays focusing on pure chemicals), biological (tissue culture, animal and clinical models), and food systems during the past decade. Tentative synergies differ from each other due to the composition of AOX and the quantification methods. Regeneration mechanism responsible for synergy in chemical systems has been discussed. Solvent effects could contribute to the artifacts of synergy observed in the chemical models. Synergy in chemical models may hardly be relevant to biological systems that have been much less studied. Apparent discrepancies exist in understanding the molecular mechanisms in both chemical and biological systems. This review discusses diverse variables associated with AOX synergy and molecular scenarios for explanation. Future research to better utilize the synergy is suggested.

SPICE for ESA Planetary Missions: geometry and visualization support to studies, operations and data analysis within your reach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costa, Marc

2018-05-01

JUICE is a mission chosen in the framework of the Cosmic Vision 2015-2024 program of the SRE. JUICE will survey the Jovian system with a special focus on the three Galilean Moons. Currently the mission is under study activities during its Definition Phase. For this period the future mission scenarios are being studied by the Science Working Team (SWT). The Mission Analysis and Payload Support (MAPPS) and the Solar System Science Operations Laboratory (SOLab) tools are being used to provide active support to the SWT in synergy with other operational tools used in the Department in order to evaluate the feasibility of those scenarios. This contribution will outline the capabilities, synergies as well as use cases of the mentioned tools focusing on the support provided to JUICEís study phase on the study of its critical operational scenarios and the early developments of its Science Ground Segment demonstrating the added value that such a tool provides to planetary science missions.

Understanding Human Motion Skill with Peak Timing Synergy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ueno, Ken; Furukawa, Koichi

The careful observation of motion phenomena is important in understanding the skillful human motion. However, this is a difficult task due to the complexities in timing when dealing with the skilful control of anatomical structures. To investigate the dexterity of human motion, we decided to concentrate on timing with respect to motion, and we have proposed a method to extract the peak timing synergy from multivariate motion data. The peak timing synergy is defined as a frequent ordered graph with time stamps, which has nodes consisting of turning points in motion waveforms. A proposed algorithm, PRESTO automatically extracts the peak timing synergy. PRESTO comprises the following 3 processes: (1) detecting peak sequences with polygonal approximation; (2) generating peak-event sequences; and (3) finding frequent peak-event sequences using a sequential pattern mining method, generalized sequential patterns (GSP). Here, we measured right arm motion during the task of cello bowing and prepared a data set of the right shoulder and arm motion. We successfully extracted the peak timing synergy on cello bowing data set using the PRESTO algorithm, which consisted of common skills among cellists and personal skill differences. To evaluate the sequential pattern mining algorithm GSP in PRESTO, we compared the peak timing synergy by using GSP algorithm and the one by using filtering by reciprocal voting (FRV) algorithm as a non time-series method. We found that the support is 95 - 100% in GSP, while 83 - 96% in FRV and that the results by GSP are better than the one by FRV in the reproducibility of human motion. Therefore we show that sequential pattern mining approach is more effective to extract the peak timing synergy than non-time series analysis approach.

TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission): A satellite mission to measure tropical rainfall

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simpson, Joanne (Editor)

1988-01-01

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) is presented. TRMM is a satellite program being studied jointly by the United States and Japan which would carry out the systematic study of tropical rainfall required for major strides in weather and climate research. The scientific justification for TRMM is discussed. The implementation process for the scientific community, NASA management, and the other decision-makers and advisory personnel who are expected to evaluate the priority of the project is outlined.

Sensory synergy as environmental input integration

PubMed Central

Alnajjar, Fady; Itkonen, Matti; Berenz, Vincent; Tournier, Maxime; Nagai, Chikara; Shimoda, Shingo

2015-01-01

The development of a method to feed proper environmental inputs back to the central nervous system (CNS) remains one of the challenges in achieving natural movement when part of the body is replaced with an artificial device. Muscle synergies are widely accepted as a biologically plausible interpretation of the neural dynamics between the CNS and the muscular system. Yet the sensorineural dynamics of environmental feedback to the CNS has not been investigated in detail. In this study, we address this issue by exploring the concept of sensory synergy. In contrast to muscle synergy, we hypothesize that sensory synergy plays an essential role in integrating the overall environmental inputs to provide low-dimensional information to the CNS. We assume that sensor synergy and muscle synergy communicate using these low-dimensional signals. To examine our hypothesis, we conducted posture control experiments involving lateral disturbance with nine healthy participants. Proprioceptive information represented by the changes on muscle lengths were estimated by using the musculoskeletal model analysis software SIMM. Changes on muscles lengths were then used to compute sensory synergies. The experimental results indicate that the environmental inputs were translated into the two dimensional signals and used to move the upper limb to the desired position immediately after the lateral disturbance. Participants who showed high skill in posture control were found to be likely to have a strong correlation between sensory and muscle signaling as well as high coordination between the utilized sensory synergies. These results suggest the importance of integrating environmental inputs into suitable low-dimensional signals before providing them to the CNS. This mechanism should be essential when designing the prosthesis' sensory system to make the controller simpler. PMID:25628523

The NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Mission - Algorithm and Cal/Val Activities and Synergies with SMOS and Other L-Band Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Njoku, Eni; Entekhabi, Dara; O'Neill, Peggy; Jackson, Tom; Kellogg, Kent; Entin, Jared

2011-01-01

NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission, planned for launch in late 2014, has as its key measurement objective the frequent, global mapping of near-surface soil moisture and its freeze-thaw state. SMAP soil moisture and freeze/thaw measurements at 10 km and 3 km resolutions respectively, would enable significantly improved estimates of water, energy and carbon transfers between the land and atmosphere. Soil moisture control of these fluxes is a key factor in the performance of atmospheric models used for weather forecasts and climate projections Soil moisture measurements are also of great importance in assessing floods and for monitoring drought. In addition, observations of soil moisture and freeze/thaw timing over the boreal latitudes can help reduce uncertainties in quantifying the global carbon balance. The SMAP measurement concept utilizes an L-band radar and radiometer sharing a rotating 6-meter mesh reflector antenna. The SMAP radiometer and radar flight hardware and ground processing designs are incorporating approaches to identify and mitigate potential terrestrial radio frequency interference (RFI). The radar and radiometer instruments are planned to operate in a 680 km polar orbit, viewing the surface at a constant 40-degree incidence angle with a 1000-km swath width, providing 3-day global coverage. Data from the instruments would yield global maps of soil moisture and freeze/thaw state to be provided at 10 km and 3 km resolutions respectively, every two to three days. Plans are to provide also a radiometer-only soil moisture product at 40-km spatial resolution. This product and the underlying brightness temperatures have characteristics similar to those provided by the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission. As a result, there are unique opportunities for common data product development and continuity between the two missions. SMAP also has commonalities with other satellite missions having L-band radiometer and/or radar sensors

Representation of Muscle Synergies in the Primate Brain.

PubMed

Overduin, Simon A; d'Avella, Andrea; Roh, Jinsook; Carmena, Jose M; Bizzi, Emilio

2015-09-16

Evidence suggests that the CNS uses motor primitives to simplify movement control, but whether it actually stores primitives instead of computing solutions on the fly to satisfy task demands is a controversial and still-unanswered possibility. Also in contention is whether these primitives take the form of time-invariant muscle coactivations ("spatial" synergies) or time-varying muscle commands ("spatiotemporal" synergies). Here, we examined forelimb muscle patterns and motor cortical spiking data in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) handling objects of variable shape and size. From these data, we extracted both spatiotemporal and spatial synergies using non-negative decomposition. Each spatiotemporal synergy represents a sequence of muscular or neural activations that appeared to recur frequently during the animals' behavior. Key features of the spatiotemporal synergies (including their dimensionality, timing, and amplitude modulation) were independently observed in the muscular and neural data. In addition, both at the muscular and neural levels, these spatiotemporal synergies could be readily reconstructed as sequential activations of spatial synergies (a subset of those extracted independently from the task data), suggestive of a hierarchical relationship between the two levels of synergies. The possibility that motor cortex may execute even complex skill using spatiotemporal synergies has novel implications for the design of neuroprosthetic devices, which could gain computational efficiency by adopting the discrete and low-dimensional control that these primitives imply. We studied the motor cortical and forearm muscular activity of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) as they reached, grasped, and carried objects of varied shape and size. We applied non-negative matrix factorization separately to the cortical and muscular data to reduce their dimensionality to a smaller set of time-varying "spatiotemporal" synergies. Each synergy represents a sequence of cortical

Action Direction of Muscle Synergies in Three-Dimensional Force Space

PubMed Central

Hagio, Shota; Kouzaki, Motoki

2015-01-01

Redundancy in the musculoskeletal system was supposed to be simplified by muscle synergies, which modularly organize muscles. To clarify the underlying mechanisms of motor control using muscle synergies, it is important to examine the spatiotemporal contribution of muscle synergies in the task space. In this study, we quantified the mechanical contribution of muscle synergies as considering spatiotemporal correlation between the activation of muscle synergies and endpoint force fluctuations. Subjects performed isometric force generation in the three-dimensional force space. The muscle-weighting vectors of muscle synergies and their activation traces across different trials were extracted from electromyogram data using decomposing technique. We then estimated mechanical contribution of muscle synergies across each trial based on cross-correlation analysis. The contributing vectors were averaged for all trials, and the averaging was defined as action direction (AD) of muscle synergies. As a result, we extracted approximately five muscle synergies. The ADs of muscle synergies mainly depended on the anatomical functions of their weighting muscles. Furthermore, the AD of each muscle indicated the synchronous activation of muscles, which composed of the same muscle synergy. These results provide the spatiotemporal characteristics of muscle synergies as neural basis. PMID:26618156

Action Direction of Muscle Synergies in Three-Dimensional Force Space.

PubMed

Hagio, Shota; Kouzaki, Motoki

2015-01-01

Redundancy in the musculoskeletal system was supposed to be simplified by muscle synergies, which modularly organize muscles. To clarify the underlying mechanisms of motor control using muscle synergies, it is important to examine the spatiotemporal contribution of muscle synergies in the task space. In this study, we quantified the mechanical contribution of muscle synergies as considering spatiotemporal correlation between the activation of muscle synergies and endpoint force fluctuations. Subjects performed isometric force generation in the three-dimensional force space. The muscle-weighting vectors of muscle synergies and their activation traces across different trials were extracted from electromyogram data using decomposing technique. We then estimated mechanical contribution of muscle synergies across each trial based on cross-correlation analysis. The contributing vectors were averaged for all trials, and the averaging was defined as action direction (AD) of muscle synergies. As a result, we extracted approximately five muscle synergies. The ADs of muscle synergies mainly depended on the anatomical functions of their weighting muscles. Furthermore, the AD of each muscle indicated the synchronous activation of muscles, which composed of the same muscle synergy. These results provide the spatiotemporal characteristics of muscle synergies as neural basis.

Climate change mitigation and adaptation in the land use sector: from complementarity to synergy.

PubMed

Duguma, Lalisa A; Minang, Peter A; van Noordwijk, Meine

2014-09-01

Currently, mitigation and adaptation measures are handled separately, due to differences in priorities for the measures and segregated planning and implementation policies at international and national levels. There is a growing argument that synergistic approaches to adaptation and mitigation could bring substantial benefits at multiple scales in the land use sector. Nonetheless, efforts to implement synergies between adaptation and mitigation measures are rare due to the weak conceptual framing of the approach and constraining policy issues. In this paper, we explore the attributes of synergy and the necessary enabling conditions and discuss, as an example, experience with the Ngitili system in Tanzania that serves both adaptation and mitigation functions. An in-depth look into the current practices suggests that more emphasis is laid on complementarity-i.e., mitigation projects providing adaptation co-benefits and vice versa rather than on synergy. Unlike complementarity, synergy should emphasize functionally sustainable landscape systems in which adaptation and mitigation are optimized as part of multiple functions. We argue that the current practice of seeking co-benefits (complementarity) is a necessary but insufficient step toward addressing synergy. Moving forward from complementarity will require a paradigm shift from current compartmentalization between mitigation and adaptation to systems thinking at landscape scale. However, enabling policy, institutional, and investment conditions need to be developed at global, national, and local levels to achieve synergistic goals.

Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-02-27

A Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (HMI) H-IIA rocket with the NASA-Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory onboard is during roll out at the Tanegashima Space Center, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014, Tanegashima, Japan. Once launched, the GPM spacecraft will collect information that unifies data from an international network of existing and future satellites to map global rainfall and snowfall every three hours. Credit: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Building on the Cornerstone Mission: Focused LRO Workshops to Support Science Team Synergies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keller, J. W.; Petro, N. E.

2017-10-01

During the Cornerstone Mission, the LRO instrument teams have identified a number of key science themes that drive their observations during the extended mission. These themes serve as a basis for the identification of the thematic workshops.

Muscle synergy analysis in children with cerebral palsy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Lu; Li, Fei; Cao, Shuai; Zhang, Xu; Wu, De; Chen, Xiang

2015-08-01

Objective. To explore the mechanism of lower extremity dysfunction of cerebral palsy (CP) children through muscle synergy analysis. Approach. Twelve CP children were involved in this study, ten adults (AD) and eight typically developed (TD) children were recruited as a control group. Surface electromyographic (sEMG) signals were collected bilaterally from eight lower limb muscles of the subjects during forward walking at a comfortable speed. A nonnegative matrix factorization algorithm was used to extract muscle synergies. In view of muscle synergy differences in number, structure and symmetry, a model named synergy comprehensive assessment (SCA) was proposed to quantify the abnormality of muscle synergies. Main results. There existed larger variations between the muscle synergies of the CP group and the AD group in contrast with the TD group. Fewer mature synergies were recruited in the CP group, and many abnormal synergies specific to the CP group appeared. Specifically, CP children were found to recruit muscle synergies with a larger difference in structure and symmetry between two legs of one subject and different subjects. The proposed SCA scale demonstrated its great potential to quantitatively assess the lower-limb motor dysfunction of CP children. SCA scores of the CP group (57.00 ± 16.78) were found to be significantly less (p < 0.01) than that of the control group (AD group: 95.74 ± 2.04; TD group: 84.19 ± 11.76). Significance. The innovative quantitative results of this study can help us to better understand muscle synergy abnormality in CP children, which is related to their motor dysfunction and even the physiological change in their nervous system.

The Global Precipitation Measurement Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, Gail

2014-05-01

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission's Core satellite, scheduled for launch at the end of February 2014, is well designed estimate precipitation from 0.2 to 110 mm/hr and to detect falling snow. Knowing where and how much rain and snow falls globally is vital to understanding how weather and climate impact both our environment and Earth's water and energy cycles, including effects on agriculture, fresh water availability, and responses to natural disasters. The design of the GPM Core Observatory is an advancement of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM)'s highly successful rain-sensing package [3]. The cornerstone of the GPM mission is the deployment of a Core Observatory in a unique 65o non-Sun-synchronous orbit to serve as a physics observatory and a calibration reference to improve precipitation measurements by a constellation of 8 or more dedicated and operational, U.S. and international passive microwave sensors. The Core Observatory will carry a Ku/Ka-band Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) and a multi-channel (10-183 GHz) GPM Microwave Radiometer (GMI). The DPR will provide measurements of 3-D precipitation structures and microphysical properties, which are key to achieving a better understanding of precipitation processes and improving retrieval algorithms for passive microwave radiometers. The combined use of DPR and GMI measurements will place greater constraints on possible solutions to radiometer retrievals to improve the accuracy and consistency of precipitation retrievals from all constellation radiometers. Furthermore, since light rain and falling snow account for a significant fraction of precipitation occurrence in middle and high latitudes, the GPM instruments extend the capabilities of the TRMM sensors to detect falling snow, measure light rain, and provide, for the first time, quantitative estimates of microphysical properties of precipitation particles. The GPM Core Observatory was developed and tested at NASA

Does Synergy Exist in Nursing? A Concept Analysis.

PubMed

Witges, Kim A; Scanlan, Judith M

2015-01-01

The aim is to analyze the concept of synergy, particularly as the concept applies to teamwork, and determine if the concept has utility in improving the work environment for nurses. Tackling nursing shortages that result from a poor work environment is a priority for many nurse leaders. Producing synergy among teams may be an effective strategy in enhancing the work environment. However, the understanding of synergy and the ability to produce synergy among teams has been seldom highlighted or discussed within nursing literature. Walker and Avant's approach was used to guide this concept analysis of synergy. Literature searches involved databases (PsycInfo, Medline, Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Literature [CINAHL], and Scopus), Internet search engines (Google), and hand searches. The analysis suggests that synergy is an outcome of the successful collaboration of the following three attributes: group cohesion, the pursuit of a common goal, and the achievement of a positive gain, considerably more than what was thought possible by the group. The foundation for this accomplishment requires an underlying feeling of special importance, the acknowledgment of each member's role, and open communication and dialogue among members. Nursing leaders would benefit from a broader understanding of synergy, and the mindful application and utility of synergy as an outcome of effective teamwork among nurses. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Dopaminergic modulation of multi-muscle synergies in postural tasks performed by patients with Parkinson’s disease

PubMed Central

Falaki, Ali; Huang, Xuemei; Lewis, Mechelle M.; Latash, Mark L.

2017-01-01

Background Postural instability is one of most disabling motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease. Indices of multi-muscle synergies are new measurements of postural stability. Objectives We explored the effects of dopamine-replacement drugs on multi-muscle synergies stabilizing center of pressure coordinate and their adjustments prior to a self-triggered perturbation in patients with Parkinson’s disease. We hypothesized that both synergy indices and synergy adjustments would be improved on dopaminergic drugs. Methods Patients at Hoehn-Yahr stages II and III performed whole-body tasks both off- and on-drugs while standing. Muscle modes were identified as factors in the muscle activation space. Synergy indices stabilizing center of pressure in the anterior-posterior direction were quantified in the muscle mode space during a load-release task. Results Dopamine-replacement drugs led to more consistent organization of muscles in stable groups (muscle modes). On-drugs patients showed larger indices of synergies and anticipatory synergy adjustments. In contrast, no medication effects were seen on anticipatory postural adjustments or other performance indices. Conclusions Dopamine-replacement drugs lead to significant changes in characteristics of multi-muscle synergies in Parkinson’s disease. Studies of synergies may provide a biomarker sensitive to problems with postural stability and agility and to efficacy of dopamine-replacement therapy. PMID:28110044

Disease-management partnership functioning, synergy and effectiveness in delivering chronic-illness care.

PubMed

Cramm, Jane Murray; Nieboer, Anna Petra

2012-06-01

This study explored associations among disease-management partnership functioning, synergy and effectiveness in the delivery of chronic-illness care. This study had a cross-sectional design. The study sample consists of 218 professionals (out of 393) participating in 22 disease-management partnerships in various regions of the Netherlands. We assessed the relationships among partnership functioning, synergy and effectiveness in the delivery of chronic-illness care. Partnership functioning was assessed through leadership, resources, administration and efficiency. Synergy was considered the proximal outcome of partnership functioning, which, in turn, influenced the effectiveness of disease-management partnerships [measured with the Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (ACIC) survey instrument]. Overall ACIC scores ranged from 3 to 10, indicating basic/intermediate to optimal/comprehensive delivery of chronic-illness care. The results of the regression analysis demonstrate that partnership effectiveness was positively associated with leadership (β = 0.25; P≤ 0.01), and resources (β = 0.31; P≤ 0.001). No significant relationship was found between administration, efficiency and partnership effectiveness. Partnership synergy acted as a mediator for partnership functioning and was statistically significantly associated with partnership effectiveness (β = 0.25; P≤ 0.001). Disease-management partnerships seemed better able to deliver higher levels of chronic-illness care when synergy is created between partners. Synergy was more likely to emerge with boundary-spanning leaders who understood and appreciated partners' different perspectives, could bridge their diverse cultures and were comfortable sharing ideas, resources and power. In addition, the acknowledgement of and ability to use members' resources are valuable in engaging partners' involvement and achieving synergy in disease-management partnerships.

Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-02-23

A NASA Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission shirt is seen drying in the mid-day sun outside the Sun Pearl Hotel where many of the NASA GPM team are staying, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014, Tanegashima Island, Japan. A Japanese H-IIA rocket carrying the NASA-Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory is planned for launch from the space center on Feb. 28, 2014. Once launched, the GPM spacecraft will collect information that unifies data from an international network of existing and future satellites to map global rainfall and snowfall every three hours. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Implementation Options For the Solar System Exploration Survey's "Jupiter Polar Orbiter with Probes" Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spilker, T. R.

2002-09-01

In July of this year the National Academy of Science released a draft of its report, "New Frontiers in the Solar System: An Integrated Exploration Strategy," briefly describing the current state of solar system planetary science and the most important science objectives for the next decade (2003-2013). It includes a prioritized list of five mission concepts that might be flown as part of NASA's fledgling New Frontiers Program; each "concept" is more a list of science or measurement objectives than a full mission concept, since it does not specify implementation details in most cases. Number three on that list is the "Jupiter Polar Orbiter with Probes" ("JPOP") mission. This mission concept combines the strengths of previously described or proposed Jupiter missions into a single mission, and gains from the synergies of some of the newly-combined investigations. The primary science objectives are: 1. Determine if Jupiter has a central core 2. Determine the deep abundance of water (and other volatiles) 3. Measure Jupiter's deep winds 4. Determine the structure of Jupiter's dynamo magnetic field 5. Sample in situ Jupiter's polar magnetosphere This paper examines some of the implementation options for a JPOP mission, and gives relative advantages and disadvantages. Given the New Frontier Program's maximum cost to NASA of \\650M, plus an approx. \\120M cap on international contributions, implementing the full range of JPOP science objectives in a single New Frontiers mission may be challenging. This work was performed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory / California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Euclid Mission: Mapping the Geometry of the Dark Universe. Mission and Consortium Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rhodes, Jason

2011-01-01

Euclid concept: (1) High-precision survey mission to map the geometry of the Dark Universe (2) Optimized for two complementary cosmological probes: (2a) Weak Gravitational Lensing (2b) Baryonic Acoustic Oscillations (2c) Additional probes: clusters, redshift space distortions, ISW (3) Full extragalactic sky survey with 1.2m telescope at L2: (3a) Imaging: (3a-1) High precision imaging at visible wavelengths (3a-2) Photometry/Imaging in the near-infrared (3b) Near Infrared Spectroscopy (4) Synergy with ground based surveys (5) Legacy science for a wide range of in astronomy

Health, supervisory support, and workplace culture in relation to work-family conflict and synergy.

PubMed

Beutell, Nicholas J

2010-08-01

This research examined health, supervisory support, and workplace culture as predictors of work interfering with family, family interfering with work, and work-family synergy. The analysis of data from 2,796 respondents from the 2002 National Study of the Changing Workforce yielded significant relations among measures of mental health, self-rated health, supervisory support, and work-family culture with a focus on career concerns. Support was found for a measure of work-family synergy. Implications and directions for research are discussed.

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission: Overview and Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hou, Arthur

2008-01-01

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission is an international satellite mission to unify and advance global precipitation measurements from a constellation of dedicated and operational microwave sensors. The GPM concept centers on the deployment of a Core Spacecraft in a non-Sun-synchronous orbit at 65 degrees inclination carrying a dual-frequency precipitation radar (DPR) and a multi-frequency passive microwave radiometer (GMI) with high-frequency capabilities to serve as a precipitation physics observatory and calibration standard for the constellation radiometers. The baseline GPM constellation is envisioned to comprise conical-scanning microwave imagers (e.g., GMI, SSMIS, AMSR, MIS, MADRAS, GPM-Brazil) augmented with cross-track microwave temperature/humidity sounders (e.g., MHS, ATMS) over land. In addition to the Core Satellite, the GPM Mission will contribute a second GMI to be flown in a low-inclination (approximately 40 deg.) non-Sun-synchronous orbit to improve near real-time monitoring of hurricanes. GPM is a science mission with integrated applications goals aimed at (1) advancing the knowledge of the global water/energy cycle variability and freshwater availability and (2) improving weather, climate, and hydrological prediction capabilities through more accurate and frequent measurements of global precipitation. The GPM Mission is currently a partnership between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), with opportunities for additional partners in satellite constellation and ground validation activities. Within the framework of the inter-governmental Group ob Earth Observations (GEO) and Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), GPM has been identified as a cornerstone for the Precipitation Constellation (PC) being developed under the auspices of Committee of Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS). The GPM Core Observatory is scheduled for launch in 2013, followed by the launch of the GPM Low-Inclination Observatory in

Intra-Personal and Inter-Personal Kinetic Synergies During Jumping.

PubMed

Slomka, Kajetan; Juras, Grzegorz; Sobota, Grzegorz; Furmanek, Mariusz; Rzepko, Marian; Latash, Mark L

2015-12-22

We explored synergies between two legs and two subjects during preparation for a long jump into a target. Synergies were expected during one-person jumping. No such synergies were expected between two persons jumping in parallel without additional contact, while synergies were expected to emerge with haptic contact and become stronger with strong mechanical contact. Subjects performed jumps either alone (each foot standing on a separate force platform) or in dyads (parallel to each other, each person standing on a separate force platform) without any contact, with haptic contact, and with strong coupling. Strong negative correlations between pairs of force variables (strong synergies) were seen in the vertical force in one-person jumps and weaker synergies in two-person jumps with the strong contact. For other force variables, only weak synergies were present in one-person jumps and no negative correlations between pairs of force variable for two-person jumps. Pairs of moment variables from the two force platforms at steady state showed positive correlations, which were strong in one-person jumps and weaker, but still significant, in two-person jumps with the haptic and strong contact. Anticipatory synergy adjustments prior to action initiation were observed in one-person trials only. We interpret the different results for the force and moment variables at steady state as reflections of postural sway.

Intra-Personal and Inter-Personal Kinetic Synergies During Jumping

PubMed Central

Slomka, Kajetan; Juras, Grzegorz; Sobota, Grzegorz; Furmanek, Mariusz; Rzepko, Marian; Latash, Mark L.

2015-01-01

We explored synergies between two legs and two subjects during preparation for a long jump into a target. Synergies were expected during one-person jumping. No such synergies were expected between two persons jumping in parallel without additional contact, while synergies were expected to emerge with haptic contact and become stronger with strong mechanical contact. Subjects performed jumps either alone (each foot standing on a separate force platform) or in dyads (parallel to each other, each person standing on a separate force platform) without any contact, with haptic contact, and with strong coupling. Strong negative correlations between pairs of force variables (strong synergies) were seen in the vertical force in one-person jumps and weaker synergies in two-person jumps with the strong contact. For other force variables, only weak synergies were present in one-person jumps and no negative correlations between pairs of force variable for two-person jumps. Pairs of moment variables from the two force platforms at steady state showed positive correlations, which were strong in one-person jumps and weaker, but still significant, in two-person jumps with the haptic and strong contact. Anticipatory synergy adjustments prior to action initiation were observed in one-person trials only. We interpret the different results for the force and moment variables at steady state as reflections of postural sway. PMID:26839608

Wide-Field InfraRed Survey Telescope (WFIRST) Mission and Synergies with LISA and LIGO-Virgo

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gehrels, N.; Spergel, D.

2015-01-01

The Wide-Field InfraRed Survey Telescope (WFIRST) is a NASA space mission in study for launch in 2024. It has a 2.4 m telescope, wide-field IR instrument operating in the 0.7 - 2.0 micron range and an exoplanet imaging coronagraph instrument operating in the 400 - 1000 nm range. The observatory will perform galaxy surveys over thousands of square degrees to J=27 AB for dark energy weak lensing and baryon acoustic oscillation measurements and will monitor a few square degrees for dark energy SN Ia studies. It will perform microlensing observations of the galactic bulge for an exoplanet census and direct imaging observations of nearby exoplanets with a pathfinder coronagraph. The mission will have a robust and wellfunded guest observer program for 25% of the observing time. WFIRST will be a powerful tool for time domain astronomy and for coordinated observations with gravitational wave experiments. Gravitational wave events produced by mergers of nearby binary neutron stars (LIGO-Virgo) or extragalactic supermassive black hole binaries (LISA) will produce electromagnetic radiation that WFIRST can observe.

Program control on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pennington, Dorothy J.; Majerowicw, Walter

1994-01-01

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), an integral part of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth, is the first satellite dedicated to measuring tropical rainfall. TRMM will contribute to an understanding of the mechanisms through which tropical rainfall influences global circulation and climate. Goddard Space Flight Center's (GSFC) Flight Projects Directorate is responsible for establishing a Project Office for the TRMM to manage, coordinate, and integrate the various organizations involved in the development and operation of this complex satellite. The TRMM observatory, the largest ever developed and built inhouse at GSFC, includes state-of-the-art hardware. It will carry five scientific instruments designed to determine the rate of rainfall and the total rainfall occurring between the north and south latitudes of 35 deg. As a secondary science objective, TRMM will also measure the Earth's radiant energy budget and lightning.

Generational Differences in Work-Family Conflict and Synergy

PubMed Central

Beutell, Nicholas J.

2013-01-01

This paper examines differences in work-family conflict and synergy among the four generational groups represented in the contemporary workforce: Generation Y Generation X, Baby Boomers, and Matures using data from the 2008 National Study of the Changing Workforce (n = 3,502). Significant generational differences were found for work-family conflict (work interfering with family and family interfering with work) but not for work-family synergy. Mental health and job pressure were the best predictors of work interfering with family conflict for each generational group. Work-family synergy presented a more complex picture. Work-family conflict and synergy were significantly related to job, marital, and life satisfaction. Implications and directions for future research are discussed. PMID:23783221

Generational differences in work-family conflict and synergy.

PubMed

Beutell, Nicholas J

2013-06-19

This paper examines differences in work-family conflict and synergy among the four generational groups represented in the contemporary workforce: Generation Y Generation X, Baby Boomers, and Matures using data from the 2008 National Study of the Changing Workforce (n = 3,502). Significant generational differences were found for work-family conflict (work interfering with family and family interfering with work) but not for work-family synergy. Mental health and job pressure were the best predictors of work interfering with family conflict for each generational group. Work-family synergy presented a more complex picture. Work-family conflict and synergy were significantly related to job, marital, and life satisfaction. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Software Construction and Analysis Tools for Future Space Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lowry, Michael R.; Clancy, Daniel (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

NASA and its international partners will increasingly depend on software-based systems to implement advanced functions for future space missions, such as Martian rovers that autonomously navigate long distances exploring geographic features formed by surface water early in the planet's history. The software-based functions for these missions will need to be robust and highly reliable, raising significant challenges in the context of recent Mars mission failures attributed to software faults. After reviewing these challenges, this paper describes tools that have been developed at NASA Ames that could contribute to meeting these challenges; 1) Program synthesis tools based on automated inference that generate documentation for manual review and annotations for automated certification. 2) Model-checking tools for concurrent object-oriented software that achieve memorability through synergy with program abstraction and static analysis tools.

Global Precipitation Measurement Mission Products and Services at the NASA GES DISC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Z.; Ostrenga, D.; Vollmer, B.; Deshong, B.; MacRitchie, K.; Greene, M.; Kempler, S.

2017-01-01

This article describes NASA/JAXA Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission products and services at the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences (GES) Data and Information Services Center (DISC). Built on the success of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), the next-generation GPM mission consists of new precipitation measurement instruments and a constellation of international research and operational satellites to provide improved measurements of precipitation globally. To facilitate data access, research, applications, and scientific discovery, the GES DISC has developed a variety of data services for GPM. This article is intended to guide users in choosing GPM datasets and services at the GES DISC.

Muscle Synergies May Improve Optimization Prediction of Knee Contact Forces During Walking

PubMed Central

Walter, Jonathan P.; Kinney, Allison L.; Banks, Scott A.; D'Lima, Darryl D.; Besier, Thor F.; Lloyd, David G.; Fregly, Benjamin J.

2014-01-01

The ability to predict patient-specific joint contact and muscle forces accurately could improve the treatment of walking-related disorders. Muscle synergy analysis, which decomposes a large number of muscle electromyographic (EMG) signals into a small number of synergy control signals, could reduce the dimensionality and thus redundancy of the muscle and contact force prediction process. This study investigated whether use of subject-specific synergy controls can improve optimization prediction of knee contact forces during walking. To generate the predictions, we performed mixed dynamic muscle force optimizations (i.e., inverse skeletal dynamics with forward muscle activation and contraction dynamics) using data collected from a subject implanted with a force-measuring knee replacement. Twelve optimization problems (three cases with four subcases each) that minimized the sum of squares of muscle excitations were formulated to investigate how synergy controls affect knee contact force predictions. The three cases were: (1) Calibrate+Match where muscle model parameter values were calibrated and experimental knee contact forces were simultaneously matched, (2) Precalibrate+Predict where experimental knee contact forces were predicted using precalibrated muscle model parameters values from the first case, and (3) Calibrate+Predict where muscle model parameter values were calibrated and experimental knee contact forces were simultaneously predicted, all while matching inverse dynamic loads at the hip, knee, and ankle. The four subcases used either 44 independent controls or five synergy controls with and without EMG shape tracking. For the Calibrate+Match case, all four subcases closely reproduced the measured medial and lateral knee contact forces (R2 ≥ 0.94, root-mean-square (RMS) error < 66 N), indicating sufficient model fidelity for contact force prediction. For the Precalibrate+Predict and Calibrate+Predict cases, synergy controls yielded better contact force

Muscle synergies may improve optimization prediction of knee contact forces during walking.

PubMed

Walter, Jonathan P; Kinney, Allison L; Banks, Scott A; D'Lima, Darryl D; Besier, Thor F; Lloyd, David G; Fregly, Benjamin J

2014-02-01

The ability to predict patient-specific joint contact and muscle forces accurately could improve the treatment of walking-related disorders. Muscle synergy analysis, which decomposes a large number of muscle electromyographic (EMG) signals into a small number of synergy control signals, could reduce the dimensionality and thus redundancy of the muscle and contact force prediction process. This study investigated whether use of subject-specific synergy controls can improve optimization prediction of knee contact forces during walking. To generate the predictions, we performed mixed dynamic muscle force optimizations (i.e., inverse skeletal dynamics with forward muscle activation and contraction dynamics) using data collected from a subject implanted with a force-measuring knee replacement. Twelve optimization problems (three cases with four subcases each) that minimized the sum of squares of muscle excitations were formulated to investigate how synergy controls affect knee contact force predictions. The three cases were: (1) Calibrate+Match where muscle model parameter values were calibrated and experimental knee contact forces were simultaneously matched, (2) Precalibrate+Predict where experimental knee contact forces were predicted using precalibrated muscle model parameters values from the first case, and (3) Calibrate+Predict where muscle model parameter values were calibrated and experimental knee contact forces were simultaneously predicted, all while matching inverse dynamic loads at the hip, knee, and ankle. The four subcases used either 44 independent controls or five synergy controls with and without EMG shape tracking. For the Calibrate+Match case, all four subcases closely reproduced the measured medial and lateral knee contact forces (R2 ≥ 0.94, root-mean-square (RMS) error < 66 N), indicating sufficient model fidelity for contact force prediction. For the Precalibrate+Predict and Calibrate+Predict cases, synergy controls yielded better contact

Muscle synergies during bench press are reliable across days.

PubMed

Kristiansen, Mathias; Samani, Afshin; Madeleine, Pascal; Hansen, Ernst Albin

2016-10-01

Muscle synergies have been investigated during different types of human movement using nonnegative matrix factorization. However, there are not any reports available on the reliability of the method. To evaluate between-day reliability, 21 subjects performed bench press, in two test sessions separated by approximately 7days. The movement consisted of 3 sets of 8 repetitions at 60% of the three repetition maximum in bench press. Muscle synergies were extracted from electromyography data of 13 muscles, using nonnegative matrix factorization. To evaluate between-day reliability, we performed a cross-correlation analysis and a cross-validation analysis, in which the synergy components extracted in the first test session were recomputed, using the fixed synergy components from the second test session. Two muscle synergies accounted for >90% of the total variance, and reflected the concentric and eccentric phase, respectively. The cross-correlation values were strong to very strong (r-values between 0.58 and 0.89), while the cross-validation values ranged from substantial to almost perfect (ICC3, 1 values between 0.70 and 0.95). The present findings revealed that the same general structure of the muscle synergies was present across days and the extraction of muscle synergies is thus deemed reliable. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimal Drug Synergy in Antimicrobial Treatments

PubMed Central

Torella, Joseph Peter; Chait, Remy; Kishony, Roy

2010-01-01

The rapid proliferation of antibiotic-resistant pathogens has spurred the use of drug combinations to maintain clinical efficacy and combat the evolution of resistance. Drug pairs can interact synergistically or antagonistically, yielding inhibitory effects larger or smaller than expected from the drugs' individual potencies. Clinical strategies often favor synergistic interactions because they maximize the rate at which the infection is cleared from an individual, but it is unclear how such interactions affect the evolution of multi-drug resistance. We used a mathematical model of in vivo infection dynamics to determine the optimal treatment strategy for preventing the evolution of multi-drug resistance. We found that synergy has two conflicting effects: it clears the infection faster and thereby decreases the time during which resistant mutants can arise, but increases the selective advantage of these mutants over wild-type cells. When competition for resources is weak, the former effect is dominant and greater synergy more effectively prevents multi-drug resistance. However, under conditions of strong resource competition, a tradeoff emerges in which greater synergy increases the rate of infection clearance, but also increases the risk of multi-drug resistance. This tradeoff breaks down at a critical level of drug interaction, above which greater synergy has no effect on infection clearance, but still increases the risk of multi-drug resistance. These results suggest that the optimal strategy for suppressing multi-drug resistance is not always to maximize synergy, and that in some cases drug antagonism, despite its weaker efficacy, may better suppress the evolution of multi-drug resistance. PMID:20532210

Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission: Overview and Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hou, Arthur Y.

2012-01-01

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission is an international satellite mission specifically designed to unify and advance precipitation measurements from a constellation of research and operational microwave sensors. NASA and JAXA will deploy a Core Observatory in 2014 to serve as a reference satellite to unify precipitation measurements from the constellation of sensors. The GPM Core Observatory will carry a Ku/Ka-band Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) and a conical-scanning multi-channel (10-183 GHz) GPM Microwave Radiometer (GMI). The DPR will be the first dual-frequency radar in space to provide not only measurements of 3-D precipitation structures but also quantitative information on microphysical properties of precipitating particles. The DPR and GMI measurements will together provide a database that relates vertical hydrometeor profiles to multi-frequency microwave radiances over a variety of environmental conditions across the globe. This combined database will be used as a common transfer standard for improving the accuracy and consistency of precipitation retrievals from all constellation radiometers. For global coverage, GPM relies on existing satellite programs and new mission opportunities from a consortium of partners through bilateral agreements with either NASA or JAXA. Each constellation member may have its unique scientific or operational objectives but contributes microwave observations to GPM for the generation and dissemination of unified global precipitation data products. In addition to the DPR and GMI on the Core Observatory, the baseline GPM constellation consists of the following sensors: (1) Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS) instruments on the U.S. Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites, (2) the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-2 (AMSR-2) on the GCOM-W1 satellite of JAXA, (3) the Multi-Frequency Microwave Scanning Radiometer (MADRAS) and the multi-channel microwave humidity sounder

Radiation dosimetry measurements during U.S. Space Shuttle missions with the RME-III.

PubMed

Golightly, M J; Hardy, K; Quam, W

1994-01-01

Time-resolved radiation dosimetry measurements inside the crew compartment have been made during recent Shuttle missions with the U.S. Air Force Radiation Monitoring Equipment-III (RME-III), a portable battery-powered four-channel tissue equivalent proportional counter. Results from the first six missions are presented and discussed. Half of the missions had orbital inclinations of 28.5 degrees with the remainder at inclinations of 57 degrees or greater; altitudes ranged from 300 to 600 km. The determined dose equivalent rates ranged from 70 to 5300 microSv/day. The RME-III measurements are in good agreement with other dosimetry measurements made aboard the vehicles. Measurements indicate that medium- and high-LET particles contribute less than 2% of the particle fluence for all missions, but up to 50% of the dose equivalent, depending on the spacecraft's altitude and orbital inclination. Isocontours of fluence, dose and dose equivalent rate have been developed from measurements made during the STS-28 mission. The drift rate of the South Atlantic Anomaly is estimated to be 0.49 degrees W/yr and 0.12 degrees N/yr. The calculated trapped proton and GCR dose for the STS-28 mission was significantly lower than the measured values.

Comparison of muscle synergies for running between different foot strike patterns

PubMed Central

Nishida, Koji; Hagio, Shota; Kibushi, Benio; Moritani, Toshio; Kouzaki, Motoki

2017-01-01

It is well known that humans run with a fore-foot strike (FFS), a mid-foot strike (MFS) or a rear-foot strike (RFS). A modular neural control mechanism of human walking and running has been discussed in terms of muscle synergies. However, the neural control mechanisms for different foot strike patterns during running have been overlooked even though kinetic and kinematic differences between different foot strike patterns have been reported. Thus, we examined the differences in the neural control mechanisms of human running between FFS and RFS by comparing the muscle synergies extracted from each foot strike pattern during running. Muscle synergies were extracted using non-negative matrix factorization with electromyogram activity recorded bilaterally from 12 limb and trunk muscles in ten male subjects during FFS and RFS running at different speeds (5–15 km/h). Six muscle synergies were extracted from all conditions, and each synergy had a specific function and a single main peak of activity in a cycle. The six muscle synergies were similar between FFS and RFS as well as across subjects and speeds. However, some muscle weightings showed significant differences between FFS and RFS, especially the weightings of the tibialis anterior of the landing leg in synergies activated just before touchdown. The activation patterns of the synergies were also different for each foot strike pattern in terms of the timing, duration, and magnitude of the main peak of activity. These results suggest that the central nervous system controls running by sending a sequence of signals to six muscle synergies. Furthermore, a change in the foot strike pattern is accomplished by modulating the timing, duration and magnitude of the muscle synergy activity and by selectively activating other muscle synergies or subsets of the muscle synergies. PMID:28158258

Prototype of NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement Mission Ground Validation System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwaller, M. R.; Morris, K. R.; Petersen, W. A.

2007-01-01

NASA is developing a Ground Validation System (GVS) as one of its contributions to the Global Precipitation Mission (GPM). The GPM GVS provides an independent means for evaluation, diagnosis, and ultimately improvement of GPM spaceborne measurements and precipitation products. NASA's GPM GVS consists of three elements: field campaigns/physical validation, direct network validation, and modeling and simulation. The GVS prototype of direct network validation compares Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite-borne radar data to similar measurements from the U.S. national network of operational weather radars. A prototype field campaign has also been conducted; modeling and simulation prototypes are under consideration.

Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-02-23

Envelopes with stamps depicting various space missions are shown at the visitor's center of the Tanegashima Space Center (TNSC), Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014, Tanegashima Island, Japan. A Japanese H-IIA rocket carrying the NASA-Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory is planned for launch from the space center on Feb. 28, 2014. Once launched, the GPM spacecraft will collect information that unifies data from an international network of existing and future satellites to map global rainfall and snowfall every three hours. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Task constraints and minimization of muscle effort result in a small number of muscle synergies during gait.

PubMed

De Groote, Friedl; Jonkers, Ilse; Duysens, Jacques

2014-01-01

Finding muscle activity generating a given motion is a redundant problem, since there are many more muscles than degrees of freedom. The control strategies determining muscle recruitment from a redundant set are still poorly understood. One theory of motor control suggests that motion is produced through activating a small number of muscle synergies, i.e., muscle groups that are activated in a fixed ratio by a single input signal. Because of the reduced number of input signals, synergy-based control is low dimensional. But a major criticism on the theory of synergy-based control of muscles is that muscle synergies might reflect task constraints rather than a neural control strategy. Another theory of motor control suggests that muscles are recruited by optimizing performance. Optimization of performance has been widely used to calculate muscle recruitment underlying a given motion while assuming independent recruitment of muscles. If synergies indeed determine muscle recruitment underlying a given motion, optimization approaches that do not model synergy-based control could result in muscle activations that do not show the synergistic muscle action observed through electromyography (EMG). If, however, synergistic muscle action results from performance optimization and task constraints (joint kinematics and external forces), such optimization approaches are expected to result in low-dimensional synergistic muscle activations that are similar to EMG-based synergies. We calculated muscle recruitment underlying experimentally measured gait patterns by optimizing performance assuming independent recruitment of muscles. We found that the muscle activations calculated without any reference to synergies can be accurately explained by on average four synergies. These synergies are similar to EMG-based synergies. We therefore conclude that task constraints and performance optimization explain synergistic muscle recruitment from a redundant set of muscles.

Status and Future of the Tropical Rainfall, Measuring Mission (TRMM)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adler, Robert F.

2006-01-01

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) will have completed nine years in orbit in November 2006. This successful research mission, a joint U.S./Japan effort, has become a key element in the routine monitoring of global precipitation. The package of rain measuring instrumentation, including the first meteorological radar in space, continues to function perfectly, and with the increase in orbital altitude (from 350 km to 400 km) in August 2001 and the mission extension approval in 2005, the satellite has sufficient station-keeping fuel to potentially last until 2012, or perhaps longer. The status of TRMM algorithms and products will be summarized, including the impact of the altitude boost in 2001, and the plans for the upcoming Version 7 of the products will be outlined. The role of TRMM as part of the constellation of rain-measuring satellites preceding GPM will be discussed, as well as its role in climate analysis using its unique radar/radiometer combination.

The Influence of Dopaminergic Striatal Innervation on Upper Limb Locomotor Synergies

PubMed Central

Isaias, Ioannis U.; Volkmann, Jens; Marzegan, Alberto; Marotta, Giorgio; Cavallari, Paolo; Pezzoli, Gianni

2012-01-01

To determine the role of striatal dopaminergic innervation on upper limb synergies during walking, we measured arm kinematics in 13 subjects with Parkinson disease. Patients were recruited according to several inclusion criteria to represent the best possible in vivo model of dopaminergic denervation. Of relevance, we included only subjects with normal spatio-temporal parameters of the stride and gait speed to avoid an impairment of upper limbs locomotor synergies as a consequence of gait impairment per se. Dopaminergic innervation of the striatum was measured by FP-CIT and SPECT. All patients showed a reduction of gait-associated arms movement. No linear correlation was found between arm ROM reduction and contralateral dopaminergic putaminal innervation loss. Still, a partition analysis revealed a 80% chance of reduced arm ROM when putaminal dopamine content loss was >47%. A significant correlation was described between the asymmetry indices of the swinging of the two arms and dopaminergic striatal innervation. When arm ROM was reduced, we found a positive correlation between upper-lower limb phase shift modulation (at different gait velocities) and striatal dopaminergic innervation. These findings are preliminary evidence that dopaminergic striatal tone plays a modulatory role in upper-limb locomotor synergies and upper-lower limb coupling while walking at different velocities. PMID:23236504

Synergy in Protein–Osmolyte Mixtures

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Virtually all taxa use osmolytes to protect cells against biochemical stress. Osmolytes often occur in mixtures, such as the classical combination of urea with TMAO (trimethylamine N-oxide) in cartilaginous fish or the cocktail of at least six different osmolytes in the kidney. The concentration patterns of osmolyte mixtures found in vivo make it likely that synergy between them plays an important role. Using statistical mechanical n-component Kirkwood–Buff theory, we show from first principles that synergy in protein–osmolyte systems can arise from two separable sources: (1) mutual alteration of protein surface solvation and (2) effects mediated through bulk osmolyte chemical activities. We illustrate both effects in a four-component system with the experimental example of the unfolding of a notch ankyrin domain in urea–TMAO mixtures, which make urea a less effective denaturant and TMAO a more effective stabilizer. Protein surface effects are primarily responsible for this synergy. The specific patterns of surface solvation point to denatured state expansion as the main factor, as opposed to direct competition. PMID:25490052

Prehension synergies and control with referent hand configurations.

PubMed

Latash, Mark L; Friedman, Jason; Kim, Sun Wook; Feldman, Anatol G; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M

2010-04-01

We used the framework of the equilibrium-point hypothesis (in its updated form based on the notion of referent configuration) to investigate the multi-digit synergies at two levels of a hypothetical hierarchy involved in prehensile actions. Synergies were analyzed at the thumb-virtual finger (VF) level (VF is an imaginary digit with the mechanical action equivalent to that of the four actual fingers) and at the individual finger level. The subjects performed very quick vertical movements of a handle into a target. A load could be attached off-center to provide a pronation or supination torque. In a few trials, the handle was unexpectedly fixed to the table and the digits slipped off the sensors. In such trials, the hand stopped at a higher vertical position and rotated into pronation or supination depending on the expected torque. The aperture showed non-monotonic changes with a large, fast decrease and further increase, ending up with a smaller distance between the thumb and the fingers as compared to unperturbed trials. Multi-digit synergies were quantified using indices of co-variation between digit forces and moments of force across unperturbed trials. Prior to the lifting action, high synergy indices were observed at the individual finger level while modest indices were observed at the thumb-VF level. During the lifting action, the synergies at the individual finger level disappeared while the synergy indices became higher at the thumb-VF level. The results support the basic premise that, within a given task, setting a referent configuration may be described with a few referent values of variables that influence the equilibrium state, to which the system is attracted. Moreover, the referent configuration hypothesis can help interpret the data related to the trade-off between synergies at different hierarchical levels.

Strategic Approaches to Trading Science Objectives Against Measurements and Mission Design: Mission Architecture and Concept Maturation at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Case, K. E.; Nash, A. E., III

2017-12-01

Earth Science missions are increasingly challenged to improve our state of the art through more sophisticated hypotheses and inclusion of advanced technologies. However, science return needs to be constrained to the cost environment. Selectable mission concepts are the result of an overlapping Venn diagram of compelling science, feasible engineering solutions, and programmatic acceptable costs, regardless of whether the science investigation is Earth Venture or Decadal class. Since the last Earth Science and Applications Decadal Survey released in 2007, many new advanced technologies have emerged, in instrument, SmallSat flight systems, and launch service capabilities, enabling new mission architectures. These mission architectures may result in new thinking about how we achieve and collect science measurements, e.g., how to improve time-series measurements. We will describe how the JPL Formulation Office is structured to integrate methods, tools, and subject matter experts to span the mission concept development lifecycle, and assist Principal Investigators in maturing their mission ideas into realizable concepts.

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simpson, Joanne; Kummerow, Christian D.; Meneghini, Robert; Hou, Arthur; Adler, Robert F.; Huffman, George; Barkstrom, Bruce; Wielicki, Bruce; Goodman, Steven J.; Christian, Hugh;

Muscle synergies evoked by microstimulation are preferentially encoded during behavior

PubMed Central

Overduin, Simon A.; d'Avella, Andrea; Carmena, Jose M.; Bizzi, Emilio

2014-01-01

Electrical microstimulation studies provide some of the most direct evidence for the neural representation of muscle synergies. These synergies, i.e., coordinated activations of groups of muscles, have been proposed as building blocks for the construction of motor behaviors by the nervous system. Intraspinal or intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) has been shown to evoke muscle patterns that can be resolved into a small set of synergies similar to those seen in natural behavior. However, questions remain about the validity of microstimulation as a probe of neural function, particularly given the relatively long trains of supratheshold stimuli used in these studies. Here, we examined whether muscle synergies evoked during ICMS in two rhesus macaques were similarly encoded by nearby motor cortical units during a purely voluntary behavior involving object reach, grasp, and carry movements. At each microstimulation site we identified the synergy most strongly evoked among those extracted from muscle patterns evoked over all microstimulation sites. For each cortical unit recorded at the same microstimulation site, we then identified the synergy most strongly encoded among those extracted from muscle patterns recorded during the voluntary behavior. We found that the synergy most strongly evoked at an ICMS site matched the synergy most strongly encoded by proximal units more often than expected by chance. These results suggest a common neural substrate for microstimulation-evoked motor responses and for the generation of muscle patterns during natural behaviors. PMID:24634652

Quantitative evaluation of muscle synergy models: a single-trial task decoding approach

PubMed Central

Delis, Ioannis; Berret, Bastien; Pozzo, Thierry; Panzeri, Stefano

2013-01-01

Muscle synergies, i.e., invariant coordinated activations of groups of muscles, have been proposed as building blocks that the central nervous system (CNS) uses to construct the patterns of muscle activity utilized for executing movements. Several efficient dimensionality reduction algorithms that extract putative synergies from electromyographic (EMG) signals have been developed. Typically, the quality of synergy decompositions is assessed by computing the Variance Accounted For (VAF). Yet, little is known about the extent to which the combination of those synergies encodes task-discriminating variations of muscle activity in individual trials. To address this question, here we conceive and develop a novel computational framework to evaluate muscle synergy decompositions in task space. Unlike previous methods considering the total variance of muscle patterns (VAF based metrics), our approach focuses on variance discriminating execution of different tasks. The procedure is based on single-trial task decoding from muscle synergy activation features. The task decoding based metric evaluates quantitatively the mapping between synergy recruitment and task identification and automatically determines the minimal number of synergies that captures all the task-discriminating variability in the synergy activations. In this paper, we first validate the method on plausibly simulated EMG datasets. We then show that it can be applied to different types of muscle synergy decomposition and illustrate its applicability to real data by using it for the analysis of EMG recordings during an arm pointing task. We find that time-varying and synchronous synergies with similar number of parameters are equally efficient in task decoding, suggesting that in this experimental paradigm they are equally valid representations of muscle synergies. Overall, these findings stress the effectiveness of the decoding metric in systematically assessing muscle synergy decompositions in task space. PMID

Greenhouses and their humanizing synergies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haeuplik-Meusburger, Sandra; Paterson, Carrie; Schubert, Daniel; Zabel, Paul

2014-03-01

Greenhouses in space will require advanced technical systems of automatic watering, soil-less cultivation, artificial lighting, and computerized observation of plants. Functions discussed for plants in space habitats include physical/health requirements and human psychology, social cohesion, as well as the complex sensorial benefits of plants for humans. The authors consider the role of plants in long-term space missions historically since 1971 (Salyut 1) and propose a set of priorities to be considered within the design requirements for greenhouses and constructed environments given a range of benefits associated with plant-human relationships. They cite recent research into the use of greenhouses in extreme environments to reveal the relative importance of greenhouses for people living in isolated locations. Additionally, they put forward hypotheses about where greenhouses might factor into several strata of human health. In a recent design-in-use study of astronauts' experiences in space habitats discussed in Architecture for Astronauts (Springer Press 2011) it was found that besides the basic advantages for life support there are clearly additional "side benefits" for habitability and physical wellbeing, and thus long-term mission success. The authors have composed several key theses regarding the need to promote plant-human relationships in space, including areas where synergy and symbiosis occur. They cite new comprehensive research into the early US Space Program to reveal where programmatic requirements could be added to space architecture to increase the less quantifiable benefits to astronauts of art, recreation, and poetic engagement with their existential condition of estrangement from the planet. Specifically in terms of the technological requirements, the authors propose the integration of a new greenhouse subsystem component into space greenhouses—the Mobile Plant Cultivation Subsystem—a portable, personal greenhouse that can be integrated

Interpersonal synergies: static prehension tasks performed by two actors.

PubMed

Solnik, Stanislaw; Reschechtko, Sasha; Wu, Yen-Hsun; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M; Latash, Mark L

2016-08-01

We investigated multidigit synergies stabilizing components of the resultant force vector during joint performance of a static prehension task by two persons as compared to similar tasks performed by a single person using both hands. Subjects transferred the instrumented handle from the right hand to the left hand (one-person condition) or passed that handle to another person (two-person condition) while keeping the handle's position and orientation stationary. Only three digits were involved per hand, the thumb, the index finger, and the middle finger; the forces and moments produced by the digits were measured by six-component sensors. We estimated the performance-stabilizing synergies within the uncontrolled manifold framework by quantifying the intertrial variance structure of digit forces and moments. The analysis was performed at three levels: between hands, between virtual finger and virtual thumb (imagined digits producing the same mechanical variables as the corresponding actual digits combined) produced by the two hands (in both interpersonal and intrapersonal conditions), and between the thumb and virtual finger for one hand only. Additionally, we performed correlation and phase synchronization analyses of resultant tangential forces and internal normal forces. Overall, the one-person conditions were characterized by higher amount of intertrial variance that did not affect resultant normal force components, higher internal components of normal forces, and stronger synchronization of the normal forces generated by the hands. Our observations suggest that in two-person tasks, when participants try to achieve a common mechanical outcome, the performance-stabilizing synergies depend on non-visual information exchange, possibly via the haptic and proprioceptive systems. Therefore, synergies quantified in tasks using visual feedback only may not be generalizable to more natural tasks.

Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission Applications: Activities, Challenges, and Vision

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kirschbaum, Dalia; Hou, Arthur

2012-01-01

Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) is an international satellite mission to provide nextgeneration observations of rain and snow worldwide every three hours. NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will launch a "Core" satellite carrying advanced instruments that will set a new standard for precipitation measurements from space. The data they provide will be used to unify precipitation measurements made by an international network of partner satellites to quantify when, where, and how much it rains or snows around the world. The GPM mission will help advance our understanding of Earth's water and energy cycles, improve the forecasting of extreme events that cause natural disasters, and extend current capabilities of using satellite precipitation information to directly benefit society. Building upon the successful legacy of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), GPM's next-generation global precipitation data will lead to scientific advances and societal benefits within a range of hydrologic fields including natural hazards, ecology, public health and water resources. This talk will highlight some examples from TRMM's IS-year history within these applications areas as well as discuss some existing challenges and present a look forward for GPM's contribution to applications in hydrology.

NASA's Orgins Space Telescope Mission and Its Synergies with SOFIA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roellig, Thomas L.

2017-01-01

The Origins Space Telescope (OST) is the mission concept for the Far Infrared Surveyor, a study in development by NASA in preparation for the 2020 Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey. The science program that has been selected to drive the OST performance requirements is broad, covering four main themes: Charting the Rise of Metals, Dust, and the First Galaxies; Unveiling the Growth of Black Holes and Galaxies Over Cosmic Time; Tracing the Signatures of Life and the Ingredients of Habitable Worlds; and Characterizing Small Bodies in the Solar System. The OST telescope itself will have a primary mirror diameter of 8-15 m (depending on the launch vehicle that is selected), will be diffraction-limited at 40m, and will be actively cooled to approximately 5K. Five science instruments have been base-lined for the observatory: a heterodyne instrument covering 150-500 m with a spectral resolving power of R1e7; a low-spectral resolution (R500) spectrometer covering 35-500 m; a high-spectral resolution (R1e5) spectrometer covering 50-500 m; a far-infrared imager (R15) covering 35-500m; and a mid-infrared imagerspectrometer (R15-500) covering 6-40m. In addition to having a vastly higher sensitivity than the corresponding SOFIA instrumentation that will allow more detailed follow-up of SOFIAs discoveries, the OST mission will be configured to provide efficient large-area mapping, which will further complement SOFIAs science capabilities by providing new targets for study by SOFIA. Furthermore, new SOFIA instruments can provide an excellent testbed for the advanced far-infrared detector technologies what will be required to achieve the anticipated OST performance.

Potential Research and Development Synergies between Life support and Planetary protection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lasseur, Ch.; Kminek, G.; Mergeay, M.

Long term manned missions of our Russian colleagues have demonstrated the risks associated with microbial contamination These risks concern both crew health via the metabolic consumables contamination water air but and also the hardware degradation Over the last six years ESA and IBMP have developed a collaboration to elaborate and document these microbial contamination issues The collaboration involved the mutual exchanges of knowledge as well as microbial samples and leads up to the microbial survey of the Russian module of the ISS Based on these results and in addition to an external expert report commissioned by ESA the agency initiated the development of a rapid and automated microbial detection and identification tool for use in future space missions In parallel to these developments and via several international meetings planetary protection experts have agreed to place clear specification of the microbial quality of future hardware landing on virgin planets as well as elaborate the preliminary requirements of contamination for manned missions on surface For these activities its is necessary to have a better understanding of microbial activity to create culture collection and to develop on-line detection tools Within this paper we present more deeply the life support activities related to microbial issues we identify some potential synergies with Planetary protection developments and we propose some pathway for collaboration between these two communities

The Soil Moisture Active and Passive Mission (SMAP): Science and Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Entekhabi, Dara; O'Neill, Peggy; Njoku, Eni

2009-01-01

The Soil Moisture Active and Passive mission (SMAP) will provide global maps of soil moisture content and surface freeze/thaw state. Global measurements of these variables are critical for terrestrial water and carbon cycle applications. The SMAP observatory consists of two multipolarization L-band sensors, a radar and radiometer, that share a deployable-mesh reflector antenna. The combined observations from the two sensors will allow accurate estimation of soil moisture at hydrometeorological (10 km) and hydroclimatological (40 km) spatial scales. The rotating antenna configuration provides conical scans of the Earth surface at a constant look angle. The wide-swath (1000 km) measurements will allow global mapping of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state with 2-3 days revisit. Freeze/thaw in boreal latitudes will be mapped using the radar at 3 km resolution with 1-2 days revisit. The synergy of active and passive observations enables measurements of soil moisture and freeze/thaw state with unprecedented resolution, sensitivity, area coverage and revisit.

Towards the Development of a Global Precipitation Measurement Mission Concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shepherd, J. M.

2001-12-01

The scientific success of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and additional satellite-focused precipitation retrieval projects have paved the way for a more advanced global precipitation mission. A comprehensive global measuring strategy is currently under study-Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM). The GPM study could ultimately lead to the development of the Global Precipitation Mission. The intent of GPM is to address looming scientific questions arising in the context of global climate-water cycle interactions, hydrometeorology, weather prediction and prediction of freshwater resources, the global carbon cycle, and biogeochemical cycles. This talk overviews the status and scientific agenda of this proposed mission currently planned for launch in the 2007-20008 time frame. GPM is planning to expand the scope of precipitation measurement through the use of a constellation of 6-10 satellites, one of which will be an advanced TRMM-like "core" satellite carry dual-frequency Ku-Ka band radar and a microwave radiometer (e.g. TMI-like). The other constellation members will likely include new lightweight satellites and co-existing operational/research satellites carrying passive microwave radiometers. The goal behind the constellation is to achieve no worse than 3-hour sampling at any spot on the globe. The constellation's orbit architecture will consist of a mix of sun-synchronous and non-sun-synchronous satellites with the "core" satellite providing measurement of cloud-precipitation microphysical processes plus "training calibrating" information to be used with the retrieval algorithms for the constellation satellite measurements. The GPM is organized internationally, currently involving a partnership between NASA in the US, NASDA in Japan, and ESA in Europe (representing the European community). The program is expected to involve additional international partners, other federal agencies, and a diverse collection of scientists from academia, government

Discovering Anti-platelet Drug Combinations with an Integrated Model of Activator-Inhibitor Relationships, Activator-Activator Synergies and Inhibitor-Inhibitor Synergies

PubMed Central

Lombardi, Federica; Golla, Kalyan; Fitzpatrick, Darren J.; Casey, Fergal P.; Moran, Niamh; Shields, Denis C.

2015-01-01

Identifying effective therapeutic drug combinations that modulate complex signaling pathways in platelets is central to the advancement of effective anti-thrombotic therapies. However, there is no systems model of the platelet that predicts responses to different inhibitor combinations. We developed an approach which goes beyond current inhibitor-inhibitor combination screening to efficiently consider other signaling aspects that may give insights into the behaviour of the platelet as a system. We investigated combinations of platelet inhibitors and activators. We evaluated three distinct strands of information, namely: activator-inhibitor combination screens (testing a panel of inhibitors against a panel of activators); inhibitor-inhibitor synergy screens; and activator-activator synergy screens. We demonstrated how these analyses may be efficiently performed, both experimentally and computationally, to identify particular combinations of most interest. Robust tests of activator-activator synergy and of inhibitor-inhibitor synergy required combinations to show significant excesses over the double doses of each component. Modeling identified multiple effects of an inhibitor of the P2Y12 ADP receptor, and complementarity between inhibitor-inhibitor synergy effects and activator-inhibitor combination effects. This approach accelerates the mapping of combination effects of compounds to develop combinations that may be therapeutically beneficial. We integrated the three information sources into a unified model that predicted the benefits of a triple drug combination targeting ADP, thromboxane and thrombin signaling. PMID:25875950

Effect of visual and tactile feedback on kinematic synergies in the grasping hand.

PubMed

Patel, Vrajeshri; Burns, Martin; Vinjamuri, Ramana

2016-08-01

The human hand uses a combination of feedforward and feedback mechanisms to accomplish high degree of freedom in grasp control efficiently. In this study, we used a synergy-based control model to determine the effect of sensory feedback on kinematic synergies in the grasping hand. Ten subjects performed two types of grasps: one that included feedback (real) and one without feedback (memory-guided), at two different speeds (rapid and natural). Kinematic synergies were extracted from rapid real and rapid memory-guided grasps using principal component analysis. Synergies extracted from memory-guided grasps revealed greater preservation of natural inter-finger relationships than those found in corresponding synergies extracted from real grasps. Reconstruction of natural real and natural memory-guided grasps was used to test performance and generalizability of synergies. A temporal analysis of reconstruction patterns revealed the differing contribution of individual synergies in real grasps versus memory-guided grasps. Finally, the results showed that memory-guided synergies could not reconstruct real grasps as accurately as real synergies could reconstruct memory-guided grasps. These results demonstrate how visual and tactile feedback affects a closed-loop synergy-based motor control system.

Star Formation Studies with SOFIA and its Synergy with TMT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Buizer, James

2014-07-01

The Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is a modified Boeing 747 aircraft equipped with a 2.5m telescope that performs observations at high altitude from the optical to the sub-mm. The observatory just reached full operational capability in April of this year. Given that it is slated for a 20-year mission lifetime, SOFIA will overlap TMT by more than a decade. I will discuss the contrasting and complementary features of SOFIA and TMT in the context of star formation, discuss some of the early results from SOFIA in this field, and finish with a discussion of how TMT data can enhance and extended our understanding of star formation processes.[This talk could also be generalized to discuss more about synergies between SOFIA and TMT in a broader context (not just star formation), should the organizers prefer that.

3D Online Visualization and Synergy of NASA A-Train Data Using Google Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Aijun; Kempler, Steven; Leptoukh, Gregory; Smith, Peter

2010-01-01

This poster presentation reviews the use of Google Earth to assist in three dimensional online visualization of NASA Earth science and geospatial data. The NASA A-Train satellite constellation is a succession of seven sun-synchronous orbit satellites: (1) OCO-2 (Orbiting Carbon Observatory) (will launch in Feb. 2013), (2) GCOM-W1 (Global Change Observation Mission), (3) Aqua, (4) CloudSat, (5) CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar & Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations), (6) Glory, (7) Aura. The A-Train makes possible synergy of information from multiple resources, so more information about earth condition is obtained from the combined observations than would be possible from the sum of the observations taken independently

Mars 2020 Science Rover: Science Goals and Mission Concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mustard, John F.; Beaty, D.; Bass, D.

2013-10-01

The Mars 2020 Science Definition Team (SDT), chartered in January 2013 by NASA, formulated a spacecraft mission concept for a science-focused, highly mobile rover to explore and investigate in detail a site on Mars that likely was once habitable. The mission, based on the Mars Science Laboratory landing and rover systems, would address, within a cost- and time-constrained framework, four objectives: (A) Explore an astrobiologically relevant ancient environment on Mars to decipher its geological processes and history, including the assessment of past habitability; (B) Assess the biosignature preservation potential within the selected geological environment and search for potential biosignatures; (C) Demonstrate significant technical progress towards the future return of scientifically selected, well-documented samples to Earth; and (D) provide an opportunity for contributed instruments from Human Exploration or Space Technology Programs. The SDT addressed the four mission objectives and six additional charter-specified tasks independently while specifically looking for synergy among them. Objectives A and B are each ends unto themselves, while Objective A is also the means by which samples are selected for objective B, and together they motivate and inform Objective C. The SDT also found that Objective D goals are well aligned with A through C. Critically, Objectives A, B, and C as an ensemble brought the SDT to the conclusion that exploration oriented toward both astrobiology and the preparation of a returnable cache of scientifically selected, well documented surface samples is the only acceptable mission concept. Importantly the SDT concluded that the measurements needed to attain these objectives were essentially identical, consisting of six types of field measurements: 1) context imaging 2) context mineralogy, 3) fine-scale imaging, 4) fine-scale mineralogy, 5) fine-scale elemental chemistry, and 6) organic matter detection. The mission concept fully addresses

Anticipatory synergy adjustments reflect individual performance of feedforward force control.

PubMed

Togo, Shunta; Imamizu, Hiroshi

2016-10-06

We grasp and dexterously manipulate an object through multi-digit synergy. In the framework of the uncontrolled manifold (UCM) hypothesis, multi-digit synergy is defined as the coordinated control mechanism of fingers to stabilize variable important for task success, e.g., total force. Previous studies reported anticipatory synergy adjustments (ASAs) that correspond to a drop of the synergy index before a quick change of the total force. The present study compared ASA's properties with individual performances of feedforward force control to investigate a relationship of those. Subjects performed a total finger force production task that consisted of a phase in which subjects tracked target line with visual information and a phase in which subjects produced total force pulse without visual information. We quantified their multi-digit synergy through UCM analysis and observed significant ASAs before producing total force pulse. The time of the ASA initiation and the magnitude of the drop of the synergy index were significantly correlated with the error of force pulse, but not with the tracking error. Almost all subjects showed a significant increase of the variance that affected the total force. Our study directly showed that ASA reflects the individual performance of feedforward force control independently of target-tracking performance and suggests that the multi-digit synergy was weakened to adjust the multi-digit movements based on a prediction error so as to reduce the future error. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Emerging Technologies and Synergies for Airborne and Space-Based Measurements of Water Vapor Profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nehrir, Amin R.; Kiemle, Christoph; Lebsock, Mathew D.; Kirchengast, Gottfried; Buehler, Stefan A.; Löhnert, Ulrich; Liu, Cong-Liang; Hargrave, Peter C.; Barrera-Verdejo, Maria; Winker, David M.

2017-11-01

A deeper understanding of how clouds will respond to a warming climate is one of the outstanding challenges in climate science. Uncertainties in the response of clouds, and particularly shallow clouds, have been identified as the dominant source of the discrepancy in model estimates of equilibrium climate sensitivity. As the community gains a deeper understanding of the many processes involved, there is a growing appreciation of the critical role played by fluctuations in water vapor and the coupling of water vapor and atmospheric circulations. Reduction of uncertainties in cloud-climate feedbacks and convection initiation as well as improved understanding of processes governing these effects will result from profiling of water vapor in the lower troposphere with improved accuracy and vertical resolution compared to existing airborne and space-based measurements. This paper highlights new technologies and improved measurement approaches for measuring lower tropospheric water vapor and their expected added value to current observations. Those include differential absorption lidar and radar, microwave occultation between low-Earth orbiters, and hyperspectral microwave remote sensing. Each methodology is briefly explained, and measurement capabilities as well as the current technological readiness for aircraft and satellite implementation are specified. Potential synergies between the technologies are discussed, actual examples hereof are given, and future perspectives are explored. Based on technical maturity and the foreseen near-mid-term development path of the various discussed measurement approaches, we find that improved measurements of water vapor throughout the troposphere would greatly benefit from the combination of differential absorption lidar focusing on the lower troposphere with passive remote sensors constraining the upper-tropospheric humidity.

A Typical Synergy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Noort, Thomas; Achten, Peter; Plasmeijer, Rinus

We present a typical synergy between dynamic types (dynamics) and generalised algebraic datatypes (GADTs). The former provides a clean approach to integrating dynamic typing in a statically typed language. It allows values to be wrapped together with their type in a uniform package, deferring type unification until run time using a pattern match annotated with the desired type. The latter allows for the explicit specification of constructor types, as to enforce their structural validity. In contrast to ADTs, GADTs are heterogeneous structures since each constructor type is implicitly universally quantified. Unfortunately, pattern matching only enforces structural validity and does not provide instantiation information on polymorphic types. Consequently, functions that manipulate such values, such as a type-safe update function, are cumbersome due to boilerplate type representation administration. In this paper we focus on improving such functions by providing a new GADT annotation via a natural synergy with dynamics. We formally define the semantics of the annotation and touch on novel other applications of this technique such as type dispatching and enforcing type equality invariants on GADT values.

An overview of NASA's ASCENDS Mission's Lidar Measurement Requirements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abshire, J. B.; Browell, E. V.; Menzies, R. T.; Lin, B.; Spiers, G. D.; Ismail, S.

2014-12-01

The objectives of NASA's ASCENDS mission are to improve the knowledge of global CO2 sources and sinks by precisely measuring the tropospheric column abundance of atmospheric CO2 and O2. The mission will use a continuously operating nadir-pointed integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar in a polar orbit. The lidar offers a number of important new capabilities and will measure atmospheric CO2 globally over a wide range of challenging conditions, including at night, at high latitudes, through hazy and thin cloud conditions, and to cloud tops. The laser source enables a measurement of range, so that the absorption path length to the scattering surface will be always accurately known. The lidar approach also measures consistently in a nadir-zenith path and the narrow laser linewidth allows weighting the measurement to the lower troposphere. Using these measurements with atmospheric and flux models will allow improved estimates of CO2 fluxes and hence better understanding of the processes that exchange CO2 between the surface and atmosphere. The ASCENDS formulation team has developed a preliminary set of requirements for the lidar measurements. These were developed based on experience gained from the numerous ASCENDS airborne campaigns that have used different candidate lidar measurement techniques. They also take into account the complexity of making precise measurement of atmospheric gas columns when viewing the Earth from space. Some of the complicating factors are the widely varying reflectance and topographic heights of the Earth's land and ocean surfaces, the variety of cloud types, and the degree of cloud and aerosol absorption and scattering in the atmosphere. The requirements address the precision and bias in the measured column mixing ratio, the dynamic range of the expected surface reflected signal, the along-track sampling resolution, measurements made through thin clouds, measurements to forested and slope surfaces, range precision, measurements

Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission Core Spacecraft Systems Engineering Challenges

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bundas, David J.; ONeill, Deborah; Field, Thomas; Meadows, Gary; Patterson, Peter

2006-01-01

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission is a collaboration between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and other US and international partners, with the goal of monitoring the diurnal and seasonal variations in precipitation over the surface of the earth. These measurements will be used to improve current climate models and weather forecasting, and enable improved storm and flood warnings. This paper gives an overview of the mission architecture and addresses the status of some key trade studies, including the geolocation budgeting, design considerations for spacecraft charging, and design issues related to the mitigation of orbital debris.

Global precipitation measurement (GPM) mission core spacecraft systems engineering challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bundas, David J.; O'Neill, Deborah; Rhee, Michael; Feild, Thomas; Meadows, Gary; Patterson, Peter

2006-09-01

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission is a collaboration between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and other US and international partners, with the goal of monitoring the diurnal and seasonal variations in precipitation over the surface of the earth. These measurements will be used to improve current climate models and weather forecasting, and enable improved storm and flood warnings. This paper gives an overview of the mission architecture and addresses the status of some key trade studies, including the geolocation budgeting, design considerations for spacecraft charging, and design issues related to the mitigation of orbital debris.

Development of a prototype fluid volume measurement system. [for urine volume measurement on space missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poppendiek, H. F.; Sabin, C. M.; Meckel, P. T.

1974-01-01

The research is reported in applying the axial fluid temperature differential flowmeter to a urine volume measurement system for space missions. The fluid volume measurement system is described along with the prototype equipment package. Flowmeter calibration, electronic signal processing, and typical void volume measurements are also described.

Relationship of Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission to Global Change Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Eric A.; Starr, David OC. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

In late 2001, the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission was approved as a new start by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This new mission is motivated by a number of scientific questions that are posed over a range of space and time scales that generally fall within the discipline of the global water and energy cycle (GWEC). Recognizing that satellite rainfall datasets are now a foremost tool for understanding global climate variability out to decadal scales and beyond, for improving weather forecasting, and for producing better predictions of hydrometeorological processes including short-term hazardous flooding and seasonal fresh water resources assessment, a comprehensive and internationally sanctioned global measuring strategy has led to the GPM mission. The GPM mission plans to expand the scope of rainfall measurement through use of a multi-member satellite constellation that will be contributed by a number of world nations. This talk overviews the GPM scientific research program that has been fostered within NASA, then focuses on scientific progress that is being made in various research areas in the course of the mission formulation phase that are of interest to the global change scientific community. This latter part of the talk addresses research issues that have become central to the GPM science implementation plan concerning: (1) the rate of global water cycling through the atmosphere and surface and the relationship of precipitation variability to the sustained rate of the water cycle; (2) the relationship between climate change and cloud macrophysical- microphysical processes; and (3) the general improvement in measuring precipitation at the fundamental microphysical level that will take place during the GPM era and an explanation of how these improvements are expected to come about.

Synergy: a framework for leadership development and transformation.

PubMed

Pacini, Christine M

2005-06-01

The Synergy Model has been adopted as an organizing framework for nursing practice, education, and leadership at Clarian Health Partners, Inc. of Indiana. This article describes the evolution of educational programs at Clarian, in concert with the implementation of the Synergy Model. Philosophical and operational changes in staff orientation, professional development, and management development are described.

Summary of LET spectra and dose measurements on ten STS missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

A comparison of linear energy transfer (LET) spectra measurements made with plastic nuclear track detectors (PNTD's) from area passive dosimeters (APD's), was made for ten different STS missions under similar shielding. The results show that integral flux, dose rate and equivalent dose rate values follow a general increase with respect to increasing orbital inclination and altitude but that there are large variations from a simple relationship. This is to be expected since it has been shown that Shuttle attitude variations, combined with the anisotropic particle flux at the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA), can result in differences of a factor of 2 in dose rate inside the Shuttle (Badhwar et al., 1995). Solar cycle and shielding differences also result in variations in radiation dose between STS missions. Spaceflight dosimeters from the STS missions are also being used in the development of a method for increasing LET spectra measurement accuracy by extending LET measurements to particle tracks of ranges 10-80 microns. Refinements in processing and measurement techniques for the flight PNTD's have yielded increased detection efficiencies for the short tracks when LET spectra determined by using the standard and refined methods were intercompared.

Summary of measurements of high-LET particle radiation in U.S. manned space missions.

PubMed

Benton, E V; Peterson, D D; Henke, R P

1977-01-01

A summary of measurements of high-LET particle radiation inside U.S. manned spacecraft is given for ASTP (Apollo Soyuz Test Project), Skylab and Apollo missions. The results include particle fluxes, integral LET spectra, and stopping-density charge distributions derived from measurements made in plastic nuclear track detectors worn by astronauts and located at various positions inside spacecraft. The results presented for different missions cover a wide range of shielding depth and missions type.

Towards the Development of a Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shepherd, Marshall; Starr, David OC. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The scientific success of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and additional satellite-focused precipitation retrieval projects have paved the way for a more advanced global precipitation mission. A comprehensive global measuring strategy is currently under study - Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM). The GPM study could ultimately lead to the development of the Global Precipitation Mission. The intent of GPM is to address looming scientific questions arising in the context of global climate-water cycle interactions, hydrometeorology, weather prediction and prediction of freshwater resources, the global carbon cycle, and biogeochemical cycles. This talk overviews the status and scientific agenda of this proposed mission currently planned for launch in the 2007-2008 time frame. GPM is planning to expand the scope of precipitation measurement through the use of a constellation of 6-10 satellites, one of which will be an advanced TRMM-like "core" satellite carry dual-frequency Ku-Ka band radar and a microwave radiometer (e.g. TMI-like). The other constellation members will likely include new lightweight satellites and co-existing operational/research satellites carrying passive microwave radiometers. The goal behind the constellation is to achieve no worse than 3-hour sampling at any spot on the globe. The constellation's orbit architecture will consist of a mix of sun-synchronous and non-su n -synchronous satellites with the "core" satellite providing measurement of cloud-precipitation microphysical processes plus "training calibrating" information to be used with the retrieval algorithms for the constellation satellite measurements. The GPM is organized internationally, currently involving a partnership between NASA in the US, NASDA in Japan, and ESA in Europe (representing the European community). The program is expected to involve additional international partners, other federal agencies, and a diverse collection of scientists from academia

Cryogenic Thermal Conductivity Measurements on Candidate Materials for Space Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tuttle, JIm; Canavan, Ed; Jahromi, Amir

2017-01-01

Spacecraft and instruments on space missions are built using a wide variety of carefully-chosen materials. In addition to having mechanical properties appropriate for surviving the launch environment, these materials generally must have thermal conductivity values which meet specific requirements in their operating temperature ranges. Space missions commonly propose to include materials for which the thermal conductivity is not well known at cryogenic temperatures. We developed a test facility in 2004 at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center to measure material thermal conductivity at temperatures between 4 and 300 Kelvin, and we have characterized many candidate materials since then. The measurement technique is not extremely complex, but proper care to details of the setup, data acquisition and data reduction is necessary for high precision and accuracy. We describe the thermal conductivity measurement process and present results for several materials.

ARIM-1: The Atmospheric Refractive Index Measurements Sounding Rocket Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruiz, B. Ian (Editor)

1995-01-01

A conceptual design study of the ARIM-1 sounding rocket mission, whose goal is to study atmospheric turbulence in the tropopause region of the atmosphere, is presented. The study was conducted by an interdisciplinary team of students at the University of Alaska Fairbanks who were enrolled in a Space Systems Engineering course. The implementation of the ARIM-1 mission will be carried out by students participating in the Alaska Student Rocket Program (ASRP), with a projected launch date of August 1997. The ARIM-1 vehicle is a single stage sounding rocket with a 3:1 ogive nose cone, a payload diameter of 8 in., a motor diameter of 7.6 in., and an overall height of 17.0 ft including the four fins. Emphasis is placed on standardization of payload support systems. The thermosonde payload will measure the atmospheric turbulence by direct measurement of the temperature difference over a distance of one meter using two 3.45-micron 'hot-wire' probes. The recovery system consists of a 6 ft. diameter ribless guide surface drogue chute and a 33 ft. diameter main cross parachute designed to recover a payload of 31 pounds and slow its descent rate to 5 m/s through an altitude of 15 km. This document discusses the science objectives, mission analysis, payload mechanical configuration and structural design, recovery system, payload electronics, ground station, testing plans, and mission implementation.

Beyond synergies. Comment on "Hand synergies: Integration of robotics and neuroscience for understanding the control of biological and artificial hands" by Marco Santello et al.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwartz, Andrew B.

2016-07-01

The target paper by Santello et al. [1] uses the observation that hand shape during grasping can be described by a small set of basic postures, or ;synergies,; to describe the possible neural basis of motor control during this complex behavior. In the literature, the term ;synergy; has been used with a number of different meanings and is still loosely defined, making it difficult to derive concrete analogs of corresponding neural structure. Here, I will define ;synergy; broadly, as a set of parameters bound together by a pattern of correlation. With this definition, it can be argued that behavioral synergies are just one facet of the correlational structuring used by the brain to generate behavior. As pointed out in the target article, the structure found in synergies is driven by the physical constraints of our bodies and our surroundings, combined with the behavioral control imparted by our nervous system. This control itself is based on correlational structure which is likely to be a fundamental property of brain function.

Summary Report of Mission Acceleration Measurement for STS-87: Launched November 19, 1997

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rogers, Melissa J. B.; Hrovat, Kenneth; McPherson, Kevin; DeLombard, Richard; Reckart, Timothy

1999-01-01

Two accelerometer systems, the Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment and the Space Acceleration Measurement System, were used to measure and record the microgravity environment of the Orbiter Columbia during the STS-87 mission in November-December 1997. Data from two separate Space Acceleration Measurement System units were telemetered to the ground during the mission and data plots were displayed for investigators of the Fourth United States Microgravity Payload experiments in near real-time using the World Wide Web. Plots generated using Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment data (telemetered to the ground using a tape delay) were provided to the investigators using the World Wide Web approximately twelve hours after data recording. Disturbances in the microgravity environment as recorded by these instruments are grouped by source type: Orbiter systems, on-board activities, payload operations, and unknown sources. The environment related to the Ku-band antenna dither, Orbiter structural modes, attitude deadband collapses, water dump operations, crew sleep, and crew exercise was comparable to the effects of these sources on previous Orbiter missions. Disturbances related to operations of the Isothermal Dendritic Growth Experiment and Space Acceleration Measurement Systems that were not observed on previous missions are detailed. The effects of Orbiter cabin and airlock depressurization and extravehicular activities are also reported for the first time. A set of data plots representing the entire mission is included in the CD-ROM version of this report.

The "Synergies" Research-Practice Partnership Project: A "2020 Vision" Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Falk, John H.; Dierking, Lynn D.; Staus, Nancy L.; Wyld, Jennifer N.; Bailey, Deborah L.; Penuel, William R.

2016-01-01

This paper, describes "Synergies," an on-going longitudinal study and design effort, being conducted in a diverse, under-resourced community in Portland, Oregon, with the goal of measurably improving STEM learning, interest and participation by early adolescents, both in school and out of school. Authors examine how the work of this…

Global Precipitation Measurement Mission Launch and Commissioning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Nikesha; DeWeese, Keith; Vess, Melissa; O'Donnell, James R., Jr.; Welter, Gary

2015-01-01

During launch and early operation of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission, the Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C) analysis team encountered four main on-orbit anomalies. These include: (1) unexpected shock from Solar Array deployment, (2) momentum buildup from the Magnetic Torquer Bars (MTBs) phasing errors, (3) transition into Safehold due to albedo induced Course Sun Sensor (CSS) anomaly, and (4) a flight software error that could cause a Safehold transition due to a Star Tracker occultation. This paper will discuss ways GN&C engineers identified the anomalies and tracked down the root causes. Flight data and GN&C on-board models will be shown to illustrate how each of these anomalies were investigated and mitigated before causing any harm to the spacecraft. On May 29, 2014, GPM was handed over to the Mission Flight Operations Team after a successful commissioning period. Currently, GPM is operating nominally on orbit, collecting meaningful scientific data that will significantly improve our understanding of the Earth's climate and water cycle.

Global Precipitation Measurement Mission Launch and Commissioning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Nikesha; Deweese, Keith; Vess, Missie; Welter, Gary; O'Donnell, James R., Jr.

2015-01-01

During launch and early operation of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission, the Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) analysis team encountered four main on orbit anomalies. These include: (1) unexpected shock from Solar Array deployment, (2) momentum buildup from the Magnetic Torquer Bars (MTBs) phasing errors, (3) transition into Safehold due to albedo-induced Course Sun Sensor (CSS) anomaly, and (4) a flight software error that could cause a Safehold transition due to a Star Tracker occultation. This paper will discuss ways GNC engineers identified and tracked down the root causes. Flight data and GNC on board models will be shown to illustrate how each of these anomalies were investigated and mitigated before causing any harm to the spacecraft. On May 29, 2014, GPM was handed over to the Mission Flight Operations Team after a successful commissioning period. Currently, GPM is operating nominally on orbit, collecting meaningful scientific data that will significantly improve our understanding of the Earth's climate and water cycle.

Stability of hand force production. I. Hand level control variables and multifinger synergies.

PubMed

Reschechtko, Sasha; Latash, Mark L

2017-12-01

We combined the theory of neural control of movement with referent coordinates and the uncontrolled manifold hypothesis to explore synergies stabilizing the hand action in accurate four-finger pressing tasks. In particular, we tested a hypothesis on two classes of synergies, those among the four fingers and those within a pair of control variables, stabilizing hand action under visual feedback and disappearing without visual feedback. Subjects performed four-finger total force and moment production tasks under visual feedback; the feedback was later partially or completely removed. The "inverse piano" device was used to lift and lower the fingers smoothly at the beginning and at the end of each trial. These data were used to compute pairs of hypothetical control variables. Intertrial analysis of variance within the finger force space was used to quantify multifinger synergies stabilizing both force and moment. A data permutation method was used to quantify synergies among control variables. Under visual feedback, synergies in the spaces of finger forces and hypothetical control variables were found to stabilize total force. Without visual feedback, the subjects showed a force drift to lower magnitudes and a moment drift toward pronation. This was accompanied by disappearance of the four-finger synergies and strong attenuation of the control variable synergies. The indexes of the two types of synergies correlated with each other. The findings are interpreted within the scheme with multiple levels of abundant variables. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We extended the idea of hierarchical control with referent spatial coordinates for the effectors and explored two types of synergies stabilizing multifinger force production tasks. We observed synergies among finger forces and synergies between hypothetical control variables that stabilized performance under visual feedback but failed to stabilize it after visual feedback had been removed. Indexes of two types of synergies correlated

A Plan for Measuring Climatic Scale Global Precipitation Variability: The Global Precipitation Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Eric A.; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The outstanding success of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) stemmed from a near flawless launch and deployment, a highly successful measurement campaign, achievement of all original scientific objectives before the mission life had ended, and the accomplishment of a number of unanticipated but important additional scientific advances. This success and the realization that satellite rainfall datasets are now a foremost tool in the understanding of decadal climate variability has helped motivate a comprehensive global rainfall measuring mission, called 'The Global Precipitation Mission' (GPM). The intent of this mission is to address looming scientific questions arising in the context of global climate-water cycle interactions, hydrometeorology, weather prediction, the global carbon budget, and atmosphere-biosphere-cryosphere chemistry. This paper addresses the status of that mission currently planed for launch in the early 2007 time frame. The GPM design involves a nine-member satellite constellation, one of which will be an advanced TRMM-like 'core' satellite carrying a dual-frequency Ku-Ka band radar (df-PR) and a TMI-like radiometer. The other eight members of the constellation can be considered drones to the core satellite, each carrying some type of passive microwave radiometer measuring across the 10.7-85 GHz frequency range, likely based on both real and synthetic aperture antenna technology and to include a combination of new lightweight dedicated GPM drones and both co-existing operational and experimental satellites carrying passive microwave radiometers (i.e., SSM/l, AMSR, etc.). The constellation is designed to provide a minimum of three-hour sampling at any spot on the globe using sun-synchronous orbit architecture, with the core satellite providing relevant measurements on internal cloud precipitation microphysical processes. The core satellite also enables 'training' and 'calibration' of the drone retrieval process. Additional

Target-Independent Prediction of Drug Synergies Using Only Drug Lipophilicity

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Physicochemical properties of compounds have been instrumental in selecting lead compounds with increased drug-likeness. However, the relationship between physicochemical properties of constituent drugs and the tendency to exhibit drug interaction has not been systematically studied. We assembled physicochemical descriptors for a set of antifungal compounds (“drugs”) previously examined for interaction. Analyzing the relationship between molecular weight, lipophilicity, H-bond donor, and H-bond acceptor values for drugs and their propensity to show pairwise antifungal drug synergy, we found that combinations of two lipophilic drugs had a greater tendency to show drug synergy. We developed a more refined decision tree model that successfully predicted drug synergy in stringent cross-validation tests based on only lipophilicity of drugs. Our predictions achieved a precision of 63% and allowed successful prediction for 58% of synergistic drug pairs, suggesting that this phenomenon can extend our understanding for a substantial fraction of synergistic drug interactions. We also generated and analyzed a large-scale synergistic human toxicity network, in which we observed that combinations of lipophilic compounds show a tendency for increased toxicity. Thus, lipophilicity, a simple and easily determined molecular descriptor, is a powerful predictor of drug synergy. It is well established that lipophilic compounds (i) are promiscuous, having many targets in the cell, and (ii) often penetrate into the cell via the cellular membrane by passive diffusion. We discuss the positive relationship between drug lipophilicity and drug synergy in the context of potential drug synergy mechanisms. PMID:25026390

Summary Report of Mission Acceleration Measurements for STS-78. Launched June 20, 1996

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hakimzadeh, Roshanak; Hrovat, Kenneth; McPherson, Kevin M.; Moskowitz, Milton E.; Rogers, Melissa J. B.

1997-01-01

The microgravity environment of the Space Shuttle Columbia was measured during the STS-78 mission using accelerometers from three different instruments: the Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment, the Space Acceleration Measurement System and the Microgravity Measurement Assembly. The quasi-steady environment was also calculated in near real-time during the mission by the Microgravity Analysis Workstation. The Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment provided investigators with real-time quasi-steady acceleration measurements. The Space Acceleration Measurement System recorded higher frequency data on-board for post-mission analysis. The Microgravity Measurement Assembly provided investigators with real-time quasi-steady and higher frequency acceleration measurements. The Microgravity Analysis Workstation provided calculation of the quasi-steady environment. This calculation was presented to the science teams in real-time during the mission. The microgravity environment related to several different Orbiter, crew and experiment operations is presented and interpreted in this report. A radiator deploy, the Flight Control System checkout, and a vernier reaction control system reboost demonstration had minimal effects on the acceleration environment, with excitation of frequencies in the 0.01 to 10 Hz range. Flash Evaporator System venting had no noticeable effect on the environment while supply and waste water dumps caused excursions of 2 x lO(exp -6) to 4 x 10(exp -6) g in the Y(sub b) and Z(sub b) directions. Crew sleep and ergometer exercise periods can be clearly seen in the acceleration data, as expected. Accelerations related to the two Life Science Laboratory Equipment Refrigerator/Freezers were apparent in the data as are accelerations caused by the Johnson Space Center Projects Centrifuge. As on previous microgravity missions, several signals are present in the acceleration data for which a source has not been identified. The causes of these accelerations

Relationship of Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission to Global Change Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Eric A.

start by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This new mission is motivated by a number of scientific questions that are posed over a range of space and time scales that generally fall within the discipline of the global water and energy cycle (GWEC). climate variability out to decadal scales and beyond, for improving weather forecasting, and for producing better predictions of hydrometeorological processes including short-term hazardous flooding and seasonal fresh water resources assessment, a comprehensive and internationally- sanctioned global measuring strategy has led to the GPM mission. The GPM mission plans to expand the scope of rainfall measurement through use of a multi-member satellite constellation that will be contributed by a number of world nations. NASA, then focuses on scientific progress that is being made in various research areas in the course of the mission formulation phase that are of interest to the global change scientific community. This latter part of the talk addresses research issues that have become central to the GPM science implementation plan concerning: (1) the rate of global water cycling through the atmosphere and surface and the relationship of precipitation variability to the sustained rate of the water cycle; (2) the relationship between climate change and cloud macrophysical- microphysical processes; and (3) the general improvement in measuring precipitation at the fundamental microphysical level that will take place during the GPM era and an explanation of how these improvements are expected to come about.

Inference and representations of hand actions through grasping synergies. Comment on "Grasping synergies: A motor-control approach to the mirror neuron mechanism" by D'Ausilio, Bartoli, and Maffongelli

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santello, Marco

2015-03-01

The concept of synergy, denoting the coordination of multiple elements working together toward a common goal, has been extensively studied to understand how the central nervous system (CNS) controls movement (for review see [5,9]). Although this definition is appealing in its simplicity, 'multiple elements', 'working together', and 'common goal' each take different meanings depending on the scale at which a given sensorimotor system is studied, whether the 'working together' is defined in spatial and/or temporal domains, and the hypothesized synergy's 'common goal'. For example, the elements involved in a synergy can be defined as single motor units, muscles, or joints. Similarly, the goal of a synergy may be defined as a means available to the CNS to 'simplify' the control of multiple elements, or to minimize a given cost function or movement feature - all of which may differ across tasks and tasks conditions. These considerations underscore the fact that a universally accepted definition of synergies and their functional role remains to be established (for review see [6]). Thus, the nature and functional role(s) of synergies is still debated in the literature. Nevertheless, it is generally agreed that the reduction in the number of independent degrees of freedom that is manifested through synergies emerges from the interaction of biomechanical and neural factors constraining the spatial and temporal coordination of multiple muscles.

Voluntary and reactive recruitment of locomotor muscle synergies during perturbed walking

PubMed Central

Chvatal, Stacie A.; Ting, Lena H.

2012-01-01

The modular control of muscles in groups, often referred to as muscle synergies, has been proposed to provide a motor repertoire of actions for the robust control of movement. However it is not clear whether muscle synergies identified in one task are also recruited by different neural pathways subserving other motor behaviors. We tested the hypothesis that voluntary and reactive modifications to walking in humans result from the recruitment of locomotor muscle synergies. We recorded the activity of 16 muscles in the right leg as subjects walked a 7.5 m path at two different speeds. To elicit a second motor behavior, midway through the path we imposed ramp and hold translation perturbations of the support surface in each of four cardinal directions. Variations in the temporal recruitment of locomotor muscle synergies could account for cycle-by-cycle variations in muscle activity across strides. Locomotor muscle synergies were also recruited in atypical phases of gait, accounting for both anticipatory gait modifications prior to perturbations and reactive feedback responses to perturbations. Our findings are consistent with the idea that a common pool of spatially-fixed locomotor muscle synergies can be recruited by different neural pathways, including the central pattern generator for walking, brainstem pathways for balance control, and cortical pathways mediating voluntary gait modifications. Together with electrophysiological studies, our work suggests that muscle synergies may provide a library of motor subtasks that can be flexibly recruited by parallel descending pathways to generate a variety of complex natural movements in the upper and lower limbs. PMID:22933805

Food synergies for improving bioavailability of micronutrients from plant foods.

PubMed

Nair, K Madhavan; Augustine, Little Flower

2018-01-01

Plant foods are endowed with micronutrients but an understanding of bioavailability is essential in countries primarily dependent on plant based foods. Bioavailability depends majorly on food synergies. This review examines the nature of certain food synergies and methods to screen and establish it as a strategy to control micronutrient deficiency in the populations. Strong evidence on the synergistic effect of inclusion of vitamin C rich fruits and non-vegetarian foods in enhancing the bioavailability of iron has been demonstrated. Fat is found to be synergistic for vitamin A absorption. Red wine and protein have been explored for zinc absorption and effect of fat has been studied for vitamin D. Methods for screening of bioavailability, and biomarkers to demonstrate the synergistic effects of foods are required. Translation of food synergy as a strategy requires adaptation to the context and popularization of intelligent food synergies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Space acceleration measurement system description and operations on the First Spacelab Life Sciences Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delombard, Richard; Finley, Brian D.

1991-01-01

The Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS) project and flight units are briefly described. The SAMS operations during the STS-40 mission are summarized, and a preliminary look at some of the acceleration data from that mission are provided. The background and rationale for the SAMS project is described to better illustrate its goals. The functions and capabilities of each SAMS flight unit are first explained, then the STS-40 mission, the SAMS's function for that mission, and the preparation of the SAMS are described. Observations about the SAMS operations during the first SAMS mission are then discussed. Some sample data are presented illustrating several aspects of the mission's microgravity environment.

Summary Report of Mission Acceleration Measurements for STS-75, Launched February 22, 1996

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rogers, Melissa J. B.; Hrovat, Kenneth; Moskowitz, Milton E.; McPherson, Kevin M.; DeLombard, Richard

1996-01-01

Two accelerometers provided acceleration data during the STS-75 mission in support of the third United States Microgravity Payload (USMP-3) experiments. The Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE) and the Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS) provided a measure of the microgravity environment of the Space Shuttle Columbia. The OARE provided investigators with quasi-steady acceleration measurements after about a six hour time lag dictated by downlink constraints. SAMS data were downlinked in near-real-time and recorded on-board for post-mission analysis. An overview of the mission is provided as are brief discussions of these two accelerometer systems. Data analysis techniques used to process SAMS and OARE data are discussed Using a combination of these techniques, the microgravity environment related to several different Orbiter, crew, and experiment operations is presented and interpreted. The microgravity environment represented by SAMS and OARE data is comparable to the environments measured by the instruments on earlier microgravity science missions. The OARE data compared well with predictions of the quasi-steady environment. The SAMS data show the influence of thruster firings and crew motion (transient events) and of crew exercise, Orbiter systems, and experiment operations (oscillatory events). Thruster activity on this mission appears to be somewhat more frequent than on other microgravity missions with the combined firings of the F5L and F5R jets producing significant acceleration transients. The specific crew activities performed in the middeck and flight deck, the SPREE table rotations, the waste collection system compaction, and the fuel cell purge had negligible effects on the microgravity environment of the USMP-3 carriers. The Ku band antenna repositioning activity resulted in a brief interruption of the ubiquitous 17 Hz signal in the SAMS data. In addition, the auxiliary power unit operations during the Flight Control System checkout

Synergy between cellulolytic enzymes during the biodegradation of cellulose microfibrils measured using angle-scanning surface plasmon resonance (SPR) imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raegen, Adam; Dion, Alexander; Reiter, Kyle; Clarke, Anthony; Lipkowski, Jacek; Dutcher, John

2014-03-01

The use of cellulosic ethanol, a promising emerging energy source, is limited by the energy intensive and costly step of first converting the cellulose fibers into their constituent glucose monomers. Industrial processes mimic those that occur in nature, using mixtures or ``cocktails'' of different classes of cellulolytic enzymes derived from fungi. Despite several decades of investigation, the molecular mechanisms for enzyme synergy remain poorly understood. To gain additional insight, we have used a custom angle-scanning surface plasmon resonance (SPR) imaging apparatus to obtain a sensitive measure of enzymatic degradation. By implementing a novel SPR data analysis procedure, we have been able to track the thickness and roughness of laterally heterogeneous cellulose microfibril-coated substrates as enzymatic degradation proceeds. This has allowed us to measure the synergistic actions of the different enzymes, providing data that are directly relevant to the cellulosic ethanol industry.

Mission specification for three generic mission classes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

Mission specifications for three generic mission classes are generated to provide a baseline for definition and analysis of data acquisition platform system concepts. The mission specifications define compatible groupings of sensors that satisfy specific earth resources and environmental mission objectives. The driving force behind the definition of sensor groupings is mission need; platform and space transportation system constraints are of secondary importance. The three generic mission classes are: (1) low earth orbit sun-synchronous; (2) geosynchronous; and (3) non-sun-synchronous, nongeosynchronous. These missions are chosen to provide a variety of sensor complements and implementation concepts. Each mission specification relates mission categories, mission objectives, measured parameters, and candidate sensors to orbits and coverage, operations compatibility, and platform fleet size.

Inter-subject variability of muscle synergies during bench press in power lifters and untrained individuals.

PubMed

Kristiansen, M; Madeleine, P; Hansen, E A; Samani, A

2015-02-01

The purpose of the study was to elucidate the role of expertise on muscle synergies involved in bench press. Ten expert power lifters (EXP) and nine untrained participants (UNT) completed three sets of eight repetitions at 60% of three repetition maximum in bench press. Muscle synergies were extracted from surface electromyography data of 21 bench press cycles using non-negative matrix factorization algorithm. The synergy activation coefficient represents the relative contribution of the muscle synergy to the overall muscle activity pattern, while the muscle synergy vector represents the relative weighting of each muscle within each synergy. Describing more than 90% of the variability, two muscle synergies reflected the eccentric and concentric phase. The cross-correlations (ρ(max)) for synergy activation coefficient 2 (concentric phase) were 0.83 [0.71;0.88] and 0.59 [0.49;0.77] [Median ρ(max) (25th;75th percentile)] (P = 0.001) in UNT and EXP, respectively. Median correlation coefficient (ρ) for muscle synergy vector 2 was 0.15 [-0.08;0.46] and 0.48 [0.02;0.70] (P = 0.03) in UNT and EXP, respectively. Thus, EXP showed larger inter-subject variability than UNT in the synergy activation coefficient during the concentric phase, while the muscle synergy vectors were less variable in EXP. This points at the importance of a specialized neural strategy in elite bench press performance. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Predicting synergy in atomic layer etching

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kanarik, Keren J.; Tan, Samantha; Yang, Wenbing

2017-03-27

Atomic layer etching (ALE) is a multistep process used today in manufacturing for removing ultrathin layers of material. In this article, the authors report on ALE of Si, Ge, C, W, GaN, and SiO 2 using a directional (anisotropic) plasma-enhanced approach. The authors analyze these systems by defining an “ALE synergy” parameter which quantifies the degree to which a process approaches the ideal ALE regime. This parameter is inspired by the ion-neutral synergy concept introduced in the 1979 paper by Coburn and Winters. ALE synergy is related to the energetics of underlying surface interactions and is understood in terms ofmore » energy criteria for the energy barriers involved in the reactions. Synergistic behavior is observed for all of the systems studied, with each exhibiting behavior unique to the reactant–material combination. By systematically studying atomic layer etching of a group of materials, the authors show that ALE synergy scales with the surface binding energy of the bulk material. This insight explains why some materials are more or less amenable to the directional ALE approach. Furthermore, they conclude that ALE is both simpler to understand than conventional plasma etch processing and is applicable to metals, semiconductors, and dielectrics.« less

CLAIRE: a Canadian Small Satellite Mission for Measurement of Greenhouse Gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sloan, James; Grant, Cordell; Germain, Stephane; Durak, Berke; McKeever, Jason; Latendresse, Vincent

2016-07-01

CLAIRE, a Canadian mission operated by GHGSat Inc. of Montreal, is the world's first satellite designed to measure greenhouse gas emissions from single targeted industrial facilities. Claire was launched earlier this year into a 500 km polar sun-synchronous orbit selected to provide an acceptable balance between return frequency and spatial resolution. Extensive simulations of oil & gas facilities, power plants, hydro reservoirs and even animal feedlots were used to predict the mission performance. The principal goal is to measure the emission rates of carbon dioxide and methane from selected targets with greater precision and lower cost than ground-based alternatives. CLAIRE will measure sources having surface areas less than 10 x 10 km2 with a spatial resolution better than 50 m, thereby providing industrial site operators and government regulators with the information they need to understand, manage and ultimately to reduce greenhouse gas emissions more economically. The sensor is based on a Fabry-Perot interferometer, coupled with a 2D InGaAs focal plane array operating in the short-wave infrared with a spectral resolution of about 0.1 nm. The patented, high étendue, instrument design provides signal to noise ratios that permit quantification of emission rates with accuracies adequate for most regulatory reporting thresholds. The very high spatial resolution of the density maps produced by the CLAIRE mission resolves plume shapes and emitter locations so that advanced dispersion models can derive accurate emission rates of multiple sources within the field of view. The satellite bus, provided by the University of Toronto's Space Flight Laboratory, is based on the well-characterized NEMO architecture, including hardware that has significant spaceflight heritage. The mission is currently undergoing initial test and validation measurements in preparation for commercial operation later this year.

Building Bridges for Innovation in Ageing: Synergies between Action Groups of the EIP on AHA.

PubMed

Bousquet, J; Bewick, M; Cano, A; Eklund, P; Fico, G; Goswami, N; Guldemond, N A; Henderson, D; Hinkema, M J; Liotta, G; Mair, A; Molloy, W; Monaco, A; Monsonis-Paya, I; Nizinska, A; Papadopoulos, H; Pavlickova, A; Pecorelli, S; Prados-Torres, A; Roller-Wirnsberger, R E; Somekh, D; Vera-Muñoz, C; Visser, F; Farrell, J; Malva, J; Andersen Ranberg, K; Camuzat, T; Carriazo, A M; Crooks, G; Gutter, Z; Iaccarino, G; Manuel de Keenoy, E; Moda, G; Rodriguez-Mañas, L; Vontetsianos, T; Abreu, C; Alonso, J; Alonso-Bouzon, C; Ankri, J; Arredondo, M T; Avolio, F; Bedbrook, A; Białoszewski, A Z; Blain, H; Bourret, R; Cabrera-Umpierrez, M F; Catala, A; O'Caoimh, R; Cesari, M; Chavannes, N H; Correia-da-Sousa, J; Dedeu, T; Ferrando, M; Ferri, M; Fokkens, W J; Garcia-Lizana, F; Guérin, O; Hellings, P W; Haahtela, T; Illario, M; Inzerilli, M C; Lodrup Carlsen, K C; Kardas, P; Keil, T; Maggio, M; Mendez-Zorrilla, A; Menditto, E; Mercier, J; Michel, J P; Murray, R; Nogues, M; O'Byrne-Maguire, I; Pappa, D; Parent, A S; Pastorino, M; Robalo-Cordeiro, C; Samolinski, B; Siciliano, P; Teixeira, A M; Tsartara, S I; Valiulis, A; Vandenplas, O; Vasankari, T; Vellas, B; Vollenbroek-Hutten, M; Wickman, M; Yorgancioglu, A; Zuberbier, T; Barbagallo, M; Canonica, G W; Klimek, L; Maggi, S; Aberer, W; Akdis, C; Adcock, I M; Agache, I; Albera, C; Alonso-Trujillo, F; Angel Guarcia, M; Annesi-Maesano, I; Apostolo, J; Arshad, S H; Attalin, V; Avignon, A; Bachert, C; Baroni, I; Bel, E; Benson, M; Bescos, C; Blasi, F; Barbara, C; Bergmann, K C; Bernard, P L; Bonini, S; Bousquet, P J; Branchini, B; Brightling, C E; Bruguière, V; Bunu, C; Bush, A; Caimmi, D P; Calderon, M A; Canovas, G; Cardona, V; Carlsen, K H; Cesario, A; Chkhartishvili, E; Chiron, R; Chivato, T; Chung, K F; d'Angelantonio, M; De Carlo, G; Cholley, D; Chorin, F; Combe, B; Compas, B; Costa, D J; Costa, E; Coste, O; Coupet, A-L; Crepaldi, G; Custovic, A; Dahl, R; Dahlen, S E; Demoly, P; Devillier, P; Didier, A; Dinh-Xuan, A T; Djukanovic, R; Dokic, D; Du Toit, G; Dubakiene, R; Dupeyron, A; Emuzyte, R; Fiocchi, A; Wagner, A; Fletcher, M; Fonseca, J; Fougère, B; Gamkrelidze, A; Garces, G; Garcia-Aymeric, J; Garcia-Zapirain, B; Gemicioğlu, B; Gouder, C; Hellquist-Dahl, B; Hermosilla-Gimeno, I; Héve, D; Holland, C; Humbert, M; Hyland, M; Johnston, S L; Just, J; Jutel, M; Kaidashev, I P; Khaitov, M; Kalayci, O; Kalyoncu, A F; Keijser, W; Kerstjens, H; Knezović, J; Kowalski, M; Koppelman, G H; Kotska, T; Kovac, M; Kull, I; Kuna, P; Kvedariene, V; Lepore, V; MacNee, W; Maggio, M; Magnan, A; Majer, I; Manning, P; Marcucci, M; Marti, T; Masoli, M; Melen, E; Miculinic, N; Mihaltan, F; Milenkovic, B; Millot-Keurinck, J; Mlinarić, H; Momas, I; Montefort, S; Morais-Almeida, M; Moreno-Casbas, T; Mösges, R; Mullol, J; Nadif, R; Nalin, M; Navarro-Pardo, E; Nekam, K; Ninot, G; Paccard, D; Pais, S; Palummeri, E; Panzner, P; Papadopoulos, N K; Papanikolaou, C; Passalacqua, G; Pastor, E; Perrot, M; Plavec, D; Popov, T A; Postma, D S; Price, D; Raffort, N; Reuzeau, J C; Robine, J M; Rodenas, F; Robusto, F; Roche, N; Romano, A; Romano, V; Rosado-Pinto, J; Roubille, F; Ruiz, F; Ryan, D; Salcedo, T; Schmid-Grendelmeier, P; Schulz, H; Schunemann, H J; Serrano, E; Sheikh, A; Shields, M; Siafakas, N; Scichilone, N; Siciliano, P; Skrindo, I; Smit, H A; Sourdet, S; Sousa-Costa, E; Spranger, O; Sooronbaev, T; Sruk, V; Sterk, P J; Todo-Bom, A; Touchon, J; Tramontano, D; Triggiani, M; Tsartara, S I; Valero, A L; Valovirta, E; van Ganse, E; van Hage, M; van den Berge, M; Vandenplas, O; Ventura, M T; Vergara, I; Vezzani, G; Vidal, D; Viegi, G; Wagemann, M; Whalley, B; Wickman, M; Wilson, N; Yiallouros, P K; Žagar, M; Zaidi, A; Zidarn, M; Hoogerwerf, E J; Usero, J; Zuffada, R; Senn, A; de Oliveira-Alves, B

2017-01-01

The Strategic Implementation Plan of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA) proposed six Action Groups. After almost three years of activity, many achievements have been obtained through commitments or collaborative work of the Action Groups. However, they have often worked in silos and, consequently, synergies between Action Groups have been proposed to strengthen the triple win of the EIP on AHA. The paper presents the methodology and current status of the Task Force on EIP on AHA synergies. Synergies are in line with the Action Groups' new Renovated Action Plan (2016-2018) to ensure that their future objectives are coherent and fully connected. The outcomes and impact of synergies are using the Monitoring and Assessment Framework for the EIP on AHA (MAFEIP). Eight proposals for synergies have been approved by the Task Force: Five cross-cutting synergies which can be used for all current and future synergies as they consider overarching domains (appropriate polypharmacy, citizen empowerment, teaching and coaching on AHA, deployment of synergies to EU regions, Responsible Research and Innovation), and three cross-cutting synergies focussing on current Action Group activities (falls, frailty, integrated care and chronic respiratory diseases).

Measuring Staff Perceptions of University Identity and Activities: The Mission and Values Inventory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferrari, Joseph R.; Velcoff, Jessica

2006-01-01

Higher education institutions need to ascertain whether their stakeholders understand the school's mission, vision, and values. In the present study, the psychometric properties of a mission identity and activity measure were investigated with two staff samples. Using a principal component factor analysis (varimax rotation), respondents in Sample…

Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). Phase B: Data capture facility definition study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Aerospace Administration (NASA) and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) initiated the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) to obtain more accurate measurements of tropical rainfall then ever before. The measurements are to improve scientific understanding and knowledge of the mechanisms effecting the intra-annual and interannual variability of the Earth's climate. The TRMM is largely dependent upon the handling and processing of the data by the TRMM Ground System supporting the mission. The objective of the TRMM is to obtain three years of climatological determinations of rainfall in the tropics, culminating in data sets of 30-day average rainfall over 5-degree square areas, and associated estimates of vertical distribution of latent heat release. The scope of this study is limited to the functions performed by TRMM Data Capture Facility (TDCF). These functions include capturing the TRMM spacecraft return link data stream; processing the data in the real-time, quick-look, and routine production modes, as appropriate; and distributing real time, quick-look, and production data products to users. The following topics are addressed: (1) TRMM end-to-end system description; (2) TRMM mission operations concept; (3) baseline requirements; (4) assumptions related to mission requirements; (5) external interface; (6) TDCF architecture and design options; (7) critical issues and tradeoffs; and (8) recommendation for the final TDCF selection process.

Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-02-22

A daruma doll is seen amongst the NASA GPM Mission launch team in the Spacecraft Test and Assembly Building 2 (STA2) during the all-day launch simulation for the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2014, Tanegashima Space Center (TNSC), Tanegashima Island, Japan. One eye of the daruma doll is colored in when a goal is set, in this case a successful launch of GPM, and the second eye is colored in at the completion of the goal. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) plans to launch an H-IIA rocket carrying the GPM Core Observatory on Feb. 28, 2014. The NASA-JAXA GPM spacecraft will collect information that unifies data from an international network of existing and future satellites to map global rainfall and snowfall every three hours. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Measuring corporate culture to ensure mission fulfillment.

PubMed

Hulsebus-Fong, C

1988-11-01

Ancilla Systems, Inc., Elk Grove Village, Il, developed a mission-based performance evaluation program to provide tangible evidence of mission fulfillment and ensure the provision of high-quality healthcare. the program--Characteristics of Service--translates the language of healthcare action and evaluates corporate culture to ensure that it fulfills the expectations of its sponsor. The nine Characteristics of Service are: Respect for the dignity of all persons. Orientation toward the family unit. Quality and personalized services. Local health systems with a spectrum of services responsive to the unique needs of the community. Formal and informal partnerships with physicians. Active participation and collaboration with related community service agencies and other healthcare providers. Faithfulness to Catholic identity through close relationships with Church and religious institute resources. Effective political advocacy through education. Research and development of innovative approaches to healthcare. In establishing the behavior standards that would exemplify the characteristics, program developers used terms that correspond to specific, observable, measurable performance. All healthcare facilities are evaluated on how well they meet the behavior standards. The evaluation process includes data collection, analysis, and a final report. Data collection begins with a review of regular hospital-conducted surveys, which provide quantifiable information to measure performance against key expected behaviors. Additional data are derived from medical staff development plans and the monthly quality assurance audit. On-site surveys fill information gaps that remain after all written reports are collected.

The Hydrosphere State (Hydros) Satellite Mission: An Earth System Pathfinder for Global Mapping of Soil Moisture and Land Freeze/Thaw

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Entekhabi, D.; Njoku, E. G.; Spencer, M.; Kim, Y.; Smith, J.; McDonald, K. C.; vanZyl, J.; Houser, P.; Dorion, T.; Koster, R.;

Normalized Index of Synergy for Evaluating the Coordination of Motor Commands

PubMed Central

Togo, Shunta; Imamizu, Hiroshi

2015-01-01

Humans perform various motor tasks by coordinating the redundant motor elements in their bodies. The coordination of motor outputs is produced by motor commands, as well properties of the musculoskeletal system. The aim of this study was to dissociate the coordination of motor commands from motor outputs. First, we conducted simulation experiments where the total elbow torque was generated by a model of a simple human right and left elbow with redundant muscles. The results demonstrated that muscle tension with signal-dependent noise formed a coordinated structure of trial-to-trial variability of muscle tension. Therefore, the removal of signal-dependent noise effects was required to evaluate the coordination of motor commands. We proposed a method to evaluate the coordination of motor commands, which removed signal-dependent noise from the measured variability of muscle tension. We used uncontrolled manifold analysis to calculate a normalized index of synergy. Simulation experiments confirmed that the proposed method could appropriately represent the coordinated structure of the variability of motor commands. We also conducted experiments in which subjects performed the same task as in the simulation experiments. The normalized index of synergy revealed that the subjects coordinated their motor commands to achieve the task. Finally, the normalized index of synergy was applied to a motor learning task to determine the utility of the proposed method. We hypothesized that a large part of the change in the coordination of motor outputs through learning was because of changes in motor commands. In a motor learning task, subjects tracked a target trajectory of the total torque. The change in the coordination of muscle tension through learning was dominated by that of motor commands, which supported the hypothesis. We conclude that the normalized index of synergy can be used to evaluate the coordination of motor commands independently from the properties of the

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission: Overview and U.S. Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hou, Arthur Y.; Azarbarzin, Ardeshir A.; Kakar, Ramesh K.; Neeck, Steven

2011-01-01

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission is an international satellite mission specifically designed to unify and advance precipitation measurements from a constellation of research and operational microwave sensors. Building upon the success of the U.S.-Japan Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States and the Japan Aerospace and Exploration Agency (JAXA) will deploy in 2013 a GPM "Core" satellite carrying a KulKa-band Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) and a conical-scanning multi-channel (10-183 GHz) GPM Microwave Imager (GMI) to establish a new reference standard for precipitation measurements from space. The combined active/passive sensor measurements will also be used to provide common database for precipitation retrievals from constellation sensors. For global coverage, GPM relies on existing satellite programs and new mission opportunities from a consortium of partners through bilateral agreements with either NASA or JAXA. Each constellation member may have its unique scientific or operational objectives but contributes microwave observations to GPM for the generation and dissemination of unified global precipitation data products. In addition to the DPR and GMI on the Core Observatory, the baseline GPM constellation consists of the following sensors: (1) Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS) instruments on the U.S. Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites, (2) the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer- 2 (AMSR-2) on the GCOM-Wl satellite of JAXA, (3) the Multi-Frequency Microwave Scanning Radiometer (MADRAS) and the multi-channel microwave humidity sounder (SAPHIR) on the French-Indian Megha-Tropiques satellite, (4) the Microwave Humidity Sounder (MHS) on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)-19, (5) MHS instruments on MetOp satellites launched by the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological

A model-based approach to predict muscle synergies using optimization: application to feedback control

PubMed Central

Sharif Razavian, Reza; Mehrabi, Naser; McPhee, John

2015-01-01

This paper presents a new model-based method to define muscle synergies. Unlike the conventional factorization approach, which extracts synergies from electromyographic data, the proposed method employs a biomechanical model and formally defines the synergies as the solution of an optimal control problem. As a result, the number of required synergies is directly related to the dimensions of the operational space. The estimated synergies are posture-dependent, which correlate well with the results of standard factorization methods. Two examples are used to showcase this method: a two-dimensional forearm model, and a three-dimensional driver arm model. It has been shown here that the synergies need to be task-specific (i.e., they are defined for the specific operational spaces: the elbow angle and the steering wheel angle in the two systems). This functional definition of synergies results in a low-dimensional control space, in which every force in the operational space is accurately created by a unique combination of synergies. As such, there is no need for extra criteria (e.g., minimizing effort) in the process of motion control. This approach is motivated by the need for fast and bio-plausible feedback control of musculoskeletal systems, and can have important implications in engineering, motor control, and biomechanics. PMID:26500530

Quantifying Synergy: A Systematic Review of Mixture Toxicity Studies within Environmental Toxicology

PubMed Central

Cedergreen, Nina

2014-01-01

Cocktail effects and synergistic interactions of chemicals in mixtures are an area of great concern to both the public and regulatory authorities. The main concern is whether some chemicals can enhance the effect of other chemicals, so that they jointly exert a larger effect than predicted. This phenomenon is called synergy. Here we present a review of the scientific literature on three main groups of environmentally relevant chemical toxicants: pesticides, metal ions and antifouling compounds. The aim of the review is to determine 1) the frequency of synergy, 2) the extent of synergy, 3) whether any particular groups or classes of chemicals tend to induce synergy, and 4) which physiological mechanisms might be responsible for this synergy. Synergy is here defined as mixtures with minimum two-fold difference between observed and predicted effect concentrations using Concentration Addition (CA) as a reference model and including both lethal and sub-lethal endpoints. The results showed that synergy occurred in 7%, 3% and 26% of the 194, 21 and 136 binary pesticide, metal and antifoulants mixtures included in the data compilation on frequency. The difference between observed and predicted effect concentrations was rarely more than 10-fold. For pesticides, synergistic mixtures included cholinesterase inhibitors or azole fungicides in 95% of 69 described cases. Both groups of pesticides are known to interfere with metabolic degradation of other xenobiotics. For the four synergistic metal and 47 synergistic antifoulant mixtures the pattern in terms of chemical groups inducing synergy was less clear. Hypotheses in terms of mechanisms governing these interactions are discussed. It was concluded that true synergistic interactions between chemicals are rare and often occur at high concentrations. Addressing the cumulative rather than synergistic effect of co-occurring chemicals, using standard models as CA, is therefore regarded as the most important step in the risk

Methodological Choices in Muscle Synergy Analysis Impact Differentiation of Physiological Characteristics Following Stroke

PubMed Central

Banks, Caitlin L.; Pai, Mihir M.; McGuirk, Theresa E.; Fregly, Benjamin J.; Patten, Carolynn

2017-01-01

Muscle synergy analysis (MSA) is a mathematical technique that reduces the dimensionality of electromyographic (EMG) data. Used increasingly in biomechanics research, MSA requires methodological choices at each stage of the analysis. Differences in methodological steps affect the overall outcome, making it difficult to compare results across studies. We applied MSA to EMG data collected from individuals post-stroke identified as either responders (RES) or non-responders (nRES) on the basis of a critical post-treatment increase in walking speed. Importantly, no clinical or functional indicators identified differences between the cohort of RES and nRES at baseline. For this exploratory study, we selected the five highest RES and five lowest nRES available from a larger sample. Our goal was to assess how the methodological choices made before, during, and after MSA affect the ability to differentiate two groups with intrinsic physiologic differences based on MSA results. We investigated 30 variations in MSA methodology to determine which choices allowed differentiation of RES from nRES at baseline. Trial-to-trial variability in time-independent synergy vectors (SVs) and time-varying neural commands (NCs) were measured as a function of: (1) number of synergies computed; (2) EMG normalization method before MSA; (3) whether SVs were held constant across trials or allowed to vary during MSA; and (4) synergy analysis output normalization method after MSA. MSA methodology had a strong effect on our ability to differentiate RES from nRES at baseline. Across all 10 individuals and MSA variations, two synergies were needed to reach an average of 90% variance accounted for (VAF). Based on effect sizes, differences in SV and NC variability between groups were greatest using two synergies with SVs that varied from trial-to-trial. Differences in SV variability were clearest using unit magnitude per trial EMG normalization, while NC variability was less sensitive to EMG

Methodological Choices in Muscle Synergy Analysis Impact Differentiation of Physiological Characteristics Following Stroke.

PubMed

Banks, Caitlin L; Pai, Mihir M; McGuirk, Theresa E; Fregly, Benjamin J; Patten, Carolynn

2017-01-01

Muscle synergy analysis (MSA) is a mathematical technique that reduces the dimensionality of electromyographic (EMG) data. Used increasingly in biomechanics research, MSA requires methodological choices at each stage of the analysis. Differences in methodological steps affect the overall outcome, making it difficult to compare results across studies. We applied MSA to EMG data collected from individuals post-stroke identified as either responders (RES) or non-responders (nRES) on the basis of a critical post-treatment increase in walking speed. Importantly, no clinical or functional indicators identified differences between the cohort of RES and nRES at baseline. For this exploratory study, we selected the five highest RES and five lowest nRES available from a larger sample. Our goal was to assess how the methodological choices made before, during, and after MSA affect the ability to differentiate two groups with intrinsic physiologic differences based on MSA results. We investigated 30 variations in MSA methodology to determine which choices allowed differentiation of RES from nRES at baseline. Trial-to-trial variability in time-independent synergy vectors (SVs) and time-varying neural commands (NCs) were measured as a function of: (1) number of synergies computed; (2) EMG normalization method before MSA; (3) whether SVs were held constant across trials or allowed to vary during MSA; and (4) synergy analysis output normalization method after MSA. MSA methodology had a strong effect on our ability to differentiate RES from nRES at baseline. Across all 10 individuals and MSA variations, two synergies were needed to reach an average of 90% variance accounted for (VAF). Based on effect sizes, differences in SV and NC variability between groups were greatest using two synergies with SVs that varied from trial-to-trial. Differences in SV variability were clearest using unit magnitude per trial EMG normalization, while NC variability was less sensitive to EMG

Earth Sensor Assembly for the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prince, Steven S.; Hoover, James M.

1995-01-01

EDO Corporation/Barnes Engineering Division (BED) has provided the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) Earth Sensor Assembly (ESA), a key element in the TRMM spacecraft's attitude control system. This report documents the history, design, fabrication, assembly, and test of the ESA.

Extracting motor synergies from random movements for low-dimensional task-space control of musculoskeletal robots.

PubMed

Fu, Kin Chung Denny; Dalla Libera, Fabio; Ishiguro, Hiroshi

2015-10-08

In the field of human motor control, the motor synergy hypothesis explains how humans simplify body control dimensionality by coordinating groups of muscles, called motor synergies, instead of controlling muscles independently. In most applications of motor synergies to low-dimensional control in robotics, motor synergies are extracted from given optimal control signals. In this paper, we address the problems of how to extract motor synergies without optimal data given, and how to apply motor synergies to achieve low-dimensional task-space tracking control of a human-like robotic arm actuated by redundant muscles, without prior knowledge of the robot. We propose to extract motor synergies from a subset of randomly generated reaching-like movement data. The essence is to first approximate the corresponding optimal control signals, using estimations of the robot's forward dynamics, and to extract the motor synergies subsequently. In order to avoid modeling difficulties, a learning-based control approach is adopted such that control is accomplished via estimations of the robot's inverse dynamics. We present a kernel-based regression formulation to estimate the forward and the inverse dynamics, and a sliding controller in order to cope with estimation error. Numerical evaluations show that the proposed method enables extraction of motor synergies for low-dimensional task-space control.

Children With and Without Dystonia Share Common Muscle Synergies While Performing Writing Tasks.

PubMed

Lunardini, Francesca; Casellato, Claudia; Bertucco, Matteo; Sanger, Terence D; Pedrocchi, Alessandra

2017-08-01

Childhood dystonia is a movement disorder characterized by muscle overflow and variability. This is the first study that investigates upper limb muscle synergies in childhood dystonia with the twofold aim of deepening the understanding of neuromotor dysfunctions and paving the way to possible synergy-based myocontrol interfaces suitable for this neurological population. Nonnegative matrix factorization was applied to the activity of upper-limb muscles recorded during the execution of writing tasks in children with dystonia and age-matched controls. Despite children with dystonia presented compromised kinematics of the writing outcome, a strikingly similarity emerged in the number and structure of the synergy vectors extracted from children in the two groups. The analysis also revealed that the timing of activation of the synergy coefficients did not significantly differ, while the amplitude of the peaks presented a slight reduction. These results suggest that the synergy analysis has the ability of capturing the uncorrupted part of the electromyographic signal in dystonia. Such an ability supports a possible future use of muscle synergies in the design of myocontrol interfaces for children with dystonia.

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Progress Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simpson, Joanne; Meneghini, Robert; Kummerow, Christian D.; Meneghini, Robert; Hou, Arthur; Adler, Robert F.; Huffman, George; Barkstrom, Bruce; Wielicki, Bruce; Goodman, Steve

1999-01-01

Recognizing the importance of rain in the tropics and the accompanying latent heat release, NASA for the U.S. and NASDA for Japan have partnered in the design, construction and flight of an Earth Probe satellite to measure tropical rainfall and calculate the associated heating. Primary mission goals are 1) the understanding of crucial links in climate variability by the hydrological cycle, 2) improvement in the large-scale models of weather and climate 3) Improvement in understanding cloud ensembles and their impacts on larger scale circulations. The linkage with the tropical oceans and landmasses are also emphasized. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite was launched in November 1997 with fuel enough to obtain a four to five year data set of rainfall over the global tropics from 37'N to 37'S. This paper reports progress from launch date through the spring of 1999. The data system and its products and their access is described, as are the algorithms used to obtain the data. Some exciting early results from TRMM are described. Some important algorithm improvements are shown. These will be used in the first total data reprocessing, scheduled to be complete in early 2000. The reader is given information on how to access and use the data.

Using postural synergies to animate a low-dimensional hand avatar in haptic simulation.

PubMed

Mulatto, Sara; Formaglio, Alessandro; Malvezzi, Monica; Prattichizzo, Domenico

2013-01-01

A technique to animate a realistic hand avatar with 20 DoFs based on the biomechanics of the human hand is presented. The animation does not use any sensor glove or advanced tracker with markers. The proposed approach is based on the knowledge of a set of kinematic constraints on the model of the hand, referred to as postural synergies, which allows to represent the hand posture using a number of variables lower than the number of joints of the hand model. This low-dimensional set of parameters is estimated from direct measurement of the motion of thumb and index finger tracked using two haptic devices. A kinematic inversion algorithm has been developed, which takes synergies into account and estimates the kinematic configuration of the whole hand, i.e., also of the fingers whose end tips are not directly tracked by the two haptic devices. The hand skin is deformable and its deformation is computed using a linear vertex blending technique. The proposed synergy-based animation of the hand avatar involves only algebraic computations and is suitable for real-time implementation as required in haptics.

Postural synergies associated with a stepping task.

PubMed

Mercer, V S; Sahrmann, S A

1999-12-01

Synergistic relationships among multiple muscle components are thought to exist to simplify control of posture and movement. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which children, young adults, and older adults exhibit consistent sequences of postural muscle activation when lifting the right foot onto a step from a standing position. Twenty subjects without known impairments of the neuromuscular system (10 male, 10 female) in each of 3 age groups--children (8-12 years), young adults (25-35 years), and older adults (65-73 years)--participated. A pressure switch taped to the subject's right foot was used to determine movement onset and offset. Latencies of muscle activation were determined using surface electromyography. A preferred postural synergy was defined as the sequence of postural muscle activation observed during the majority of trials for each subject. Mean movement times did not differ among age groups. Although the left tibialis anterior (TA) muscle was the first of the postural muscles activated in 93% of the trials, subjects displayed considerable variability in the subsequent order of postural muscle activation. Across subjects, a total of 14 different preferred postural synergies were observed. Age groups did not differ in the number of different synergies. Early TA activation may reflect biomechanical constraints of the stepping task, producing forward displacement of the center of mass over the changing base of support. The fact that subjects of all ages were quite variable in the specific sequences of muscles activated subsequent to the TA suggests that, for this type of task, therapists should not focus their interventions on facilitating execution of particular synergy patterns.

Postural Hand Synergies during Environmental Constraint Exploitation

PubMed Central

Della Santina, Cosimo; Bianchi, Matteo; Averta, Giuseppe; Ciotti, Simone; Arapi, Visar; Fani, Simone; Battaglia, Edoardo; Catalano, Manuel Giuseppe; Santello, Marco; Bicchi, Antonio

2017-01-01

Humans are able to intuitively exploit the shape of an object and environmental constraints to achieve stable grasps and perform dexterous manipulations. In doing that, a vast range of kinematic strategies can be observed. However, in this work we formulate the hypothesis that such ability can be described in terms of a synergistic behavior in the generation of hand postures, i.e., using a reduced set of commonly used kinematic patterns. This is in analogy with previous studies showing the presence of such behavior in different tasks, such as grasping. We investigated this hypothesis in experiments performed by six subjects, who were asked to grasp objects from a flat surface. We quantitatively characterized hand posture behavior from a kinematic perspective, i.e., the hand joint angles, in both pre-shaping and during the interaction with the environment. To determine the role of tactile feedback, we repeated the same experiments but with subjects wearing a rigid shell on the fingertips to reduce cutaneous afferent inputs. Results show the persistence of at least two postural synergies in all the considered experimental conditions and phases. Tactile impairment does not alter significantly the first two synergies, and contact with the environment generates a change only for higher order Principal Components. A good match also arises between the first synergy found in our analysis and the first synergy of grasping as quantified by previous work. The present study is motivated by the interest of learning from the human example, extracting lessons that can be applied in robot design and control. Thus, we conclude with a discussion on implications for robotics of our findings. PMID:28900393

Assimilation of Precipitation Measurement Missions Microwave Radiance Observations With GEOS-5

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jin, Jianjun; Kim, Min-Jeong; McCarty, Will; Akella, Santha; Gu, Wei

2015-01-01

The Global Precipitation Mission (GPM) Core Observatory satellite was launched in February, 2014. The GPM Microwave Imager (GMI) is a conically scanning radiometer measuring 13 channels ranging from 10 to 183 GHz and sampling between 65 S 65 N. This instrument is a successor to the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI), which has observed 9 channels at frequencies ranging 10 to 85 GHz between 40 S 40 N since 1997. This presentation outlines the base procedures developed to assimilate GMI and TMI radiances in clear-sky conditions, including quality control methods, thinning decisions, and the estimation of, observation errors. This presentation also shows the impact of these observations when they are incorporated into the GEOS-5 atmospheric data assimilation system.

A methodology for assessing the effect of correlations among muscle synergy activations on task-discriminating information.

PubMed

Delis, Ioannis; Berret, Bastien; Pozzo, Thierry; Panzeri, Stefano

2013-01-01

Muscle synergies have been hypothesized to be the building blocks used by the central nervous system to generate movement. According to this hypothesis, the accomplishment of various motor tasks relies on the ability of the motor system to recruit a small set of synergies on a single-trial basis and combine them in a task-dependent manner. It is conceivable that this requires a fine tuning of the trial-to-trial relationships between the synergy activations. Here we develop an analytical methodology to address the nature and functional role of trial-to-trial correlations between synergy activations, which is designed to help to better understand how these correlations may contribute to generating appropriate motor behavior. The algorithm we propose first divides correlations between muscle synergies into types (noise correlations, quantifying the trial-to-trial covariations of synergy activations at fixed task, and signal correlations, quantifying the similarity of task tuning of the trial-averaged activation coefficients of different synergies), and then uses single-trial methods (task-decoding and information theory) to quantify their overall effect on the task-discriminating information carried by muscle synergy activations. We apply the method to both synchronous and time-varying synergies and exemplify it on electromyographic data recorded during performance of reaching movements in different directions. Our method reveals the robust presence of information-enhancing patterns of signal and noise correlations among pairs of synchronous synergies, and shows that they enhance by 9-15% (depending on the set of tasks) the task-discriminating information provided by the synergy decompositions. We suggest that the proposed methodology could be useful for assessing whether single-trial activations of one synergy depend on activations of other synergies and quantifying the effect of such dependences on the task-to-task differences in muscle activation patterns.

Inter- and Intrasubject Similarity of Muscle Synergies During Bench Press With Slow and Fast Velocity.

PubMed

Samani, Afshin; Kristiansen, Mathias

2018-01-01

We investigated the effect of low and high bar velocity on inter- and intrasubject similarity of muscle synergies during bench press. A total of 13 trained male subjects underwent two exercise conditions: a slow- and a fast-velocity bench press. Surface electromyography was recorded from 13 muscles, and muscle synergies were extracted using a nonnegative matrix factorization algorithm. The intrasubject similarity across conditions and intersubject similarity within conditions were computed for muscle synergy vectors and activation coefficients. Two muscle synergies were sufficient to describe the dataset variability. For the second synergy activation coefficient, the intersubject similarity within the fast-velocity condition was greater than the intrasubject similarity of the activation coefficient across the conditions. An opposite pattern was observed for the first muscle synergy vector. We concluded that the activation coefficients are robust within conditions, indicating a robust temporal pattern of muscular activity across individuals, but the muscle synergy vector seemed to be individually assigned.

Mutagen Synergy: Hypermutability Generated by Specific Pairs of Base Analogs

PubMed Central

Ang, Jocelyn; Song, Lisa Yun; D'Souza, Sara; Hong, Irene L.; Luhar, Rohan; Yung, Madeline

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT We tested pairwise combinations of classical base analog mutagens in Escherichia coli to study possible mutagen synergies. We examined the cytidine analogs zebularine (ZEB) and 5-azacytidine (5AZ), the adenine analog 2-aminopurine (2AP), and the uridine/thymidine analog 5-bromodeoxyuridine (5BrdU). We detected a striking synergy with the 2AP plus ZEB combination, resulting in hypermutability, a 35-fold increase in mutation frequency (to 53,000 × 10−8) in the rpoB gene over that with either mutagen alone. A weak synergy was also detected with 2AP plus 5AZ and with 5BrdU plus ZEB. The pairing of 2AP and 5BrdU resulted in suppression, lowering the mutation frequency of 5BrdU alone by 6.5-fold. Sequencing the mutations from the 2AP plus ZEB combination showed the predominance of two new hot spots for A·T→G·C transitions that are not well represented in either single mutagen spectrum, and one of which is not found even in the spectrum of a mismatch repair-deficient strain. The strong synergy between 2AP and ZEB could be explained by changes in the dinucleoside triphosphate (dNTP) pools. IMPORTANCE Although mutagens have been widely studied, the mutagenic effects of combinations of mutagens have not been fully researched. Here, we show that certain pairwise combinations of base analog mutagens display synergy or suppression. In particular, the combination of 2-aminopurine and zebularine, analogs of adenine and cytidine, respectively, shows a 35-fold increased mutation frequency compared with that of either mutagen alone. Understanding the mechanism of synergy can lead to increased understanding of mutagenic processes. As combinations of base analogs are used in certain chemotherapy regimens, including those involving ZEB and 5AZ, these results indicate that testing the mutagenicity of all drug combinations is prudent. PMID:27457718

Analysis of heliographic missions complementary to ISPM. [International Solar Polar Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Driver, J. M.

1984-01-01

Five concepts were formulated, analyzed, and compared for satisfying heliographic science mission objectives both with and without a concurrent International Solar Polar Mission (ISPM) Spacecraft. Key astrodynamic constraints and performance factors are known from literature for the Lagrange point mission and the sun-synchronous earth orbit mission, but are set forth in this paper for the three solar orbiting missions concepts considered. Any of these five missions should be doable at modest cost since no strong cost drivers were encountered in the analyses. The mission to be flown depends on mission capability to meet science measurement needs more than on strong economic factors. Each mission offers special advantages for particular measurement emphasis. Based on selected qualitative mission discriminators, an overall 'best mission' was selected and described in some detail.

Entrepreneurial Creativity through Motivational Synergy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amabile, Teresa M.

1997-01-01

Defines and describes entrepreneurial creativity, which is the generation and implementation of novel, appropriate ideas to establish a new venture. Discusses the need for motivational synergy, which results when strong levels of personal interest and involvement are combined with the promise of rewards that confirm competence. (Author/CR)

Stability of Hand Force Production: II. Ascending and Descending Synergies.

PubMed

Reschechtko, Sasha; Latash, Mark L

2018-06-06

We combined the theory of neural control of movement with referent coordinates and the uncontrolled manifold hypothesis to investigate multi-finger coordination. We tested hypotheses related to stabilization of performance by co-varying control variables, translated into apparent stiffness and referent coordinate, at different levels of an assumed hierarchy of control. Subjects produced an accurate combination of total force and total moment of force with the four fingers under visual feedback on both variables and after feedback was partly or completely removed. The "inverse piano" device was used to estimate control variables. We observed strong synergies in the space of hypothetical control variables which stabilized total force and moment of force, as well as weaker synergies stabilizing individual finger forces; while the former were attenuated by alteration of visual feedback, the latter were much less affected. In addition, we investigated the organization of "ascending synergies" stabilizing task-level control variables by co-varied adjustments of finger-level control variables. We observed inter-trial co-variation of individual fingers' referent coordinates stabilizing hand-level referent coordinate, but observed no such co-variation for apparent stiffness. The observations suggest the existence of both descending and ascending synergies in a hierarchical control system. They confirm a trade-off between synergies at different levels of control and corroborate the hypothesis on specialization of different fingers for the control of force and moment. The results provide strong evidence for the importance of central back-coupling loops in ensuring stability of action.

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission and Vern Suomi 's Vital Role

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simpson, Joanne; Kummerow, Christian

1999-01-01

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission was a new concept of measuring rainfall over the global tropics using a combination of instruments, including the first weather radar to be flown in space. An important objective of the mission was to obtain profiles of latent heat in order to initialize large-scale circulation models and to understand the relationship between short-term climate changes in relation to rainfall variability. The idea originated in the early 1980's from scientists at the Goddard Space Flight Center/NASA who had been involved with attempts to measure rain with a passive microwave instrument on Nimbus 5 and had compared its results with rain falling in the area covered by the GATE1 radar ships. Using an imaginary satellite flying over the GATE ships, scientists showed that a satellite with an inclined orbit of 30-35 degrees could obtain monthly rainfalls with a sampling error of less than 10 percent over 5 degree by 5 degree areas. The Japanese proposed that they could build a nadir-scanning rain radar for the satellite. Vern Suomi was excited by this mission from the outset, since he recognized the great importance of adequate rainfall measurements over the tropical oceans. He was a charter member of the Science Steering Team and prepared a large part of the Report. While the mission attracted strong support in the science community, it was opposed by some of the high-level NASA management who feared its competition for funds with some much larger Earth Science satellites. Vern was able to overcome this opposition and to generate Congressional support, so that the Project finally got underway on both sides of the Pacific in 1991. The paper will discuss the design of the satellite, its data system and ground validation program. TP.NM was successfully launched in late 1997. Early results will be described. 1 GATE stands for GARP Atlantic Tropical Experiment and GARP stands for Global Atmospheric Research Program.

Microwave Radiometer and Lidar Synergy for High Vertical Resolution Thermodynamic Profiling in a Cloudy Scenario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrera Verdejo, M.; Crewell, S.; Loehnert, U.; Di Girolamo, P.

2016-12-01

Continuous monitoring of thermodynamic atmospheric profiles is important for many applications, e.g. assessment of atmospheric stability and cloud formation. Nowadays there is a wide variety of ground-based sensors for atmospheric profiling. However, no single instrument is able to simultaneously provide measurements with complete vertical coverage, high vertical and temporal resolution, and good performance under all weather conditions. For this reason, instrument synergies of a wide range of complementary measurements are more and more considered for improving the quality of atmospheric observations. The current work presents synergetic use of a microwave radiometer (MWR) and Raman lidar (RL) within a physically consistent optimal estimation approach. On the one hand, lidar measurements provide humidity and temperature measurements with a high vertical resolution albeit with limited vertical coverage, due to overlapping function problems, sunlight contamination and the presence of clouds. On the other hand, MWRs obtain humidity, temperature and cloud information throughout the troposphere, with however only a very limited vertical resolution. The benefits of MWR+RL synergy have been previously demonstrated for clear sky cases. This work expands this approach to cloudy scenarios. Consistent retrievals of temperature, absolute and relative humidity as well as liquid water path are analyzed. In addition, different measures are presented to demonstrate the improvements achieved via the synergy compared to individual retrievals, e.g. degrees of freedom or theoretical error. We also demonstrate that, compared to the lidar, the higher temporal resolution of the MWR presents a strong advantage for capturing the high temporal variability of the liquid water cloud.. Finally, the results are compared with independent information sources, e.g. GPS or radiosondes, showing good consistency. The study demonstrates the benefits of the sensor combination, being especially strong

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission: Overview and U.S. Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hou, Arthur Y.; Azarbarzin, Ardeshir A.; Kakar, Ramesh K.; Neeck, Steven

2011-01-01

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission is an international satellite mission specifically designed to unify and advance precipitation measurements from a constellation of research and operational microwave sensors. The cornerstone of the GPM mission is the deployment of a Core Observatory in a 65 deg non-Sun-synchronous orbit to serve as a physics observatory and a transfer standard for inter-calibration of constellation radiometers. The GPM Core Observatory will carry a Ku/Ka-band Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) and a conical-scanning multi-channel (10-183 GHz) GPM Microwave Radiometer (GMI). The first space-borne dual-frequency radar will provide not only measurements of 3-D precipitation structures but also quantitative information on microphysical properties of precipitating particles needed for improving precipitation retrievals from passive microwave sensors. The combined use of DPR and GMI measurements will place greater constraints on radiometer retrievals to improve the accuracy and consistency of precipitation estimates from all constellation radiometers. The GPM constellation is envisioned to comprise five or more conical-scanning microwave radiometers and four or more cross-track microwave sounders on operational satellites. NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) plan to launch the GPM Core in July 2013. NASA will provide a second radiometer to be flown on a partner-provided GPM Low-Inclination Observatory (L10) to improve near real-time monitoring of hurricanes and mid-latitude storms. NASA and the Brazilian Space Program (AEB/IPNE) are currently engaged in a one-year study on potential L10 partnership. JAXA will contribute to GPM data from the Global Change Observation Mission-Water (GCOM-W) satellite. Additional partnerships are under development to include microwave radiometers on the French-Indian Megha-Tropiques satellite and U.S. Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites, as well as cross

On the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM): Bringing NASA's Earth System Science Program to the Classroom

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shepherd, J. Marshall

1998-01-01

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission is the first mission dedicated to measuring tropical and subtropical rainfall using a variety of remote sensing instrumentation, including the first spaceborne rain-measuring radar. Since the energy released when tropical rainfall occurs is a primary "fuel" supply for the weather and climate "engine"; improvements in computer models which predict future weather and climate states may depend on better measurements of global tropical rainfall and its energy. In support of the STANYS conference theme of Education and Space, this presentation focuses on one aspect of NASA's Earth Systems Science Program. We seek to present an overview of the TRMM mission. This overview will discuss the scientific motivation for TRMM, the TRMM instrument package, and recent images from tropical rainfall systems and hurricanes. The presentation also targets educational components of the TRMM mission in the areas of weather, mathematics, technology, and geography that can be used by secondary school/high school educators in the classroom.

[Analysis of Multiplatform CO (Carbon Monoxide) Measurements During Trace-P Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pougatchev, Nikita S.

2004-01-01

Carbon monoxide is considered mission critical (TRACE-P NRA) because it is one of the gases involved in controlling the oxidizing power of the atmosphere and, as a tracer gas, is valuable in interpreting mission data sets. Carbon monoxide exhibits interannual differences, suggesting relatively short-term imbalances in sources and sinks. Sources of CO are dominated by fossil fuel combustion, biomass burning, and the photochemical oxidation of CH4 and nonmethane hydrocarbons while reaction with OH is believed to be the major sink for atmospheric CO, with additional losses due to soil uptake. Uncertainties in the magnitude and distribution of both sources and sinks remain fairly large however, and additional data are required to refine the global budget. Seasonal changes and a northern hemispheric latitudinal gradient have been described for a variety of Pacific basin sites through long-term monitoring of surface background levels. Latitudinal variations have also recently been described at upper tropospheric altitudes over a multi-year period by. TRACE-P will provide an aircraft survey of CO over the northern Pacific in the northern spring when CO concentrations are at their seasonal maximum in the northern hemisphere (NH) and at their seasonal minimum in the southern hemisphere (SH). Previous GTE missions, Le., PEM West-B and PEM Tropics-B, ground-based, and satellite observations (MAPS, April 1994) give us a general picture of the distribution of CO over the northern Pacific during this season. Based on these measurements, background CO levels over remote ocean areas are anticipated to be in the range of 110 - 180 ppbv, while those closer to the Asian continent may rise as high as 600 ppbv. These measurements also reveal high spatial variability (both horizontal and vertical) as well as temporal variations in CO over the area planned for the TRACE-P mission. This variability is a result of multiple CO sources, the meteorological complexity of transport processes

Multipoint Space Measurements of TGF's with the TRYAD Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuchs, J.; Briggs, M. S.; Jenke, P.

2017-12-01

The Terrestrial RaY Analysis and Detection (TRYAD) is a twin 6U cubesat mission designed to detect Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGF's) from low earth orbit. Current observations of TGF's are predominantly done from single point measurements; the objective of this mission is to capture two simultaneous observations to identify a characteristic beam profile. Working models for production of TGF's suggest two main scenarios exist: one being creation in the lightening step leader which results in a wider beam profile, the other is a larger field effect in the storm resulting in a narrow beam. The TRYAD detector consists of four plastic scintillation bars that will detect flux correlated with GPS position and time. Both satellites will fly at a controlled separation of several hundred kilometers gathering data over the tropics. The data gathered from the spacecraft are matched to lightening data from the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) to get ground and time localization along with the two point flux measurement. TRYAD will fly in 2019. We will present simulations describing TRYADs ability to discriminate between current TGF models, the TRYAD science instrument, along with its capabilities and impact for TGF science.

Science and Measurement Requirements for a Plant Physiology and Functional Types Mission: Measuring the Composition, Function and Health of Global Land and Coastal Ocean Ecosystems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, Robert O.; Rogez, Francois; Green, Rob; Ungar, Steve; Knox, Robert; Asner, Greg; Muller-Karger, Frank; Bissett, Paul; Chekalyuk, Alex; Dierssen, Heidi;

Solar + Storage Synergies for Managing Commercial-Customer Demand Charges

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gagnon, Pieter J.; Govindarajan, Anand; Bird, Lori A.

We study the synergies between behind-the-meter solar and storage in reducing commercial-customer demand charges. This follows two previous studies that examined demand charge savings for stand-alone solar in both the residential and commercial sectors. In this study we show that solar and storage show consistent synergies for demand charge management, that the magnitude of reductions are highly customer-specific, and that the magnitude of savings is influenced by the design of the electricity tariff.

New Method for Astrometric Measurements in Space Mission, JASMINE.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yano, T.; Gouda, N.; Yamada, Y.

2006-08-01

We present a new method for measuring positions of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy by astrometric satellite, JASMINE, which is in progress at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. JASMINE is the acronym of the Japan Astrometry Satellite Mission for Infrared (z-band : 0.9 micron) Exploration, and is planned to be launched around 2015 The main objective of JASMINE is to study the fundamental structure and evolution of the bulge components of the Milky Way Galaxy. In order to accomplish these objectives, JASMINE will measure trigonometric parallaxes, positions and proper motions of about a few million stars during the observational program, with the precision of 10 microarcsec at z =14mag. The telescope of JASMINE has just one field of view, which is different from other astrometric satellites like Hipparcos and GAIA, that have two fields of view with large angle. These satellites, Hipparcos and GAIA, scan along the great circle with the spin axis perpendicular to both two fields of view to estimate the relative positions of stars on the great circle. They scan many different great circles to observe all the sky. On the other hand, JASMINE will take overlapping fields of view without any gaps to survey an area of about 20deg*10deg. Accordingly survey area covers the region of about 20deg*10deg in the bulge component. JASMINE will continue the above procedure for observing the area during the mission life. As a consequence, JASMINE will observe the restricted regions around the Galactic bulge and sweep repeatedly. The mission life is planned to be 5 years.

Successes with the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skofronick-Jackson, Gail; Huffman, George; Stocker, Erich; Petersen, Walter

2016-01-01

Water is essential to our planet Earth. Knowing when, where and how precipitation falls is crucial for understanding the linkages between the Earth's water and energy cycles and is extraordinarily important for sustaining life on our planet during climate change. The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory spacecraft launched February 27, 2014, is the anchor to the GPM international satellite mission to unify and advance precipitation measurements from a constellation of research and operational sensors to provide "next-generation" precipitation products. GPM is currently a partnership between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Status and successes in terms of spacecraft, instruments, retrieval products, validation, and impacts for science and society will be presented. Precipitation, microwave, satellite

Summary Report of Mission Acceleration Measurements for STS-62, Launched 4 March 1994

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rogers, Melissa J. B.; Delombard, Richard

1994-01-01

The second mission of the United States Microgravity Payload on-board the STS-62 mission was supported with three accelerometer instruments: the Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE) and two units of the Space Acceleration Measurements System (SAMS). The March 4, 1994 launch was the fourth successful mission for OARE and the ninth successful mission for SAMS. The OARE instrument utilizes a sensor for very low frequency measurements below one Hertz. The accelerations in this frequency range are typically referred to as quasisteady accelerations. One of the SAMS units had two remote triaxial sensor heads mounted on the forward MPESS structure between two furnance experiments, MEPHISTO and AADSF. These triaxial heads had low-pass filter cut-off frequencies at 10 and 25 Hz. The other SAMS unit utilized three remote triaxial sensor heads. Two of the sensor heads were mounted on the aft MPESS structure between the two experiments IDGE and ZENO. These triaxial heads had low-pass filter cut-off frequencies at 10 and 25 Hz. The third sensor head was mounted on the thermostat housing inside the IDGE experiment container. This triaxial head had a low-pass filter cut-off frequency at 5 Hz. This report is prepared to furnish interested experiment investigators with a guide to evaluating the acceleration environment during STS-62 and as a means of identifying areas which require further study. To achieve this purpose, various pieces of information are included, such as an overview of the STS-62 mission, a description of the accelerometer system flown on STS-62, some specific analysis of the accelerometer data in relation to the various mission activities, and an overview of the low-gravity environment during the entire mission. An evaluation form is included at the end of the report to solicit users' comments about the usefulness of this series of reports.

Muscle synergies in neuroscience and robotics: from input-space to task-space perspectives.

PubMed

Alessandro, Cristiano; Delis, Ioannis; Nori, Francesco; Panzeri, Stefano; Berret, Bastien

2013-01-01

In this paper we review the works related to muscle synergies that have been carried-out in neuroscience and control engineering. In particular, we refer to the hypothesis that the central nervous system (CNS) generates desired muscle contractions by combining a small number of predefined modules, called muscle synergies. We provide an overview of the methods that have been employed to test the validity of this scheme, and we show how the concept of muscle synergy has been generalized for the control of artificial agents. The comparison between these two lines of research, in particular their different goals and approaches, is instrumental to explain the computational implications of the hypothesized modular organization. Moreover, it clarifies the importance of assessing the functional role of muscle synergies: although these basic modules are defined at the level of muscle activations (input-space), they should result in the effective accomplishment of the desired task. This requirement is not always explicitly considered in experimental neuroscience, as muscle synergies are often estimated solely by analyzing recorded muscle activities. We suggest that synergy extraction methods should explicitly take into account task execution variables, thus moving from a perspective purely based on input-space to one grounded on task-space as well.

Modeling the Synergy of Cofilin and Arp2/3 in Lamellipodial Protrusive Activity

PubMed Central

Tania, Nessy; Condeelis, John; Edelstein-Keshet, Leah

2013-01-01

Rapid polymerization of actin filament barbed ends generates protrusive forces at the cell edge, leading to cell migration. Two important regulators of free barbed ends, cofilin and Arp2/3, have been shown to work in synergy (net effect greater than additive). To explore this synergy, we model the dynamics of F-actin at the leading edge, motivated by data from EGF-stimulated mammary carcinoma cells. We study how synergy depends on the localized rates and relative timing of cofilin and Arp2/3 activation at the cell edge. The model incorporates diffusion of cofilin, membrane protrusion, F-actin capping, aging, and severing by cofilin and branch nucleation by Arp2/3 (but not G-actin recycling). In a well-mixed system, cofilin and Arp2/3 can each generate a large pulse of barbed ends on their own, but have little synergy; high synergy occurs only at low activation rates, when few barbed ends are produced. In the full spatially distributed model, both synergy and barbed-end production are significant over a range of activation rates. Furthermore, barbed-end production is greatest when Arp2/3 activation is delayed relative to cofilin. Our model supports a direct role for cofilin-mediated actin polymerization in stimulated cell migration, including chemotaxis and cancer invasion. PMID:24209839

Practice effects on intra-team synergies in football teams.

PubMed

Silva, Pedro; Chung, Dante; Carvalho, Thiago; Cardoso, Tiago; Davids, Keith; Araújo, Duarte; Garganta, Júlio

2016-04-01

Developing synchronised player movements for fluent competitive match play is a common goal for coaches of team games. An ecological dynamics approach advocates that intra-team synchronization is governed by locally created information, which specifies shared affordances responsible for synergy formation. To verify this claim we evaluated coordination tendencies in two newly-formed teams of recreational players during association football practice games, weekly, for fifteen weeks (thirteen matches). We investigated practice effects on two central features of synergies in sports teams - dimensional compression and reciprocal compensation here captured through near in-phase modes of coordination and time delays between coupled players during forward and backwards movements on field while attacking and defending. Results verified that synergies were formed and dissolved rapidly as a result of the dynamic creation of informational properties, perceived as shared affordances among performers. Practising once a week led to small improvements in the readjustment delays between co-positioning team members, enabling faster regulation of coordinated team actions. Mean values of the number of player and team synergies displayed only limited improvements, possibly due to the timescales of practice. No relationship between improvements in dimensional compression and reciprocal compensation were found for number of shots, amount of ball possession and number of ball recoveries made. Findings open up new perspectives for monitoring team coordination processes in sport. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Challenges in the Measurement and Data-Processing Chain of the LISA Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gath, Peter F.; Schulte, Hans Reiner; Weise, Dennis

2010-03-01

The LISA Mission (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) is currently under mission formulation with a launch date planned in 2020. The purpose of the mission is the observation of gravitational waves at frequencies between 0.1 mHz and 1 Hz by measuring distance fluctuations between inertial reference points, represented by cubic proof masses. In order to provide a sufficient sensitivity of the instrument, distance fluctuations between two inertial reference points must be measured with a strain accuracy of around 10-20 Hz-1/2. This is achieved by setting up a laser interferometer with a base-length of 5ṡ106 km and a path-length measurement noise in the order of 10 pm Hz-1/2. For a correct evaluation of the data on the ground, it is essential that the science data telemetry preserves all required frequency domain information. That is, any on-board data-processing and down-sampling must be done with great care in order not to introduce aliasing or other artifacts into the data stream. As an additional complication, most of the optical metrology data is dominated by laser phase noise which is about eight orders of magnitude larger than the required instrument sensitivity. However, by applying a method called “time-delayed interferometry” during the ground data processing, this laser phase noise can be eliminated from the data. This method has already been demonstrated in a detailed simulation environment, but it requires a very careful filtering, synchronization, and interpolation of the individual data streams. Last but not least, a calibration of system parameters is necessary in many areas of the LISA measurement system. The system design must therefore ensure that all data required for these calibrations is available on-ground in a quality that allows a successful computation of the calibration coefficients within a reasonable time-frame. The data streams do not only include data from the optical metrology system, but also from the drag-free and attitude

Muscle Synergies Facilitate Computational Prediction of Subject-Specific Walking Motions

PubMed Central

Meyer, Andrew J.; Eskinazi, Ilan; Jackson, Jennifer N.; Rao, Anil V.; Patten, Carolynn; Fregly, Benjamin J.

2016-01-01

Researchers have explored a variety of neurorehabilitation approaches to restore normal walking function following a stroke. However, there is currently no objective means for prescribing and implementing treatments that are likely to maximize recovery of walking function for any particular patient. As a first step toward optimizing neurorehabilitation effectiveness, this study develops and evaluates a patient-specific synergy-controlled neuromusculoskeletal simulation framework that can predict walking motions for an individual post-stroke. The main question we addressed was whether driving a subject-specific neuromusculoskeletal model with muscle synergy controls (5 per leg) facilitates generation of accurate walking predictions compared to a model driven by muscle activation controls (35 per leg) or joint torque controls (5 per leg). To explore this question, we developed a subject-specific neuromusculoskeletal model of a single high-functioning hemiparetic subject using instrumented treadmill walking data collected at the subject’s self-selected speed of 0.5 m/s. The model included subject-specific representations of lower-body kinematic structure, foot–ground contact behavior, electromyography-driven muscle force generation, and neural control limitations and remaining capabilities. Using direct collocation optimal control and the subject-specific model, we evaluated the ability of the three control approaches to predict the subject’s walking kinematics and kinetics at two speeds (0.5 and 0.8 m/s) for which experimental data were available from the subject. We also evaluated whether synergy controls could predict a physically realistic gait period at one speed (1.1 m/s) for which no experimental data were available. All three control approaches predicted the subject’s walking kinematics and kinetics (including ground reaction forces) well for the model calibration speed of 0.5 m/s. However, only activation and synergy controls could predict the

Application synergies between the NASA Pre- Aerosol Cloud and ocean Ecosystem (PACE) and Hyperspectral Infrared Imager (HyspIRI) missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, C. M.; Omar, A. H.; Hook, S. J.; Tzortziou, M.; Luvall, J. C.; Turner, W. W.

2016-02-01

Observations from the Pre-Aerosol Cloud and ocean Ecosystem (PACE) and Hyperspectral InfraRed Imager (HyspIRI) satellite missions are highly complementary and have the potential to significantly advance understanding of various science and applications challenges in the ocean sciences and water quality communities. Scheduled for launch in the 2022 timeframe, PACE is designed to make climate-quality global measurements essential for understanding ocean biology, biogeochemistry and ecology, and determining the role of the ocean in global biogeochemical cycling and ocean ecology, and how it affects and is affected by climate change. PACE will provide high signal-to-noise, hyperspectral observations over an extended spectral range (UV to SWIR) and will have global coverage every 1-2 days, at approximately 1 km spatial resolution; furthermore, PACE is currently designed to include a polarimeter, which will vastly improve atmospheric correction algorithms over water bodies. The PACE mission will enable advances in applications across a range of areas, including oceans, climate, water resources, ecological forecasting, disasters, human health and air quality. HyspIRI, with contiguous measurements in VSWIR, and multispectral measurements in TIR, will be able to provide detailed spectral observations and higher spatial resolution (30 to 60-m) over aquatic systems, but at a temporal resolution that is approximately 5-16 days. HyspIRI would enable improved, detailed studies of aquatic ecosystems, including benthic communities, algal blooms, coral reefs, and wetland species distribution as well as studies of water quality indicators or pollutants such as oil spills, suspended sediment, and colored dissolved organic matter. Together, PACE and HyspIRI will be able to address numerous applications and science priorities, including improving and extending climate data records, and studies of inland, coastal and ocean environments.

SRAG Measurements Performed During the Orion EFT-1 Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaza, Ramona

2015-01-01

The Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT-1) was the first flight of the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV). The flight was launched on December 5, 2014, by a Delta IV Heavy rocket and lasted 4.5 hours. The EFT-1 trajectory involved one low altitude orbit and one high altitude orbit with an apogee of almost 6000 km. As a result of this particular flight profile, the Orion MPCV passed through intense regions of trapped protons and electron belts. In support of the radiation measurements aboard the EFT-1, the Space Radiation Analysis Group (SRAG) provided a Battery-operated Independent Radiation Detector (BIRD) based on Timepix radiation monitoring technology similar to that employed by the ISS Radiation Environmental Monitors (REM). In addition, SRAG provided a suite of optically and thermally stimulated luminescence detectors, with 2 Radiation Area Monitor (RAM) units collocated with the BIRD instrument for comparison purposes, and 6 RAM units distributed at different shielding configurations within the Orion MPCV. A summary of the EFT-1 Radiation Area Monitors (RAM) mission dose results obtained from measurements performed in the Space Radiation Dosimetry Laboratory at the NASA Johnson Space Center will be presented. Each RAM included LiF:Mg,Ti (TLD-100), (6)LiF:Mg,Ti (TLD-600), (7)LiF:Mg,Ti (TLD-700), Al2O3:C (Luxel trademark), and CaF2:Tm (TLD-300). The RAM mission dose values will be compared with the BIRD instrument total mission dose. In addition, a similar comparison will be shown for the ISS environment by comparing the ISS RAM data with data from the six Timepix-based REM units deployed on ISS as part of the NASA REM Technology Demonstration.

Modeling the synergy of cofilin and Arp2/3 in lamellipodial protrusive activity.

PubMed

Tania, Nessy; Condeelis, John; Edelstein-Keshet, Leah

2013-11-05

Rapid polymerization of actin filament barbed ends generates protrusive forces at the cell edge, leading to cell migration. Two important regulators of free barbed ends, cofilin and Arp2/3, have been shown to work in synergy (net effect greater than additive). To explore this synergy, we model the dynamics of F-actin at the leading edge, motivated by data from EGF-stimulated mammary carcinoma cells. We study how synergy depends on the localized rates and relative timing of cofilin and Arp2/3 activation at the cell edge. The model incorporates diffusion of cofilin, membrane protrusion, F-actin capping, aging, and severing by cofilin and branch nucleation by Arp2/3 (but not G-actin recycling). In a well-mixed system, cofilin and Arp2/3 can each generate a large pulse of barbed ends on their own, but have little synergy; high synergy occurs only at low activation rates, when few barbed ends are produced. In the full spatially distributed model, both synergy and barbed-end production are significant over a range of activation rates. Furthermore, barbed-end production is greatest when Arp2/3 activation is delayed relative to cofilin. Our model supports a direct role for cofilin-mediated actin polymerization in stimulated cell migration, including chemotaxis and cancer invasion. Copyright © 2013 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of 5 Weeks of Bench Press Training on Muscle Synergies: A Randomized Controlled Study.

PubMed

Kristiansen, Mathias; Samani, Afshin; Madeleine, Pascal; Hansen, Ernst A

2016-07-01

Kristiansen, M, Samani, A, Madeleine, P, and Hansen, EA. Effects of 5 weeks of bench press training on muscle synergies: A randomized controlled study. J Strength Cond Res 30(7): 1948-1959, 2016-The ability to perform forceful muscle contractions has important implications in sports performance and in activities of daily living. However, there is a lack of knowledge on adaptations in intermuscular coordination after strength training. The purpose of this study was therefore to assess muscle synergies before and after 5 weeks of bench press training. Thirty untrained male subjects were randomly allocated to a training group (TRA) or a control group (CON). After the pretest, TRA completed 5 weeks of bench press training, before completing a posttest, whereas subjects in CON continued their normal life. During test sessions, surface electromyography (EMG) was recorded from 13 different muscles. Muscle synergies were extracted from EMG data using nonnegative matrix factorization. To evaluate differences between pretest and posttest, we performed a cross-correlation analysis and a cross-validation analysis, in which the synergy components extracted in the pretest session were recomputed, using the fixed synergy components from the posttest session. Two muscle synergies accounted for 90% of the total variance and reflected the concentric and eccentric phase, respectively. TRA significantly increased 3 repetition maximum in bench press with 19.0% (25th; 75th percentile, 10.3%; 21.7%) (p < 0.001), whereas no change occurred in CON. No significant differences were observed in synergy components between groups. However, decreases in correlation values for intragroup comparisons in TRA may suggest that the synergy components changed, whereas this was not the case in CON. Strength and conditioning professionals may consider monitoring changes in muscle synergies in training and rehabilitation programs as a way to benchmark changes in intermuscular coordination.

Trade-off between synergy and efficacy in combinations of HIV-1 latency-reversing agents.

PubMed

Gupta, Vipul; Dixit, Narendra M

2018-02-01

Eradicating HIV-1 infection is difficult because of the reservoir of latently infected cells that gets established soon after infection, remains hidden from antiretroviral drugs and host immune responses, and retains the capacity to reignite infection following the cessation of treatment. Drugs called latency-reversing agents (LRAs) are being developed to reactivate latently infected cells and render them susceptible to viral cytopathicity or immune killing. Whereas individual LRAs have failed to induce adequate reactivation, pairs of LRAs have been identified recently that act synergistically and hugely increase reactivation levels compared to individual LRAs. The maximum synergy achievable with LRA pairs is of clinical importance, as it would allow latency-reversal with minimal drug exposure. Here, we employed stochastic simulations of HIV-1 transcription and translation in latently infected cells to estimate this maximum synergy. We incorporated the predominant mechanisms of action of the two most promising classes of LRAs, namely, protein kinase C agonists and histone deacetylase inhibitors, and quantified the activity of individual LRAs in the two classes by mapping our simulations to corresponding in vitro experiments. Without any adjustable parameters, our simulations then quantitatively captured experimental observations of latency-reversal when the LRAs were used in pairs. Performing simulations representing a wide range of drug concentrations, we estimated the maximum synergy achievable with these LRA pairs. Importantly, we found with all the LRA pairs we considered that concentrations yielding the maximum synergy did not yield the maximum latency-reversal. Increasing concentrations to increase latency-reversal compromised synergy, unravelling a trade-off between synergy and efficacy in LRA combinations. The maximum synergy realizable with LRA pairs would thus be restricted by the desired level of latency-reversal, a constrained optimum we elucidated with

Muscle Synergies Heavily Influence the Neural Control of Arm Endpoint Stiffness and Energy Consumption.

PubMed

Inouye, Joshua M; Valero-Cuevas, Francisco J

2016-02-01

Much debate has arisen from research on muscle synergies with respect to both limb impedance control and energy consumption. Studies of limb impedance control in the context of reaching movements and postural tasks have produced divergent findings, and this study explores whether the use of synergies by the central nervous system (CNS) can resolve these findings and also provide insights on mechanisms of energy consumption. In this study, we phrase these debates at the conceptual level of interactions between neural degrees of freedom and tasks constraints. This allows us to examine the ability of experimentally-observed synergies--correlated muscle activations--to control both energy consumption and the stiffness component of limb endpoint impedance. In our nominal 6-muscle planar arm model, muscle synergies and the desired size, shape, and orientation of endpoint stiffness ellipses, are expressed as linear constraints that define the set of feasible muscle activation patterns. Quadratic programming allows us to predict whether and how energy consumption can be minimized throughout the workspace of the limb given those linear constraints. We show that the presence of synergies drastically decreases the ability of the CNS to vary the properties of the endpoint stiffness and can even preclude the ability to minimize energy. Furthermore, the capacity to minimize energy consumption--when available--can be greatly affected by arm posture. Our computational approach helps reconcile divergent findings and conclusions about task-specific regulation of endpoint stiffness and energy consumption in the context of synergies. But more generally, these results provide further evidence that the benefits and disadvantages of muscle synergies go hand-in-hand with the structure of feasible muscle activation patterns afforded by the mechanics of the limb and task constraints. These insights will help design experiments to elucidate the interplay between synergies and the mechanisms

Virtual Exploitation Environment Demonstration for Atmospheric Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Natali, Stefano; Mantovani, Simone; Hirtl, Marcus; Santillan, Daniel; Triebnig, Gerhard; Fehr, Thorsten; Lopes, Cristiano

2017-04-01

The scientific and industrial communities are being confronted with a strong increase of Earth Observation (EO) satellite missions and related data. This is in particular the case for the Atmospheric Sciences communities, with the upcoming Copernicus Sentinel-5 Precursor, Sentinel-4, -5 and -3, and ESA's Earth Explorers scientific satellites ADM-Aeolus and EarthCARE. The challenge is not only to manage the large volume of data generated by each mission / sensor, but to process and analyze the data streams. Creating synergies among the different datasets will be key to exploit the full potential of the available information. As a preparation activity supporting scientific data exploitation for Earth Explorer and Sentinel atmospheric missions, ESA funded the "Technology and Atmospheric Mission Platform" (TAMP) [1] [2] project; a scientific and technological forum (STF) has been set-up involving relevant European entities from different scientific and operational fields to define the platforḿs requirements. Data access, visualization, processing and download services have been developed to satisfy useŕs needs; use cases defined with the STF, such as study of the SO2 emissions for the Holuhraun eruption (2014) by means of two numerical models, two satellite platforms and ground measurements, global Aerosol analyses from long time series of satellite data, and local Aerosol analysis using satellite and LIDAR, have been implemented to ensure acceptance of TAMP by the atmospheric sciences community. The platform pursues the "virtual workspace" concept: all resources (data, processing, visualization, collaboration tools) are provided as "remote services", accessible through a standard web browser, to avoid the download of big data volumes and for allowing utilization of provided infrastructure for computation, analysis and sharing of results. Data access and processing are achieved through standardized protocols (WCS, WPS). As evolution toward a pre

Applications and Outreach for the Global Precipitation Measurement mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janney, D. W.; Kirschbaum, D.

2017-12-01

Too much or too little rain can serve as a tipping point for triggering catastrophic flooding and landslides or widespread drought. Knowing when, where and how much rain is falling globally is vital to understanding how people may be more or less impacted by disasters, the spread of water or vector-borne disease, or crop shortages. The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission provides near real-time precipitation data worldwide that is used by a broad range of end users, from tropical cyclone forecasters to agricultural modelers to researchers evaluating the spread of diseases. The GPM mission has an active applications and outreach program designed to engage and work closely with user communities across a broad spectrum of societal benefit areas with the goal of extending the application of GPM and other NASA data to support decision making. This presentation will outline some examples of how GPM has been engaging with the user community, highlighting some past and planned initiatives with specific organizations and across several thematic areas.

Results of dosimetric measurements in space missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reitz, G.; Beaujean, R.; Heilmann, C.; Kopp, J.; Leicher, M.; Strauch, K.

Detector packages consisting of plastic nuclear track detectors, nuclear emulsions, and thermoluminescence detectors were exposed at different locations inside the space laboratory Spacelab and at the astronauts' body and in different sections of the MIR space station. Total dose, particle fluence rate and linear energy transfer (LET) spectra of heavy ions, number of nuclear disintegrations and fast neutron fluence rates were determined of each exposure. The dose equivalent received by the Payload specialists (PSs) were calculated from the measurements, they range from 190 muSv d^-1 to 770 muSv d^-1. Finally, a preliminary investigation of results from a particle telescope of two silicon detectors, first used in the last BIORACK mission on STS 76, is reported.

Combined Infrared Stereo and Laser Ranging Cloud Measurements from Shuttle Mission STS-85

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lancaster, Redgie S.; Spinhirne, James D.; OCStarr, David (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Multi-angle remote sensing provides a wealth of information for earth and climate monitoring. And, as technology advances so do the options for developing instrumentation versatile enough to meet the demands associated with these types of measurements. In the current work, the multiangle measurement capability of the Infrared Spectral Imaging Radiometer is demonstrated. This instrument flew as part of mission STS-85 of the space shuttle Columbia in 1997 and was the first earth-observing radiometer to incorporate an uncooled microbolometer array detector as its image sensor. Specifically, a method for computing cloud-top height from the multi-spectral stereo measurements acquired during this flight has been developed and the results demonstrate that a vertical precision of 10.6 km was achieved. Further, the accuracy of these measurements is confirmed by comparison with coincident direct laser ranging measurements from the Shuttle Laser Altimeter. Mission STS-85 was the first space flight to combine laser ranging and thermal IR camera systems for cloud remote sensing.

Lateral Symmetry of Synergies in Lower Limb Muscles of Acute Post-stroke Patients After Robotic Intervention

PubMed Central

Tan, Chun Kwang; Kadone, Hideki; Watanabe, Hiroki; Marushima, Aiki; Yamazaki, Masashi; Sankai, Yoshiyuki; Suzuki, Kenji

2018-01-01

Gait disturbance is commonly associated with stroke, which is a serious neurological disease. With current technology, various exoskeletons have been developed to provide therapy, leading to many studies evaluating the use of such exoskeletons as an intervention tool. Although these studies report improvements in patients who had undergone robotic intervention, they are usually reported with clinical assessment, which are unable to characterize how muscle activations change in patients after robotic intervention. We believe that muscle activations can provide an objective view on gait performance of patients. To quantify improvement of lateral symmetry before and after robotic intervention, muscle synergy analysis with Non-Negative Matrix Factorization was used to evaluate patients' EMG data. Eight stroke patients in their acute phase were evaluated before and after a course of robotic intervention with the Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL), lasting over 3 weeks. We found a significant increase in similarity between lateral synergies of patients after robotic intervention. This is associated with significant improvements in gait measures like walking speed, step cadence, stance duration percentage of gait cycle. Clinical assessments [Functional Independence Measure-Locomotion (FIM-Locomotion), FIM-Motor (General), and Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Lower Extremity (FMA-LE)] showed significant improvements as well. Our study shows that muscle synergy analysis can be a good tool to quantify the change in neuromuscular coordination of lateral symmetry during walking in stroke patients. PMID:29922121

Task-level feedback can explain temporal recruitment of spatially fixed muscle synergies throughout postural perturbations

PubMed Central

Safavynia, Seyed A.

2012-01-01

Recent evidence suggests that complex spatiotemporal patterns of muscle activity can be explained with a low-dimensional set of muscle synergies or M-modes. While it is clear that both spatial and temporal aspects of muscle coordination may be low dimensional, constraints on spatial versus temporal features of muscle coordination likely involve different neural control mechanisms. We hypothesized that the low-dimensional spatial and temporal features of muscle coordination are independent of each other. We further hypothesized that in reactive feedback tasks, spatially fixed muscle coordination patterns—or muscle synergies—are hierarchically recruited via time-varying neural commands based on delayed task-level feedback. We explicitly compared the ability of spatially fixed (SF) versus temporally fixed (TF) muscle synergies to reconstruct the entire time course of muscle activity during postural responses to anterior-posterior support-surface translations. While both SF and TF muscle synergies could account for EMG variability in a postural task, SF muscle synergies produced more consistent and physiologically interpretable results than TF muscle synergies during postural responses to perturbations. Moreover, a majority of SF muscle synergies were consistent in structure when extracted from epochs throughout postural responses. Temporal patterns of SF muscle synergy recruitment were well-reconstructed by delayed feedback of center of mass (CoM) kinematics and reproduced EMG activity of multiple muscles. Consistent with the idea that independent and hierarchical low-dimensional neural control structures define spatial and temporal patterns of muscle activity, our results suggest that CoM kinematics are a task variable used to recruit SF muscle synergies for feedback control of balance. PMID:21957219

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission: Overview and U.S. Science Status

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Arthur Y.; Skofronick-Jackson, Gail; Stocker, Erich F.

2013-04-01

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission is a satellite mission specifically designed to unify and advance precipitation measurements from a constellation of research and operational microwave sensors provided by a consortium of international partners. NASA and JAXA will deploy a Core Observatory in 2014 to serve as a reference satellite for precipitation measurements by the constellation sensors. The GPM Core Observatory will carry a Ku/Ka-band Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) and a conical-scanning multi-channel (10-183 GHz) GPM Microwave Radiometer (GMI). The DPR, the first dual-frequency radar in space, will provide not only measurements of 3-D precipitation structures but also quantitative information on microphysical properties of precipitating particles. The DPR and GMI measurements will together provide a database that relates vertical hydrometeor profiles to multi-frequency microwave radiances over a variety of environmental conditions across the globe. This combined database will serve as a common transfer standard for improving the accuracy and consistency of precipitation retrievals from all constellation radiometers. In addition to the Core Observatory, the GPM constellation consists of (1) Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS) instruments on the U.S. Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites, (2) the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-2 (AMSR-2) on the GCOM-W1 satellite of JAXA, (3) the Multi-Frequency Microwave Scanning Radiometer (MADRAS) and the multi-channel microwave humidity sounder (SAPHIR) on the French-Indian Megha-Tropiques satellite, (4) the Microwave Humidity Sounder (MHS) on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellites (POES), (5) MHS instruments on MetOp satellites launched by the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), (6) the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) on the National Polar

Neural basis for hand muscle synergies in the primate spinal cord.

PubMed

Takei, Tomohiko; Confais, Joachim; Tomatsu, Saeka; Oya, Tomomichi; Seki, Kazuhiko

2017-08-08

Grasping is a highly complex movement that requires the coordination of multiple hand joints and muscles. Muscle synergies have been proposed to be the functional building blocks that coordinate such complex motor behaviors, but little is known about how they are implemented in the central nervous system. Here we demonstrate that premotor interneurons (PreM-INs) in the primate cervical spinal cord underlie the spatiotemporal patterns of hand muscle synergies during a voluntary grasping task. Using spike-triggered averaging of hand muscle activity, we found that the muscle fields of PreM-INs were not uniformly distributed across hand muscles but rather distributed as clusters corresponding to muscle synergies. Moreover, although individual PreM-INs have divergent activation patterns, the population activity of PreM-INs reflects the temporal activation of muscle synergies. These findings demonstrate that spinal PreM-INs underlie the muscle coordination required for voluntary hand movements in primates. Given the evolution of neural control of primate hand functions, we suggest that spinal premotor circuits provide the fundamental coordination of multiple joints and muscles upon which more fractionated control is achieved by superimposed, phylogenetically newer, pathways.

Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Tropical rainfall affects the lives and economics of a majority of the Earth's population. Tropical rain systems, such as hurricanes, typhoons, and monsoons, are crucial to sustaining the livelihoods of those living in the tropics. Excess rainfall can cause floods and great property and crop damage, whereas too little rainfall can cause drought and crop failure. The latent heat release during the process of precipitation is a major source of energy that drives the atmospheric circulation. This latent heat can intensify weather systems, affecting weather thousands of kilometers away, thus making tropical rainfall an important indicator of atmospheric circulation and short-term climate change. Tropical forests and the underlying soils are major sources of many of the atmosphere's trace constituents. Together, the forests and the atmosphere act as a water-energy regulating system. Most of the rainfall is returned to the atmosphere through evaporation and transpiration, and the atmospheric trace constituents take part in the recycling process. Hence, the hydrological cycle provides a direct link between tropical rainfall and the global cycles of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur, all important trace materials for the Earth's system. Because rainfall is such an important component in the interactions between the ocean, atmosphere, land, and the biosphere, accurate measurements of rainfall are crucial to understanding the workings of the Earth-atmosphere system. The large spatial and temporal variability of rainfall systems, however, poses a major challenge to estimating global rainfall. So far, there has been a lack of rain gauge networks, especially over the oceans, which points to satellite measurement as the only means by which global observation of rainfall can be made. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), jointly sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States and the National Space Development Agency (NASDA) of

New Mission to Measure Global Lightning from the International Space Station (ISS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blakeslee, R. J.; Christian, H. J., Jr.; Mach, D. M.; Buechler, D. E.; Koshak, W. J.; Walker, T. D.; Bateman, M. G.; Stewart, M. F.; O'Brien, S.; Wilson, T. O.; Pavelitz, S. D.; Coker, C.

2015-12-01

Over the past 20 years, the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and their partners developed and demonstrated the effectiveness and value of space-based lightning observations as a remote sensing tool for Earth science research and applications, and, in the process, established a robust global lightning climatology. The observations included measurements from the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) that acquired global observations of total lightning (i.e., intracloud and cloud-to-ground discharges) from November 1997 to April 2015 between 38° N/S latitudes, and its Optical Transient Detector predecessor that acquired observation from May 1995 to April 2000 over 75° N/S latitudes. In February 2016, as an exciting follow-on to these prior missions, a space-qualified LIS built as a flight-spare for TRMM will be delivered to the International Space Station (ISS) for a 2 year or longer mission, flown as a hosted payload on the Department of Defense Space Test Program-Houston 5 (STP-H5) mission. The LIS on ISS will continue observations of the amount, rate, and radiant energy of total lightning over the Earth. More specifically, LIS measures lightning during both day and night, with storm scale resolution (~4 km), millisecond timing, and high, uniform detection efficiency, without any land-ocean bias. Lightning is a direct and most impressive response to intense atmospheric convection. ISS LIS lightning observations will continue to provide important gap-filling inputs to pressing Earth system science issues across a broad range of disciplines. This mission will also extend TRMM time series observations, expand the latitudinal coverage to 54° latitude, provide real-time lightning data to operational users, espically over data sparse oceanic regions, and enable cross-sensor observations and calibrations that includes the new GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) and the Meteosat

Muscle synergies obtained from comprehensive mapping of the primary motor cortex forelimb representation using high-frequency, long-duration ICMS.

PubMed

Amundsen Huffmaster, Sommer L; Van Acker, Gustaf M; Luchies, Carl W; Cheney, Paul D

2017-07-01

Simplifying neuromuscular control for movement has previously been explored by extracting muscle synergies from voluntary movement electromyography (EMG) patterns. The purpose of this study was to investigate muscle synergies represented in EMG recordings associated with direct electrical stimulation of single sites in primary motor cortex (M1). We applied single-electrode high-frequency, long-duration intracortical microstimulation (HFLD-ICMS) to the forelimb region of M1 in two rhesus macaques using parameters previously found to produce forelimb movements to stable spatial end points (90-150 Hz, 90-150 μA, 1,000-ms stimulus train lengths). To develop a comprehensive representation of cortical output, stimulation was applied systematically across the full extent of M1. We recorded EMG activity from 24 forelimb muscles together with movement kinematics. Nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) was applied to the mean stimulus-evoked EMG, and the weighting coefficients associated with each synergy were mapped to the cortical location of the stimulating electrode. Synergies were found for three data sets including 1 ) all stimulated sites in the cortex, 2 ) a subset of sites that produced stable movement end points, and 3 ) EMG activity associated with voluntary reaching. Two or three synergies accounted for 90% of the overall variation in voluntary movement EMG whereas four or five synergies were needed for HFLD-ICMS-evoked EMG data sets. Maps of the weighting coefficients from the full HFLD-ICMS data set show limited regional areas of higher activation for particular synergies. Our results demonstrate fundamental NMF-based muscle synergies in the collective M1 output, but whether and how the central nervous system might coordinate movements using these synergies remains unclear. NEW & NOTEWORTHY While muscle synergies have been investigated in various muscle activity sets, it is unclear whether and how synergies may be organized in the cortex. We have investigated

The HYSPIRI Decadal Survey Mission: Update on the Mission Concept and Science Objectives for Global Imaging Spectroscopy and Multi-Spectral Thermal Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, Robert O.; Hook, Simon J.; Middleton, Elizabeth; Turner, Woody; Ungar, Stephen; Knox, Robert

2012-01-01

The NASA HyspIRI mission is planned to provide global solar reflected energy spectroscopic measurement of the terrestrial and shallow water regions of the Earth every 19 days will all measurements downlinked. In addition, HyspIRI will provide multi-spectral thermal measurements with a single band in the 4 micron region and seven bands in the 8 to 12 micron region with 5 day day/night coverage. A direct broadcast capability for measurement subsets is also planned. This HyspIRI mission is one of those designated in the 2007 National Research Council (NRC) Decadal Survey: Earth Science and Applications from Space. In the Decadal Survey, HyspIRI was recognized as relevant to a range of Earth science and science applications, including climate: "A hyperspectral sensor (e.g., FLORA) combined with a multispectral thermal sensor (e.g., SAVII) in low Earth orbit (LEO) is part of an integrated mission concept [described in Parts I and II] that is relevant to several panels, especially the climate variability panel." The HyspIRI science study group was formed in 2008 to evaluate and refine the mission concept. This group has developed a series of HyspIRI science objectives: (1) Climate: Ecosystem biochemistry, condition & feedback; spectral albedo; carbon/dust on snow/ice; biomass burning; evapotranspiration (2) Ecosystems: Global plant functional types, physiological condition, and biochemistry including agricultural lands (3) Fires: Fuel status, fire frequency, severity, emissions, and patterns of recovery globally (4) Coral reef and coastal habitats: Global composition and status (5) Volcanoes: Eruptions, emissions, regional and global impact (6) Geology and resources: Global distributions of surface mineral resources and improved understanding of geology and related hazards These objectives are achieved with the following measurement capabilities. The HyspIRI imaging spectrometer provides: full spectral coverage from 380 to 2500 at 10 nm sampling; 60 m spatial sampling

Precipitation Measurements from Space: The Global Precipitation Measurement Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hou, Arthur Y.

2007-01-01

Water is fundamental to the life on Earth and its phase transition between the gaseous, liquid, and solid states dominates the behavior of the weather/climate/ecological system. Precipitation, which converts atmospheric water vapor into rain and snow, is central to the global water cycle. It regulates the global energy balance through interactions with clouds and water vapor (the primary greenhouse gas), and also shapes global winds and dynamic transport through latent heat release. Surface precipitation affects soil moisture, ocean salinity, and land hydrology, thus linking fast atmospheric processes to the slower components of the climate system. Precipitation is also the primary source of freshwater in the world, which is facing an emerging freshwater crisis in many regions. Accurate and timely knowledge of global precipitation is essential for understanding the behavior of the global water cycle, improving freshwater management, and advancing predictive capabilities of high-impact weather events such as hurricanes, floods, droughts, and landslides. With limited rainfall networks on land and the impracticality of making extensive rainfall measurements over oceans, a comprehensive description of the space and time variability of global precipitation can only be achieved from the vantage point of space. This presentation will examine current capabilities in space-borne rainfall measurements, highlight scientific and practical benefits derived from these observations to date, and provide an overview of the multi-national Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission scheduled to bc launched in the early next decade.

European Crew Personal Active Dosimeter (EuCPAD), a novel dosimetry system utilizing operational and scientific synergies for the benefit of humans in space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Straube, Ulrich; Berger, Thomas

A significant expansion of Human presence in space can be recognized over the last decade. Not only the frequency of human space mission did rise, but also time in space, mission duration with extended flights lasting half a year or more are becoming "standard". Despite the challenges to human health and well-being are still significant, or may even increase with mission length and work density. Also radiation exposure in space remains one of the inevitable and dominating factors relevant to crew- health, -safety and therefore mission success. The radiation environment that the space crews are exposed to differs significantly as compared to earth. Exposure in flight exceed doses that are usually received by terrestrial radiation workers on ground. Expanding "medical" demands are not a solely characteristics of current and current and upcoming mission scenarios. Likewise the margins for what is understood as "efficient utilization" for the fully operational science platform ISS, are immense. Understanding, accepting and approaching these challenges ESA-HSO did choose a particular pass of implementation for one of their current developments. Exploiting synergies of research, science and medical operational aspects, the "European Crew Personal Active Dosimeter for Astronauts (EuCPAD)" development exactly addresses these circumstances. It becomes novel part of ESA Radiation Protection Initiative for astronauts. The EuCPAD project aims at the development and manufacturing of an active (powered) dosimeter system to measure astronaut's exposures, support risk assessment dose management by providing a differentiated data set. Final goal is the verification of the system capabilities for medical monitoring at highest standards. The EuCPAD consists of several small portable Personal Active Dosimeters (MU = Mobile Unitas) and a rack mounted docking station “Personal Storage Device (PSD)” for MU storage, data read out and telemetry. The PSD furthermore contains a Tissue

Normal aging reduces motor synergies in manual pointing.

PubMed

Verrel, Julius; Lövdén, Martin; Lindenberger, Ulman

2012-01-01

Depending upon its organization, movement variability may reflect poor or flexible control of a motor task. We studied adult age-related differences in the structure of postural variability in manual pointing using the uncontrolled manifold (UCM) method. Participants from 2 age groups (younger: 20-30 years; older: 70-80 years; 12 subjects per group) completed a total of 120 pointing trials to 2 different targets presented according to 3 schedules: blocked, alternating, and random. The age groups were similar with respect to basic kinematic variables, end point precision, as well as the accuracy of the biomechanical forward model of the arm. Following the uncontrolled manifold approach, goal-equivalent and nongoal-equivalent components of postural variability (goal-equivalent variability [GEV] and nongoal-equivalent variability [NGEV]) were determined for 5 time points of the movements (start, 10%, 50%, 90%, and end) and used to define a synergy index reflecting the flexibility/stability aspect of motor synergies. Toward the end of the movement, younger adults showed higher synergy indexes than older adults. Effects of target schedule were not reliable. We conclude that normal aging alters the organization of common multidegree-of-freedom movements, with older adults making less flexible use of motor abundance than younger adults. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

IT Portfolio Selection and IT Synergy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cho, Woo Je

2010-01-01

This dissertation consists of three chapters. The primary objectives of this dissertation are: (1) to provide a methodological framework of IT (Information Technology) portfolio management, and (2) to identify the effect of IT synergy on IT portfolio selection of a firm. The first chapter presents a methodological framework for IT project…

Synergy optimization and operation management on syndicate complementary knowledge cooperation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tu, Kai-Jan

2014-10-01

The number of multi enterprises knowledge cooperation has grown steadily, as a result of global innovation competitions. I have conducted research based on optimization and operation studies in this article, and gained the conclusion that synergy management is effective means to break through various management barriers and solve cooperation's chaotic systems. Enterprises must communicate system vision and access complementary knowledge. These are crucial considerations for enterprises to exert their optimization and operation knowledge cooperation synergy to meet global marketing challenges.

Ground-based solar astrometric measurements during the PICARD mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Irbah, A.; Meftah, M.; Corbard, T.; Ikhlef, R.; Morand, F.; Assus, P.; Fodil, M.; Lin, M.; Ducourt, E.; Lesueur, P.; Poiet, G.; Renaud, C.; Rouze, M.

2011-11-01

PICARD is a space mission developed mainly to study the geometry of the Sun. The satellite was launched in June 2010. The PICARD mission has a ground program which is based at the Calern Observatory (Observatoire de la C^ote d'Azur). It will allow recording simultaneous solar images from ground. Astrometric observations of the Sun using ground-based telescopes need however an accurate modelling of optical e®ects induced by atmospheric turbulence. Previous works have revealed a dependence of the Sun radius measurements with the observation conditions (Fried's parameter, atmospheric correlation time(s) ...). The ground instruments consist mainly in SODISM II, replica of the PICARD space instrument and MISOLFA, a generalized daytime seeing monitor. They are complemented by standard sun-photometers and a pyranometer for estimating a global sky quality index. MISOLFA is founded on the observation of Angle-of-Arrival (AA) °uctuations and allows us to analyze atmospheric turbulence optical e®ects on measurements performed by SODISM II. It gives estimations of the coherence parameters characterizing wave-fronts degraded by the atmospheric turbulence (Fried's parameter, size of the isoplanatic patch, the spatial coherence outer scale and atmospheric correlation times). This paper presents an overview of the ground based instruments of PICARD and some results obtained from observations performed at Calern observatory in 2011.

In vitro synergy testing of macrolide-quinolone combinations against 41 clinical isolates of Legionella.

PubMed Central

Martin, S J; Pendland, S L; Chen, C; Schreckenberger, P; Danziger, L H

1996-01-01

Combination antimicrobial therapy against Legionella species has not been well studied. Several quinolones have activity against Legionella strains, which prompted this in vitro search for a synergistic combination with the macrolides. By a checkerboard assay, erythromycin, clarithromycin, and azithromycin, each in combination with ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin, were tested for synergy against 46 isolates of Legionella. The agar dilution method was employed using buffered charcoal-yeast extract media. A final inoculum of 10(4) CFU per spot was prepared from 24-h growth of each isolate. Plates were incubated at 35 degrees C for 48 h. Synergy, partial synergy, additive effect, or indifference was observed for all combinations of antibiotics tested. There was no antagonism observed. Synergy occurred to a significantly greater extent for the clarithromycin-levofloxacin (P = 0.0001) and azithromycin-levofloxacin (P = 0.003) combinations versus erythromycin-levofloxacin. The azithromycin-ciprofloxacin combination demonstrated significantly greater synergy than did either erythromycin-ciprofloxacin (P = 0.003) or clarithromycin-ciprofloxacin (P = 0.001). The newer macrolides clarithromycin and azithromycin may be more active in combination with a fluoroquinolone than is erythromycin. PMID:8726012

Muscle synergies in children with dystonia capture "healthy" patterns regardless the altered motor performance.

PubMed

Lunardini, Francesca; Casellato, Claudia; Bertucco, Matteo; Sanger, Terence D; Pedrocchi, Alessandra

2015-01-01

Muscle synergies are hypothesized to represent motor modules recruited by the nervous system to flexibly perform subtasks necessary to achieve movement. Muscle synergy analysis may offer a better view of the neural structure underlying motor behaviors and how they change in motor deficits and rehabilitation. The aim of this study is to investigate if muscle synergies are able to encode regularities in the musculoskeletal system organization and dynamic behavior of patients with dystonia, or if they are altered as a consequence of the nervous system dysfunction in dystonia. To do so, we applied muscle synergies analysis to muscle activity recorded during the execution of upper limb writing tasks in 10 children with dystonia and 9 age-matched healthy controls. We show that, although children with dystonia present movement abnormalities compared to control subjects, the muscle synergies extracted from the two groups are very similar, and that the two groups share a significant number of motor modules. Our finding therefore suggests that a regular modular organization of upper limb muscle coordination is preserved for childhood dystonia.

Combined Infrared Stereo and Laser Ranging Cloud Measurements from Shuttle Mission STS-85

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lancaster, R. S.; Spinhirne, J. D.; Manizade, K. F.

2004-01-01

Multiangle remote sensing provides a wealth of information for earth and climate monitoring, such as the ability to measure the height of cloud tops through stereoscopic imaging. As technology advances so do the options for developing spacecraft instrumentation versatile enough to meet the demands associated with multiangle measurements. One such instrument is the infrared spectral imaging radiometer, which flew as part of mission STS-85 of the space shuttle in 1997 and was the first earth- observing radiometer to incorporate an uncooled microbolometer array detector as its image sensor. Specifically, a method for computing cloud-top height with a precision of +/- 620 m from the multispectral stereo measurements acquired during this flight has been developed, and the results are compared with coincident direct laser ranging measurements from the shuttle laser altimeter. Mission STS-85 was the first space flight to combine laser ranging and thermal IR camera systems for cloud remote sensing.

Robustness of muscle synergies underlying three-dimensional force generation at the hand in healthy humans

PubMed Central

Rymer, William Z.; Beer, Randall F.

2012-01-01

Previous studies using advanced matrix factorization techniques have shown that the coordination of human voluntary limb movements may be accomplished using combinations of a small number of intermuscular coordination patterns, or muscle synergies. However, the potential use of muscle synergies for isometric force generation has been evaluated mostly using correlational methods. The results of such studies suggest that fixed relationships between the activations of pairs of muscles are relatively rare. There is also emerging evidence that the nervous system uses independent strategies to control movement and force generation, which suggests that one cannot conclude a priori that isometric force generation is accomplished by combining muscle synergies, as shown in movement control. In this study, we used non-negative matrix factorization to evaluate the ability of a few muscle synergies to reconstruct the activation patterns of human arm muscles underlying the generation of three-dimensional (3-D) isometric forces at the hand. Surface electromyographic (EMG) data were recorded from eight key elbow and shoulder muscles during 3-D force target-matching protocols performed across a range of load levels and hand positions. Four synergies were sufficient to explain, on average, 95% of the variance in EMG datasets. Furthermore, we found that muscle synergy composition was conserved across biomechanical task conditions, experimental protocols, and subjects. Our findings are consistent with the view that the nervous system can generate isometric forces by assembling a combination of a small number of muscle synergies, differentially weighted according to task constraints. PMID:22279190

Three Years of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skofronick-Jackson, Gail; Huffman, George; Petersen, Walter

2017-01-01

Water is essential to our planet Earth. Knowing when, where and how precipitation falls is crucial for understanding the linkages between the Earth's water and energy cycles and is extraordinarily important for sustaining life on our planet during climate change. The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory spacecraft launched February 27, 2014, is the anchor to the GPM international satellite mission to unify and advance precipitation measurements from a constellation of research and operational sensors to provide "next-generation" precipitation products. GPM is currently a partnership between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Status and successes in terms of spacecraft, instruments, retrieval products, validation, and impacts for science and society will be presented.

Pilot Screening to Determine Antimicrobial Synergies in a Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Strain Library

PubMed Central

Kim, Si-Hyun; Park, Chulmin; Chun, Hye-Sun; Choi, Jae-Ki; Lee, Hyo-Jin; Cho, Sung-Yeon; Park, Sun Hee; Choi, Su-Mi; Choi, Jung-Hyun; Yoo, Jin-Hong

2016-01-01

With the rise in multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections, there has been increasing interest in combinations of ≥2 antimicrobial agents with synergistic effects. We established an MDR bacterial strain library to screen for in vitro antimicrobial synergy by using a broth microdilution checkerboard method and high-throughput luciferase-based bacterial cell viability assay. In total, 39 MDR bacterial strains, including 23 carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacteria, 9 vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus, and 7 vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis, were used to screen for potential antimicrobial synergies. Synergies were more frequently identified with combinations of imipenem plus trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole for carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in the library. To verify this finding, we tested 34 A. baumannii clinical isolates resistant to both imipenem and trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole by the checkerboard method. The imipenem plus trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole combination showed synergy in the treatment of 21 (62%) of the clinical isolates. The results indicate that pilot screening for antimicrobial synergy in the MDR bacterial strain library could be valuable in the selection of combination therapeutic regimens to treat MDR bacterial infections. Further studies are warranted to determine whether this screening system can be useful to screen for the combined effects of conventional antimicrobials and new-generation antimicrobials or nonantimicrobials. PMID:26974861

Prediction of drug synergy in cancer using ensemble-based machine learning techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Harpreet; Rana, Prashant Singh; Singh, Urvinder

2018-04-01

Drug synergy prediction plays a significant role in the medical field for inhibiting specific cancer agents. It can be developed as a pre-processing tool for therapeutic successes. Examination of different drug-drug interaction can be done by drug synergy score. It needs efficient regression-based machine learning approaches to minimize the prediction errors. Numerous machine learning techniques such as neural networks, support vector machines, random forests, LASSO, Elastic Nets, etc., have been used in the past to realize requirement as mentioned above. However, these techniques individually do not provide significant accuracy in drug synergy score. Therefore, the primary objective of this paper is to design a neuro-fuzzy-based ensembling approach. To achieve this, nine well-known machine learning techniques have been implemented by considering the drug synergy data. Based on the accuracy of each model, four techniques with high accuracy are selected to develop ensemble-based machine learning model. These models are Random forest, Fuzzy Rules Using Genetic Cooperative-Competitive Learning method (GFS.GCCL), Adaptive-Network-Based Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) and Dynamic Evolving Neural-Fuzzy Inference System method (DENFIS). Ensembling is achieved by evaluating the biased weighted aggregation (i.e. adding more weights to the model with a higher prediction score) of predicted data by selected models. The proposed and existing machine learning techniques have been evaluated on drug synergy score data. The comparative analysis reveals that the proposed method outperforms others in terms of accuracy, root mean square error and coefficient of correlation.

Airborne Measurements in Support of the NASA Atmospheric Carbon and Transport - America (ACT-America) Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meadows, Byron; Davis, Ken; Barrick, John; Browell, Edward; Chen, Gao; Dobler, Jeremy; Fried, Alan; Lauvaux, Thomas; Lin, Bing; McGill, Matt;

Listening to speech recruits specific tongue motor synergies as revealed by transcranial magnetic stimulation and tissue-Doppler ultrasound imaging

PubMed Central

D'Ausilio, A.; Maffongelli, L.; Bartoli, E.; Campanella, M.; Ferrari, E.; Berry, J.; Fadiga, L.

2014-01-01

The activation of listener's motor system during speech processing was first demonstrated by the enhancement of electromyographic tongue potentials as evoked by single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over tongue motor cortex. This technique is, however, technically challenging and enables only a rather coarse measurement of this motor mirroring. Here, we applied TMS to listeners’ tongue motor area in association with ultrasound tissue Doppler imaging to describe fine-grained tongue kinematic synergies evoked by passive listening to speech. Subjects listened to syllables requiring different patterns of dorso-ventral and antero-posterior movements (/ki/, /ko/, /ti/, /to/). Results show that passive listening to speech sounds evokes a pattern of motor synergies mirroring those occurring during speech production. Moreover, mirror motor synergies were more evident in those subjects showing good performances in discriminating speech in noise demonstrating a role of the speech-related mirror system in feed-forward processing the speaker's ongoing motor plan. PMID:24778384

Space Propulsion Synergy Group ETO technology assessments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bray, James

The Space Propulsion Synergy Group (SPSG), which was chartered to support long-range strategic planning, has, using a broad industry/government team, evaluated and achieved consensus on the vehicles, propulsion systems, and propulsion technologies that have the best long-term potential for achieving desired system attributes. The breakthrough that enabled broad consensus was developing criteria that are measurable a priori. The SPSG invented a dual prioritization approach that balances long-term strategic thrusts with current programmatic constraints. This enables individual program managers to make decisions based on both individual project needs and long-term strategic needs. Results indicate that an SSTO using an integrated modular engine has the best long-term potential for a 20 Klb class vehicle, and that health monitoring and control technologies are among the highest dual priority liquid rocket technologies.

Evaluations of the Synergy of the Water-Energy-Food Nexus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taniguchi, M.

2017-12-01

Analyses of the synergy and tradeoff of the water-energy-food nexus are keys to a sustainable society under the increasing demand for resources. Analyses of the water-energy-food nexus in Kumamoto, Japan showed that the paddy field for rice production, upstream of the basin with irrigated water from the river, had recharged the groundwater which is used as drinking water downstream in Kumamoto city without energy consumption for the transport of groundwater. National government regulations of "fallow rice fields" and urbanization after the 1970s caused the decrease in the groundwater recharge rate upstream in the paddy field area. This also lead to the decrease in water resources of groundwater downstream in Kumamoto city, which then required additional energy for water pumping. Therefore, the synergy of water-energy-food was lost after government regulations of rice production and urbanization which caused an impermeable layer for groundwater recharge. The nexus model has been established to analyze the synergy of water-energy-food, including cost-benefit analyses, food trade including rice with different scenarios of food self-sufficiency rates, water and energy consumption for food, and others. A decrease in rice consumption and production with the same self-sufficiency rate caused a decrease in water and energy consumption for rice production, and a decrease in carbon emissions. However, the cost of synergy loss in the water-energy-food nexus in Kumamoto did not outweigh the benefit of reductions in water and energy consumption for rice production.

Distinguishing synchronous and time-varying synergies using point process interval statistics: motor primitives in frog and rat

PubMed Central

Hart, Corey B.; Giszter, Simon F.

2013-01-01

We present and apply a method that uses point process statistics to discriminate the forms of synergies in motor pattern data, prior to explicit synergy extraction. The method uses electromyogram (EMG) pulse peak timing or onset timing. Peak timing is preferable in complex patterns where pulse onsets may be overlapping. An interval statistic derived from the point processes of EMG peak timings distinguishes time-varying synergies from synchronous synergies (SS). Model data shows that the statistic is robust for most conditions. Its application to both frog hindlimb EMG and rat locomotion hindlimb EMG show data from these preparations is clearly most consistent with synchronous synergy models (p < 0.001). Additional direct tests of pulse and interval relations in frog data further bolster the support for synchronous synergy mechanisms in these data. Our method and analyses support separated control of rhythm and pattern of motor primitives, with the low level execution primitives comprising pulsed SS in both frog and rat, and both episodic and rhythmic behaviors. PMID:23675341

Muscle Synergies Heavily Influence the Neural Control of Arm Endpoint Stiffness and Energy Consumption

PubMed Central

Inouye, Joshua M.; Valero-Cuevas, Francisco J.

2016-01-01

Much debate has arisen from research on muscle synergies with respect to both limb impedance control and energy consumption. Studies of limb impedance control in the context of reaching movements and postural tasks have produced divergent findings, and this study explores whether the use of synergies by the central nervous system (CNS) can resolve these findings and also provide insights on mechanisms of energy consumption. In this study, we phrase these debates at the conceptual level of interactions between neural degrees of freedom and tasks constraints. This allows us to examine the ability of experimentally-observed synergies—correlated muscle activations—to control both energy consumption and the stiffness component of limb endpoint impedance. In our nominal 6-muscle planar arm model, muscle synergies and the desired size, shape, and orientation of endpoint stiffness ellipses, are expressed as linear constraints that define the set of feasible muscle activation patterns. Quadratic programming allows us to predict whether and how energy consumption can be minimized throughout the workspace of the limb given those linear constraints. We show that the presence of synergies drastically decreases the ability of the CNS to vary the properties of the endpoint stiffness and can even preclude the ability to minimize energy. Furthermore, the capacity to minimize energy consumption—when available—can be greatly affected by arm posture. Our computational approach helps reconcile divergent findings and conclusions about task-specific regulation of endpoint stiffness and energy consumption in the context of synergies. But more generally, these results provide further evidence that the benefits and disadvantages of muscle synergies go hand-in-hand with the structure of feasible muscle activation patterns afforded by the mechanics of the limb and task constraints. These insights will help design experiments to elucidate the interplay between synergies and the

Mission Simulation of Space Lidar Measurements for Seasonal and Regional CO2 Variations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kawa, Stephan; Collatz, G. J.; Mao, J.; Abshire, J. B.; Sun, X.; Weaver, C. J.

2010-01-01

Results of mission simulation studies are presented for a laser-based atmospheric [82 sounder. The simulations are based on real-time carbon cycle process modeling and data analysis. The mission concept corresponds to the Active Sensing of [82 over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) recommended by the US National Academy of Sciences Decadal Survey of Earth Science and Applications from Space. One prerequisite for meaningful quantitative sensor evaluation is realistic CO2 process modeling across a wide range of scales, i.e., does the model have representative spatial and temporal gradients? Examples of model comparison with data will be shown. Another requirement is a relatively complete description of the atmospheric and surface state, which we have obtained from meteorological data assimilation and satellite measurements from MODIS and [ALIPS0. We use radiative transfer model calculations, an instrument model with representative errors ' and a simple retrieval approach to complete the cycle from "nature" run to "pseudo-data" CO2, Several mission and instrument configuration options are examined/ and the sensitivity to key design variables is shown. We use the simulation framework to demonstrate that within reasonable technological assumptions for the system performance, relatively high measurement precision can be obtained, but errors depend strongly on environmental conditions as well as instrument specifications. Examples are also shown of how the resulting pseudo - measurements might be used to address key carbon cycle science questions.

Characterizing Aerosols over Southeast Asia using the AERONET Data Synergy Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Giles, David M.; Holben, Brent N.; Eck, Thomas F.; Slutsker, Ilya; Slutsker, Ilya; Welton, Ellsworth, J.; Chin, Mian; Kucsera, Thomas; Schmaltz, Jeffery E.; Diehl, Thomas;

HUMEX, a study on the survivability and adaptation of humans to long-duration exploratory missions, part I: lunar missions.

PubMed

Horneck, G; Facius, R; Reichert, M; Rettberg, P; Seboldt, W; Manzey, D; Comet, B; Maillet, A; Preiss, H; Schauer, L; Dussap, C G; Poughon, L; Belyavin, A; Reitz, G; Baumstark-Khan, C; Gerzer, R

2003-01-01

Space Station have been defined. Likewise advanced life support systems with a high degree of autonomy and regenerative capacity and synergy effects were considered where bioregenerative life support systems and biodiagnostic systems become essential. Finally, a European strategy leading to a potential European participation in future human exploratory missions has been recommended. c2003 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

HUMEX, a study on the survivability and adaptation of humans to long-duration exploratory missions, part I: lunar missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horneck, G.; Facius, R.; Reichert, M.; Rettberg, P.; Seboldt, W.; Manzey, D.; Comet, B.; Maillet, A.; Preiss, H.; Schauer, L.;

PICARD SOL mission, a ground-based facility for long-term solar radius measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meftah, M.; Irbah, A.; Corbard, T.; Morand, F.; Thuillier, G.; Hauchecorne, A.; Ikhlef, R.; Rouze, M.; Renaud, C.; Djafer, D.; Abbaki, S.; Assus, P.; Chauvineau, B.; Cissé, E. M.; Dalaudier, F.; D'Almeida, Eric; Fodil, M.; Laclare, F.; Lesueur, P.; Lin, M.; Marcovici, J. P.; Poiet, G.

2012-09-01

For the last thirty years, ground time series of the solar radius have shown different variations according to different instruments. The origin of these variations may be found in the observer, the instrument, the atmosphere and the Sun. These time series show inconsistencies and conflicting results, which likely originate from instrumental effects and/or atmospheric effects. A survey of the solar radius was initiated in 1975 by F. Laclare, at the Calern site of the Observatoire de la Cˆote d'Azur (OCA). PICARD is an investigation dedicated to the simultaneous measurements of the absolute total and spectral solar irradiance, the solar radius and solar shape, and to the Sun's interior probing by the helioseismology method. The PICARD mission aims to the study of the origin of the solar variability and to the study of the relations between the Sun and the Earth's climate by using modeling. These studies will be based on measurements carried out from orbit and from the ground. PICARD SOL is the ground segment of the PICARD mission to allow a comparison of the solar radius measured in space and on ground. PICARD SOL will enable to understand the influence of the atmosphere on the measured solar radius. The PICARD Sol instrumentation consists of: SODISM II, a replica of SODISM (SOlar Diameter Imager and Surface Mapper), a high resolution imaging telescope, and MISOLFA (Moniteur d'Images SOLaires Franco-Alǵerien), a seeing monitor. Additional instrumentation consists in a Sun photometer, which measures atmospheric aerosol properties, a pyranometer to measure the solar irradiance, a visible camera, and a weather station. PICARD SOL is operating since March 2011. First results from the PICARD SOL mission are briefly reported in this paper.

Atmospheric Airborne Pressure Measurements Using the Oxygen A Band for the ASCENDS Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Riris, Haris; Rodriguez, Mike; Stephen, Mark; Hasselbrack, William; Allan, Graham; Mao, Jianping; Kawa, Stephen R.; Weaver, Clark J.

2010-01-01

We report on airborne atmospheric pressure measurements using new fiber-based laser technology and the oxygen A-band at 765 nm. Remote measurements of atmospheric temperature and pressure are required for a number of NASA Earth science missions and specifically for the Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions Over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) mission. Accurate measurements of tropospheric CO2 on a global scale are very important in order to better understand its sources and sinks and to improve predictions on any future climate change. The ultimate goal of a CO2 remote sensing mission, such as ASCENDS, is to derive the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere in terms of mole fraction in unit of parts-per-million (ppmv) with regard to dry air. Therefore, both CO2 and the dry air number of molecules in the atmosphere are needed in deriving this quantity. O2 is a stable molecule and uniformly mixed in the atmosphere. Measuring the O2 absorption in the atmosphere can thus be used to infer the dry air number of molecules and then used to calculate CO2 concentration. With the knowledge of atmospheric water vapor, we can then estimate the total surface pressure needed for CO2 retrievals. Our work, funded by the ESTO IIP program, uses fiber optic technology and non-linear optics to generate 765 nm laser radiation coincident with the Oxygen A-band. Our pulsed, time gated technique uses several on- and off-line wavelengths tuned to the O2 absorption line. The choice of wavelengths allows us to measure the pressure by using two adjacent O2 absorptions in the Oxygen A-band. Our retrieval algorithm fits the O2 lineshapes and derives the pressure. Our measurements compare favorably with a local weather monitor mounted outside our laboratory and a local weather station.

Atmospheric Airborne Pressure Measurements Using the Oxygen A Band for the ASCENDS Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Riris, Haris; Rodriguez, Mike; Stephen, Mark; Hasselbrack, William; Allan, Graham; Mao, Jiamping,; Kawa, Stephan R.; Weaver, Clark J.

2011-01-01

We report on airborne atmospheric pressure measurements using new fiber-based laser technology and the oxygen A-band at 765 nm. Remote measurements of atmospheric temperature and pressure are required for a number of NASA Earth science missions and specifically for the Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions Over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) mission. Accurate measurements of tropospheric CO2 on a global scale are very important in order to better understand its sources and sinks and to improve predictions on any future climate change. The ultimate goal of a CO2 remote sensing mission, such as ASCENDS, is to derive the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere in terms of mole fraction in unit of parts-per-million (ppmv) with regard to dry air. Therefore, both CO2 and the dry air number of molecules in the atmosphere are needed in deriving this quantity. O2 is a stable molecule and uniformly mixed in the atmosphere. Measuring the O2 absorption in the atmosphere can thus be used to infer the dry air number of molecules and then used to calculate CO2 concentration. With the knowledge of atmospheric water vapor, we can then estimate the total surface pressure needed for CO2 retrievals. Our work, funded by the ESTO IIP program, uses fiber optic technology and non-linear optics to generate 765 nm laser radiation coincident with the Oxygen A-band. Our pulsed, time gated technique uses several on- and off-line wavelengths tuned to the O2 absorption line. The choice of wavelengths allows us to measure the pressure by using two adjacent O2 absorptions in the Oxygen A-band. Our retrieval algorithm fits the O2 lineshapes and derives the pressure. Our measurements compare favorably with a local weather monitor mounted outside our laboratory and a local weather station.

Towards multifunctional agricultural landscapes in Europe: Assessing and governing synergies between food production, biodiversity, and ecosystem services - TALE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volk, Martin; Cord, Anna; Demiguel, Ángel; Holzkämper, Annelie; Kaim, Andrea; Kirchner, Mathias; Lienhoop, Nele; Nieto Romero, Marta; Nitsch, Heike; Rutz, Cordula; Saa, Antonio; Schmid, Erwin; Schönhart, Martin; Schramek, Jörg; Strauch, Michael; Tarquis Alfonso, Ana Maria; van der Zanden, Emma H.; Verburg, Peter; Willaarts, Bárbara; Zarrineh, Nina; Rivas, David; Hagemann, Nina

2016-04-01

There is a need to improve our understanding of the synergies between biodiversity, food and energy production and other regulating or cultural ecosystem services (ESS) and the development of technical and policy measures to support these synergies. Procedures to quantify synergies and trade-offs between ESS and biodiversity are considered as promising solutions to close this gap. The BiodivERsA project TALE aims at developing such methodologies in a set of representative European agricultural landscapes in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, The Netherlands and Spain. This will be done by using i) a framework that links process-based, integrated, and statistical models with optimization algorithms, and ii) a set of land use scenarios and land use policies, iii) a systematic stakeholder integration process that allows the incorporation of expert knowledge in all phases of the research project to safeguard that research results are of practical relevance. Moreover, the project not only addresses experts but provides an innovative online learning environment that is accessible also for students and the general public.

Summary Report of Mission Acceleration Measurements for STS-65, Launched 8 July 1994

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rogers, Melissa J. B.; Delombard, Richard

1995-01-01

The second flight of the International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-2) payload on board the STS-65 mission was supported by three accelerometer instruments: The Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE) located close to the orbiter center of mass; the Quasi-Steady Acceleration Measurement experiment, and the Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS), both in the Spacelab module. A fourth accelerometer, the Microgravity Measuring Device recorded data in the middeck in support of exercise isolation tests.Data collected by OARE and SAMS during IML-2 are displayed in this report. The OARE data represent the microgravity environment below 1 Hz. The SAMS data represent the environment in the 0.01 Hz to 100 Hz range. Variations in the environment caused by unique activities are presented. Specific events addressed are: crew activity, crew exercise, experiment component mixing activities, experiment centrifuge operations, refrigerator/freezer operations and circulation pump operations. The analyses included in this report complement analyses presented in other mission summary reports.

Summary report of mission acceleration measurements for Spacehab-01, STS-57 launched 21 June 1993

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Finley, Brian; Grodsinsky, Carlos; Delombard, Richard

1994-01-01

The maiden voyage of the commercial Spacehab laboratory module onboard the STS-57 mission was integrated with several accelerometer packages, one of which was the Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS). The June 21st 1993, launch was the seventh successful mission for the Office of Life and Microgravity Sciences and Application's (OLMSA) SAMS unit. This flight was also complemented by a second accelerometer system. The Three Dimensional Microgravity Accelerometer (3-DMA), a Code C funded acceleration measurement system, offering an on-orbit residual calibration as a reference for the unit's four triaxial accelerometers. The SAMS accelerometer unit utilized three remote triaxial sensor heads mounted on the forward Spacehab module bulkhead and on one centrally located experiment locker door. These triaxial heads had filter cut-offs set to 5, 50, and 1000 Hz. The mission also included other experiment specific accelerometer packages in various locations.

Effect of fuel origin on synergy during co-gasification of biomass and coal in CO2.

PubMed

Zhang, Yan; Zheng, Yan; Yang, Mingjun; Song, Yongchen

2016-01-01

The effect of fuel origin on synergy in coal/biomass blends during co-gasification has been assessed using a congruent-mass thermogravimetry analysis (TGA) method. Results revealed that synergy occurs when ash residuals are formed, followed by an almost complete gasification of biomass. Potassium species in biomass ash play a catalytic role in promoting gasification reactivity of coal char, which is a direct consequence of synergy during co-gasification. The SEM-EDS spectra provided conclusive evidence that the transfer of potassium from biomass to the surface of coal char occurs during co-pyrolysis/gasification. Biomass ash rich in silica eliminated synergy in coal/biomass blends but not to the extent of inhibiting the reaction rate of the blended chars to make it slower than that of separated ones. The best result in terms of synergy was concluded to be the combination of low-ash coal and K-rich biomass. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Synergy in spreading processes: from exploitative to explorative foraging strategies.

PubMed

Pérez-Reche, Francisco J; Ludlam, Jonathan J; Taraskin, Sergei N; Gilligan, Christopher A

2011-05-27

An epidemiological model which incorporates synergistic effects that allow the infectivity and/or susceptibility of hosts to be dependent on the number of infected neighbors is proposed. Constructive synergy induces an exploitative behavior which results in a rapid invasion that infects a large number of hosts. Interfering synergy leads to a slower and sparser explorative foraging strategy that traverses larger distances by infecting fewer hosts. The model can be mapped to a dynamical bond percolation with spatial correlations that affect the mechanism of spread but do not influence the critical behavior of epidemics. © 2011 American Physical Society

Transdisciplinary breastfeeding support: Creating program and policy synergy across the reproductive continuum

PubMed Central

Labbok, Miriam H

2008-01-01

This paper was presented at the symposium on Breastfeeding and Feminism: A Focus on Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice. It underscores the power and potential of synergy between and among organizations and individuals supporting breastfeeding, the mother-child dyad, and reproductive health to increase sustainable breastfeeding support. These concepts were brought together to lay the groundwork for working group discussions of synergy in program and policy actions. PMID:18680583

On the synergy of nuclear data for fusion and model assumptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avrigeanu, Vlad; Avrigeanu, Marilena

2017-09-01

A deuteron breakup (BU) parametrization is involved within the BU analysis of recently measured reaction-in-flight (RIF) neutron time-of-flight spectrum, while open questions underlined previously on related fast-neutron induced reaction on Zr isotopes are also addressed in a consistent way, at once with the use of a recent optical potential for α-particles to understand the large discrepancy between the measured and calculated cross sections of the 94Zr(n,α)91Sr reaction. Thus the synergy between the above-mentioned three distinct subjects may finally lead to smaller uncertainties of the nuclear data for fusion while the RIF neutron spectra may also be used to support nuclear model assumptions.

Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and the Future of Rainfall Estimation from Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kakar, Ramesh; Adler, Robert; Smith, Eric; Starr, David OC. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Tropical rainfall is important in the hydrological cycle and to the lives and welfare of humans. Three-fourths of the energy that drives the atmospheric wind circulation comes from the latent heat released by tropical precipitation. Recognizing the importance of rain in the tropics, NASA for the U.S.A. and NASDA for Japan have partnered in the design, construction and flight of a satellite mission to measure tropical rainfall and calculate the associated latent heat release. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite was launched on November 27, 1997, and data from all the instruments first became available approximately 30 days after launch. Since then, much progress has been made in the calibration of the sensors, the improvement of the rainfall algorithms and applications of these results to areas such as Data Assimilation and model initialization. TRMM has reduced the uncertainty of climatological rainfall in tropics by over a factor of two, therefore establishing a standard for comparison with previous data sets and climatologies. It has documented the diurnal variation of precipitation over the oceans, showing a distinct early morning peak and this satellite mission has shown the utility of precipitation information for the improvement of numerical weather forecasts and climate modeling. This paper discusses some promising applications using TRMM data and introduces a measurement concept being discussed by NASA/NASDA and ESA for the future of rainfall estimation from space.

Global Precipitation Measurement mission data released on This Week @NASA - September 5, 2014

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-09-05

Precipitation information from the first six months of the Global Precipitation Measurement Core Observatory mission now is fully available to the public. Launched from Japan in February, the joint NASA and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency mission works with international partner satellites to produce precise and standardized data sets on worldwide rainfall, snowfall and other precipitation. The data can be used to improve forecasts of extreme weather events like floods and help decision makers worldwide better manage water resources. Also, Earthquake data from the air, Next ISS crew trains, Talking STEM with students and OSIRIS-REx time capsule!

A synergy-driven approach to a myoelectric hand.

PubMed

Godfrey, S B; Ajoudani, A; Catalano, M; Grioli, G; Bicchi, A

2013-06-01

In this paper, we present the Pisa/IIT SoftHand with myoelectric control as a synergy-driven approach for a prosthetic hand. Commercially available myoelectric hands are more expensive, heavier, and less robust than their body-powered counterparts; however, they can offer greater freedom of motion and a more aesthetically pleasing appearance. The Pisa/IIT SoftHand is built on the motor control principle of synergies through which the immense complexity of the hand is simplified into distinct motor patterns. As the SoftHand grasps, it follows a synergistic path with built-in flexibility to allow grasping of a wide variety of objects with a single motor. Here we test, as a proof-of-concept, 4 myoelectric controllers: a standard controller in which the EMG signal is used only as a position reference, an impedance controller that determines both position and stiffness references from the EMG input, a standard controller with vibrotactile force feedback, and finally a combined vibrotactile-impedance (VI) controller. Four healthy subjects tested the control algorithms by grasping various objects. All controllers were sufficient for basic grasping, however the impedance and vibrotactile controllers reduced the physical and cognitive load on the user, while the combined VI mode was the easiest to use of the four. While these results need to be validated with amputees, they suggest a low-cost, robust hand employing hardware-based synergies is a viable alternative to traditional myoelectric prostheses.

Shared and task-specific muscle synergies of Nordic walking and conventional walking.

PubMed

Boccia, G; Zoppirolli, C; Bortolan, L; Schena, F; Pellegrini, B

2018-03-01

Nordic walking is a form of walking that includes a poling action, and therefore an additional subtask, with respect to conventional walking. The aim of this study was to assess whether Nordic walking required a task-specific muscle coordination with respect to conventional walking. We compared the electromyographic (EMG) activity of 15 upper- and lower-limb muscles of 9 Nordic walking instructors, while executing Nordic walking and conventional walking at 1.3 ms -1 on a treadmill. Non-negative matrix factorization method was applied to identify muscle synergies, representing the spatial and temporal organization of muscle coordination. The number of muscle synergies was not different between Nordic walking (5.2 ± 0.4) and conventional walking (5.0 ± 0.7, P = .423). Five muscle synergies accounted for 91.2 ± 1.1% and 92.9 ± 1.2% of total EMG variance in Nordic walking and conventional walking, respectively. Similarity and cross-reconstruction analyses showed that 4 muscle synergies, mainly involving lower-limb and trunk muscles, are shared between Nordic walking and conventional walking. One synergy acting during upper limb propulsion is specific to Nordic walking, modifying the spatial organization and the magnitude of activation of upper limb muscles compared to conventional walking. The inclusion of the poling action in Nordic walking does not increase the complexity of movement control and does not change the coordination of lower limb muscles. This makes Nordic walking a physical activity suitable also for people with low motor skill. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Use of muscle synergies and wavelet transforms to identify fatigue during squatting.

PubMed

Smale, Kenneth B; Shourijeh, Mohammad S; Benoit, Daniel L

2016-06-01

The objective of this study was to supplement continuous wavelet transforms with muscle synergies in a fatigue analysis to better describe the combination of decreased firing frequency and altered activation profiles during dynamic muscle contractions. Nine healthy young individuals completed the dynamic tasks before and after they squatted with a standard Olympic bar until complete exhaustion. Electromyography (EMG) profiles were analyzed with a novel concatenated non-negative matrix factorization method that decomposed EMG signals into muscle synergies. Muscle synergy analysis provides the activation pattern of the muscles while continuous wavelet transforms output the temporal frequency content of the EMG signals. Synergy analysis revealed subtle changes in two-legged squatting after fatigue while differences in one-legged squatting were more pronounced and included the shift from a general co-activation of muscles in the pre-fatigue state to a knee extensor dominant weighting post-fatigue. Continuous wavelet transforms showed major frequency content decreases in two-legged squatting after fatigue while very few frequency changes occurred in one-legged squatting. It was observed that the combination of methods is an effective way of describing muscle fatigue and that muscle activation patterns play a very important role in maintaining the overall joint kinetics after fatigue. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On the Origin of Muscle Synergies: Invariant Balance in the Co-activation of Agonist and Antagonist Muscle Pairs

PubMed Central

Hirai, Hiroaki; Miyazaki, Fumio; Naritomi, Hiroaki; Koba, Keitaro; Oku, Takanori; Uno, Kanna; Uemura, Mitsunori; Nishi, Tomoki; Kageyama, Masayuki; Krebs, Hermano Igo

2015-01-01

Investigation of neural representation of movement planning has attracted the attention of neuroscientists, as it may reveal the sensorimotor transformation essential to motor control. The analysis of muscle synergies based on the activity of agonist–antagonist (AA) muscle pairs may provide insight into such transformations, especially for a reference frame in the muscle space. In this study, we examined the AA concept using the following explanatory variables: the AA ratio, which is related to the equilibrium-joint angle, and the AA sum, which is associated with joint stiffness. We formulated muscle synergies as a function of AA sums, positing that muscle synergies are composite units of mechanical impedance. The AA concept can be regarded as another form of the equilibrium-point (EP) hypothesis, and it can be extended to the concept of EP-based synergies. We introduce, here, a novel tool for analyzing the neurological and motor functions underlying human movements and review some initial insights from our results about the relationships between muscle synergies, endpoint stiffness, and virtual trajectories (time series of EP). Our results suggest that (1) muscle synergies reflect an invariant balance in the co-activation of AA muscle pairs; (2) each synergy represents the basis for the radial, tangential, and null movements of the virtual trajectory in the polar coordinates centered on the specific joint at the base of the body; and (3) the alteration of muscle synergies (for example, due to spasticity or rigidity following neurological injury) results in significant distortion of endpoint stiffness and concomitant virtual trajectories. These results indicate that muscle synergies (i.e., the balance of muscle mechanical impedance) are essential for motor control. PMID:26636079

On the Origin of Muscle Synergies: Invariant Balance in the Co-activation of Agonist and Antagonist Muscle Pairs.

PubMed

Hirai, Hiroaki; Miyazaki, Fumio; Naritomi, Hiroaki; Koba, Keitaro; Oku, Takanori; Uno, Kanna; Uemura, Mitsunori; Nishi, Tomoki; Kageyama, Masayuki; Krebs, Hermano Igo

2015-01-01

Investigation of neural representation of movement planning has attracted the attention of neuroscientists, as it may reveal the sensorimotor transformation essential to motor control. The analysis of muscle synergies based on the activity of agonist-antagonist (AA) muscle pairs may provide insight into such transformations, especially for a reference frame in the muscle space. In this study, we examined the AA concept using the following explanatory variables: the AA ratio, which is related to the equilibrium-joint angle, and the AA sum, which is associated with joint stiffness. We formulated muscle synergies as a function of AA sums, positing that muscle synergies are composite units of mechanical impedance. The AA concept can be regarded as another form of the equilibrium-point (EP) hypothesis, and it can be extended to the concept of EP-based synergies. We introduce, here, a novel tool for analyzing the neurological and motor functions underlying human movements and review some initial insights from our results about the relationships between muscle synergies, endpoint stiffness, and virtual trajectories (time series of EP). Our results suggest that (1) muscle synergies reflect an invariant balance in the co-activation of AA muscle pairs; (2) each synergy represents the basis for the radial, tangential, and null movements of the virtual trajectory in the polar coordinates centered on the specific joint at the base of the body; and (3) the alteration of muscle synergies (for example, due to spasticity or rigidity following neurological injury) results in significant distortion of endpoint stiffness and concomitant virtual trajectories. These results indicate that muscle synergies (i.e., the balance of muscle mechanical impedance) are essential for motor control.

Evaluating Mission Drift in Microfinance: Lessons for Programs with Social Mission

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hishigsuren, Gaamaa

2007-01-01

The article contributes to a better understanding of implications of scaling up on the social mission of microfinance programs. It proposes a methodology to measure the extent, if any, to which a microfinance program with a poverty alleviation mission drifts away from its mission during rapid scaling up and presents findings from a field research…

Measuring Earth's radiation imbalance with RAVAN: A CubeSat mission to measure the driver of global climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swartz, W. H.; Dyrud, L. P.; Wiscombe, W. J.; Lorentz, S. R.; Papadakis, S.; Summers, R. A.; Smith, A. W.; Wu, D. L.; Deglau, D. M.; Arnold, S. P.

2013-12-01

The Earth radiation imbalance (ERI) is the single most important quantity for predicting the course of climate change over the next century. It is also the single most important metric for any geo-engineering scheme. We review the current scientific understanding of ERI and present a recently funded CubeSat mission, the Radiometer Assessment using Vertically Aligned Nanotubes (RAVAN), that will demonstrate an affordable, accurate radiometer that directly measures Earth-leaving fluxes of total and solar-reflected radiation. Coupled with knowledge of the incoming radiation from the Sun, RAVAN directly gives ERI. The objective of RAVAN is to demonstrate that a compact spaceborne radiometer that is absolutely accurate to NIST-traceable standards can be built for low cost. The key technologies that enable a radiometer with all these attributes are: a gallium fixed-point blackbody as a built-in calibration source and a vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) absorber. VACNTs are the blackest known substance, making them ideal radiometer absorbers with order-of-magnitude improvements in spectral flatness and stability over the existing art. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory heritage 3U Multi-Mission Nanosat will host RAVAN, providing the reliability, agility, and resources needed. RAVAN will pave the way for a constellation Earth radiation budget mission that can provide the measurements needed to enable vastly superior predictions of future climate change.

Hand synergies during reach-to-grasp.

PubMed

Mason, C R; Gomez, J E; Ebner, T J

2001-12-01

An emerging viewpoint is that the CNS uses synergies to simplify the control of the hand. Previous work has shown that static hand postures for mimed grasps can be described by a few principal components in which the higher order components explained only a small fraction of the variance yet provided meaningful information. Extending that earlier work, this study addressed whether the entire act of grasp can be described by a small number of postural synergies and whether these synergies are similar for different grasps. Five right-handed adults performed five types of reach-to-grasps including power grasp, power grasp with a lift, precision grasp, and mimed power grasp and mimed precision grasp of 16 different objects. The object shapes were cones, cylinders, and spindles, systematically varied in size to produce a large range of finger joint angle combinations. Three-dimensional reconstructions of 21 positions on the hand and wrist throughout the reach-to-grasp were obtained using a four-camera video system. Singular value decomposition on the temporal sequence of the marker positions was used to identify the common patterns ("eigenpostures") across the 16 objects for each task and their weightings as a function of time. The first eigenposture explained an average of 97.3 +/- 0.89% (mean +/- SD) of the variance of the hand shape, and the second another 1.9 +/- 0.85%. The first eigenposture was characterized by an open hand configuration that opens and closes during reach. The second eigenposture contributed to the control of the thumb and long fingers, particularly in the opening of the hand during the reach and the closing in preparation for object grasp. The eigenpostures and their temporal evolutions were similar across subjects and grasps. The higher order eigenpostures, although explaining only small amounts of the variance, contributed to the movements of the fingers and thumb. These findings suggest that much of reach-to-grasp is effected using a base

Integration of robotics and neuroscience beyond the hand: What kind of synergies?. Comment on "Hand synergies: Integration of robotics and neuroscience for understanding the control of biological and artificial hands" by Marco Santello et al.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

d'Avella, Andrea

2016-07-01

Santello et al. [1] review an impressive amount of work on the control of biological and artificial hands that demonstrates how the concept of synergies can lead to a successful integration of robotics and neuroscience. Is it possible to generalize the same approach to the control of biological and artificial limbs and bodies beyond the hand? The human hand synergies that appear most relevant for robotic hands are those defined at the kinematic level, i.e. postural synergies [2]. Postural synergies capture the geometric relations among the many joints of the hand and allow for a low dimensional characterization and synthesis of the static hand postures involved in grasping and manipulating a large set of objects. However, many other complex motor skills such as walking, reaching, throwing, and catching require controlling multi-articular time-varying trajectories rather than static postures. Dynamic control of biological and artificial limbs and bodies, especially when geometric and inertial parameters are uncertain and the joints are compliant, poses great challenges. What kind of synergies might simplify the dynamic control of motor skills involving upper and lower limbs as well as the whole body?

Multi-finger synergies and the muscular apparatus of the hand.

PubMed

Cuadra, Cristian; Bartsch, Angelo; Tiemann, Paula; Reschechtko, Sasha; Latash, Mark L

2018-05-01

We explored whether the synergic control of the hand during multi-finger force production tasks depends on the hand muscles involved. Healthy subjects performed accurate force production tasks and targeted force pulses while pressing against loops positioned at the level of fingertips, middle phalanges, and proximal phalanges. This varied the involvement of the extrinsic and intrinsic finger flexors. The framework of the uncontrolled manifold (UCM) hypothesis was used to analyze the structure of inter-trial variance, motor equivalence, and anticipatory synergy adjustments prior to the force pulse in the spaces of finger forces and finger modes (hypothetical finger-specific control signals). Subjects showed larger maximal force magnitudes at the proximal site of force production. There were synergies stabilizing total force during steady-state phases across all three sites of force production; no differences were seen across the sites in indices of structure of variance, motor equivalence, or anticipatory synergy adjustments. Indices of variance, which did not affect the task (within the UCM), correlated with motor equivalent motion between the steady states prior to and after the force pulse; in contrast, variance affecting task performance did not correlate with non-motor equivalent motion. The observations are discussed within the framework of hierarchical control with referent coordinates for salient effectors at each level. The findings suggest that multi-finger synergies are defined at the level of abundant transformation between the low-dimensional hand level and higher dimensional finger level while being relatively immune to transformations between the finger level and muscle level. The results also support the scheme of control with two classes of neural variables that define referent coordinates and gains in back-coupling loops between hierarchical control levels.

Joint IKI/ROSCOSMOS - NASA Science Definition Team and concept mission to Venus based on Venera-D

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zasova, L.; Senske, D.; Economou, T.; Eismont, N.; Esposito, L.; Gerasimov, M.; Gorinov, D.; Ignatiev, N.; Ivanov, M.; Jessup, K. Lea; Khatuntsev, I.; Korablev, O.; Kremic, T.; Limaye, S.; Lomakin, I.; Martynov, A.; Ocampo, A.; Vaisberg, O.; Burdanov, A.

2017-09-01

NASA and IKI/Roscosmos established in 2015 a Joint Science Definition Team (JSDT), a key task of which was to codify the synergy between the goals of Venera-D with those of NASA. In addition, the JSDT studied potential NASA provided mission augmentations (experiments /elements) that could to fill identified science gaps. The first report to NASA - IKI/Roscosmos was provided in January 2017. The baseline Venera-D concept includes two elements, and orbiter and a lander, with potential contributions consisting of an aerial platform/balloon, small long-lived surface stations or a sub-satellite.

Nuclear emulsion measurements of the astronauts' radiation exposures on Skylab missions 2, 3, and 4

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schaefer, H. J.; Sullivan, J. J.

1975-01-01

On the Skylab missions, Ilford G.5 and K.2 emulsions were flown as part of passive dosimeter packs carried by the astronauts on their wrists. Due to the long mission times, latent image fading and track crowing imposed limitations on a quantitative track and grain count analysis. For Skylab 2, the complete proton energy spectrum was determined within reasonable error limits. A combined mission dose equivalent of 2,490 millirems from protons, tissue stars and neutrons was measured on Skylab 2. A stationary emulsion stack, kept in a film vault drawer on the same mission, displayed a highly structured directional distribution of the fluence of low-energy protons (enders) reflecting the local shield distribution. On the 59 and 84-day mission 3 and 4, G.5 emulsions had to be cut on the microtom to 5-7 microns for microscopic examination. Even so, the short track segments in such thin layers precluded a statistically reliable grain count analysis. However, the K.2 emulsions still allowed accurate proton ender counts without special provisions.

Tuning of Muscle Synergies During Walking Along Rectilinear and Curvilinear Trajectories in Humans.

PubMed

Chia Bejarano, Noelia; Pedrocchi, Alessandra; Nardone, Antonio; Schieppati, Marco; Baccinelli, Walter; Monticone, Marco; Ferrigno, Giancarlo; Ferrante, Simona

2017-05-01

The aim of this study was to develop a methodology based on muscle synergies to investigate whether rectilinear and curvilinear walking shared the same neuro-motor organization, and how this organization was fine-tuned by the walking condition. Thirteen healthy subjects walked on rectilinear and curvilinear paths. Electromyographic data from thirteen back and lower-limb muscles were acquired, together with kinematic data using inertial sensors. Four macroscopically invariant muscle synergies, extracted through non-negative matrix factorization, proved a shared modular organization across conditions. The fine-tuning of muscle synergies was studied through non-negative matrix reconstruction, applied by fixing muscle weights or activation profiles to those of the rectilinear condition. The activation profiles tended to be recruited for a longer period and with a larger amplitude during curvilinear walking. The muscles of the posterior side of the lower limb were those mainly influenced by the fine-tuning, with the muscles inside the rotation path being more active than the outer muscles. This study shows that rectilinear and curvilinear walking share a unique motor command. However, a fine-tuning in muscle synergies is introduced during curvilinear conditions, adapting the kinematic strategy to the new biomechanical needs.

A meta-analysis of in vitro antibiotic synergy against Acinetobacter baumannii.

PubMed

March, Gabriel A; Bratos, Miguel A

2015-12-01

The aim of the work was to describe the different in vitro models for testing synergism of antibiotics and gather the results of antibiotic synergy against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDR-Ab). The different original articles were obtained from different web sites. In order to compare the results obtained by the different methods for synergy testing, the Pearson chi-square and the Fischer tests were used. Moreover, non-parametric chi-square test was used in order to compare the frequency distribution in each analysed manuscript. In the current meta-analysis 24 manuscripts, which encompassed 2016 tests of in vitro synergism of different antimicrobials against MDR-Ab, were revised. Checkerboard synergy testing was used in 11 studies, which encompasses 1086 tests (53.9%); time-kill assays were applied in 12 studies, which encompass 359 tests (17.8%); gradient diffusion methods were used in seven studies, encompassing 293 tests (14.5%). And, finally, time-kill plus checkerboard were applied in two studies, encompassing 278 tests (13.8%). By comparing these data, checkerboard and time-kill methods were significantly more used than gradient diffusion methods (p<0.005). Regarding synergy rates obtained on the basis of the applied method, checkerboard provided 227 tests (20.9%) with a synergistic effect; time-kill assays yielded 222 tests (61.8%) with a synergistic effect; gradient diffusion methods only provided 29 tests (9.9%) with a synergistic effect; and, finally, time-kill plus checkerboard yielded just 15 tests (5.4%) with a synergistic effect. When comparing these percentages, synergy rates reported by time-kill methods were significantly higher than that obtained by checkerboard and gradient diffusion methods (p<0.005). On the basis of the revised data, the combinations of a bactericidal antibiotic plus Tigecycline, Vancomycin or Teicoplanin are not recommended. The best combinations of antibiotics are those which include bactericidal antibiotics

Short and long term efficiencies of debris risk reduction measures: Application to a European LEO mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lang, T.; Kervarc, R.; Bertrand, S.; Carle, P.; Donath, T.; Destefanis, R.; Grassi, L.; Tiboldo, F.; Schäfer, F.; Kempf, S.; Gelhaus, J.

2015-01-01

Recent numerical studies indicate that the low Earth orbit (LEO) debris environment has reached a point such that even if no further space launches were conducted, the Earth satellite population would remain relatively constant for only the next 50 years or so. Beyond that, the debris population would begin to increase noticeably, due to the production of collisional debris (Liou and Johnson, 2008). Measures to be enforced play thus a major role to preserve an acceptable space mission risk and ensure sustainable space activities. The identification of such measures and the quantification of their efficiency over time for LEO missions is of prime concern in the decision-making process, as it has been investigated for the last few decades by the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC). This paper addresses the final results of a generic methodology and the characteristics of a tool developed to assess the efficiency of the risk reduction measures identified for the Sentinel-1 (S1) mission. This work is performed as part of the 34-month P2-ROTECT project (Prediction, Protection & Reduction of OrbiTal Exposure to Collision Threats), funded by the European Union within the Seventh Framework Programme. Three ways of risk reduction have been investigated, both in short and long-term, namely: better satellite protection, better conjunction prediction, and cleaner environment. According to our assumptions, the S1 mission vulnerability evaluations in the long term (from 2093 to 2100) show that full compliance to the mitigation measures leads to a situation twice safer than that induced by an active debris removal of 5 objects per year in a MASTER2009 Business-As-Usual context. Because these measures have visible risk reduction effects in the long term, complementary measures with short response time are also studied. In the short term (from 2013 to 2020), a better prediction of the conjunctions is more efficient than protecting the satellite S1 itself. By

SMOS: a satellite mission to measure ocean surface salinity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Font, Jordi; Kerr, Yann H.; Srokosz, Meric A.; Etcheto, Jacqueline; Lagerloef, Gary S.; Camps, Adriano; Waldteufel, Philippe

2001-01-01

The ESA's SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) Earth Explorer Opportunity Mission will be launched by 2005. Its baseline payload is a microwave L-band (21 cm, 1.4 GHz) 2D interferometric radiometer, Y shaped, with three arms 4.5 m long. This frequency allows the measurement of brightness temperature (Tb) under the best conditions to retrieve soil moisture and sea surface salinity (SSS). Unlike other oceanographic variables, until now it has not been possible to measure salinity from space. However, large ocean areas lack significant salinity measurements. The 2D interferometer will measure Tb at large and different incidence angles, for two polarizations. It is possible to obtain SSS from L-band passive microwave measurements if the other factors influencing Tb (SST, surface roughness, foam, sun glint, rain, ionospheric effects and galactic/cosmic background radiation) can be accounted for. Since the radiometric sensitivity is low, SSS cannot be recovered to the required accuracy from a single measurement as the error is about 1-2 psu. If the errors contributing to the uncertainty in Tb are random, averaging the independent data and views along the track, and considering a 200 km square, allow the error to be reduced to 0.1-0.2 pus, assuming all ancillary errors are budgeted.

Cryogenic thermal conductivity measurements on candidate materials for space missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuttle, James; Canavan, Edgar; Jahromi, Amir

2017-12-01

Spacecraft and instruments on space missions are built using a wide variety of carefully-chosen materials. It is common for NASA engineers to propose new candidate materials which have not been totally characterized at cryogenic temperatures. In many cases a material's cryogenic thermal conductivity must be known before selecting it for a specific space-flight application. We developed a test facility in 2004 at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center to measure the longitudinal thermal conductivity of materials at temperatures between 4 and 300 K, and we have characterized many candidate materials since then. The measurement technique is not extremely complex, but proper care to details of the setup, data acquisition and data reduction is necessary for high precision and accuracy. We describe the thermal conductivity measurement process and present results for ten engineered materials, including alloys, polymers, composites, and a ceramic.

Lidar and Mission Parameter Trade Study of Space-Based Coherent Wind Measurement Centered on NASA's 2006 GWOS Wind Mission Study Parameters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kavaya, Michael J.; Frehlich, Rod G.

2007-01-01

The global measurement of vertical profiles of horizontal vector winds has been highly desired for many years by NASA, NOAA and the Integrated Program Office (IPO) implementing the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite Systems (NPOESS). Recently the global wind mission was one of 15 missions recommended to NASA by the first ever NRC Earth Sciences Decadal Survey. Since before 1978, the most promising method to make this space-based measurement has been pulsed Doppler lidar. The favored technology and technique has evolved over the years from obtaining line-of-sight (LOS) wind profiles from a single laser shot using pulsed CO2 gas laser technology to the current plans to use both a coherent-detection and direct-detection pulsed Doppler wind lidar systems with each lidar employing multiple shot accumulation to produce an LOS wind profile. The idea of using two lidars (hybrid concept) entails coherent detection using the NASA LaRC-developed pulsed 2-micron solid state laser technology, and direct detection using pulsed Nd:YAG laser technology tripled in frequency to 355 nm wavelength.

JPL Mission Bibliometrics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coppin, Ann

2013-01-01

For a number of years ongoing bibliographies of various JPL missions (AIRS, ASTER, Cassini, GRACE, Earth Science, Mars Exploration Rovers (Spirit & Opportunity)) have been compiled by the JPL Library. Mission specific bibliographies are compiled by the Library and sent to mission scientists and managers in the form of regular (usually quarterly) updates. Charts showing publications by years are periodically provided to the ASTER, Cassini, and GRACE missions for supporting Senior Review/ongoing funding requests, and upon other occasions as a measure of the impact of the missions. Basically the Web of Science, Compendex, sometimes Inspec, GeoRef and Aerospace databases are searched for the mission name in the title, abstract, and assigned keywords. All get coded for journal publications that are refereed publications.

Measurement of Cosmic Ray and Trapped Proton LET Spectra on the STS-95 HOST Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stassinopoulos, E. G.; Barth, J. L.; Stauffer, C. A.

2017-01-01

This paper reports on in situ measurements of the Linear-Energy-Transfer (LET) spectra of galactic cosmic rays and their progeny and of trapped Van Allen belt protons as recorded by a Pulse Height Analyzer (PHA) radiation spectrometer which flew on the STS-95 DISCOVERY mission on the Hubble Orbital Systems Test (HOST) cradle. The Shuttle was launched on 29 October 1998 and had a mission duration of 8.5 days during the minimum phase of the solar activity cycle. The orbit of the STS-95 was about 550 km altitude and 28.5deg inclination. A close correlation was seen between radiation environment model predictions and the measurements of the PHA.

The role of muscle synergies in myoelectric control: trends and challenges for simultaneous multifunction control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ison, Mark; Artemiadis, Panagiotis

2014-10-01

Myoelectric control is filled with potential to significantly change human-robot interaction due to the ability to non-invasively measure human motion intent. However, current control schemes have struggled to achieve the robust performance that is necessary for use in commercial applications. As demands in myoelectric control trend toward simultaneous multifunctional control, multi-muscle coordinations, or synergies, play larger roles in the success of the control scheme. Detecting and refining patterns in muscle activations robust to the high variance and transient changes associated with surface electromyography is essential for efficient, user-friendly control. This article reviews the role of muscle synergies in myoelectric control schemes by dissecting each component of the scheme with respect to associated challenges for achieving robust simultaneous control of myoelectric interfaces. Electromyography recording details, signal feature extraction, pattern recognition and motor learning based control schemes are considered, and future directions are proposed as steps toward fulfilling the potential of myoelectric control in clinically and commercially viable applications.

Rendezvous and Docking Strategy for Crewed Segment of the Asteroid Redirect Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hinkel, Heather D.; Cryan, Scott P.; D'Souza, Christopher; Dannemiller, David P.; Brazzel, Jack P.; Condon, Gerald L.; Othon, William L.; Williams, Jacob

2014-01-01

This paper will describe the overall rendezvous, proximity operations and docking (RPOD) strategy in support of the Asteroid Redirect Crewed Mission (ARCM), as part of the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM). The focus of the paper is on the crewed mission phase of ARM, starting with the establishment of Orion in the Distant Retrograde Orbit (DRO) and ending with docking to the Asteroid Redirect Vechicle (ARV). The paper will detail the sequence of maneuvers required to execute the rendezvous and proximity operations mission phases along with the on-board navigation strategies, including the final approach phase. The trajectories to be considered will include target vehicles in a DRO. The paper will also discuss the sensor requirements for rendezvous and docking and the various trade studies associated with the final sensor selection. Building on the sensor requirements and trade studies, the paper will include a candidate sensor concept of operations, which will drive the selection of the sensor suite; concurrently, it will be driven by higher level requirements on the system, such as crew timeline constraints and vehicle consummables. This paper will address how many of the seemingly competing requirements will have to be addressed to create a complete system and system design. The objective is to determine a sensor suite and trajectories that enable Orion to successfully rendezvous and dock with a target vehicle in trans lunar space. Finally, the paper will report on the status of a NASA action to look for synergy within RPOD, across the crewed and robotic asteroid missions.

PERCIVAL mission to Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reed, David W.; Lilley, Stewart; Sirman, Melinda; Bolton, Paul; Elliott, Susan; Hamilton, Doug; Nickelson, James; Shelton, Artemus

1992-12-01

With the downturn of the world economy, the priority of unmanned exploration of the solar system has been lowered. Instead of foregoing all missions to our neighbors in the solar system, a new philosophy of exploration mission design has evolved to insure the continued exploration of the solar system. The 'Discovery-class' design philosophy uses a low cost, limited mission, available technology spacecraft instead of the previous 'Voyager-class' design philosophy that uses a 'do-everything at any cost' spacecraft. The Percival Mission to Mars was proposed by Ares Industries as one of the new 'Discovery-class' of exploration missions. The spacecraft will be christened Percival in honor of American astronomer Percival Lowell who proposed the existence of life on Mars in the early twentieth century. The main purpose of the Percival mission to Mars is to collect and relay scientific data to Earth suitable for designing future manned and unmanned missions to Mars. The measurements and observations made by Percival will help future mission designers to choose among landing sites based on the feasibility and scientific interest of the sites. The primary measurements conducted by the Percival mission include gravity field determination, surface and atmospheric composition, sub-surface soil composition, sub-surface seismic activity, surface weather patterns, and surface imaging. These measurements will be taken from the orbiting Percival spacecraft and from surface penetrators deployed from Mars orbit. The design work for the Percival Mission to Mars was divided among four technical areas: Orbits and Propulsion System, Surface Penetrators, Gravity and Science Instruments, and Spacecraft Structure and Systems. The results for each of the technical areas is summarized and followed by a design cost analysis and recommendations for future analyses.

PERCIVAL mission to Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reed, David W.; Lilley, Stewart; Sirman, Melinda; Bolton, Paul; Elliott, Susan; Hamilton, Doug; Nickelson, James; Shelton, Artemus

1992-01-01

With the downturn of the world economy, the priority of unmanned exploration of the solar system has been lowered. Instead of foregoing all missions to our neighbors in the solar system, a new philosophy of exploration mission design has evolved to insure the continued exploration of the solar system. The 'Discovery-class' design philosophy uses a low cost, limited mission, available technology spacecraft instead of the previous 'Voyager-class' design philosophy that uses a 'do-everything at any cost' spacecraft. The Percival Mission to Mars was proposed by Ares Industries as one of the new 'Discovery-class' of exploration missions. The spacecraft will be christened Percival in honor of American astronomer Percival Lowell who proposed the existence of life on Mars in the early twentieth century. The main purpose of the Percival mission to Mars is to collect and relay scientific data to Earth suitable for designing future manned and unmanned missions to Mars. The measurements and observations made by Percival will help future mission designers to choose among landing sites based on the feasibility and scientific interest of the sites. The primary measurements conducted by the Percival mission include gravity field determination, surface and atmospheric composition, sub-surface soil composition, sub-surface seismic activity, surface weather patterns, and surface imaging. These measurements will be taken from the orbiting Percival spacecraft and from surface penetrators deployed from Mars orbit. The design work for the Percival Mission to Mars was divided among four technical areas: Orbits and Propulsion System, Surface Penetrators, Gravity and Science Instruments, and Spacecraft Structure and Systems. The results for each of the technical areas is summarized and followed by a design cost analysis and recommendations for future analyses.

Tactical Approaches for Trading Science Objectives Against Measurements and Mission Design: Science Traceability Techniques at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nash, A. E., III

2017-12-01

The most common approaches to identifying the most effective mission design to maximize science return from a potential set of competing alternative design approaches are often inefficient and inaccurate. Recently, Team-X at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory undertook an effort to improve both the speed and quality of science - measurement - mission design trade studies. We will report on the methodology & processes employed and their effectiveness in trade study speed and quality. Our results indicate that facilitated subject matter expert peers are the keys to speed and quality improvements in the effectiveness of science - measurement - mission design trade studies.

Mapping synergies and trade-offs between energy and the Sustainable Development Goals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuso Nerini, Francesco; Tomei, Julia; To, Long Seng; Bisaga, Iwona; Parikh, Priti; Black, Mairi; Borrion, Aiduan; Spataru, Catalina; Castán Broto, Vanesa; Anandarajah, Gabrial; Milligan, Ben; Mulugetta, Yacob

2018-01-01

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development—including 17 interconnected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets—is a global plan of action for people, planet and prosperity. SDG7 calls for action to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. Here we characterize synergies and trade-offs between efforts to achieve SDG7 and delivery of the 2030 Agenda as a whole. We identify 113 targets requiring actions to change energy systems, and published evidence of relationships between 143 targets (143 synergies, 65 trade-offs) and efforts to achieve SDG7. Synergies and trade-offs exist in three key domains, where decisions about SDG7 affect humanity's ability to: realize aspirations of greater welfare and well-being; build physical and social infrastructures for sustainable development; and achieve sustainable management of the natural environment. There is an urgent need to better organize, connect and extend this evidence, to help all actors work together to achieve sustainable development.

A Synergy Cropland of China by Fusing Multiple Existing Maps and Statistics.

PubMed

Lu, Miao; Wu, Wenbin; You, Liangzhi; Chen, Di; Zhang, Li; Yang, Peng; Tang, Huajun

2017-07-12

Accurate information on cropland extent is critical for scientific research and resource management. Several cropland products from remotely sensed datasets are available. Nevertheless, significant inconsistency exists among these products and the cropland areas estimated from these products differ considerably from statistics. In this study, we propose a hierarchical optimization synergy approach (HOSA) to develop a hybrid cropland map of China, circa 2010, by fusing five existing cropland products, i.e., GlobeLand30, Climate Change Initiative Land Cover (CCI-LC), GlobCover 2009, MODIS Collection 5 (MODIS C5), and MODIS Cropland, and sub-national statistics of cropland area. HOSA simplifies the widely used method of score assignment into two steps, including determination of optimal agreement level and identification of the best product combination. The accuracy assessment indicates that the synergy map has higher accuracy of spatial locations and better consistency with statistics than the five existing datasets individually. This suggests that the synergy approach can improve the accuracy of cropland mapping and enhance consistency with statistics.

The role of partnership functioning and synergy in achieving sustainability of innovative programmes in community care.

PubMed

Cramm, Jane M; Phaff, Sanne; Nieboer, Anna P

2013-03-01

This cross-sectional study (conducted in April-May 2011) explored associations between partnership functioning synergy and sustainability of innovative programmes in community care. The study sample consisted of 106 professionals (of 244 individuals contacted) participating in 21 partnerships that implemented different innovative community care programmes in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Partnership functioning was evaluated by assessing leadership, resources administration and efficiency. Synergy was considered the proximal outcome of partnership functioning, which, in turn, influenced the achievement of programme sustainability. On a 5-point scale of increasing sustainability, mean sustainability scores ranged from 1.9 to 4.9. The results of the regression analysis demonstrated that sustainability was positively influenced by leadership (standardised regression coefficient β = 0.32; P < 0.001) and non-financial resources (β = 0.25; P = 0.008). No significant relationship was found between administration or efficiency and programme sustainability. Partnership synergy acted as a mediator for partnership functioning and significantly affected sustainability (β = 0.39; P < 0.001). These findings suggest that the sustainability of innovative programmes in community care is achieved more readily when synergy is created between partners. Synergy was more likely to emerge with boundary-spanning leaders, who understood and appreciated partners' different perspectives, and could bridge their diverse cultures and were comfortable sharing ideas, resources and power. In addition, the acknowledgement of and ability to use members' resources were found to be valuable in engaging partners' involvement and achieving synergy in community care partnerships. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Dust Measurements On-board the New Horizons Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poppe, A.; James, D.; Horanyi, M.

2007-12-01

The Venetia Burney Student Dust Counter (VSDC) on the New Horizons spacecraft was successfully commissioned on March 3, 2006 (DOY 2006/061). VSDC is a dust impact detector designed to map the dust distribution along the trajectory of the New Horizons spacecraft as it traverses our solar system. VSDC is the first student built instrument on a deep space mission and it is currently operated by a small group of undergraduate and graduate students at the Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), University of Colorado. By the time of this meeting (12/2007), VSDC will have operated for about 330 days, covering an approximate distance from 1.21 to 10 AU. VSDC is based on permanently polarized thin plastic film sensors that generate an electrical signal when an impacting dust particle penetrates them. The total surface area is about 0.1 square meters, and the detection threshold is about a micron in particle radius. In this talk we will briefly review the VSDC instrument. The in-flight tests and calibrations, as well as our initial science results will be discussed. We will report on the measured spatial and size distribution of interplanetary dust particles before and after the encounter with Jupiter. These measurements will be compared with earlier measurements by Ulysses, Galileo, and Cassini.

New Products and Perspectives from the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kummerow, C. D.; Randel, D.; Petkovic, V.

2016-12-01

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission was launched in February 2014 as a joint mission between JAXA from Japan and NASA from the United States. GPM carries a state of the art dual-frequency precipitation radar and a multi-channel passive microwave radiometer that acts not only to enhance the radar's retrieval capability, but also as a reference for a constellation of existing satellites carrying passive microwave sensors. In March of 2016, GPM released Version 4 of its precipitation products that consists of radar, radiometer, and combined radar/radiometer products. The radiometer algorithm in Version 4 is the first time a fully parametric algorithm has been implemented. This talk will focus on the consistency among the constellation radiometers, and what these inconsistencies can tell us about the fundamental uncertainties within the rainfall products. This analysis will be used to then drive a bigger picture of how GPM's latest results inform the Global Water and Energy budgets.

[Do different interpretative methods used for evaluation of checkerboard synergy test affect the results?].

PubMed

Ozseven, Ayşe Gül; Sesli Çetin, Emel; Ozseven, Levent

2012-07-01

In recent years, owing to the presence of multi-drug resistant nosocomial bacteria, combination therapies are more frequently applied. Thus there is more need to investigate the in vitro activity of drug combinations against multi-drug resistant bacteria. Checkerboard synergy testing is among the most widely used standard technique to determine the activity of antibiotic combinations. It is based on microdilution susceptibility testing of antibiotic combinations. Although this test has a standardised procedure, there are many different methods for interpreting the results. In many previous studies carried out with multi-drug resistant bacteria, different rates of synergy have been reported with various antibiotic combinations using checkerboard technique. These differences might be attributed to the different features of the strains. However, different synergy rates detected by checkerboard method have also been reported in other studies using the same drug combinations and same types of bacteria. It was thought that these differences in synergy rates might be due to the different methods of interpretation of synergy test results. In recent years, multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii has been the most commonly encountered nosocomial pathogen especially in intensive-care units. For this reason, multidrug resistant A.baumannii has been the subject of a considerable amount of research about antimicrobial combinations. In the present study, the in vitro activities of frequently preferred combinations in A.baumannii infections like imipenem plus ampicillin/sulbactam, and meropenem plus ampicillin/sulbactam were tested by checkerboard synergy method against 34 multi-drug resistant A.baumannii isolates. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for imipenem, meropenem and ampicillin/sulbactam were determined by the broth microdilution method. Subsequently the activity of two different combinations were tested in the dilution range of 4 x MIC and 0.03 x MIC in

Neuromusculoskeletal models based on the muscle synergy hypothesis for the investigation of adaptive motor control in locomotion via sensory-motor coordination.

PubMed

Aoi, Shinya; Funato, Tetsuro

2016-03-01

Humans and animals walk adaptively in diverse situations by skillfully manipulating their complicated and redundant musculoskeletal systems. From an analysis of measured electromyographic (EMG) data, it appears that despite complicated spatiotemporal properties, muscle activation patterns can be explained by a low dimensional spatiotemporal structure. More specifically, they can be accounted for by the combination of a small number of basic activation patterns. The basic patterns and distribution weights indicate temporal and spatial structures, respectively, and the weights show the muscle sets that are activated synchronously. In addition, various locomotor behaviors have similar low dimensional structures and major differences appear in the basic patterns. These analysis results suggest that neural systems use muscle group combinations to solve motor control redundancy problems (muscle synergy hypothesis) and manipulate those basic patterns to create various locomotor functions. However, it remains unclear how the neural system controls such muscle groups and basic patterns through neuromechanical interactions in order to achieve adaptive locomotor behavior. This paper reviews simulation studies that explored adaptive motor control in locomotion via sensory-motor coordination using neuromusculoskeletal models based on the muscle synergy hypothesis. Herein, the neural mechanism in motor control related to the muscle synergy for adaptive locomotion and a potential muscle synergy analysis method including neuromusculoskeletal modeling for motor impairments and rehabilitation are discussed. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Robustness and Reliability of Synergy-Based Myocontrol of a Multiple Degree of Freedom Robotic Arm.

PubMed

Lunardini, Francesca; Casellato, Claudia; d'Avella, Andrea; Sanger, Terence D; Pedrocchi, Alessandra

2016-09-01

In this study, we test the feasibility of the synergy- based approach for application in the realistic and clinically oriented framework of multi-degree of freedom (DOF) robotic control. We developed and tested online ten able-bodied subjects in a semi-supervised method to achieve simultaneous, continuous control of two DOFs of a robotic arm, using muscle synergies extracted from upper limb muscles while performing flexion-extension movements of the elbow and shoulder joints in the horizontal plane. To validate the efficacy of the synergy-based approach in extracting reliable control signals, compared to the simple muscle-pair method typically used in commercial applications, we evaluated the repeatability of the algorithm over days, the effect of the arm dynamics on the control performance, and the robustness of the control scheme to the presence of co-contraction between pairs of antagonist muscles. Results showed that, without the need for a daily calibration, all subjects were able to intuitively and easily control the synergy-based myoelectric interface in different scenarios, using both dynamic and isometric muscle contractions. The proposed control scheme was shown to be robust to co-contraction between antagonist muscles, providing better performance compared to the traditional muscle-pair approach. The current study is a first step toward user-friendly application of synergy-based myocontrol of assistive robotic devices.

Comparison of soil moisture retrieval algorithms based on the synergy between SMAP and SMOS-IC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebrahimi-Khusfi, Mohsen; Alavipanah, Seyed Kazem; Hamzeh, Saeid; Amiraslani, Farshad; Neysani Samany, Najmeh; Wigneron, Jean-Pierre

2018-05-01

This study was carried out to evaluate possible improvements of the soil moisture (SM) retrievals from the SMAP observations, based on the synergy between SMAP and SMOS. We assessed the impacts of the vegetation and soil roughness parameters on SM retrievals from SMAP observations. To do so, the effects of three key input parameters including the vegetation optical depth (VOD), effective scattering albedo (ω) and soil roughness (HR) parameters were assessed with the emphasis on the synergy with the VOD product derived from SMOS-IC, a new and simpler version of the SMOS algorithm, over two years of data (April 2015 to April 2017). First, a comprehensive comparison of seven SM retrieval algorithms was made to find the best one for SM retrievals from the SMAP observations. All results were evaluated against in situ measurements over 548 stations from the International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN) in terms of four statistical metrics: correlation coefficient (R), root mean square error (RMSE), bias and unbiased RMSE (UbRMSE). The comparison of seven SM retrieval algorithms showed that the dual channel algorithm based on the additional use of the SMOS-IC VOD product (selected algorithm) led to the best results of SM retrievals over 378, 399, 330 and 271 stations (out of a total of 548 stations) in terms of R, RMSE, UbRMSE and both R & UbRMSE, respectively. Moreover, comparing the measured and retrieved SM values showed that this synergy approach led to an increase in median R value from 0.6 to 0.65 and a decrease in median UbRMSE from 0.09 m3/m3 to 0.06 m3/m3. Second, using the algorithm selected in a first step and defined above, the ω and HR parameters were calibrated over 218 rather homogenous ISMN stations. 72 combinations of various values of ω and HR were used for the calibration over different land cover classes. In this calibration process, the optimal values of ω and HR were found for the different land cover classes. The obtained results indicated that the

Measurement of Cosmic Ray and Trapped Proton LET Spectra on the STS-95 HOST Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stassinopoulos, E. G.; Barth, J. L.; Stauffer, C. A.

2017-08-01

This paper reports on in situ measurements of the linear energy transfer spectra of galactic cosmic rays and their progeny and of trapped Van Allen belt protons as recorded by a pulse height analyzer (PHA) radiation spectrometer which flew on the STS-95 DISCOVERY mission on the Hubble Orbital Systems Test cradle. The shuttle was launched on October 29, 1998 and had a mission duration of 8.5 days during the minimum phase of the solar activity cycle. The orbit of the STS-95 was about 550 km altitude and 28.5° inclination. Close agreement was seen between radiation environment model predictions and the measurements of the PHA. Agreement is obtained by considering the directionality of the radiation interacting with the shuttle structure.

Heat transfer enhancement with mixing vane spacers using the field synergy principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Lixin; Zhou, Mengjun; Tian, Zihao

2017-01-01

The single-phase heat transfer characteristics in a PWR fuel assembly are important. Many investigations attempt to obtain the heat transfer characteristics by studying the flow features in a 5 × 5 rod bundle with a spacer grid. The field synergy principle is used to discuss the mechanism of heat transfer enhancement using mixing vanes according to computational fluid dynamics results, including a spacer grid without mixing vanes, one with a split mixing vane, and one with a separate mixing vane. The results show that the field synergy principle is feasible to explain the mechanism of heat transfer enhancement in a fuel assembly. The enhancement in subchannels is more effective than on the rod's surface. If the pressure loss is ignored, the performance of the split mixing vane is superior to the separate mixing vane based on the enhanced heat transfer. Increasing the blending angle of the split mixing vane improves heat transfer enhancement, the maximum of which is 7.1%. Increasing the blending angle of the separate mixing vane did not significantly enhance heat transfer in the rod bundle, and even prevented heat transfer at a blending angle of 50°. This finding testifies to the feasibility of predicting heat transfer in a rod bundle with a spacer grid by field synergy, and upon comparison with analyzed flow features only, the field synergy method may provide more accurate guidance for optimizing the use of mixing vanes.

Cardiovascular Countermeasures for Exploration-Class Space Flight Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Charles, John B.

2004-01-01

Astronaut missions to Mars may be many years or even decades in thc future but current and planned efforts can be extrapolated to required treatments and prophylaxis for delerious efforts of prolonged space flight on the cardiovascular system. The literature of candidate countermeasures was considered in combination with unpublished plans for countermeasure implementation. The scope of cardiovascular countermeasures will be guided by assessments of the efficacy of mechanical, physiological and pharmacological approaches in protecting the cardiovascular capacities of interplanetary crewmembers. Plans for countermeasure development, evaluation and validation will exploit synergies among treatment modalities with the goal of maximizing protective effects while minimizing crew time and in-flight resource use. Protection of the cardiovascular capacity of interplanetary crewmembers will become more effective and efficient over the next few decades, but trade-offs between cost and effectiveness of efficiency are always possible if the increased level of risk can be accepted.

Early Results from the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission in Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kachi, Misako; Kubota, Takuji; Masaki, Takeshi; Kaneko, Yuki; Kanemaru, Kaya; Oki, Riko; Iguchi, Toshio; Nakamura, Kenji; Takayabu, Yukari N.

2015-04-01

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission is an international collaboration to achieve highly accurate and highly frequent global precipitation observations. The GPM mission consists of the GPM Core Observatory jointly developed by U.S. and Japan and Constellation Satellites that carry microwave radiometers and provided by the GPM partner agencies. The Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) was developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), and installed on the GPM Core Observatory. The GPM Core Observatory chooses a non-sun-synchronous orbit to carry on diurnal cycle observations of rainfall from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite and was successfully launched at 3:37 a.m. on February 28, 2014 (JST), while the Constellation Satellites, including JAXA's Global Change Observation Mission (GCOM) - Water (GCOM-W1) or "SHIZUKU," are launched by each partner agency sometime around 2014 and contribute to expand observation coverage and increase observation frequency JAXA develops the DPR Level 1 algorithm, and the NASA-JAXA Joint Algorithm Team develops the DPR Level 2 and DPR-GMI combined Level2 algorithms. JAXA also develops the Global Rainfall Map (GPM-GSMaP) algorithm, which is a latest version of the Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMaP), as national product to distribute hourly and 0.1-degree horizontal resolution rainfall map. Major improvements in the GPM-GSMaP algorithm is; 1) improvements in microwave imager algorithm based on AMSR2 precipitation standard algorithm, including new land algorithm, new coast detection scheme; 2) Development of orographic rainfall correction method for warm rainfall in coastal area (Taniguchi et al., 2012); 3) Update of database, including rainfall detection over land and land surface emission database; 4) Development of microwave sounder algorithm over land (Kida et al., 2012); and 5) Development

Acquisition and Analysis of NASA Ames Sunphotometer Measurements during SAGE III Validation Campaigns and other Tropospheric and Stratospheric Research Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Livingston, John M.

2004-01-01

NASA Cooperative Agreement NCC2-1251 provided funding from April 2001 through December 2003 for Mr. John Livingston of SRI International to collaborate with NASA Ames Research Center scientists and engineers in the acquisition and analysis of airborne sunphotometer measurements during various atmospheric field studies. Mr. Livingston participated in instrument calibrations at Mauna Loa Observatory, pre-mission hardware and software preparations, acquisition and analysis of sunphotometer measurements during the missions, and post-mission analysis of data and reporting of scientific findings. The atmospheric field missions included the spring 2001 Intensive of the Asian Pacific Regional Aerosol Characterization Experiment (ACE-Asia), the Asian Dust Above Monterey-2003 (ADAM-2003) experiment, and the winter 2003 Second SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE II).

Hand synergies: Integration of robotics and neuroscience for understanding the control of biological and artificial hands.

PubMed

Santello, Marco; Bianchi, Matteo; Gabiccini, Marco; Ricciardi, Emiliano; Salvietti, Gionata; Prattichizzo, Domenico; Ernst, Marc; Moscatelli, Alessandro; Jörntell, Henrik; Kappers, Astrid M L; Kyriakopoulos, Kostas; Albu-Schäffer, Alin; Castellini, Claudio; Bicchi, Antonio

2016-07-01

The term 'synergy' - from the Greek synergia - means 'working together'. The concept of multiple elements working together towards a common goal has been extensively used in neuroscience to develop theoretical frameworks, experimental approaches, and analytical techniques to understand neural control of movement, and for applications for neuro-rehabilitation. In the past decade, roboticists have successfully applied the framework of synergies to create novel design and control concepts for artificial hands, i.e., robotic hands and prostheses. At the same time, robotic research on the sensorimotor integration underlying the control and sensing of artificial hands has inspired new research approaches in neuroscience, and has provided useful instruments for novel experiments. The ambitious goal of integrating expertise and research approaches in robotics and neuroscience to study the properties and applications of the concept of synergies is generating a number of multidisciplinary cooperative projects, among which the recently finished 4-year European project "The Hand Embodied" (THE). This paper reviews the main insights provided by this framework. Specifically, we provide an overview of neuroscientific bases of hand synergies and introduce how robotics has leveraged the insights from neuroscience for innovative design in hardware and controllers for biomedical engineering applications, including myoelectric hand prostheses, devices for haptics research, and wearable sensing of human hand kinematics. The review also emphasizes how this multidisciplinary collaboration has generated new ways to conceptualize a synergy-based approach for robotics, and provides guidelines and principles for analyzing human behavior and synthesizing artificial robotic systems based on a theory of synergies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hand synergies: Integration of robotics and neuroscience for understanding the control of biological and artificial hands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santello, Marco; Bianchi, Matteo; Gabiccini, Marco; Ricciardi, Emiliano; Salvietti, Gionata; Prattichizzo, Domenico; Ernst, Marc; Moscatelli, Alessandro; Jörntell, Henrik; Kappers, Astrid M. L.; Kyriakopoulos, Kostas; Albu-Schäffer, Alin; Castellini, Claudio; Bicchi, Antonio

2016-07-01

The term 'synergy' - from the Greek synergia - means 'working together'. The concept of multiple elements working together towards a common goal has been extensively used in neuroscience to develop theoretical frameworks, experimental approaches, and analytical techniques to understand neural control of movement, and for applications for neuro-rehabilitation. In the past decade, roboticists have successfully applied the framework of synergies to create novel design and control concepts for artificial hands, i.e., robotic hands and prostheses. At the same time, robotic research on the sensorimotor integration underlying the control and sensing of artificial hands has inspired new research approaches in neuroscience, and has provided useful instruments for novel experiments. The ambitious goal of integrating expertise and research approaches in robotics and neuroscience to study the properties and applications of the concept of synergies is generating a number of multidisciplinary cooperative projects, among which the recently finished 4-year European project ;The Hand Embodied; (THE). This paper reviews the main insights provided by this framework. Specifically, we provide an overview of neuroscientific bases of hand synergies and introduce how robotics has leveraged the insights from neuroscience for innovative design in hardware and controllers for biomedical engineering applications, including myoelectric hand prostheses, devices for haptics research, and wearable sensing of human hand kinematics. The review also emphasizes how this multidisciplinary collaboration has generated new ways to conceptualize a synergy-based approach for robotics, and provides guidelines and principles for analyzing human behavior and synthesizing artificial robotic systems based on a theory of synergies.

Motor impairments related to brain injury timing in early hemiparesis. Part II: abnormal upper extremity joint torque synergies.

PubMed

Sukal-Moulton, Theresa; Krosschell, Kristin J; Gaebler-Spira, Deborah J; Dewald, Julius P A

2014-01-01

Extensive neuromotor development occurs early in human life, and the timing of brain injury may affect the resulting motor impairment. In Part I of this series, it was demonstrated that the distribution of weakness in the upper extremity depended on the timing of brain injury in individuals with childhood-onset hemiparesis. The goal of this study was to characterize how timing of brain injury affects joint torque synergies, or losses of independent joint control. Twenty-four individuals with hemiparesis were divided into 3 groups based on the timing of their injury: before birth (PRE-natal, n = 8), around the time of birth (PERI-natal, n = 8), and after 6 months of age (POST-natal, n = 8). Individuals with hemiparesis and 8 typically developing peers participated in maximal isometric shoulder, elbow, wrist, and finger torque generation tasks while their efforts were recorded by a multiple degree-of-freedom load cell. Motor output in 4 joints of the upper extremity was concurrently measured during 8 primary torque generation tasks to quantify joint torque synergies. There were a number of significant coupling patterns identified in individuals with hemiparesis that differed from the typically developing group. POST-natal differences were most noted in the coupling of shoulder abductors with elbow, wrist, and finger flexors, while the PRE-natal group demonstrated significant distal joint coupling with elbow flexion. The torque synergies measured provide indirect evidence for the use of bulbospinal pathways in the POST-natal group, while those with earlier injury may use relatively preserved ipsilateral corticospinal motor pathways.

The Successful Synergy of Swift and Fermi/GBM in Magnetars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kouveliotou, Chryssa

2011-01-01

The magnetar rate of discovery has increased dramatically in the last decade. Five sources were discovered in the last three years alone as a result of the very efficient synergy among three X- and .gamma-ray instruments on NASA satellites: the Swift/Burst Alert Telescope (BAT), the Fermi/Gamma ray Burst Monitor (GBM), and the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer; RXTE/Proportional Counter Array (PCA). To date, there are approx. 25 magnetar candidates, of which two are (one each) in the Large and Small Magellanic Cloud and the rest reside on the Galactic plane of our Milky Way. I will discuss here the main properties of the Magnetar Population and the common projects that can be achieved with the synergy of Swift and GBM.

Multi-Finger Interaction and Synergies in Finger Flexion and Extension Force Production

PubMed Central

Park, Jaebum; Xu, Dayuan

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to discover finger interaction indices during single-finger ramp tasks and multi-finger coordination during a steady state force production in two directions, flexion, and extension. Furthermore, the indices of anticipatory adjustment of elemental variables (i.e., finger forces) prior to a quick pulse force production were quantified. It is currently unknown whether the organization and anticipatory modulation of stability properties are affected by force directions and strengths of in multi-finger actions. We expected to observe a smaller finger independency and larger indices of multi-finger coordination during extension than during flexion due to both neural and peripheral differences between the finger flexion and extension actions. We also examined the indices of the anticipatory adjustment between different force direction conditions. The anticipatory adjustment could be a neural process, which may be affected by the properties of the muscles and by the direction of the motions. The maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) force was larger for flexion than for extension, which confirmed the fact that the strength of finger flexor muscles (e.g., flexor digitorum profundus) was larger than that of finger extensor (e.g., extensor digitorum). The analysis within the uncontrolled manifold (UCM) hypothesis was used to quantify the motor synergy of elemental variables by decomposing two sources of variances across repetitive trials, which identifies the variances in the uncontrolled manifold (VUCM) and that are orthogonal to the UCM (VORT). The presence of motor synergy and its strength were quantified by the relative amount of VUCM and VORT. The strength of motor synergies at the steady state was larger in the extension condition, which suggests that the stability property (i.e., multi-finger synergies) may be a direction specific quantity. However, the results for the existence of anticipatory adjustment; however, no difference between the

Multi-muscle synergies in an unusual postural task: quick shear force production.

PubMed

Robert, Thomas; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M; Latash, Mark L

2008-05-01

We considered a hypothetical two-level hierarchy participating in the control of vertical posture. The framework of the uncontrolled manifold (UCM) hypothesis was used to explore the muscle groupings (M-modes) and multi-M-mode synergies involved in the stabilization of a time profile of the shear force in the anterior-posterior direction. Standing subjects were asked to produce pulses of shear force into a target using visual feedback while trying to minimize the shift of the center of pressure (COP). Principal component analysis applied to integrated muscle activation indices identified three M-modes. The composition of the M-modes was similar across subjects and the two directions of the shear force pulse. It differed from the composition of M-modes described in earlier studies of more natural actions associated with large COP shifts. Further, the trial-to-trial M-mode variance was partitioned into two components: one component that does not affect a particular performance variable (V(UCM)), and its orthogonal component (V(ORT)). We argued that there is a multi-M-mode synergy stabilizing this particular performance variable if V(UCM) is higher than V(ORT). Overall, we found a multi-M-mode synergy stabilizing both shear force and COP coordinate. For the shear force, this synergy was strong for the backward force pulses and nonsignificant for the forward pulses. An opposite result was found for the COP coordinate: the synergy was stronger for the forward force pulses. The study shows that M-mode composition can change in a task-specific way and that two different performance variables can be stabilized using the same set of elemental variables (M-modes). The different dependences of the ΔV indices for the shear force and COP coordinate on the force pulse direction supports applicability of the principle of superposition (separate controllers for different performance variables) to the control of different mechanical variables in postural tasks. The M

SynergyFinder: a web application for analyzing drug combination dose-response matrix data.

PubMed

Ianevski, Aleksandr; He, Liye; Aittokallio, Tero; Tang, Jing

2017-08-01

Rational design of drug combinations has become a promising strategy to tackle the drug sensitivity and resistance problem in cancer treatment. To systematically evaluate the pre-clinical significance of pairwise drug combinations, functional screening assays that probe combination effects in a dose-response matrix assay are commonly used. To facilitate the analysis of such drug combination experiments, we implemented a web application that uses key functions of R-package SynergyFinder, and provides not only the flexibility of using multiple synergy scoring models, but also a user-friendly interface for visualizing the drug combination landscapes in an interactive manner. The SynergyFinder web application is freely accessible at https://synergyfinder.fimm.fi ; The R-package and its source-code are freely available at http://bioconductor.org/packages/release/bioc/html/synergyfinder.html . jing.tang@helsinki.fi. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

Measurement of process variables in solid-state fermentation of wheat straw using FT-NIR spectroscopy and synergy interval PLS algorithm.

PubMed

Jiang, Hui; Liu, Guohai; Mei, Congli; Yu, Shuang; Xiao, Xiahong; Ding, Yuhan

2012-11-01

The feasibility of rapid determination of the process variables (i.e. pH and moisture content) in solid-state fermentation (SSF) of wheat straw using Fourier transform near infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy was studied. Synergy interval partial least squares (siPLS) algorithm was implemented to calibrate regression model. The number of PLS factors and the number of subintervals were optimized simultaneously by cross-validation. The performance of the prediction model was evaluated according to the root mean square error of cross-validation (RMSECV), the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) and the correlation coefficient (R). The measurement results of the optimal model were obtained as follows: RMSECV=0.0776, R(c)=0.9777, RMSEP=0.0963, and R(p)=0.9686 for pH model; RMSECV=1.3544% w/w, R(c)=0.8871, RMSEP=1.4946% w/w, and R(p)=0.8684 for moisture content model. Finally, compared with classic PLS and iPLS models, the siPLS model revealed its superior performance. The overall results demonstrate that FT-NIR spectroscopy combined with siPLS algorithm can be used to measure process variables in solid-state fermentation of wheat straw, and NIR spectroscopy technique has a potential to be utilized in SSF industry. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Measurement of process variables in solid-state fermentation of wheat straw using FT-NIR spectroscopy and synergy interval PLS algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Hui; Liu, Guohai; Mei, Congli; Yu, Shuang; Xiao, Xiahong; Ding, Yuhan

2012-11-01

The feasibility of rapid determination of the process variables (i.e. pH and moisture content) in solid-state fermentation (SSF) of wheat straw using Fourier transform near infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy was studied. Synergy interval partial least squares (siPLS) algorithm was implemented to calibrate regression model. The number of PLS factors and the number of subintervals were optimized simultaneously by cross-validation. The performance of the prediction model was evaluated according to the root mean square error of cross-validation (RMSECV), the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) and the correlation coefficient (R). The measurement results of the optimal model were obtained as follows: RMSECV = 0.0776, Rc = 0.9777, RMSEP = 0.0963, and Rp = 0.9686 for pH model; RMSECV = 1.3544% w/w, Rc = 0.8871, RMSEP = 1.4946% w/w, and Rp = 0.8684 for moisture content model. Finally, compared with classic PLS and iPLS models, the siPLS model revealed its superior performance. The overall results demonstrate that FT-NIR spectroscopy combined with siPLS algorithm can be used to measure process variables in solid-state fermentation of wheat straw, and NIR spectroscopy technique has a potential to be utilized in SSF industry.

Measurement of precipitation induced FUV emission and Geocoronal Lyman Alpha from the IMI mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mende, Stephen B.; Fuselier, S. A.; Rairden, R. L.

1995-01-01

This final report describes the activities of the Lockheed Martin Palo Alto Research Laboratory in studying the measurement of ion and electron precipitation induced Far Ultra-Violet (FUV) emissions and Geocoronal Lyman Alpha for the NASA Inner Magnetospheric Imager (IMI) mission. this study examined promising techniques that may allow combining several FUV instruments that would separately measure proton aurora, electron aurora, and geocoronal Lyman alpha into a single instrument operated on a spinning spacecraft. The study consisted of two parts. First, the geocoronal Lyman alpha, proton aurora, and electron aurora emissions were modeled to determine instrument requirements. Second, several promising techniques were investigated to determine if they were suitable for use in an IMI-type mission. Among the techniques investigated were the Hydrogen gas cell for eliminating cold geocoronal Lyman alpha emissions, and a coded aperture spectrometer with sufficient resolution to separate Doppler shifted Lyman alpha components.

Global Precipitation Measurement. Report 2; Benefits of Partnering with GPM Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stocker, Erich F.; Smith, Eric A. (Editor); Adams, W. James (Editor); Starr, David OC. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

An important goal of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission is to maximize participation by non-NASA partners both domestic and international. A consequence of this objective is the provision for NASA to provide sufficient incentives to achieve partner buy-in and commitment to the program. NASA has identified seven specific areas in which substantive incentives will be offered: (1) partners will be offered participation in governance of GPM mission science affairs including definition of data products; (2) partners will be offered use of NASA's TDRSS capability for uplink and downlink of commands and data in regards to partner provided spacecraft; (3) partners will be offered launch support for placing partner provided spacecraft in orbit conditional upon mutually agreeable co-manifest arrangements; (4) partners will be offered direct data access at the NASA-GPM server level rather than through standard data distribution channels; (5) partners will be offered the opportunity to serve as regional data archive and distribution centers for standard GPM data products; and (6) partners will be offered the option to insert their own specialized filtering and extraction software into the GPM data processing stream or to obtain specialized subsets and products over specific areas of interest (7) partners will be offered GPM developed software tools that can be run on their platforms. Each of these incentives, either individually or in combination, represents a significant advantage to partners who may wish to participate in the GPM mission.

Summary Report of mission acceleration measurements for STS-66. Launched November 3, 1994

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rogers, Melissa J. B.; Delombard, Richard

1995-01-01

Experiments flown in the middeck of Atlantis during the STS-66 mission were supported by the Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS). In particular, the three triaxial SAMS sensor heads collected data in support of protein crystal growth experiments. Data collected during STS-66 are reviewed in this report. The STS-66 SAMS data represent the microgravity environment in the 0.01 Hz to 10 Hz range. Variations in the environment related to differing levels of crew activity are discussed in the report. A comparison is made among times when the crew was quiet during a public affairs conference, working quietly, and exercising. These levels of activity are also compared to levels recorded by a SAMS unit in the Spacelab on Columbia during the STS-65 mission.

Analysis of Hand and Wrist Postural Synergies in Tolerance Grasping of Various Objects

PubMed Central

Liu, Yuan; Jiang, Li; Yang, Dapeng; Liu, Hong

2016-01-01

Human can successfully grasp various objects in different acceptable relative positions between human hand and objects. This grasp functionality can be described as the grasp tolerance of human hand, which is a significant functionality of human grasp. To understand the motor control of human hand completely, an analysis of hand and wrist postural synergies in tolerance grasping of various objects is needed. Ten healthy right-handed subjects were asked to perform the tolerance grasping with right hand using 6 objects of different shapes, sizes and relative positions between human hand and objects. Subjects were wearing CyberGlove attaching motion tracker on right hand, allowing a measurement of the hand and wrist postures. Correlation analysis of joints and inter-joint/inter-finger modules were carried on to explore the coordination between joints or modules. As the correlation between hand and wrist module is not obvious in tolerance grasping, individual analysis of wrist synergies would be more practical. In this case, postural synergies of hand and wrist were then presented separately through principal component analysis (PCA), expressed through the principal component (PC) information transmitted ratio, PC elements distribution and reconstructed angle error of joints. Results on correlation comparison of different module movements can be well explained by the influence factors of the joint movement correlation. Moreover, correlation analysis of joints and modules showed the wrist module had the lowest correlation among all inter-finger and inter-joint modules. Hand and wrist postures were both sufficient to be described by a few principal components. In terms of the PC elements distribution of hand postures, compared with previous investigations, there was a greater proportion of movement in the thumb joints especially the interphalangeal (IP) and opposition rotation (ROT) joint. The research could serve to a complete understanding of hand grasp, and the design

Multidigit movement synergies of the human hand in an unconstrained haptic exploration task.

PubMed

Thakur, Pramodsingh H; Bastian, Amy J; Hsiao, Steven S

2008-02-06

Although the human hand has a complex structure with many individual degrees of freedom, joint movements are correlated. Studies involving simple tasks (grasping) or skilled tasks (typing or finger spelling) have shown that a small number of combined joint motions (i.e., synergies) can account for most of the variance in observed hand postures. However, those paradigms evoked a limited set of hand postures and as such the reported correlation patterns of joint motions may be task-specific. Here, we used an unconstrained haptic exploration task to evoke a set of hand postures that is representative of most naturalistic postures during object manipulation. Principal component analysis on this set revealed that the first seven principal components capture >90% of the observed variance in hand postures. Further, we identified nine eigenvectors (or synergies) that are remarkably similar across multiple subjects and across manipulations of different sets of objects within a subject. We then determined that these synergies are used broadly by showing that they account for the changes in hand postures during other tasks. These include hand motions such as reach and grasp of objects that vary in width, curvature and angle, and skilled motions such as precision pinch. Our results demonstrate that the synergies reported here generalize across tasks, and suggest that they represent basic building blocks underlying natural human hand motions.

Molecular Signatures of Nicotinoid-Pathogen Synergy in the Termite Gut

PubMed Central

Sen, Ruchira; Raychoudhury, Rhitoban; Cai, Yunpeng; Sun, Yijun; Lietze, Verena-Ulrike; Peterson, Brittany F.; Scharf, Michael E.; Boucias, Drion G.

2015-01-01

Previous studies in lower termites revealed unexpected synergies between nicotinoid insecticides and fungal entomopathogens. The present study investigated molecular mechanisms of nicotinoid-pathogen synergy in the lower termite Reticulitermes flavipes, using the nicotinoid, imidacloprid, in combination with fungal and bacterial entomopathogens. Particular focus was placed on metatranscriptome composition and microbial dynamics in the symbiont-rich termite gut, which houses diverse mixes of protists and bacteria. cDNA microarrays containing a mix of host and protist symbiont oligonucleotides were used to simultaneously assess termite and protist gene expression. Five treatments were compared that included single challenges with sublethal doses of fungi (Metharizium anisopliae), bacteria (Serratia marcescens) or imidacloprid, and dual challenges with fungi + imidacloprid or bacteria + imidacloprid. Our findings point towards protist dysbiosis and compromised social behavior, rather than suppression of stereotypical immune defense mechanisms, as the dominant factors underlying nicotinoid-pathogen synergy in termites. Also, greater impacts observed for the fungal pathogen than for the bacterial pathogen suggest that the rich bacterial symbiont community in the R. flavipes gut (>5000 species-level phylotypes) exists in an ecological balance that effectively excludes exogenous bacterial pathogens. These findings significantly advance our understanding of antimicrobial defenses in this important eusocial insect group, as well as provide novel insights into how nicotinoids can exert deleterious effects on social insect colonies. PMID:25837376

The scheme of LLSST based on inter-satellite link for planet gravity field measurement in deep-space mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yikang; Li, Xue; Liu, Lei

2009-12-01

Gravity field measurement for the interested planets and their moos in solar system, such as Luna and Mars, is one important task in the next step of deep-space mission. In this paper, Similar to GRACE mission, LLSST and DOWR technology of common-orbit master-slave satellites around task planet is inherited in this scheme. Furthermore, by intersatellite 2-way UQPSK-DSSS link, time synchronization and data processing are implemented autonomously by masterslave satellites instead of GPS and ground facilities supporting system. Conclusion is derived that the ISL DOWR based on 2-way incoherent time synchronization has the same precise level to GRACE DOWR based on GPS time synchronization. Moreover, because of inter-satellite link, the proposed scheme is rather autonomous for gravity field measurement of the task planet in deep-space mission.

Trade-Off and Synergy among Ecosystem Services in the Guanzhong-Tianshui Economic Region of China.

PubMed

Qin, Keyu; Li, Jing; Yang, Xiaonan

2015-11-03

Natural ecosystems provide society with important goods and services. With rapidly increasing populations and excessive utilization of natural resources, humans have been enhancing the production of some services at the expense of others. Although the need for certain trade-offs between conservation and development is urgent, having only a small number of efficient methods to assess such trade-offs has impeded progress. This study focuses on the evaluation of ecosystem services under different land use schemes. It reveals the spatial and temporal distributions of and changes in ecosystem services. Based on a correlation rate model and distribution mapping, the trade-offs and synergies of these ecosystem services can be found. Here, we also describe a new simple approach to quantify the relationships of every trade-off and synergy. The results show that all ecosystem services possess trade-offs and synergies in the study area. The trend of improving carbon sequestration and water interception indicate that these key ecosystem services have the strongest synergy. And the decrease in regional agricultural production and other services, except water yield, may be considered as trade-offs. The synergy between water yield and agricultural production was the most significant, while the trade-off between water interception and carbon sequestration was the most apparent, according to our interaction quantification model. The results of this study have implications for planning and monitoring the future management of natural capital and ecosystem services, and can be integrated into land use decision-making.

Trade-Off and Synergy among Ecosystem Services in the Guanzhong-Tianshui Economic Region of China

PubMed Central

Qin, Keyu; Li, Jing; Yang, Xiaonan

2015-01-01

Natural ecosystems provide society with important goods and services. With rapidly increasing populations and excessive utilization of natural resources, humans have been enhancing the production of some services at the expense of others. Although the need for certain trade-offs between conservation and development is urgent, having only a small number of efficient methods to assess such trade-offs has impeded progress. This study focuses on the evaluation of ecosystem services under different land use schemes. It reveals the spatial and temporal distributions of and changes in ecosystem services. Based on a correlation rate model and distribution mapping, the trade-offs and synergies of these ecosystem services can be found. Here, we also describe a new simple approach to quantify the relationships of every trade-off and synergy. The results show that all ecosystem services possess trade-offs and synergies in the study area. The trend of improving carbon sequestration and water interception indicate that these key ecosystem services have the strongest synergy. And the decrease in regional agricultural production and other services, except water yield, may be considered as trade-offs. The synergy between water yield and agricultural production was the most significant, while the trade-off between water interception and carbon sequestration was the most apparent, according to our interaction quantification model. The results of this study have implications for planning and monitoring the future management of natural capital and ecosystem services, and can be integrated into land use decision-making. PMID:26540068

Reorganization of muscle synergies during multidirectional reaching in the horizontal plane with experimental muscle pain

PubMed Central

Muceli, Silvia; Falla, Deborah

2014-01-01

Muscle pain induces a complex reorganization of the motor strategy which cannot be fully explained by current theories. We tested the hypothesis that the neural control of muscles during reaching in the presence of nociceptive input is determined by a reorganization of muscle synergies with respect to control conditions. Muscle pain was induced by injection of hypertonic saline into the anterior deltoid muscle of eight men. Electromyographic (EMG) signals were recorded from 12 upper limb muscles as subjects performed a reaching task before (baseline) and after the injection of hypertonic (pain) saline, and after the pain sensation vanished. The EMG envelopes were factorized in muscle synergies, and activation signals extracted for each condition. Nociceptive stimulation resulted in a complex muscle reorganization without changes in the kinematic output. The anterior deltoid muscle activity decreased in all subjects while the changes in other muscles were subject specific. Three synergies sufficed to describe the EMG patterns in each condition, suggesting that reaching movements remain modular in the presence of experimental pain. Muscle reorganization in all subjects was accompanied by a change in the activation signals compatible with a change in the central drive to muscles. One, two or three synergies were shared between the baseline and painful conditions, depending on the subject. These results indicate that nociceptive stimulation may induce a reorganization of modular control in reaching. We speculate that such reorganization may be due to the recruitment of synergies specific to the painful condition. PMID:24453279

Pioneer Mars surface penetrator mission. Mission analysis and orbiter design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

The Mars Surface Penetrator mission was designed to provide a capability for multiple and diverse subsurface science measurements at a low cost. Equipment required to adapt the Pioneer Venus spacecraft for the Mars mission is described showing minor modifications to hardware. Analysis and design topics which are similar and/or identical to the Pioneer Venus program are briefly discussed.

History of satellite missions and measurements of the Earth Radiation Budget (1957-1984)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

House, F. B.; Gruber, A.; Hunt, G. E.; Mecherikunnel, A. T.

1986-01-01

The history of satellite missions and their measurements of the earth radiation budget from the beginning of the space age until the present time are reviewed. The survey emphasizes the early struggle to develop instrument systems to monitor reflected shortwave and emitted long-wave exitances from the earth, and the problems associated with the interpretation of these observations from space. In some instances, valuable data sets were developed from satellite measurements whose instruments were not specifically designed for earth radiation budget observations.

Tumor microenvironment and metabolic synergy in breast cancers: critical importance of mitochondrial fuels and function.

PubMed

Martinez-Outschoorn, Ubaldo; Sotgia, Federica; Lisanti, Michael P

2014-04-01

Metabolic synergy or metabolic coupling between glycolytic stromal cells (Warburg effect) and oxidative cancer cells occurs in human breast cancers and promotes tumor growth. The Warburg effect or aerobic glycolysis is the catabolism of glucose to lactate to obtain adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This review summarizes the main findings on this stromal metabolic phenotype, and the associated signaling pathways, as well as the critical role of oxidative stress and autophagy, all of which promote carcinoma cell mitochondrial metabolism and tumor growth. Loss of Caveolin 1 (Cav-1) and the upregulation of monocarboxylate transporter 4 (MCT4) in stromal cells are novel markers of the Warburg effect and metabolic synergy between stromal and carcinoma cells. MCT4 and Cav-1 are also breast cancer prognostic biomarkers. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are key mediators of the stromal Warburg effect. High ROS also favors cancer cell mitochondrial metabolism and tumorigenesis, and anti-oxidants can reverse this altered stromal and carcinoma metabolism. A pseudo-hypoxic state with glycolysis and low mitochondrial metabolism in the absence of hypoxia is a common feature in breast cancer. High ROS induces loss of Cav-1 in stromal cells and is sufficient to generate a pseudo-hypoxic state. Loss of Cav-1 in the stroma drives glycolysis and lactate extrusion via HIF-1α stabilization and the upregulation of MCT4. Stromal cells with loss of Cav-1 and/or high expression of MCT4 also show a catabolic phenotype, with enhanced macroautophagy. This catabolic state in stromal cells is driven by hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α, nuclear factor κB (NFκB), and JNK activation and high ROS generation. A feed-forward loop in stromal cells regulates pseudo-hypoxia and metabolic synergy, with Cav-1, MCT4, HIF-1α, NFκB, and ROS as its key elements. Metabolic synergy also may occur between cancer cells and cells in distant organs from the tumor. Cancer cachexia, which is due to severe organismal

Synergies and strategies underlying normal and vestibulary deficient control of balance: implication for neuroprosthetic control.

PubMed

Allum, J H; Honegger, F

1993-01-01

Future developments of neuroprosthetic control will probably permit locomotion and posture to be maintained without the aid of crutches and will therefore require some form of balance control. Three fundamental questions will arise. First, the question of the location of imbalance-sensing transducers must be assessed. Secondly, the synergy, which is the relative amplitude and timing of muscle activity, and/or the strategy of joint torques required to re-establish a stable posture for different types of balance disturbances must be addressed. Thirdly, the control laws that map either trunk muscle activity or imbalance-sensing transducer outputs into multi-joint postural control of standing by paraplegic individuals must be generated. The most appropriate means of gathering the relevant information applicable to neuroprosthetic control systems is through the detailed analysis of normal and non-normal human models. In order to gain such detailed insights into normal balance control and its dependence on head angular and linear accelerations, the synergy and strategy of balance corrections in normal subjects or patients with vestibular deficits were investigated for two types of support surface perturbation, a dorsiflexion rotation (ROT) and a rearward translation (TRANS). These experimentally induced perturbations to upright stance were adjusted to cause equal amplitudes of ankle dorsiflexion, thus providing additional information about the role of lower leg proprioception on balance control. Synergies defined on the basis of peak cross-correlations of each recorded muscle's EMG to that of the largest muscle response were significantly different for TRANS and ROT. Translation synergies consisted of a sequential coactivation at several levels (soleus and abdominals some 30 msec before hamstrings, and trapezius some 15 msec before paraspinals), whereas the sequential activation of paraspinals and tibialis anterior dominated the balance synergy to ROT. Likewise, response

Spatiotemporal neuromodulation therapies engaging muscle synergies improve motor control after spinal cord injury

PubMed Central

Wenger, Nikolaus; Moraud, Eduardo Martin; Gandar, Jerome; Musienko, Pavel; Capogrosso, Marco; Baud, Laetitia; Le Goff, Camille G.; Barraud, Quentin; Pavlova, Natalia; Dominici, Nadia; Minev, Ivan R.; Asboth, Leonie; Hirsch, Arthur; Duis, Simone; Kreider, Julie; Mortera, Andrea; Haverbeck, Oliver; Kraus, Silvio; Schmitz, Felix; DiGiovanna, Jack; van den Brand, Rubia; Bloch, Jocelyne; Detemple, Peter; Lacour, Stéphanie P.; Bézard, Erwan; Micera, Silvestro; Courtine, Grégoire

2016-01-01

Electrical neuromodulation of lumbar segments improves motor control after spinal cord injury in animal models and humans. However, the physiological principles underlying the effect of this intervention remain poorly understood, which has limited this therapeutic approach to continuous stimulation applied to restricted spinal cord locations. Here, we developed novel stimulation protocols that reproduce the natural dynamics of motoneuron activation during locomotion. For this, we computed the spatiotemporal activation pattern of muscle synergies during locomotion in healthy rats. Computer simulations identified optimal electrode locations to target each synergy through the recruitment of proprioceptive feedback circuits. This framework steered the design of spatially selective spinal implants and real–time control software that modulate extensor versus flexor synergies with precise temporal resolution. Spatiotemporal neuromodulation therapies improved gait quality, weight–bearing capacities, endurance and skilled locomotion in multiple rodent models of spinal cord injury. These new concepts are directly translatable to strategies to improve motor control in humans. PMID:26779815

The Advanced Technology Large Aperture Space Telescope (ATLAST): Science Drivers, Technology Developments, and Synergies with Other Future Facilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Postman, Marc; Brown, Tom; Sembach, Kenneth; Giavalisco, Mauro; Traub, Wesley; Stapelfeldt, Karl; Calzetti, Daniela; Oegerle, William; Rich, R. Michael; Stahl, H. Philip;

Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer: mission status after the Definition Phase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Titov, Dmitri; Barabash, Stas; Bruzzone, Lorenzo; Dougherty, Michele; Erd, Christian; Fletcher, Leigh; Gare, Philippe; Gladstone, Randall; Grasset, Olivier; Gurvits, Leonid; Hartogh, Paul; Hussmann, Hauke; Iess, Luciano; Jaumann, Ralf; Langevin, Yves; Palumbo, Pasquale; Piccioni, Giuseppe; Sarri, Giuseppe; Wahlund, Jan-Erik; Witasse, Olivier

2015-04-01

ultraviolet to the sub-millimetre wavelengths (MAJIS, UVS, SWI). A geophysical package consists of a laser altimeter (GALA) and a radar sounder (RIME) for exploring the surface and subsurface of the moons, and a radio science experiment (3GM) to probe the atmospheres of Jupiter and its satellites and to perform measurements of the gravity fields. An in situ package comprises a powerful particle environment package (PEP), a magnetometer (J-MAG) and a radio and plasma wave instrument (RPWI), including electric fields sensors and a Langmuir probe. An experiment (PRIDE) using ground-based Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) will provide precise determination of the moons ephemerides. The mission scenario will include a Jovian tour with multiple flybys of Callisto and Ganymede, the phase with more than 20 degrees inclination orbits, and two Europa flybys. The Ganymede tour will include high (5000 km) and low (500 km) almost polar orbits around the moon. The mission scenario has evolved slightly during the definition phase, reassuring that the mission will still be able to fulfil all major science objectives. The talk will give an overview of the mission status at the end of the definition phase, focusing on the evolution of science performance and payload synergies in achieving the mission goals.

Long Awaited Fundamental Measurement of the Martian Upper Atmosphere from the Langmuir Probe and Waves Instrument on the MAVEN Mission.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andersson, Laila; Andrews, David; Ergun, Bob; Delory, Greg; Morooka, Michiko; Fowler, Chris; McEnulty, Tess; Weber, Tristan; Eriksson, Anders; Malaspina, David; Crary, Frank; Mitchell, David; McFadden, Jim; Halekas, Jasper; Larson, Davin; Connerney, Jack; Espley, Jared; Eparvies, Frank

2015-04-01

Electron temperature and density are critical quantities in understanding an upper atmosphere. Approximately 40 years ago, the Viking landers reached the Martian surface, measuring the first (and only) two temperature profiles during it's descent. With the MAVEN mission arriving at Mars details of the Martian ionosphere can agin be studied by a complete plasma package. This paper investigates the first few months of data from the MAVEN mission when the orbit is below 500 km and around the northern hemisphere's terminator. The fo-cus of this presentation is on the different measure-ments that the Langmuir probe and Waves (LPW) in-strument is making on the MAVEN mission. Some of the LPW highlights that will be presented: (a) the long awaited new the electron temperature profiles; (b) the structures observed on the nightside ionosphere; (c) wave-particle insteractions observed below 500 km; and (d) the observed dusty environment at Mars. This presentation is supported by measurements from the other Particle and Fileds (PF) measurements on MAVEN.

The EOS Aura Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schoeberl, Mark R.; Douglass, A. R.; Hilsenrath, E.; Luce, M.; Barnett, J.; Beer, R.; Waters, J.; Gille, J.; Levelt, P. F.; DeCola, P.;

Antistaphylococcal activity of DX-619 alone and in combination with vancomycin, teicoplanin, and linezolid assessed by time-kill synergy testing.

PubMed

Credito, Kim; Lin, Genrong; Appelbaum, Peter C

2007-04-01

Time-kill synergy studies testing in vitro activity of DX-619 alone and with added vancomycin, teicoplanin, or linezolid against 101 Staphylococcus aureus strains showed synergy between DX-619 and teicoplanin at 12 to 24 h in 72 strains and between DX-619 and vancomycin in 28 strains. No synergy was found with linezolid, and no antagonism was observed with any combination.

The fibronectin synergy site re-enforces cell adhesion and mediates a crosstalk between integrin classes

PubMed Central

Benito-Jardón, Maria; Klapproth, Sarah; Gimeno-LLuch, Irene; Petzold, Tobias; Bharadwaj, Mitasha; Müller, Daniel J; Zuchtriegel, Gabriele; Reichel, Christoph A; Costell, Mercedes

2017-01-01

Fibronectin (FN), a major extracellular matrix component, enables integrin-mediated cell adhesion via binding of α5β1, αIIbβ3 and αv-class integrins to an RGD-motif. An additional linkage for α5 and αIIb is the synergy site located in close proximity to the RGD motif. We report that mice with a dysfunctional FN-synergy motif (Fn1syn/syn) suffer from surprisingly mild platelet adhesion and bleeding defects due to delayed thrombus formation after vessel injury. Additional loss of β3 integrins dramatically aggravates the bleedings and severely compromises smooth muscle cell coverage of the vasculature leading to embryonic lethality. Cell-based studies revealed that the synergy site is dispensable for the initial contact of α5β1 with the RGD, but essential to re-enforce the binding of α5β1/αIIbβ3 to FN. Our findings demonstrate a critical role for the FN synergy site when external forces exceed a certain threshold or when αvβ3 integrin levels decrease below a critical level. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.22264.001 PMID:28092265

Observing System Simulations for the NASA ASCENDS Lidar CO2 Mission Concept: Substantiating Science Measurement Requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kawa, Stephan R.; Baker, David Frank; Schuh, Andrew E.; Abshire, James Brice; Browell, Edward V.; Michalak, Anna M.

2012-01-01

The NASA ASCENDS mission (Active Sensing of Carbon Emissions, Nights, Days, and Seasons) is envisioned as the next generation of dedicated, space-based CO2 observing systems, currently planned for launch in about the year 2022. Recommended by the US National Academy of Sciences Decadal Survey, active (lidar) sensing of CO2 from space has several potentially significant advantages, in comparison to current and planned passive CO2 instruments, that promise to advance CO2 measurement capability and carbon cycle understanding into the next decade. Assessment and testing of possible lidar instrument technologies indicates that such sensors are more than feasible, however, the measurement precision and accuracy requirements remain at unprecedented levels of stringency. It is, therefore, important to quantitatively and consistently evaluate the measurement capabilities and requirements for the prospective active system in the context of advancing our knowledge of carbon flux distributions and their dependence on underlying physical processes. This amounts to establishing minimum requirements for precision, relative accuracy, spatial/temporal coverage and resolution, vertical information content, interferences, and possibly the tradeoffs among these parameters, while at the same time framing a mission that can be implemented within a constrained budget. Here, we present results of observing system simulation studies, commissioned by the ASCENDS Science Requirements Definition Team, for a range of possible mission implementation options that are intended to substantiate science measurement requirements for a laser-based CO2 space instrument.

Academic Entrepreneurship and Traditional Academic Duties: Synergy or Rivalry?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Silva, Muthu

2016-01-01

This study investigates the influence of academic entrepreneurship on traditional academic duties carried out in a resource-constrained environment, particularly focusing on whether there is synergy or rivalry between these two activities. Using qualitative evidence, we discover that there are funding, resource, knowledge and skill and networking…

New Measurements of Inner Belt Proton Flux Gradients From the Van Allen Probes Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazur, J. E.; O'Brien, T. P.; Looper, M. D.; George, J. S.; Blake, J. B.

2013-12-01

Prior studies of 10's of MeV inner belt protons in low Earth orbit have established that the atmospheric density gradient produces a proton flux gradient because of losses to the atmosphere and the comparable sizes of the proton qyroradius and atmosphere scale height. The observable is an east-west asymmetry in the proton flux that has been reported using many low-Earth orbit missions going back to the first nuclear emulsion flights in 1963. We will revisit this low-altitude east-west effect as well as higher-altitude gradients with new measurements from the Relativistic Proton Spectrometer (RPS) on the Van Allen Probes spacecraft. RPS is a particle spectrometer designed to measure the flux, angular distribution, and energy spectrum of protons from ~60 MeV to ~2000 MeV with good rejection of penetrating backgrounds by requiring a 10-fold coincidence in its stack of silicon detectors. The Van Allen Probes orbit allows for a survey of proton gradients not only at low altitudes but also as high as the outer trapping limit at McIlwain L shell L~3 corresponding to ~13,000 km altitude. The 60 MeV proton gyroradius varies from ~50 to 700 km in this altitude range. The 1-second sampling of RPS and the nominal 5 rpm rotation rate of the Van Allen Probes yields a sensitive measure of proton gradients. This is the first time that a single mission can address the gradients and trapping of high-energy protons throughout the inner belt. We will report on preliminary flux gradients of >61 MeV protons observed during the first year of the mission using RPS and ancillary geophysical data.

Studies and Application of the Platform for Synergies among Tobacco Enterprises in Tobacco Leaf Threshing and Redrying

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Xiao-Shuang; Wang, Hong-Lv

2018-03-01

Departing from the formulas of cigarette products, synergized business framework is established on the basis of cross-enterprise synergies for tobacco leaf threshing and redrying through the introduction of batch management, remote quality data sharing and consistent processes, among others. Functions of the business framework are achieved and a platform for synergies is erected by applying IOT, cross-enterprise system integration and big data processing technologies, resulting in a new pattern for intensive interaction and synergies between China Tobacco Zhejiang (CTZ) and tobacco redrying plants for more delicate management of the redrying process, more interactive information flows and more stable tobacco strip quality.

Real-Time In-Situ Measurements for Earthquake Early Warning and Space-Borne Deformation Measurement Mission Support

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kedar, S.; Bock, Y.; Webb, F.; Clayton, R. W.; Owen, S. E.; Moore, A. W.; Yu, E.; Dong, D.; Fang, P.; Jamason, P.; Squibb, M. B.; Crowell, B. W.

2010-12-01

In situ geodetic networks for observing crustal motion have proliferated over the last two decades and are now recognized as indispensable tools in geophysical research, along side more traditional seismic networks. The 2007 National Research Council’s Decadal Survey recognizes that space-borne and in situ observations, such as Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) and ground-based continuous GPS (CGPS) are complementary in forecasting, in assessing, and in mitigating natural hazards. However, the information content and timeliness of in situ geodetic observations have not been fully exploited, particularly at higher frequencies than traditional daily CGPS position time series. Nor have scientists taken full advantage of the complementary natures of geodetic and seismic data, as well as those of space-based and in situ observations. To address these deficits we are developing real-time CGPS data products for earthquake early warning and for space-borne deformation measurement mission support. Our primary mission objective is in situ verification and validation for DESDynI, but our work is also applicable to other international missions (Sentinel 1a/1b, SAOCOM, ALOS 2). Our project is developing new capabilities to continuously observe and mitigate earthquake-related hazards (direct seismic damage, tsunamis, landslides, volcanoes) in near real-time with high spatial-temporal resolution, to improve the planning and accuracy of space-borne observations. We also are using GPS estimates of tropospheric zenith delay combined with water vapor data from weather models to generate tropospheric calibration maps for mitigating the largest source of error, atmospheric artifacts, in InSAR interferograms. These functions will be fully integrated into a Geophysical Resource Web Services and interactive GPS Explorer data portal environment being developed as part of an ongoing MEaSUREs project and NASA’s contribution to the EarthScope project. GPS Explorer

Results from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission and Plans for the Extended Science Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vondrak, Richard R.; Keller, J. W.; Chin, G.; Garvin, J.; Petro, N.

2012-01-01

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft (LRO), launched on June 18,2009, began with the goal of seeking safe landing sites for future robotic missions or the return of humans to the Moon as part of NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD). In addition, LRO's objectives included the search for surface resources and the measurement of the lunar radiation environment. After spacecraft commissioning, the ESMD phase of the mission began on September 15, 2009 and was completed on September 15, 2010 when operational responsibility for LRO was transferred to NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD). The SMD mission was scheduled for 2 years and completed in September of 2012. Under SMD, the Science Mission focused on a new set of goals related to understanding the history of the Moon, its current state, and what it can tell us about the evolution of the Solar System. Having recently marked the completion of the two-year Science Mission, we will review here the major results from the LRO for both exploration and science and discuss plans and objectives for the Extended Science that will last until September, 2014. Some results from the LRO mission are: the development of comprehensive high resolution maps and digital terrain models of the lunar surface; discoveries on the nature of hydrogen distribution, and by extension water, at the lunar poles; measurement of the daytime and nighttime temperature of the lunar surface including temperature down below 30 K in permanently shadowed regions (PSRs); direct measurement of Hg, H2, and CO deposits in the PSRs; evidence for recent tectonic activity on the Moon; and high resolution maps of the illumination conditions at the poles.

The RAVAN CubeSat Mission: A Pathfinder for a New Measurement of Earth's Radiation Budget

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swartz, W.; Lorentz, S. R.; Huang, P. M.; Smith, A. W.; Deglau, D.; Reynolds, E.; Carvo, J.; Papadakis, S.; Wu, D. L.; Wiscombe, W. J.; Dyrud, L. P.

2016-12-01

The Radiometer Assessment using Vertically Aligned Nanotubes (RAVAN) CubeSat is a pathfinder for a constellation to measure the Earth's radiation imbalance (ERI), which is the single most important quantity for predicting the course of climate change over the next century. RAVAN demonstrates a small, accurate radiometer that measures top-of-the-atmosphere Earth-leaving fluxes of total and solar-reflected radiation. Coupled with knowledge of the incoming radiation from the Sun, a constellation of such measurements would aim to determine ERI directly. Our objective with RAVAN is to establish that a compact radiometer that is absolutely calibrated to climate accuracy can be built and operated in space for low cost. The radiometer, hosted on a 3U CubeSat, relies on two key technologies. The first is the use of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) as the radiometer absorber. VACNT forests are some of the blackest materials known and have an extremely flat spectral response over a wide wavelength range. The second key technology is a gallium fixed-point blackbody calibration source, embedded in RAVAN's sensor head contamination cover, that serves as a stable and repeatable reference to track the long-term degradation of the sensor. Absolute calibration is also maintained by regular solar and deep space views. We present the scientific motivation for the NASA-funded mission, design and characterization of the spacecraft, and mission operations concept. Pending a successful launch in fall 2016, we will also present the first results on-orbit. RAVAN will help enable the development of an Earth radiation budget constellation mission that can provide the measurements needed for superior predictions of future climate change.

Effect of human-robot interaction on muscular synergies on healthy people and post-stroke chronic patients.

PubMed

Scano, A; Chiavenna, A; Caimmi, M; Malosio, M; Tosatti, L M; Molteni, F

2017-07-01

Robot-assisted training is a widely used technique to promote motor re-learning on post-stroke patients that suffer from motor impairment. While it is commonly accepted that robot-based therapies are potentially helpful, strong insights about their efficacy are still lacking. The motor re-learning process may act on muscular synergies, which are groups of co-activating muscles that, being controlled as a synergic group, allow simplifying the problem of motor control. In fact, by coordinating a reduced amount of neural signals, complex motor patterns can be elicited. This paper aims at analyzing the effects of robot assistance during 3D-reaching movements in the framework of muscular synergies. 5 healthy people and 3 neurological patients performed free and robot-assisted reaching movements at 2 different speeds (slow and quasi-physiological). EMG recordings were used to extract muscular synergies. Results indicate that the interaction with the robot very slightly alters healthy people patterns but, on the contrary, it may promote the emergency of physiological-like synergies on neurological patients.

Improving determination of the Martian rotation parameters through the synergy between LaRa and RISE radioscience experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Maistre, S.; Péters, M. J.; Yseboodt, M.; Dehant, V. M. A.

2017-12-01

The LaRa experiment consists of a transponder onboard the ExoMars mission that has been designed to obtain two-way Doppler shift measurements from a X-band radiolink between the lander on Mars and the ground stations on Earth. LaRa is planned to last at least one Earth year and should begin to operate from January 2021. RISE is another transponder onboard the InSight mission. This NASA experiment should last at least one Martian year starting from November 2018. The Doppler measurements are used to obtain the Mars' orientation and rotation parameters (MOP) i.e. the length-of-day (LOD) variations, the precession rate and the nutations of the rotation axis, and the polar motion. One of the major objectives of LaRa is to improve our knowledge of the deep interior of Mars by precisely measuring the signature of the liquid core in the nutations. In this study, we performed numerical simulations of these Doppler measurements in order to evaluate the impact on the determination of the MOP and the gain in precision provided by the synergy between both LaRa and RISE experiments. We used the GINS (Géodésie par Intégrations Numériques Simultanées) software implemented by the CNES and further developed at ROB for planetary geodesy applications. We assess the advantage of having the LaRa experiment in a row or at the same time as RISE experiment by considering the following scenarios for comparison: RISE and LaRa alone, RISE followed by LaRa, LaRa together with RISE. In this way, we study the impact of an improved Doppler geometry induced by the involvement of two landers instead of one. The Doppler geometry is a fundamental aspect of radioscience experiments. It affects the measurement sensitivity to the MOP and is thereby an important factor in their determination. The variety of the geometry (especially the azimuth) provided by its omnidirectional patch antenna is a strength of LaRa compared to RISE (two directional horn antennas) that allows to improve the MOP

A Personalized Multi-Channel FES Controller Based on Muscle Synergies to Support Gait Rehabilitation after Stroke.

PubMed

Ferrante, Simona; Chia Bejarano, Noelia; Ambrosini, Emilia; Nardone, Antonio; Turcato, Anna M; Monticone, Marco; Ferrigno, Giancarlo; Pedrocchi, Alessandra

2016-01-01

It has been largely suggested in neuroscience literature that to generate a vast variety of movements, the Central Nervous System (CNS) recruits a reduced set of coordinated patterns of muscle activities, defined as muscle synergies. Recent neurophysiological studies have recommended the analysis of muscle synergies to finely assess the patient's impairment, to design personalized interventions based on the specific nature of the impairment, and to evaluate the treatment outcomes. In this scope, the aim of this study was to design a personalized multi-channel functional electrical stimulation (FES) controller for gait training, integrating three novel aspects: (1) the FES strategy was based on healthy muscle synergies in order to mimic the neural solutions adopted by the CNS to generate locomotion; (2) the FES strategy was personalized according to an initial locomotion assessment of the patient and was designed to specifically activate the impaired biomechanical functions; (3) the FES strategy was mapped accurately on the altered gait kinematics providing a maximal synchronization between patient's volitional gait and stimulation patterns. The novel intervention was tested on two chronic stroke patients. They underwent a 4-week intervention consisting of 30-min sessions of FES-supported treadmill walking three times per week. The two patients were characterized by a mild gait disability (walking speed > 0.8 m/s) at baseline. However, before treatment both patients presented only three independent muscle synergies during locomotion, resembling two different gait abnormalities. After treatment, the number of extracted synergies became four and they increased their resemblance with the physiological muscle synergies, which indicated a general improvement in muscle coordination. The originally merged synergies seemed to regain their distinct role in locomotion control. The treatment benefits were more evident for one patient, who achieved a clinically important change

A Personalized Multi-Channel FES Controller Based on Muscle Synergies to Support Gait Rehabilitation after Stroke

PubMed Central

Ferrante, Simona; Chia Bejarano, Noelia; Ambrosini, Emilia; Nardone, Antonio; Turcato, Anna M.; Monticone, Marco; Ferrigno, Giancarlo; Pedrocchi, Alessandra

2016-01-01

It has been largely suggested in neuroscience literature that to generate a vast variety of movements, the Central Nervous System (CNS) recruits a reduced set of coordinated patterns of muscle activities, defined as muscle synergies. Recent neurophysiological studies have recommended the analysis of muscle synergies to finely assess the patient's impairment, to design personalized interventions based on the specific nature of the impairment, and to evaluate the treatment outcomes. In this scope, the aim of this study was to design a personalized multi-channel functional electrical stimulation (FES) controller for gait training, integrating three novel aspects: (1) the FES strategy was based on healthy muscle synergies in order to mimic the neural solutions adopted by the CNS to generate locomotion; (2) the FES strategy was personalized according to an initial locomotion assessment of the patient and was designed to specifically activate the impaired biomechanical functions; (3) the FES strategy was mapped accurately on the altered gait kinematics providing a maximal synchronization between patient's volitional gait and stimulation patterns. The novel intervention was tested on two chronic stroke patients. They underwent a 4-week intervention consisting of 30-min sessions of FES-supported treadmill walking three times per week. The two patients were characterized by a mild gait disability (walking speed > 0.8 m/s) at baseline. However, before treatment both patients presented only three independent muscle synergies during locomotion, resembling two different gait abnormalities. After treatment, the number of extracted synergies became four and they increased their resemblance with the physiological muscle synergies, which indicated a general improvement in muscle coordination. The originally merged synergies seemed to regain their distinct role in locomotion control. The treatment benefits were more evident for one patient, who achieved a clinically important change

Aerosol absorption profiling from the synergy of lidar and sun-photometry: the ACTRIS-2 campaigns in Germany, Greece and Cyprus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsekeri, Alexandra; Amiridis, Vassilis; Lopatin, Anton; Marinou, Eleni; Giannakaki, Eleni; Pikridas, Michael; Sciare, Jean; Liakakou, Eleni; Gerasopoulos, Evangelos; Duesing, Sebastian; Corbin, Joel C.; Gysel, Martin; Bukowiecki, Nicolas; Baars, Holger; Engelmann, Ronny; Wehner, Birgit; Kottas, Michael; Mamali, Dimitra; Kokkalis, Panagiotis; Raptis, Panagiotis I.; Stavroulas, Iasonas; Keleshis, Christos; Müller, Detlef; Solomos, Stavros; Binietoglou, Ioannis; Mihalopoulos, Nikolaos; Papayannis, Alexandros; Stachlewska, Iwona S.; Igloffstein, Julia; Wandinger, Ulla; Ansmann, Albert; Dubovik, Oleg; Goloub, Philippe

2018-04-01

Aerosol absorption profiling is crucial for radiative transfer calculations and climate modelling. Here, we utilize the synergy of lidar with sun-photometer measurements to derive the absorption coefficient and single scattering albedo profiles during the ACTRIS-2 campaigns held in Germany, Greece and Cyprus. The remote sensing techniques are compared with in situ measurements in order to harmonize and validate the different methodologies and reduce the absorption profiling uncertainties.

Force-stabilizing synergies in motor tasks involving two actors

PubMed Central

Solnik, Stanislaw; Reschechtko, Sasha; Wu, Yen-Hsun; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M.; Latash, Mark L.

2015-01-01

We investigated the ability of two persons to produce force-stabilizing synergies in accurate multi-finger force production tasks under visual feedback on the total force only. The subjects produced a time profile of total force (the sum of two hand forces in one-person tasks and the sum of two subject forces in two-person tasks) consisting of a ramp-up, steady-state, and ramp-down segments; the steady-state segment was interrupted in the middle by a quick force pulse. Analyses of the structure of inter-trial finger force variance, motor equivalence, anticipatory synergy adjustments (ASAs), and the unintentional drift of the sharing pattern were performed. The two-person performance was characterized by a dramatically higher amount of inter-trial variance that did not affect total force, higher finger force deviations that did not affect total force (motor equivalent deviations), shorter ASAs, and larger drift of the sharing pattern. The rate of sharing pattern drift correlated with the initial disparity between the forces produced by the two persons (or two hands). The drift accelerated following the quick force pulse. Our observations show that sensory information on the task-specific performance variable is sufficient for the organization of performance-stabilizing synergies. They suggest, however, that two actors are less likely to follow a single optimization criterion as compared to a single performer. The presence of ASAs in the two-person condition might reflect fidgeting by one or both of the subjects. We discuss the characteristics of the drift in the sharing pattern as reflections of different characteristic times of motion within the sub-spaces that affect and do not affect salient performance variables. PMID:26105756

Force-stabilizing synergies in motor tasks involving two actors.

PubMed

Solnik, Stanislaw; Reschechtko, Sasha; Wu, Yen-Hsun; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M; Latash, Mark L

2015-10-01

We investigated the ability of two persons to produce force-stabilizing synergies in accurate multi-finger force production tasks under visual feedback on the total force only. The subjects produced a time profile of total force (the sum of two hand forces in one-person tasks and the sum of two subject forces in two-person tasks) consisting of a ramp-up, steady-state, and ramp-down segments; the steady-state segment was interrupted in the middle by a quick force pulse. Analyses of the structure of inter-trial finger force variance, motor equivalence, anticipatory synergy adjustments (ASAs), and the unintentional drift of the sharing pattern were performed. The two-person performance was characterized by a dramatically higher amount of inter-trial variance that did not affect total force, higher finger force deviations that did not affect total force (motor equivalent deviations), shorter ASAs, and larger drift of the sharing pattern. The rate of sharing pattern drift correlated with the initial disparity between the forces produced by the two persons (or two hands). The drift accelerated following the quick force pulse. Our observations show that sensory information on the task-specific performance variable is sufficient for the organization of performance-stabilizing synergies. They suggest, however, that two actors are less likely to follow a single optimization criterion as compared to a single performer. The presence of ASAs in the two-person condition might reflect fidgeting by one or both of the subjects. We discuss the characteristics of the drift in the sharing pattern as reflections of different characteristic times of motion within the subspaces that affect and do not affect salient performance variables.

A New Approach to Micro-arcsecond Astrometry with SIM Allowing Early Mission Narrow Angle Measurements of Compelling Astronomical Targets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shaklan, Stuart; Pan, Xiaopei

2004-01-01

The Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) is capable of detecting and measuring the mass of terrestrial planets around stars other than our own. It can measure the mass of black holes and the visual orbits of radio and x-ray binary sources. SIM makes possible a new level of understanding of complex astrophysical processes. SIM achieves its high precision in the so-called narrow-angle regime. This is defined by a 1 degree diameter field in which the position of a target star is measured with respect to a set of reference stars. The observation is performed in two parts: first, SIM observes a grid of stars that spans the full sky. After a few years, repeated observations of the grid allow one to determine the orientation of the interferometer baseline. Second, throughout the mission, SIM periodically observes in the narrow-angle mode. Every narrow-angle observation is linked to the grid to determine the precise attitude and length of the baseline. The narrow angle process demands patience. It is not until five years after launch that SIM achieves its ultimate accuracy of 1 microarcsecond. The accuracy is degraded by a factor of approx. 2 at mid-mission. Our work proposes a technique for narrow angle astrometry that does not rely on the measurement of grid stars. This technique, called Gridless Narrow Angle Astrometry (GNAA) can obtain microarcsecond accuracy and can detect extra-solar planets and other exciting objects with a few days of observation. It can be applied as early as during the first six months of in-orbit calibration (IOC). The motivations for doing this are strong. First, and obviously, it is an insurance policy against a catastrophic mid-mission failure. Second, at the start of the mission, with several space-based interferometers in the planning or implementation phase, NASA will be eager to capture the public's imagination with interferometric science. Third, early results and a technique that can duplicate those results throughout the mission will

Design and Performance of Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Super NiCd Batteries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahmad, Anisa J.; Rao, Gopalakrishna M.; Jallice, Doris E.; Moran Vickie E.

1999-01-01

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) is a joint mission between NASA and the National Space Development Agency (NASDA) of Japan. The observatory is designed to monitor and study tropical rainfall and the associated release of energy that helps to power the global atmospheric circulation shaping both weather and climate around the globe. The spacecraft was launched from Japan on November 27,1997 via the NASDA H-2 launch vehicle. The TRMM Power Subsystem is a Peak Power Tracking system that can support the maximum TRMM load of 815 watts at the end of its three year life. The Power Subsystem consists of two 50 Ampere Hour Super NiCd batteries, Gallium Arsenide Solar Array and the Power System Electronics. This paper describes the TRMM Power Subsystem, battery design, cell and battery ground test performance, and in-orbit battery operations and performance.

SAC-C mission, an example of international cooperation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colomb, F.; Alonso, C.; Hofmann, C.; Nollmann, I.

In comp liance with the objectives established in the National Space Program, Argentina in Space 1997-2008 ((Plan Espacial Nacional, Argentina en el Espacio 1997-2008), the National Commission on Space Activities (Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales - CONAE) undertook the design, construction, and launching of the SAC-C satellite in close collaboration with NASA. The purpose of this Mission is to carry out observations of interest both for the USA and Argentina, thus contributing effectively to NASA's Earth Science Program and to CONAE's National Space Program. The SAC-C is an international Earth observing satellite mission conceived as a partnership between CONAE and NASA, with additional support in instrumentation and satellite development from the Danish DSRI, the Italian ASI, the French CNES and the Brazilian INPE. A Delta II rocket successfully launched it on November 21st, 2000, from Vandenberg AFB, California, USA. Ten instruments on board the SAC-C perform different studies related to the ground and sea ecosystems, the atmosphere and the geomagnetic field. There are also technological experiments for determination of the satellite attitude and velocity as well as for the studies of the influence of space radiation on advanced electronic components . The inclusion of SAC-C in the AM Constellation, jointly with NASA satellites Landsat 7, EO 1 and Terra, is another example of important international cooperation which synergies the output of any single Mission. The Constellation has been working since March 2001 as a single mission and several cooperative activities have been undertaken including several jointly sponsored technical workshops and collaborative spacecraft navigation experiments. A flight campaign of the NASA AVIRIS instrument was performed in Argentine during January and February 2001, for calibration of SAC-C and EO 1 cameras and the development of joint scientific works. In Cordoba Space Center a jointly operated ground GPS reference

One-Year Mission on ISS Is a Step Towards Interplanetary Missions.

PubMed

Fomina, Elena V; Lysova, Nataliya Yu; Kukoba, Tatyana B; Grishin, Alexey P; Kornienko, Mikhail B

2017-12-01

in the 1990s Russian cosmonauts performed six long-duration missions on Mir that went from 312 to 438 d. In 2015 a mission on the International Space Station that continued for 340 d, 8 h, and 47 min was successfully accomplished. It was a joint U.S./Russian mission completed by Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko (KM). The intensity of in-flight physical exercises and postflight motor changes were measured in KM and in the six cosmonauts who made shorter flights (173.3 ± 13.8 d) on ISS while using similar countermeasures against the adverse effects of microgravity. It was found that both parameters varied similarly in spite of the difference in the duration of ISS missions. KM maintained adequate physical performance throughout the entire flight; moreover, the level of postflight changes he displayed was comparable to that recorded in the group of cosmonauts who completed 6-mo missions on ISS. In summary, the 1-yr mission has clearly demonstrated the high efficacy of the countermeasures used by KM.Fomina EV, Lysova NYu, Kukoba TB, Grishin AP, Kornienko MB. One-year mission on ISS is a step towards interplanetary missions. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(12):1094-1099.

syNErgy: A Case Study in Workforce Curriculum Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Killingsworth, John; Grosskopf, Kevin R.

2013-01-01

With high unemployment and structural changes to industry, workforce development in the United States is a growing concern. Many semiskilled workers lack knowledge, skills, and abilities to be competitive for reemployment to green jobs. Nebraska's syNErgy research grant was introduced to address the training needs of unemployed and underemployed…

Overview and early results of the Global Lightning and Sprite Measurements mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, M.; Ushio, T.; Morimoto, T.; Kikuchi, M.; Kikuchi, H.; Adachi, T.; Suzuki, M.; Yamazaki, A.; Takahashi, Y.; Inan, U.; Linscott, I.; Ishida, R.; Sakamoto, Y.; Yoshida, K.; Hobara, Y.; Sano, T.; Abe, T.; Nakamura, M.; Oda, H.; Kawasaki, Z.-I.

2015-05-01

Global Lightning and Sprite Measurements on Japanese Experiment Module (JEM-GLIMS) is a space mission to conduct the nadir observations of lightning discharges and transient luminous events (TLEs). The main objectives of this mission are to identify the horizontal distribution of TLEs and to solve the occurrence conditions determining the spatial distribution. JEM-GLIMS was successfully launched and started continuous nadir observations in 2012. The global distribution of the detected lightning events shows that most of the events occurred over continental regions in the local summer hemisphere. In some events, strong far-ultraviolet emissions have been simultaneously detected with N2 1P and 2P emissions by the spectrophotometers, which strongly suggest the occurrence of TLEs. Especially, in some of these events, no significant optical emission was measured by the narrowband filter camera, which suggests the occurrence of elves, not sprites. The VLF receiver also succeeded in detecting lightning whistlers, which show clear falling-tone frequency dispersion. Based on the optical data, the time delay from the detected lightning emission to the whistlers was identified as ˜10 ms, which can be reasonably explained by the wave propagation with the group velocity of whistlers. The VHF interferometer conducted the spaceborne interferometric observations and succeeded in detecting VHF pulses. We observed that the VHF pulses are likely to be excited by the lightning discharge possibly related with in-cloud discharges and measured with the JEM-GLIMS optical instruments. Thus, JEM-GLIMS provides the first full set of optical and electromagnetic data of lightning and TLEs obtained by nadir observations from space.

JASMINE: Infrared Space Astrometry Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gouda, Naoteru; Working Group, Jasmine

JASMINE is an astrometry satellite mission that measures in an infrared band annual parallaxes, positions on the celestial sphere, and proper motions of stars in the bulge of the Milky Way (the Galaxy) with high accuracies. These measurements give us 3-dimensional positions and 2-dimensional velocities (tangential velocities) of many stars in the Galactic bulge. A completely new “map” of the Galactic bulge given by JASMINE will bring us many exciting scientific results. A target launch date is the first half of the 2020s. Before the launch of JASMINE, we are planning two other missions; Nano-JASMINE and Small-JASMINE. Nano-JASMINE uses a very small nano-satellite and it is determined to be launched in 2011. Small-JASMINE is a downsized version of JASMINE satellite which observes toward restricted small regions of the Galactic bulge. These satellite missions need severe stability of the pointing of telescopes and furthermore high stability of telescope structures to measure stellar positions with high accuracies. This fact requires severe control of the pointing of telescopes and thermal control in payload modules. The control systems are very important keys for success of space astrometry missions including the series of JASMINE missions.

Disaster medical assistance in super typhoon Haiyan: Collaboration with the local medical team that resulted in great synergy.

PubMed

Kim, Hoon; Ahn, Moo Eob; Lee, Kang Hyun; Kim, Yeong Cheol; Hong, Eun Seok

2015-03-01

On 8 November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan made landfalls over the center of the Philippines and devastated the region. Soon aftermath of the disaster, many foreign medical teams (FMTs) headed toward the site, and the Korean team was one of them. This study described the experiences of the team during the initial phase of response, focusing on collaborative efforts with the local medical team. The Korean team was capable of providing primary care, and the Filipino team provided incomplete secondary care which was insufficient for covering the patient load. Not only did the Korean team provide electricity for hospital operation and various materials, but also supplemented medical personnel, who covered the emergency and outpatient departments. Collaborative efforts filled in each other's gap, and resulted in great synergy. Disaster medical relief mission of FMTs should be cooperated with a coordination mechanism. Collaboration with the local resources can be a great opportunity for both parties, and should not be overlooked in any disaster situations.

EUCLID mission design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wallner, Oswald; Ergenzinger, Klaus; Tuttle, Sean; Vaillon, L.; Johann, Ulrich

2017-11-01

EUCLID, a medium-class mission candidate of ESA's Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 Program, currently in Definition Phase (Phase A/B1), shall map the geometry of the Dark Universe by investigating dark matter distributions, the distance-redshift relationship, and the evolution of cosmic structures. EUCLID consists of a 1.2 m telescope and two scientific instruments for ellipticity and redshift measurements in the visible and nearinfrared wavelength regime. We present a design concept of the EUCLID mission which is fully compliant with the mission requirements. Preliminary concepts of the spacecraft and of the payload including the scientific instruments are discussed.

Precise methane absorption measurements in the 1.64 μm spectral region for the MERLIN mission.

PubMed

Delahaye, T; Maxwell, S E; Reed, Z D; Lin, H; Hodges, J T; Sung, K; Devi, V M; Warneke, T; Spietz, P; Tran, H

2016-06-27

In this article we describe a high-precision laboratory measurement targeting the R(6) manifold of the 2 ν 3 band of 12 CH 4 . Accurate physical models of this absorption spectrum will be required by the Franco-German, Methane Remote Sensing LIDAR (MERLIN) space mission for retrievals of atmospheric methane. The analysis uses the Hartmann-Tran profile for modeling line shape and also includes line-mixing effects. To this end, six high-resolution and high signal-to-noise absorption spectra of air-broadened methane were recorded using a frequency-stabilized cavity ring-down spectroscopy apparatus. Sample conditions corresponded to room temperature and spanned total sample pressures of 40 hPa - 1013 hPa with methane molar fractions between 1 μmol mol -1 and 12 μmol mol -1 . All spectroscopic model parameters were simultaneously adjusted in a multispectrum nonlinear least-squares fit to the six measured spectra. Comparison of the fitted model to the measured spectra reveals the ability to calculate the room-temperature, methane absorption coefficient to better than 0.1% at the on-line position of the MERLIN mission. This is the first time that such fidelity has been reached in modeling methane absorption in the investigated spectral region, fulfilling the accuracy requirements of the MERLIN mission. We also found excellent agreement when comparing the present results with measurements obtained over different pressure conditions and using other laboratory techniques. Finally, we also evaluated the impact of these new spectral parameters on atmospheric transmissions spectra calculations.

Precise methane absorption measurements in the 1.64 μm spectral region for the MERLIN mission

PubMed Central

Delahaye, T.; Maxwell, S.E.; Reed, Z.D.; Lin, H.; Hodges, J.T.; Sung, K.; Devi, V.M.; Warneke, T.; Spietz, P.; Tran, H.

2016-01-01

In this article we describe a high-precision laboratory measurement targeting the R(6) manifold of the 2ν3 band of 12CH4. Accurate physical models of this absorption spectrum will be required by the Franco-German, Methane Remote Sensing LIDAR (MERLIN) space mission for retrievals of atmospheric methane. The analysis uses the Hartmann-Tran profile for modeling line shape and also includes line-mixing effects. To this end, six high-resolution and high signal-to-noise absorption spectra of air-broadened methane were recorded using a frequency-stabilized cavity ring-down spectroscopy apparatus. Sample conditions corresponded to room temperature and spanned total sample pressures of 40 hPa – 1013 hPa with methane molar fractions between 1 μmol mol−1 and 12 μmol mol−1. All spectroscopic model parameters were simultaneously adjusted in a multispectrum nonlinear least-squares fit to the six measured spectra. Comparison of the fitted model to the measured spectra reveals the ability to calculate the room-temperature, methane absorption coefficient to better than 0.1% at the on-line position of the MERLIN mission. This is the first time that such fidelity has been reached in modeling methane absorption in the investigated spectral region, fulfilling the accuracy requirements of the MERLIN mission. We also found excellent agreement when comparing the present results with measurements obtained over different pressure conditions and using other laboratory techniques. Finally, we also evaluated the impact of these new spectral parameters on atmospheric transmissions spectra calculations. PMID:27551656

The OASIS Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, James H., Jr.; Barghouty, Abdulnasser F.; Binns, W. robert; Christl, Mark; Cosse, Charles B.; Guzik, T. Gregory; deNolfo, Georgia A.; Hams,Thomas; Isbert, Joachim; Israel, Martin H.;

Combining activated carbon adsorption with heterogeneous photocatalytic oxidation: Lack of synergy for biologically treated greywater and tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether

PubMed Central

Gulyas, Holger; Argáez, Ángel Santiago Oria; Kong, Fanzhuo; Jorge, Carlos Liriano; Eggers, Susanne; Otterpohl, Ralf

2013-01-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate whether the addition of activated carbon in the photocatalytic oxidation of biologically pretreated greywater and of a polar aliphatic compound gives synergy, as previously demonstrated with phenol. Photocatalytic oxidation kinetics were recorded with fivefold concentrated biologically pretreated greywater and with aqueous tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether solutions using a UV lamp and the photocatalyst TiO2 P25 in the presence and the absence of powdered activated carbon. The synergy factor, SF, was quantified as the ratio of photocatalytic oxidation rate constant in the presence of powdered activated carbon to the rate constant without activated carbon. No synergy was observed for the greywater concentrate (SF ≈ 1). For the aliphatic compound, tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether, addition of activated carbon actually had an inhibiting effect on photocatalysis (SF < 1), while synergy was confirmed in reference experiments using aqueous phenol solutions. The absence of synergy for the greywater concentrate can be explained by low adsorbability of its organic constituents by activated carbon. Inhibition of the photocatalytic oxidation of tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether by addition of powdered activated carbon was attributed to shading of the photocatalyst by the activated carbon particles. It was assumed that synergy in the hybrid process was limited to aromatic organics. Regardless of the lack of synergy in the case of biologically pretreated greywater, the addition of powdered activated carbon is advantageous since, due to additional adsorptive removal of organics, photocatalytic oxidation resulted in a 60% lower organic concentration when activated carbon was present after the same UV irradiation time. PMID:24191472

Endocrine Laboratory Results Apollo Missions 14 and 15

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leach, C. S.

1972-01-01

Endocrine/metabolic responses to space flight have been measured on the crewmen of Apollo missions 14 and 15. There were significant biochemical changes in the crewmen of both missions immediately postflight. However, the Apollo 15 mission results differed from Apollo 14 and preflight shown by a normal to increased urine volume with slight increases in antidiuretic hormone. Although Apollo 15 was the first mission in which the exchangeable potassium measurement was made (a decrease), results from other missions were indicative of similar conclusions.

Antistaphylococcal Activity of DX-619 Alone and in Combination with Vancomycin, Teicoplanin, and Linezolid Assessed by Time-Kill Synergy Testing▿ †

PubMed Central

Credito, Kim; Lin, Genrong; Appelbaum, Peter C.

2007-01-01

Time-kill synergy studies testing in vitro activity of DX-619 alone and with added vancomycin, teicoplanin, or linezolid against 101 Staphylococcus aureus strains showed synergy between DX-619 and teicoplanin at 12 to 24 h in 72 strains and between DX-619 and vancomycin in 28 strains. No synergy was found with linezolid, and no antagonism was observed with any combination. PMID:17261625

Confirmation of Maslow's Hypothesis of Synergy: Developing an Acceptance of Selfishness at the Workplace Scale.

PubMed

Takaki, Jiro; Taniguchi, Toshiyo; Fujii, Yasuhito

2016-04-30

This study aimed to develop a new Acceptance of Selfishness at the Workplace Scale (ASWS) and to confirm Maslow's hypothesis of synergy: if both a sense of contribution and acceptance of selfishness at the workplace are high, workers are psychologically healthy. In a cross-sectional study with employees of three Japanese companies, 656 workers answered a self-administered questionnaire on paper completely (response rate = 66.8%). Each questionnaire was submitted to us in a sealed envelope and analyzed. The ASWS indicated high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.86). Significant (p < 0.001) positive moderate correlations between ASWS scores and job control scores support the ASWS's convergent and discriminant validity. Significant (p < 0.001) associations of ASWS scores with psychological distress and work engagement supported the ASWS's criterion validity. In short, ASWS was a psychometrically satisfactory measure. Significant (p < 0.05) interactions between a sense of contribution and acceptance of selfishness at the workplace in linear regression models showed that when those two factors are low, psychological distress becomes high. However, when a sense of contribution and acceptance of selfishness are high, work engagement also becomes high. Thus, Maslow's hypothesis of synergy was confirmed.

Hand synergies: Integration of robotics and neuroscience for understanding the control of biological and artificial hands

PubMed Central

Santello, Marco; Bianchi, Matteo; Gabiccini, Marco; Ricciardi, Emiliano; Salvietti, Gionata; Prattichizzo, Domenico; Ernst, Marc; Moscatelli, Alessandro; Jörntell, Henrik; Kappers, Astrid M.L.; Kyriakopoulos, Kostas; Albu-Schäffer, Alin; Castellini, Claudio; Bicchi, Antonio

2017-01-01

The term ‘synergy’ – from the Greek synergia – means ‘working together’. The concept of multiple elements working together towards a common goal has been extensively used in neuroscience to develop theoretical frameworks, experimental approaches, and analytical techniques to understand neural control of movement, and for applications for neuro-rehabilitation. In the past decade, roboticists have successfully applied the framework of synergies to create novel design and control concepts for artificial hands, i.e., robotic hands and prostheses. At the same time, robotic research on the sensorimotor integration underlying the control and sensing of artificial hands has inspired new research approaches in neuroscience, and has provided useful instruments for novel experiments. The ambitious goal of integrating expertise and research approaches in robotics and neuroscience to study the properties and applications of the concept of synergies is generating a number of multidisciplinary cooperative projects, among which the recently finished 4-year European project “The Hand Embodied” (THE). This paper reviews the main insights provided by this framework. Specifically, we provide an overview of neuroscientific bases of hand synergies and introduce how robotics has leveraged the insights from neuroscience for innovative design in hardware and controllers for biomedical engineering applications, including myoelectric hand prostheses, devices for haptics research, and wearable sensing of human hand kinematics. The review also emphasizes how this multidisciplinary collaboration has generated new ways to conceptualize a synergy-based approach for robotics, and provides guidelines and principles for analyzing human behavior and synthesizing artificial robotic systems based on a theory of synergies. PMID:26923030

Interpretative synergy of starphotometry and lidar measurements at two high-Arctic stations during the Polar Winter of 2010-11

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baibakov, K.; O'Neill, N. T.; Herber, A.; Ritter, C.; Duck, T. J.; Schulz, K.; Schrems, O.

2011-12-01

-mode (super-micron) optical depths that are derived from the star extinction measurements. We also show how the starphotometry-lidar synergy can be used in a routine analysis to better detect and characterize aerosol events. Finally, based on the preliminary evidence from satellite data and backward trajectories, we give some examples of potential aerosol transport into the Arctic during the Polar Winter.

The force synergy of human digits in static and dynamic cylindrical grasps.

PubMed

Kuo, Li-Chieh; Chen, Shih-Wei; Lin, Chien-Ju; Lin, Wei-Jr; Lin, Sheng-Che; Su, Fong-Chin

2013-01-01

This study explores the force synergy of human digits in both static and dynamic cylindrical grasping conditions. The patterns of digit force distribution, error compensation, and the relationships among digit forces are examined to quantify the synergetic patterns and coordination of multi-finger movements. This study recruited 24 healthy participants to perform cylindrical grasps using a glass simulator under normal grasping and one-finger restricted conditions. Parameters such as the grasping force, patterns of digit force distribution, and the force coefficient of variation are determined. Correlation coefficients and principal component analysis (PCA) are used to estimate the synergy strength under the dynamic grasping condition. Specific distribution patterns of digit forces are identified for various conditions. The compensation of adjacent fingers for the force in the normal direction of an absent finger agrees with the principle of error compensation. For digit forces in anti-gravity directions, the distribution patterns vary significantly by participant. The forces exerted by the thumb are closely related to those exerted by other fingers under all conditions. The index-middle and middle-ring finger pairs demonstrate a significant relationship. The PCA results show that the normal forces of digits are highly coordinated. This study reveals that normal force synergy exists under both static and dynamic cylindrical grasping conditions.

The Force Synergy of Human Digits in Static and Dynamic Cylindrical Grasps

PubMed Central

Kuo, Li-Chieh; Chen, Shih-Wei; Lin, Chien-Ju; Lin, Wei-Jr; Lin, Sheng-Che; Su, Fong-Chin

2013-01-01

This study explores the force synergy of human digits in both static and dynamic cylindrical grasping conditions. The patterns of digit force distribution, error compensation, and the relationships among digit forces are examined to quantify the synergetic patterns and coordination of multi-finger movements. This study recruited 24 healthy participants to perform cylindrical grasps using a glass simulator under normal grasping and one-finger restricted conditions. Parameters such as the grasping force, patterns of digit force distribution, and the force coefficient of variation are determined. Correlation coefficients and principal component analysis (PCA) are used to estimate the synergy strength under the dynamic grasping condition. Specific distribution patterns of digit forces are identified for various conditions. The compensation of adjacent fingers for the force in the normal direction of an absent finger agrees with the principle of error compensation. For digit forces in anti-gravity directions, the distribution patterns vary significantly by participant. The forces exerted by the thumb are closely related to those exerted by other fingers under all conditions. The index-middle and middle-ring finger pairs demonstrate a significant relationship. The PCA results show that the normal forces of digits are highly coordinated. This study reveals that normal force synergy exists under both static and dynamic cylindrical grasping conditions. PMID:23544151

Lunar Net—a proposal in response to an ESA M3 call in 2010 for a medium sized mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Alan; Crawford, I. A.; Gowen, Robert Anthony; Ambrosi, R.; Anand, M.; Banerdt, B.; Bannister, N.; Bowles, N.; Braithwaite, C.; Brown, P.; Chela-Flores, J.; Cholinser, T.; Church, P.; Coates, A. J.; Colaprete, T.; Collins, G.; Collinson, G.; Cook, T.; Elphic, R.; Fraser, G.; Gao, Y.; Gibson, E.; Glotch, T.; Grande, M.; Griffiths, A.; Grygorczuk, J.; Gudipati, M.; Hagermann, A.; Heldmann, J.; Hood, L. L.; Jones, A. P.; Joy, K. H.; Khavroshkin, O. B.; Klingelhoefer, G.; Knapmeyer, M.; Kramer, G.; Lawrence, D.; Marczewski, W.; McKenna-Lawlor, S.; Miljkovic, K.; Narendranath, S.; Palomba, E.; Phipps, A.; Pike, W. T.; Pullan, D.; Rask, J.; Richard, D. T.; Seweryn, K.; Sheridan, S.; Sims, M.; Sweeting, M.; Swindle, T.; Talboys, D.; Taylor, L.; Teanby, N.; Tong, V.; Ulamec, S.; Wawrzaszek, R.; Wieczorek, M.; Wilson, L.; Wright, I.

2012-04-01

Emplacement of four or more kinetic penetrators geographically distributed over the lunar surface can enable a broad range of scientific exploration objectives of high priority and provide significant synergy with planned orbital missions. Whilst past landed missions achieved a great deal, they have not included a far-side lander, or investigation of the lunar interior apart from a very small area on the near side. Though the LCROSS mission detected water from a permanently shadowed polar crater, there remains in-situ confirmation, knowledge of concentration levels, and detailed identification of potential organic chemistry of astrobiology interest. The planned investigations will also address issues relating to the origin and evolution of the Earth-Moon system and other Solar System planetary bodies. Manned missions would be enhanced with use of water as a potential in-situ resource; knowledge of potential risks from damaging surface Moonquakes, and exploitation of lunar regolith for radiation shielding. LunarNet is an evolution of the 2007 LunarEX proposal to ESA (European Space Agency) which draws on recent significant advances in mission definition and feasibility. In particular, the successful Pendine full-scale impact trials have proved impact survivability for many of the key technology items, and a penetrator system study has greatly improved the definition of descent systems, detailed penetrator designs, and required resources. LunarNet is hereby proposed as an exciting stand-alone mission, though is also well suited in whole or in-part to contribute to the jigsaw of upcoming lunar missions, including that of a significant element to the ILN (International Lunar Network).

The OCO-3 MIssion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eldering, A.; Kaki, S.; Crisp, D.; Gunson, M. R.

2013-12-01

For the OCO-3 mission, NASA has approved a proposal to install the OCO-2 flight spare instrument on the International Space Station (ISS). The OCO-3 mission on ISS will have a key role in delivering sustained, global, scientifically-based, spaceborne measurements of atmospheric CO2 to monitor natural sources and sinks as part of NASA's proposed OCO-2/OCO-3/ASCENDS mission sequence and NASA's Climate Architecture. The OCO-3 mission will contribute to understanding of the terrestrial carbon cycle through enabling flux estimates at smaller spatial scales and through fluorescence measurements that will reduce the uncertainty in terrestrial carbon flux measurements and drive bottom-up land surface models through constraining GPP. The combined nominal missions of both OCO-2 and OCO-3 will likely span a complete El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, a key indicator of ocean variability. In addition, OCO-3 may allow investigation of the high-frequency and wavenumber structures suggested by eddying ocean circulation and ecosystem dynamics models. Finally, significant growth of urban agglomerations is underway and projected to continue in the coming decades. With the city mode sampling of the OCO-3 instrument on ISS we can evaluate different sampling strategies aimed at studying anthropogenic sources and demonstrate elements of a Greenhouse Gas Information system, as well as providing a gap-filler for tracking trends in the fastest-changing anthropogenic signals during the coming decade. In this presentation, we will describe our science objectives, the overall approach of utilization of the ISS for OCO-3, and the unique features of XCO2 measurements from ISS.

DYNAMIC: A Decadal Survey and NASA Roadmap Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paxton, L. J.; Oberheide, J.

2016-12-01

In this talk we will review the DYNAMIC mission science and implementation plans. DYNAMIC is baselined as a two satellite mission to delineate the dynamical behavior and structure of the ionosphere, thermosphere and mesosphere system. DYNAMIC was considered the top priority in the Decadal Survey upper atmosphere missions by the AIMI panel. The NASA Heliophysics Roadmap recommended that consideration be given to flying DYNAMIC as the STP 5 (next STP mission) rather than IMAP given the time-lag between the Decadal Survey recommendations and the flight of the STP 5 mission. It certainly seems as though STP 5 will be the IMAP mission. In that case what is the status of DYNAMIC? DYNAMIC could be STP 6 or some portion of the DYNAMIC mission could be executed as the next MidEx mission. In this talk we discuss the DYNAMIC science questions and goals and how they might be addressed. We note that DYNAMIC is not a mission just for the space community. DYNAMIC will enable new groundbased investigations and provide a global context for the long and rich history of groundbased observations of the dynamical state of the ITM system. Issues include: How and to what extent do waves and tides in the lower atmosphere contribute to the variability and mean state of the IT system? [Mission driver: Must have two spacecraft separated in local solar time in near polar orbits] How does the AIM system respond to outside forcing? [Mission Driver: Must measure high latitude inputs] How do neutral-plasma interactions produce neutral and ionospheric density changes over regional and global scales? [Mission Driver: Must measure all major species (O, N2, O2, H, He) and their ions] What part of the IT response occurs in the form of aurorally generated waves? [Mission Driver: Must measure small and mesoscale phenomena at high latitudes] What is the relative importance of thermal expansion, upwelling and advection in defining total mass density changes? [Mission Driver: Must determine the mid

Objectives for Mars Orbital Missions in the 2020s: Report from a MEPAG Science Analysis Group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zurek, R. W.; Campbell, B. A.; Diniega, S.; Lock, R. E.

2015-12-01

NASA Headquarters is looking at possible missions to Mars to follow the proposed 2020 Mars rover mission currently in development. One option being considered is a multi-functional orbiter, launched in the early 2020's, whose capabilities could address objectives in the following areas: • Replenishment of the telecommunications and reconnaissance infrastructure presently provided by the aging Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiters; • Scientific and technical progress on the NRC Planetary Science Decadal Survey priorities, updated MEPAG Goals, and/or follow-up of new discoveries; • Location and quantification of in situ resources for utilization by future robotic and human surface-based missions; and • Data needed to address Strategic Knowledge Gaps (SKGs), again for possible human missions. The Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) was asked to prepare an analysis of possible science objectives and remote sensing capabilities that could be implemented by such a multi-purpose Mars orbiter launched in the 2022/24 timeframe. MEPAG conducted this analysis through formation of a Next Orbiter Science Analysis Group (NEX-SAG), which was chartered jointly by the NASA Science and Human Exploration Directorates. The SAG was asked to conduct this study within a range of mission capabilities, including the possible first use of Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) in the Mars system. SEP could provide additional power enabling new payload components and possible changes in orbit (e.g., orbital inclination change) that permit different mission observational campaigns (e.g., polar and non-polar). Special attention was paid towards identifying synergies between science investigations, reconnaissance, and resource/SKG needs. We will present the findings and conclusions of this NEX-SAG regarding possible objectives for the next NASA Orbiter to Mars.

Applications of the SWOT Mission to Reservoirs in the Mekong River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonnema, M.; Hossain, F.

2017-12-01

The forthcoming Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission has the potential to significantly improve our ability to observe artificial reservoirs globally from a remote sensing perspective. By providing simultaneous estimates of reservoir water surface extent and elevation with near global coverage, reservoir storage changes can be estimated. Knowing how reservoir storage changes over time is critical for understanding reservoir impacts on river systems. In data limited regions, remote sensing is often the only viable method of retrieving such information about reservoir operations. When SWOT launches in 2021, it will join an array of satellite sensors with long histories of reservoir observation and monitoring capabilities. There are many potential synergies in the complimentary use of future SWOT observations with observations from current satellite sensors. The work presented here explores the potential benefits of utilizing SWOT observations over 20 reservoirs in the Mekong River Basin. The SWOT hydrologic simulator, developed by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is used to generate realistic SWOT observations, which are then inserted into a previously established remote sensing modeling framework of the 20 Mekong Basin reservoirs. This framework currently combines data from Landsat missions, Jason radar altimeters, and the Shuttle Radar and Topography Mission (SRTM), to provide monthly estimates of reservoir storage change. The incorporation of SWOT derived reservoir surface area and elevation into the model is explored in an effort to improve both accuracy and temporal resolution of observed reservoir operations.

Project SYNERGY: Software Support for Underprepared Students. Software Implementation Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anandam, Kamala; And Others

Miami-Dade Community College's (MDCC's) implementation and assessment of computer software as a part of Project SYNERGY, a multi-institutional project funded by the International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation designed to seek technological solutions for helping students underprepared in reading, writing and mathematics, is described in this…

Towards a synergy framework across neuroscience and robotics: Lessons learned and open questions. Reply to comments on: "Hand synergies: Integration of robotics and neuroscience for understanding the control of biological and artificial hands"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santello, Marco; Bianchi, Matteo; Gabiccini, Marco; Ricciardi, Emiliano; Salvietti, Gionata; Prattichizzo, Domenico; Ernst, Marc; Moscatelli, Alessandro; Jorntell, Henrik; Kappers, Astrid M. L.; Kyriakopoulos, Kostas; Schaeffer, Alin Abu; Castellini, Claudio; Bicchi, Antonio

2016-07-01

We would like to thank all commentators for their insightful commentaries. Thanks to their diverse and complementary expertise in neuroscience and robotics, the commentators have provided us with the opportunity to further discuss state-of-the-art and gaps in the integration of neuroscience and robotics reviewed in our article. We organized our reply in two sections that capture the main points of all commentaries [1-9]: (1) Advantages and limitations of the synergy approach in neuroscience and robotics, and (2) Learning and role of sensory feedback in biological and robotics synergies.

Mars Stratigraphy Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Budney, C. J.; Miller, S. L.; Cutts, J. A.

2000-01-01

The Mars Stratigraphy Mission lands a rover on the surface of Mars which descends down a cliff in Valles Marineris to study the stratigraphy. The rover carries a unique complement of instruments to analyze and age-date materials encountered during descent past 2 km of strata. The science objective for the Mars Stratigraphy Mission is to identify the geologic history of the layered deposits in the Valles Marineris region of Mars. This includes constraining the time interval for formation of these deposits by measuring the ages of various layers and determining the origin of the deposits (volcanic or sedimentary) by measuring their composition and imaging their morphology.

Synegies Between Visible/Near-Infrared Imaging Spectrometry and the Thermal Infrared in an Urban Environment: An Evaluation of the Hyperspectral Infrared Imager (HYSPIRI) Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts, Dar A.; Quattrochi, Dale A.; Hulley, Glynn C.; Hook, Simon J.; Green, Robert O.

2012-01-01

A majority of the human population lives in urban areas and as such, the quality of urban environments is becoming increasingly important to the human population. Furthermore, these areas are major sources of environmental contaminants and sinks of energy and materials. Remote sensing provides an improved understanding of urban areas and their impacts by mapping urban extent, urban composition (vegetation and impervious cover fractions), and urban radiation balance through measures of albedo, emissivity and land surface temperature (LST). Recently, the National Research Council (NRC) completed an assessment of remote sensing needs for the next decade (NRC, 2007), proposing several missions suitable for urban studies, including a visible, near-infrared and shortwave infrared (VSWIR) imaging spectrometer and a multispectral thermal infrared (TIR) instrument called the Hyperspectral Infrared Imagery (HyspIRI). In this talk, we introduce the HyspIRI mission, focusing on potential synergies between VSWIR and TIR data in an urban area. We evaluate potential synergies using an Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) and MODIS-ASTER (MASTER) image pair acquired over Santa Barbara, United States. AVIRIS data were analyzed at their native spatial resolutions (7.5m VSWIR and 15m TIR), and aggregated 60 m spatial resolution similar to HyspIRI. Surface reflectance was calculated using ACORN and a ground reflectance target to remove atmospheric and sensor artifacts. MASTER data were processed to generate estimates of spectral emissivity and LST using Modtran radiative transfer code and the ASTER Temperature Emissivity Separation algorithm. A spectral library of common urban materials, including urban vegetation, roofs and roads was assembled from combined AVIRIS and field-measured reflectance spectra. LST and emissivity were also retrieved from MASTER and reflectance/emissivity spectra for a subset of urban materials were retrieved from co-located MASTER and

On pressure measurement and seasonal pressure variations during the Phoenix mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Peter A.; Kahanpää, Henrik; Weng, Wensong; Akingunola, Ayodeji; Cook, Clive; Daly, Mike; Dickinson, Cameron; Harri, Ari-Matti; Hill, Darren; Hipkin, Victoria; Polkko, Jouni; Whiteway, Jim

2010-03-01

In situ surface pressures measured at 2 s intervals during the 150 sol Phoenix mission are presented and seasonal variations discussed. The lightweight Barocap®/Thermocap® pressure sensor system performed moderately well. However, the original data processing routine had problems because the thermal environment of the sensor was subject to more rapid variations than had been expected. Hence, the data processing routine was updated after Phoenix landed. Further evaluation and the development of a correction are needed since the temperature dependences of the Barocap sensor heads have drifted after the calibration of the sensor. The inaccuracy caused by this appears when the temperature of the unit rises above 0°C. This frequently affects data in the afternoons and precludes a full study of diurnal pressure variations at this time. Short-term fluctuations, on time scales of order 20 s are unaffected and are reported in a separate paper in this issue. Seasonal variations are not significantly affected by this problem and show general agreement with previous measurements from Mars. During the 151 sol mission the surface pressure dropped from around 860 Pa to a minimum (daily average) of 724 Pa on sol 140 (Ls 143). This local minimum occurred several sols earlier than expected based on GCM studies and Viking data. Since battery power was lost on sol 151 we are not sure if the timing of the minimum that we saw could have been advanced by a low-pressure meteorological event. On sol 95 (Ls 122), we also saw a relatively low-pressure feature. This was accompanied by a large number of vertical vortex events, characterized by short, localized (in time), low-pressure perturbations.

Kinematic and kinetic synergies of the lower extremities during the pull in olympic weightlifting.

PubMed

Kipp, Kristof; Redden, Josh; Sabick, Michelle; Harris, Chad

2012-07-01

The purpose of this study was to identify multijoint lower extremity kinematic and kinetic synergies in weightlifting and compare these synergies between joints and across different external loads. Subjects completed sets of the clean exercise at loads equal to 65, 75, and 85% of their estimated 1-RM. Functional data analysis was used to extract principal component functions (PCF's) for hip, knee, and ankle joint angles and moments of force during the pull phase of the clean at all loads. The PCF scores were then compared between joints and across loads to determine how much of each PCF was present at each joint and how it differed across loads. The analyses extracted two kinematic and four kinetic PCF's. The statistical comparisons indicated that all kinematic and two of the four kinetic PCF's did not differ across load, but scaled according to joint function. The PCF's captured a set of joint- and load-specific synergies that quantified biomechanical function of the lower extremity during Olympic weightlifting and revealed important technical characteristics that should be considered in sports training and future research.

Co-gasification of coal and biomass: Synergy, characterization and reactivity of the residual char.

PubMed

Hu, Junhao; Shao, Jingai; Yang, Haiping; Lin, Guiying; Chen, Yingquan; Wang, Xianhua; Zhang, Wennan; Chen, Hanping

2017-11-01

The synergy effect between coal and biomass in their co-gasification was studied in a vertical fixed bed reactor, and the physic-chemical structural characteristics and gasification reactivity of the residual char obtained from co-gasification were also investigated. The results shows that, conversion of the residual char and tar into gas is enhanced due to the synergy effect between coal and biomass. The physical structure of residual char shows more pore on coal char when more biomass is added in the co-gasification. The migration of inorganic elements between coal and biomass was found, the formation and competitive role of K 2 SiO 3 , KAlSiO 4 , and Ca 3 Al 2 (SiO 4 ) 3 is a mechanism behind the synergy. The graphization degree is enhanced but size of graphite crystallite in the residual char decreases with biomass blending ratio increasing. TGA results strongly suggest the big difference in the reactivity of chars derived from coal and biomass in spite of influence from co-gasification. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Radiation Measured for Chinese Satellite SJ-10 Space Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Dazhuang; Sun, Yeqing; Zhang, Binquan; Zhang, Shenyi; Sun, Yueqiang; Liang, Jinbao; Zhu, Guangwu; Jing, Tao; Yuan, Bin; Zhang, Huanxin; Zhang, Meng; Wang, Wei; Zhao, Lei

2018-02-01

Space biological effects are mainly a result of space radiation particles with high linear energy transfer (LET); therefore, accurate measurement of high LET space radiation is vital. The radiation in low Earth orbits is composed mainly of high-energy galactic cosmic rays (GCRs), solar energetic particles, particles of radiation belts, the South Atlantic Anomaly, and the albedo neutrons and protons scattered from the Earth's atmosphere. CR-39 plastic nuclear track detectors sensitive to high LET are the best passive detectors to measure space radiation. The LET method that employs CR-39 can measure all the radiation LET spectra and quantities. CR-39 detectors can also record the incident directions and coordinates of GCR heavy ions that pass through both CR-39 and biosamples, and the impact parameter, the distance between the particle's incident point and the seed's spore, can then be determined. The radiation characteristics and impact parameter of GCR heavy ions are especially beneficial for in-depth research regarding space radiation biological effects. The payload returnable satellite SJ-10 provided an excellent opportunity to investigate space radiation biological effects with CR-39 detectors. The space bio-effects experiment was successfully conducted on board the SJ-10 satellite. This paper introduces space radiation in low Earth orbits and the LET method in radiation-related research and presents the results of nuclear tracks and biosamples hitting distributions of GCR heavy ions, the radiation LET spectra, and the quantities measured for the SJ-10 space mission. The SJ-10 bio-experiment indicated that radiation may produce significant bio-effects.

Peace Education, ESD and the Earth Charter: Interconnections and Synergies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toh, Swee-Hin; Cawagas, Virginia Floresca

2010-01-01

This article provides a review of how the values and principles of the Earth Charter initiative relate to two specific innovative movements of educational transformation, namely peace education and education for sustainable development (ESD). The interconnections and synergies between these movements and the Earth Charter are highlighted.…

AIDA: The Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galvez, A.; Carnelli, I.; Michel, P.; Cheng, A. F.; Reed, C.; Ulamec, S.; Biele, J.; Abell, P.; Landis, R.

2013-09-01

The Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission, a joint effort of ESA, JHU/APL, NASA, OCA, and DLR, is the first demonstration of asteroid deflection and assessment via kinetic impact. AIDA consists of two independent but mutually supporting mission elements, one of which is the asteroid kinetic impactor and the other is the characterization spacecraft. These two missions are, respectively, JHU/APL's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) and the European Space Agency's Asteroid Investigation Mission (AIM) missions. As in the separate DART and AIM studies, the target of this mission is the binary asteroid [65803] Didymos in October, 2022. For a successful joint mission, one spacecraft, DART, would impact the secondary of the Didymos system while AIM would observe and measure any change in the relative orbit. AIM will be the first probe to characterise a binary asteroid, especially from the dynamical point of view, but also considering its interior and subsurface composition. The mission concept focuses on the monitoring aspects i.e., the capability to determine in-situ the key physical properties of a binary asteroid playing a role in the system's dynamic behavior. DART will be the first ever space mission to deflect the trajectory of an asteroid in a measurable way.- It is expected that the deflection can be measured as a change in the relative orbit period with a precision better than 10%. The joint AIDA mission will return vital data to determine the momentum transfer efficiency of the kinetic impact [1,2].

Investigating Conversational Dynamics: Interactive Alignment, Interpersonal Synergy, and Collective Task Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fusaroli, Riccardo; Tylén, Kristian

2016-01-01

This study investigates interpersonal processes underlying dialog by comparing two approaches, "interactive alignment" and "interpersonal synergy", and assesses how they predict collective performance in a joint task. While the interactive alignment approach highlights imitative patterns between interlocutors, the synergy…

Co-gasification of bituminous coal and hydrochar derived from municipal solid waste: Reactivity and synergy.

PubMed

Wei, Juntao; Guo, Qinghua; He, Qing; Ding, Lu; Yoshikawa, Kunio; Yu, Guangsuo

2017-09-01

In this work, the influences of gasification temperature and blended ratio on co-gasification reactivity and synergy of Shenfu bituminous coal (SF) and municipal solid waste-derived hydrochar (HTC) were investigated using TGA. Additionally, active alkaline and alkaline earth metal (AAEM) transformation during co-gasification was quantitatively analyzed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer for correlating synergy on co-gasification reactivity. The results showed that higher char gasification reactivity existed at higher HTC char proportion and gasification temperature, and the main synergy behaviour on co-gasification reactivity was performed as synergistic effect. Enhanced synergistic effect at lower temperature was mainly resulted from more obviously inhibiting the primary AAEM (i.e. active Ca) transformation, and weak synergistic effect still existed at higher temperature since more active K with prominent catalysis was retained. Furthermore, more active HTC-derived AAEM remaining in SF sample during co-gasification would lead to enhanced synergistic effect as HTC char proportion increased. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of a grant program's efforts to promote synergy within its funded initiatives: perceptions of participants of the Southern Rural Access Program.

PubMed

Pathman, Donald E; Chuang, Emmeline; Weiner, Bryan J

2008-12-18

Foundations and public agencies commonly fund focused initiatives for individual grantees. These discrete, stand-alone initiatives can risk failure by being carried out in isolation. Fostering synergy among grantees' initiatives is one strategy proposed for promoting the success and impact of grant programs. We evaluate an explicit strategy to build synergy within the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Southern Rural Access Program (SRAP), which awarded grants to collaboratives within eight southeastern U.S. states to strengthen basic health care services in targeted rural counties. We interviewed 39 key participants of the SRAP, including the program director within each state and the principal subcontractors heading the program's funded initiatives that supported heath professionals' recruitment, retention and training, made loans to health care providers, and built networks among providers. Interews were recorded and transcribed. Two investigators independently coded the transcripts and a third investigator distilled the main points. Participants generally perceived that the SRAP yielded more synergies than other grant programs in which they had participated and that these synergies added to the program's impact. The synergies most often noted were achieved through relationship building among grantees and with outside agencies, sharing information and know-how, sharing resources, combining efforts to yield greater capacity, joining voices to advocate for common goals, and spotting gaps in services offered and then filling these gaps. The SRAP's strategies that participants felt fostered synergy included targeting funding to culturally and geographically similar states, supporting complementary types of initiatives, promoting opportunities to network through semi-annual meetings and regular conference calls, and the advocacy efforts of the program's leadership. Participants noted that synergies were sometimes hindered by turf issues and politics and the conflicting

Open Imaging Nephelometer Scattering Measurements from the 2014 Discover-AQ Field Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Espinosa, R.; Orozco, D.; Dolgos, G.; Martins, J. V.

2014-12-01

After greenhouse gases, aerosols are thought to have the largest contribution to total atmospheric radiative forcing, but they are frequently cited as the single largest source of uncertainty among all anthropogenic radiative forcing components. Remote sensing allows for global measurements of aerosol properties, however validation of these measurements and the climatological assumptions used in their retrieval algorithms require high quality in situ sampling. The Laboratory for Aerosols, Clouds and Optics (LACO) at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) has developed the Imaging Nephelometer, a novel and highly accurate instrument concept designed to significantly aid in situ optical scattering measurements. Imaging Nephelometers allow for measurements of scattering coefficient, phase function and polarized phase function over a wide angular range of 2 to 178 degrees with an angular resolution of less than half of a degree. The simple layout of these devices also permits the construction of an instrument that is compact enough to be deployed on a variety of airborne platforms. Additionally, a version of this instrument that is capable of in situ sampling in open-air, free from sample biases potentially introduced by an inlet or containment apparatus, has recently been constructed. This instrument, known as the Open Imaging NEPHelometer (OI-NEPH), was flown on the P3 aircraft in the summer of 2014 during the Colorado portion of the Discover-AQ field mission (Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality). This presentation will focus on the results of the OI-NEPH's successful science flights during this field experiment. The P3's flights during this mission focused primarily on vehicle, agriculture, biomass burning and industrial processing emissions over the Colorado Front Range. Emphasis will be placed on any observed differences in scattering properties between the measurements

Analysis of Temperature and Wind Measurements from the TIMED Mission: Comparison with UARS Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huang, Frank; Mayr, Hans; Killeen, Tim; Russell, Jim; Reber, Skip

2004-01-01

We report on an analysis of temperature and wind data based respectively on measurements with the SABER (Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry) and TIDI (TIMED Doppler Interferometer) instruments on the TIMED (Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Mesosphere-Energetics and Dynamics) mission. Comparisons are made with corresponding results obtained from the HRDI (High Resolution Doppler Imager), MLS (Microwave Limb Sounder) and CLAES (Cryogenic Limb Array Etalon Spectrometer) instruments on the UARS (Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite) spacecraft. The TIMED and UARS instruments have important common and uncommon properties in their sampling of the data as a function local solar time. For comparison between the data from the two satellite missions, we present the derived diurnal tidal and zonal-mean variations of temperature and winds, obtained as functions of season, latitude, and altitude. The observations are also compared with results from the Numerical Spectral Model (NSM).

A pragmatic definition of therapeutic synergy suitable for clinically relevant in vitro multicompound analyses.

PubMed

Kashif, Muhammad; Andersson, Claes; Åberg, Magnus; Nygren, Peter; Sjöblom, Tobias; Hammerling, Ulf; Larsson, Rolf; Gustafsson, Mats G

2014-07-01

For decades, the standard procedure when screening for candidate anticancer drug combinations has been to search for synergy, defined as any positive deviation from trivial cases like when the drugs are regarded as diluted versions of each other (Loewe additivity), independent actions (Bliss independence), or no interaction terms in a response surface model (no interaction). Here, we show that this kind of conventional synergy analysis may be completely misleading when the goal is to detect if there is a promising in vitro therapeutic window. Motivated by this result, and the fact that a drug combination offering a promising therapeutic window seldom is interesting if one of its constituent drugs can provide the same window alone, the largely overlooked concept of therapeutic synergy (TS) is reintroduced. In vitro TS is said to occur when the largest therapeutic window obtained by the best drug combination cannot be achieved by any single drug within the concentration range studied. Using this definition of TS, we introduce a procedure that enables its use in modern massively parallel experiments supported by a statistical omnibus test for TS designed to avoid the multiple testing problem. Finally, we suggest how one may perform TS analysis, via computational predictions of the reference cell responses, when only the target cell responses are available. In conclusion, the conventional error-prone search for promising drug combinations may be improved by replacing conventional (toxicology-rooted) synergy analysis with an analysis focused on (clinically motivated) TS. ©2014 American Association for Cancer Research.

Advances in Understanding Global Water Cycle with Advent of Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Eric A.; Starr, David (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Within this decade the internationally organized Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission will take an important step in creating a global precipitation observing system from space. One perspective for understanding the nature of GPM is that it will be a hierarchical system of datastreams beginning with very high caliber combined dual frequency radar/passive microwave (PMW) rain-radiometer retrievals, to high caliber PMW rain-radiometer only retrievals, and then on to blends of the former datastreams with additional lower-caliber PMW-based and IR-based rain retrievals. Within the context of the now emerging global water & energy cycle (GWEC) programs of a number of research agencies throughout the world, GPM serves as a centerpiece space mission for improving our understanding of the global water cycle from a global measurement perspective. One of the salient problems within our current understanding of the global water and energy cycle is determining whether a change in the rate of the water cycle is accompanying changes in climate, e.g., climate warming. As there are a number of ways in which to define a rate-change of the global water cycle, it is not entirely clear as to what constitutes such a determination. This paper presents an overview of the GPM Mission and how its observations can be used within the framework of the oceanic and continental water budget equations to determine whether a given perturbation in precipitation is indicative of an actual rate change in the global water cycle, consistent with required responses in water storage and/or water flux transport processes, or whether it is the natural variability of a fixed rate cycle.

Exploring the molecular basis of antifungal synergies using genome-wide approaches

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This is a review article summarizing genomic profiling strategies for determining the mechanism of action of antifungal synergies, and highlighting the potential applications of these technologies. Given the limitations of currently available antifungal agents and the development of drug resistance...

The Effect of Mission Location on Mission Costs and Equivalent System Mass

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fisher, John W.; Levri, Julie A.; Jones, Harry W.

2003-01-01

Equivalent System Mass (ESM) is used by the Advanced Life Support (ALS) community to quantify mission costs of technologies for space applications (Drysdale et al, 1999, Levri et al, 2000). Mass is used as a cost measure because the mass of an object determines propulsion (acceleration) cost (i.e. amount of fuel needed), and costs relating to propulsion dominate mission cost. Mission location drives mission cost because acceleration is typically required to initiate and complete a change in location. Total mission costs may be reduced by minimizing the mass of materials that must be propelled to each distinct location. In order to minimize fuel requirements for missions beyond low-Earth orbit (LEO), the hardware and astronauts may not all go to the same location. For example, on a Lunar or Mars mission, some of the hardware or astronauts may stay in orbit while the rest of the hardware and astronauts descend to the planetary surface. In addition, there may be disposal of waste or used hardware at various mission locations to avoid propulsion of mass that is no longer needed in the mission. This paper demonstrates how using location factors in the calculation of ESM can account for the effects of various acceleration events and can improve the accuracy and value of the ESM metric to mission planners. Even a mission with one location can benefit from location factor analysis if the alternative technologies under consideration consume resources at different rates. For example, a mission that regenerates resources will have a relatively constant mass compared to one that uses consumables and vents/discards mass along the way. This paper shows examples of how location factors can affect ESM calculations and how the inclusion of location factors can change the relative value of technologies being considered for development.

Project SYNERGY: Software Support for Underprepared Students. Year Two Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miami-Dade Community Coll., FL. Div. of Educational Technologies.

With funds from the International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation, Project SYNERGY was launched in January 1990 to address the problem of students entering colleges underprepared in basic skills and to make use of the tremendous potential for significant remediation through computers. Twenty-two institutions in the United States and Canada,…

An overview of new insights from 6 years of salinity data from SMOS mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicolas, R.

2015-12-01

Measurements of salt held in surface seawater are becoming ever-more important for oceanographers and climatologists to gain a deeper understanding of ocean circulation and Earth's water cycle. ESA's SMOS mission is proving essential for this aim. Launched in 2009, SMOS has provided the longest continuous record (now ~6 years) of sea-surface salinity measurements from space. The salinity of surface seawater is controlled largely by the balance between evaporation and precipitation, but freshwater from rivers and the freezing and melting of ice also cause changes in concentrations. Along with temperature, salinity drives ocean circulation - the thermohaline circulation - which, in turn, plays a key role in the global climate. With a wealth of salinity data from SMOS now in hand complemented by measurements from the NASA-CONAE Aquarius satellite, which uses a different measuring technique. In this talk we shall provide an overview of how the SMOS mission - now celebrating 6 years in orbit - is providing detailed global measurements of SSS. An ensemble of key ocean processes for climate and biochemistry can now be determined and monitored for the first time from space : the detailed salinity structure of tropical instability waves along the equator and the salt exchanged across major oceanic current fronts, the occurrences of large-scale salinity anomalies in the Pacific and Indian oceans related to important climate indexes are also well-evidenced in the six year-long data. In addition, the dispersal of freshwater into the ocean from the major large tropical rivers (Amazon, Orinoco and Congo), their impact on tropical cyclone (TC) intensification and the oceanic imprints of the intense rainfall in the ITCZ and under TC can now be regularly monitored to better understand the variability of the oceanic part of the global water cycle. We will present how SMOS data, along with concurrent in situ Argo ocean-profile data, other satellite observations of sea

An interstellar precursor mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jaffe, L. D.; Ivie, C.; Lewis, J. C.; Lipes, R. G.; Norton, H. N.; Stearns, J. W.; Stimpson, L.; Weissman, P.

1977-01-01

A mission out of the planetary system, with launch about the year 2000, could provide valuable scientific data as well as test some of the technology for a later mission to another star. Primary scientific objectives for the precursor mission concern characteristics of the heliopause, the interstellar medium, stellar distances (by parallax measurements), low energy cosmic rays, interplanetary gas distribution, and mass of the solar system. Secondary objectives include investigation of Pluto. Candidate science instruments are suggested. Individual spacecraft systems for the mission were considered, technology requirements and problem areas noted, and a number of recommendations made for technology study and advanced development. The most critical technology needs include attainment of 50-yr spacecraft lifetime and development of a long-life NEP system.

Experimental Design for the LATOR Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turyshev, Slava G.; Shao, Michael; Nordtvedt, Kenneth, Jr.

2004-01-01

This paper discusses experimental design for the Laser Astrometric Test Of Relativity (LATOR) mission. LATOR is designed to reach unprecedented accuracy of 1 part in 10(exp 8) in measuring the curvature of the solar gravitational field as given by the value of the key Eddington post-Newtonian parameter gamma. This mission will demonstrate the accuracy needed to measure effects of the next post-Newtonian order (near infinity G2) of light deflection resulting from gravity s intrinsic non-linearity. LATOR will provide the first precise measurement of the solar quadrupole moment parameter, J(sub 2), and will improve determination of a variety of relativistic effects including Lense-Thirring precession. The mission will benefit from the recent progress in the optical communication technologies the immediate and natural step above the standard radio-metric techniques. The key element of LATOR is a geometric redundancy provided by the laser ranging and long-baseline optical interferometry. We discuss the mission and optical designs, as well as the expected performance of this proposed mission. LATOR will lead to very robust advances in the tests of Fundamental physics: this mission could discover a violation or extension of general relativity, or reveal the presence of an additional long range interaction in the physical law. There are no analogs to the LATOR experiment; it is unique and is a natural culmination of solar system gravity experiments.

Estimation of Effective Doses for Radiation Cancer Risks on ISS, Lunar, and Mars Missions with Space Radiation Measurement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, M.Y.; Cucinotta, F.A.

2005-01-01

Radiation protection practices define the effective dose as a weighted sum of equivalent dose over major sites for radiation cancer risks. Since a crew personnel dosimeter does not make direct measurement of effective dose, it has been estimated with skin-dose measurements and radiation transport codes for ISS and STS missions. The Phantom Torso Experiment (PTE) of NASA s Operational Radiation Protection Program has provided the actual flight measurements of active and passive dosimeters which were placed throughout the phantom on STS-91 mission for 10 days and on ISS Increment 2 mission. For the PTE, the variation in organ doses, which is resulted by the absorption and the changes in radiation quality with tissue shielding, was considered by measuring doses at many tissue sites and at several critical body organs including brain, colon, heart, stomach, thyroid, and skins. These measurements have been compared with the organ dose calculations obtained from the transport models. Active TEPC measurements of lineal energy spectra at the surface of the PTE also provided the direct comparison of galactic cosmic ray (GCR) or trapped proton dose and dose equivalent. It is shown that orienting the phantom body as actual in ISS is needed for the direct comparison of the transport models to the ISS data. One of the most important observations for organ dose equivalent of effective dose estimates on ISS is the fractional contribution from trapped protons and GCR. We show that for most organs over 80% is from GCR. The improved estimation of effective doses for radiation cancer risks will be made with the resultant tissue weighting factors and the modified codes.

NASA Laboratory Analysis for Manned Exploration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krihak, Michael K.; Shaw, Tianna E.

2014-01-01

The Exploration Laboratory Analysis (ELA) project supports the Exploration Medical Capability Element under the NASA Human Research Program. ELA instrumentation is identified as an essential capability for future exploration missions to diagnose and treat evidence-based medical conditions. However, mission architecture limits the medical equipment, consumables, and procedures that will be available to treat medical conditions during human exploration missions. Allocated resources such as mass, power, volume, and crew time must be used efficiently to optimize the delivery of in-flight medical care. Although commercial instruments can provide the blood and urine based measurements required for exploration missions, these commercial-off-the-shelf devices are prohibitive for deployment in the space environment. The objective of the ELA project is to close the technology gap of current minimally invasive laboratory capabilities and analytical measurements in a manner that the mission architecture constraints impose on exploration missions. Besides micro gravity and radiation tolerances, other principal issues that generally fail to meet NASA requirements include excessive mass, volume, power and consumables, and nominal reagent shelf-life. Though manned exploration missions will not occur for nearly a decade, NASA has already taken strides towards meeting the development of ELA medical diagnostics by developing mission requirements and concepts of operations that are coupled with strategic investments and partnerships towards meeting these challenges. This paper focuses on the remote environment, its challenges, biomedical diagnostics requirements and candidate technologies that may lead to successful blood-urine chemistry and biomolecular measurements in future space exploration missions.

Building coherence and synergy among global health initiatives.

PubMed

Zicker, Fabio; Faid, Miriam; Reeder, John; Aslanyan, Garry

2015-12-09

The fast growth of global health initiatives (GHIs) has raised concerns regarding achievement of coherence and synergy among distinct, complementary and sometimes competing activities. Herein, we propose an approach to compare GHIs with regard to their main purpose and operational aspects, using the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR/WHO) as a case study. The overall goal is to identify synergies and optimize efforts to provide solutions to reduce the burden of diseases. Twenty-six long-established GHIs were identified from among initiatives previously associated/partnered with TDR/WHO. All GHIs had working streams that would benefit from linking to the capacity building or implementation research focus of TDR. Individual profiles were created using a common template to collect information on relevant parameters. For analytical purposes, GHIs were simultaneously clustered in five and eight groups according to their 'intended outcome' and 'operational framework', respectively. A set of specific questions was defined to assess coherence/alignment against a TDR reference profile by attributing a score, which was subsequently averaged per GHI cluster. GHI alignment scores for intended outcome were plotted against scores for operational framework; based on the analysis of coherence/alignment with TDR functions and operations, a risk level (high, medium or low) of engagement was attributed to each GHI. The process allowed a bi-dimensional ranking of GHIs with regards to how adequately they fit with or match TDR features and perspectives. Overall, more consistence was observed with regard to the GHIs' main goals and expected outcomes than with their operational aspects, reflecting the diversity of GHI business models. Analysis of coherence indicated an increasing common trend for enhancing the engagement of developing country stakeholders, building research capacity and optimization of knowledge management platforms in support of

Inter-satellite laser link acquisition with dual-way scanning for Space Advanced Gravity Measurements mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jing-Yi; Ming, Min; Jiang, Yuan-Ze; Duan, Hui-Zong; Yeh, Hsien-Chi

2018-06-01

Laser link acquisition is a key technology for inter-satellite laser ranging and laser communication. In this paper, we present an acquisition scheme based on the differential power sensing method with dual-way scanning, which will be used in the next-generation gravity measurement mission proposed in China, called Space Advanced Gravity Measurements (SAGM). In this scheme, the laser beams emitted from two satellites are power-modulated at different frequencies to enable the signals of the two beams to be measured distinguishably, and their corresponding pointing angles are determined by using the differential power sensing method. As the master laser beam and the slave laser beam are decoupled, the dual-way scanning method, in which the laser beams of both the master and the slave satellites scan uncertainty cones simultaneously and independently, can be used, instead of the commonly used single-way scanning method, in which the laser beam of one satellite scans and that of the other one stares. Therefore, the acquisition time is reduced significantly. Numerical simulation and experiments of the acquisition process are performed using the design parameters of the SAGM mission. The results show that the average acquisition time is less than 10 s for a scanning range of 1-mrad radius with a success rate of more than 99%.

Summary Report of Mission Acceleration Measurements for STS-73, Launched October 20, 1995

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rogers, Melissa J. B.; DeLombard, Richard

1996-01-01

The microgravity environment of the Space Shuttle Columbia was measured during the STS-73 mission using accelerometers from five different instruments: the Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment, the Space Acceleration Measurement System, the Three-dimensional Microgravity Accelerometer, the Microgravity Measuring Device, and Suppression of Transient Accelerations by Levitation Evaluation System. The Microgravity Analysis Workstation quasi-steady environment calculation and comparison of this calculation with Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment data was used to assess how appropriate a planned attitude was expected to be for one Crystal Growth Facility experiment sample. The microgravity environment related to several different Orbiter, crew, and experiment operations is presented and interpreted in this report. Data are examined to show the effects of vernier reaction control system jet firings for Orbiter attitude control. This is compared to examples of data when no thrusters were firing, when the primary reaction control system jets were used for attitude control, and when single vernier jets were fired for test purposes. In general, vernier jets, when used for attitude control, cause accelerations in the 3 x 10(exp -4) g to 7 x 10(exp -4) g range. Primary jets used in this manner cause accelerations in the 0.01 to 0.025 g range. Other significant disturbance sources characterized are water dump operations, with Y(sub b) axis acceleration deviations of about 1 x 10(exp -6) g; payload bay door opening motion, with Y(sub o) and Z(sub o) axis accelerations of frequency 0.4 Hz; and probable Glovebox fan operations with notable frequency components at 20, 38, 43, 48, and 53 Hz. The STS-73 microgravity environment is comparable to the environments measured on earlier microgravity science missions.

NASA Laboratory Analysis for Manned Exploration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krihak, Michael (Editor); Shaw, Tianna

2014-01-01

The Exploration Laboratory Analysis (ELA) project supports the Exploration Medical Capability Element under the NASA Human Research Program. ELA instrumentation is identified as an essential capability for future exploration missions to diagnose and treat evidence-based medical conditions. However, mission architecture limits the medical equipment, consumables, and procedures that will be available to treat medical conditions during human exploration missions. Allocated resources such as mass, power, volume, and crew time must be used efficiently to optimize the delivery of in-flight medical care. Although commercial instruments can provide the blood and urine based measurements required for exploration missions, these commercial-off-the-shelf devices are prohibitive for deployment in the space environment. The objective of the ELA project is to close the technology gap of current minimally invasive laboratory capabilities and analytical measurements in a manner that the mission architecture constraints impose on exploration missions. Besides micro gravity and radiation tolerances, other principal issues that generally fail to meet NASA requirements include excessive mass, volume, power and consumables, and nominal reagent shelf-life. Though manned exploration missions will not occur for nearly a decade, NASA has already taken strides towards meeting the development of ELA medical diagnostics by developing mission requirements and concepts of operations that are coupled with strategic investments and partnerships towards meeting these challenges. This paper focuses on the remote environment, its challenges, biomedical diagnostics requirements and candidate technologies that may lead to successful blood/urine chemistry and biomolecular measurements in future space exploration missions. SUMMARY The NASA Exploration Laboratory Analysis project seeks to develop capability to diagnose anticipated space exploration medical conditions on future manned missions. To achieve

Magnetic Field Measurements on the Lunar Surface: Lessons Learned from Apollo and Science Enabled by Future Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chi, P. J.

2017-10-01

We discuss the science to be enabled by new magnetometer measurements on the lunar surface, based on results from Apollo and other lunar missions. Also discussed are approaches to deploying magnetometers on the lunar surface with today's technology.

Synergy of Earth Observation and In-Situ Monitoring Data for Flood Hazard Early Warning System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brodsky, Lukas; Kodesova, Radka; Spazierova, Katerina

2010-12-01

In this study, we demonstrate synergy of EO and in-situ monitoring data for early warning flood hazard system in the Czech Republic developed within ESA PECS project FLOREO. The development of the demonstration system is oriented to support existing monitoring activities, especially snow melt and surface water runoff contributing to flooding events. The system consists of two main parts accordingly, the first is snow cover and snow melt monitoring driven mainly by EO data and the other is surface water runoff modeling and monitoring driven by synergy of in-situ and EO data.

Stages in Learning Motor Synergies: A View Based on the Equilibrium-Point Hypothesis

PubMed Central

Latash, Mark L.

2009-01-01

This review describes a novel view on stages in motor learning based on recent developments of the notion of synergies, the uncontrolled manifold hypothesis, and the equilibrium-point hypothesis (referent configuration) that allow to merge these notions into a single scheme of motor control. The principle of abundance and the principle of minimal final action form the foundation for analyses of natural motor actions performed by redundant sets of elements. Two main stages of motor learning are introduced corresponding to (1) discovery and strengthening of motor synergies stabilizing salient performance variable(s), and (2) their weakening when other aspects of motor performance are optimized. The first stage may be viewed as consisting of two steps, the elaboration of an adequate referent configuration trajectory and the elaboration of multi-joint (multi-muscle) synergies stabilizing the referent configuration trajectory. Both steps are expected to lead to more variance in the space of elemental variables that is compatible with a desired time profile of the salient performance variable (“good variability”). Adjusting control to other aspects of performance during the second stage (for example, esthetics, energy expenditure, time, fatigue, etc.) may lead to a drop in the “good variability”. Experimental support for the suggested scheme is reviewed. PMID:20060610

Stages in learning motor synergies: a view based on the equilibrium-point hypothesis.

PubMed

Latash, Mark L

2010-10-01

This review describes a novel view on stages in motor learning based on recent developments of the notion of synergies, the uncontrolled manifold hypothesis, and the equilibrium-point hypothesis (referent configuration) that allow to merge these notions into a single scheme of motor control. The principle of abundance and the principle of minimal final action form the foundation for analyses of natural motor actions performed by redundant sets of elements. Two main stages of motor learning are introduced corresponding to (1) discovery and strengthening of motor synergies stabilizing salient performance variable(s) and (2) their weakening when other aspects of motor performance are optimized. The first stage may be viewed as consisting of two steps, the elaboration of an adequate referent configuration trajectory and the elaboration of multi-joint (multi-muscle) synergies stabilizing the referent configuration trajectory. Both steps are expected to lead to more variance in the space of elemental variables that is compatible with a desired time profile of the salient performance variable ("good variability"). Adjusting control to other aspects of performance during the second stage (for example, esthetics, energy expenditure, time, fatigue, etc.) may lead to a drop in the "good variability". Experimental support for the suggested scheme is reviewed. Copyright © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Terrestrial outgoing radiation measurements with small satellite mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Ping; Dewitte, Steven; Karatekin, Ozgur; Chevalier, André; Conscience, Christian

2015-04-01

The solar force is the main driver of the Earth's climate. For a balanced climate system, the incoming solar radiation is equal to the sum of the reflected visible and reemitted thermal radiation at top of the atmosphere (TOA). Thus the energy imbalance plays an important role to diagnose the health of nowadays climate. However it remains a challenge to directly track the small Energy imbalance in Earth's Radiation Budget (EIERB) from space due to the complicities of the Earth's climate system and the limitation on long term stability of space instrument. The terrestrial outgoing radiation (TOR) has been recoded with a Bolometric Oscillation Sensor onboard PICAD microsatellite. In this presentation, we will report the three years TOR observed with PICARD-BOS and its further comparison with the CERES product. However the data acquired from this mission is still not enough to derive the EIERB. But the heritage gained from this experiment shields a light on the EIERB tracking with the small satellite even a cubesat mission.

Simbol-X: Synergies with JWST, ALMA and Herschel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maiolino, R.

2009-05-01

I discuss the synergies between Simbol-X and three among the major astronomical facilities that, in the next decade, will be operative in the infrared-millimeter spectral range, namely JWST, Herschel and ALMA. I first provide a brief overview of the main features and observing capabilities offered by these facilities. Then I will discuss a few research fields (mostly extragalactic) that will geatly benefit of the joint exploitation of Simbol-X and these IR-mm observatories.

A Ground Validation Network for the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwaller, Mathew R.; Morris, K. Robert

2011-01-01

A prototype Validation Network (VN) is currently operating as part of the Ground Validation System for NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission. The VN supports precipitation retrieval algorithm development in the GPM prelaunch era. Postlaunch, the VN will be used to validate GPM spacecraft instrument measurements and retrieved precipitation data products. The period of record for the VN prototype starts on 8 August 2006 and runs to the present day. The VN database includes spacecraft data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) precipitation radar (PR) and coincident ground radar (GR) data from operational meteorological networks in the United States, Australia, Korea, and the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Satellite and ground radar data products are collected whenever the PR satellite track crosses within 200 km of a VN ground radar, and these data are stored permanently in the VN database. VN products are generated from coincident PR and GR observations when a significant rain event occurs. The VN algorithm matches PR and GR radar data (including retrieved precipitation data in the case of the PR) by calculating averages of PR reflectivity (both raw and attenuation corrected) and rain rate, and GR reflectivity at the geometric intersection of the PR rays with the individual GR elevation sweeps. The algorithm thus averages the minimum PR and GR sample volumes needed to "matchup" the spatially coincident PR and GR data types. The result of this technique is a set of vertical profiles for a given rainfall event, with coincident PR and GR samples matched at specified heights throughout the profile. VN data can be used to validate satellite measurements and to track ground radar calibration over time. A comparison of matched TRMM PR and GR radar reflectivity factor data found a remarkably small difference between the PR and GR radar reflectivity factor averaged over this period of record in stratiform and convective rain cases when

Interleukin-7-induced Stat-5 acts in synergy with Flt-3 signaling to stimulate expansion of hematopoietic progenitor cells.

PubMed

Åhsberg, Josefine; Tsapogas, Panagiotis; Qian, Hong; Zetterblad, Jenny; Zandi, Sasan; Månsson, Robert; Jönsson, Jan-Ingvar; Sigvardsson, Mikael

2010-11-19

The development of lymphoid cells from bone marrow progenitors is dictated by interplay between internal cues such as transcription factors and external signals like the cytokines Flt-3 ligand and Il-7. These proteins are both of large importance for normal lymphoid development; however, it is unclear if they act in direct synergy to expand a transient Il-7R(+)Flt-3(+) population or if the collaboration is created through sequential activities. We report here that Flt-3L and Il-7 synergistically stimulated the expansion of primary Il-7R(+)Flt-3(+) progenitor cells and a hematopoietic progenitor cell line ectopically expressing the receptors. The stimulation resulted in a reduced expression of pro-apoptotic genes and also mediated survival of primary progenitor cells in vitro. However, functional analysis of single cells suggested that the anti-apoptotic effect was additive indicating that the synergy observed mainly depends on stimulation of proliferation. Analysis of downstream signaling events suggested that although Il-7 induced Stat-5 phosphorylation, Flt-3L caused activation of the ERK and AKT signaling pathways. Flt-3L could also drive proliferation in synergy with ectopically expressed constitutively active Stat-5. This synergy could be inhibited with either receptor tyrosine kinase or MAPK inhibitors suggesting that Flt-3L and Il-7 act in synergy by activation of independent signaling pathways to expand early hematopoietic progenitors.

Culture shock and synergy. Academic/managed care/corporate alliances in outcomes management.

PubMed

Berman, W H; Darling, H; Hurt, S W; Hunkeler, E M

1994-01-01

The Behavioral Health Outcomes Study is a partnership in conducting outcomes measurement involving a corporate healthcare purchaser, five managed behavioral healthcare organizations and academic researchers. The goals of this study are to: evaluate the feasibility of incorporating patient self-reported data in outcomes research; identify factors that may be predictors of outcome; and evaluate the effectiveness of an employee-sponsored aftercare program. The differing perspectives and needs of the three partners have created a number of challenges in the areas of goals, confidentiality, proprietary vs. open access issues and methodology. However, after the study's first year, it is clear not only that outcomes research can be conducted under such a partnership, but that the partnership generates a kind of synergy in problem-solving.

Ground-based lidar and microwave radiometry synergy for high vertical resolution absolute humidity profiling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrera-Verdejo, María; Crewell, Susanne; Löhnert, Ulrich; Orlandi, Emiliano; Di Girolamo, Paolo

2016-08-01

Continuous monitoring of atmospheric humidity profiles is important for many applications, e.g., assessment of atmospheric stability and cloud formation. Nowadays there are a wide variety of ground-based sensors for atmospheric humidity profiling. Unfortunately there is no single instrument able to provide a measurement with complete vertical coverage, high vertical and temporal resolution and good performance under all weather conditions, simultaneously. For example, Raman lidar (RL) measurements can provide water vapor with a high vertical resolution, albeit with limited vertical coverage, due to sunlight contamination and the presence of clouds. Microwave radiometers (MWRs) receive water vapor information throughout the troposphere, though their vertical resolution is poor. In this work, we present an MWR and RL system synergy, which aims to overcome the specific sensor limitations. The retrieval algorithm combining these two instruments is an optimal estimation method (OEM), which allows for an uncertainty analysis of the retrieved profiles. The OEM combines measurements and a priori information, taking the uncertainty of both into account. The measurement vector consists of a set of MWR brightness temperatures and RL water vapor profiles. The method is applied to a 2-month field campaign around Jülich (Germany), focusing on clear sky periods. Different experiments are performed to analyze the improvements achieved via the synergy compared to the individual retrievals. When applying the combined retrieval, on average the theoretically determined absolute humidity uncertainty is reduced above the last usable lidar range by a factor of ˜ 2 with respect to the case where only RL measurements are used. The analysis in terms of degrees of freedom per signal reveal that most information is gained above the usable lidar range, especially important during daytime when the lidar vertical coverage is limited. The retrieved profiles are further evaluated using

CATS Concludes Successful Mission on ISS

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2018-02-15

... instrument has ended its operations on the International Space Station (ISS), after a successful 33-month mission to measure clouds and ... and the "NASA's CATS Concludes Successful Mission on Space Station" article.   Read more ...

In vitro evaluation of antibiotic synergy for polymyxin B-resistant carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae.

PubMed

Elemam, Azza; Rahimian, Joseph; Doymaz, Mehmet

2010-10-01

Since carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae strains were first reported in North Carolina, these highly resistant organisms have been isolated with increasing frequency, especially in the New York City area. Polymyxin B is one of the few antimicrobials that retain reliable activity against these organisms. However, polymyxin B MICs are elevated against K. pneumoniae isolates with increasing frequency, leaving clinicians with few therapeutic options. We investigated several antimicrobial agents for potential synergy with polymyxin B against 12 clinical strains of carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae. A broth microdilution assay using a 96-well plate was developed in which graded dilutions of polymyxin B and the study drug were incubated with resistant isolates in a checkerboard pattern. Polymyxin B was studied in combination with cefazolin, ceftriaxone, cefepime, imipenem, gentamicin, tigecycline, doxycycline, and rifampin. All K. pneumoniae strains tested positive for K. pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) genes by real-time PCR and had elevated polymyxin B MIC values ranging from 16 to 128 μg/ml. Synergy was observed with the combination of polymyxin B and rifampin as well as with polymyxin B and doxycycline, resulting in at least a 4-fold decrease in the polymyxin B MIC. For both combinations, this effect occurred at physiologically achievable concentrations. Less pronounced synergy was noted with tigecycline and polymyxin B. No synergy was observed at physiologic concentrations with the other antimicrobials studied. These results suggest that rifampin, doxycycline, and tigecycline may be useful additions to polymyxin B in the treatment of infections caused by highly resistant carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae. Further studies are warranted to determine if these in vitro findings translate into clinical efficacy.

Effectiveness of a grant program's efforts to promote synergy within its funded initiatives: perceptions of participants of the Southern Rural Access Program

PubMed Central

Pathman, Donald E; Chuang, Emmeline; Weiner, Bryan J

2008-01-01

Background Foundations and public agencies commonly fund focused initiatives for individual grantees. These discrete, stand-alone initiatives can risk failure by being carried out in isolation. Fostering synergy among grantees' initiatives is one strategy proposed for promoting the success and impact of grant programs. We evaluate an explicit strategy to build synergy within the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Southern Rural Access Program (SRAP), which awarded grants to collaboratives within eight southeastern U.S. states to strengthen basic health care services in targeted rural counties. Methods We interviewed 39 key participants of the SRAP, including the program director within each state and the principal subcontractors heading the program's funded initiatives that supported heath professionals' recruitment, retention and training, made loans to health care providers, and built networks among providers. Interews were recorded and transcribed. Two investigators independently coded the transcripts and a third investigator distilled the main points. Results Participants generally perceived that the SRAP yielded more synergies than other grant programs in which they had participated and that these synergies added to the program's impact. The synergies most often noted were achieved through relationship building among grantees and with outside agencies, sharing information and know-how, sharing resources, combining efforts to yield greater capacity, joining voices to advocate for common goals, and spotting gaps in services offered and then filling these gaps. The SRAP's strategies that participants felt fostered synergy included targeting funding to culturally and geographically similar states, supporting complementary types of initiatives, promoting opportunities to network through semi-annual meetings and regular conference calls, and the advocacy efforts of the program's leadership. Participants noted that synergies were sometimes hindered by turf issues and

Spanish Jesuits in the Philippines: geophysical research and synergies between science, education and trade, 1865-1898.

PubMed

Anduaga, Aitor

2014-10-01

In 1865, Spanish Jesuits founded the Manila Observatory, the earliest of the Far East centres devoted to typhoon and earthquake studies. Also on Philippine soil and under the direction of the Jesuits, in 1884 the Madrid government inaugurated the first Meteorological Service in the Spanish Kingdom, and most probably in the Far East. Nevertheless, these achievements not only went practically unnoticed in the historiography of science, but neither does the process of geophysical dissemination that unfolded fit in with the two types of transmitter of knowledge identified by historians in the missionary diffusion of the exact sciences in colonial contexts. Rather than regarding science as merely a stimulus to their functionary and missionary tasks, Spanish Jesuits used their overseas posting to produce and publish original research--feature that would place them within the typology of the 'seeker' rather than the 'functionary' (in stark contrast to what the standard typology sustains). This paper also analyses examples of synergies between science, education and trade, which denotes, inter alia, the existence of a broad and solid educational structure in the Manila Mission that sustained the strength of research enterprise.

The NASA Decadal Survey Aerosol, Cloud, Ecosystems Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McClain, Charles R.; Bontempi, Paula; Maring, Hal

2011-01-01

In 2007, the National Academy of Sciences delivered a Decadal Survey (Earth Science and Applications from Space: National Imperatives for the Next Decade and Beyond) for NASA, NOAA, and USGS, which is a prioritization of future satellite Earth observations. The recommendations included 15 missions (13 for NASA, two for NOAA), which were prioritized into three groups or tiers. One of the second tier missions is the Aerosol, Cloud, (ocean) Ecosystems (ACE) mission, which focuses on climate forcing, cloud and aerosol properties and interactions, and ocean ecology, carbon cycle science, and fluxes. The baseline instruments recommended for ACE are a cloud radar, an aerosol/cloud lidar, an aerosol/cloud polarimeter, and an ocean radiometer. The instrumental heritage for these measurements are derived from the Cloudsat, CALIPSO, Glory, SeaWiFS and Aqua (MODIS) missions. In 2008, NASA HQ, lead by Hal Maring and Paula Bontempi, organized an interdisciplinary science working group to help formulate the ACE mission by refining the science objectives and approaches, identifying measurement (satellite and field) and mission (e.g., orbit, data processing) requirements, technology requirements, and mission costs. Originally, the disciplines included the cloud, aerosol, and ocean biogeochemistry communities. Subsequently, an ocean-aerosol interaction science working group was formed to ensure the mission addresses the broadest range of science questions possible given the baseline measurements, The ACE mission is a unique opportunity for ocean scientists to work closely with the aerosol and cloud communities. The science working groups are collaborating on science objectives and are defining joint field studies and modeling activities. The presentation will outline the present status of the ACE mission, the science questions each discipline has defined, the measurement requirements identified to date, the current ACE schedule, and future opportunities for broader community

IMAGE Mission Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gallagher, D. L.; Fok, M.-C.; Fuselier, S.; Gladstone, G. R.; Green, J. L.; Fung, S. F.; Perez, J.; Reiff, P.; Roelof, E. C.; Wilson, G.

1998-01-01

Simultaneous, global measurement of major magnetospheric plasma systems will be performed for the first time with the Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE) Mission. The ring current, plasmasphere, and auroral systems will be imaged using energetic neutral and ultraviolet cameras. Quantitative remote measurement of the magnetosheath, plasmaspheric, and magnetospheric densities will be obtained through radio sounding by the Radio Plasma Imager. The IMAGE Mission will open a new era in global magnetospheric physics, while bringing with it new challenges in data analysis. An overview of the IMAGE Theory and Modeling team efforts will be presented, including the state of development of Internet tools that will be available to the science community for access and analysis of IMAGE observations.

Outer planet probe navigation. [considering Pioneer space missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friedman, L.

1974-01-01

A series of navigation studies in conjunction with outer planet Pioneer missions are reformed to determine navigation requirements and measurement systems in order to target probes. Some particular cases are established where optical navigation is important and some cases where radio alone navigation is suffucient. Considered are a direct Saturn mission, a Saturn Uranus mission, a Jupiter Uranus mission, and a Titan probe mission.

Conceptual design study for the use of COBE rocket engines on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

The objective of this conceptual design study is to verify that the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) Hydrazine Propulsion Subsystem (HPS) Rocket Engine Assembly (REA) will satisfy the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) requirements and to develop a preliminary thruster module design using the existing REAs. The performance of the COBE HPS 5 lbf thrusters meet the TRMM mission requirements. The preliminary design consists of a single 5 lbf REA REM which is isolation mounted to a spacecraft interface angle bracket (5 or 10 deg angle). The REM incorporates a catalyst bed heater and sensor assembly, and propellant thermal control is achieved by thermostatically controlled heaters on the thruster valves. A ROM cost of approx. $950 K has been estimated for the phase 2 program to finalize the design, fabricate, and test the hardware using mechanical thermostats for thermal control. In the event that solid state thermostats are used, the cost is estimated to be $160 K higher. A ROM cost is approx. $145 K is estimated to study the effects of using Japanese manufactured hydrazine for the TRMM mission.

Grasping synergies: A motor-control approach to the mirror neuron mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Ausilio, Alessandro; Bartoli, Eleonora; Maffongelli, Laura

2015-03-01

The discovery of mirror neurons revived interest in motor theories of perception, fostering a number of new studies as well as controversies. In particular, the degree of motor specificity with which others' actions are simulated is highly debated. Human corticospinal excitability studies support the conjecture that a mirror mechanism encodes object-directed goals or low-level kinematic features of others' reaching and grasping actions. These interpretations lead to different experimental predictions and implications for the functional role of the simulation of others' actions. We propose that the representational granularity of the mirror mechanism cannot be any different from that of the motor system during action execution. Hence, drawing from motor control models, we propose that the building blocks of the mirror mechanism are the relatively few motor synergies explaining the variety of hand functions. The recognition of these synergies, from action observation, can be potentially very robust to visual noise and thus demonstrate a clear advantage of using motor knowledge for classifying others' action.

A Numerical Testbed for Remote Sensing of Aerosols, and its Demonstration for Evaluating Retrieval Synergy from a Geostationary Satellite Constellation of GEO-CAPE and GOES-R

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Jun; Xu, Xiaoguang; Ding, Shouguo; Zeng, Jing; Spurr, Robert; Liu, Xiong; Chance, Kelly; Mishchenko, Michael I.

2014-01-01

We present a numerical testbed for remote sensing of aerosols, together with a demonstration for evaluating retrieval synergy from a geostationary satellite constellation. The testbed combines inverse (optimal-estimation) software with a forward model containing linearized code for computing particle scattering (for both spherical and non-spherical particles), a kernel-based (land and ocean) surface bi-directional reflectance facility, and a linearized radiative transfer model for polarized radiance. Calculation of gas absorption spectra uses the HITRAN (HIgh-resolution TRANsmission molecular absorption) database of spectroscopic line parameters and other trace species cross-sections. The outputs of the testbed include not only the Stokes 4-vector elements and their sensitivities (Jacobians) with respect to the aerosol single scattering and physical parameters (such as size and shape parameters, refractive index, and plume height), but also DFS (Degree of Freedom for Signal) values for retrieval of these parameters. This testbed can be used as a tool to provide an objective assessment of aerosol information content that can be retrieved for any constellation of (planned or real) satellite sensors and for any combination of algorithm design factors (in terms of wavelengths, viewing angles, radiance and/or polarization to be measured or used). We summarize the components of the testbed, including the derivation and validation of analytical formulae for Jacobian calculations. Benchmark calculations from the forward model are documented. In the context of NASA's Decadal Survey Mission GEOCAPE (GEOstationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events), we demonstrate the use of the testbed to conduct a feasibility study of using polarization measurements in and around the O2 A band for the retrieval of aerosol height information from space, as well as an to assess potential improvement in the retrieval of aerosol fine and coarse mode aerosol optical depth (AOD) through the

Bihemispheric Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Enhances Effector-Independent Representations of Motor Synergy and Sequence Learning

PubMed Central

Husain, Masud; Wiestler, Tobias; Diedrichsen, Jörn

2014-01-01

Complex manual tasks—everything from buttoning up a shirt to playing the piano—fundamentally involve two components: (1) generating specific patterns of muscle activity (here, termed “synergies”); and (2) stringing these into purposeful sequences. Although transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the primary motor cortex (M1) has been found to increase the learning of motor sequences, it is unknown whether it can similarly facilitate motor synergy learning. Here, we determined the effects of tDCS on the learning of motor synergies using a novel hand configuration task that required the production of difficult muscular activation patterns. Bihemispheric tDCS was applied to M1 of healthy, right-handed human participants during 4 d of repetitive left-hand configuration training in a double-blind design. tDCS augmented synergy learning, leading subsequently to faster and more synchronized execution. This effect persisted for at least 4 weeks after training. Qualitatively similar tDCS-associated improvements occurred during training of finger sequences in a separate subject cohort. We additionally determined whether tDCS only improved the acquisition of motor memories for specific synergies/sequences or whether it also facilitated more general parts of the motor representations, which could be transferred to novel movements. Critically, we observed that tDCS effects generalized to untrained hand configurations and untrained finger sequences (i.e., were nonspecific), as well as to the untrained hand (i.e., were effector-independent). Hence, bihemispheric tDCS may be a promising adjunct to neurorehabilitative training regimes, in which broad transfer to everyday tasks is highly desirable. PMID:24431461

Activation of plantar flexor muscles is constrained by multiple muscle synergies rather than joint torques

PubMed Central

Suzuki, Takahito; Kinugasa, Ryuta; Fukashiro, Senshi

2017-01-01

Behavioral evidence has suggested that a small number of muscle synergies may be responsible for activating a variety of muscles. Nevertheless, such dimensionality reduction may also be explained using the perspective of alternative hypotheses, such as predictions based on linear combinations of joint torques multiplied by corresponding coefficients. To compare the explanatory capacity of these hypotheses for describing muscle activation, we enrolled 12 male volunteers who performed isometric plantar flexor contractions at 10–100% of maximum effort. During each plantar flexor contraction, the knee extensor muscles were isometrically contracted at 0%, 50%, or 100% of maximum effort. Electromyographic activity was recorded from the vastus lateralis, medial gastrocnemius (MG), lateral gastrocnemius (LG), and soleus muscles and quantified using the average rectified value (ARV). At lower plantar flexion torque, regression analysis identified a clear linear relationship between the MG and soleus ARVs and between the MG and LG ARVs, suggesting the presence of muscle synergy (r2 > 0.65). The contraction of the knee extensor muscles induced a significant change in the slope of this relationship for both pairs of muscles (MG × soleus, P = 0.002; MG × LG, P = 0.006). Similarly, the slope of the linear relationship between the plantar flexion torque and the ARV of the MG or soleus changed significantly with knee extensor contraction (P = 0.031 and P = 0.041, respectively). These results suggest that muscle synergies characterized by non-mechanical constraints are selectively recruited according to whether contraction of the knee extensor muscles is performed simultaneously, which is relatively consistent with the muscle synergy hypothesis. PMID:29107958

Biomimetic microstructures for photonic and fluidic synergies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasileiou, Maria; Mpatzaka, Theodora; Alexandropoulos, Dimitris; Vainos, Nikolaos A.

2017-08-01

Nature-inspired micro- and nano-structures offer a unique platform for the development of novel synergetic systems combining photonic and microfluidic functionalities. In this context, we examine the paradigm of butterfly Vanessa cardui and develop artificial diffractive microstructures inspired by its natural designs. Softlithographic and nanoimprint protocols are developed to replicate surfaces of natural specimens. Further to their optical behavior, interphases tailored by such microstructures exhibit enhanced hydrophobic properties, as compared to their planar counterparts made of the same materials. Such synergies exploited by new design approaches pave the way to prospective optofluidic, lab-on-chip and sensing applications.

Summary Report of Mission Acceleration Measurements for MSL-1: STS-83, Launched April 14, 1997; STS-94, Launched July 1, 1997

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moskowitz, Milton E.; Hrovat, Kenneth; Tschen, Peter; McPherson, Kevin; Nati, Maurizio; Reckart, Timothy A.

1998-01-01

The microgravity environment of the Space Shuttle Columbia was measured during the STS-83 and STS-94 flights of the Microgravity Science Laboratory (MSL-1) mission using four different accelerometer systems: the Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE), the Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS), the Microgravity Measurement Assembly (MMA), and the Quasi-Steady Acceleration Measurement (QSAM) system. All four accelerometer systems provided investigators with acceleration measurements downlinked in near-real-time. Data from each system was recorded for post-mission analysis. The OARE measured the Shuttle's acceleration with high resolution in the quasi-steady frequency regime below about 0.1 Hz. The SAMS provided investigators with higher frequency acceleration measurements up to 25 Hz. The QSAM and MMA systems provided investigators with quasi-steady and higher frequency (up to 100 Hz) acceleration measurements, respectively. The microgravity environment related to various Orbiter maneuvers, crew activities, and experiment operations as measured by the OARE and MMA is presented and interpreted in section 8 of this report.

Motor control may support mirror neuron research with new hypotheses and methods. Reply to comments on "Grasping synergies: A motor-control approach to the mirror neuron mechanism"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Ausilio, Alessandro; Bartoli, Eleonora; Maffongelli, Laura

2015-03-01

We are grateful to all commentators for their insightful commentaries and observations that enrich our proposal. One of our aims was indeed to bridge the gap between fields of research that, progressing independently, are facing similar issues regarding the neural representation of motor knowledge. In this respect, we were pleased to receive feedback from eminent researchers on both the mirror neuron as well as the motor control fields. Their expertise covers animal and human neurophysiology, as well as the computational modeling of neural and behavioral processes. Given their heterogeneous cultural perspectives and research approaches, a number of important open questions were raised. For simplicity we separated these issues into four sections. In the first section we present methodological aspects regarding how synergies can be measured in paradigms investigating the human mirror system. The second section regards the fundamental definition of what exactly synergies might be. The third concerns how synergies can generate testable predictions in mirror neuron research. Finally, the fourth section deals with the ultimate question regarding the function of the mirror neuron system.

Spacecraft attitude determination accuracy from mission experience

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brasoveanu, D.; Hashmall, J.

1994-01-01

This paper summarizes a compilation of attitude determination accuracies attained by a number of satellites supported by the Goddard Space Flight Center Flight Dynamics Facility. The compilation is designed to assist future mission planners in choosing and placing attitude hardware and selecting the attitude determination algorithms needed to achieve given accuracy requirements. The major goal of the compilation is to indicate realistic accuracies achievable using a given sensor complement based on mission experience. It is expected that the use of actual spacecraft experience will make the study especially useful for mission design. A general description of factors influencing spacecraft attitude accuracy is presented. These factors include determination algorithms, inertial reference unit characteristics, and error sources that can affect measurement accuracy. Possible techniques for mitigating errors are also included. Brief mission descriptions are presented with the attitude accuracies attained, grouped by the sensor pairs used in attitude determination. The accuracies for inactive missions represent a compendium of missions report results, and those for active missions represent measurements of attitude residuals. Both three-axis and spin stabilized missions are included. Special emphasis is given to high-accuracy sensor pairs, such as two fixed-head star trackers (FHST's) and fine Sun sensor plus FHST. Brief descriptions of sensor design and mode of operation are included. Also included are brief mission descriptions and plots summarizing the attitude accuracy attained using various sensor complements.

Diversity and Synergy? The International Context of the English Literacy Strategy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beard, Roger

This paper builds upon the "Review of Research and Other Related Evidence" that was commissioned for the government of the United Kingdom's National Literacy Strategy and also upon a subsequent review of international research evidence on children's writing. The paper suggests how "synergy" (combined effect) may be created by…

Atmospheric seeing measurements obtained with MISOLFA in the framework of the PICARD Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ikhlef, R.; Corbard, T.; Irbah, A.; Morand, F.; Fodil, M.; Chauvineau, B.; Assus, P.; Renaud, C.; Meftah, M.; Abbaki, S.; Borgnino, J.; Cissé, E. M.; D'Almeida, E.; Hauchecorne, A.; Laclare, F.; Lesueur, P.; Lin, M.; Martin, F.; Poiet, G.; Rouzé, M.; Thuillier, G.; Ziad, A.

2012-09-01

PICARD is a space mission launched in June 2010 to study mainly the geometry of the Sun. The PICARD mission has a ground program consisting mostly in four instruments based at the Calern Observatory (Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur). They allow recording simultaneous solar images and various atmospheric data from ground. The ground instruments consist in the qualification model of the PICARD space instrument (SODISM II: Solar Diameter Imager and Surface Mapper), standard sun-photometers, a pyranometer for estimating a global sky quality index, and MISOLFA a generalized daytime seeing monitor. Indeed, astrometric observations of the Sun using ground-based telescopes need an accurate modeling of optical effects induced by atmospheric turbulence. MISOLFA is founded on the observation of Angle-of-Arrival (AA) fluctuations and allows us to analyze atmospheric turbulence optical effects on measurements performed by SODISM II. It gives estimations of the coherence parameters characterizing wave-fronts degraded by the atmospheric turbulence (Fried parameter r0, size of the isoplanatic patch, the spatial coherence outer scale L0 and atmospheric correlation times). We present in this paper simulations showing how the Fried parameter infered from MISOLFA records can be used to interpret radius measurements extracted from SODISM II images. We show an example of daily and monthly evolution of r0 and present its statistics over 2 years at Calern Observatory with a global mean value of 3.5cm.

Operational Processing of Ground Validation Data for the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kulie, Mark S.; Robinson, Mike; Marks, David A.; Ferrier, Brad S.; Rosenfeld, Danny; Wolff, David B.

1999-01-01

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite was successfully launched in November 1997. A primary goal of TRMM is to sample tropical rainfall using the first active spaceborne precipitation radar. To validate TRMM satellite observations, a comprehensive Ground Validation (GV) Program has been implemented for this mission. A key component of GV is the analysis and quality control of meteorological ground-based radar data from four primary sites: Melbourne, FL; Houston, TX; Darwin, Australia; and Kwajalein Atoll, RMI. As part of the TRMM GV effort, the Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (JCET) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, has been tasked with developing and implementing an operational system to quality control (QC), archive, and provide data for subsequent rainfall product generation from the four primary GV sites. This paper provides an overview of the JCET operational environment. A description of the QC algorithm and performance, in addition to the data flow procedure between JCET and the TRNM science and Data Information System (TSDIS), are presented. The impact of quality-controlled data on higher level rainfall and reflectivity products will also be addressed, Finally, a brief description of JCET's expanded role into producing reference rainfall products will be discussed.

Synergy and antagonism between iron chelators and antifungal drugs in Cryptococcus.

PubMed

Lai, Yu-Wen; Campbell, Leona T; Wilkins, Marc R; Pang, Chi Nam Ignatius; Chen, Sharon; Carter, Dee A

2016-10-01

Fungal infections remain very difficult to treat, and developing new antifungal drugs is difficult and expensive. Recent approaches therefore seek to augment existing antifungals with synergistic agents that can lower the therapeutic dose, increase efficacy and prevent resistance from developing. Iron limitation can inhibit microbial growth, and iron chelators have been employed to treat fungal infections. In this study, chequerboard testing was used to explore combinations of iron chelators with antifungal agents against pathogenic Cryptococcus spp. with the aim of determining how disruption to iron homeostasis affects antifungal susceptibility. The iron chelators ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), deferoxamine (DFO), deferiprone (DFP), deferasirox (DSX), ciclopirox olamine and lactoferrin (LF) were paired with the antifungal agents amphotericin B (AmB), fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole and caspofungin. All chelators except for DFO increased the efficacy of AmB, and significant synergy was seen between AmB and LF for all Cryptococcus strains. Addition of exogenous iron rescued cells from the antifungal effect of LF alone but could not prevent inhibition by AmB + LF, indicating that synergy was not due primarily to iron chelation but to other properties of LF that were potentiated in the presence of AmB. Significant synergy was not seen consistently for other antifungal-chelator combinations, and EDTA, DSX and DFP antagonised the activity of azole drugs in strains of Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii. This study highlights the range of interactions that can be induced by chelators and indicates that most antifungal drugs are not enhanced by iron limitation in Cryptococcus. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. and International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.

NEEMO - NASA's Extreme Environment Mission Operations: On to a NEO

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bell, M. S.; Baskin, P. J.; Todd, W. L.

2011-01-01

During NEEMO missions, a crew of six Aquanauts lives aboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Aquarius Underwater Laboratory the world's only undersea laboratory located 5.6 km off shore from Key Largo, Florida. The Aquarius habitat is anchored 62 feet deep on Conch Reef which is a research only zone for coral reef monitoring in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The crew lives in saturation for a week to ten days and conducts a variety of undersea EVAs (Extra Vehicular Activities) to test a suite of long-duration spaceflight Engineering, Biomedical, and Geoscience objectives. The crew also tests concepts for future lunar exploration using advanced navigation and communication equipment in support of the Constellation Program planetary exploration analog studies. The Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Directorate and Behavioral Health and Performance (BHP) at NASA/Johnson Space Center (JSC), Houston, Texas support this effort to produce a high-fidelity test-bed for studies of human planetary exploration in extreme environments as well as to develop and test the synergy between human and robotic curation protocols including sample collection, documentation, and sample handling. The geoscience objectives for NEEMO missions reflect the requirements for Lunar Surface Science outlined by the LEAG (Lunar Exploration Analysis Group) and CAPTEM (Curation and Analysis Planning Team for Extraterrestrial Materials) white paper [1]. The BHP objectives are to investigate best meas-ures and tools for assessing decrements in cogni-tive function due to fatigue, test the feasibility study examined how teams perform and interact across two levels, use NEEMO as a testbed for the development, deployment, and evaluation of a scheduling and planning tool. A suite of Space Life Sciences studies are accomplished as well, ranging from behavioral health and performance to immunology, nutrition, and EVA suit design results of which will

Synergy as design principle for metabolic engineering of 1-propanol production in Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Shen, Claire R; Liao, James C

2013-05-01

Synthesis of a desired product can often be achieved via more than one metabolic pathway. Whether naturally evolved or synthetically engineered, these pathways often exhibit specific properties that are suitable for production under distinct conditions and host organisms. Synergy between pathways arises when the underlying pathway characteristics, such as reducing equivalent demand, ATP requirement, intermediate utilization, and cofactor preferences, are complementary to each other. Utilization of such pathways in combination leads to an increased metabolite productivity and/or yield compared to using each pathway alone. This work illustrates the principle of synergy between two different pathways for 1-propanol production in Escherichia coli. A model-guided design based on maximum theoretical yield calculations identified synergy of the native threonine pathway and the heterologous citramalate pathway in terms of production yield across all flux ratios between the two pathways. Characterization of the individual pathways by host gene deletions demonstrates their distinct metabolic characteristics: the necessity of TCA cycle for threonine pathway and the independence of TCA cycle for the citramalate pathway. The two pathways are also complementary in driving force demands. Production experiments verified the synergistic effects predicted by the yield model, in which the platform with dual pathway for 2-ketobutyrate synthesis achieved higher yield (0.15g/g of glucose) and productivity (0.12g/L/h) of 1-propanol than individual ones alone: the threonine pathway (0.09g/g; 0.04g/L/h) or the citramalate pathway (0.11g/g; 0.04g/L/h). Thus, incorporation of synergy into the design principle of metabolic engineering may improve the production yield and rate of the desired compound. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The PROPEL Electrodynamic Tether Demonstration Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bilen, Sven G.; Johnson, C. Les; Wiegmann, Bruce M.; Alexander, Leslie; Gilchrist, Brian E.; Hoyt, Robert P.; Elder, Craig H.; Fuhrhop, Keith P.; Scadera, Michael

2012-01-01

The PROPEL ("Propulsion using Electrodynamics") mission will demonstrate the operation of an electrodynamic tether propulsion system in low Earth orbit and advance its technology readiness level for multiple applications. The PROPEL mission has two primary objectives: first, to demonstrate the capability of electrodynamic tether technology to provide robust and safe, near-propellantless propulsion for orbit-raising, de-orbit, plane change, and station keeping, as well as to perform orbital power harvesting and formation flight; and, second, to fully characterize and validate the performance of an integrated electrodynamic tether propulsion system, qualifying it for infusion into future multiple satellite platforms and missions with minimal modification. This paper provides an overview of the PROPEL system and design reference missions; mission goals and required measurements; and ongoing PROPEL mission design efforts.

Confirmation of Maslow’s Hypothesis of Synergy: Developing an Acceptance of Selfishness at the Workplace Scale

PubMed Central

Takaki, Jiro; Taniguchi, Toshiyo; Fujii, Yasuhito

2016-01-01

This study aimed to develop a new Acceptance of Selfishness at the Workplace Scale (ASWS) and to confirm Maslow’s hypothesis of synergy: if both a sense of contribution and acceptance of selfishness at the workplace are high, workers are psychologically healthy. In a cross-sectional study with employees of three Japanese companies, 656 workers answered a self-administered questionnaire on paper completely (response rate = 66.8%). Each questionnaire was submitted to us in a sealed envelope and analyzed. The ASWS indicated high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.86). Significant (p < 0.001) positive moderate correlations between ASWS scores and job control scores support the ASWS’s convergent and discriminant validity. Significant (p < 0.001) associations of ASWS scores with psychological distress and work engagement supported the ASWS’s criterion validity. In short, ASWS was a psychometrically satisfactory measure. Significant (p < 0.05) interactions between a sense of contribution and acceptance of selfishness at the workplace in linear regression models showed that when those two factors are low, psychological distress becomes high. However, when a sense of contribution and acceptance of selfishness are high, work engagement also becomes high. Thus, Maslow’s hypothesis of synergy was confirmed. PMID:27144575

Two aspects of feedforward postural control: anticipatory postural adjustments and anticipatory synergy adjustments.

PubMed

Klous, Miriam; Mikulic, Pavle; Latash, Mark L

2011-05-01

We used the framework of the uncontrolled manifold hypothesis to explore the relations between anticipatory synergy adjustments (ASAs) and anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) during feedforward control of vertical posture. ASAs represent a drop in the index of a multimuscle-mode synergy stabilizing the coordinate of the center of pressure in preparation to an action. ASAs reflect early changes of an index of covariation among variables reflecting muscle activation, whereas APAs reflect early changes in muscle activation levels averaged across trials. The assumed purpose of ASAs is to modify stability of performance variables, whereas the purpose of APAs is to change magnitudes of those variables. We hypothesized that ASAs would be seen before APAs and that this finding would be consistent with regard to the muscle-mode composition defined on the basis of different tasks and phases of action. Subjects performed a voluntary body sway task and a quick, bilateral shoulder flexion task under self-paced and reaction time conditions. Surface muscle activity of 12 leg and trunk muscles was analyzed to identify sets of 4 muscle modes for each task and for different phases within the shoulder flexion task. Variance components in the muscle-mode space and indexes of multimuscle-mode synergy stabilizing shift of the center of pressure were computed. ASAs were seen ∼ 100-150 ms prior to the task initiation, before APAs. The results were consistent with respect to different sets of muscle modes defined over the two tasks and different shoulder flexion phases. We conclude that the preparation for a self-triggered postural perturbation is associated with two types of anticipatory adjustments, ASAs and APAs. They reflect different feedforward processes within the hypothetical hierarchical control scheme, resulting in changes in patterns of covariation of elemental variables and in their patterns averaged across trials, respectively. The results show that synergies quantified

Anesthetic synergy between two n-alkanes.

PubMed

Brosnan, Robert J; Fukushima, Fabíola B; Pham, Trung L

2017-05-01

N-butane and n-pentane can both produce general anesthesia. Both compounds potentiate γ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABA A ) receptor function, but only butane inhibits N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. It was hypothesized that butane and pentane would exhibit anesthetic synergy due to their different actions on ligand-gated ion channels. Prospective experimental study. A total of four Xenopus laevis frogs and 43 Sprague-Dawley rats. Alkane concentrations for all studies were determined via gas chromatography. Using a Xenopus oocyte expression model, standard two-electrode voltage clamp techniques were used to measure NMDA and GABA A receptor responses in vitro as a function of butane and pentane concentrations relevant to anesthesia. The minimum alveolar concentrations (MAC) of butane and pentane were measured separately in rats, and then pentane MAC was measured during coadministration of 0.25, 0.50 or 0.75 times MAC of butane. An isobole with 95% confidence intervals was constructed using regression analysis. A sum of butane and pentane that was statistically less than the lower-end confidence bound isobole indicated a synergistic interaction. Both butane and pentane dose-dependently potentiated GABA A receptor currents over the study concentration range. Butane dose-dependently inhibited NMDA receptor currents, but pentane did not modulate NMDA receptors. Butane and pentane MAC in rats was 39.4±0.7 and 13.7±0.4 %, respectively. A small but significant (p<0.03) synergistic anesthetic effect with pentane was observed during administration of either 0.50 or 0.75×MAC butane. Butane and pentane show synergistic anesthetic effects in vivo consistent with their different in vitro receptor effects. Findings support the relevance of NMDA receptors in mediating anesthetic actions for some, but not all, inhaled agents. Copyright © 2017 Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists and American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia. Published by Elsevier Ltd

Launch and on-orbit checkout of Aquarius/SAC-D Observatory: an international remote sensing satellite mission measuring sea surface salinity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sen, Amit; Caruso, Daniel; Durham, David; Falcon, Carlos

2011-11-01

The Aquarius/SAC-D observatory was launch in June 2011 from Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB), in California, USA. This mission is the fourth joint earth-observation endeavor between NASA and CONAE. The primary objective of the Aquarius/SAC-D mission is to investigate the links between global water cycle, ocean circulation and climate by measuring Sea Surface Salinity (SSS). Over the last year, the observatory successfully completed system level environmental and functional testing at INPE, Brazil and was transported to VAFB for launch operations. This paper will present the challenges of this mission, the system, the preparation of the spacecraft, instruments, testing, launch, inorbit checkout and commissioning of this Observatory in space.

A Mars Micro-Meteorological Station Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merrihew, Steven C.; Haberle, Robert; Lemke, Lawrence G.

1995-01-01

The Mars Micro-Meteorological Station (Micro-Met) Mission is designed to provide the global surface pressure measurements required to help characterize the martian general circulation and climate system. Measurements of surface pressure distributed both spatially and temporally, coupled with simultaneous measurements from orbit, will enable the determination of the general circulation, structure and driving factors of the martian atmosphere as well as the seasonal CO2 cycle. The influence of these atmospheric factors will in turn provide insight into the overall martian climate system. With the science objective defined as the long term (at least one Mars year) globally distributed measurement of surface atmospheric pressure, a straightforward, near term and low cost network mission has been designed. The Micro-Met mission utilizes a unique silicon micro-machined pressure sensor coupled with a robust and lightweight surface station to deliver to Mars 16 Micro-Met stations via a Med-Lite launch vehicle. The battery powered Micro-Met surface stations are designed to autonomously measure, record and transmit the science data via a UHF relay satellite. Entry, descent and landing is provided by an aeroshell with a new lightweight ceramic thermal protection system, a parachute and an impact absorbing structure. The robust lander is capable of surviving the landing loads imposed by the high altitude landing sites required in a global network. By trading the ability to make many measurements at a single site for the ability to make a single measurement at several sites, the Micro-Met mission design satisfies the requirement for truly global meteorological science.

Hydrology Applications of the GRACE missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srinivasan, M. M.; Ivins, E. R.; Jasinski, M. F.

2014-12-01

NASA and their German space agency partners have a rich history of global gravity observations beginning with the launch of the Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) in 2002. The science goals of the mission include providing monthly maps of variations in the gravity field, where the major time-varying signal is due to water motion in the Earth system. GRACE has a unique ability to observe the mass flux of water movement at monthly time scales. The hydrology applications of the GRACE mission include measurements of seasonal storage of surface and subsurface water and evapotranspiration at the land-ocean-atmosphere boundary. These variables are invaluable for improved modeling and prediction of Earth system processes. Other mission-critical science objectives include measurements that are a key component of NASA's ongoing climate measuring capabilities. Successful strategies to enhance science and practical applications of the proposed GRACE-Follow On (GRACE-FO) mission, scheduled to launch in 2017, will require engaging with and facilitating between representatives in the science, societal applications, and mission planning communities. NASA's Applied Sciences Program is supporting collaboration on an applied approach to identifying communities of potential and of practice in order to identify and promote the societal benefits of these and future gravity missions. The objective is to engage applications-oriented users and organizations and enable them to envision possible applications and end-user needs as a way to increase the benefits of these missions to the nations. The focus of activities for this applications program include; engaging the science community in order to identify applications and current and potential data users, developing a written Applications Plan, conducting workshops and user tutorials, providing ready access to information via web pages, developing databases of key and interested users/scientists, creating printed materials

STS-61 mission director's post-mission report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newman, Ronald L.

1995-01-01

To ensure the success of the complex Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission, STS-61, NASA established a number of independent review groups to assess management, design, planning, and preparation for the mission. One of the resulting recommendations for mission success was that an overall Mission Director be appointed to coordinate management activities of the Space Shuttle and Hubble programs and to consolidate results of the team reviews and expedite responses to recommendations. This report presents pre-mission events important to the experience base of mission management, with related Mission Director's recommendations following the event(s) to which they apply. All Mission Director's recommendations are presented collectively in an appendix. Other appendixes contain recommendations from the various review groups, including Payload Officers, the JSC Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Section, JSC EVA Management Office, JSC Crew and Thermal Systems Division, and the STS-61 crew itself. This report also lists mission events in chronological order and includes as an appendix a post-mission summary by the lead Payload Deployment and Retrieval System Officer. Recommendations range from those pertaining to specific component use or operating techniques to those for improved management, review, planning, and safety procedures.

Improving biodiversity knowledge with dataset synergy: A case study of non-native plants in Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crosier, C.S.; Stohlgren, T.J.

2004-01-01

Species lists are important tools for managing biodiversity, including controlling nonnative species, but they are either incomplete or lacking for many areas. Our objective was to illustrate how the synergy of disparate data sets can increase knowledge of species distributions while minimizing further field expenditures. We compared five different data types (two species lists, weed surveys, vegetation plots, and weed maps) of nonnative plant locations at the county level from 45 data sets covering Colorado. Species lists captured the highest number of species, but they missed many of the noxious weeds recorded by weed-mapping data. The number of species recorded per county increased by 30% on average with data synergy even in the most intensively surveyed areas. Each data type also followed the same pattern of survey intensity, leaving some areas in the state consistently unsurveyed or undersurveyed. On average, there was a 44% increase in species recorded per county with all data types included. Overall, inclusion of more data types greatly increased knowledge of the nonnative species in Colorado. Therefore, harnessing the synergy of disparate data sets seems to be a cost-effective first step to increase knowledge of species richness (presence) in an area.

Mind the gap in SEA: An institutional perspective on why assessment of synergies amongst climate change mitigation, adaptation and other policy areas are missing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vammen Larsen, Sanne, E-mail: sannevl@plan.aau.dk; Kornov, Lone, E-mail: lonek@plan.aau.dk; Wejs, Anja, E-mail: wejs@plan.aau.dk

2012-02-15

This article takes its point of departure in two approaches to integrating climate change into Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA): Mitigation and adaptation, and in the fact that these, as well as the synergies between them and other policy areas, are needed as part of an integrated assessment and policy response. First, the article makes a review of how positive and negative synergies between a) climate change mitigation and adaptation and b) climate change and other environmental concerns are integrated into Danish SEA practice. Then, the article discusses the implications of not addressing synergies. Finally, the article explores institutional explanations asmore » to why synergies are not addressed in SEA practice. A document analysis of 149 Danish SEA reports shows that only one report comprises the assessment of synergies between mitigation and adaptation, whilst 9,4% of the reports assess the synergies between climate change and other environmental concerns. The consequences of separation are both the risk of trade-offs and missed opportunities for enhancing positive synergies. In order to propose explanations for the lacking integration, the institutional background is analysed and discussed, mainly based on Scott's theory of institutions. The institutional analysis highlights a regulatory element, since the assessment of climate change synergies is underpinned by legislation, but not by guidance. This means that great focus is on normative elements such as the local interpretation of legislation and of climate change mitigation and adaptation. The analysis also focuses on how the fragmentation of the organisation in which climate change and SEA are embedded has bearings on both normative and cultural-cognitive elements. This makes the assessment of synergies challenging. The evidence gathered and presented in the article points to a need for developing the SEA process and methodology in Denmark with the aim to include climate change in the

Steering operational synergies in terrestrial observation networks: opportunity for advancing Earth system dynamics modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baatz, Roland; Sullivan, Pamela L.; Li, Li; Weintraub, Samantha R.; Loescher, Henry W.; Mirtl, Michael; Groffman, Peter M.; Wall, Diana H.; Young, Michael; White, Tim; Wen, Hang; Zacharias, Steffen; Kühn, Ingolf; Tang, Jianwu; Gaillardet, Jérôme; Braud, Isabelle; Flores, Alejandro N.; Kumar, Praveen; Lin, Henry; Ghezzehei, Teamrat; Jones, Julia; Gholz, Henry L.; Vereecken, Harry; Van Looy, Kris

2018-05-01

Advancing our understanding of Earth system dynamics (ESD) depends on the development of models and other analytical tools that apply physical, biological, and chemical data. This ambition to increase understanding and develop models of ESD based on site observations was the stimulus for creating the networks of Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER), Critical Zone Observatories (CZOs), and others. We organized a survey, the results of which identified pressing gaps in data availability from these networks, in particular for the future development and evaluation of models that represent ESD processes, and provide insights for improvement in both data collection and model integration. From this survey overview of data applications in the context of LTER and CZO research, we identified three challenges: (1) widen application of terrestrial observation network data in Earth system modelling, (2) develop integrated Earth system models that incorporate process representation and data of multiple disciplines, and (3) identify complementarity in measured variables and spatial extent, and promoting synergies in the existing observational networks. These challenges lead to perspectives and recommendations for an improved dialogue between the observation networks and the ESD modelling community, including co-location of sites in the existing networks and further formalizing these recommendations among these communities. Developing these synergies will enable cross-site and cross-network comparison and synthesis studies, which will help produce insights around organizing principles, classifications, and general rules of coupling processes with environmental conditions.

Design of an Extended Mission for GRAIL

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sweetser, Theodore H.; Wallace, Mark S.; Hatch, Sara J.; Roncoli, Ralph B.

2012-01-01

The GRAIL extended mission will extend the measurement of the lunar gravity field beyond what was achieved by the primary GRAIL mission this past spring (2012). By lowering the orbits of the two GRAIL spacecraft to less than half the altitude of the primary mission orbits on average, the resolution of the gravity field measurements will be improved by a factor of two, yielding a signicant improvement in our knowledge of the structure of the upper crust of the Moon. The challenges of flying so low and the design which will meet those challenges is presented here.

ESA Sentinel-1 Mission and Products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Floury, Nicolas; Attema, Evert; Davidson, Malcolm; Levrini, Guido; Rommen, Björn; Rosich, Betlem; Snoeij, Paul

��s previous SAR missions. Based on mission analysis work in preparation of Sentinel-1, this paper presents the results of investigations on the impact of some of the new mission and system requirements (such as spatial and radiometric resolution, calibration accuracy, revisit, . . . ) on the accuracy of key information products (wind speed measurement, ship detection, flood mapping, rice crop monitoring, soil moisture measurement, forest mapping, land surface movement measurement, . . . ).

SELENE mission: mathematical model for SST Doppler measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ping, J.; Kono, Y.; Kawano, N.; Hanada, H.; Matsumoto, K.

2001-09-01

Japanese lunar exploration mission, SELENE, has been planned to be launched into space by using H II-a rocket in the Summer of 2004. This mission is composed of 3 subsatellites, a main lunar orbiter, a relay satellite and a free flying VLBI radio source. One of its main scientific objectives is the estimation of high order and degree spherical harmonic coefficients for the lunar gravity field. Different tracking methods will be employed in SELENE. The key tracking method is 4 way Satellite-to-Satellite Tracking (SST) technique. By this way, the tracking data can be obtained through the relay when the low altitude main orbiter is flying at the far-side of the Moon and can not be "seen" from the Earth. To success the historical tracking data, a complete coverage of Doppler tracking from an orbiter at sufficiently low altitude with high tracking accuracy can be obtained. The 4 way SST has various configurations. For SELENE, the SST tracking mode is introduced here, the mathematical relation between range rate and 4 way Doppler count number is established, and a data processing stream frame by using GEODYN II is suggested.

Predicting Mission Success in Small Satellite Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saunders, Mark; Richie, Wayne; Rogers, John; Moore, Arlene

1992-01-01

In our global society with its increasing international competition and tighter financial resources, governments, commercial entities and other organizations are becoming critically aware of the need to ensure that space missions can be achieved on time and within budget. This has become particularly true for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Office of Space Science (OSS) which has developed their Discovery and Explorer programs to meet this need. As technologies advance, space missions are becoming smaller and more capable than their predecessors. The ability to predict the mission success of these small satellite missions is critical to the continued achievement of NASA science mission objectives. The NASA Office of Space Science, in cooperation with the NASA Langley Research Center, has implemented a process to predict the likely success of missions proposed to its Discovery and Explorer Programs. This process is becoming the basis for predicting mission success in many other NASA programs as well. This paper describes the process, methodology, tools and synthesis techniques used to predict mission success for this class of mission.

Predicting Mission Success in Small Satellite Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saunders, Mark; Richie, R. Wayne; Moore, Arlene; Rogers, John

1999-01-01

In our global society with its increasing international competition and tighter financial resources, governments, commercial entities and other organizations are becoming critically aware of the need to ensure that space missions can be achieved on time and within budget. This has become particularly true for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Office of Space Science (OSS) which has developed their Discovery and Explorer programs to meet this need. As technologies advance, space missions are becoming smaller and more capable than their predecessors. The ability to predict the mission success of these small satellite missions is critical to the continued achievement of NASA science mission objectives. The NASA Office of Space Science, in cooperation with the NASA Langley Research Center, has implemented a process to predict the likely success of missions proposed to its Discovery and Explorer Programs. This process is becoming the basis for predicting mission success in many other NASA programs as well. This paper describes the process, methodology, tools and synthesis techniques used to predict mission success for this class of mission.

The Intersection of Structural and Chemical Biology - An Essential Synergy.

PubMed

Zuercher, William J; Elkins, Jonathan M; Knapp, Stefan

2016-01-21

The continual improvement in our ability to generate high resolution structural models of biological molecules has stimulated and supported innovative chemical biology projects that target increasingly challenging ligand interaction sites. In this review we outline some of the recent developments in chemical biology and rational ligand design and show selected examples that illustrate the synergy between these research areas. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Japanese Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission status and application of satellite-based global rainfall map

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kachi, Misako; Shimizu, Shuji; Kubota, Takuji; Yoshida, Naofumi; Oki, Riko; Kojima, Masahiro; Iguchi, Toshio; Nakamura, Kenji

2010-05-01

As accuracy of satellite precipitation estimates improves and observation frequency increases, application of those data to societal benefit areas, such as weather forecasts and flood predictions, is expected, in addition to research of precipitation climatology to analyze precipitation systems. There is, however, limitation on single satellite observation in coverage and frequency. Currently, the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission is scheduled under international collaboration to fulfill various user requirements that cannot be achieved by the single satellite, like the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM). The GPM mission is an international mission to achieve high-accurate and high-frequent rainfall observation over a global area. GPM is composed of a TRMM-like non-sun-synchronous orbit satellite (GPM core satellite) and constellation of satellites carrying microwave radiometer instruments. The GPM core satellite carries the Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR), which is being developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), and microwave radiometer provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Development of DPR instrument is in good progress for scheduled launch in 2013, and DPR Critical Design Review has completed in July - September 2009. Constellation satellites, which carry a microwave imager and/or sounder, are planned to be launched around 2013 by each partner agency for its own purpose, and will contribute to extending coverage and increasing frequency. JAXA's future mission, the Global Change Observation Mission (GCOM) - Water (GCOM-W) satellite will be one of constellation satellites. The first generation of GCOM-W satellite is scheduled to be launched in 2011, and it carries the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2), which is being developed based on the experience of the AMSR-E on EOS Aqua satellite

Modeling of Synergy Between 4th and 6th Harmonic Absorptions of Fast Waves on Injected Beams in DIII-D Tokamak

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Choi, M.; Pinsker, R. I.; Chan, V. S.

2011-12-23

In recent moderate to high harmonic fast wave heating and current drive experiments in DIII-D, a synergy effect was observed when the 6{sup th} harmonic 90 MHz fast wave power is applied to the plasma preheated by neutral beams and the 4{sup th} harmonic 60 MHz fast wave. In this paper, we investigate how the synergy can occur using ORBIT-RF coupled with AORSA. Preliminary simulations suggest that damping of 4{sup th} harmonic FW on beam ions accelerates them above the injection energy, which may allow significant damping of 6{sup th} harmonic FW on beam ion tails to produce synergy.

Validation for the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission: Lessons Learned and Future Plans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolff, David B.; Amitai, E.; Marks, D. A.; Silberstein, D.; Lawrence, R. J.

2005-01-01

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) was launched in November 1997 and is a highly regarded and successful mission. A major component of the TRMM program was its Ground Validation (GV) program. Through dedicated research and hard work by many groups, both the GV and satellite-retrieved rain estimates have shown a convergence at key GV sites, lending credibility to the global TRMM estimates. To be sure, there are some regional differences between the various satellite estimates themselves, which still need to be addressed; however, it can be said with some certainty that TRMM has provided a high-quality, long-term climatological data set for researchers that provides errors on the order of 10-20%, rather than pre-TRMM era error estimates on the order of 50-100%. The TRMM GV program's main operational task is to provide rainfall products for four sites: Darwin, Australia (DARW); Houston, Texas (HSTN); Kwajalein, Republic of the Marshall Islands (KWAJ); and, Melbourne, Florida (MELB). A comparison between TRMM Ground Validation (Version 5) and Satellite (Version 6) rain intensity estimates is presented. The gridded satellite product (3668) will be compared to GV Level II rain-intensity and -type maps (2A53 and 2A54, respectively). The 3G68 product represents a 0.5 deg x 0.5 deg data grid providing estimates of rain intensities from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), Microwave Imager (TMI) and Combined (COM) algorithms. The comparisons will be sub-setted according to geographical type (land, coast and ocean). The convergence of the GV and satellite estimates bodes well for expectations for the proposed Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) program and this study and others are being leveraged towards planning GV goals for GPM. A discussion of lessons learned and future plans for TRMM GV in planning for GPM will also be provided.

Series of JASMINE missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gouda, N.

We are planning three space astrometry missions as a series of JASMINE missions; Nano-JASMINE, Small-JASMINE and (Medium-sized)JASMINE. JASMINE is an abbreviation of Japan Astrometry Satellite Mission of INfrared Exploration. The JASMINE mission will measure in an infrared band annual parallaxes, positions on the celestial sphere, and proper motions of many stars in the bulge of the Milky Way (the Galaxy) with high accuracies. A target launch date is the first half of the 2020s. Before the launch of JASMINE, we are planning Nano-JASMINE and Small-JASMINE. Nano-JASMINE uses a very small nano-satellite and it is determined to be launched in 2011. Small-JASMINE is a downsized version of the JASMINE satellite, which observes toward restricted small regions of the Galactic bulge. A target launch date is around 2016. A completely new "map" of the Galactic bulge given by Small-JASMINE and JASMINE will bring us many exciting scientific results.

GRACE Status at Mission End

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tapley, B. D.; Flechtner, F. M.; Watkins, M. M.; Bettadpur, S. V.

2017-12-01

The twin satellites of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) were launched on March 17, 2002 and have operated for nearly 16 years. The mission objectives are to observe the spatial and temporal variations of the Earth's mass through its effects on the gravity field at the GRACE satellite altitude. The mass changes observed are related to both the changes within the solid earth and the change within and between the Erath system components. A significant cause of the time varying mass is water motion and the GRACE mission has provided a continuous decade long measurement sequence which characterizes the seasonal cycle of mass transport between the oceans, land, cryosphere and atmosphere; its inter-annual variability; and the climate driven secular, or long period, mass transport signals. The fifth reanalysis on the mission data set, the RL05 data, were released in mid-2013. With the planned launch of GRACE Follow-On in early 2018, plans are underway for a reanalysis that will be consistent with the GRACE FO processing standards. The mission is entering the final phases of its operation life with mission end expected to occur in early 2018. The current mission operations strategy emphasizes extending the mission lifetime to obtain an overlap with the GRACE FO. This presentation will review the mission status and the projections for mission lifetime, describe the current operations philosophy and its impact on the science data, discuss the issues related to achieving the GRACE and GRACE FO connection and discuss issues related to science data products during this phase of the mission period.

Mission operations update for the restructured Earth Observing System (EOS) mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kelly, Angelita Castro; Chang, Edward S.

1993-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Earth Observing System (EOS) will provide a comprehensive long term set of observations of the Earth to the Earth science research community. The data will aid in determining global changes caused both naturally and through human interaction. Understanding man's impact on the global environment will allow sound policy decisions to be made to protect our future. EOS is a major component of the Mission to Planet Earth program, which is NASA's contribution to the U.S. Global Change Research Program. EOS consists of numerous instruments on multiple spacecraft and a distributed ground system. The EOS Data and Information System (EOSDIS) is the major ground system developed to support EOS. The EOSDIS will provide EOS spacecraft command and control, data processing, product generation, and data archival and distribution services for EOS spacecraft. Data from EOS instruments on other Earth science missions (e.g., Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM)) will also be processed, distributed, and archived in EOSDIS. The U.S. and various International Partners (IP) (e.g., the European Space Agency (ESA), the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) of Japan, and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA)) participate in and contribute to the international EOS program. The EOSDIS will also archive processed data from other designated NASA Earth science missions (e.g., UARS) that are under the broad umbrella of Mission to Planet Earth.

Geospace Magnetospheric Dynamics Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russell, C. T.; Kluever, C.; Burch, J. L.; Fennell, J. F.; Hack, K.; Hillard, G. B.; Kurth, W. S.; Lopez, R. E.; Luhmann, J. G.; Martin, J. B.;

Constructing dual-defense mechanisms on membrane surfaces by synergy of PFSA and SiO2 nanoparticles for persistent antifouling performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Linjie; Gao, Kang; Jiao, Zhiwei; Wu, Mengyuan; He, Mingrui; Su, Yanlei; Jiang, Zhongyi

2018-05-01

Synthetic antifouling membrane surfaces with dual-defense mechanisms (fouling-resistant and fouling-release mechanism) were constructed through the synergy of perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) and SiO2 nanoparticles. During the nonsolvent induced phase separation (NIPS) process, the amphiphilic PFSA polymers spontaneously segregated to membrane surfaces and catalyzed the hydrolysis-polycondensation of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) to generate hydrophilic SiO2 nanoparticles (NPs). The resulting PVDF/PFSA/SiO2 hybrid membranes were characterized by contact angle measurements, FTIR, XPS, SEM, AFM, TGA, and TEM. The hydrophilic microdomains and low surface energy microdomains of amphiphilic PFSA polymers respectively endowed membrane surfaces with fouling-resistant mechanism and fouling-release mechanism, while the hydrophilic SiO2 NPs intensified the fouling-resistant mechanism. When the addition of TEOS reached 3 wt%, the hybrid membrane with optimal synergy of PFSA and SiO2 NPs displayed low flux decline (17.4% DRt) and high flux recovery (99.8% FRR) during the filtration of oil-in-water emulsion. Meanwhile, the long-time stability test verified that the hybrid membrane possessed persistent antifouling performance.

Social constructionism, discourse analysis and mental health nursing: a natural synergy.

PubMed

Leishman, June L

2003-09-01

This paper has been developed to identify the natural synergy between social constructionism, discourse analysis and mental health research. It is based on research undertaken to explore mental health nurses' identity. The proposal is that nurses' identities are rhetorically constructed in the language they use to account for and justify their work in the practice context.

Ozone Satellite Data Synergy and Combination with Non-satellite Data in the AURORA project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cortesi, U.; Tirelli, C.; Arola, A.; Dragani, R.; Keppens, A.; Loenen, E.; Masini, A.; Tsiakos, , C.; van der A, R.; Verberne, K.

2017-12-01

The geostationary satellite constellation composed of TEMPO (North America), SENTINEL-4 (Europe) and GEMS (Asia) missions is a major instance of space component in the fundamentally new paradigm aimed at integrating information on air quality from a wide variety of sources. Space-borne data on tropospheric composition from new generation satellites have a growing impact in this context because of their unprecedented quantity and quality, while merging with non-satellite measurements and other types of auxiliary data via state-of-the-art modelling capabilities remains essential to fit the purpose of highly accurate information made readily available at high temporal and spatial resolution, both in analysis and forecast mode. Proper and effective implementation of this paradigm poses severe challenges to science, technology and applications that must be addressed in a closely interconnected manner to pave the way to high quality products and innovative services. Novel ideas and tools built on these three pillars are currently under investigation in the AURORA (Advanced Ultraviolet Radiation and Ozone Retrieval for Applications) Horizon 2020 project of the European Commission. The primary goal of the project is the proof of concept of a synergistic approach to the exploitation of Sentinel-4 and -5 Ozone measurements in the UV, Visible and Thermal Infrared based on the combination of an innovative data fusion method and assimilation models. The scientific objective shares the same level of priority with the technological effort to realize a prototype data processor capable to manage the full data processing chain and with the development of two downstream applications for demonstration purposes. The presentation offers a first insight in mid-term results of the project, which is mostly based on the use of synthetic data from the atmospheric Sentinels. Specific focus is given to the role of satellite data synergy in integrated systems for air quality monitoring, in

Pilot study on quantitative assessment of muscle imbalance: differences of muscle synergies, equilibrium-point trajectories, and endpoint stiffness in normal and pathological upper-limb movements.

PubMed

Oku, Takanori; Uno, Kanna; Nishi, Tomoki; Kageyama, Masayuki; Phatiwuttipat, Pipatthana; Koba, Keitaro; Yamashita, Yuto; Murakami, Kenta; Uemura, Mitsunori; Hirai, Hiroaki; Miyazaki, Fumio; Naritomi, Hiroaki

2014-01-01

This paper proposes a novel method for assessment of muscle imbalance based on muscle synergy hypothesis and equilibrium point (EP) hypothesis of motor control. We explain in detail the method for extracting muscle synergies under the concept of agonist-antagonist (AA) muscle pairs and for estimating EP trajectories and endpoint stiffness of human upper limbs in a horizontal plane using an electromyogram. The results of applying this method to the reaching movement of one normal subject and one hemiplegic subject suggest that (1) muscle synergies (the balance among coactivation of AA muscle pairs), particularly the synergies that contributes to the angular directional kinematics of EP and the limb stiffness, are quite different between the normal subject and the hemiplegic subject; (2) the concomitant EP trajectory is also different between the normal and hemiplegic subjects, corresponding to the difference of muscle synergies; and (3) the endpoint (hand) stiffness ellipse of the hemiplegic subject becomes more elongated and orientation of the major axis rotates clockwise more than that of the normal subject. The level of motor impairment would be expected to be assessed from a comparison of these differences of muscle synergies, EP trajectories, and endpoint stiffness among normal and pathological subjects using the method.

Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission: Monitoring the Global Tropics for 3 Years and Beyond. 1.1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shepherd, Marshall; Starr, David OC. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) was launched in November 1997 as a joint U.S.-Japanese mission to advance understanding of the global energy and water cycle by providing distributions of rainfall and latent heating over the global tropics. As a part of NASA's Earth System Enterprise, TRMM seeks to understand the mechanisms through which changes in tropical rainfall influence global circulation. Additionally, a goal is to improve the ability to model these processes in order to predict global circulations and rainfall variability at monthly and longer time scales. Such understanding has implications for assessing climate processes related to El Nino/La Nina and Global Warming. TRMM has also provided unexpected and exciting new knowledge and applications in areas related to hurricane monitoring, lightning, pollution, hydrology, and other areas. This CD-ROM includes a self-contained PowerPoint presentation that provides an overview of TRMM and significant science results; a set of data movies or animation; and listings of current TRMM-related publications in the literature.

Penetration-enhancement underlies synergy of plant essential oil terpenoids as insecticides in the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni

PubMed Central

Tak, Jun-Hyung; Isman, Murray B.

2017-01-01

Many plant essential oils and their terpenoid constituents possess bioactivities including insecticidal activity, and they sometimes act synergistically when mixed. Although several hypotheses for this have been proposed, the underlying mechanism has not been fully elucidated thus far. In the present study, we report that in larvae of the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni, most synergistic or antagonistic insecticidal activities among mixtures of plant essential oil constituents are pharmacokinetic effects, owing to changes in solubility as well as spreadability on a wax layer. Among the major constituents of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) oil, in vitro analysis revealed up to a 19-fold increase in penetration of camphor in a binary mixture with 1,8-cineole through the larval integument, suggesting increased penetration as the major mechanism for synergy. A total of 138 synergistic or antagonistic interactions among 39 compounds were identified in binary mixtures via topical application, and these were highly correlated to changes in surface tension as measured by contact angle of the mixtures on a beeswax layer. Among compounds tested, trans-anethole alone showed evidence of internal synergy, whereas most of remaining synergistic or antagonistic combinations among the three most active compounds were identified as penetration-related interactions, confirmed via a divided-application bioassay. PMID:28181580

Penetration-enhancement underlies synergy of plant essential oil terpenoids as insecticides in the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tak, Jun-Hyung; Isman, Murray B.

2017-02-01

Many plant essential oils and their terpenoid constituents possess bioactivities including insecticidal activity, and they sometimes act synergistically when mixed. Although several hypotheses for this have been proposed, the underlying mechanism has not been fully elucidated thus far. In the present study, we report that in larvae of the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni, most synergistic or antagonistic insecticidal activities among mixtures of plant essential oil constituents are pharmacokinetic effects, owing to changes in solubility as well as spreadability on a wax layer. Among the major constituents of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) oil, in vitro analysis revealed up to a 19-fold increase in penetration of camphor in a binary mixture with 1,8-cineole through the larval integument, suggesting increased penetration as the major mechanism for synergy. A total of 138 synergistic or antagonistic interactions among 39 compounds were identified in binary mixtures via topical application, and these were highly correlated to changes in surface tension as measured by contact angle of the mixtures on a beeswax layer. Among compounds tested, trans-anethole alone showed evidence of internal synergy, whereas most of remaining synergistic or antagonistic combinations among the three most active compounds were identified as penetration-related interactions, confirmed via a divided-application bioassay.

A Mission Concept for FUSE Operations in GFY09 and Beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moos, H. W.; Sonneborn, G.; Blair, W. P.; Kruk, J. W.; FUSE Science Operations Team

2007-05-01

We are developing a new mission concept for the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) that would significantly reduce operating costs but would continue the availability of this unique resource into GFY09 and beyond. Launched in 1999, the FUSE satellite obtains R=20,000 spectra of astronomical sources in the far-ultraviolet (912 - 1187 A) wavelength range. The FUSE scientific instrument remains healthy and the satellite has made a remarkable recovery from attitude control problems in late 2004. We expect FUSE to remain a viable scientific tool for the foreseeable future. Current plans for FUSE operations extend through GFY2008 (Sept. 30, 2008). Key elements of this new mission concept include a) continued automation and streamlining of operations to reduce costs, and b) an emphasis on a small number of unique, high priority science programs, particularly those requiring integration times on key targets that are significantly longer than has been possible in the mission design to date. A prime example of the latter would be 100 - 400 ks integrations on selected quasars to provide much improved diagnostic power to study the intergalactic medium. Synergy with the scientific objectives of the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) program on HST, and the complementary nature of FUSE and COS data on the same sightlines, is but one major motivation for this operations model. In addition to programs emphasizing very long integrations, opportunities for other high priority targets would exist. We will describe some of the ongoing development toward such an operations model as well as the scientific drivers discussed to date. Community input on these and other science drivers for extended FUSE operations is encouraged. FUSE is operated for NASA by Johns Hopkins University under NASA contract NAS5-32985.

Potential Mission Scenarios Post Asteroid Crewed Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lopez, Pedro, Jr.; McDonald, Mark A.

2015-01-01

A deep-space mission has been proposed to identify and redirect an asteroid to a distant retrograde orbit around the moon, and explore it by sending a crew using the Space Launch System and the Orion spacecraft. The Asteroid Redirect Crewed Mission (ARCM), which represents the third segment of the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM), could be performed on EM-3 or EM-4 depending on asteroid return date. Recent NASA studies have raised questions on how we could progress from current Human Space Flight (HSF) efforts to longer term human exploration of Mars. This paper will describe the benefits of execution of the ARM as the initial stepping stone towards Mars exploration, and how the capabilities required to send humans to Mars could be built upon those developed for the asteroid mission. A series of potential interim missions aimed at developing such capabilities will be described, and the feasibility of such mission manifest will be discussed. Options for the asteroid crewed mission will also be addressed, including crew size and mission duration.

Self, System, Synergy: A Career-Life Development Framework for Individuals and Organizations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gelatt, H. B.

1998-01-01

The Self-System-Synergy model provides the philosophical framework for the concept of career resiliency, which has become the basis for many organizational initiatives. The three elements are self-reliance (the power of personal beliefs), interdependence (the connectedness of multiple systems), and self-renewal through continuous learning. (JOW)

Low Cost Mission Operations Workshop. [Space Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

The presentations given at the Low Cost (Space) Mission Operations (LCMO) Workshop are outlined. The LCMO concepts are covered in four introductory sections: Definition of Mission Operations (OPS); Mission Operations (MOS) Elements; The Operations Concept; and Mission Operations for Two Classes of Missions (operationally simple and complex). Individual presentations cover the following topics: Science Data Processing and Analysis; Mis sion Design, Planning, and Sequencing; Data Transport and Delivery, and Mission Coordination and Engineering Analysis. A list of panelists who participated in the conference is included along with a listing of the contact persons for obtaining more information concerning LCMO at JPL. The presentation of this document is in outline and graphic form.

Space Propulsion Synergy Group ETO technology assessments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bray, James

There exists within the aerospace community a widely recognized need to improve future space launch systems. While these needs have been expressed by many national committees, potential solutions have not achieved consensus nor have they endured. Facing the challenge to remain competitive with limited national resources, the U.S. must improve its strategic planning efforts. A nationally accepted strategic plan for space would enable a focused research & development program. The Space Propulsion Synergy Group (SPSG), chartered to support long range strategic planning, has achieved several breakthroughs. First, using a broad industry/government team, the SPSG evaluated and achieved consensus on the vehicles, propulsion systems, and propulsion technologies that have the best long term potential for achieving desired system attributes. The breakthrough that enabled broad consensus was developing criteria that are measurable a-priori. Second, realizing that systems having the best long term payoffs can loose support when constraints are tight, the SPSG invented a dual prioritization approach that balances long term strategic thrusts with current programmatic constraints. This breakthrough enables individual program managers to make decisions based on both individual project needs and long term strategic needs. Results indicate that a SSTO using an integrated modular engine has the best long term potential for a 20 Klb class vehicle and that health monitoring and control technologies rank among the highest dual priority liquid rocket technologies.

The effect of arm weight support on upper limb muscle synergies during reaching movements

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Compensating for the effect of gravity by providing arm-weight support (WS) is a technique often utilized in the rehabilitation of patients with neurological conditions such as stroke to facilitate the performance of arm movements during therapy. Although it has been shown that, in healthy subjects as well as in stroke survivors, the use of arm WS during the performance of reaching movements leads to a general reduction, as expected, in the level of activation of upper limb muscles, the effects of different levels of WS on the characteristics of the kinematics of motion and of the activity of upper limb muscles have not been thoroughly investigated before. Methods In this study, we systematically assessed the characteristics of the kinematics of motion and of the activity of 14 upper limb muscles in a group of 9 healthy subjects who performed 3-D arm reaching movements while provided with different levels of arm WS. We studied the hand trajectory and the trunk, shoulder, and elbow joint angular displacement trajectories for different levels of arm WS. Besides, we analyzed the amplitude of the surface electromyographic (EMG) data collected from upper limb muscles and investigated patterns of coordination via the analysis of muscle synergies. Results The characteristics of the kinematics of motion varied across WS conditions but did not show distinct trends with the level of arm WS. The level of activation of upper limb muscles generally decreased, as expected, with the increase in arm WS. The same eight muscle synergies were identified in all WS conditions. Their level of activation depended on the provided level of arm WS. Conclusions The analysis of muscle synergies allowed us to identify a modular organization underlying the generation of arm reaching movements that appears to be invariant to the level of arm WS. The results of this study provide a normative dataset for the assessment of the effects of the level of arm WS on muscle synergies in stroke

Study of a High-Energy Upper Stage for Future Shuttle Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dressler, Gordon A.; Matuszak, Leo W.; Stephenson, David D.

2003-01-01

Space Shuttle Orbiters are likely to remain in service to 2020 or beyond for servicing the International Space Station and for launching very high value spacecraft. There is a need for a new STS-deployable upper stage that can boost certain Orbiter payloads to higher energy orbits, up to and including Earth-escape trajectories. The inventory of solid rocket motor Inertial Upper Stages has been depleted, and it is unlikely that a LOX/LH2-fueled upper stage can fly on Shuttle due to safety concerns. This paper summarizes the results of a study that investigated a low cost, low risk approach to quickly developing a new large upper stage optimized to fly on the existing Shuttle fleet. Two design reference missions (DRMs) were specified: the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Space Interferometry Mission (SIM). Two categories of upper stage propellants were examined in detail: a storable liquid propellant and a storable gel propellant. Stage subsystems 'other than propulsion were based largely on heritage hardware to minimize cost, risk and development schedule span. The paper presents the ground rules and guidelines for conducting the study, the preliminary conceptual designs margins, assessments of technology readiness/risk, potential synergy with other programs, and preliminary estimates of development and production costs and schedule spans. Although the Orbiter Columbia was baselined for the study, discussion is provided to show how the results apply to the remaining STS Orbiter fleet.

The GRACE Mission in the Final Stage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tapley, B. D.; Flechtner, F.; Watkins, M. M.; Boening, C.; Bettadpur, S. V.

2016-12-01

The twin satellites of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) were launched on March 17, 2002 and have operated for over 13 years. The mission objectives are to sense the spatial and temporal variations of the Earth's mass through its effects on the gravity field at the GRACE satellite altitude. The major cause of the time varying mass is water motion and the GRACE mission has provided a continuous decade long measurement sequences which characterizes the seasonal cycle of mass transport between the oceans, land, cryosphere and atmosphere; its inter-annual variability; and the climate driven secular, or long period, mass transport signals. The mission is entering the final phase of operations. The current mission operations strategy emphasizes extending the mission lifetime to achieve mission overlap with the GRACE Follow On Mission, whose launch is scheduled for late 2017. The mission operations decisions necessary to extend the mission lifetime impact both the science data yield and the data quality. This presentation will review the mission status, the projections for mission lifetime, summarize plans for the RL 06 data re-analysis, describe the issues that influence the operations philosophy and discuss the impact on the science data products during the remaining mission lifetime.

Surge Pressure Mitigation in the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission Core Propulsion System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scroggins, Ashley R.; Fiebig, Mark D.

2014-01-01

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission is an international partnership between NASA and JAXA whose Core spacecraft performs cutting-edge measurements of rainfall and snowfall worldwide and unifies data gathered by a network of precipitation measurement satellites. The Core spacecraft's propulsion system is a blowdown monopropellant system with an initial hydrazine load of 545 kg in a single composite overwrapped propellant tank. At launch, the propulsion system contained propellant in the tank and manifold tubes upstream of the latch valves, with low-pressure helium gas in the manifold tubes downstream of the latch valves. The system had a relatively high beginning-of- life pressure and long downstream manifold lines; these factors created conditions that were conducive to high surge pressures. This paper discusses the GPM project's approach to surge mitigation in the propulsion system design. The paper describes the surge testing program and results, with discussions of specific difficulties encountered. Based on the results of surge testing and pressure drop analyses, a unique configuration of cavitating venturis was chosen to mitigate surge while minimizing pressure losses during thruster maneuvers. This paper concludes with a discussion of overall lessons learned with surge pressure testing for NASA Goddard spacecraft programs.