3D TRUMP - A GBI launch window tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karels, Steven N.; Hancock, John; Matchett, Gary

3D TRUMP is a novel GPS and communicatons-link software analysis tool developed for the SDIO's Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI) program. 3D TRUMP uses a computationally efficient analysis tool which provides key GPS-based performance measures for an entire GBI mission's reentry vehicle and interceptor trajectories. Algorithms and sample outputs are presented.

Interception in three dimensions - An energy formulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rajan, N.; Ardema, M. D.

1983-01-01

The problem of minimum-time interception of a target flying in three dimensional space is analyzed with the interceptor aircraft modeled through energy-state approximation. A coordinate transformation that uncouples the interceptor's extremals from the target motion in an open-loop sense is introduced, and the necessary conditions for optimality and the optimal controls are derived. Example extremals are shown.

1H NMR study of the complexation of aromatic drugs with dimethylxanthine derivatives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernandez Santiago, A. A.; Gonzalez Flores, M.; Rosas Castilla, S. A.; Cervantes Tavera, A. M.; Gutierrez Perez, R.; Khomich, V. V.; Ovchinnikov, D. V.; Parkes, H. G.; Evstigneev, M. P.

2012-02-01

With an aim of searching efficient interceptors of aromatic drugs, the self- and hetero-association of dimethylxanthine derivatives with different structures, selected according to Strategy 1 (variation of the position of methyl groups) and Strategy 2 (variation of the length of sbnd (CH2)nsbnd COOH group), with aromatic drug molecules: Ethidium Bromide, Proflavine and Daunomycin, were studied using 1H NMR spectroscopy. It was found that the association proceeds in a form of stacking-type complexation and its energetics is relatively independent on the structure of the dimethylxanthines. However, on average, the dimethylxanthines possess higher hetero-association constant and, hence, higher interceptor ability as compared to the trimethylxanthine, Caffeine, used during the past two decades as a typical interceptor molecule.

Report to Congress on the Strategic Defense System Architecture

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-01-01

1 25 B. Architecture Analysis - Phase I 25 C. Architecture Work - Follow-on 25 ANNEX A Figures 26 0, LIST OF ACRONYMS ABM Antiballistic Missile ALS...vehicles greater mass and complexity. 5. EXOATMOSPHERIC REENTRY VEHICLE INTERCEPTOR SYTEM V A ground-based, multistage missile that would use hit-to-kill...velocity change to heavy decoys. The GBL’s greatest potential as an antiballistic missile ( ABM ) system element is in a synergistic mix of SBI and GBL

Floodplain/wetlands assessment for the interceptor trench field study near the Weldon Spring Quarry, Weldon Spring Site, Missouri

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

Van Lonkhuyzen, R.A.

1999-12-15

The US Department of Energy proposes to construct a groundwater interceptor trench near the Weldon Spring Quarry at the Weldon Spring Site in Missouri. The trench would be located near two palustrine wetland areas. Impacts to wetland hydrology and biotic communities are expected to be negligible. No long-term adverse impacts to floodplains are expected.

Effects of Various Interventions, Including Mass Trapping with Passive Pitfall Traps, on Low-Level Bed Bug Populations in Apartments.

PubMed

Cooper, Richard; Wang, Changlu; Singh, Narinderpal

2016-04-01

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of various interventions on low-level bed bug, Cimex lectularius L., populations in occupied apartments. The first experiment was conducted in occupied apartments under three intervention conditions: never treated (Group I), recently treated with no further treatment (Group II), and recently treated with continued treatment (Group III). Each apartment was monitored with pitfall-style traps (interceptors) installed at beds and upholstered furniture (sleeping and resting areas) along with ∼18 additional interceptors throughout the apartment. The traps were inspected every 2 wk. After 22 wk, bed bugs had been eliminated (zero trap catch for eight consecutive weeks and none detected in visual inspections) in 96, 87, and 100% of the apartments in Groups I, II, and III, respectively. The second experiment investigated the impact of interceptors as a control measure in apartments with low-level infestations. In the treatment group, interceptors were continuously installed at and away from sleeping and resting areas and were inspected every 2 wk for 16 wk. In the control group, interceptors were placed in a similar fashion as the treatment group but were only placed during 6–8 and 14–16 wk to obtain bed bug counts. Bed bug counts were significantly lower at 8 wk in the treatment group than in the control group. At 16 wk, bed bugs were eliminated in 50% of the apartments in the treatment group. The implications of our results in the development of bed bug management strategies and monitoring protocols are discussed.

Barriers and dispersal surfaces in minimum-time interception. [for optimizing aircraft flight paths

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rajan, N.; Ardema, M. D.

1984-01-01

A method is proposed for mapping the barrier, dispersal, and control-level surfaces for a class of minimum-time interception and pursuit-evasion problems. Minimum-time interception of a target moving in a horizontal plane is formulated in a coordinate system whose origin is at the interceptor's terminal position and whose x-axis is along the terminal line of sight. This approach makes it possible to discuss the nature of the interceptor's extremals, using its extremal trajectory maps (ETMs), independently of target motion. The game surfaces are constructed by drawing sections of the isochrones, or constant minimum-time loci, from the interceptor and target ETMs. In this way, feedback solutions for the optimal controls are obtained. An example involving the interception of a target moving in a straight line at constant speed is presented.

Eye movement accuracy determines natural interception strategies.

PubMed

Fooken, Jolande; Yeo, Sang-Hoon; Pai, Dinesh K; Spering, Miriam

2016-11-01

Eye movements aid visual perception and guide actions such as reaching or grasping. Most previous work on eye-hand coordination has focused on saccadic eye movements. Here we show that smooth pursuit eye movement accuracy strongly predicts both interception accuracy and the strategy used to intercept a moving object. We developed a naturalistic task in which participants (n = 42 varsity baseball players) intercepted a moving dot (a "2D fly ball") with their index finger in a designated "hit zone." Participants were instructed to track the ball with their eyes, but were only shown its initial launch (100-300 ms). Better smooth pursuit resulted in more accurate interceptions and determined the strategy used for interception, i.e., whether interception was early or late in the hit zone. Even though early and late interceptors showed equally accurate interceptions, they may have relied on distinct tactics: early interceptors used cognitive heuristics, whereas late interceptors' performance was best predicted by pursuit accuracy. Late interception may be beneficial in real-world tasks as it provides more time for decision and adjustment. Supporting this view, baseball players who were more senior were more likely to be late interceptors. Our findings suggest that interception strategies are optimally adapted to the proficiency of the pursuit system.

Arms Control and Nonproliferation: A Catalog of Treaties and Agreements

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-02

Russia, partly in response to U.S. plans to deploy a missile defense radar in the Czech Republic and interceptor missiles in Poland, stated that it...10 interceptors based in Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic . Russia’s former President Putin and his successor, Vladimir Medvedev, argued that...States reversed its plan to emplace GMD facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic . Congress resisted the Bush Administration’s request for funding

Comparison of composite prostate radiotherapy plan doses with dependent and independent boost phases.

PubMed

Narayanasamy, Ganesh; Avila, Gabrielle; Mavroidis, Panayiotis; Papanikolaou, Niko; Gutierrez, Alonso; Baacke, Diana; Shi, Zheng; Stathakis, Sotirios

2016-09-01

Prostate cases commonly consist of dual phase planning with a primary plan followed by a boost. Traditionally, the boost phase is planned independently from the primary plan with the risk of generating hot or cold spots in the composite plan. Alternatively, boost phase can be planned taking into account the primary dose. The aim of this study was to compare the composite plans from independently and dependently planned boosts using dosimetric and radiobiological metrics. Ten consecutive prostate patients previously treated at our institution were used to conduct this study on the Raystation™ 4.0 treatment planning system. For each patient, two composite plans were developed: a primary plan with an independently planned boost and a primary plan with a dependently planned boost phase. The primary plan was prescribed to 54 Gy in 30 fractions to the primary planning target volume (PTV1) which includes prostate and seminal vesicles, while the boost phases were prescribed to 24 Gy in 12 fractions to the boost planning target volume (PTV2) that targets only the prostate. PTV coverage, max dose, median dose, target conformity, dose homogeneity, dose to OARs, and probabilities of benefit, injury, and complication-free tumor control (P+) were compared. Statistical significance was tested using either a 2-tailed Student's t-test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Dosimetrically, the composite plan with dependent boost phase exhibited smaller hotspots, lower maximum dose to the target without any significant change to normal tissue dose. Radiobiologically, for all but one patient, the percent difference in the P+ values between the two methods was not significant. A large percent difference in P+ value could be attributed to an inferior primary plan. The benefits of considering the dose in primary plan while planning the boost is not significant unless a poor primary plan was achieved.

Countermeasures to the US National Missile Defense

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gronlund, Lisbeth

2001-04-01

One of the key technical questions about national missile defenses is whether they can be expected to work under real-world conditions if the attacker takes steps to defeat the defense. This talk will discuss steps that an emerging missile state could take to confuse, overwhelm, or otherwise defeat the planned US NMD system developed by the Clinton administration. It will consider three such ``countermeasures" that would be within the technical capability of a state that could develop and deploy a long-range missile capable of reaching the United States, which is the threat the NMD system is intended to defend against. The talk will be based on the April 2000 report ``Countermeasures: A Technical Evaluation of the Operational Effectiveness of the Planned US National Missile Defense System," which was co-authored by the speaker and 10 other physicists and engineers. Although the talk will refer to the ground-based NMD system under development, the conclusions are applicable to any mid-course NMD system using hit-to-kill infrared-homing interceptors, regardless of their basing mode. The three countermeasures considered are: (1) biological weapons deployed on 100 or more small bomblets, or submunitions, that would be released shortly after the boost phase; (2) nuclear warheads with anti-simulation balloon decoys, in which the attacker disguises the warhead by enclosing it in an aluminum-coated mylar balloon and releasing it along with a large number of otherwise similar but empty balloons; and (3) nuclear warheads with cooled shrouds, in which the attacker foils the kill vehicle's homing process by covering each nuclear warhead with a double-walled cone containing liquid nitrogen.

Effectiveness of bed bug monitors for detecting and trapping bed bugs in apartments.

PubMed

Wang, Changlu; Tsai, Wan-Tien; Cooper, Richard; White, Jeffrey

2011-02-01

Bed bugs, Cimex lectularius L., are now considered a serious urban pest in the United States. Because they are small and difficult to find, there has been strong interest in developing and using monitoring tools to detect bed bugs and evaluate the results of bed bug control efforts. Several bed bug monitoring devices were developed recently, but their effectiveness is unknown. We comparatively evaluated three active monitors that contain attractants: CDC3000, NightWatch, and a home-made dry ice trap. The Climbup Insect Interceptor, a passive monitor (without attractants), was used for estimating the bed bug numbers before and after placing active monitors. The results of the Interceptors also were compared with the results of the active monitors. In occupied apartments, the relative effectiveness of the active monitors was: dry ice trap > CDC3000 > NightWatch. In lightly infested apartments, the Interceptor (operated for 7 d) trapped similar number of bed bugs as the dry ice trap (operated for 1 d) and trapped more bed bugs than CDC3000 and NightWatch (operated for 1 d). The Interceptor was also more effective than visual inspections in detecting the presence of small numbers of bed bugs. CDC3000 and the dry ice trap operated for 1 d were equally as effective as the visual inspections for detecting very low level of infestations, whereas 1-d deployment of NightWatch detected significantly lower number of infestations compared with visual inspections. NightWatch was designed to be able to operate for several consecutive nights. When operated for four nights, NightWatch trapped similar number of bed bugs as the Interceptors operated for 10 d after deployment of NightWatch. We conclude these monitors are effective tools in detecting early bed bug infestations and evaluating the results of bed bug control programs.

ELIPS: Toward a Sensor Fusion Processor on a Chip

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daud, Taher; Stoica, Adrian; Tyson, Thomas; Li, Wei-te; Fabunmi, James

1998-01-01

The paper presents the concept and initial tests from the hardware implementation of a low-power, high-speed reconfigurable sensor fusion processor. The Extended Logic Intelligent Processing System (ELIPS) processor is developed to seamlessly combine rule-based systems, fuzzy logic, and neural networks to achieve parallel fusion of sensor in compact low power VLSI. The first demonstration of the ELIPS concept targets interceptor functionality; other applications, mainly in robotics and autonomous systems are considered for the future. The main assumption behind ELIPS is that fuzzy, rule-based and neural forms of computation can serve as the main primitives of an "intelligent" processor. Thus, in the same way classic processors are designed to optimize the hardware implementation of a set of fundamental operations, ELIPS is developed as an efficient implementation of computational intelligence primitives, and relies on a set of fuzzy set, fuzzy inference and neural modules, built in programmable analog hardware. The hardware programmability allows the processor to reconfigure into different machines, taking the most efficient hardware implementation during each phase of information processing. Following software demonstrations on several interceptor data, three important ELIPS building blocks (a fuzzy set preprocessor, a rule-based fuzzy system and a neural network) have been fabricated in analog VLSI hardware and demonstrated microsecond-processing times.

Analysis of digital communication signals and extraction of parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Jowder, Anwar

1994-12-01

The signal classification performance of four types of electronics support measure (ESM) communications detection systems is compared from the standpoint of the unintended receiver (interceptor). Typical digital communication signals considered include binary phase shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), frequency shift keying (FSK), and on-off keying (OOK). The analysis emphasizes the use of available signal processing software. Detection methods compared include broadband energy detection, FFT-based narrowband energy detection, and two correlation methods which employ the fast Fourier transform (FFT). The correlation methods utilize modified time-frequency distributions, where one of these is based on the Wigner-Ville distribution (WVD). Gaussian white noise is added to the signal to simulate various signal-to-noise ratios (SNR's).

Field Evaluation of the Sizing and Tariff of the U.S. Marine Corps Interceptor Body Armor

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-07-01

can only be achieved by creating additional sizes for the Interceptor based on length in addition to 15. SUBJECT TERMS ANTHROPOMETRY FIELD...vest? Hease be specific. NO & Didjaxcbai^azö? NO YES, changedto XS S XL 9. AfflO(h8i^how’iDany<fe^ha«yjc,w»nteaifircqta? 10. A... XL 17. MtteIi*iccplDriitafewfta^’dc<Jngaraf4iiBililuii? (camiüs, Gaeta^ hdmEl, pad^ xadio^ wflpcn, ete.) YES NO 19.-2

Near Earth Object (NEO) Mitigation Options Using Exploration Technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, Robert B.

2008-01-01

This presentation considers the use of new launch vehicles in defense against near-Earth objects, building upon expertise in launch vehicle and spacecraft design, astronomy and planetary science and missile defense. This work also seeks to demonstrate the synergy needed between architectures for human/robotic exploration initiatives and planetary defense. Three different mitigation operations were baselined for this study--nuclear standoff explosion, kinetic interceptor, and solar collector--however, these are not the only viable options. The design and predicted performance of each of these methods is discussed and compared. It is determined that the nuclear interceptor option can deflect NEOs of smaller size (100-500 m) with 2 years or more time before impact, and larger NEOs with 5 or more years warning; kinetic interceptors may be effective for deflection of asteroids up to 300-400 m but require 8-10 years warning time; and, solar collectors may be able to deflect NEOs up to 1 km if issues pertaining to long operation can be overcome. Ares I and Ares V vehicles show sufficient performance to enable the development of a near-term categorization and mitigation architecture.

Improved battery charger for electric vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rippel, W. E.

1981-01-01

Polyphase version of single-phase "boost chopper" significantly reduces ripple and electromagnetic interference (EMI). Drive circuit of n-phase boost chopper incorporates n-phase duty-cycle generator; inductor, transistor, and diode compose chopper which can run on single-phase or three-phase alternating current or on direct current. Device retains compactness and power factors approaching unity, while improving efficiency.

An experimental and computational investigation of film cooling effects on an interceptor forebody at Mach 10

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majeski, J. A.; Morris, H. W.

1990-01-01

An experiment using a full-scale model of an interceptor forebody configuration was conducted to determine the effectiveness of transpiration and film cooling on temperature control of an IR window during hypersonic flight. This experiment was conducted at a freestream Mach number of 10. The test total temperature was nominally 1100 K, and the test total pressure was nominally 50,000 KPa. The Reynolds number associated with these test conditions was 34.1 million/m. Results encompass pressure data, heat-transfer data, effect of upstream transpiration cooling, and film cooling effectiveness.

Missile signal processing common computer architecture for rapid technology upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rabinkin, Daniel V.; Rutledge, Edward; Monticciolo, Paul

2004-10-01

Interceptor missiles process IR images to locate an intended target and guide the interceptor towards it. Signal processing requirements have increased as the sensor bandwidth increases and interceptors operate against more sophisticated targets. A typical interceptor signal processing chain is comprised of two parts. Front-end video processing operates on all pixels of the image and performs such operations as non-uniformity correction (NUC), image stabilization, frame integration and detection. Back-end target processing, which tracks and classifies targets detected in the image, performs such algorithms as Kalman tracking, spectral feature extraction and target discrimination. In the past, video processing was implemented using ASIC components or FPGAs because computation requirements exceeded the throughput of general-purpose processors. Target processing was performed using hybrid architectures that included ASICs, DSPs and general-purpose processors. The resulting systems tended to be function-specific, and required custom software development. They were developed using non-integrated toolsets and test equipment was developed along with the processor platform. The lifespan of a system utilizing the signal processing platform often spans decades, while the specialized nature of processor hardware and software makes it difficult and costly to upgrade. As a result, the signal processing systems often run on outdated technology, algorithms are difficult to update, and system effectiveness is impaired by the inability to rapidly respond to new threats. A new design approach is made possible three developments; Moore's Law - driven improvement in computational throughput; a newly introduced vector computing capability in general purpose processors; and a modern set of open interface software standards. Today's multiprocessor commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) platforms have sufficient throughput to support interceptor signal processing requirements. This application may be programmed under existing real-time operating systems using parallel processing software libraries, resulting in highly portable code that can be rapidly migrated to new platforms as processor technology evolves. Use of standardized development tools and 3rd party software upgrades are enabled as well as rapid upgrade of processing components as improved algorithms are developed. The resulting weapon system will have a superior processing capability over a custom approach at the time of deployment as a result of a shorter development cycles and use of newer technology. The signal processing computer may be upgraded over the lifecycle of the weapon system, and can migrate between weapon system variants enabled by modification simplicity. This paper presents a reference design using the new approach that utilizes an Altivec PowerPC parallel COTS platform. It uses a VxWorks-based real-time operating system (RTOS), and application code developed using an efficient parallel vector library (PVL). A quantification of computing requirements and demonstration of interceptor algorithm operating on this real-time platform are provided.

Extended Logic Intelligent Processing System for a Sensor Fusion Processor Hardware

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoica, Adrian; Thomas, Tyson; Li, Wei-Te; Daud, Taher; Fabunmi, James

2000-01-01

The paper presents the hardware implementation and initial tests from a low-power, highspeed reconfigurable sensor fusion processor. The Extended Logic Intelligent Processing System (ELIPS) is described, which combines rule-based systems, fuzzy logic, and neural networks to achieve parallel fusion of sensor signals in compact low power VLSI. The development of the ELIPS concept is being done to demonstrate the interceptor functionality which particularly underlines the high speed and low power requirements. The hardware programmability allows the processor to reconfigure into different machines, taking the most efficient hardware implementation during each phase of information processing. Processing speeds of microseconds have been demonstrated using our test hardware.

Projectile stopping system

DOEpatents

Karr, T.J.; Pittenger, L.C.

1996-11-26

A projectile interceptor launches a projectile catcher into the path of a projectile. In one embodiment, signals indicative of the path of a projectile are received by the projectile interceptor. A flinger mechanism has a projectile catcher releasably attached thereto, such that the projectile catcher can be released and launched from the flinger mechanism. A controller connected to the flinger mechanism uses the signals indicative of the path of the projectile to determine the launch parameters of the projectile catcher. The controller directs the flinger mechanism to release the projectile catcher such that the projectile catcher is launched into the path of the projectile and intercepts the projectile. 13 figs.

Boosting BCG-primed responses with a subunit Apa vaccine during the waning phase improves immunity and imparts protection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

PubMed

Nandakumar, Subhadra; Kannanganat, Sunil; Dobos, Karen M; Lucas, Megan; Spencer, John S; Amara, Rama Rao; Plikaytis, Bonnie B; Posey, James E; Sable, Suraj B

2016-05-13

Heterologous prime-boosting has emerged as a powerful vaccination approach against tuberculosis. However, optimal timing to boost BCG-immunity using subunit vaccines remains unclear in clinical trials. Here, we followed the adhesin Apa-specific T-cell responses in BCG-primed mice and investigated its BCG-booster potential. The Apa-specific T-cell response peaked 32-52 weeks after parenteral or mucosal BCG-priming but waned significantly by 78 weeks. A subunit-Apa-boost during the contraction-phase of BCG-response had a greater effect on the magnitude and functional quality of specific cellular and humoral responses compared to a boost at the peak of BCG-response. The cellular response increased following mucosal BCG-prime-Apa-subunit-boost strategy compared to Apa-subunit-prime-BCG-boost approach. However, parenteral BCG-prime-Apa-subunit-boost by a homologous route was the most effective strategy in-terms of enhancing specific T-cell responses during waning in the lung and spleen. Two Apa-boosters markedly improved waning BCG-immunity and significantly reduced Mycobacterium tuberculosis burdens post-challenge. Our results highlight the challenges of optimization of prime-boost regimens in mice where BCG drives persistent immune-activation and suggest that boosting with a heterologous vaccine may be ideal once the specific persisting effector responses are contracted. Our results have important implications for design of prime-boost regimens against tuberculosis in humans.

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

NONE

Although the Cold War has ended, the threat of proliferation with chemical, biological, and nuclear warheads continues. Two factors further increase the threat from these weapons of mass destruction: knowledge of missile technology has spread extensively, and, in recent years, many countries - some of them unfriendly to the US and its allies - have obtained short- and intermediate-range missiles. The threat posed by such missiles was amply demonstrated during the Gulf War. Thus, the need to protect US and allied forces from these weapons has never been greater. When nuclear-tipped defensive missiles, such as Sprint and Spartan, were phasedmore » out years ago, the US turned for its defense to kinetic-energy {open_quotes}kill{close_quotes} interceptors - missiles that destroy an enemy missile by striking it with lethal force and accuracy at some point in its trajectory. The Patriot missile is probably the best-known kinetic-energy (KE) interceptor in the US defensive arsenal. To counter the spreading threat of proliferation, LLNL and other laboratories have been participating in a joint program funded by the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO), within the Department of Defense, to develop defensive missile systems. Participants are designing, testing, and certifying KE interceptors to defend against current and future missile threats. These research efforts are described.« less

Boosting BCG-primed responses with a subunit Apa vaccine during the waning phase improves immunity and imparts protection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis

PubMed Central

Nandakumar, Subhadra; Kannanganat, Sunil; Dobos, Karen M.; Lucas, Megan; Spencer, John S.; Amara, Rama Rao; Plikaytis, Bonnie B.; Posey, James E.; Sable, Suraj B.

2016-01-01

Heterologous prime–boosting has emerged as a powerful vaccination approach against tuberculosis. However, optimal timing to boost BCG-immunity using subunit vaccines remains unclear in clinical trials. Here, we followed the adhesin Apa-specific T-cell responses in BCG-primed mice and investigated its BCG-booster potential. The Apa-specific T-cell response peaked 32–52 weeks after parenteral or mucosal BCG-priming but waned significantly by 78 weeks. A subunit-Apa-boost during the contraction-phase of BCG-response had a greater effect on the magnitude and functional quality of specific cellular and humoral responses compared to a boost at the peak of BCG-response. The cellular response increased following mucosal BCG-prime–Apa-subunit-boost strategy compared to Apa-subunit-prime–BCG-boost approach. However, parenteral BCG-prime–Apa-subunit-boost by a homologous route was the most effective strategy in-terms of enhancing specific T-cell responses during waning in the lung and spleen. Two Apa-boosters markedly improved waning BCG-immunity and significantly reduced Mycobacterium tuberculosis burdens post-challenge. Our results highlight the challenges of optimization of prime–boost regimens in mice where BCG drives persistent immune-activation and suggest that boosting with a heterologous vaccine may be ideal once the specific persisting effector responses are contracted. Our results have important implications for design of prime–boost regimens against tuberculosis in humans. PMID:27173443

40 CFR 35.2152 - Federal share.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... a primary, secondary, or advanced treatment facility or its interceptors, or infiltration/inflow... works required to train and upgrade waste treatment works operations and maintenance personnel may be up...

40 CFR 35.2152 - Federal share.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... a primary, secondary, or advanced treatment facility or its interceptors, or infiltration/inflow... works required to train and upgrade waste treatment works operations and maintenance personnel may be up...

40 CFR 35.2015 - State priority system and project priority list.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... I); (B) Treatment more stringent than secondary (category II); (C) Infiltration/inflow correction... cost-effective alternative; (C) New interceptors and appurtenances; and (D) Infiltration/inflow...

40 CFR 35.2015 - State priority system and project priority list.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... I); (B) Treatment more stringent than secondary (category II); (C) Infiltration/inflow correction... cost-effective alternative; (C) New interceptors and appurtenances; and (D) Infiltration/inflow...

40 CFR 35.2015 - State priority system and project priority list.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... I); (B) Treatment more stringent than secondary (category II); (C) Infiltration/inflow correction... cost-effective alternative; (C) New interceptors and appurtenances; and (D) Infiltration/inflow...

40 CFR 35.2015 - State priority system and project priority list.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... I); (B) Treatment more stringent than secondary (category II); (C) Infiltration/inflow correction... cost-effective alternative; (C) New interceptors and appurtenances; and (D) Infiltration/inflow...

On the design of fuzzified trajectory shaping guidance law.

PubMed

Lin, Chun-Liang; Lin, Yu-Ping; Chen, Kai-Ming

2009-04-01

Midcourse guidance is commonly designed to save as much energy as possible so that the missile's final speed can be maximized while entering the homing stage. For this purpose, a competitive guidance design should be able to generate an admissible flight trajectory as to bring the interceptor to a superior altitude for a favorable target engagement. In this paper, a new adaptive trajectory shaping guidance scheme based on the adaptive fuzzy inference system, which is capable of generating a variety of trajectories for efficient target interception, is presented. The guidance law is developed with the aim of saving the interceptor's energy conservation while improving performance robustness. Applications of the presented approach have included a variety of mission oriented guidance, such as cruise missile guidance, anti-ballistic missile guidance, etc.

A PIPO Boost Converter with Low Ripple and Medium Current Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bandri, S.; Sofian, A.; Ismail, F.

2018-04-01

This paper presents a Parallel Input Parallel Output (PIPO) boost converter is proposed to gain power ability of converter, and reduce current inductors. The proposed technique will distribute current for n-parallel inductor and switching component. Four parallel boost converters implement on input voltage 20.5Vdc to generate output voltage 28.8Vdc. The PIPO boost converter applied phase shift pulse width modulation which will compare with conventional PIPO boost converters by using a similar pulse for every switching component. The current ripple reduction shows an advantage PIPO boost converter then conventional boost converter. Varies loads and duty cycle will be simulated and analyzed to verify the performance of PIPO boost converter. Finally, the unbalance of current inductor is able to be verified on four area of duty cycle in less than 0.6.

Booster propulsion/vehicle impact study, 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, P.; Satterthwaite, S.; Carson, C.; Schnackel, J.

1988-01-01

This is the final report in a study examining the impact of launch vehicles for various boost propulsion design options. These options included: differing boost phase engines using different combinations of fuels and coolants to include RP-1, methane, propane (subcooled and normal boiling point), and hydrogen; variable and high mixture ratio hydrogen engines; translating nozzles on boost phase engines; and cross feeding propellants from the booster to second stage. Vehicles examined included a fully reusable two stage cargo vehicle and a single stage to orbit vehicle. The use of subcooled propane as a fuel generated vehicles with the lowest total vehicle dry mass. Engines with hydrogen cooling generated only slight mass reductions from the reference, all-hydrogen vehicle. Cross feeding propellants generated the most significant mass reductions from the reference two stage vehicle. The use of high mixture ratio or variable mixture ratio hydrogen engines in the boost phase of flight resulted in vehicles with total dry mass 20 percent greater than the reference hydrogen vehicle. Translating nozzles for boost phase engines generated a heavier vehicle. Also examined were the design impacts on the vehicle and ground support subsystems when subcooled propane is used as a fuel. The most significant cost difference between facilities to handle normal boiling point versus subcooled propane is 5 million dollars. Vehicle cost differences were negligible. A significant technical challenge exists for properly conditioning the vehicle propellant on the ground and in flight when subcooled propane is used as fuel.

Fuzzy Logic Controlled Solar Module for Driving Three- Phase Induction Motor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afiqah Zainal, Nurul; Sooi Tat, Chan; Ajisman

2016-02-01

Renewable energy produced by solar module gives advantages for generated three- phase induction motor in remote area. But, solar module's ou tput is uncertain and complex. Fuzzy logic controller is one of controllers that can handle non-linear system and maximum power of solar module. Fuzzy logic controller used for Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) technique to control Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) for switching power electronics circuit. DC-DC boost converter used to boost up photovoltaic voltage to desired output and supply voltage source inverter which controlled by three-phase PWM generated by microcontroller. IGBT switched Voltage source inverter (VSI) produced alternating current (AC) voltage from direct current (DC) source to control speed of three-phase induction motor from boost converter output. Results showed that, the output power of solar module is optimized and controlled by using fuzzy logic controller. Besides that, the three-phase induction motor can be drive and control using VSI switching by the PWM signal generated by the fuzzy logic controller. This concluded that the non-linear system can be controlled and used in driving three-phase induction motor.

Hierarchical phase space structure of dark matter haloes: Tidal debris, caustics, and dark matter annihilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afshordi, Niayesh; Mohayaee, Roya; Bertschinger, Edmund

2009-04-01

Most of the mass content of dark matter haloes is expected to be in the form of tidal debris. The density of debris is not constant, but rather can grow due to formation of caustics at the apocenters and pericenters of the orbit, or decay as a result of phase mixing. In the phase space, the debris assemble in a hierarchy that is truncated by the primordial temperature of dark matter. Understanding this phase structure can be of significant importance for the interpretation of many astrophysical observations and, in particular, dark matter detection experiments. With this purpose in mind, we develop a general theoretical framework to describe the hierarchical structure of the phase space of cold dark matter haloes. We do not make any assumption of spherical symmetry and/or smooth and continuous accretion. Instead, working with correlation functions in the action-angle space, we can fully account for the hierarchical structure (predicting a two-point correlation function ∝ΔJ-1.6 in the action space), as well as the primordial discreteness of the phase space. As an application, we estimate the boost to the dark matter annihilation signal due to the structure of the phase space within virial radius: the boost due to the hierarchical tidal debris is of order unity, whereas the primordial discreteness of the phase structure can boost the total annihilation signal by up to an order of magnitude. The latter is dominated by the regions beyond 20% of the virial radius, and is largest for the recently formed haloes with the least degree of phase mixing. Nevertheless, as we argue in a companion paper, the boost due to small gravitationally-bound substructure can dominate this effect at low redshifts.

Site investigation for 125th fighter interceptor group Florida Air National Guard

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

NONE

1995-03-01

A two-step Site Investigation (SI) was conducted to evaluate the nature and extent of environmental contamination that might have resulted from past activities at eight disposal/spill sites at the 125th Fighter Interceptor Group, Florida Air National Guard (FANG) in Jacksonville, Florida. The sites included in the SI are shown on the location map in Figure ES-i and briefly described below: Oil/water separator (OWS) inlets along the aircraft parking apron; Subsurface of aircraft parking apron; Fire training areas, separated for clarity into Site 3E for the east area and Site 3W for the west area; OWS at the Hush House; OWSmore » at the Vehicle Maintenance Building; Area outside the Munitions Building; Trim pad for aircraft run-up; OWS at the Wash Rack.« less

Effect of emerging technology on a convertible, business/interceptor, supersonic-cruise jet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beissner, F. L., Jr.; Lovell, W. A.; Robins, A. W.; Swanson, E. E.

1986-01-01

This study was initiated to assess the feasibility of an eight-passenger, supersonic-cruise long range business jet aircraft that could be converted into a military missile carrying interceptor. The baseline passenger version has a flight crew of two with cabin space for four rows of two passenger seats plus baggage and lavatory room in the aft cabin. The ramp weight is 61,600 pounds with an internal fuel capacity of 30,904 pounds. Utilizing an improved version of a current technology low-bypass ratio turbofan engine, range is 3,622 nautical miles at Mach 2.0 cruise and standard day operating conditions. Balanced field takeoff distance is 6,600 feet and landing distance is 5,170 feet at 44,737 pounds. The passenger section from aft of the flight crew station to the aft pressure bulkhead in the cabin was modified for the interceptor version. Bomb bay type doors were added and volume is sufficient for four advanced air-to-air missiles mounted on a rotary launcher. Missile volume was based on a Phoenix type missile with a weight of 910 pounds per missile for a total payload weight of 3,640 pounds. Structural and equipment weights were adjusted and result in a ramp weight of 63,246 pounds with a fuel load of 30,938 pounds. Based on a typical intercept mission flight profile, the resulting radius is 1,609 nautical miles at a cruise Mach number of 2.0.

Poster — Thur Eve — 66: Robustness Assessment of a Novel IMRT Planning Method for Lung Radiotherapy

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

Ahanj, M.; Bissonnette, J.-P.; Heath, E.

2014-08-15

Conventional radiotherapy treatment planning for lung cancer accounts for tumour motion by increasing the beam apertures. We recently developed an IMRT planning strategy which uses reduced beam apertures in combination with an edge enhancing boost of 110% of the prescription dose to the volume that corresponds to the portion of the CTV that moves outside of the reduced beam. Previous results showed that this approach ensures target coverage while reducing lung dose. In the current study, we evaluate the robustness of this boost volume approach to changes in respiratory motion, including amplitude and phase weight variations. ITV and boost volumemore » plans were generated for 5 NSCLC patients with respiratory motion amplitudes ranging from 1 to 2 cm. A standard 5mm PTV margin was used for all plans. The ORBIT treatment planning tool was used to plan and accumulate dose over 10 respiratory phases defined by the 4DCT datasets. For the phase weight variation study, dose was accumulated for three scenarios: equally-weighted-phases, higher weight assigned to exhale phases and higher weight assigned to inhale phases. For the amplitude variation study, a numerical phantom was used to generate 4DCT datasets corresponding to 7 mm, 10 mm and 14 mm motion amplitudes. Preliminary results found that delivered plans for all phase weight scenarios were clinically acceptable. When normalized to mean lung dose, the boost volume plan delivered 5% more dose to the CTV which indicates the potential for dose escalation using this approach.« less

Boosted one dimensional fermionic superfluids on a lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ray, Sayonee; Mukerjee, Subroto; Shenoy, Vijay B.

2017-09-01

We study the effect of a boost (Fermi sea displaced by a finite momentum) on one dimensional systems of lattice fermions with short-ranged interactions. In the absence of a boost such systems with attractive interactions possess algebraic superconducting order. Motivated by physics in higher dimensions, one might naively expect a boost to weaken and ultimately destroy superconductivity. However, we show that for one dimensional systems the effect of the boost can be to strengthen the algebraic superconducting order by making correlation functions fall off more slowly with distance. This phenomenon can manifest in interesting ways, for example, a boost can produce a Luther-Emery phase in a system with both charge and spin gaps by engendering the destruction of the former.

Development of HWIL Testing Capabilities for Satellite Target Emulation at AEDC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lowry, H.; Crider, D.; Burns, J.; Thompson, R.; Goldsmith, G., II; Sholes, W.

Programs involved in Space Situational Awareness (SSA) need the capability to test satellite sensors in a Hardware-in-the-Loop (HWIL) environment. Testing in a ground system avoids the significant cost of on-orbit test targets and the resulting issues such as debris mitigation, and in-space testing implications. The space sensor test facilities at AEDC consist of cryo-vacuum chambers that have been developed to project simulated targets to air-borne, space-borne, and ballistic platforms. The 7V chamber performs calibration and characterization of surveillance and seeker systems, as well as some mission simulation. The 10V chamber is being upgraded to provide real-time target simulation during the detection, acquisition, discrimination, and terminal phases of a seeker mission. The objective of the Satellite Emulation project is to upgrade this existing capability to support the ability to discern and track other satellites and orbital debris in a HWIL capability. It would provide a baseline for realistic testing of satellite surveillance sensors, which would be operated in a controlled environment. Many sensor functions could be tested, including scene recognition and maneuvering control software, using real interceptor hardware and software. Statistically significant and repeatable datasets produced by the satellite emulation system can be acquired during such test and saved for further analysis. In addition, the robustness of the discrimination and tracking algorithms can be investigated by a parametric analysis using slightly different scenarios; this will be used to determine critical points where a sensor system might fail. The radiometric characteristics of satellites are expected to be similar to the targets and decoys that make up a typical interceptor mission scenario, since they are near ambient temperature. Their spectral reflectivity, emissivity, and shape must also be considered, but the projection systems employed in the 7V and 10V chambers should be capable of providing the simulation of satellites as well. There may also be a need for greater radiometric intensity or shorter time response. An appropriate satellite model is integral to the scene generation process to meet the requirements of SSA programs. The Kinetic Kill Vehicle Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulator (KHILS) facility and the Guided Weapons Evaluation Facility (GWEF), both at Eglin Air Force Base, FL are assisting in developing the scene projection hardware, based on their significant test experience using resistive emitter arrays to test interceptors in a real-time environment. Army Aviation and Missile Research & Development Command (AMRDEC) will develop the Scene Generation System for the real-time mission simulation.

Solar Sailing Kinetic Energy Interceptor (KEI) Mission for Impacting/Deflecting Near-Earth Asteroids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wie, Bong

2005-01-01

A solar sailing mission architecture, which requires a t least ten 160-m, 300-kg solar sail spacecraft with a characteristic acceleration of 0.5 mm/sqs, is proposed as a realistic near- term option for mitigating the threat posed by near-Earth asteroids (NEAs). Its mission feasibility is demonstrated for a fictional asteroid mitigation problem created by AIAA. This problem assumes that a 200-m asteroid, designated 2004WR, was detected on July 4, 2004, and that the expected impact will occur on January 14, 2015. The solar sailing phase of the proposed mission for the AIAA asteroid mitigation problem is comprised of the initial cruise phase from 1 AU t o 0.25 AU (1.5 years), the cranking orbit phase (3.5 years), and the retrograde orbit phase (1 year) prior to impacting the target asteroid at its perihelion (0.75 AU from the sun) on January 1, 2012. The proposed mission will require at least ten kinetic energy interceptor (KEI) solar sail spacecraft. Each KEI sailcraft consists of a 160- m, 150-kg solar sail and a 150-kg microsatellite impactor. The impactor is to be separated from a large solar sail prior to impacting the 200-m target asteroid at its perihelion. Each 150-kg microsatellite impactor, with a relative impact velocity of at least 70 km/s, will cause a conservatively estimated AV of 0.3 cm/s in the trajectory of the 200-m target asteroid, due largely to the impulsive effect of material ejected from the newly-formed crater. The deflection caused by a single impactor will increase the Earth-miss-distance by 0.45Re (where Re denotes the Earth radius of 6,378 km). Therefore, at least ten KEI sailcraft will be required for consecutive impacts, but probably without causing fragmentation, to increase the total Earth-miss-distance by 4.5Re. This miss-distance increase of 29,000 km is outside of a typical uncertainty/error of about 10,000 km in predicting the Earth-miss- distance. A conventional Delta I1 2925 launch vehicle is capable of injecting at least two KEI sailcraft into an Earth escaping orbit. A 40-m solar sail is currently being developed by NASA and industries for a possible flight validation experiment within 10 years, and a 160-m solar sail is expected to be available within 20 years.

IMM tracking of a theater ballistic missile during boost phase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hutchins, Robert G.; San Jose, Anthony

1998-09-01

Since the SCUD launches in the Gulf War, theater ballistic missile (TBM) systems have become a growing concern for the US military. Detection, tracking and engagement during boost phase or shortly after booster cutoff are goals that grow in importance with the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. This paper addresses the performance of tracking algorithms for TBMs during boost phase and across the transition to ballistic flight. Three families of tracking algorithms are examined: alpha-beta-gamma trackers, Kalman-based trackers, and the interactive multiple model (IMM) tracker. In addition, a variation on the IMM to include prior knowledge of a booster cutoff parameter is examined. Simulated data is used to compare algorithms. Also, the IMM tracker is run on an actual ballistic missile trajectory. Results indicate that IMM trackers show significant advantage in tracking through the model transition represented by booster cutoff.

High static gain single-phase PFC based on a hybrid boost converter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores Cortez, Daniel; Maccarini, Marcello C.; Mussa, Samir A.; Barbi, Ivo

2017-05-01

In this paper, a single-phase unity power factor rectifier, based on a hybrid boost converter, resulting from the integration of a conventional dc-dc boost converter and a switched-capacitor voltage doubler is proposed, analysed, designed and tested. The high-power rectifier is controlled by two feedback loops with the same control strategy employed in the conventional boost-based rectifier. The main feature of the proposed rectifier is its ability to output a dc voltage larger than the double of the peak value of the input line voltage, while subjecting the power switches to half of the dc-link voltage, which contributes to reducing the cost and increasing the efficiency. Experimental data were obtained from a laboratory prototype with an input voltage of 220 Vrms, line frequency of 60 Hz, output voltage of 800 Vdc, load power of 1000 W and switching frequency of 50 kHz. The efficiency of the prototype, measured in the laboratory, was 96.5% for full load and 97% for half load.

Methods, systems and apparatus for controlling operation of two alternating current (AC) machines

DOEpatents

Gallegos-Lopez, Gabriel [Torrance, CA; Nagashima, James M [Cerritos, CA; Perisic, Milun [Torrance, CA; Hiti, Silva [Redondo Beach, CA

2012-02-14

A system is provided for controlling two AC machines. The system comprises a DC input voltage source that provides a DC input voltage, a voltage boost command control module (VBCCM), a five-phase PWM inverter module coupled to the two AC machines, and a boost converter coupled to the inverter module and the DC input voltage source. The boost converter is designed to supply a new DC input voltage to the inverter module having a value that is greater than or equal to a value of the DC input voltage. The VBCCM generates a boost command signal (BCS) based on modulation indexes from the two AC machines. The BCS controls the boost converter such that the boost converter generates the new DC input voltage in response to the BCS. When the two AC machines require additional voltage that exceeds the DC input voltage required to meet a combined target mechanical power required by the two AC machines, the BCS controls the boost converter to drive the new DC input voltage generated by the boost converter to a value greater than the DC input voltage.

Four-Dimensional Positron Emission Tomography: Implications for Dose Painting of High-Uptake Regions

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

Aristophanous, Michalis, E-mail: maristophanous@lroc.harvard.edu; Yap, Jeffrey T.; Killoran, Joseph H.

Purpose: To investigate the behavior of tumor subvolumes of high [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake as seen on clinical four-dimensional (4D) FDG-positron emission tomography (PET) scans. Methods and Materials: Four-dimensional FDG-PET/computed tomography scans from 13 patients taken before radiotherapy were available. The analysis was focused on regions of high uptake that are potential dose-painting targets. A total of 17 lesions (primary tumors and lymph nodes) were analyzed. On each one of the five phases of the 4D scan a classification algorithm was applied to obtain the region of highest uptake and segment the tumor volume. We looked at the behavior of bothmore » the high-uptake subvolume, called 'Boost,' and the segmented tumor volume, called 'Target.' We measured several quantities that characterize the Target and Boost volumes and quantified correlations between them. Results: The behavior of the Target could not always predict the behavior of the Boost. The shape deformation of the Boost regions was on average 133% higher than that of the Target. The gross to internal target volume expansion was on average 27.4% for the Target and 64% for the Boost, a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). Finally, the inhale-to-exhale phase (20%) had the highest shape deformation for the Boost regions. Conclusions: A complex relationship between the measured quantities for the Boost and Target volumes is revealed. The results suggest that in cases in which advanced therapy techniques such as dose painting are being used, a close examination of the 4D PET scan should be performed.« less

Simultaneous DC and three phase output using hybrid converter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Surenderanath, S.; Rathnavel, P.; Prakash, G.; Rayavel, P.

2018-04-01

This Paper introduces new hybrid converter topologies which can supply simultaneously three phase AC as well as DC from a single DC source. The new Hybrid Converter is derived from the single switch controlled Boost converter by replacing the controlled switch with voltage source inverter (VSI). This new hybrid converter has the advantages like reduced number of switches as compared with conventional design having separate converter for supplying three phase AC and DC loads, provide DC and three AC outputs with an increased reliability, resulting from the inherent shoot through protection in the inverter stage. The proposed converter, studied in this paper, is called Boost-Derived Hybrid Converter (BDHC) as it is obtained from the conventional boost topology. A DSPIC based feedback controller is designed to regulate the DC as well as AC outputs. The proposed Converter can supply DC and AC loads at 95 V and 35 V (line to ground) respectively from a 48 V DC source.

Bed Bug (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) Detection in Low-Income, High-Rise Apartments Using Four or Fewer Passive Monitors.

PubMed

Vail, K M; Chandler, J G

2017-06-01

Bed bug, Cimex lectularius L., management in low-income, high-rise housing for the elderly and disabled can be difficult. Early detection is key to slowing their spread, and reducing management cost and time needed for control. To determine the minimum number of passive monitors needed to detect low-level bed bug infestations in this environment, we evaluated three monitors placed one, two, or four per apartment in a 3 by 3 experimental design. One sticky monitor, The Bedbug Detection System, and the two pitfall monitors, ClimbUp Insect Interceptors BG and BlackOut BedBug Detectors, were evaluated. Bed bugs were trapped by the ClimbUp Insect Interceptors BG and the BlackOut BedBug Detector in 88% and 79% of apartments, respectively, but only in 39% of the apartments monitored with The Bedbug Detection System. The Bedbug Detection System required significantly longer time to detect bed bugs than either the ClimbUp Insect Interceptor BG or the BlackOut BedBug Detector. With the less effective Bedbug Detection System data removed from analyses, detection rates ranged from 80 to 90%, with no significant differences among one, two, or four monitors per apartment. Results indicate it is especially important to include a bed placement when only placing a few monitors. Future work should compare the combination of cursory visual inspections with various monitor numbers and placements per apartment to determine the most efficient, cost-effective system that will be accepted and implemented in low-income housing. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Role of premission testing in the National Missile Defense system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tillman, Janice V.; Atkinson, Beverly

2001-09-01

The purpose of the National Missile Defense (NMD) system is to provide detection, discrimination, engagement, interception, and negation of ballistic missile attacks targeted at the United States (U.S.), including Alaska and Hawaii. This capability is achieved through the integration of weapons, sensors, and a battle management, command, control and communications (BMC3) system. The NMD mission includes surveillance, warning, cueing, and engagement of threat objects prior to potential impact on U.S. targets. The NMD Acquisition Strategy encompasses an integrated test program using Integrated Ground Tests (IGTs), Integrated Flight Tests (IFTs), Risk Reduction Flights (RRFs), Pre Mission Tests (PMTs), Command and Control (C2) Simulations, and other Specialty Tests. The IGTs utilize software-in-the-loop/hardware-in-the-loop (SWIL / HWIL) and digital simulations. The IFTs are conducted with targets launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) and interceptors launched from Kwajalein Missile Range (KMR). The RRFs evaluate NMD BMC3 and NMD sensor functional performance and integration by leveraging planned Peacekeeper and Minuteman III operational test flights and other opportunities without employing the NMD interceptor. The PMTs are nondestructive System-level tests representing the use of NMD Element Test Assets in their IFT configuration and are conducted to reduce risks in achieving the IFT objectives. Specifically, PMTs are used to reduce integration, interface, and performance risks associated with Flight Tests to ensure that as much as possible, the System is tested without expending a target or an interceptor. This paper examines several critical test planning and analysis functions as they relate to the NMD Integrated Flight Test program and, in particular, to Pre-Mission Testing. Topics to be discussed include: - Flight-test program planning; - Pre-Test Integration activities; and - Test Execution, Analysis, and Post-Flight Reconstruction.

PENTACHLROPHENOL REDUCTIVE DEHALOGENATION IN AN INTERCEPTOR TRENCH: TEMPERATURE EFFECTS. (R825689C016)

EPA Science Inventory

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

40 CFR 35.2152 - Federal share.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Federal share. 35.2152 Section 35.2152 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE STATE AND LOCAL... a primary, secondary, or advanced treatment facility or its interceptors, or infiltration/inflow...

40 CFR 35.2152 - Federal share.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Federal share. 35.2152 Section 35.2152 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE STATE AND LOCAL... a primary, secondary, or advanced treatment facility or its interceptors, or infiltration/inflow...

40 CFR 35.2152 - Federal share.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Federal share. 35.2152 Section 35.2152 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE STATE AND LOCAL... a primary, secondary, or advanced treatment facility or its interceptors, or infiltration/inflow...

An aerodynamic assessment of various supersonic fighter airplanes based on Soviet design concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spearman, M. L.

1983-01-01

The aerodynamic, stability, and control characteristics of several supersonic fighter airplane concepts were assessed. The configurations include fixed-wing airplanes having delta wings, swept wings, and trapezoidal wings, and variable wing-sweep airplanes. Each concept employs aft tail controls. The concepts vary from lightweight, single engine, air superiority, point interceptor, or ground attack types to larger twin-engine interceptor and reconnaissance designs. Results indicate that careful application of the transonic or supersonic area rule can provide nearly optimum shaping for minimum drag for a specified Mach number requirement. Through the proper location of components and the exploitation of interference flow fields, the concepts provide linear pitching moment characteristics, high control effectiveness, and reasonably small variations in aerodynamic center location with a resulting high potential for maneuvering capability. By careful attention to component shaping and location and through the exploitation of local flow fields, favorable roll-to-yaw ratios may result and a high degree of directional stability can be achieved.

Study of unsteady flow field over a forward-looking endoatmospheric hit-to-kill interceptor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yang, H. Q.; Antonison, Mark

1993-01-01

Forward-looking recessed aperture interceptor has significant aero-optical and aero-thermal advantages. Previous experimental studies have shown that the flow field in front of a forward-looking cavity is unsteady and the bow shock oscillates at the cavity fundamental resonant frequency. In this study, an advanced CFD code is applied to study the above unsteady phenomena. The code is first validated against the experiments and good comparisons are found. The numerical parametric study shows that the existence of oscillatory bow shock is very sensitive to the cavity geometry. At a FOV of 60 deg, the initial transient quickly dampens out to a steady state. With a decrease of FOV, an unsteady oscillatory flow field is sustained after initial transient and the amplitude of oscillation is a function of FOV. For FOV of 20 deg, the amplitude of pressure oscillation is 25 percent of the mean value in the cavity. For a FOV of 10 deg, it can be as high as 50 percent.

The Reduced Effectiveness of EGR to Mitigate Knock at High Loads in Boosted SI Engines

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

Szybist, James P.; Wagnon, Scott W.; Splitter, Derek A.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) can attenuate knock propensity in spark ignition (SI) engines at naturally aspirated or lightly boosted conditions. In this paper, we investigate the role of cooled EGR under higher load conditions with multiple fuel compositions, where highly retarded combustion phasing typical of modern SI engines was used. It was found that under these conditions, EGR attenuation of knock is greatly reduced, where EGR doesn’t allow significant combustion phasing advance as it does under lighter load conditions. Detailed combustion analysis shows that when EGR is added, the polytropic coefficient increases causing the compressivemore » pressure and temperature to increase. At sufficiently highly boosted conditions, the increase in polytropic coefficient and additional trapped mass from EGR can sufficiently reduce fuel ignition delay to overcome knock attenuation effects. Kinetic modeling demonstrates that the effectiveness of EGR to mitigate knock is highly dependent on the pressure-temperature condition. Experiments at 2000 rpm have confirmed reduced fuel ignition delay under highly boosted conditions relevant to modern downsized boosted SI engines, where in-cylinder pressure is higher and the temperature is cooler. Finally, at these conditions, charge reactivity increases compared to naturally aspirated conditions, and attenuation of knock by EGR is reduced.« less

The Reduced Effectiveness of EGR to Mitigate Knock at High Loads in Boosted SI Engines

DOE PAGES

Szybist, James P.; Wagnon, Scott W.; Splitter, Derek A.; ...

2017-09-04

Numerous studies have demonstrated that exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) can attenuate knock propensity in spark ignition (SI) engines at naturally aspirated or lightly boosted conditions. In this paper, we investigate the role of cooled EGR under higher load conditions with multiple fuel compositions, where highly retarded combustion phasing typical of modern SI engines was used. It was found that under these conditions, EGR attenuation of knock is greatly reduced, where EGR doesn’t allow significant combustion phasing advance as it does under lighter load conditions. Detailed combustion analysis shows that when EGR is added, the polytropic coefficient increases causing the compressivemore » pressure and temperature to increase. At sufficiently highly boosted conditions, the increase in polytropic coefficient and additional trapped mass from EGR can sufficiently reduce fuel ignition delay to overcome knock attenuation effects. Kinetic modeling demonstrates that the effectiveness of EGR to mitigate knock is highly dependent on the pressure-temperature condition. Experiments at 2000 rpm have confirmed reduced fuel ignition delay under highly boosted conditions relevant to modern downsized boosted SI engines, where in-cylinder pressure is higher and the temperature is cooler. Finally, at these conditions, charge reactivity increases compared to naturally aspirated conditions, and attenuation of knock by EGR is reduced.« less

Hybrid Guidance Control for a Hypervelocity Small Size Asteroid Interceptor Vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zebenay, Melak M.; Lyzhoft, Joshua R.; Barbee, Brent W.

2017-01-01

Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) are comets and/or asteroids that have orbits in proximity with Earth's own orbit. NEOs have collided with the Earth in the past, which can be seen at such places as Chicxulub crater, Barringer crater, and Manson crater, and will continue in the future with potentially significant and devastating results. Fortunately such NEO collisions with Earth are infrequent, but can happen at any time. Therefore it is necessary to develop and validate techniques as well as technologies necessary to prevent them. One approach to mitigate future NEO impacts is the concept of high-speed interceptor. This concept is to alter the NEO's trajectory via momentum exchange by using kinetic impactors as well as nuclear penetration devices. The interceptor has to hit a target NEO at relative velocity which imparts a sufficient change in NEO velocity. NASA's Deep Impact mission has demonstrated this scenario by intercepting Comet Temple 1, 5 km in diameter, with an impact relative speed of approximately 10 km/s. This paper focuses on the development of hybrid guidance navigation and control (GNC) algorithms for precision hypervelocity intercept of small sized NEOs. The spacecraft's hypervelocity and the NEO's small size are critical challenges for a successful mission as the NEO will not fill the field of view until a few seconds before intercept. The investigation needs to consider the error sources modeled in the navigation simulation such as spacecraft initial state uncertainties in position and velocity. Furthermore, the paper presents three selected spacecraft guidance algorithms for asteroid intercept and rendezvous missions. The selected algorithms are classical Proportional Navigation (PN) based guidance that use a first order difference to compute the derivatives, Three Plane Proportional Navigation (TPPN), and the Kinematic Impulse (KI). A manipulated Bennu orbit that has been changed to impact Earth will be used as a demonstrative example to compare the three methods. In addition, a hybrid approach that is a combination between proportional navigation and kinematic impulse will be investigated to find an effective, error tolerant, and power saving approach. A 3-dimension mission scenario for both the asteroid and the interceptor spacecraft software simulator is developed for testing of the controllers. The current result demonstrates that a miss distance magnitude of less than 10m is found using the PN and TPPN guidance laws for small asteroid in the presence of error in the spacecraft states. Moreover, the paper presents these results and also the hybrid control approach simulation results.

China’s Technology Sector

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-01

Technology Park ...................................................................................... 25 National Program 2006–2020 for the Development of...China’s Technology Sector 3 program of developing coorbital ASAT interceptors using microsatellites...D funding has proceeded according to Premier Wen Jiabao’s 15-year S&T plan, the National Program 2006–2020 for the Development of Science and

32 CFR 245.21 - ESCAT air traffic priority list.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... aircraft post-maintenance test flights. (7) Federal aircraft post maintenance check flights in support of... Staff. (2) Aircraft engaged in active continental defense missions, including anti-submarine aircraft, interceptors, air refueling tanker aircraft, and airborne early-warning and control aircraft (e.g., E-3, E-2, P...

AN ADJUNCT TO SELF STUDY.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MEYER, DONALD E.

TWO EXPERIMENTS WERE CONDUCTED TO EVALUATE A SELF-STUDY PROGRAM PREPARED WITHIN TWO OPERATIONAL FIGHTER-INTERCEPTOR SQUADRONS. BASED ON A TECHNICAL ORDER MANUAL, IT CONSISTED OF SEQUENCED MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS WITH A SIMPLE PUNCHBOARD AS A CONFIRMING DEVICE. IN EXPERIMENT ONE, TWO OPERATIONAL SQUADRONS WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS JUDGED TO BE…

Defensive platform size and survivability. [Platform survivability

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

Canavan, Gregory H.

1988-06-01

This report discusses the survivability of space platforms, concentrating on space based kinetic energy interceptors. It evaluates the efficacy of hardening, maneuver, self-defense, and deception in extending the survivability of platforms of varying sizes to expected threats, concluding that they should be adequate in the near and mid terms.

7. CONVEYOR DISCHARGE IN HOG HAIR PROCESSING AREA, NORTHWEST CORNER ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

7. CONVEYOR DISCHARGE IN HOG HAIR PROCESSING AREA, NORTHWEST CORNER OF LEVEL 2; HAIR WAS TRANSPORTED BY CONVEYOR FROM BUILDING 40, THEN WASHED, DRIED AND BALED IN BUILDING 148 - Rath Packing Company, Grease Interceptor Building, Sycamore Street between Elm & Eighteenth Streets, Waterloo, Black Hawk County, IA

Cryocooler Coldfinger Heat Interceptor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, D. L.; Ross, R. G., Jr.

1994-01-01

Spacecraft instruments requiring cryocoolers in their design struggle to keep overall power requirements in line with feasible solar array dimensions and launch vehicle lift capacities. Intermediate temperature (150 K to 200 K) radiators to cool radiation shields or optics on spacecraft instruments provide an as yet untapped resource for reducing the cryocooler power requirments.

77 FR 47511 - New Animal Drugs; Cephalexin; Fentanyl; Milbemycin Oxime and Praziquantel

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-09

.... Chewable Tablets for treatment of secondary 520.376 Worth, TX 76137. Dogs. superficial bacterial pyoderma in dogs caused by susceptible strains of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius. 141-337 Nexcyon RECUVYRA... 53703. dogs. 141-338 Novartis Animal INTERCEPTOR SPECTRUM Original approval for New yes CE \\1\\ Health US...

Relocatable In-Flight Interceptor Communications System Data Terminal #2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-10-19

abundance renders them susceptible to inbreeding, loss of genetic variation, bigb variability in age and sex ratios, demographic stochasticity, and...implements the reasonable and prudent measure described above. This term and condition is non-di’!Cretionary. 1. The following tenns and conditions

Demonstration of digital phase-sensitive boosting to extend signal reach for long-haul WDM systems using optical phase-conjugated copy.

PubMed

Tian, Yue; Huang, Yue-Kai; Zhang, Shaoliang; Prucnal, Paul R; Wang, Ting

2013-02-25

We demonstrate a hybrid optical/digital phase-sensitive boosting (PSB) technique for long-haul wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) transmission systems. The approach uses four-wave mixing (FWM) to generate a phase-conjugated idler alongside the original signal. At the receiver, the signal and idler are jointly detected, and the phases of the idler symbols are conjugated and summed with the signal symbols to suppress noise and nonlinear phase distortion. The proposed hybrid PSB scheme is independent of modulation format and does not require an optical phase-locked loop to achieve phase matching required by conventional phase-sensitive amplifiers. Our simulation and experimental results of 112-Gb/s dual-polarization quadrature phase-shift-keying (DP-QPSK) transmission confirmed the principle of the PSB scheme, attaining a Q-factor improvement of 2.4 dB over conventional single-channel transmission after 4,800 km of dispersion-managed fiber (DMF) link at the expense of 50% reduction in spectral efficiency and extending the system reach by 60% to 7,680 km.

Icing Frequencies Experienced During Climb and Descent by Fighter-Interceptor Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perkins, Porter J.

1958-01-01

Data and analyses are presented on the relative frequencies of occurrence and severity of icing cloud layers encountered by jet aircraft in the climb and descent phases of flights to high altitudes. Fighter-interceptor aircraft operated by the Air Defense Command (USAF) at bases in the Duluth and Seattle areas collected the data with icing meters installed for a l-year period. The project was part of an extensive program conducted by the NACA to collect Icing cloud data for evaluating the icing problem relevant to routine operations. The average frequency of occurrence of icing was found to be about 5 percent of the number of climbs and descents during 1 year of operations The icing encounters were predominantly in the low and middle cloud layers, decreasing above 15,000 feet to practically none above 25,000 feet. The greatest thickness of ice that would accumulate on any aircraft component (as indicated by the accretion on a small object) was measured with the icing meters. The ice thicknesses on a small sensing probe averaged less than 1/32 inch and did not exceed 1/2 inch. Such accumulations are relatively small when compared with those that can form during horizontal flight in icing clouds. The light accretions resulted from relatively steep angles of flight through generally thin cloud layers. Because of the limited statistical reliability of the results, an analysis was made using previous statistics on icing clouds below an altitude of 20,000 feet to determine the general icing severity probabilities. The calculations were made using adiabatic lifting as a basis to establish the liquid-water content. Probabilities of over-all ice accretions on a small object as a function of airspeed and rate of climb were computed from the derived water contents. These results were then combined with the probability of occurrence of icing in order to give the icing severity that can be expected for routine aircraft operations.

Physics of a ballistic missile defense - The chemical laser boost-phase defense

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grabbe, Crockett L.

1988-01-01

The basic physics involved in proposals to use a chemical laser based on satellites for a boost-phase defense are investigated. After a brief consideration of simple physical conditions for the defense, a calculation of an equation for the number of satellites needed for the defense is made along with some typical values of this for possible future conditions for the defense. Basic energy and power requirements for the defense are determined. A sumary is made of probable minimum conditions that must be achieved for laser power, targeting accuracy, number of satellites, and total sources for power needed.

Divided Attention Can Enhance Early-Phase Memory Encoding: The Attentional Boost Effect and Study Trial Duration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mulligan, Neil W.; Spataro, Pietro

2015-01-01

Divided attention during encoding typically produces marked reductions in later memory. The attentional boost effect (ABE) is a surprising variation on this phenomenon. In this paradigm, each study stimulus (e.g., a word) is presented along with a target or a distractor (e.g., different colored circles) in a detection task. Later memory is better…

Back to the Future: Integrated Air and Missile Defense in the Pacific

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-02-01

US assets with those of our allies and partners, we have optimized our defense design, pre- venting the waste of precious interceptors. The Pacific...Good Offense: Attack Operations Power projection is, and always will be, th e bread and butter of the US Air Force. Only the United States can

40 CFR 35.910-7 - Fiscal Year 1977 Supplemental Appropriations Act allotments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... (secondary treatment, more stringent treatment required to meet water quality standards, and interceptor..., and V (secondary treatment, more stringent treatment required to meet water quality standards... Mexico 3,272,000 New York 105,294,000 North Carolina 20,722,000 North Dakota 3,272,000 Ohio 55,522,000...

The Militarization of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSL Issue Paper, Volume 6-09, July 2009)

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-07-01

crises that more than likely are considered to threaten Uzbek vital interests in Central Asia. According to CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha, the...Central Asia. To Russian leaders, the planned deployment of theater missile defense interceptors to Poland and a radar system in the Czech Republic

Analysis and design of a high power, digitally-controlled spacecraft power system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, F. C.; Cho, B. H.

1990-01-01

The progress to date on the analysis and design of a high power, digitally controlled spacecraft power system is described. Several battery discharger topologies were compared for use in the space platform application. Updated information has been provided on the battery voltage specification. Initially it was thought to be in the 30 to 40 V range. It is now specified to be 53 V to 84 V. This eliminated the tapped-boost and the current-fed auto-transformer converters from consideration. After consultations with NASA, it was decided to trade-off the following topologies: (1) boost converter; (2) multi-module, multi-phase boost converter; and (3) voltage-fed push-pull with auto-transformer. A non-linear design optimization software tool was employed to facilitate an objective comparison. Non-linear design optimization insures that the best design of each topology is compared. The results indicate that a four-module, boost converter with each module operating 90 degrees out of phase is the optimum converter for the space platform. Large-signal and small-signal models were generated for the shunt, charger, discharger, battery, and the mode controller. The models were first tested individually according to the space platform power system specifications supplied by NASA. The effect of battery voltage imbalance on parallel dischargers was investigated with respect to dc and small-signal responses. Similarly, the effects of paralleling dischargers and chargers were also investigated. A solar array and shunt model was included in these simulations. A model for the bus mode controller (power control unit) was also developed to interface the Orbital replacement Unit (ORU) model to the platform power system. Small signal models were used to generate the bus impedance plots in the various operating modes. The large signal models were integrated into a system model, and time domain simulations were performed to verify bus regulation during mode transitions. Some changes have subsequently been incorporated into the models. The changes include the use of a four module boost discharger, and a new model for the mode controller, which includes the effects of saturation. The new simulations for the boost discharger show the improvement in bus ripple that can be achieved by phase-shifted operation of each of the boost modules.

Efficacy and safety of switching to fixed-dose bictegravir, emtricitabine, and tenofovir alafenamide from boosted protease inhibitor-based regimens in virologically suppressed adults with HIV-1: 48 week results of a randomised, open-label, multicentre, phase 3, non-inferiority trial.

PubMed

Daar, Eric S; DeJesus, Edwin; Ruane, Peter; Crofoot, Gordon; Oguchi, Godson; Creticos, Catherine; Rockstroh, Jürgen K; Molina, Jean-Michel; Koenig, Ellen; Liu, Ya-Pei; Custodio, Joseph; Andreatta, Kristen; Graham, Hiba; Cheng, Andrew; Martin, Hal; Quirk, Erin

2018-06-15

Switching from therapy based on a boosted protease inhibitor to bictegravir, emtricitabine, and tenofovir alafenamide could avoid drug interactions and unwanted side-effects in virologically suppressed adults with HIV-1 infection, while maintaining a high barrier to resistance and providing a simplified once-daily, single-tablet regimen. Here, we report 48 week results of a phase 3 study investigating this switch. In this multicentre, randomised, open-label, active-controlled, non-inferiority, phase 3 trial, adults with HIV-1 infection were enrolled at 121 outpatient centres in ten countries. Eligible participants were aged 18 years or older, had an estimated glomerular filtration rate of 50 mL per min or higher, had been virologically suppressed (plasma HIV-1 RNA <50 copies per mL) for 6 months or more before screening, and were on a regimen consisting of boosted atazanavir or darunavir plus either emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate or abacavir and lamivudine. We randomly assigned participants (1:1), using a computer-generated randomisation sequence, to switch to co-formulated once-daily bictegravir (50 mg), emtricitabine (200 mg), and tenofovir alafenamide (25 mg), herein known as the bictegravir group, or to remain on their baseline boosted protease inhibitor regimen, herein known as the boosted protease inhibitor group, for 48 weeks. Randomisation was stratified by use of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate or abacavir at screening. The primary endpoint was the proportion of participants with plasma HIV-1 RNA of 50 copies per mL or higher at week 48 (by US Food and Drug Administration snapshot algorithm), with a prespecified non-inferiority margin of 4%. Efficacy and safety analyses included all participants who received at least one dose of study drug. This study is ongoing but not actively recruiting patients and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02603107. Between Dec 2, 2015, and July 15, 2016, 578 participants were randomly assigned and 577 were treated (290 in the bictegravir group and 287 in the boosted protease inhibitor group). At week 48, five participants (2%) in the bictegravir group and five (2%) in the boosted protease inhibitor group had plasma HIV-1 RNA of 50 copies per mL or higher (difference 0·0%, 95·002% CI -2·5 to 2·5), thus switching to the bictegravir regimen was non-inferior to continued boosted protease inhibitor therapy. The overall incidence and severity of adverse events was similar between groups, although headache occurred more frequently in the bictegravir group than in the boosted protease inhibitor group. 233 (80%) participants in the bictegravir group and 226 (79%) in the boosted protease inhibitor group had an adverse event. Only two (1%) participants in the bictegravir group and one (<1%) in the boosted protease inhibitor group discontinued treatment because of adverse events. 54 participants (19%) in the bictegravir group had drug-related adverse events compared with six (2%) in the protease inhibitor group. Fixed-dose bictegravir, emtricitabine, and tenofovir alafenamide might be a safe and efficacious alternative to continued boosted protease inhibitor therapy in adults with HIV-1 infection. Gilead Sciences. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Peeling the onion: an heuristic overview of hit-to-kill missile defense in the 21st century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LaCroix, Len; Kurzius, Shelby

2005-03-01

Researchers engaged in the development of infrared detector technologies may well benefit from a broader understanding of their products from the perspective of the end-user. An appreciation of how this technology is to be used by system designers, many of whom possess only a rudimentary understanding of quantum physics, is highly germane. Answers to questions like: "What device technology will be employed," "How will the device be used?" and "What are the impacts on signal-to-noise?" are of critical importance. In this paper, some of the fundamentals of hit-to-kill missile defense technology are examined in a largely non-mathematical context. From its "Star Wars" inception during the Reagan administration, to today"s Missile Defense Agency, the core requirement of missile defense has not changed - find the threat and destroy it before it reaches its destination. This fundamental requirement, while conceptually straightforward, is extraordinarily difficult to satisfy, and is almost exclusively dependent on our ability to detect and designate a relatively small, very fast-moving, room-temperature object, at great distances, and usually in a severe environment of shock and vibration further clouded by error and uncertainty. With an obvious bias toward passive IR detection and associated focal plane array characteristics, the flight of a fictitious interceptor is followed from launch to impact. At various points along the interceptor"s trajectory, a "peel the onion" approach is utilized to expose increasingly detailed layers of behavior, including the eventual release of the kinetic kill vehicle, and its autonomous flight to a body-to-body impact with its target. Various sources of error and their impact on the success of the mission are examined, and an overall understanding of the key features of the infrared seeker and its critical role in missile defense are ultimately developed.

Fast-scale non-linear distortion analysis of peak-current-controlled buck-boost inverters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hao; Dong, Shuai; Yi, Chuanzhi; Guan, Weimin

2018-02-01

This paper deals with fast-scale non-linear distortion behaviours including asymmetrical period-doubling bifurcation and zero-crossing distortion in peak-current-controlled buck-boost inverters. The underlying mechanisms of the fast-scale non-linear distortion behaviours in inverters are revealed. The folded bifurcation diagram is presented to analyse the asymmetrical phenomenon of fast-scale period-doubling bifurcation. In view of the effect of phase shift and current ripple, the analytical expressions for one pair of critical phase angles are derived by using the design-oriented geometrical current approach. It is shown that the phase shift between inductor current and capacitor voltage should be responsible for the zero-crossing distortion phenomenon. These results obtained here are useful to optimise the circuit design and improve the circuit performance.

United States Military Posture for FY 1979. Statement by General George S. Brown, USAF Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, to the Congress.

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-01-20

adopting new short- range, visually aimed weapons as secondary arma - FOXBAT ment on many of their deployed interceptors. These weapons should enhance...i egrtedwit letal eapns. EW threat, and provide practice in tactics and:1weapon system, integrated with lethal weapons. equipment operations

Five-year Local Control in a Phase II Study of Hypofractionated Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy With an Incorporated Boost for Early Stage Breast Cancer

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

Freedman, Gary M., E-mail: Gary.Freedman@uphs.upenn.edu; Anderson, Penny R.; Bleicher, Richard J.

Purpose: Conventional radiation fractionation of 1.8-2 Gy per day for early stage breast cancer requires daily treatment for 6-7 weeks. We report the 5-year results of a phase II study of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), hypofractionation, and incorporated boost that shortened treatment time to 4 weeks. Methods and Materials: The study design was phase II with a planned accrual of 75 patients. Eligibility included patients aged {>=}18 years, Tis-T2, stage 0-II, and breast conservation. Photon IMRT and an incorporated boost was used, and the whole breast received 2.25 Gy per fraction for a total of 45 Gy, and themore » tumor bed received 2.8 Gy per fraction for a total of 56 Gy in 20 treatments over 4 weeks. Patients were followed every 6 months for 5 years. Results: Seventy-five patients were treated from December 2003 to November 2005. The median follow-up was 69 months. Median age was 52 years (range, 31-81). Median tumor size was 1.4 cm (range, 0.1-3.5). Eighty percent of tumors were node negative; 93% of patients had negative margins, and 7% of patients had close (>0 and <2 mm) margins; 76% of cancers were invasive ductal type: 15% were ductal carcinoma in situ, 5% were lobular, and 4% were other histology types. Twenty-nine percent of patients 29% had grade 3 carcinoma, and 20% of patients had extensive in situ carcinoma; 11% of patients received chemotherapy, 36% received endocrine therapy, 33% received both, and 20% received neither. There were 3 instances of local recurrence for a 5-year actuarial rate of 2.7%. Conclusions: This 4-week course of hypofractionated radiation with incorporated boost was associated with excellent local control, comparable to historical results of 6-7 weeks of conventional whole-breast fractionation with sequential boost.« less

The natural history of varicella zoster virus infection in Norway: Further insights on exogenous boosting and progressive immunity to herpes zoster

PubMed Central

Marangi, Luigi; Mirinaviciute, Grazina; Flem, Elmira; Scalia Tomba, Gianpaolo; Guzzetta, Giorgio; Freiesleben de Blasio, Birgitte; Manfredi, Piero

2017-01-01

We use age-structured models for VZV transmission and reactivation to reconstruct the natural history of VZV in Norway based on available pre-vaccination serological data, contact matrices, and herpes zoster incidence data. Depending on the hypotheses on contact and transmission patterns, the basic reproduction number of varicella in Norway ranges between 3.7 and 5.0, implying a vaccine coverage between 73 and 80% to effectively interrupt transmission with a 100% vaccine efficacy against infection. The varicella force of infection peaks during early childhood (3–5 yrs) and shows a prolonged phase of higher risk during the childbearing period, though quantitative variations can occur depending on contact patterns. By expressing the magnitude of exogenous boosting as a proportion of the force of infection, it is shown that reactivation is well described by a progressive immunity mechanism sustained by a large, though possibly below 100%, degree of exogenous boosting, in agreement with findings from other Nordic countries, implying large reproduction numbers of boosting. Moreover, magnitudes of exogenous boosting below 40% are robustly disconfirmed by data. These results bring further insight on the magnitude of immunity boosting and its relationship with reactivation. PMID:28545047

A Study on: Exploring U.S. Missile Defense Requirements in 2010: What Are the Policy and Technology Challenges?

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-04-01

technology matures. Mid-course phase Warhead & Booster ■’-=>- penaid deployment burnout v y...phase Warhead & Booster _^, penaid deployment burnout v y^ complete...and penaids fit so equippec I) are deployed immediately following boost phase burnout . • Large deceleration occurs from atmospheric drag upon re

Simultaneous integrated intensity-modulated radiotherapy boost for locally advanced gynecological cancer: Radiobiological and dosimetric considerations

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

Guerrero, Mariana; Li, X. Allen; Ma Lijun

2005-07-01

Purpose: Whole-pelvis irradiation (WPI) followed by a boost to the tumor site is the standard of practice for the radiotherapeutic management of locally advanced gynecologic cancers. The boost is frequently administered by use of brachytherapy or, occasionally, external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) when brachytherapy does not provide sufficient coverage because of the size of the tumor or the geometry of the patient. In this work, we propose using an intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) simultaneous integrated boost (SIB), which is a single-phase process, to replace the conventional two-phase process involving WPI plus a boost. Radiobiological modeling is used to design appropriate regimens for themore » IMRT SIB. To demonstrate feasibility, a dosimetric study is carried out on an example patient. Methods and Materials: The standard linear-quadratic (LQ) model is used to calculate the biologically effective dose (BED) and equivalent uniform dose (EUD). A series of regimens that are biologically equivalent to those conventional two-phase treatments is calculated for the proposed SIB. A commercial inverse planning system (Corvus) was used to generate IMRT SIB plans for a sample patient case that used the newly designed fractionations. The dose-volume histogram (DVH) and EUD of both the target and normal structures for conventional treatments and the SIB are compared. A sparing factor was introduced to characterize the sparing of normal structures. Results: Fractionation regimes that are equivalent to the conventional treatments and are suitable for the IMRT SIB are deduced. For example, a SIB plan with 25 x 3.1 Gy (77.5 Gy) to a tumor is equivalent to a conventional treatment of EBRT of 45 Gy to the whole pelvis in 25 fractions plus a high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy boost with 30 Gy in 5 fractions. The normal tissue BED is found to be lower for the SIB plan than for the whole-pelvis plus HDR scheme when a sparing factor for the critical structures is considered. This finding suggests that the IMRT SIB has a better therapeutic ratio. Three IMRT SIB plans with 25 x 1.8 Gy to the pelvic nodes and 25 x 2.4 Gy (60 Gy), 25 x 2.8 Gy (70 Gy), and 25 x 3.2 Gy (80 Gy) to the tumor site were generated for the example patient case. The target coverage ranged from 94% to 95.5%. The sparing of bladder and rectum is significantly improved with the 60 to 70 Gy SIB treatments, as compared with the conventional treatments. The proposed SIB treatment can reduce the treatment time to 5 weeks. Conclusions: An IMRT simultaneous integrated boost to replace the conventional two-phase treatments (whole pelvic irradiation followed by brachytherapy or EBRT boost) is radiobiologically and dosimetricaly feasible for locally advanced gynecological cancers that may not be amenable to brachytherapy for anatomic or medical reasons. In addition to its shorter treatment time, the proposed IMRT SIB can provide significant sparing to normal structures, which offers potential for dose escalation. Issues such as organ motion and changing anatomy as tumor responds still must be addressed.« less

Military microwaves '84; Proceedings of the Conference, London, England, October 24-26, 1984

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

The present conference on microwave frequency electronic warfare and military sensor equipment developments consider radar warning receivers, optical frequency spread spectrum systems, mobile digital communications troposcatter effects, wideband bulk encryption, long range air defense radars (such as the AR320, W-2000 and Martello), multistatic radars, and multimode airborne and interceptor radars. IR system and subsystem component topics encompass thermal imaging and active IR countermeasures, class 1 modules, and diamond coatings, while additional radar-related topics include radar clutter in airborne maritime reconnaissance systems, microstrip antennas with dual polarization capability, the synthesis of shaped beam antenna patterns, planar phased arrays, radar signal processing, radar cross section measurement techniques, and radar imaging and pattern analysis. Attention is also given to optical control and signal processing, mm-wave control technology and EW systems, W-band operations, planar mm-wave arrays, mm-wave monolithic solid state components, mm-wave sensor technology, GaAs monolithic ICs, and dielectric resonator and wideband tunable oscillators.

Trajectory tracking and backfitting techniques against theater ballistic missiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hutchins, Robert G.; Britt, Patrick T.

1999-10-01

Since the SCUD launches in the Gulf War, theater ballistic missile (TBM) systems have become a growing concern for the US military. Detection, fast track initiation, backfitting for launch point determination, and tracking and engagement during boost phase or shortly after booster cutoff are goals that grow in importance with the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. This paper focuses on track initiation and backfitting techniques, as well as extending some earlier results on tracking a TBM during boost phase cutoff. Results indicate that Kalman techniques are superior to third order polynomial extrapolations in estimating the launch point, and that some knowledge of missile parameters, especially thrust, is extremely helpful in track initiation.

Sliding mode control of direct coupled interleaved boost converter for fuel cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, W. Y.; Ding, Y. H.; Ke, X.; Ma, X.

2017-12-01

A three phase direct coupled interleaved boost converter (TP-DIBC) was recommended in this paper. This converter has a small unbalance current sharing among the branches of TP-DIBC. An adaptive control law sliding mode control (SMC) is designed for the TP-DIBC. The aim is to 1) reduce ripple output voltage, inductor current and regulate output voltage tightly 2) The total current carried by direct coupled interleaved boost converter (DIBC) must be equally shared between different parallel branches. The efficacy and robustness of the proposed TP-DIBC and adaptive SMC is confirmed via computer simulations using Matlab SimPower System Tools. The simulation result is in line with the expectation.

Divided attention can enhance early-phase memory encoding: the attentional boost effect and study trial duration.

PubMed

Mulligan, Neil W; Spataro, Pietro

2015-07-01

Divided attention during encoding typically produces marked reductions in later memory. The attentional boost effect (ABE) is a surprising variation on this phenomenon. In this paradigm, each study stimulus (e.g., a word) is presented along with a target or a distractor (e.g., different colored circles) in a detection task. Later memory is better for stimuli co-occurring with targets. The present experiments indicate that the ABE arises during an early phase of memory encoding that involves initial stimulus perception and comprehension rather than at a later phase entailing controlled, elaborative rehearsal. Experiment 1 demonstrated that the ABE was robust at a short study duration (700 ms) and did not increase with increasing study trial durations (1,500 ms and 4,000 ms). Furthermore, the target condition is boosted to the level of memory performance in a full-attention condition for the short duration but not the long duration. Both results followed from the early-phase account. This account also predicts that for very short study times (limiting the influence of late-phase controlled encoding and thus minimizing the usual negative effect of divided attention), the target condition will produce better memory than will the full-attention condition. Experiment 2 used a study time of 400 ms and found that words presented with targets lead to greater recognition accuracy than do either words presented with distractors or words in the full-attention condition. Consistent with the early-phase account, a divided attention condition actually produced superior memory than did the full-attention condition, a very unusual but theoretically predicted result. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.

76 FR 6448 - Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Space Vehicle and Test...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-04

..., notification is hereby given that a letter of authorization (LOA) has been issued to the 30th Space Wing, U.S... launch satellites into polar orbit: Delta II; Taurus; Atlas V; Delta IV; Falcon; and Minotaur. Also a variety of small missiles, several types of interceptor and target vehicles, and fixed-wing aircrafts are...

78 FR 37788 - In the Matter of: Juan Ricardo Puente-Paez, Inmate Number #05086-379, FCI McDowell, Federal...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-24

... exported from the United States to Mexico four military spec Interceptor body armor vests, which were... owned, possessed or controlled by the Denied Person, or service any item, of whatever origin, that is... subject to the Regulations are the foreign-produced direct product of U.S.-origin technology. V. This...

Missile Misdistance Reduction: An Instructive Methodology for Developing Terminal Guidance Control Systems to Minimize Missile Misdistance.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-10-01

ZHTAM NORMAS IZED MISSILE*S DISPLACEMENT OFF-L.O.S * NCAACC NORMALIZED MISSILE’S ACCELERATION &YAN TAM "(I/(I-N(K) ))*(I-TIMEI*flL-TIMEJ**(N(KI-)--I...Interceptor Missiles, April 1976. 8. George, L. C., "Missile Guidance and Control System De- sign Trends," SAE paper, National Aerospace Engineering and

Evaluation of new tools for malaria vector control in Cameroon: focus on long lasting insecticidal nets.

PubMed

Etang, Josiane; Nwane, Philippe; Piameu, Michael; Manga, Blaise; Souop, Daniel; Awono-Ambene, Parfait

2013-01-01

From 2006 to 2011, biological activity of insecticides for Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS), conventional treatment of nets (CTNs) or long lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) was evaluated before their approval in Cameroon. The objective of the study was to select the best tools for universal malaria vector control coverage. Bioassays were performed using WHO cones and the Kisumu susceptible strain of Anopheles gambiae s.s.. Among tested products, residual activity and wash resistance of Alpha-cypermethrin LLINs (Interceptor) and CTNs (Fendona) were assessed during 5 months in the Ntougou neighborhood. All the 14 tested products were found effective (95-100% knockdown and mortality rates), although a significant decrease of efficacy was seen with lambda-cyhalothrinWP IRS, alpha-cypermethrin CTNs and LLINs (p< 0.05). However, the efficacy of Interceptor nets did not decrease during the 5 months evaluation, even after 25 washes (0.07

Evaluation of New Tools for Malaria Vector Control in Cameroon: Focus on Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets

PubMed Central

Etang, Josiane; Nwane, Philippe; Piameu, Michael; Manga, Blaise; Souop, Daniel; Awono-Ambene, Parfait

2013-01-01

Background From 2006 to 2011, biological activity of insecticides for Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS), conventional treatment of nets (CTNs) or long lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) was evaluated before their approval in Cameroon. The objective of the study was to select the best tools for universal malaria vector control coverage. Methodology Bioassays were performed using WHO cones and the Kisumu susceptible strain of Anopheles gambiae s.s.. Among tested products, residual activity and wash resistance of Alpha-cypermethrin LLINs (Interceptor) and CTNs (Fendona) were assessed during 5 months in the Ntougou neighborhood. Principal Findings All the 14 tested products were found effective (95–100% knockdown and mortality rates), although a significant decrease of efficacy was seen with lambda-cyhalothrinWP IRS, alpha-cypermethrin CTNs and LLINs (p< 0.05). However, the efficacy of Interceptor nets did not decrease during the 5 months evaluation, even after 25 washes (0.07

Radiation-related quality of life parameters after targeted intraoperative radiotherapy versus whole breast radiotherapy in patients with breast cancer: results from the randomized phase III trial TARGIT-A.

PubMed

Welzel, Grit; Boch, Angela; Sperk, Elena; Hofmann, Frank; Kraus-Tiefenbacher, Uta; Gerhardt, Axel; Suetterlin, Marc; Wenz, Frederik

2013-01-07

Intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) is a new treatment approach for early stage breast cancer. This study reports on the effects of IORT on radiation-related quality of life (QoL) parameters. Two hundred and thirty women with stage I-III breast cancer (age, 31 to 84 years) were entered into the study. A single-center subgroup of 87 women from the two arms of the randomized phase III trial TARGIT-A (TARGeted Intra-operative radioTherapy versus whole breast radiotherapy for breast cancer) was analyzed. Furthermore, results were compared to non-randomized control groups: n = 90 receiving IORT as a tumor bed boost followed by external beam whole breast radiotherapy (EBRT) outside of TARGIT-A (IORT-boost), and n = 53 treated with EBRT followed by an external-beam boost (EBRT-boost). QoL was collected using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaires C30 (QLQ-C30) and BR23 (QLQ-BR23). The mean follow-up period in the TARGIT-A groups was 32 versus 39 months in the non-randomized control groups. Patients receiving IORT alone reported less general pain (21.3 points), breast (7.0 points) and arm (15.1 points) symptoms, and better role functioning (78.7 points) as patients receiving EBRT (40.9; 19.0; 32.8; and 60.5 points, respectively, P < 0.01). Patients receiving IORT alone also had fewer breast symptoms than TARGIT-A patients receiving IORT followed by EBRT for high risk features on final pathology (IORT-EBRT; 7.0 versus 29.7 points, P < 0.01). There were no significant differences between TARGIT-A patients receiving IORT-EBRT compared to non-randomized IORT-boost or EBRT-boost patients and patients receiving EBRT without a boost. In the randomized setting, important radiation-related QoL parameters after IORT were superior to EBRT. Non-randomized comparisons showed equivalent parameters in the IORT-EBRT group and the control groups.

Adaptive guidance for an aero-assisted boost vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pamadi, Bandu N.; Taylor, Lawrence W., Jr.; Price, Douglas B.

An adaptive guidance system incorporating dynamic pressure constraint is studied for a single stage to low earth orbit (LEO) aero-assist booster with thrust gimbal angle as the control variable. To derive an adaptive guidance law, cubic spline functions are used to represent the ascent profile. The booster flight to LEO is divided into initial and terminal phases. In the initial phase, the ascent profile is continuously updated to maximize the performance of the boost vehicle enroute. A linear feedback control is used in the terminal phase to guide the aero-assisted booster onto the desired LEO. The computer simulation of the vehicle dynamics considers a rotating spherical earth, inverse square (Newtonian) gravity field and an exponential model for the earth's atmospheric density. This adaptive guidance algorithm is capable of handling large deviations in both atmospheric conditions and modeling uncertainties, while ensuring maximum booster performance.

Numerical study on the influence of aluminum on infrared radiation signature of exhaust plume

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wei; Ye, Qing-qing; Li, Shi-peng; Wang, Ning-fei

2013-09-01

The infrared radiation signature of exhaust plume from solid propellant rockets has been widely mentioned for its important realistic meaning. The content of aluminum powder in the propellants is a key factor that affects the infrared radiation signature of the plume. The related studies are mostly on the conical nozzles. In this paper, the influence of aluminum on the flow field of plume, temperature distribution, and the infrared radiation characteristics were numerically studied with an object of 3D quadrate nozzle. Firstly, the gas phase flow field and gas-solid multi phase flow filed of the exhaust plume were calculated using CFD method. The result indicates that the Al203 particles have significant effect on the flow field of plume. Secondly, the radiation transfer equation was solved by using a discrete coordinate method. The spectral radiation intensity from 1000-2400 cm-1 was obtained. To study the infrared radiation characteristics of exhaust plume, an exceptional quadrate nozzle was employed and much attention was paid to the influences of Al203 particles in solid propellants. The results could dedicate the design of the divert control motor in such hypervelocity interceptors or missiles, or be of certain meaning to the improvement of ingredients of solid propellants.

Apparatus and method for compensating for electron beam emittance in synchronizing light sources

DOEpatents

Neil, George R.

1996-01-01

A focused optical beam is used to change the path length of the core electrons in electron light sources thereby boosting their efficiency of conversion of electron beam energy to light. Both coherent light in the free electron laser and incoherent light in the synchrotron is boosted by this technique. By changing the path length of the core electrons by the proper amount, the core electrons are caused to stay in phase with the electrons in the outer distribution of the electron beam. This increases the fraction of the electron beam energy that is converted to light thereby improving the efficiency of conversion of energy to light and therefore boosting the power output of the free electron laser and synchrotron.

Apparatus and method for compensating for electron beam emittance in synchronizing light sources

DOEpatents

Neil, G.R.

1996-07-30

A focused optical beam is used to change the path length of the core electrons in electron light sources thereby boosting their efficiency of conversion of electron beam energy to light. Both coherent light in the free electron laser and incoherent light in the synchrotron is boosted by this technique. By changing the path length of the core electrons by the proper amount, the core electrons are caused to stay in phase with the electrons in the outer distribution of the electron beam. This increases the fraction of the electron beam energy that is converted to light thereby improving the efficiency of conversion of energy to light and therefore boosting the power output of the free electron laser and synchrotron. 4 figs.

High Endoatmospheric Defense Interceptor (HEDI) Technology Testing Program Environmental Assessment

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-05-31

FICATION I DOWNGRADING SCHEDULE UNLIMITED 4. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER( S ) S . MONITORING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER( S ) 6a. NAME OF...Technology Testing Program Environmental Asessment (U’. 12. PERSONAL AUTHOR( S ) HEDI Environmental Assessment Team, Mr. Dru Barrineau, Chairman. 13a...was the application of assessment criteria to identify test activities deemed to present no S -1 potential for significant environmental consequences

Collaborative Point Paper on Active Protection Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-10-01

for the Hunter VHP CIED Program. Also, General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products (GDATP), Burlington, VT is contracted by the Marine Corps...the incoming threat at a relatively long distance. Specific details about the composition and mechanism of this explosive interceptor device are...relatively thin shell of ballistic steel and composite armor, also known as hybrid armor, designed to provide optimal protection from specific threats

Notch-Boosted Domain Wall Propagation in Magnetic Nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiang Rong; Yuan, Hauiyang

Magnetic domain wall (DW) motion along a nanowire underpins many proposals of spintronic devices. High DW propagation velocity is obviously important because it determines the device speed. Thus it is interesting to search for effective control knobs of DW dynamics. We report a counter-intuitive finding that notches in an otherwise homogeneous magnetic nanowire can boost current-induced domain wall (DW) propagation. DW motion in notch-modulated wires can be classified into three phases: 1) A DW is pinned around a notch when the current density is below the depinning current density. 2) DW propagation velocity above the depinning current density is boosted by notches when non-adiabatic spin-transfer torque strength is smaller than the Gilbert damping constant. The boost can be many-fold. 3) DW propagation velocity is hindered when non-adiabatic spin-transfer torque strength is larger than the Gilbert damping constant. This work was supported by Hong Kong GRF Grants (Nos. 163011151 and 605413) and the Grant from NNSF of China (No. 11374249).

Report to the Congress on the Strategic Defense Initiative 1990

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-05-01

thermoacoustic drivers, pulse tube coolers, and sorption coolers. High efficiency is 7-4 I Technology Base expected from the magnetic cooler work, currently in...generated by SDI research, the degree to which certain types of defensive systems discourage an adversary from attempting to overwhelm them with additional...energy interceptor that has replaced earlier approaches. Nevertheless, development of an earlier approach known as SBI (referring to a specific type of

Arms Control and Nonproliferation: A Catalog of Treaties and Agreements

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-23

produced two agreements— the Interim Agreement ... on Certain Measures with Respect to the Limitation of...Iranian missile threat. The system was to include 10 interceptors based in Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic . Russia’s former President Putin and...that Moscow would not do so if the United States reversed its plan to emplace GMD facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic . Congress resisted the

Report to the Congress on the Strategic Defense Initiative, 1989

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-03-13

veterinarians for its ability to cleanse harmful viruses from bovine semen so it can be used for artificial insemination . This process is also being...pointing out major advances in small, lightweight and affordable components for defensive interceptors; sensor developments for satellites and ground- based...test satellites . The United States view is that the number of designated ABM test satellites in orbit simultaneously shall not exceed a number well

Self-Defense Distributed Engagement Coordinator

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-02-01

its countermeasures. Whether a missile is defeated with an interceptor, undermined by a signal jammer, or diverted by a decoy, there is Self - Defense ...anti-ship threats and recommends actions to the personnel coordinating ship self - defense . This tool was recognized with a 2015 R&D 100 Award. a cost...reloading process, and may not be possible at all. The Self - Defense Distributed Engagement Coordinator (SDDEC) is designed to provide automated battle

Options for Deploying Missile Defenses in Europe

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-02-01

missile attacks from North Korea or Iran. The GMD system consists of interceptors (missiles designed to destroy other missiles) located at Fort Greely... location yet to be specified. This Congressional Budget Office (CBO) study—prepared at the request of the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House...Options 57FiguresS-1. Components of the Options for European Missile Defenses and Their Locations xivS-2. Distances from a Potential Missile Launch

Defense Acquisitions. Assessments of Selected Weapon Programs

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-01

Selected Weapon Programs March 2007 GAO-07-406SP Report Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for...unclassified Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 What GAO Found United States Government Accountability Office Why GAO Did This...Joint Tactical Radio System Ground Mobile Radio (JTRS GMR) 93 JTRS Handheld, Manpack, Small Form Fit (JTRS HMS) 95 Kinetic Energy Interceptors (KEI) 97

Design project: LONGBOW supersonic interceptor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoney, Robert; Baker, Matt; Capstaff, Joseph G.; Dishman, Robert; Fick, Gregory; Frick, Stephen N.; Kelly, Mark

1993-01-01

A recent white paper entitled 'From the Sea' has spotlighted the need for Naval Aviation to provide overland support to joint operations. The base for this support, the Aircraft Carrier (CVN), will frequently be unable to operate within close range of the battleground because of littoral land-based air and subsurface threats. A high speed, long range, carrier capable aircraft would allow the CVN to provide timely support to distant battleground operations. Such an aircraft, operating as a Deck-Launched Interceptor (DLI), would also be an excellent counter to Next Generation Russian Naval Aviation (NGRNA) threats consisting of supersonic bombers, such as the Backfire, equipped with the next generation of high-speed, long-range missiles. Additionally, it would serve as an excellent high speed Reconnaissance airplane, capable of providing Battle Force commanders with timely, accurate pre-mission targeting information and post-mission Bomb Damage Assessment (BDA). Recent advances in computational hypersonic airflow modeling has produced a method of defining aircraft shapes that fit a conical shock flow model to maximize the efficiency of the vehicle. This 'Waverider' concept provides one means of achieving long ranges at high speeds. A Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued by Professor Conrad Newberry that contained design requirements for an aircraft to accomplish the above stated missions, utilizing Waverider technology.

Study Task for Determining the Effects of Boost-Phase Environments on Densified Propellants Thermal Conditions for Expendable Launch Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haberbusch, Mark S.; Meyer, Michael L. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

A thermodynamic study has been conducted that investigated the effects of the boost-phase environment on densified propellant thermal conditions for expendable launch vehicles. Two thermodynamic models were developed and utilized to bound the expected thermodynamic conditions inside the cryogenic liquid hydrogen and oxygen propellant tanks of an Atlas IIAS/Centaur launch vehicle during the initial phases of flight. The ideal isentropic compression model was developed to predict minimum pressurant gas requirements. The thermal equilibrium model was developed to predict the maximum pressurant gas requirements. The models were modified to simulate the required flight tank pressure profiles through ramp pressurization, liquid expulsion, and tank venting. The transient parameters investigated were: liquid temperature, liquid level, and pressurant gas consumption. Several mission scenarios were analyzed using the thermodynamic models, and the results indicate that flying an Atlas IIAS launch vehicle with densified propellants is feasible and beneficial but may require some minor changes to the vehicle.

Site Investigation at the 142nd Fighter Interceptor Group, Oregon Air National Guard, Portland International Airport, Portland, Oregon

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-05-17

magnetic anomalies were observed in the data that appeared attributable to the suspected landfill trenches, as described above. Neither the aerial photograph...produce anomalies . The proton precession magnetometer is an instrument which measures the total magnetic field of the earth. The instrument operates by...214 The magnetic survey showed anomalies mostly caused by identifiable man-made features, such as utilities, fences, and reinforced concrete

Development of Fluidic Guidance for KEW (Kinetic Energy Weapon) Projectiles

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-12-30

commanded to a hit-to-kill on a hostile ICBK booster. A novel application of-the photo-acoustic effect is used for laser detection. An acoustic wave...Hughes High Endo-Atmospheric Interceptor Concept.. 2 3 Conceptual SDI KE projectile ........................ 3 4 Schematic of photo-acoustic effect ...practical, KEWs must be lightweight, able to withstand high "g" forces, and insensitive to nuclear and electro-magnetic effects . Laser command guidance can

The FY 1979 Department of Defense Program for Research, Development, and Acquisition

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-02-01

in mobile SA~s, diversity. -- U.S. leads in look-down/shoot-down interceptor technology. -- USSR is making a substantial effort to advance ABM ...penetrate advanced SAM and ABM systems without loss of the overall system accuracy now achievable only with ballistic reentry systems. Later AMaRV...not witnessed a corresponding decrease in the level of Soviet BMD activity. In addition to continuing the operation of their Moscow ABM System, the

Return on Investment in Basic Research. Exploring a Methodology

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-11-01

vectoring instructions for guidance of manned interceptors in real time. The Memory Test Computer demonstrated reliable opera- tion with a 32 x 32 x 16...to display calculations and information. 1950 This led to the development of a light gun photocell to permit the first communication between the... Meson decay studies, discovery of pasitive K- meson . Giant air showers and their astrophysical implications. Work with synchrotron in 7r- meson decay

Integration of CW / Radionucleotide Detection Systems to the Fido XT Explosives Detector

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-07-31

explosives detected by the Fido XT. Additionally, a platform for centralized storage and processing of Fido XT data files collected in house, targeted...fused silica glass wool (obtained from Restek). The fluorescent signal was easily washed out of the flow cell by a nominal amount of buffer...detector with supporting NRE was processed . The Interceptor components were configured to operate under a Windows CE processor environment, and to

Supersonic cruise aircraft research: An annotated bibliography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tuttle, M. H.

1980-01-01

This bibliography, with abstracts, consists of 69 publications arranged in chronological order. The material may be useful to those interested in supersonic cruise fighter/penetrator/interceptor airplanes. Two pertinent conferences on military supercruise aircraft are considered as single items; one contains 37 papers and the other 29 papers. In addition, several related bibliographies are included which cover supersonic civil aircraft and military aircraft studies at the Langley Research Center. There is also an author index.

Phase II multi-institutional clinical trial on a new mixed beam RT scheme of IMRT on pelvis combined with a carbon ion boost for high-risk prostate cancer patients.

PubMed

Marvaso, Giulia; Jereczek-Fossa, Barbara A; Vischioni, Barbara; Ciardo, Delia; Giandini, Tommaso; Hasegawa, Azusa; Cattani, Federica; Carrara, Mauro; Ciocca, Mario; Bedini, Nice; Villa, Sergio; Morlino, Sara; Russo, Stefania; Zerini, Dario; Colangione, Sarah Pia; Panaino, Costanza Maria Vittoria; Fodor, Cristiana; Santoro, Luigi; Pignoli, Emanuele; Valvo, Francesca; Valdagni, Riccardo; De Cobelli, Ottavio; Orecchia, Roberto

2017-05-12

Definition of the optimal treatment schedule for high-risk prostate cancer is under debate. A combination of photon intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) on pelvis with a carbon ion boost might be the optimal treatment scheme to escalate the dose on prostate and deliver curative dose with respect to normal tissue and quality of dose distributions. In fact, carbon ion beams offer the advantage to deliver hypofractionated radiotherapy (RT) using a significantly smaller number of fractions compared to conventional RT without increasing risks of late effects. This study is a prospective phase II clinical trial exploring safety and feasibility of a mixed beam scheme of carbon ion prostate boost followed by photon IMRT on pelvis. The study is designed to enroll 65 patients with localized high-risk prostate cancer at 3 different oncologic hospitals: Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, and Centro Nazionale di Adroterapia Oncologica. The primary endpoint is the evaluation of safety and feasibility with acute toxicity scored up to 1 month after the end of RT. Secondary endpoints are treatment early (3 months after the end of RT) and long-term tolerability, quality of life, and efficacy. The study is not yet recruiting; in silico studies are ongoing and we expect to start recruitment by 2017. The present clinical trial aims at improving the current treatment for high-risk prostate cancer, evaluating safety and feasibility of a new RT mixed-beam scheme including photons and carbon ions. Encouraging results are coming from carbon ion facilities worldwide on the treatment of different tumors including prostate cancers. Carbon ions combine physical properties allowing for high dose conformity and advantageous radiobiological characteristics. The proposed mixed beam treatment has the advantage to combine a photon high conformity standard of care IMRT phase with a hypofractionated carbon ion RT boost delivered in a short overall treatment time.

Boost-phase discrimination research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Langhoff, Stephen R.; Feiereisen, William J.

1993-01-01

The final report describes the combined work of the Computational Chemistry and Aerothermodynamics branches within the Thermosciences Division at NASA Ames Research Center directed at understanding the signatures of shock-heated air. Considerable progress was made in determining accurate transition probabilities for the important band systems of NO that account for much of the emission in the ultraviolet region. Research carried out under this project showed that in order to reproduce the observed radiation from the bow shock region of missiles in their boost phase it is necessary to include the Burnett terms in the constituent equation, account for the non-Boltzmann energy distribution, correctly model the NO formation and rotational excitation process, and use accurate transition probabilities for the NO band systems. This work resulted in significant improvements in the computer code NEQAIR that models both the radiation and fluid dynamics in the shock region.

Adaptive super-twisting sliding mode control for a three-phase single-stage grid-connected differential boost inverter based photovoltaic system.

PubMed

Pati, Akshaya K; Sahoo, N C

2017-07-01

This paper presents an adaptive super-twisting sliding mode control (STC) along with double-loop control for voltage tracking performance of three-phase differential boost inverter and DC-link capacitor voltage regulation in grid-connected PV system. The effectiveness of the proposed control strategies are demonstrated under realistic scenarios such as variations in solar insolation, load power demand, grid voltage, and transition from grid-connected to standalone mode etc. Additional supplementary power quality control functions such as harmonic compensation, and reactive power management are also investigated with the proposed control strategy. The results are compared with conventional proportional-integral controller, and PWM sliding mode controller. The system performance is evaluated in simulation and in real-time. Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dosimetric effects of patient rotational setup errors on prostate IMRT treatments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Weihua; Yang, Yong; Li, Xiang; Heron, Dwight E.; Saiful Huq, M.; Yue, Ning J.

2006-10-01

The purpose of this work is to determine dose delivery errors that could result from systematic rotational setup errors (ΔΦ) for prostate cancer patients treated with three-phase sequential boost IMRT. In order to implement this, different rotational setup errors around three Cartesian axes were simulated for five prostate patients and dosimetric indices, such as dose-volume histogram (DVH), tumour control probability (TCP), normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) and equivalent uniform dose (EUD), were employed to evaluate the corresponding dosimetric influences. Rotational setup errors were simulated by adjusting the gantry, collimator and horizontal couch angles of treatment beams and the dosimetric effects were evaluated by recomputing the dose distributions in the treatment planning system. Our results indicated that, for prostate cancer treatment with the three-phase sequential boost IMRT technique, the rotational setup errors do not have significant dosimetric impacts on the cumulative plan. Even in the worst-case scenario with ΔΦ = 3°, the prostate EUD varied within 1.5% and TCP decreased about 1%. For seminal vesicle, slightly larger influences were observed. However, EUD and TCP changes were still within 2%. The influence on sensitive structures, such as rectum and bladder, is also negligible. This study demonstrates that the rotational setup error degrades the dosimetric coverage of target volume in prostate cancer treatment to a certain degree. However, the degradation was not significant for the three-phase sequential boost prostate IMRT technique and for the margin sizes used in our institution.

The Albedo of Kepler's Small Worlds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jansen, Tiffany; Kipping, David

2018-01-01

The study of exoplanet phase curves has been established as a powerful tool for measuring the atmospheric properties of other worlds. To first order, phase curves have the same amplitude as occultations, yet far greater temporal baselines enabling substantial improvements in sensitivity. Even so, only a relatively small fraction of Kepler planets have detectable phase curves, leading to a population dominated by hot-Jupiters. One way to boost sensitivity further is to stack different planets of similar types together, giving rise to an average phase curve for a specific ensemble. In this work, we measure the average albedo, thermal redistribution efficiency, and greenhouse boosting factor from the average phase curves of 115 Neptunian and 50 Terran (solid) worlds. We construct ensemble phase curve models for both samples accounting for the reflection and thermal components and regress our models assuming a global albedo, redistribution factor and greenhouse factor in a Bayesian framework. We find modest evidence for a detected phase curve in the Neptunian sample, although the albedo and thermal properties are somewhat degenerate meaning we can only place an upper limit on the albedo of Ag < 0.23 and greenhouse factor of f < 1.40 to 95% confidence. As predicted theoretically, this confirms hot-Neptunes are darker than Neptune and Uranus. Additionally, we place a constraint on the albedo of solid, Terran worlds of Ag < 0.42 and f < 1.60 to 95% confidence, compatible with a dark Lunar-like surface.

A phase I trial of preventive HIV vaccination with heterologous poxviral-vectors containing matching HIV-1 inserts in healthy HIV-uninfected subjects

PubMed Central

Keefer, Michael C.; Frey, Sharon E.; Elizaga, Marnie; Metch, Barbara; De Rosa, Stephen C.; Barroso, Paulo F.; Tomaras, Georgia; Cardinali, Massimo; Goepfert, Paul; Kalichman, Artur; Philippon, Valérie; McElrath, M. Juliana; Jin, Xia; Ferrari, Guido; Defawe, Olivier D.; Mazzara, Gail P.; Montefiori, David; Pensiero, Michael; Panicali, Dennis L.; Corey, Lawrence

2011-01-01

We evaluated replication-defective poxvirus vectors (modified vaccinia Ankara [MVA] and fowlpox [FPV]) in a homologous and heterologous vector prime-boost vaccination regimen containing matching HIV inserts (MVA-HIV and FPV-HIV) given at months 0, 1, 3, 5 and 7 in 150 healthy HIV-negative vaccinia-naïve participants. FPV-HIV alone was poorly immunogenic, while the high dose (109 pfu/2ml) of MVA-HIV alone elicited maximal responses after two injections: CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses in 26/55 (47.3%) and 5/60 (8.3%) of participants, respectively and IFN-γ ELISpot responses in 28/62 (45.2%). The infrequent CD8+ T-cell responses following MVA-HIV priming were boosted only by the heterologous (FPV-HIV) construct in 14/27 [51.9%] of participants post-4th vaccination. Alternatively, HIV envelope-specific binding antibodies were demonstrated in approximately two-thirds of recipients of the homologous boosting regimen, but in less than 20% of subjects after the heterologous vector boost. Thus, a heterologous poxvirus vector prime-boost regimen can induce an HIV-specific CD8+ T-cell and CD4+ T-cell responses, which may be an important feature of an optimal regimen for preventive HIV vaccination. PMID:21216311

Accelerating clinical development of HIV vaccine strategies: methodological challenges and considerations in constructing an optimised multi-arm phase I/II trial design.

PubMed

Richert, Laura; Doussau, Adélaïde; Lelièvre, Jean-Daniel; Arnold, Vincent; Rieux, Véronique; Bouakane, Amel; Lévy, Yves; Chêne, Geneviève; Thiébaut, Rodolphe

2014-02-26

Many candidate vaccine strategies against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are under study, but their clinical development is lengthy and iterative. To accelerate HIV vaccine development optimised trial designs are needed. We propose a randomised multi-arm phase I/II design for early stage development of several vaccine strategies, aiming at rapidly discarding those that are unsafe or non-immunogenic. We explored early stage designs to evaluate both the safety and the immunogenicity of four heterologous prime-boost HIV vaccine strategies in parallel. One of the vaccines used as a prime and boost in the different strategies (vaccine 1) has yet to be tested in humans, thus requiring a phase I safety evaluation. However, its toxicity risk is considered minimal based on data from similar vaccines. We newly adapted a randomised phase II trial by integrating an early safety decision rule, emulating that of a phase I study. We evaluated the operating characteristics of the proposed design in simulation studies with either a fixed-sample frequentist or a continuous Bayesian safety decision rule and projected timelines for the trial. We propose a randomised four-arm phase I/II design with two independent binary endpoints for safety and immunogenicity. Immunogenicity evaluation at trial end is based on a single-stage Fleming design per arm, comparing the observed proportion of responders in an immunogenicity screening assay to an unacceptably low proportion, without direct comparisons between arms. Randomisation limits heterogeneity in volunteer characteristics between arms. To avoid exposure of additional participants to an unsafe vaccine during the vaccine boost phase, an early safety decision rule is imposed on the arm starting with vaccine 1 injections. In simulations of the design with either decision rule, the risks of erroneous conclusions were controlled <15%. Flexibility in trial conduct is greater with the continuous Bayesian rule. A 12-month gain in timelines is expected by this optimised design. Other existing designs such as bivariate or seamless phase I/II designs did not offer a clear-cut alternative. By combining phase I and phase II evaluations in a multi-arm trial, the proposed optimised design allows for accelerating early stage clinical development of HIV vaccine strategies.

Immunogenicity and Protective Efficacy of the DAR-901 Booster Vaccine in a Murine Model of Tuberculosis

PubMed Central

Lahey, Timothy; Laddy, Dominick; Hill, Krystal; Schaeffer, Jacqueline; Hogg, Alison; Keeble, James; Dagg, Belinda; Ho, Mei Mei; Arbeit, Robert D.; von Reyn, C. Fordham

2016-01-01

Background The development of a novel tuberculosis vaccine is a leading global health priority. SRL172, an inactivated, whole-cell mycobacterial vaccine, was safe, immunogenic and reduced the incidence of culture-confirmed tuberculosis in a phase III trial in HIV-infected and BCG immunized adults in Tanzania. Here we describe the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of DAR-901, a booster vaccine against tuberculosis manufactured from the same seed strain using a new scalable method. Methods We evaluated IFN-γ responses by ELISpot and antibody responses by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay in C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice after three doses of DAR-901. In an aerosol challenge model, we evaluated the protective efficacy of the DAR-901 booster in C57BL/6 mice primed with BCG and boosted with two doses of DAR-901 at 4 dosage levels in comparison with homologous BCG boost. Results DAR-901 vaccination elicited IFN-γ responses to mycobacterial antigen preparations derived from both DAR-901 and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. DAR-901 immunization enhanced antibody responses to DAR-901 but not Mycobacterium tuberculosis lysate or purified protein derivative. Among animals primed with BCG, boosting with DAR-901 at 1 mg provided greater protection against aerosol challenge than a homologous BCG boost (lungs P = 0.036, spleen P = 0.028). Conclusions DAR-901 induces cellular and humoral immunity and boosts protection from M. tuberculosis compared to a homologous BCG boost. PMID:27997597

WARFIGHTER SUPPORT: Independent Expert Assessment of Army Body Armor Test Results and Procedures Needed Before Fielding

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-10-01

protective vest and ceramic plate inserts. GAO observed Preliminary Design Model testing of new plate designs, which resulted in the Army’s...Table 1: Organizations Contacted for Information about Body Armor Testing 46 Figures Figure 1: ESAPI Plates as Worn inside Outer Tactical Vest 11...Central Command has required that DOD personnel in its area of operations be issued the Interceptor Body Armor system, comprising ceramic plates that

Development of Advanced Interceptor Substructural Material.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-07-01

2.772 2 0 15" 30 7.83 10.57 2.051 2.769 3 45 7o30 90 7.82 10.56 6.145 8.301 TF1 - 22030’ 30 7.81 9.485 2.045 2.483 7.6 4 90 50 90 7.80 10.55 6.130...accomplished by using a pressure valving system. The system was set at zero and the load increased in increments of 20% of the design limit load (DLL

The DTIC Review; Volume 3 Number 4. Antimissile Defense: Strategic Interceptor

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-12-01

threat by pursuing policies and initiatives designed to both prevent and limit this aggression. Plans to improve the interception of missiles will...to this threat by pursuing policies and initiatives designed to both prevent and limit it. Plans to improve the interception of missiles will depend...the 21st Century, it must be able to deter adversaries possessing or planning to possess WMD. If not, threats of WMD use by adversaries will prevent

An Evaluation of the Argentinean Basic Trainer Aircraft Domestic Development Project

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-01

Prototype, 1st jet built in Latin America 1947 IAe 31 Colibrí Two- seat Trainer aircraft 3 National design 1948 IAe 30 Ñancú Fighter/Attack prototype...37 Supersonic delta-wing interceptor (Glider, unpowered prototype only) 1 Designed by Reimar Horten. 1957 IAe 46 Ranquel 2- seat utility...return all surfaces to neutral. It must be operable from both positions, with priority on the rear command seat . • Ergonomic Throttle controls on the

Astronomical Odds: A Policy Framework for the Cosmic Impact Hazard

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-06-01

171. 52 An early example of an expost approach to NEO interceptor design is Project Icarus, a study effort that recommended a Saturn-V class system...68 vii viii Astronomical Odds: A Policy Framework for the Cosmic Impact Hazard 3.2. "Giggle factor" within USAF study report...the access to the NEO SDT Study model provided by MIT Lincoln Laboratory, with special thanks to Grant Stokes and Jenifer Evans. I am grateful for

Planning with Imperfect Information: Interceptor Assignment

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-06-01

JULt 0 2006 REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE FOMB No.07o4-188 VUblic reporting burden for this collection ot intormation is estimated to average 1 hour per...20503. 1 . AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED I 5.Jul.06 THESIS 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5. FUNDING NUMBERS...205/AFIT Sup 1 Distribution Unli rr ted 13. ABSTRACT (Maximum 200 words) 14. SUBJECT TERMS 15. NUMBER OF PAGES 123 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY

Renewal of the Nellis Air Force Range Land Withdrawal, Legislative Environmental Impact Statement. Volume 1. Chapters 1-11

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-03-01

data on geologic setting, metallic and industrial minerals, gemstones, uranium, geothermal resources, and oil and gas resources on the NAFR lands...were conducted during the RFA. The SWMUs and AOCs found on NAFR include ECM sites, oil /water separators, acid neutralizing basins and oil interceptors...inspected. No specific recommendations provided. Area 10 Oil /Water Separator Bldg 145 Oil /water separator handles influent from wash and rinse basins

Adding Automation and Decision Support Capabilities at the Reagan Test Site

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-04

Tech Notes www.ll.mit.edu May 2016 The U.S. Army’s Reagan Test Site (RTS), approximately 2300 miles west southwest of Hawaii on the Kwajalein Atoll...in the Marshall Islands , is ideal for missile and interceptor testing because of its distance from populous areas and its open-ocean line from...by three components: • The event processor determines the high-level state of the mission by moni- toring events such as information from uprange

Interoperability In Multi-Layered Active Defense:The Need For Commonality And Robustness Between Active Defense Weapon Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-02-16

into areas where there is no access to maritime platforms. Sea-based interceptor platforms have the ability to intercept targets at each stage of the...argues that the most efficient concept for integrating active defense weapon systems is a multi- layered architecture with redundant intercept ...faster data transfer and will prevent data loss. The need for almost 100% interception successes is increasing as the threat becomes more

Divided attention enhances explicit but not implicit conceptual memory: an item-specific account of the attentional boost effect.

PubMed

Spataro, Pietro; Mulligan, Neil W; Bechi Gabrielli, Giulia; Rossi-Arnaud, Clelia

2017-02-01

The Attentional Boost Effect (ABE) refers to the counterintuitive finding that words encoded with to-be-responded targets in a divided-attention condition are remembered better than words encoded with distractors. Previous studies suggested that the ABE-related enhancement of verbal memory depends upon the activation of abstract lexical representations. In the present study, we extend this hypothesis by embedding it in the context of a broader perspective, which proposes that divided attention in the ABE paradigm affects item-specific, but not relational, processing. To this purpose, we examined the ABE in the matched tasks of category-cued recall (CCRT: explicit memory) and category exemplar generation (CEGT: implicit memory). In addition, study time was varied (500, 1500 or 4000 ms), to further determine whether the attentional boost manipulation could influence late-phase elaborative processing. In agreement with the predictions of the item-specific account, the results showed that exemplars encoded with targets were recalled better than exemplars encoded with distractors in the CCRT, but not in the CEGT. Moreover, performance in the CCRT increased with study time, whereas the size of the ABE-related enhancement tended to decrease, further confirming that this effect hinges upon early phase encoding processes.

Mechanisms to deploy the two-stage IUS from the shuttle cargo bay

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haynie, H. T.

1980-01-01

The Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) is a two-stage or three-stage booster used to transport spacecraft from the space shuttle orbit to synchronous orbit or on an interplanetary trajectory. The mechanisms which were designed specifically to perform the two-stage IUS required functions while contained within the cargo bay of the space shuttle during the boost phase and while in a low Earth orbit are discussed. The requirements, configuration, and operation of the mechanisms are described, with particular emphasis on the tilt actuator and the mechanism for decoupling the actuators during boost to eliminate redundant load paths.

Tactical missile turbulence problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dickson, Richard E.

1987-01-01

Of particular interest is atmospheric turbulence in the atmospheric boundary layer, since this affects both the launch and terminal phase of flight, and the total flight for direct fire systems. Brief discussions are presented on rocket artillery boost wind problems, mean wind correction, turbulent boost wind correction, the Dynamically Aimed Free Flight Rocket (DAFFR) wind filter, the DAFFR test, and rocket wake turbulence problems. It is concluded that many of the turbulence problems of rockets and missiles are common to those of aircraft, such as structural loading and control system design. However, these problems have not been solved at this time.

GLISTRboost: Combining Multimodal MRI Segmentation, Registration, and Biophysical Tumor Growth Modeling with Gradient Boosting Machines for Glioma Segmentation.

PubMed

Bakas, Spyridon; Zeng, Ke; Sotiras, Aristeidis; Rathore, Saima; Akbari, Hamed; Gaonkar, Bilwaj; Rozycki, Martin; Pati, Sarthak; Davatzikos, Christos

2016-01-01

We present an approach for segmenting low- and high-grade gliomas in multimodal magnetic resonance imaging volumes. The proposed approach is based on a hybrid generative-discriminative model. Firstly, a generative approach based on an Expectation-Maximization framework that incorporates a glioma growth model is used to segment the brain scans into tumor, as well as healthy tissue labels. Secondly, a gradient boosting multi-class classification scheme is used to refine tumor labels based on information from multiple patients. Lastly, a probabilistic Bayesian strategy is employed to further refine and finalize the tumor segmentation based on patient-specific intensity statistics from the multiple modalities. We evaluated our approach in 186 cases during the training phase of the BRAin Tumor Segmentation (BRATS) 2015 challenge and report promising results. During the testing phase, the algorithm was additionally evaluated in 53 unseen cases, achieving the best performance among the competing methods.

A Standalone Solar Photovoltaic Power Generation using Cuk Converter and Single Phase Inverter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verma, A. K.; Singh, B.; Kaushika, S. C.

2013-03-01

In this paper, a standalone solar photovoltaic (SPV) power generating system is designed and modeled using a Cuk dc-dc converter and a single phase voltage source inverter (VSI). In this system, a dc-dc boost converter boosts a low voltage of a PV array to charge a battery at 24 V using a maximum power point tracking control algorithm. To step up a 24 V battery voltage to 360 V dc, a high frequency transformer based isolated dc-dc Cuk converter is used to reduce size, weight and losses. The dc voltage of 360 V is fed to a single phase VSI with unipolar switching to achieve a 230 Vrms, 50 Hz ac. The main objectives of this investigation are on efficiency improvement, reduction in cost, weight and size of the system and to provide an uninterruptible power to remotely located consumers. The complete SPV system is designed and it is modeled in MATLAB/Simulink. The simulated results are presented to demonstrate its satisfactory performance for validating the proposed design and control algorithm.

Using a PFET To Commutate an SCR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edwards, D. B.; Ripple, W. E.

1984-01-01

Accidental turn-on prevented. PFET diverts load current around SCR to prevent false SCR triggering from current and voltage switching transients. New circuit used in all types of single phase and polyphase inverters and in buck-boost-, and flyback regulators.

Alternatives for Boost-Phase Missile Defense

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-07-01

NFIRE ) to better understand the characteristics of that signature for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). The information that NFIRE might...ballistic missile Isp: specific impulse kg: kilogram km: kilometer MDA: Missile Defense Agency NFIRE : Near-Field Infrared Experiment NMD: national missile

Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy after concomitant chemoradiotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer: A TITE-CRM phase 1 trial.

PubMed

Doyen, Jérôme; Poudenx, Michel; Gal, Jocelyn; Otto, Josiane; Guerder, Caroline; Naghavi, Arash O; Gérard, Anais; Leysalle, Axel; Cohen, Charlotte; Padovani, Bernard; Ianessi, Antoine; Schiappa, Renaud; Chamorey, Emmanuel; Bondiau, Pierre-Yves

2018-05-01

Platinum based chemoradiotherapy is the standard of care for inoperable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). With evidence that NSCLC can have a dose dependent response with stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR), we hypothesize that a SABR boost on residual tumor treated with chemoradiotherapy could increase treatment efficacy. The purpose of this study was to determine feasibility of such an approach. A prospective phase I trial was performed including 26 patients. Time-to-event continual reassessment method (TITE-CRM) was used for dose escalation which ranged from 3 × 7 to 3 × 12 Gy for the stereotactic boost, after 46 Gy (2 Gy per day) of chemoradiotherapy. Median follow-up was of 37.1 months (1.7-60.7), and 3, 4, 3, 3, 9 and 4 patients were included at the dose levels 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, respectively. During chemoradiotherapy, 9 patients experienced grade 3 toxicity. After stereotactic radiotherapy, 1 patient experienced an esophageal fistula (with local relapse) at the 3 × 11 Gy level, and 1 patient died from hemoptysis at the 3 × 12 Gy level. The 2-year rate of local control, locoregional free survival, metastasis-free survival, and overall survival was 70.3%, 55.5%, 44.5% and 50.8%, respectively. In the treatment of NSCLC with chemoradiotherapy followed by a stereotactic boost, the safe recommended dose in our protocol was a boost dose of 3 × 11 Gy. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Phase I Dose Escalation Study of Hypofractionated IMRT Field-in-Field Boost for Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma Multiforme

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

Monjazeb, Arta M., E-mail: arta.monjazeb@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu; Ayala, Deandra; Jensen, Courtney

2012-02-01

Objectives: To describe the results of a Phase I dose escalation trial for newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) using a hypofractionated concurrent intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) boost. Methods: Twenty-one patients were enrolled between April 1999 and August 2003. Radiotherapy consisted of daily fractions of 1.8 Gy with a concurrent boost of 0.7 Gy (total 2.5 Gy daily) to a total dose of 70, 75, or 80 Gy. Concurrent chemotherapy was not permitted. Seven patients were enrolled at each dose and dose limiting toxicities were defined as irreversible Grade 3 or any Grade 4-5 acute neurotoxicity attributable to radiotherapy. Results: All patientsmore » experienced Grade 1 or 2 acute toxicities. Acutely, 8 patients experienced Grade 3 and 1 patient experienced Grade 3 and 4 toxicities. Of these, only two reversible cases of otitis media were attributable to radiotherapy. No dose-limiting toxicities were encountered. Only 2 patients experienced Grade 3 delayed toxicity and there was no delayed Grade 4 toxicity. Eleven patients requiring repeat resection or biopsy were found to have viable tumor and radiation changes with no cases of radionecrosis alone. Median overall and progression-free survival for this cohort were 13.6 and 6.5 months, respectively. One- and 2-year survival rates were 57% and 19%. At recurrence, 15 patients received chemotherapy, 9 underwent resection, and 5 received radiotherapy. Conclusions: Using a hypofractionated concurrent IMRT boost, we were able to safely treat patients to 80 Gy without any dose-limiting toxicity. Given that local failure still remains the predominant pattern for GBM patients, a trial of dose escalation with IMRT and temozolomide is warranted.« less

Safety and efficacy of the HIV-1 attachment inhibitor prodrug BMS-663068 in treatment-experienced individuals: 24 week results of AI438011, a phase 2b, randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Lalezari, Jacob P; Latiff, Gulam H; Brinson, Cynthia; Echevarría, Juan; Treviño-Pérez, Sandra; Bogner, Johannes R; Thompson, Melanie; Fourie, Jan; Sussmann Pena, Otto A; Mendo Urbina, Fernando C; Martins, Marcelo; Diaconescu, Iulian G; Stock, David A; Joshi, Samit R; Hanna, George J; Lataillade, Max

2015-10-01

BMS-663068 is an oral prodrug of BMS-626529, an attachment inhibitor that binds to HIV-1 gp120, blocking viral attachment to host CD4 cells. AI438011 is an ongoing trial investigating the efficacy, safety, and dose-response of BMS-663068 in treatment-experienced, HIV-1-infected patients. Herein we present the results of the primary analysis. AI438011 is a phase 2b, randomised, active-controlled trial, at 53 hospitals and outpatient clinics across ten countries in North and South America, Europe, and Africa. Individuals with an HIV-1 RNA viral load of at least 1000 copies per mL and a BMS-626529 half-maximum inhibitory concentration lower than 100 nmol/L were randomly assigned (1:1:1:1:1) to receive either BMS-663068 at 400 mg twice daily, 800 mg twice daily, 600 mg once daily, or 1200 mg once daily or ritonavir-boosted atazanavir (300 mg of atazanavir and 100 mg of ritonavir once daily), each with 400 mg of raltegravir twice daily and 300 mg of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate once daily as a backbone. The sponsor, participants, and investigators were masked for BMS-663068 dose but not for allocation. Primary endpoints were the proportion of patients with an HIV-1 RNA viral load less than 50 copies per mL (response rate) at week 24 and the frequency of serious adverse events and adverse events leading to discontinuation, up to the week 24 analysis. The primary analyses included all patients who received at least one dose of study drug (modified intention-to-treat population). This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01384734. Between July 26, 2011, and July 16, 2012, 581 participants were assessed for eligibility. Of these, 254 patients were randomly assigned to receive either BMS-663068 (n=52 for the 400 mg twice daily group, n=50 for the 800 mg twice daily group, n=51 for the 600 mg once daily group, and n=50 for the 1200 mg once daily group) or ritonavir-boosted atazanavir (n=51). 200 patients received at least one dose of BMS-663068, and 51 patients received at least one dose of ritonavir-boosted atazanavir. At week 24, 40 (80%) of 50 patients in the BMS-663068 400 mg twice daily group, 34 (69%) of 49 patients in the 800 mg twice daily group, 39 (76%) of 51 patients in the 600 mg once daily group, and 36 (72%) of 50 patients in the 1200 mg once daily group had an HIV-1 RNA viral load less than 50 copies per mL, compared with 38 (75%) of 51 patients in the ritonavir-boosted atazanavir group. Serious adverse events were noted in 13 (7%) of 200 patients in the BMS-663068 groups and five (10%) of the 51 patients in the ritonavir-boosted atazanavir group. Four (2%) of the 200 patients in the BMS-663068 groups and two (4%) of the 51 patients in the ritonavir-boosted atazanavir group discontinued because of adverse events. No serious adverse events or adverse events leading to discontinuation were BMS-663068-related. Grade 2-4 adverse events related to study drug(s) occurred in 17 (9%) of 200 patients across the BMS-663068 groups and 14 (27%) of 51 patients in the ritonavir-boosted atazanavir group. For the BMS-663068 groups these events were mostly single instances with no dose relation and for the ritonavir-boosted atazanavir group these were mostly gastrointestinal or hepatobiliary disorders associated with hyperbilirubinaemia. In a comparison with ritonavir-boosted atazanavir, efficacy and safety of BMS-663068 up to the week 24 analysis support continued development of BMS-663068, which is being assessed in a phase 3 trial in heavily treatment-experienced individuals. Bristol-Myers Squibb. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sabot high speed interceptor AE 4273 aircraft design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dober, Dave; Al-Hashel, Waleed; Baldocchi, Bob; Berg, Tim; Lindsay, Curt; Mcatee, Aaron; Sergent, Dan; Dunbrack, Harry

1992-01-01

Today's carrier based deck launched intercept (DLI) mission is a vital one that is aimed at protecting the carrier battle group and detering potential adversaries. The assets deployed on our carrier decks are able to complete this mission but with very limited range. The waverider concept has great potential to increase the range of this carrier based mission. As a result, a request for proposals (RFP) was developed which contains design requirements for an aircraft that can complete this mission through the utilization of waverider technology.

Biophysical Characterization and Predicted Human Thermal Responses to U.S. Army Body Armor Protection Levels (BAPL)

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

for ballistic protection in the form of hard (e.g., ceramic plates ) and soft armor materials. The ultimate goal of these protective vests is to...Strain Decision Aid im Vapor permeability im/clo permeability index IOTV Interceptor Outer Tactical Vest m•s meters per second PC Plate Carrier RH...Army Body Armor Protection Levels (BAPL) 0 to 5 Level Configuration Added Weight lbs/kg BAPL 0 No body armor 0 BAPL 1 Vest or plate carrier with

Missile Interceptor Guidance System Technology (La Technologie Pour Les Systemes De Guidage Des Missiles Intercepteurs (DE Missiles Ou D’Aeronefs)

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-01-01

robustness of feedback systems with structured uncertainty. Theorem: Robust Stability Fu(G,A) stable V AA iff suP (Gll(JW))Sl. Theorem: Robust ...through a gain KR. The addition of other dynamics and feedback paths creates stabilization problems for this simple roll attitude feedback control...characteristics are most useful to the designer when examined in the frequency domain. Both relative stability and robustness can be determined from an

SDIO (Strategic Defense Initiative Office) Technical Information Management Center Bibliography of Unclassified Documents: January - December 1988

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-12-01

Statistics to Studies of C3 and Spread Spectrum Communications Author(s): Pawula, R. F. * Date: 05/14/86 Pages:004 Report #: AFOSR-TR-87-0210 Corp. Author...1375 AD #: 0 TITLE: SPSS Statistical Algorithms Author(s): 0 Date: 01/01/85 Pages:230 Report #: CN83-60118 Corp. Author: SPSS Inc. 444 N. Michigan Ave...Assessment Mission Architecture Defense Battle Weapon Target Transitor Space Catastrophic Accession #: 1407 AD #: 0 TITLE: What price space-based interceptors

United States Air Force Statistical Digest, Fiscal Year 1967, Twenty Second Edition

DTIC Science & Technology

1967-09-30

tests as part of the Air Force’s support of the National Sonic Boom Evaluation Program. (FOUO) 18 January 1967 A Titan III-C launched a second. group...Strategic Air Command and the North American Air Defense Command participated in a joint training exercise, TOP RUNG XV. The operation evaluated ...SnlA1’IXIIC • IlEI’EIlSIVE Figbter Interceptor !I . . . . . . Airborne Barly Warning and Control • Pofenae Syatem Evaluation .. • Air Defenee Mila11e

Air Weapon Systems in the Third World: A Combat Potential Assessment Technique.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-06-01

VALUE LABEL BMAT BOMBER-GROUND ATTACK FTAT FIGHTER-GROUND ATTACK FTTA FIGHTER/TRAINER-GROUND ATTACK FTIN FIGHTER-INTERCEPTOR FTTI FIGHTER/TRAINER...260 2.91 10900 5440 17720 24540 TORADV FTIN 46 400 5.20 31500 15632 41392 60000 TORIDS FTAT 46 400 5.20 31065 14000 47985 60000 TU16AG BMAT 108 1772...6.58 82000 56870 130235 158730 TU22BD BMAT 91 1451 5. 69 80400 81600 147650 185000 ACFT MAXPWR TWPWR ASPD SPECENA LSPD SPECENS CSPD SCEI ALPHAMSI 5952

The R-Process Alliance: 2MASS J09544277+5246414, the Most Actinide-enhanced R-II Star Known

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holmbeck, Erika M.; Beers, Timothy C.; Roederer, Ian U.; Placco, Vinicius M.; Hansen, Terese T.; Sakari, Charli M.; Sneden, Christopher; Liu, Chao; Lee, Young Sun; Cowan, John J.; Frebel, Anna

2018-06-01

We report the discovery of a new actinide-boost star, 2MASS J09544277+5246414, originally identified as a very bright (V = 10.1), extremely metal-poor ([Fe/H] = ‑2.99) K giant in the LAMOST survey, and found to be highly r-process-enhanced (r-II; [Eu/Fe] = +1.28]), during the snapshot phase of the R-Process Alliance (RPA). Based on a high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N), high-resolution spectrum obtained with the Harlan J. Smith 2.7 m telescope, this star is the first confirmed actinide-boost star found by RPA efforts. With an enhancement of [Th/Eu] = +0.37, 2MASS J09544277+5246414 is also the most actinide-enhanced r-II star yet discovered, and only the sixth metal-poor star with a measured uranium abundance ([U/Fe] = +1.40). Using the Th/U chronometer, we estimate an age of 13.0 ± 4.7 Gyr for this star. The unambiguous actinide-boost signature of this extremely metal-poor star, combined with additional r-process-enhanced and actinide-boost stars identified by the RPA, will provide strong constraints on the nature and origin of the r-process at early times.

An update on vaccines for tuberculosis - there is more to it than just waning of BCG efficacy with time.

PubMed

Romano, Marta; Huygen, Kris

2012-12-01

Apart from better diagnostics and new anti-microbial drugs, an effective vaccine for tuberculosis is urgently needed to halt this poverty-related disease, afflicting millions of people worldwide. After a general introduction on the global threat of tuberculosis, the pros and cons of the existing M. bovis BCG vaccine are discussed. As the correlates of protection against tuberculosis remain largely unknown, new findings in biomarker research are described. Next, an update on the ongoing Phase I and Phase II clinical trials is given. Finally, some of the most promising novel pre-clinical developments using live attenuated vaccines, sub-unit vaccines, prime-boost strategies, and new vaccination routes are discussed. The field has made considerable progress and 12 vaccine candidates have now actually entered Phase I or Phase IIa and IIb clinical trials. It is argued that the variable protection conferred by the existing BCG vaccine against reactivation of latent TB is caused not only by waning of its efficacy with time but also by its weak induction of MHC class I restricted responses. Prime-boost strategies based on the actual BCG vaccine may not be sufficient to overcome this hurdle. The use of plasmid DNA vaccination might offer a solution.

Safety and immunogenicity of heterologous prime-boost immunization with viral-vectored malaria vaccines adjuvanted with Matrix-M™.

PubMed

Venkatraman, Navin; Anagnostou, Nicholas; Bliss, Carly; Bowyer, Georgina; Wright, Danny; Lövgren-Bengtsson, Karin; Roberts, Rachel; Poulton, Ian; Lawrie, Alison; Ewer, Katie; V S Hill, Adrian

2017-10-27

The use of viral vectors in heterologous prime-boost regimens to induce potent T cell responses in addition to humoral immunity is a promising vaccination strategy in the fight against malaria. We conducted an open-label, first-in-human, controlled Phase I study evaluating the safety and immunogenicity of Matrix-M adjuvanted vaccination with a chimpanzee adenovirus serotype 63 (ChAd63) prime followed by a modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) boost eight weeks later, both encoding the malaria ME-TRAP antigenic sequence (a multiple epitope string fused to thrombospondin-related adhesion protein). Twenty-two healthy adults were vaccinated intramuscularly with either ChAd63-MVA ME-TRAP alone (n=6) or adjuvanted with 25μg (n=8) or 50μg (n=8) Matrix-M. Vaccinations appeared to be safe and generally well tolerated, with the majority of local and systemic adverse events being mild in nature. The addition of Matrix-M to the vaccine did not increase local reactogenicity; however, systemic adverse events were reported more frequently by volunteers who received adjuvanted vaccine in comparison to the control group. T cell ELISpot responses peaked at 7-days post boost vaccination with MVA ME-TRAP in all three groups. TRAP-specific IgG responses were highest at 28-days post boost with MVA ME-TRAP in all three groups. There were no differences in cellular and humoral immunogenicity at any of the time points between the control group and the adjuvanted groups. We demonstrate that Matrix-M can be safely used in combination with ChAd63-MVA ME-TRAP heterologous prime-boost immunization without any reduction in cellular or humoral immunogenicity. Clinical Trials Registration NCT01669512. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New approaches to provide ride-through for critical loads in electric power distribution systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montero-Hernandez, Oscar C.

2001-07-01

The extensive use of electronic circuits has enabled modernization, automation, miniaturization, high quality, low cost, and other achievements regarding electric loads in the last decades. However, modern electronic circuits and systems are extremely sensitive to disturbances from the electric power supply. In fact, the rate at which these disturbances happen is considerable as has been documented in recent years. In response to the power quality concerns presented previously, this dissertation is proposing new approaches to provide ride-through for critical loads during voltage disturbances with emphasis on voltage sags. In this dissertation, a new approach based on an AC-DC-AC system is proposed to provide ride-through for critical loads connected in buildings and/or an industrial system. In this approach, a three-phase IGBT inverter with a built in Dc-link voltage regulator is suitably controlled along with static by-pass switches to provide continuous power to critical loads. During a disturbance, the input utility source is disconnected and the power from the inverter is connected to the load. The remaining voltage in the AC supply is converted to DC and compensated before being applied to the inverter and the load. After detecting normal utility conditions, power from the utility is restored to the critical load. In order to achieve an extended ride-through capability a second approach is introduced. In this case, the Dc-link voltage regulator is performed by a DC-DC Buck-Boost converter. This new approach has the capability to mitigate voltage variations below and above the nominal value. In the third approach presented in this dissertation, a three-phase AC to AC boost converter is investigated. This converter provides a boosting action for the utility input voltages, right before they are applied to the load. The proposed Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) control strategy ensures independent control of each phase and compensates for both single-phase or poly-phase voltage sags. Algorithms capable of detecting voltage disturbances such as voltage sags, voltage swells, flicker, frequency change, and harmonics in a fast and reliable way are investigated and developed in this dissertation as an essential part of the approaches previously described. Simulation and experimental work has been done to validate the feasibility of all approaches under the most common voltage disturbances such as single-phase voltage sags and three-phase voltage sags.

Priming with a simplified intradermal HIV-1 DNA vaccine regimen followed by boosting with recombinant HIV-1 MVA vaccine is safe and immunogenic: a phase IIa randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

Munseri, Patricia J; Kroidl, Arne; Nilsson, Charlotta; Joachim, Agricola; Geldmacher, Christof; Mann, Philipp; Moshiro, Candida; Aboud, Said; Lyamuya, Eligius; Maboko, Leonard; Missanga, Marco; Kaluwa, Bahati; Mfinanga, Sayoki; Podola, Lilly; Bauer, Asli; Godoy-Ramirez, Karina; Marovich, Mary; Moss, Bernard; Hoelscher, Michael; Gotch, Frances; Stöhr, Wolfgang; Stout, Richard; McCormack, Sheena; Wahren, Britta; Mhalu, Fred; Robb, Merlin L; Biberfeld, Gunnel; Sandström, Eric; Bakari, Muhammad

2015-01-01

Intradermal priming with HIV-1 DNA plasmids followed by HIV-1MVA boosting induces strong and broad cellular and humoral immune responses. In our previous HIVIS-03 trial, we used 5 injections with 2 pools of HIV-DNA at separate sites for each priming immunization. The present study explores whether HIV-DNA priming can be simplified by reducing the number of DNA injections and administration of combined versus separated plasmid pools. In this phase IIa, randomized trial, priming was performed using 5 injections of HIV-DNA, 1000 μg total dose, (3 Env and 2 Gag encoding plasmids) compared to two "simplified" regimens of 2 injections of HIV-DNA, 600 μg total dose, of Env- and Gag-encoding plasmid pools with each pool either administered separately or combined. HIV-DNA immunizations were given intradermally at weeks 0, 4, and 12. Boosting was performed intramuscularly with 108 pfu HIV-MVA at weeks 30 and 46. 129 healthy Tanzanian participants were enrolled. There were no differences in adverse events between the groups. The proportion of IFN-γ ELISpot responders to Gag and/or Env peptides after the second HIV-MVA boost did not differ significantly between the groups primed with 2 injections of combined HIV-DNA pools, 2 injections with separated pools, and 5 injections with separated pools (90%, 97% and 97%). There were no significant differences in the magnitude of Gag and/or Env IFN-γ ELISpot responses, in CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses measured as IFN-γ/IL-2 production by intracellular cytokine staining (ICS) or in response rates and median titers for binding antibodies to Env gp160 between study groups. A simplified intradermal vaccination regimen with 2 injections of a total of 600 μg with combined HIV-DNA plasmids primed cellular responses as efficiently as the standard regimen of 5 injections of a total of 1000 μg with separated plasmid pools after boosting twice with HIV-MVA. World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform PACTR2010050002122368.

Short-Course Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy With Boost in Women With Stages 0 to IIIa Breast Cancer: A Phase 2 Trial.

PubMed

Ahlawat, Stuti; Haffty, Bruce G; Goyal, Sharad; Kearney, Thomas; Kirstein, Laurie; Chen, Chunxia; Moore, Dirk F; Khan, Atif J

2016-01-01

Conventionally fractionated whole-breast irradiation (WBI) with a boost takes approximately 6 to 7 weeks. We evaluated a short course of hypofractionated (HF), accelerated WBI in which therapy was completed in 3 weeks inclusive of a sequential boost. We delivered a whole-breast dose of 36.63 Gy in 11 fractions of 3.33 Gy over 11 days, followed by a lumpectomy bed boost in 4 fractions of 3.33 Gy delivered once daily for a total of 15 treatment days. Acute toxicities were scored using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4. Late toxicities were scored using the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer scale. Cosmesis was scored using the Harvard Cosmesis Scale. Our primary endpoint was freedom from locoregional failure; we incorporated early stopping criteria based on predefined toxicity thresholds. Cosmesis was examined as a secondary endpoint. We enrolled 83 women with stages 0 to IIIa breast cancer. After a median follow-up of 40 months, 2 cases of isolated ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence occurred (2 of 83; crude rate, 2.4%). Three-year estimated local recurrence-free survival was 95.9% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 87.8%-98.7%). The 3-year estimated distant recurrence-free survival was 97.3% (95% CI: 89.8%-99.3%). Three-year secondary malignancy-free survival was 94.3% (95% CI: 85.3%-97.8%). Twenty-nine patients (34%) had grade 2 acute toxicity, and 1 patient had a late grade 2 toxicity (fibrosis). One patient had acute grade 3 dermatitis, whereas 2 patients experienced grade 3 late skin toxicity. Ninety-four percent of evaluable patients had good or excellent cosmesis. Our phase 2 institutional study offers one of the shortest courses of HF therapy, delivered in 15 fractions inclusive of a sequential boost. We demonstrated expected low toxicity and high local control rates with good to excellent cosmetic outcomes. This fractionation scheme is feasible and well tolerated and offers women WBI in a highly convenient schedule. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The National Research Council study: "Making sense of ballistic missile defense"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilkening, Dean A.

2014-05-01

This chapter explains and summarizes the main findings of a recent National Research Council study entitled Making Sense of Ballistic Missile Defense: An Assessment of Concepts and Systems for U.S. Boost-Phase Missile Defense in Comparison to Other Alternatives.

Blocking IDO1 Helps Shrink Bladder, Cervical Tumors.

PubMed

2018-01-01

Findings from a phase I/IIa study indicate that combining the investigational indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 inhibitor BMS-986205 with nivolumab is safe and boosts response rates among patients with bladder and cervical cancers. ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

Controlling the invasive diatom Didymosphenia geminata: an ecotoxicity assessment of four potential biocides.

PubMed

Jellyman, P G; Clearwater, S J; Clayton, J S; Kilroy, C; Blair, N; Hickey, C W; Biggs, B J F

2011-07-01

In 2004, an invasive mat-forming freshwater diatom, Didymosphenia geminata (didymo), was found in New Zealand causing concern with regard to potential consequences for local freshwater ecosystems. A four-stage research program was initiated to identify methods to control D. geminata. This article reports the results of Stage 2, in which four potential control compounds [Gemex™ (a chelated copper formulation), EDTA, Hydrothol®191, and Organic Interceptor™ (a pine oil formulation)] selected in Stage 1 were evaluated for their biocidal efficacy on D. geminata and effects on non-target organisms using both artificial stream and laboratory trials. Artificial stream trials evaluated the mortality rates of D. geminata and fishes to three concentrations of the four biocides, whereas laboratory toxicity trials tested the response of green alga and cladocera to a range of biocide concentrations and exposure times. In artificial stream trials, Gemex and Organic Interceptor were the most effective biocides against D. geminata for a number of measured indices; however, exposure of fishes to Organic Interceptor resulted in high mortality rates. Laboratory toxicity testing indicated that Gemex might negatively affect sensitive stream invertebrates, based on the cladoceran sensitivity at the proposed river control dose. A decision support matrix evaluated the four biocides based on nine criteria stipulated by river stakeholders (effectiveness, non-target species impacts, stalk removal, degradation profile, risks to health and safety, ease of application, neutralization potential, cost, and local regulatory requirements) and Gemex was identified as the product warranting further refinement prior to an in-river trial.

Boosted object hardware trigger development and testing for the Phase I upgrade of the ATLAS Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stark, Giordon; Atlas Collaboration

2015-04-01

The Global Feature Extraction (gFEX) module is a Level 1 jet trigger system planned for installation in ATLAS during the Phase 1 upgrade in 2018. The gFEX selects large-radius jets for capturing Lorentz-boosted objects by means of wide-area jet algorithms refined by subjet information. The architecture of the gFEX permits event-by-event local pile-up suppression for these jets using the same subtraction techniques developed for offline analyses. The gFEX architecture is also suitable for other global event algorithms such as missing transverse energy (MET), centrality for heavy ion collisions, and ``jets without jets.'' The gFEX will use 4 processor FPGAs to perform calculations on the incoming data and a Hybrid APU-FPGA for slow control of the module. The gFEX is unique in both design and implementation and substantially enhance the selectivity of the L1 trigger and increases sensitivity to key physics channels.

Single-stage three-phase boost power factor correction circuit for AC-DC converter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azazi, Haitham Z.; Ahmed, Sayed M.; Lashine, Azza E.

2018-01-01

This article presents a single-stage three-phase power factor correction (PFC) circuit for AC-to-DC converter using a single-switch boost regulator, leading to improve the input power factor (PF), reducing the input current harmonics and decreasing the number of required active switches. A novel PFC control strategy which is characterised as a simple and low-cost control circuit was adopted, for achieving a good dynamic performance, unity input PF, and minimising the harmonic contents of the input current, at which it can be applied to low/medium power converters. A detailed analytical, simulation and experimental studies were therefore conducted. The effectiveness of the proposed controller algorithm is validated by the simulation results, which were carried out using MATLAB/SIMULINK environment. The proposed system is built and tested in the laboratory using DSP-DS1104 digital control board for an inductive load. The results revealed that the total harmonic distortion in the supply current was very low. Finally, a good agreement between simulation and experimental results was achieved.

SiC MOSFET Based Single Phase Active Boost Rectifier with Power Factor Correction for Wireless Power Transfer Applications

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

Onar, Omer C; Tang, Lixin; Chinthavali, Madhu Sudhan

2014-01-01

Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) technology is a novel research area in the charging technology that bridges the utility and the automotive industries. There are various solutions that are currently being evaluated by several research teams to find the most efficient way to manage the power flow from the grid to the vehicle energy storage system. There are different control parameters that can be utilized to compensate for the change in the impedance due to variable parameters such as battery state-of-charge, coupling factor, and coil misalignment. This paper presents the implementation of an active front-end rectifier on the grid side formore » power factor control and voltage boost capability for load power regulation. The proposed SiC MOSFET based single phase active front end rectifier with PFC resulted in >97% efficiency at 137mm air-gap and >95% efficiency at 160mm air-gap.« less

Phase I IGART Study Using Active Breathing Control and Simultaneous Boost for Patients With NSCLC

ClinicalTrials.gov

2015-03-18

Adenocarcinoma of the Lung; Large Cell Lung Cancer; Squamous Cell Lung Cancer; Stage IIA Non-small Cell Lung Cancer; Stage IIB Non-small Cell Lung Cancer; Stage IIIA Non-small Cell Lung Cancer; Stage IIIB Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Proceedings of the Meeting of the Coordinating Group on Modern Control Theory (4th) Held at Rochester, Michigan, on 27-28 October 1982. Part II,

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-01-01

DCUMNTATON AGEREAD INSTRUCTIONS ______ REPORT___DOCUMENTATION _____PAGE_ BEFORE COMPLETKNG FORM 1REPORT NUMBER ILGOVT ACCESSION No. 3 . RECIPIENT’S...Herbert E. Cohen) control 0900 - Endgame Performance Study of a Special Class of Interceptors by Dr. Jonathan Korn ALPHATECH, Inc. 3 New England Executive...tactile/force feedback sensor applications. 3 L i7 TYPICAL GRIPPER FACE (NOT IN GRIPPER B3OLTS 00 BASE SLIP Nm mSENSORS "o 0 TORQUE, GRIP 0 fie d e

Installation Restoration Program. Preliminary Assessment: 177th Fighter Interceptor Group, New Jersey Air National Guard, Atlantic City International Airport, Atlantic City, New Jersey

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-11-01

and/or spill sites on Department of Defense (DoD) installations, and " Control hazards to human health, welfare, and the environment that may have...Investigations do not indicate harmful levels of contamination and do not pose a significant threat to human health or the environment. The site does not warrant...Feasibility Study - Investigation confirms the presence of contamination that may pose a threat to human health and/or the environment, and some sort of

Use of Ni63 Overvoltage Gap Switches in the Flight Termination Systems on Boosters Launched from U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA)

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-05-01

J3 w c’f oz us~ w - 0n fn 00:1 0 Ic 0 L o 0j 0 0I LL 0 Iof the less than adequate reliability of the earlier Exploding Foil Initiator ( EFI ) design...Action and Alternatives EFI Exploding Foil Initiator Environmental Assessment (EA) A concise public document in which a Federal agency provides...Interceptor (GBI) firing unit (the Explosive Foil Initiator ) was built and tested, it operated unreliably. Many hardware development problems were

Programmable architecture for pixel level processing tasks in lightweight strapdown IR seekers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coates, James L.

1993-06-01

Typical processing tasks associated with missile IR seeker applications are described, and a straw man suite of algorithms is presented. A fully programmable multiprocessor architecture is realized on a multimedia video processor (MVP) developed by Texas Instruments. The MVP combines the elements of RISC, floating point, advanced DSPs, graphics processors, display and acquisition control, RAM, and external memory. Front end pixel level tasks typical of missile interceptor applications, operating on 256 x 256 sensor imagery, can be processed at frame rates exceeding 100 Hz in a single MVP chip.

Chernobyl radioactivity found in mid-water sediment interceptors in the N. Pacific and Bering Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kusakabe, M.; Ku, T.-L.; Harada, K.; Taguchi, K.; Tsunogai, S.

1988-01-01

Fission-product nuclides 134Cs, 137Cs and 103Ru originated from the Chernobyl accident have been detected in sediment traps deployed at mid-water depths ranging from 110 to 780 m in the N. Pacific and the Bering Sea. The detected radioactivities, originally associated with fine airborne particles, have apparently been incorporated into much larger aggregates of predominantly biogenic material formed in the surface ocean, and transferred downward through the water column with velocities of the order of 100 m/day.

Applying Combat Application Course Techniques to Rifle Marksmanship in Basic Combat Training (BCT): Acquisition and Retention of Skills

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

Uniform (interceptor body armor (IBA), load bearing vest (LBV), etc) • Weapons Safety • Fundamentals (Steady Position, Aiming, Breath Control, and...intent is that the Soldier must reacquire the target before he/she reengages; therefore, for safety considerations, the weapon is placed on “safe...Four rules of the range: A variation of the USMC Safety Rules as seen in MCRP 3- 01A (2001, para 3001, p. 3-1). o Treat the weapon as loaded. o Do

Proceedings of the Near-Earth-Object Interception Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Canavan, G. J. (Editor); Solem, J. C. (Editor); Rather, John D. G. (Editor)

1993-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Headquarters sponsored the Near-Earth-Object Interception Workshop hosted by the Los Alamos National Laboratory on 14-16 Jan. 1992 at the J. Robert Oppenheimer Study Center in Los Alamos, New Mexico. The Workshop evaluated the issues involved in intercepting celestial objects that could hit the Earth. It covered the technologies for acquiring, tracking, and homing, as well as those for sending interceptors to inspect, rendezvous with, land on, irradiate, deflect, or destroy them. This report records the presentations and technical options reviewed.

Vacuum to Antimatter-Rocket Interstellar Explorer System (VARIES): A Proposed Program for an Interstellar Rendezvous and Return Architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Obousy, R.

While interstellar missions have been explored in the literature, one mission architecture has not received much attention, namely the interstellar rendezvous and return mission that could be accomplished on timescales comparable with a working scientist's career. Such a mission would involve an initial boost phase followed by a coasting phase to the target system. Next would be the deceleration and rendezvous phase, which would be followed by a period of scientific data gathering. Finally, there would be a second boost phase, aimed at returning the spacecraft back to the solar system, and subsequent coasting and deceleration phases upon return to our solar system. Such a mission would represent a precursor to a future manned interstellar mission; which in principle could safely return any astronauts back to Earth. In this paper a novel architecture is proposed that would allow for an unmanned interstellar rendezvous and return mission. The approach utilized for the Vacuum to Antimatter-Rocket Interstellar Explorer System (VARIES) would lead to system components and mission approaches that could be utilized for autonomous operation of other deep-space probes. Engineering solutions for such a mission will have a significant impact on future exploration and sample return missions for the outer planets. This paper introduces the general concept, with a mostly qualitative analysis. However, a full research program is introduced, and as this program progresses, more quantitative papers will be released.

SYNCHROTRON RADIO FREQUENCY PHASE CONTROL SYSTEM

DOEpatents

Plotkin, M.; Raka, E.C.; Snyder, H.S.

1963-05-01

A system for canceling varying phase changes introduced by connecting cables and control equipment in an alternating gradient synchrotron is presented. In a specific synchrotron embodiment twelve spaced accelerating stations for the proton bunches are utilized. In order to ensure that the protons receive their boost or kick at the exact instant necessary it is necessary to compensate for phase changes occurring in the r-f circuitry over the wide range of frequencies dictated by the accelerated velocities of the proton bunches. A constant beat frequency is utilized to transfer the r-f control signals through the cables and control equipment to render the phase shift constant and readily compensable. (AEC)

Recovery from Cyclophosphamide-Induced Lymphopenia Results in Expansion of Immature Dendritic Cells Which Can Mediate Enhanced Prime-Boost Vaccination Antitumor Responses In Vivo When Stimulated with the TLR3 Agonist Poly(I:C)1

PubMed Central

Salem, Mohamed L.; Díaz-Montero, C. Marcela; Al-Khami, Amir A.; El-Naggar, Sabry A.; Naga, Osama; Montero, Alberto J.; Khafagy, Ahmed; Cole, David J.

2011-01-01

Recent preclinical studies suggest that vaccination following adoptive transfer of CD8+ T cells into a lymphopenic host can augment the therapeutic antitumor responses of the transferred cells. However, the mechanism by which the lymphopenic microenvironment benefits Ag-specific CD8+ T cell responses remains elusive. We show herein that induction of lymphodepletion by a single 4 mg cyclophosphamide (CTX) treatment induces a marked expansion of immature dendritic cells (DCs) in the peripheral blood on days 8–16 post-CTX (termed restoration phase). In vitro, these DCs were functional, because they showed normal phagocytosis and effective Ag presentation capability upon activation. In vivo, administration of the TLR3 agonist poly(I:C) at the peak of DC expansion (day 12 postlymphopenia) induced inflammatory cytokine production and increases in the number of activated DCs in lymph nodes. Importantly, boosting with gp10025–33 melanoma peptide combined with poly(I:C) 12 days after an initial priming with the same regimen significantly increased the expansion and the antitumor efficacy of adoptively transferred pmel-1 CD8+ T cells. These responses were abrogated after depletion of activated DCs during Ag boosting. In conclusion, our data show that CTX treatment induces, during the restoration phase, expansion of immature DCs, which are functional and can be exploited in vivo to foster more effective antitumor adoptive immunotherapy strategies. PMID:19201856

DNA Prime/Adenovirus Boost Malaria Vaccine Encoding P. falciparum CSP and AMA1 Induces Sterile Protection Associated with Cell-Mediated Immunity

PubMed Central

Chuang, Ilin; Sedegah, Martha; Cicatelli, Susan; Spring, Michele; Polhemus, Mark; Tamminga, Cindy; Patterson, Noelle; Guerrero, Melanie; Bennett, Jason W.; McGrath, Shannon; Ganeshan, Harini; Belmonte, Maria; Farooq, Fouzia; Abot, Esteban; Banania, Jo Glenna; Huang, Jun; Newcomer, Rhonda; Rein, Lisa; Litilit, Dianne; Richie, Nancy O.; Wood, Chloe; Murphy, Jittawadee; Sauerwein, Robert; Hermsen, Cornelus C.; McCoy, Andrea J.; Kamau, Edwin; Cummings, James; Komisar, Jack; Sutamihardja, Awalludin; Shi, Meng; Epstein, Judith E.; Maiolatesi, Santina; Tosh, Donna; Limbach, Keith; Angov, Evelina; Bergmann-Leitner, Elke; Bruder, Joseph T.; Doolan, Denise L.; King, C. Richter; Carucci, Daniel; Dutta, Sheetij; Soisson, Lorraine; Diggs, Carter; Hollingdale, Michael R.; Ockenhouse, Christian F.; Richie, Thomas L.

2013-01-01

Background Gene-based vaccination using prime/boost regimens protects animals and humans against malaria, inducing cell-mediated responses that in animal models target liver stage malaria parasites. We tested a DNA prime/adenovirus boost malaria vaccine in a Phase 1 clinical trial with controlled human malaria infection. Methodology/Principal Findings The vaccine regimen was three monthly doses of two DNA plasmids (DNA) followed four months later by a single boost with two non-replicating human serotype 5 adenovirus vectors (Ad). The constructs encoded genes expressing P. falciparum circumsporozoite protein (CSP) and apical membrane antigen-1 (AMA1). The regimen was safe and well-tolerated, with mostly mild adverse events that occurred at the site of injection. Only one AE (diarrhea), possibly related to immunization, was severe (Grade 3), preventing daily activities. Four weeks after the Ad boost, 15 study subjects were challenged with P. falciparum sporozoites by mosquito bite, and four (27%) were sterilely protected. Antibody responses by ELISA rose after Ad boost but were low (CSP geometric mean titer 210, range 44–817; AMA1 geometric mean micrograms/milliliter 11.9, range 1.5–102) and were not associated with protection. Ex vivo IFN-γ ELISpot responses after Ad boost were modest (CSP geometric mean spot forming cells/million peripheral blood mononuclear cells 86, range 13–408; AMA1 348, range 88–1270) and were highest in three protected subjects. ELISpot responses to AMA1 were significantly associated with protection (p = 0.019). Flow cytometry identified predominant IFN-γ mono-secreting CD8+ T cell responses in three protected subjects. No subjects with high pre-existing anti-Ad5 neutralizing antibodies were protected but the association was not statistically significant. Significance The DNA/Ad regimen provided the highest sterile immunity achieved against malaria following immunization with a gene-based subunit vaccine (27%). Protection was associated with cell-mediated immunity to AMA1, with CSP probably contributing. Substituting a low seroprevalence vector for Ad5 and supplementing CSP/AMA1 with additional antigens may improve protection. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.govNCT00870987. PMID:23457473

THE INSIDIOUS BOOSTING OF THERMALLY PULSING ASYMPTOTIC GIANT BRANCH STARS IN INTERMEDIATE-AGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD CLUSTERS

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

Girardi, Léo; Marigo, Paola; Bressan, Alessandro

2013-11-10

In the recent controversy about the role of thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) stars in evolutionary population synthesis (EPS) models of galaxies, one particular aspect is puzzling: TP-AGB models aimed at reproducing the lifetimes and integrated fluxes of the TP-AGB phase in Magellanic Cloud (MC) clusters, when incorporated into EPS models, are found to overestimate, to various extents, the TP-AGB contribution in resolved star counts and integrated spectra of galaxies. In this paper, we call attention to a particular evolutionary aspect, linked to the physics of stellar interiors, that in all probability is the main cause of this conundrum.more » As soon as stellar populations intercept the ages at which red giant branch stars first appear, a sudden and abrupt change in the lifetime of the core He-burning phase causes a temporary 'boost' in the production rate of subsequent evolutionary phases, including the TP-AGB. For a timespan of about 0.1 Gyr, triple TP-AGB branches develop at slightly different initial masses, causing their frequency and contribution to the integrated luminosity of the stellar population to increase by a factor of ∼2. The boost occurs for turn-off masses of ∼1.75 M{sub ☉}, just in the proximity of the expected peak in the TP-AGB lifetimes (for MC metallicities), and for ages of ∼1.6 Gyr. Coincidently, this relatively narrow age interval happens to contain the few very massive MC clusters that host most of the TP-AGB stars used to constrain stellar evolution and EPS models. This concomitance makes the AGB-boosting particularly insidious in the context of present EPS models. As we discuss in this paper, the identification of this evolutionary effect brings about three main consequences. First, we claim that present estimates of the TP-AGB contribution to the integrated light of galaxies derived from MC clusters are biased toward too large values. Second, the relative TP-AGB contribution of single-burst populations falling in this critical age range cannot be accurately derived by approximations such as the fuel consumption theorem, which ignore, by construction, the above evolutionary effect. Third, a careful revision of AGB star populations in intermediate-age MC clusters is urgently demanded, promisingly with the aid of detailed sets of stellar isochrones.« less

Immunogenicity of a novel Clade B HIV-1 vaccine combination: Results of phase 1 randomized placebo controlled trial of an HIV-1 GM-CSF-expressing DNA prime with a modified vaccinia Ankara vaccine boost in healthy HIV-1 uninfected adults

PubMed Central

Grunenberg, Nicole A.; Sanchez, Brittany J.; Seaton, Kelly E.; Ferrari, Guido; Moody, M. Anthony; Frahm, Nicole; Montefiori, David C.; Hay, Christine M.; Goepfert, Paul A.; Baden, Lindsey R.; Robinson, Harriet L.; Yu, Xuesong; Gilbert, Peter B.; McElrath, M. Juliana; Huang, Yunda; Tomaras, Georgia D.

2017-01-01

Background A phase 1 trial of a clade B HIV vaccine in HIV-uninfected adults evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of a DNA prime co-expressing GM-CSF (Dg) followed by different numbers and intervals of modified vaccinia Ankara Boosts (M). Both vaccines produce virus-like particles presenting membrane-bound Env. Methods Four US sites randomized 48 participants to receiving 1/10th the DNA dose as DgDgMMM given at 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 months, or full dose DgDgM_M or DgDgMM_M regimens, given at 0, 2, 4, and 8 months, and 0, 2, 4, 6, and 10 months, respectively. Peak immunogenicity was measured 2 weeks post-last vaccination. Results All regimens were well tolerated and safe. Full dose DgDgM_M and DgDgMM_M regimens generated Env-specific IgG to HIV-1 Env in >90%, IgG3 in >80%, and IgA in <20% of participants. Responses to gp140 and gp41 targets were more common and of higher magnitude than to gp120 and V1V2. The gp41 antibody included reactivity to the conserved immunodominant region with specificities known to mediate virus capture and phagocytosis and did not cross-react with a panel of intestinal flora antigens. The 3rd dose of MVA increased the avidity of elicited antibody (7.5% to 39%), the ADCC response to Bal gp120 (14% to 64%), and the one-year durability of the IgG3 responses to gp41 by 4-fold (13% vs. 3.5% retention of peak response). The co-expressed GM-CSF did not enhance responses over those in trials testing this vaccine without GM-CSF. Conclusion This DNA/MVA prime-boost regimen induced durable, functional humoral responses that included ADCC, high antibody avidity, and Env IgG1 and IgG3 binding responses to the immunodominant region of gp41. The third, spaced MVA boost improved the overall quality of the antibody response. These products without co-expressed GM-CSF but combined with protein boosts will be considered for efficacy evaluation. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01571960 PMID:28727817

Immunogenicity of a novel Clade B HIV-1 vaccine combination: Results of phase 1 randomized placebo controlled trial of an HIV-1 GM-CSF-expressing DNA prime with a modified vaccinia Ankara vaccine boost in healthy HIV-1 uninfected adults.

PubMed

Buchbinder, Susan P; Grunenberg, Nicole A; Sanchez, Brittany J; Seaton, Kelly E; Ferrari, Guido; Moody, M Anthony; Frahm, Nicole; Montefiori, David C; Hay, Christine M; Goepfert, Paul A; Baden, Lindsey R; Robinson, Harriet L; Yu, Xuesong; Gilbert, Peter B; McElrath, M Juliana; Huang, Yunda; Tomaras, Georgia D

2017-01-01

A phase 1 trial of a clade B HIV vaccine in HIV-uninfected adults evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of a DNA prime co-expressing GM-CSF (Dg) followed by different numbers and intervals of modified vaccinia Ankara Boosts (M). Both vaccines produce virus-like particles presenting membrane-bound Env. Four US sites randomized 48 participants to receiving 1/10th the DNA dose as DgDgMMM given at 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 months, or full dose DgDgM_M or DgDgMM_M regimens, given at 0, 2, 4, and 8 months, and 0, 2, 4, 6, and 10 months, respectively. Peak immunogenicity was measured 2 weeks post-last vaccination. All regimens were well tolerated and safe. Full dose DgDgM_M and DgDgMM_M regimens generated Env-specific IgG to HIV-1 Env in >90%, IgG3 in >80%, and IgA in <20% of participants. Responses to gp140 and gp41 targets were more common and of higher magnitude than to gp120 and V1V2. The gp41 antibody included reactivity to the conserved immunodominant region with specificities known to mediate virus capture and phagocytosis and did not cross-react with a panel of intestinal flora antigens. The 3rd dose of MVA increased the avidity of elicited antibody (7.5% to 39%), the ADCC response to Bal gp120 (14% to 64%), and the one-year durability of the IgG3 responses to gp41 by 4-fold (13% vs. 3.5% retention of peak response). The co-expressed GM-CSF did not enhance responses over those in trials testing this vaccine without GM-CSF. This DNA/MVA prime-boost regimen induced durable, functional humoral responses that included ADCC, high antibody avidity, and Env IgG1 and IgG3 binding responses to the immunodominant region of gp41. The third, spaced MVA boost improved the overall quality of the antibody response. These products without co-expressed GM-CSF but combined with protein boosts will be considered for efficacy evaluation. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01571960.

Control of Laser High-Harmonic Generation with Counterpropagating Light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voronov, S. L.; Kohl, I.; Madsen, J. B.; Simmons, J.; Terry, N.; Titensor, J.; Wang, Q.; Peatross, J.

2001-09-01

Relatively weak counterpropagating light is shown to disrupt the emission of laser high-harmonic generation. Harmonic orders ranging from the teens to the low thirties produced by a 30-femtosecond pulse in a narrow argon jet are ``shut down'' with a contrast as high as 2 orders of magnitude by a chirped 1-picosecond counterpropagating laser pulse (60 times less intense). Alternatively, under poor phase-matching conditions, the counterpropagating light boosts harmonic production by similar contrast through quasiphase matching where out-of-phase emission is suppressed.

Vaccine profile of herpes zoster (HZ/su) subunit vaccine.

PubMed

Cunningham, Anthony L; Heineman, Thomas

2017-07-01

Herpes zoster (HZ) causes an often severe and painful rash in older people and may be complicated by prolonged pain (postherpetic neuralgia; PHN) and by dissemination in immune-compromised patients. HZ results from reactivation of latent varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection, often associated with age-related or other causes of decreased T cell immunity. A live attenuated vaccine boosts this immunity and provides partial protection against HZ, but this decreases with age and declines over 8 years. Areas covered: A new HZ subunit (HZ/su) vaccine combines a key surface VZV glycoprotein (E) with a T cell-boosting adjuvant system (AS01 B ) and is administered by two intramuscular injections two months apart. Expert commentary: HZ/su showed excellent efficacy of ~90% in immunocompetent adults ≥50 and ≥70 years of age, respectively, in the ZOE-50 and ZOE-70 phase III controlled trials. Efficacy was unaffected by advancing age and persisted for >3 years. Approximately 9.5% of subjects had severe, but transient (1-2 days) injection site pain, swelling or redness. Compliance with both vaccine doses was high (95%). The vaccine will have a major impact on HZ management. Phase I-II trials showed safety and immunogenicity in severely immunocompromised patients. Phase III trial results are expected soon.

A two-dose heterologous prime-boost vaccine regimen eliciting sustained immune responses to Ebola Zaire could support a preventive strategy for future outbreaks

PubMed Central

Shukarev, Georgi; Callendret, Benoit; Luhn, Kerstin; Douoguih, Macaya

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT The consequences of the 2013–16 Ebola Zaire virus disease epidemic in West Africa were grave. The economies, healthcare systems and communities of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia were devastated by over 18 months of active Ebola virus transmission, followed by sporadic resurgences potentially related to sexual transmission by survivors with viral persistence in body fluids following recovery. The need to develop and implement strategies to prevent and mitigate future outbreaks is now beyond dispute. The potential for unpredictable outbreaks of indeterminate duration, and control challenges posed by the possibility of sporadic re-emergence, mean that implementation of an effective vaccination program for outbreak containment necessitates a vaccine providing durable immunity. Heterologous prime-boost vaccine regimens deliver the same or similar antigens through different vaccine types, the first to prime and the second to boost the immune system. Ad26.ZEBOV/MVA-BN-Filo is an investigational Ebola Zaire vaccine regimen that uses this heterologous prime-boost approach. Preliminary Phase 1 data suggest that Ad26.ZEBOV/MVA-BN-Filo confers durable immunity for at least 240 d and is well-tolerated with a good safety profile. This regimen may therefore be suitable for prophylactic use in a regional or targeted population vaccination strategy, and could potentially aid prevention and control of future Ebola outbreaks. PMID:27925844

A two-dose heterologous prime-boost vaccine regimen eliciting sustained immune responses to Ebola Zaire could support a preventive strategy for future outbreaks.

PubMed

Shukarev, Georgi; Callendret, Benoit; Luhn, Kerstin; Douoguih, Macaya

2017-02-01

The consequences of the 2013-16 Ebola Zaire virus disease epidemic in West Africa were grave. The economies, healthcare systems and communities of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia were devastated by over 18 months of active Ebola virus transmission, followed by sporadic resurgences potentially related to sexual transmission by survivors with viral persistence in body fluids following recovery. The need to develop and implement strategies to prevent and mitigate future outbreaks is now beyond dispute. The potential for unpredictable outbreaks of indeterminate duration, and control challenges posed by the possibility of sporadic re-emergence, mean that implementation of an effective vaccination program for outbreak containment necessitates a vaccine providing durable immunity. Heterologous prime-boost vaccine regimens deliver the same or similar antigens through different vaccine types, the first to prime and the second to boost the immune system. Ad26.ZEBOV/MVA-BN-Filo is an investigational Ebola Zaire vaccine regimen that uses this heterologous prime-boost approach. Preliminary Phase 1 data suggest that Ad26.ZEBOV/MVA-BN-Filo confers durable immunity for at least 240 d and is well-tolerated with a good safety profile. This regimen may therefore be suitable for prophylactic use in a regional or targeted population vaccination strategy, and could potentially aid prevention and control of future Ebola outbreaks.

Super-sensitive phase estimation with coherent boosted light using parity measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Lan; Tan, Qing-Shou

2018-01-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11665010), the Key Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Quantum Structures and Quantum Control of Ministry of Education, China (Grant No. QSQC1414), and the Scientific Research Fund of Hunan Provincial Education Department, China (Grant No. 17B055).

The multistage vaccine H56 boosts the effects of BCG to protect cynomolgus macaques against active tuberculosis and reactivation of latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection

PubMed Central

Lin, Philana Ling; Dietrich, Jes; Tan, Esterlina; Abalos, Rodolfo M.; Burgos, Jasmin; Bigbee, Carolyn; Bigbee, Matthew; Milk, Leslie; Gideon, Hannah P.; Rodgers, Mark; Cochran, Catherine; Guinn, Kristi M.; Sherman, David R.; Klein, Edwin; Janssen, Christopher; Flynn, JoAnne L.; Andersen, Peter

2011-01-01

It is estimated that one-third of the world’s population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Infection typically remains latent, but it can reactivate to cause clinical disease. The only vaccine, Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), is largely ineffective, and ways to enhance its efficacy are being developed. Of note, the candidate booster vaccines currently under clinical development have been designed to improve BCG efficacy but not prevent reactivation of latent infection. Here, we demonstrate that administering a multistage vaccine that we term H56 in the adjuvant IC31 as a boost to vaccination with BCG delays and reduces clinical disease in cynomolgus macaques challenged with M. tuberculosis and prevents reactivation of latent infection. H56 contains Ag85B and ESAT-6, which are two of the M. tuberculosis antigens secreted in the acute phase of infection, and the nutrient stress–induced antigen Rv2660c. Boosting with H56/IC31 resulted in efficient containment of M. tuberculosis infection and reduced rates of clinical disease, as measured by clinical parameters, inflammatory markers, and improved survival of the animals compared with BCG alone. Boosted animals showed reduced pulmonary pathology and extrapulmonary dissemination, and protection correlated with a strong recall response against ESAT-6 and Rv2660c. Importantly, BCG/H56-vaccinated monkeys did not reactivate latent infection after treatment with anti-TNF antibody. Our results indicate that H56/IC31 boosting is able to control late-stage infection with M. tuberculosis and contain latent tuberculosis, providing a rationale for the clinical development of H56. PMID:22133873

McDonald XP-85 Airplane in 40x80 foot Wind Tunnel.

NASA Image and Video Library

1948-04-08

Front View of McDonald XP-85 Plan Model. Parasite Airplane designed to be carried in the B-36 bombay (never built) At the time it was the smallest Jet powered airplane. The McDonnell XF-85 Goblin was an American prototype fighter aircraft conceived during World War II by McDonnell Aircraft. It was intended to be deployed from the bomb bay of the giant Convair B-36 bomber as a parasite fighter. The XF-85's intended role was to defend bombers from hostile interceptor aircraft, a need demonstrated during World War II

Installation Restoration Program. Preliminary Assessment: Records Search for the 119th Fighter Interceptor Group, North Dakota Air National Guard, Hector Field , Fargo, North Dakota.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-10-01

3𔃿 I, UNLSSflD r/ H : . ,_ .m 0 1 -8 111 . ! m m’" , L . I-~*211111220 MICROCOP RESOLUTICN TEST CHART NATIONAL BUREAU 0I SANDARD ’l l 4 AtJLLW i V...include, but not be limited to, any element, substance, compound , or mixture, including disease- causing agents, which after release into the environment...under: (a) any substance designated pursuant to Section 311(b)(2)(A) of the Fed-- eral Water Pollution Control Act, (b) any element, compound , mixture

Geologic and hydrologic control of chloride contamination in aquifers at Brunswick, Glynn County, Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gregg, Dean O.; Zimmerman, Everett Alfred

1974-01-01

Water from a brackish-water zone (1,050-1,350 ft) has concentrations as high as 2,150 milligrams per liter chloride, and concentrations are suspected to be higher than 3,000 milligrams per liter chloride. This brackish water has been identified as the source of the water that contaminates the upper and lower fresh-water-bearing zones of the principal artesian aquifer. The confining unit separating the fresh and brackish water seems to contain breaks that act as vertical conduits for the movement of brackish water into the fresh-water zones of the aquifer. Faults are suspected to be responsible for the breaks in the confining unit. The rate of upward movement of brackish water seems to be a function of the rate of water-level decline in the aquifer. There are two main areas of brackish-water intrusion. One area is near Bay and Prince Streets, and the other area is near Reynolds and Q Streets. Successive maps showing chloride ion concentration trace the movement of the chloride front northward in the Bay Street area at the rate of about 350 feet per year toward the center of pumping. An average of about 400 gallons per minute of water containing 2,000 milligrams per liter chloride invaded the upper water-bearing zone between December 1962 and December 1966. A like amount may have entered the lower water-bearing zone. Maximum chloride concentration in the upper water-bearing zone is 1,540 milligrams per liter in the Bay Street area and 640 milligrams per liter in the Reynolds Street area. In a few areas, where individual wells have been drilled deep enough to penetrate the confining unit over the brackish-water zone, the well furnishes a conduit for brackish water to recharge the fresh-water aquifer. Plugging the lower part of these wells usually reduces the chloride concentration of the water. The chloride concentration of water in the principal artesian aquifer can probably be reduced by use of interceptor wells, relief wells, or well-field spacing. Interceptor wells would prevent laterally moving brackish water from contaminating a well field. A relief well would tap and withdraw poor quality water from only the brackish-water zone to lower the head in that zone and decrease the rate of leakage into the fresh-water aquifer. Wider spacing of wells would prevent the development of a deep cone of depression and the steeper hydraulic gradients that accompany it. The brackish water pumped by the interceptor or relief wells could be used for industry, aquaculture, recreation, or for other processes in which the chloride content is not critical.

Electromyography comparison of the effects of various footwear in the activity patterns of the peroneus longus and brevis muscles.

PubMed

Roca-Dols, Andrea; Losa-Iglesias, Marta Elena; Sánchez-Gómez, Rubén; López-López, Daniel; Becerro-de-Bengoa-Vallejo, Ricardo; Calvo-Lobo, César

2018-06-01

Peroneus longus and brevis (PLB) disorders are commonly in people with lateral ligamentous instability, ankle pain, lateral hindfoot pain and structures of the proximal compartment of the lower legs and their muscle activity is believed to be influenced by different footwear types. The proposal of this research is to evaluate the effects of five types of footwear with respect to the barefoot condition and analyze the activity patterns of PLB muscles in healthy subjects during the gait cycle. Thirty healthy subjects were recruited in a laboratory in this cross-sectional research design. While walking, electromyography (EMG) activity was measured from PLB via surface electrodes in six experimental conditions: 1) barefoot, 2) minimalist, 3) pronated control, 4) air chamber, 5) ethyl-vinyl-acetate (EVA) and 6) boost. These data were obtained and compared. The peroneus brevis showed significant reductions in the peak amplitude of the five footwear types (minimalist, pronation control, air chamber, EVA and boost) with respect to the barefoot condition in the propulsion phase of the gait cycle during walking (P = 0.034; P < 0.001; P < 0.001; P < 0.001; P = 0.006) and running (P = 0.004; P < 0.001; P = 0.001; P < 0.001; P = 0.001), respectively. Furthermore, peroneus longus showed significant reductions in the peak amplitude of these five footwear types with respect to the barefoot condition in the propulsion phase of the gait cycle during running (P = 0.005; P = 0.038; P = 0.019; P = 0.025; P = 0.021). The EMG activity patterns of the PLB muscles may depend on the use of different types of sport shoes such as minimalist, pronation control, air chamber, EVA and boost footwear with respect the barefoot condition in different phases of the gait cycle during walking and running. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phase I Trial of Simultaneous In-Field Boost With Helical Tomotherapy for Patients With One to Three Brain Metastases

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

Rodrigues, George, E-mail: george.rodrigues@lhsc.on.ca; Yartsev, Slav; Yaremko, Brian

2011-07-15

Purpose: Stereotactic radiosurgery is an alternative to surgical resection for selected intracranial lesions. Integrated image-guided intensity-modulated-capable radiotherapy platforms such as helical tomotherapy (HT) could potentially replace traditional radiosurgery apparatus. The present study's objective was to determine the maximally tolerated dose of a simultaneous in-field boost integrated with whole brain radiotherapy for palliative treatment of patients with one to three brain metastases using HT. Methods and Materials: The inclusion/exclusion criteria and endpoints were consistent with the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 9508 radiosurgery trial. The cohorts were constructed with a 3 + 3 design; however, additional patients were enrolled in the lowermore » dose tolerable cohorts during the toxicity assessment periods. Whole brain radiotherapy (30 Gy in 10 fractions) was delivered with a 5-30-Gy (total lesion dose of 35-60 Gy in 10 fractions) simultaneous in-field boost delivered to the brain metastases. The maximally tolerated dose was determined by the frequency of neurologic Grade 3-5 National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria, version 3.0, dose-limiting toxicity events within each Phase I cohort. Results: A total of 48 patients received treatment in the 35-Gy (n = 3), 40-Gy (n = 16), 50-Gy (n = 15), 55-Gy (n = 8), and 60-Gy (n = 6) cohorts. No patients experienced dose-limiting toxicity events in any of the trial cohorts. The 3-month RECIST assessments available for 32 of the 48 patients demonstrated a complete response in 2, a partial response in 16, stable disease in 6, and progressive disease in 8 patients. Conclusion: The delivery of 60 Gy in 10 fractions to one to three brain metastases synchronously with 30 Gy whole brain radiotherapy was achieved without dose-limiting central nervous system toxicity as assessed 3 months after treatment. This approach is being tested in a Phase II efficacy trial.« less

Preferential Targeting of Conserved Gag Regions after Vaccination with a Heterologous DNA Prime-Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara Boost HIV-1 Vaccine Regimen.

PubMed

Bauer, Asli; Podola, Lilli; Mann, Philipp; Missanga, Marco; Haule, Antelmo; Sudi, Lwitiho; Nilsson, Charlotta; Kaluwa, Bahati; Lueer, Cornelia; Mwakatima, Maria; Munseri, Patricia J; Maboko, Leonard; Robb, Merlin L; Tovanabutra, Sodsai; Kijak, Gustavo; Marovich, Mary; McCormack, Sheena; Joseph, Sarah; Lyamuya, Eligius; Wahren, Britta; Sandström, Eric; Biberfeld, Gunnel; Hoelscher, Michael; Bakari, Muhammad; Kroidl, Arne; Geldmacher, Christof

2017-09-15

Prime-boost vaccination strategies against HIV-1 often include multiple variants for a given immunogen for better coverage of the extensive viral diversity. To study the immunologic effects of this approach, we characterized breadth, phenotype, function, and specificity of Gag-specific T cells induced by a DNA-prime modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA)-boost vaccination strategy, which uses mismatched Gag immunogens in the TamoVac 01 phase IIa trial. Healthy Tanzanian volunteers received three injections of the DNA-SMI vaccine encoding a subtype B and AB-recombinant Gag p37 and two vaccinations with MVA-CMDR encoding subtype A Gag p55 Gag-specific T-cell responses were studied in 42 vaccinees using fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells. After the first MVA-CMDR boost, vaccine-induced gamma interferon-positive (IFN-γ + ) Gag-specific T-cell responses were dominated by CD4 + T cells ( P < 0.001 compared to CD8 + T cells) that coexpressed interleukin-2 (IL-2) (66.4%) and/or tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) (63.7%). A median of 3 antigenic regions were targeted with a higher-magnitude median response to Gag p24 regions, more conserved between prime and boost, compared to those of regions within Gag p15 (not primed) and Gag p17 (less conserved; P < 0.0001 for both). Four regions within Gag p24 each were targeted by 45% to 74% of vaccinees upon restimulation with DNA-SMI-Gag matched peptides. The response rate to individual antigenic regions correlated with the sequence homology between the MVA- and DNA Gag-encoded immunogens ( P = 0.04, r 2 = 0.47). In summary, after the first MVA-CMDR boost, the sequence-mismatched DNA-prime MVA-boost vaccine strategy induced a Gag-specific T-cell response that was dominated by polyfunctional CD4 + T cells and that targeted multiple antigenic regions within the conserved Gag p24 protein. IMPORTANCE Genetic diversity is a major challenge for the design of vaccines against variable viruses. While including multiple variants for a given immunogen in prime-boost vaccination strategies is one approach that aims to improve coverage for global virus variants, the immunologic consequences of this strategy have been poorly defined so far. It is unclear whether inclusion of multiple variants in prime-boost vaccination strategies improves recognition of variant viruses by T cells and by which mechanisms this would be achieved, either by improved cross-recognition of multiple variants for a given antigenic region or through preferential targeting of antigenic regions more conserved between prime and boost. Engineering vaccines to induce adaptive immune responses that preferentially target conserved antigenic regions of viral vulnerability might facilitate better immune control after preventive and therapeutic vaccination for HIV and for other variable viruses. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Closed-loop analysis and control of a non-inverting buck-boost converter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zengshi; Hu, Jiangang; Gao, Wenzhong

2010-11-01

In this article, a cascade controller is designed and analysed for a non-inverting buck-boost converter. The fast inner current loop uses sliding mode control. The slow outer voltage loop uses the proportional-integral (PI) control. Stability analysis and selection of PI gains are based on the nonlinear closed-loop error dynamics incorporating both the inner and outer loop controllers. The closed-loop system is proven to have a nonminimum phase structure. The voltage transient due to step changes of input voltage or resistance is predictable. The operating range of the reference voltage is discussed. The controller is validated by a simulation circuit. The simulation results show that the reference output voltage is well-tracked under system uncertainties or disturbances, confirming the validity of the proposed controller.

The Power of Organizational Readiness to Boost Success with the 2008 EPAS in Social Work Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burney Nissen, Laura

2014-01-01

Social work education is engaged in a significant evolutionary phase of its development, spearheaded by the Council on Social Work Education and the 2008 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS). This article suggests that an organizational change--anchored focus is a little discussed but ultimately important set of theories and…

Incoherent transport for phases that spontaneously break translations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donos, Aristomenis; Gauntlett, Jerome P.; Griffin, Tom; Ziogas, Vaios

2018-04-01

We consider phases of matter at finite charge density which spontaneously break spatial translations. Without taking a hydrodynamic limit we identify a boost invariant incoherent current operator. We also derive expressions for the small frequency behaviour of the thermoelectric conductivities generalising those that have been derived in a translationally invariant context. Within holographic constructions we show that the DC conductivity for the incoherent current can be obtained from a solution to a Stokes flow for an auxiliary fluid on the black hole horizon combined with specific thermodynamic quantities associated with the equilibrium black hole solutions.

Phase II clinical trial of whole-brain irradiation plus three-dimensional conformal boost with concurrent topotecan for brain metastases from lung cancer

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Patients with brain metastases from lung cancer have poor prognoses and short survival time, and they are often excluded from clinical trials. Whole-cranial irradiation is considered to be the standard treatment, but its efficacy is not satisfactory. The purpose of this phase II clinical trial was to evaluate the preliminary efficacy and safety of the treatment of whole-brain irradiation plus three-dimensional conformal boost combined with concurrent topotecan for the patients with brain metastases from lung cancer. Methods Patients with brain metastasis from lung cancer received concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy: conventional fractionated whole-brain irradiation, 2 fields/time, 1 fraction/day, 2 Gy/fraction, 5 times/week, and DT 40 Gy/20 fractions; for the patients with ≤ 3 lesions with diameter ≥ 2 cm, a three-dimensional (3-D) conformal localised boost was given to increase the dosage to 56–60 Gy; and during radiotherapy, concurrent chemotherapy with topotecan was given (the chemoradiotherapy group, CRT). The patients with brain metastasis from lung cancer during the same period who received radiotherapy only were selected as the controls (the radiotherapy-alone group, RT). Results From March 2009 to March 2012, both 38 patients were enrolled into two groups. The median progression-free survival(PFS) time , the 1- and 2-year PFS rates of CRT group and RT group were 6 months, 42.8%, 21.6% and 3 months, 11.6%, 8.7% (χ2 = 6.02, p = 0.014), respectively. The 1- and 2-year intracranial lesion control rates of CRT and RT were 75.9% , 65.2% and 41.6% , 31.2% (χ2 = 3.892, p = 0.049), respectively. The 1- and 2-year overall survival rates (OS) of CRT and RT were 50.8% , 37.9% and 40.4% , 16.5% (χ2 = 1.811, p = 0.178), respectively. The major side effects were myelosuppression and digestive toxicities, but no differences were observed between the two groups. Conclusion Compared with radiotherapy alone, whole-brain irradiation plus 3-D conformal boost irradiation and concurrent topotecan chemotherapy significantly improved the PFS rate and the intracranial lesion control rate of patients with brain metastases from lung cancer, and no significant increases in side effects were observed. Based on these results, this treatment method is recommended for phase III clinical trial. PMID:24125485

Boosting the growth of the probiotic strain Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. paracasei F19.

PubMed

Brignone, Desideria; Radmann, Pia; Behr, Jürgen; Vogel, Rudi F

2017-08-01

Single so-called booster substances were added to the fermentation medium of the probiotic strain Lactobacillus (L.) paracasei ssp. paracasei F19 to enhance its growth. A wide screening was carried out in microtiter plates and a statistical analysis of the growth parameters was performed. CFU counts were used to correlate the increase in OD 590nm with the increase in viable cell number. Sodium ascorbate, sodium pyruvate, manganese sulfate and cysteine had a remarkable boosting effect on the growth of L. paracasei F19. Three of the boosters increased the growth rate of the strain and led to a higher cell density and biomass yield in laboratory conditions. Cysteine significantly shortened the lag phase, therefore reducing the fermentation times. The boosters were tested on four additional Lactobacillus species and their growth boosting activity was retained. To investigate whether the growth boosters could improve the tolerance of L. paracasei F19 to the adverse condition in the GI tract, additional tests were performed. Sodium ascorbate and sodium pyruvate exerted a certain antioxidant effect, as they improved the tolerance of L. paracasei F19 to H 2 O 2 . Sodium ascorbate enhanced the growth of the strain in low pH.

Impact of tumour motion compensation and delineation methods on FDG PET-based dose painting plan quality for NSCLC radiation therapy.

PubMed

Thomas, Hannah Mary; Kinahan, Paul E; Samuel, James Jebaseelan E; Bowen, Stephen R

2018-02-01

To quantitatively estimate the impact of different methods for both boost volume delineation and respiratory motion compensation of [18F] FDG PET/CT images on the fidelity of planned non-uniform 'dose painting' plans to the prescribed boost dose distribution. Six locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients were retrospectively reviewed. To assess the impact of respiratory motion, time-averaged (3D AVG), respiratory phase-gated (4D GATED) and motion-encompassing (4D MIP) PET images were used. The boost volumes were defined using manual contour (MANUAL), fixed threshold (FIXED) and gradient search algorithm (GRADIENT). The dose painting prescription of 60 Gy base dose to the planning target volume and an integral dose of 14 Gy (total 74 Gy) was discretized into seven treatment planning substructures and linearly redistributed according to the relative SUV at every voxel in the boost volume. Fifty-four dose painting plan combinations were generated and conformity was evaluated using quality index VQ0.95-1.05, which represents the sum of planned dose voxels within 5% deviation from the prescribed dose. Trends in plan quality and magnitude of achievable dose escalation were recorded. Different segmentation techniques produced statistically significant variations in maximum planned dose (P < 0.02), as well as plan quality between segmentation methods for 4D GATED and 4D MIP PET images (P < 0.05). No statistically significant differences in plan quality and maximum dose were observed between motion-compensated PET-based plans (P > 0.75). Low variability in plan quality was observed for FIXED threshold plans, while MANUAL and GRADIENT plans achieved higher dose with lower plan quality indices. The dose painting plans were more sensitive to segmentation of boost volumes than PET motion compensation in this study sample. Careful consideration of boost target delineation and motion compensation strategies should guide the design of NSCLC dose painting trials. © 2017 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists.

Department of Defense high power laser program guidance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muller, Clifford H.

1994-06-01

The DoD investment of nominally $200 million per year is focused on four high power laser (HPL) concepts: Space-Based Laser (SBL), a Ballistic Missile Defense Organization effort that addresses boost-phase intercept for Theater Missile Defense and National Missile Defense; Airborne Laser (ABL), an Air Force effort that addresses boost-phase intercept for Theater Missile Defense; Ground-Based Laser (GBL), an Air Force effort addressing space control; and Anti-Ship Missile Defense (ASMD), a Navy effort addressing ship-based defense. Each organization is also supporting technology development with the goal of achieving less expensive, brighter, and lighter high power laser systems. These activities represent the building blocks of the DoD program to exploit the compelling characteristics of the high power laser. Even though DoD's HPL program are focused and moderately strong, additional emphasis in a few technical areas could help reduce risk in these programs. In addition, a number of options are available for continuing to use the High-Energy Laser System Test Facility (HELSTF) at White Sands Missile Range. This report provides a brief overview and guidance for the five efforts which comprise the DoD HPL program (SBL, ABL, GBL, ASMD, HELSTF).

The Science and Technology of the US National Missile Defense System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Postol, Theodore A.

2010-03-01

The National Missile Defense System utilizes UHF and X-band radars for search, track and discrimination, and interceptors that use long-wave infrared sensors to identify and home on attacking warheads. The radars and infrared sensors in the missile defense system perform at near the theoretical limits predicted by physics. However, in spite of the fantastic technical advances in sensor technology, signal processing, and computational support functions, the National Missile Defense System cannot be expected to ever work in realistic combat environments. This talk will describe why these impressive technologies can never deliver on the promise of a credible defense against long-range ballistic missiles.

Fuels and Lubricants Influence on Turbine Engine Design and Performance

DTIC Science & Technology

1974-08-01

Temperatures, Mission A. 30 16. Misrion A Interceptor ECS SchemaLiu. 32 17. GEl4/FLiTE-2A Fuel Delivery System Schematic. 34 18. GE14 /FLITE-2A Oil Sump...Layout Drawing. 36 19. G0E4/FL,I’LE-2A LubriaLiui SysLem Schematic. 37 20. GEl4/FLITE-2A Fluid Power System Schematic. 41 21. GE14 /FLITE-2A Fluid Syqtem...Schematic. 1 35 63. GEI4/FI,ITE-2B ThermaL Profiles, MIL-L-27502. 140 64. GE14 /FLIT.-2B Thermal Profiles, 500’ F E’ster. 141 .ix 7 LIST OF ILUWSTRAT LON

The minimization of pylon-mounted store effects on air combat capability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spearman, M. L.

1983-01-01

Some effects of pylon-mounted missiles on aft-tail delta wing supersonic fighter concepts have been investigated. Whereas minimum drag penalties do occur with the addition of missiles, the effects at higher lifts, corresponding to maneuvering flight, are less severe and often favorable. Lower speeds and altitudes enhance the maneuvering capability and one-on-one air combat would probably tend to degenerate to subsonic speeds even though the combatants may be flying supersonic fighters. Higher speed (supersonic) flight might best be reserved for interceptors with long-range missiles where the weapon carriage effects at low angles of attack are of prime importance.

Space shuttle guidance, navigation, and control design equations. Volume 3: Guidance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

Space shuttle guidance, navigation, and control design equations are presented. The space-shuttle mission includes three relatively distinct guidance phases which are discussed; atmospheric boost, which is characterized by an adaptive guidance law; extra-atmospheric activities; and re-entry activities, where aerodynamic surfaces are the principal effectors. Guidance tasks include pre-maneuver targeting and powered flight guidance, where powered flight is defined to include the application of aerodynamic forces as well as thruster forces. A flow chart which follows guidance activities throughout the mission from the pre-launch phase through touchdown is presented. The main guidance programs and subroutines used in each phase of a typical rendezvous mission are listed. Detailed software requirements are also presented.

Characterization of Engine Control Authority on HCCI Combustion as the High Load Limit is Approached

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

Szybist, James P; Edwards, Kevin Dean; Foster, Matthew

2013-01-01

While the potential emissions and efficiency benefits of homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) combustion are well known, realizing the potentials on a production intent engine presents numerous challenges. In this study we focus on characterizing the authority of the available engine controls as the high load limit of HCCI combustion is approached. The experimental work is performed on a boosted single-cylinder research engine equipped with direct injection (DI) fueling, cooled external exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), and a hydraulic valve actuation (HVA) valve train to enable the negative valve overlap (NVO) breathing strategy. Valve lift and duration are held constant whilemore » phasing is varied in an effort to make the results as relevant as possible to production intent cam-based variable valve actuation (VVA) systems on multi-cylinder engines. Results presented include engine loads from 350 to 650 kPa IMEPnet and manifold pressure from 98 to 190 kPaa at 2000 rpm. It is found that in order to increase engine load to 650 kPa IMEPnet, it is necessary to increase manifold pressure and external EGR while reducing the NVO duration. Both NVO duration and fuel injection timing are effective means of controlling combustion phasing, with NVO duration being a coarse control and fuel injection timing being a fine control. NOX emissions are low throughout the study, with emissions below 0.1 g/kW-h at all boosted HCCI conditions, while good combustion efficiency is maintained (>96.5%). Net indicated thermal efficiency increases with load up to 600 kPa IMEPnet, where a peak efficiency of 41% is achieved. Results of independent parametric investigations are presented on the effect of external EGR, intake effect of manifold pressure, and the effect of NVO duration. It is found that increasing EGR at a constant manifold pressure and increasing manifold pressure at a constant EGR rate both have the effect of retarding combustion phasing. It is also found that combustion phasing becomes increasingly sensitive to NVO duration as engine load increases. Finally, comparisons are made between three commonly used noise metrics (AVL noise meter, ringing intensity (RI), and maximum pressure rise rate (MPRR)). It is found that compared to the AVL noise meter, RI significantly underestimates combustion noise under boosted conditions.« less

Raltegravir in second-line antiretroviral therapy in resource-limited settings (SELECT): a randomised, phase 3, non-inferiority study.

PubMed

La Rosa, Alberto M; Harrison, Linda J; Taiwo, Babafemi; Wallis, Carole L; Zheng, Lu; Kim, Peter; Kumarasamy, Nagalingeswaran; Hosseinipour, Mina C; Jarocki, Bernadette; Mellors, John W; Collier, Ann C

2016-06-01

For second-line antiretroviral therapy, WHO recommends a boosted protease inhibitor plus nucleoside or nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). However, concerns about toxicity and cross-resistance motivated a search for regimens that do not contain NRTIs. We aimed to assess whether boosted lopinavir plus raltegravir would be non-inferior to boosted lopinavir plus NRTIs for virological suppression in resource-limited settings. A5273 was a randomised, open-label, phase 3, non-inferiority study at 15 AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) research sites in nine resource-limited countries (three sites each in India and South Africa, two each in Malawi and Peru, and one each in Brazil, Kenya, Tanzania, Thailand, and Zimbabwe). Adults with plasma HIV-1 RNA concentrations of at least 1000 copies per mL after at least 24 weeks on a regimen based on a non-NRTI inhibitor were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive oral ritonavir-boosted lopinavir (100 mg ritonavir, 400 mg lopinavir) plus 400 mg raltegravir twice a day (raltegravir group) or to ritonavir-boosted lopinavir plus two or three NRTIs selected from an algorithm (eg, zidovudine after failure with tenofovir and vice versa; NRTI group). Randomised group assignment was done with a computer algorithm concealed to site personnel, and stratified by HIV-1 RNA viral load, CD4 cell count, and intention to use zidovudine, with the groups balanced by each site. The primary endpoint was time to confirmed virological failure (two measurements of HIV-1 RNA viral load >400 copies per mL) at or after week 24 in the intention-to-treat population. Non-inferiority (10% margin) was assessed by comparing the cumulative probability of virological failure by 48 weeks. This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01352715. Between March 13, 2012, and Oct 2, 2013, we randomly assigned 515 participants: 260 to the raltegravir group and 255 to the NRTI group; two participants in the raltegravir group and one in the NRTI group were excluded from analyses because of ineligibility. By the end of follow-up (October, 2014), 96 participants had virological failure (46 in the raltegravir group and 50 in the NRTI group). By 48 weeks, the cumulative probability of virological failure was 10·3% (95% CI 6·5-14·0) in the raltegravir group and 12·4% (8·3-16·5) in the NRTI group, with a weighted difference of -3·4% (-8·4 to 1·5), indicating that raltegravir was non-inferior, but not superior, to NRTIs. 62 (24%) participants in the raltegravir group and 81 (32%) in the NRTI group had grade 3 or higher adverse events; 19 (7%) and 29 (11%), respectively, had serious adverse events. Three participants in each group died, all from HIV-related causes. In settings with extensive NRTI resistance but no available resistance testing, our data support WHO's recommendation for ritonavir-boosted lopinavir plus NRTI for second-line antiretroviral therapy. Ritonavir-boosted lopinavir plus raltegravir is an appropriate alternative, especially if NRTI use is limited by toxicity. National Institutes of Health. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Subtype C gp140 Vaccine Boosts Immune Responses Primed by the South African AIDS Vaccine Initiative DNA-C2 and MVA-C HIV Vaccines after More than a 2-Year Gap

PubMed Central

Mayer, Kenneth H.; Elizaga, Marnie L.; Bekker, Linda-Gail; Allen, Mary; Morris, Lynn; Montefiori, David; De Rosa, Stephen C.; Sato, Alicia; Gu, Niya; Tomaras, Georgia D.; Tucker, Timothy; Barnett, Susan W.; Mkhize, Nonhlanhla N.; Shen, Xiaoying; Downing, Katrina; Williamson, Carolyn; Pensiero, Michael; Corey, Lawrence; Williamson, Anna-Lise

2016-01-01

A phase I safety and immunogenicity study investigated South African AIDS Vaccine Initiative (SAAVI) HIV-1 subtype C (HIV-1C) DNA vaccine encoding Gag-RT-Tat-Nef and gp150, boosted with modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) expressing matched antigens. Following the finding of partial protective efficacy in the RV144 HIV vaccine efficacy trial, a protein boost with HIV-1 subtype C V2-deleted gp140 with MF59 was added to the regimen. A total of 48 participants (12 U.S. participants and 36 Republic of South Africa [RSA] participants) were randomized to receive 3 intramuscular (i.m.) doses of SAAVI DNA-C2 of 4 mg (months 0, 1, and 2) and 2 i.m. doses of SAAVI MVA-C of 1.45 × 109 PFU (months 4 and 5) (n = 40) or of a placebo (n = 8). Approximately 2 years after vaccination, 27 participants were rerandomized to receive gp140/MF59 at 100 μg or placebo, as 2 i.m. injections, 3 months apart. The vaccine regimen was safe and well tolerated. After the DNA-MVA regimen, CD4+ T-cell and CD8+ T-cell responses occurred in 74% and 32% of the participants, respectively. The protein boost increased CD4+ T-cell responses to 87% of the subjects. All participants developed tier 1 HIV-1C neutralizing antibody responses as well as durable Env binding antibodies that recognized linear V3 and C5 peptides. The HIV-1 subtype C DNA-MVA vaccine regimen showed promising cellular immunogenicity. Boosting with gp140/MF59 enhanced levels of binding and neutralizing antibodies as well as CD4+ T-cell responses to HIV-1 envelope. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under registration no. NCT00574600 and NCT01423825.) PMID:27098021

Efficacy and safety of emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (FTC/TAF) vs. emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (FTC/TDF) as a backbone for treatment of HIV-1 infection in virologically suppressed adults: subgroup analysis by third agent of a randomized, double-blind, active-controlled phase 3 trial^.

PubMed

Post, Frank A; Yazdanpanah, Yazdan; Schembri, Gabriel; Lazzarin, Adriano; Reynes, Jacques; Maggiolo, Franco; Yan, Mingjin; Abram, Michael E; Tran-Muchowski, Cecilia; Cheng, Andrew; Rhee, Martin S

2017-05-01

FTC/TAF was shown to be noninferior to FTC/TDF with advantages in markers of renal and bone safety. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of switching to FTC/TAF from FTC/TDF by third agent (boosted protease inhibitor [PI] vs. unboosted third agent). We conducted a 48-week subgroup analysis based on third agent from a randomized, double blind study in virologically suppressed adults on a FTC/TDF-containing regimen who switched to FTC/TAF vs. continued FTC/TDF while remaining on the same third agent. We randomized (1:1) 663 participants to either switch to FTC/TAF (N = 333) or continue FTC/TDF (N = 330), each with baseline third agent stratifying by class of third agent in the prior treatment regimen (boosted PI 46%, unboosted third agent 54%). At week 48, significant differences in renal biomarkers and bone mineral density were observed favoring FTC/TAF over FTC/TDF (p < 0.05 for all), with similar improvements in the FTC/TAF arm in those who received boosted PI vs. unboosted third agents. At week 48, virologic success rates were similar between treatment groups for those who received a boosted PI (FTC/TAF 92%, FTC/TDF 93%) and for those who received an unboosted third agent (97% vs. 93%). In virologically suppressed patients switching to FTC/TAF from FTC/TDF, high rates of virologic suppression were maintained, while renal and bone safety parameters improved, regardless of whether participants were receiving a boosted PI or an unboosted third agent. FTC/TAF offers safety advantages over FTC/TDF and can be an important option as an NRTI backbone given with a variety of third agents.

In vivo dosimetry and acute toxicity in breast cancer patients undergoing intraoperative radiotherapy as boost

PubMed Central

Lee, Jason Joon Bock; Choi, Jinhyun; Ahn, Sung Gwe; Jeong, Joon; Lee, Ik Jae; Park, Kwangwoo; Kim, Kangpyo; Kim, Jun Won

2017-01-01

Purpose To report the results of a correlation analysis of skin dose assessed by in vivo dosimetry and the incidence of acute toxicity. This is a phase 2 trial evaluating the feasibility of intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) as a boost for breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods Eligible patients were treated with IORT of 20 Gy followed by whole breast irradiation (WBI) of 46 Gy. A total of 55 patients with a minimum follow-up of 1 month after WBI were evaluated. Optically stimulated luminescence dosimeter (OSLD) detected radiation dose delivered to the skin during IORT. Acute toxicity was recorded according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v4.0. Clinical parameters were correlated with seroma formation and maximum skin dose. Results Median follow-up after IORT was 25.9 weeks (range, 12.7 to 50.3 weeks). Prior to WBI, only one patient developed acute toxicity. Following WBI, 30 patients experienced grade 1 skin toxicity and three patients had grade 2 skin toxicity. Skin dose during IORT exceeded 5 Gy in two patients: with grade 2 complications around the surgical scar in one patient who received 8.42 Gy. Breast volume on preoperative images (p = 0.001), ratio of applicator diameter and breast volume (p = 0.002), and distance between skin and tumor (p = 0.003) showed significant correlations with maximum skin dose. conclusions IORT as a boost was well-tolerated among Korean women without severe acute complication. In vivo dosimetry with OSLD can help ensure safe delivery of IORT as a boost. PMID:28712278

In vivo dosimetry and acute toxicity in breast cancer patients undergoing intraoperative radiotherapy as boost.

PubMed

Lee, Jason Joon Bock; Choi, Jinhyun; Ahn, Sung Gwe; Jeong, Joon; Lee, Ik Jae; Park, Kwangwoo; Kim, Kangpyo; Kim, Jun Won

2017-06-01

To report the results of a correlation analysis of skin dose assessed by in vivo dosimetry and the incidence of acute toxicity. This is a phase 2 trial evaluating the feasibility of intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) as a boost for breast cancer patients. Eligible patients were treated with IORT of 20 Gy followed by whole breast irradiation (WBI) of 46 Gy. A total of 55 patients with a minimum follow-up of 1 month after WBI were evaluated. Optically stimulated luminescence dosimeter (OSLD) detected radiation dose delivered to the skin during IORT. Acute toxicity was recorded according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v4.0. Clinical parameters were correlated with seroma formation and maximum skin dose. Median follow-up after IORT was 25.9 weeks (range, 12.7 to 50.3 weeks). Prior to WBI, only one patient developed acute toxicity. Following WBI, 30 patients experienced grade 1 skin toxicity and three patients had grade 2 skin toxicity. Skin dose during IORT exceeded 5 Gy in two patients: with grade 2 complications around the surgical scar in one patient who received 8.42 Gy. Breast volume on preoperative images (p = 0.001), ratio of applicator diameter and breast volume (p = 0.002), and distance between skin and tumor (p = 0.003) showed significant correlations with maximum skin dose. IORT as a boost was well-tolerated among Korean women without severe acute complication. In vivo dosimetry with OSLD can help ensure safe delivery of IORT as a boost.

Multiple Low-Dose Challenges in a Rhesus Macaque AIDS Vaccine Trial Result in an Evolving Host Response That Affects Protective Outcome

PubMed Central

Selinger, Christian; Strbo, Natasa; Gonzalez, Louis; Aicher, Lauri; Weiss, Jeffrey M.; Law, G. Lynn; Palermo, Robert E.; Vaccari, Monica; Franchini, Genoveffa; Podack, Eckhard R.

2014-01-01

Using whole-blood transcriptional profiling, we investigated differences in the host response to vaccination and challenge in a rhesus macaque AIDS vaccine trial. Samples were collected from animals prior to and after vaccination with live, irradiated vaccine cells secreting the modified endoplasmic reticulum chaperone gp96-Ig loaded with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) peptides, either alone or in combination with a SIV-gp120 protein boost. Additional samples were collected following multiple low-dose rectal challenges with SIVmac251. Animals in the boosted group had a 73% reduced risk of infection. Surprisingly, few changes in gene expression were observed during the vaccination phase. Focusing on postchallenge comparisons, in particular for protected animals, we identified a host response signature of protection comprised of strong interferon signaling after the first challenge, which then largely abated after further challenges. We also identified a host response signature, comprised of early macrophage-mediated inflammatory responses, in animals with undetectable viral loads 5 days after the first challenge but with unusually high viral titers after subsequent challenges. Statistical analysis showed that prime-boost vaccination significantly lowered the probability of infection in a time-consistent manner throughout several challenges. Given that humoral responses in the prime-boost group were highly significant prechallenge correlates of protection, the strong innate signaling after the first challenge suggests that interferon signaling may enhance vaccine-induced antibody responses and is an important contributor to protection from infection during repeated low-dose exposure to SIV. PMID:25274805

Multicanonical hybrid Monte Carlo algorithm: Boosting simulations of compact QED

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnold, G.; Schilling, K.; Lippert, Th.

1999-03-01

We demonstrate that substantial progress can be achieved in the study of the phase structure of four-dimensional compact QED by a joint use of hybrid Monte Carlo and multicanonical algorithms through an efficient parallel implementation. This is borne out by the observation of considerable speedup of tunnelling between the metastable states, close to the phase transition, on the Wilson line. We estimate that the creation of adequate samples (with order 100 flip-flops) becomes a matter of half a year's run time at 2 Gflops sustained performance for lattices of size up to 244.

Preliminary analysis of the sequential simultaneous integrated boost technique for intensity-modulated radiotherapy for head and neck cancers.

PubMed

Miyazaki, Masayoshi; Nishiyama, Kinji; Ueda, Yoshihiro; Ohira, Shingo; Tsujii, Katsutomo; Isono, Masaru; Masaoka, Akira; Teshima, Teruki

2016-07-01

The aim of this study was to compare three strategies for intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for 20 head-and-neck cancer patients. For simultaneous integrated boost (SIB), doses were 66 and 54 Gy in 30 fractions for PTVboost and PTVelective, respectively. Two-phase IMRT delivered 50 Gy in 25 fractions to PTVelective in the First Plan, and 20 Gy in 10 fractions to PTVboost in the Second Plan. Sequential SIB (SEQ-SIB) delivered 55 Gy and 50 Gy in 25 fractions, respectively, to PTVboost and PTVelective using SIB in the First Plan and 11 Gy in 5 fractions to PTVboost in the Second Plan. Conformity indexes (CIs) (mean ± SD) for PTVboost and PTVelective were 1.09 ± 0.05 and 1.34 ± 0.12 for SIB, 1.39 ± 0.14 and 1.80 ± 0.28 for two-phase IMRT, and 1.14 ± 0.07 and 1.60 ± 0.18 for SEQ-SIB, respectively. CI was significantly highest for two-phase IMRT. Maximum doses (Dmax) to the spinal cord were 42.1 ± 1.5 Gy for SIB, 43.9 ± 1.0 Gy for two-phase IMRT and 40.3 ± 1.8 Gy for SEQ-SIB. Brainstem Dmax were 50.1 ± 2.2 Gy for SIB, 50.5 ± 4.6 Gy for two-phase IMRT and 47.4 ± 3.6 Gy for SEQ-SIB. Spinal cord Dmax for the three techniques was significantly different, and brainstem Dmax was significantly lower for SEQ-SIB. The compromised conformity of two-phase IMRT can result in higher doses to organs at risk (OARs). Lower OAR doses in SEQ-SIB made SEQ-SIB an alternative to SIB, which applies unconventional doses per fraction. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japan Radiation Research Society and Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology.

Elucidation of Heterogeneous Processes Controlling Boost Phase Signatures

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-09-12

three year research program to develop efficient theoretical methods to study collisional processes involved in radiative signature modeling . The...Marlboro, MD 20772 I. Statement of Problem For strategic defense, it is important to be able to effectively model radiative signaturesl arising from...Thus our computational work was on problems or models for which exact results for making comparisons were available. Our key validations were

Broad and potent immune responses to a low dose intradermal HIV-1 DNA boosted with HIV-1 recombinant MVA among healthy adults in Tanzania☆,☆☆

PubMed Central

Bakari, Muhammad; Aboud, Said; Nilsson, Charlotta; Francis, Joel; Buma, Deus; Moshiro, Candida; Aris, Eric A.; Lyamuya, Eligius F.; Janabi, Mohamed; Godoy-Ramirez, Karina; Joachim, Agricola; Polonis, Victoria R.; Bråve, Andreas; Earl, Patricia; Robb, Merlin; Marovich, Mary; Wahren, Britta; Pallangyo, Kisali; Biberfeld, Gunnel; Mhalu, Fred; Sandström, Eric

2016-01-01

Background We conducted a phase I/II randomized placebo-controlled trial with the aim of exploring whether priming with a low intradermal dose of a multiclade, multigene HIV-1 DNA vaccine could improve the immunogenicity of the same vaccine given intramuscularly prior to boosting with a heterologous HIV-1 MVA among healthy adults in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Methods Sixty HIV-uninfected volunteers were randomized to receive DNA plasmid vaccine 1 mg intradermally (id), n = 20, or 3.8 mg intramuscularly (im), n = 20, or placebo, n = 20, using a needle-free injection device. DNA plasmids encoding HIV-1 genes gp160 subtype A, B, C; rev B; p17/p24 gag A, B and Rtmut B were given at weeks 0, 4 and 12. Recombinant MVA (108 pfu) expressing HIV-1 Env, Gag, Pol of CRF01_AE or placebo was administered im at month 9 and 21. Results The vaccines were well tolerated. Two weeks after the third HIV-DNA injection, 22/38 (58%) vaccinees had IFN-γ ELISpot responses to Gag. Two weeks after the first HIV-MVA boost all 35 (100%) vaccinees responded to Gag and 31 (89%) to Env. Two to four weeks after the second HIV-MVA boost, 28/29 (97%) vaccinees had IFN-γ ELISpot responses, 27 (93%) to Gag and 23 (79%) to Env. The id-primed recipients had significantly higher responses to Env than im recipients. Intracellular cytokine staining for Gag-specific IFN-γ/IL-2 production showed both CD8+ and CD4+ T cell responses. All vaccinees had HIV-specific lymphoproliferative responses. All vaccinees reacted in diagnostic HIV serological tests and 26/29 (90%) had antibodies against gp160 after the second HIV-MVA boost. Furthermore, while all of 29 vaccinee sera were negative for neutralizing antibodies against clade B, C and CRF01 AE pseudoviruses in the TZM-bl neutralization assay, in a PBMC assay, the response rate ranged from 31% to 83% positives, depending upon the clade B or CRF01_AE virus tested. This vaccine approach is safe and highly immunogenic. Low dose, id HIV-DNA priming elicited higher and broader cell-mediated immune responses to Env after HIV-MVA boost compared to a higher HIV-DNA priming dose given im. Three HIV-DNA priming immunizations followed by two HIV-MVA boosts efficiently induced Env-antibody responses. PMID:21864626

Space platform power system hardware testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sable, D.; Patil, A.; Sizemore, T.; Deuty, S.; Noon, J.; Cho, B. H.; Lee, F. C.

1991-01-01

The scope of the work on the NASA Space Platform includes the design of a multi-module, multi-phase boost regulator, and a voltage-fed, push-pull autotransformer converter for the battery discharger. A buck converter was designed for the charge regulator. Also included is the associated mode control electronics for the charger and discharger, as well as continued development of a comprehensive modeling and simulation tool for the system. The design of the multi-module boost converter is discussed for use as a battery discharger. An alternative battery discharger design is discussed using a voltage-fed, push-pull autotransformer converter. The design of the charge regulator is explained using a simple buck converter. The design of the mode controller and effects of locating the bus filter capacitor bank 20 feet away from the power ORU are discussed. A brief discussion of some alternative topologies for battery charging and discharging is included. The power system modeling is described.

Energy distribution analysis in boosted HCCI-like / LTGC engines – Understanding the trade-offs to maximize the thermal efficiency

DOE PAGES

Dernotte, Jeremie; Dec, John E.; Ji, Chunsheng

2015-04-14

A detailed understanding of the various factors affecting the trends in gross-indicated thermal efficiency with changes in key operating parameters has been carried out, applied to a one-liter displacement single-cylinder boosted Low-Temperature Gasoline Combustion (LTGC) engine. This work systematically investigates how the supplied fuel energy splits into the following four energy pathways: gross-indicated thermal efficiency, combustion inefficiency, heat transfer and exhaust losses, and how this split changes with operating conditions. Additional analysis is performed to determine the influence of variations in the ratio of specific heat capacities (γ) and the effective expansion ratio, related to the combustion-phasing retard (CA50), onmore » the energy split. Heat transfer and exhaust losses are computed using multiple standard cycle analysis techniques. Furthermore, the various methods are evaluated in order to validate the trends.« less

Comparison between artificial neural network and multilinear regression models in an evaluation of cognitive workload in a flight simulator.

PubMed

Hannula, Manne; Huttunen, Kerttu; Koskelo, Jukka; Laitinen, Tomi; Leino, Tuomo

2008-01-01

In this study, the performances of artificial neural network (ANN) analysis and multilinear regression (MLR) model-based estimation of heart rate were compared in an evaluation of individual cognitive workload. The data comprised electrocardiography (ECG) measurements and an evaluation of cognitive load that induces psychophysiological stress (PPS), collected from 14 interceptor fighter pilots during complex simulated F/A-18 Hornet air battles. In our data, the mean absolute error of the ANN estimate was 11.4 as a visual analog scale score, being 13-23% better than the mean absolute error of the MLR model in the estimation of cognitive workload.

A hemispherical imaging and tracking (HIT) system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilbert, John A.; Fair, Sara B.; Caldwell, Scott E.; Gronner, Sally J.

1992-05-01

A hemispherical imaging and tracking (HIT) system is described which is used for an interceptor designed to acquire, select, home, and hit-to-kill reentry vehicle targets from intercontinental ballistic missiles. The system provides a sizable field of view, over which a target may be tracked and yields a unique and distinctive optical signal when the system is 'on target'. The system has an infinite depth of focus and no moving parts are required for imaging within a hemisphere. Critical alignment of the HIT system is based on the comparison of signals captured through different points on an annular window. Assuming that the perturbations are radially symmetric, errors may be eliminated during the subtraction.

HIV-DNA Given with or without Intradermal Electroporation Is Safe and Highly Immunogenic in Healthy Swedish HIV-1 DNA/MVA Vaccinees: A Phase I Randomized Trial.

PubMed

Nilsson, Charlotta; Hejdeman, Bo; Godoy-Ramirez, Karina; Tecleab, Teghesti; Scarlatti, Gabriella; Bråve, Andreas; Earl, Patricia L; Stout, Richard R; Robb, Merlin L; Shattock, Robin J; Biberfeld, Gunnel; Sandström, Eric; Wahren, Britta

2015-01-01

We compared safety and immunogenicity of intradermal (ID) vaccination with and without electroporation (EP) in a phase I randomized placebo-controlled trial of an HIV-DNA prime HIV-MVA boost vaccine in healthy Swedish volunteers. HIV-DNA plasmids encoding HIV-1 genes gp160 subtypes A, B and C; Rev B; Gag A and B and RTmut B were given ID at weeks 0, 6 and 12 in a dose of 0.6 mg. Twenty-five volunteers received vaccine using a needle-free device (ZetaJet) with (n=16) or without (n=9) ID EP (Dermavax). Five volunteers were placebo recipients. Boosting with recombinant MVA-CMDR expressing HIV-1 Env, Gag, Pol of CRF01_AE (HIV-MVA) or placebo was performed at weeks 24 and 40. Nine of the vaccinees received a subtype C CN54 gp140 protein boost together with HIV-MVA. The ID/EP delivery was very well tolerated. After three HIV-DNA immunizations, no statistically significant difference was seen in the IFN-γ ELISpot response rate to Gag between HIV-DNA ID/EP recipients (5/15, 33%) and HIV-DNA ID recipients (1/7, 14%, p=0.6158). The first HIV-MVA or HIV-MVA+gp140 vaccination increased the IFN-γ ELISpot response rate to 18/19 (95%). CD4+ and/or CD8+ T cell responses to Gag or Env were demonstrable in 94% of vaccinees. A balanced CD4+ and CD8+ T cell response was noted, with 78% and 71% responders, respectively. IFN-γ and IL-2 dominated the CD4+ T cell response to Gag and Env. The CD8+ response to Gag was broader with expression of IFN-γ, IL-2, MIP-1β and/or CD107. No differences were seen between DNA vaccine groups. Binding antibodies were induced after the second HIV-MVA+/-gp140 in 93% of vaccinees to subtype C Env, with the highest titers among EP/gp140 recipients. Intradermal electroporation of HIV-DNA was well tolerated. Strong cell- and antibody-mediated immune responses were elicited by the HIV-DNA prime and HIV-MVA boosting regimen, with or without intradermal electroporation use. International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN) 60284968.

HIV-DNA Given with or without Intradermal Electroporation Is Safe and Highly Immunogenic in Healthy Swedish HIV-1 DNA/MVA Vaccinees: A Phase I Randomized Trial

PubMed Central

Nilsson, Charlotta; Hejdeman, Bo; Godoy-Ramirez, Karina; Tecleab, Teghesti; Scarlatti, Gabriella; Bråve, Andreas; Earl, Patricia L.; Stout, Richard R.; Robb, Merlin L.; Shattock, Robin J.; Biberfeld, Gunnel; Sandström, Eric; Wahren, Britta

2015-01-01

Background We compared safety and immunogenicity of intradermal (ID) vaccination with and without electroporation (EP) in a phase I randomized placebo-controlled trial of an HIV-DNA prime HIV-MVA boost vaccine in healthy Swedish volunteers. Methods HIV-DNA plasmids encoding HIV-1 genes gp160 subtypes A, B and C; Rev B; Gag A and B and RTmut B were given ID at weeks 0, 6 and 12 in a dose of 0.6 mg. Twenty-five volunteers received vaccine using a needle-free device (ZetaJet) with (n=16) or without (n=9) ID EP (Dermavax). Five volunteers were placebo recipients. Boosting with recombinant MVA-CMDR expressing HIV-1 Env, Gag, Pol of CRF01_AE (HIV-MVA) or placebo was performed at weeks 24 and 40. Nine of the vaccinees received a subtype C CN54 gp140 protein boost together with HIV-MVA. Results The ID/EP delivery was very well tolerated. After three HIV-DNA immunizations, no statistically significant difference was seen in the IFN-γ ELISpot response rate to Gag between HIV-DNA ID/EP recipients (5/15, 33%) and HIV-DNA ID recipients (1/7, 14%, p=0.6158). The first HIV-MVA or HIV-MVA+gp140 vaccination increased the IFN-γ ELISpot response rate to 18/19 (95%). CD4+ and/or CD8+ T cell responses to Gag or Env were demonstrable in 94% of vaccinees. A balanced CD4+ and CD8+ T cell response was noted, with 78% and 71% responders, respectively. IFN-γ and IL-2 dominated the CD4+ T cell response to Gag and Env. The CD8+ response to Gag was broader with expression of IFN-γ, IL-2, MIP-1β and/or CD107. No differences were seen between DNA vaccine groups. Binding antibodies were induced after the second HIV-MVA+/-gp140 in 93% of vaccinees to subtype C Env, with the highest titers among EP/gp140 recipients. Conclusion Intradermal electroporation of HIV-DNA was well tolerated. Strong cell- and antibody-mediated immune responses were elicited by the HIV-DNA prime and HIV-MVA boosting regimen, with or without intradermal electroporation use. Trial Registration International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN) 60284968 PMID:26121679

The herpes zoster subunit vaccine.

PubMed

Cunningham, Anthony L

2016-01-01

Herpes zoster (HZ) causes severe pain and rash in older people and may be complicated by prolonged pain (postherpetic neuralgia; PHN). HZ results from reactivation of latent varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection, often associated with age related or other causes of decreased T cell immunity. A concentrated live attenuated vaccine boosts this immunity and provides partial protection against HZ, but this decreases with age and declines over 5-8 years. The new HZ subunit (HZ/su or Shingrix) vaccine combines a key surface VZV glycoprotein (E) with T cell boosting adjuvant (AS01B). It is highly efficacious in protection (97%) against HZ in immunocompetent subjects, with no decline in advancing age and protection maintained for >3 years. Phase I-II trials showed safety and similar immunogenicity in severely immunocompromised patients. Local injection site pain and swelling can be severe in a minority (9.5%) but is transient (2 days). The HZ/su vaccine appears very promising in immunocompetent patients in the ZoE-50 controlled trial. The unblinding of the current ZoE-50 trial and publication of results from the accompanying ZoE-70 trial will reveal more about its mechanism of action and its efficacy against PHN, particularly in subjects >70 years. Phase III trial results in immunocompromised patients are eagerly awaited.

Local symmetric distortion boosted photon up-conversion and thermometric sensitivity in lanthanum oxide nanospheres.

PubMed

Suo, Hao; Zhao, Xiaoqi; Zhang, Zhiyu; Shi, Rui; Wu, Yanfang; Xiang, Jinmeng; Guo, Chongfeng

2018-05-17

It is essential to simultaneously boost the luminescence intensity and thermometric sensitivity of up-converted optical thermometers towards potential biomedical sensing applications. Herein, the effects of local site symmetry on the up-conversion (UC) emission and thermal sensing ability in trigonal-phased La2O3:Er3+/Yb3+ nanospheres were qualitatively explored using cubic-phased Lu2O3 and Y2O3 with a similar shape and phonon energy as contrasts. Under 980 nm light excitation, much stronger UC emissions were detected in La2O3 samples than that in cubic Lu2O3 and Y2O3 samples, and the possible mechanisms were elaborately proposed using Eu3+ as a luminescent probe. Thermo-responsive emission intensity from 2H11/2/4S3/2 levels was monitored to evaluate the absolute sensitivity of three samples, which strongly depends on the dopant-induced local site symmetric distortions according to the Judd-Ofelt theory. The potentiality of La2O3:Er3+/Yb3+ for sub-tissue thermometry was also validated by ex vivo experiments. Results open a promising avenue for realizing highly sensitive thermometry with a large signal-to-noise ratio in sub-tissues via finely tailoring the local site symmetry.

Arbitrary-step randomly delayed robust filter with application to boost phase tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Wutao; Wang, Xiaogang; Bai, Yuliang; Cui, Naigang

2018-04-01

The conventional filters such as extended Kalman filter, unscented Kalman filter and cubature Kalman filter assume that the measurement is available in real-time and the measurement noise is Gaussian white noise. But in practice, both two assumptions are invalid. To solve this problem, a novel algorithm is proposed by taking the following four steps. At first, the measurement model is modified by the Bernoulli random variables to describe the random delay. Then, the expression of predicted measurement and covariance are reformulated, which could get rid of the restriction that the maximum number of delay must be one or two and the assumption that probabilities of Bernoulli random variables taking the value one are equal. Next, the arbitrary-step randomly delayed high-degree cubature Kalman filter is derived based on the 5th-degree spherical-radial rule and the reformulated expressions. Finally, the arbitrary-step randomly delayed high-degree cubature Kalman filter is modified to the arbitrary-step randomly delayed high-degree cubature Huber-based filter based on the Huber technique, which is essentially an M-estimator. Therefore, the proposed filter is not only robust to the randomly delayed measurements, but robust to the glint noise. The application to the boost phase tracking example demonstrate the superiority of the proposed algorithms.

Design of an RF System for Electron Bernstein Wave Studies in MST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kauffold, J. X.; Seltzman, A. H.; Anderson, J. K.; Nonn, P. D.; Forest, C. B.

2010-11-01

Motivated by the possibility of current profile control a 5.5GHz RF system for EBW is being developed. The central component is a standard radar Klystron with 1.2MW peak power and 4μs typical pulse length. Meaningful experiments require RF pulse lengths similar to the characteristic electron confinement times in MST necessitating the creation of a power supply providing 80kV at 40A for 10ms. A low inductance IGBT network switches power at 20kHz from an electrolytic capacitor bank into the primary of a three-phase resonant transformer system that is then rectified and filtered. The system uses three magnetically separate transformers with microcrystalline iron cores to provide suitable volt-seconds and low hysteresis losses. Each phase has a secondary with a large leakage inductance and a parallel capacitor providing a boost ratio greater than 60:1 with a physical turns ratio of 13.5:1. A microprocessor feedback control system varies the drive frequency around resonance to regulate the boost ratio and provide a stable output as the storage bank discharges. The completed system will deliver RF to the plasma boundary where coupling to the Bernstein mode and subsequent heating and current drive can occur.

Boosting immunity by antiviral drug therapy: A simple relationship among timing, efficacy, and success

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komarova, Natalia L.; Barnes, Eleanor; Klenerman, Paul; Wodarz, Dominik

2003-02-01

Drug therapies against persistent human infections such as hepatitis C virus, hepatitis B virus, and HIV fail to consistently eradicate the infection from the host. Hence, recent emphasis has shifted to the study of antiviral therapy aimed at boosting specific immune responses. It was argued that structured therapy interruptions were required to achieve this, because such regimes have shown promising results in early HIV infection. Using mathematical models, we show that, contrary to this notion, a single phase of drug therapy can result in the establishment of sustained immunity. We present a simple relationship between timing of therapy and efficacy of the drugs required for success. In the presence of strong viral suppression, we show that therapy should be stopped relatively early, and that a longer duration of treatment leads to failure. On the other hand, in the presence of weaker viral suppression, stopping treatment too early is detrimental, and therapy has to be continued beyond a time threshold. We discuss our modeling results primarily in the context of HCV therapy during chronic infection. Although the therapy regimes explored here also have implications for HIV, virus-mediated destruction of specific immune cells renders success unlikely during the chronic phase of the infection.

Therapeutic Immunization In HIV Infected Ugandans Receiving Stable Antiretroviral Treatment: A Phase I Safety Study4

PubMed Central

Kityo, Cissy; Bousheri, Stephanie; Akao, Juliette; Ssali, Francis; Byaruhanga, Rose; Ssewanyana, Isaac; Muloma, Prossy; Myalo, Sula; Magala, Rose; Lu, Yichen; Mugyenyi, Peter; Cao, Huyen

2011-01-01

Therapeutic immunizations in HIV infection may boost immunity during antiretroviral treatment. We report on the first therapeutic vaccine trial in Uganda, Africa. This open label Phase I trial was designed to assess the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of a therapeutic HIV-1 vaccine candidate. Thirty HIV positive volunteers receiving a stable regimen of antiretroviral therapy with CD4 counts > 400 were recruited for the safety evaluation of LFn-p24C, a detoxified anthrax-derived polypeptide fused to the subtype C HIV gag protein p24. The vaccine was well tolerated and HIV RNA levels remained undetectable following three immunizations. CD4 counts in vaccine recipients were significantly higher compared to the control individuals after 12 months. HIV-specific responses were associated with higher gain in CD4 counts following LFn-p24C immunizations. Volunteers were subsequently asked to undergo a 30-day period of observed treatment interruption. 8/24 (30%) individuals showed no evidence of viral rebound during treatment interruption. All demonstrated prompt suppression of viral load following resumption of ART. Our data demonstrates the safety of LFn-p24C and suggests that adjunct therapeutic immunization may benefit select individuals in further boosting an immune response. PMID:21211581

Trajectory prediction for ballistic missiles based on boost-phase LOS measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeddanapudi, Murali; Bar-Shalom, Yaakov

1997-10-01

This paper addresses the problem of the estimation of the trajectory of a tactical ballistic missile using line of sight (LOS) measurements from one or more passive sensors (typically satellites). The major difficulties of this problem include: the estimation of the unknown time of launch, incorporation of (inaccurate) target thrust profiles to model the target dynamics during the boost phase and an overall ill-conditioning of the estimation problem due to poor observability of the target motion via the LOS measurements. We present a robust estimation procedure based on the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm that provides both the target state estimate and error covariance taking into consideration the complications mentioned above. An important consideration in the defense against tactical ballistic missiles is the determination of the target position and error covariance at the acquisition range of a surveillance radar in the vicinity of the impact point. We present a systematic procedure to propagate the target state and covariance to a nominal time, when it is within the detection range of a surveillance radar to obtain a cueing volume. Mont Carlo simulation studies on typical single and two sensor scenarios indicate that the proposed algorithms are accurate in terms of the estimates and the estimator calculated covariances are consistent with the errors.

Performance enhancement of direct ethanol fuel cell using Nafion composites with high volume fraction of titania

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matos, B. R.; Isidoro, R. A.; Santiago, E. I.; Fonseca, F. C.

2014-12-01

The present study reports on the performance enhancement of direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) at 130 °C with Nafion-titania composite electrolytes prepared by sol-gel technique and containing high volume fractions of the ceramic phase. It is found that for high volume fractions of titania (>10 vol%) the ethanol uptake of composites is largely reduced while the proton conductivity at high-temperatures is weakly dependent on the titania content. Such tradeoff between alcohol uptake and conductivity resulted in a boost of DEFC performance at high temperatures using Nafion-titania composites with high fraction of the inorganic phase.

Computer simulations of optimum boost and buck-boost converters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rahman, S.

1982-01-01

The development of mathematicl models suitable for minimum weight boost and buck-boost converter designs are presented. The facility of an augumented Lagrangian (ALAG) multiplier-based nonlinear programming technique is demonstrated for minimum weight design optimizations of boost and buck-boost power converters. ALAG-based computer simulation results for those two minimum weight designs are discussed. Certain important features of ALAG are presented in the framework of a comprehensive design example for boost and buck-boost power converter design optimization. The study provides refreshing design insight of power converters and presents such information as weight annd loss profiles of various semiconductor components and magnetics as a function of the switching frequency.

Evaluation of two least toxic integrated pest management programs for managing bed bugs (Heteroptera: Cimicidae) with discussion of a bed bug intercepting device.

PubMed

Wang, Changlu; Gibb, Timothy; Bennett, Gary W

2009-05-01

The cost and effectiveness of two bed bug (Cimex lectularius L.) integrated pest management (IPM) programs were evaluated for 10 wk. Sixteen bed bug-infested apartments were chosen from a high-rise low-income apartment building. The apartments were randomly divided into two treatment groups: diatomaceous earth dust-based IPM (D-IPM) and chlorfenapyr spray-based IPM (S-IPM). The initial median (minimum, maximum) bed bug counts (by visual inspection) of the two treatment groups were 73.5 (10, 352) and 77 (18, 3025), respectively. A seminar and an educational brochure were delivered to residents and staff. It was followed by installing encasements on mattresses and box springs and applying hot steam to bed bug-infested areas in all 16 apartments. Diatomaceous earth dust (Mother Earth-D) was applied in the D-IPM group 2 d after steaming. In addition, bed bug-intercepting devices were installed under legs of infested beds or sofas or chairs to intercept bed bugs. The S-IPM group only received 0.5% chlorfenapyr spray (Phantom) after the nonchemical treatments. All apartments were monitored bi-weekly and retreated when necessary. After 10 wk, bed bugs were eradicated from 50% of the apartments in each group. Bed bug count reduction (mean +/- SEM) was 97.6 +/- 1.6 and 89.7 +/- 7.3% in the D-IPM and S-IPM groups, respectively. Mean treatment costs in the 10-wk period were $463 and $482 per apartment in the D-IPM and S-IPM groups, respectively. Bed bug interceptors trapped an average of 219 +/- 135 bed bugs per apartment in 10 wk. The interceptors contributed to the IPM program efficacy and were much more effective than visual inspections in estimating bed bug numbers and determining the existence of bed bug infestations.

Symmetric and asymmetric hybrid cryptosystem based on compressive sensing and computer generated holography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Lihong; Jin, Weimin

2018-01-01

A novel symmetric and asymmetric hybrid optical cryptosystem is proposed based on compressive sensing combined with computer generated holography. In this method there are six encryption keys, among which two decryption phase masks are different from the two random phase masks used in the encryption process. Therefore, the encryption system has the feature of both symmetric and asymmetric cryptography. On the other hand, because computer generated holography can flexibly digitalize the encrypted information and compressive sensing can significantly reduce data volume, what is more, the final encryption image is real function by phase truncation, the method favors the storage and transmission of the encryption data. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed encryption scheme boosts the security and has high robustness against noise and occlusion attacks.

Microscopic origin of resistance drift in the amorphous state of the phase-change compound GeTe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gabardi, S.; Caravati, S.; Sosso, G. C.; Behler, J.; Bernasconi, M.

2015-08-01

Aging is a common feature of the glassy state. In the case of phase-change chalcogenide alloys the aging of the amorphous state is responsible for an increase of the electrical resistance with time. This phenomenon called drift is detrimental in the application of these materials in phase-change nonvolatile memories, which are emerging as promising candidates for storage class memories. By means of combined molecular dynamics and electronic structure calculations based on density functional theory, we have unraveled the atomistic origin of the resistance drift in the prototypical phase-change compound GeTe. The drift results from a widening of the band gap and a reduction of Urbach tails due to structural relaxations leading to the removal of chains of Ge-Ge homopolar bonds. The same structural features are actually responsible for the high mobility above the glass transition which boosts the crystallization speed exploited in the device.

Fixed dose darunavir boosted with cobicistat combined with emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide fumarate.

PubMed

Cevik, Muge; Orkin, Chloe

2018-07-01

In an era when virological efficacy approaches 100%, novel antiretroviral (ARV) therapies must deliver better tolerability, safety, and convenient coformulated regimens. We review the phase II and III clinical data on the fixed dose combination (FDC) darunavir (DRV) 800mg / cobicistat (COBI/C) 150 mg / emtricitabine (F/FTC) 200 mg / tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF) 10mg (D/C/F/TAF) for the treatment of HIV-1 infection. In an exploratory phase II study, D/C/F/TAF FDC demonstrated similar virological efficacy to darunavir/cobicistat FDC + F /tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) FDC in treatment-naive HIV-1-infected individuals with favorable bone and renal outcomes. These findings led to two subsequent international phase III double-blind randomized controlled trials; AMBER and EMERALD. In the (treatment naïve) AMBER study, D/C/F/TAF FDC was noninferior to component regimen F/TDF + darunavir/cobicistat with favorable bone and renal outcomes at week 48. In the EMERALD study (switch study for virologically suppressed patients), D/C/F/TAF showed noninferior efficacy to F/TDF and boosted protease inhibitor (bPI) regimen at week 48 also with favorable renal and bone outcomes. No virological failure was observed, and no resistance to TDF or darunavir emerged in either study. In clinical trials, D/C/F/TAF FDC demonstrated excellent, noninferior virological efficacy, maintained a high genetic barrier and conferred the additional safety benefits of TAF. As the first one pill, once daily, protease inhibitor-based regimen, D/C/F/TAF FDC offers a new option for the treatment of HIV infection.

Unity power factor switching regulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rippel, Wally E. (Inventor)

1983-01-01

A single or multiphase boost chopper regulator operating with unity power factor, for use such as to charge a battery is comprised of a power section for converting single or multiphase line energy into recharge energy including a rectifier (10), one inductor (L.sub.1) and one chopper (Q.sub.1) for each chopper phase for presenting a load (battery) with a current output, and duty cycle control means (16) for each chopper to control the average inductor current over each period of the chopper, and a sensing and control section including means (20) for sensing at least one load parameter, means (22) for producing a current command signal as a function of said parameter, means (26) for producing a feedback signal as a function of said current command signal and the average rectifier voltage output over each period of the chopper, means (28) for sensing current through said inductor, means (18) for comparing said feedback signal with said sensed current to produce, in response to a difference, a control signal applied to the duty cycle control means, whereby the average inductor current is proportionate to the average rectifier voltage output over each period of the chopper, and instantaneous line current is thereby maintained proportionate to the instantaneous line voltage, thus achieving a unity power factor. The boost chopper is comprised of a plurality of converters connected in parallel and operated in staggered phase. For optimal harmonic suppression, the duty cycles of the switching converters are evenly spaced, and by negative coupling between pairs 180.degree. out-of-phase, peak currents through the switches can be reduced while reducing the inductor size and mass.

Gravitational radiation from magnetically funneled supernova fallback onto a magnetar

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

Melatos, A.; Priymak, M., E-mail: amelatos@unimelb.edu.au, E-mail: m.priymak@pgrad.unimelb.edu.au

2014-10-20

Protomagnetars spun up to millisecond rotation periods by supernova fallback are predicted to radiate gravitational waves via hydrodynamic instabilities for ∼10{sup 2} s before possibly collapsing to form a black hole. It is shown that magnetic funneling of the accretion flow (1) creates a magnetically confined polar mountain, which boosts the gravitational wave signal, and (2) 'buries' the magnetic dipole moment, delaying the propeller phase and assisting black hole formation.

Cost-effectiveness assessment of lumpectomy cavity boost in elderly women with early stage estrogen receptor positive breast cancer receiving adjuvant radiotherapy.

PubMed

Lester-Coll, Nataniel H; Rutter, Charles E; Evans, Suzanne B

2016-04-01

Breast radiotherapy (RT) for elderly women with estrogen receptor positive early stage breast cancer (ER+ESBC) improves local recurrence (LR) rates without benefitting overall survival. Breast boost is a common practice, although the absolute benefit decreases with age. Consequently, an analysis of its cost-effectiveness in the elderly ESBC populations is warranted. A Markov model was used to compare cost-effectiveness of RT with or without a boost in elderly ER+ESBC patients. The ten-year probability of LR with boost was derived from the CALGB 9343 trial and adjusted by the hazard ratio for LR from boost radiotherapy trial data, yielding the LR rate without boost. Remaining parameters were estimated using published data. Boost RT was associated with an increase in mean cost ($7139 vs $6193) and effectiveness (5.66 vs 5.64 quality adjusted life years; QALYs) relative to no boost. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for boost was $55,903 per QALY. On one-way sensitivity analysis, boost remained cost-effective if the hazard ratio of LR with boost was <0.67. Boost RT for ER+ESBC patients was cost-effective over a wide range of assumptions and inputs over commonly accepted willingness-to pay-thresholds, but particularly in women at higher risk for LR. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Power inversion design for ocean wave energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talebani, Anwar N.

The needs for energy sources are increasing day by day because of several factors, such as oil depletion, and global climate change due to the higher level of CO2, so the exploration of various renewable energy sources is very promising area of study. The available ocean waves can be utilized as free source of energy as the water covers 70% of the earth surface. This thesis presents the ocean wave energy as a source of renewable energy. By addressing the problem of designing efficient power electronics system to deliver 5 KW from the induction generator to the grid with less possible losses and harmonics as possible and to control current fed to the grid to successfully harvest ocean wave energy. We design an AC-DC full bridge rectifier converter, and a DC-DC boost converter to harvest wave energy from AC to regulated DC. In order to increase the design efficiency, we need to increase the power factor from (0.5-0.6) to 1. This is accomplished by designing the boost converter with power factor correction in continues mode with RC circuit as an input to the boost converter power factor correction. This design results in a phase shift between the input current and voltage of the full bridge rectifier to generate a small reactive power. The reactive power is injected to the induction generator to maintain its functionality by generating a magnetic field in its stator. Next, we design a single-phase pulse width modulator full bridge voltage source DC-AC grid-tied mode inverter to harvest regulated DC wave energy to AC. The designed inverter is modulated by inner current loop, to control current injected to the grid with minimal filter component to maintain power quality at the grid. The simulation results show that our design successfully control the current level fed to the grid. It is noteworthy that the simulated efficiency is higher than the calculated one since we used an ideal switch in the simulated circuit.

Efficacy and Safety of Low-Dose-Rate Endorectal Brachytherapy as a Boost to Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation in the Treatment of Locally Advanced Distal Rectal Cancer: A Phase-II Clinical Trial

PubMed Central

Omidvari, Shapour; Zohourinia, Shadi; Ansari, Mansour; Ghahramani, Leila; Zare-Bandamiri, Mohammad; Mosalaei, Ahmad; Ahmadloo, Niloofar; Pourahmad, Saeedeh; Nasrolahi, Hamid; Hamedi, Sayed Hasan

2015-01-01

Purpose Despite advances in rectal cancer treatment over the last decade, local control and risk of late side effects due to external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) remain as concerns. The present study aimed to investigate the efficacy and the safety of low-dose-rate endorectal brachytherapy (LDRBT) as a boost to neoadjuvant chemoradiation for use in treating locally advanced distal rectal adenocarcinomas. Methods This phase-II clinical trial included 34 patients (as the study arm) with newly diagnosed, locally advanced (clinical T3-T4 and/or N1/N2, M0) lower rectal cancer. For comparative analysis, 102 matched patients (as the historical control arm) with rectal cancer were also selected. All the patients were treated with LDRBT (15 Gy in 3 fractions) and concurrent chemoradiation (45-50.4 Gy). Concurrent chemotherapy consisted of oxaliplatin 130 mg/m2 intravenously on day 1 plus oral capecitabine 825 mg/m2 twice daily during LDRBT and EBRT. Results The study results revealed a significant differences between the study arm and the control arm in terms in the pathologic tumor size (2.1 cm vs. 3.6 cm, P = 0.001), the pathologic tumor stage (35% T3-4 vs. 65% T3-4, P = 0.003), and the pathologic complete response (29.4% vs. 11.7%, P < 0.028). Moreover, a significantly higher dose of EBRT (P = 0.041) was found in the control arm, and a longer time to surgery was observed in the study arm (P < 0.001). The higher rate of treatment-related toxicities, such as mild proctitis and anemia, in the study arm was tolerable and easily manageable. Conclusion A boost of LDRBT can optimize the pathologic complete response, with acceptable toxicities, in patients with distal rectal cancer. PMID:26361613

Efficacy and Safety of Low-Dose-Rate Endorectal Brachytherapy as a Boost to Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation in the Treatment of Locally Advanced Distal Rectal Cancer: A Phase-II Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Omidvari, Shapour; Zohourinia, Shadi; Ansari, Mansour; Ghahramani, Leila; Zare-Bandamiri, Mohammad; Mosalaei, Ahmad; Ahmadloo, Niloofar; Pourahmad, Saeedeh; Nasrolahi, Hamid; Hamedi, Sayed Hasan; Mohammadianpanah, Mohammad

2015-08-01

Despite advances in rectal cancer treatment over the last decade, local control and risk of late side effects due to external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) remain as concerns. The present study aimed to investigate the efficacy and the safety of low-dose-rate endorectal brachytherapy (LDRBT) as a boost to neoadjuvant chemoradiation for use in treating locally advanced distal rectal adenocarcinomas. This phase-II clinical trial included 34 patients (as the study arm) with newly diagnosed, locally advanced (clinical T3-T4 and/or N1/N2, M0) lower rectal cancer. For comparative analysis, 102 matched patients (as the historical control arm) with rectal cancer were also selected. All the patients were treated with LDRBT (15 Gy in 3 fractions) and concurrent chemoradiation (45-50.4 Gy). Concurrent chemotherapy consisted of oxaliplatin 130 mg/m(2) intravenously on day 1 plus oral capecitabine 825 mg/m(2) twice daily during LDRBT and EBRT. The study results revealed a significant differences between the study arm and the control arm in terms in the pathologic tumor size (2.1 cm vs. 3.6 cm, P = 0.001), the pathologic tumor stage (35% T3-4 vs. 65% T3-4, P = 0.003), and the pathologic complete response (29.4% vs. 11.7%, P < 0.028). Moreover, a significantly higher dose of EBRT (P = 0.041) was found in the control arm, and a longer time to surgery was observed in the study arm (P < 0.001). The higher rate of treatment-related toxicities, such as mild proctitis and anemia, in the study arm was tolerable and easily manageable. A boost of LDRBT can optimize the pathologic complete response, with acceptable toxicities, in patients with distal rectal cancer.

Hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy with concomitant integrated boost of 70-75 Gy in 5 weeks for advanced head and neck cancer. A phase I dose escalation study.

PubMed

Cvek, J; Kubes, J; Skacelikova, E; Otahal, B; Kominek, P; Halamka, M; Feltl, D

2012-08-01

The present study was performed to evaluate the feasibility of a new, 5-week regimen of 70-75 Gy hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy with concomitant integrated boost (HARTCIB) for locally advanced, inoperable head and neck cancer. A total of 39 patients with very advanced, stage IV nonmetastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (median gross tumor volume 72 ml) were included in this phase I dose escalation study. A total of 50 fractions intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) were administered twice daily over 5 weeks. Prescribed total dose/dose per fraction for planning target volume (PTV(tumor)) were 70 Gy in 1.4 Gy fractions, 72.5 Gy in 1.45 Gy fractions, and 75 Gy in 1.5 Gy fractions for 10, 13, and 16 patients, respectively. Uninvolved lymphatic nodes (PTV(uninvolved)) were irradiated with 55 Gy in 1.1 Gy fractions using the concomitant integrated boost. Acute toxicity was evaluated according to the RTOG/EORTC scale; the incidence of grade 3 mucositis was 51% in the oral cavity/pharynx and 0% in skin and the recovery time was ≤ 9 weeks for all patients. Late toxicity was evaluated in patients in complete remission according to the RTOG/EORTC scale. No grade 3/4 late toxicity was observed. The 1-year locoregional progression-free survival was 50% and overall survival was 55%. HARTCIB (75 Gy in 5 weeks) is feasible for patients deemed unsuitable for chemoradiation. Acute toxicity was lower than predicted from radiobiological models; duration of dysphagia and confluent mucositis were particularly short. Better conformity of radiotherapy allows the use of more intensive altered fractionation schedules compared with older studies. These results suggest that further dose escalation might be possible when highly conformal techniques (e.g., stereotactic radiotherapy) are used.

High-resolution broadband spectroscopy using externally dispersed interferometry at the Hale telescope: part 2, photon noise theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erskine, David J.; Edelstein, Jerry; Wishnow, Edward; Sirk, Martin; Muirhead, Philip S.; Muterspaugh, Matthew W.; Lloyd, James P.

2016-10-01

High-resolution broadband spectroscopy at near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths (950 to 2450 nm) has been performed using externally dispersed interferometry (EDI) at the Hale telescope at Mt. Palomar, with the TEDI interferometer mounted within the central hole of the 200-in. primary mirror in series with the comounted TripleSpec NIR echelle spectrograph. These are the first multidelay EDI demonstrations on starlight. We demonstrated very high (10×) resolution boost and dramatic (20× or more) robustness to point spread function wavelength drifts in the native spectrograph. Data analysis, results, and instrument noise are described in a companion paper (part 1). This part 2 describes theoretical photon limited and readout noise limited behaviors, using simulated spectra and instrument model with noise added at the detector. We show that a single interferometer delay can be used to reduce the high frequency noise at the original resolution (1× boost case), and that except for delays much smaller than the native response peak half width, the fringing and nonfringing noises act uncorrelated and add in quadrature. This is due to the frequency shifting of the noise due to the heterodyning effect. We find a sum rule for the noise variance for multiple delays. The multiple delay EDI using a Gaussian distribution of exposure times has noise-to-signal ratio for photon-limited noise similar to a classical spectrograph with reduced slitwidth and reduced flux, proportional to the square root of resolution boost achieved, but without the focal spot limitation and pixel spacing Nyquist limitations. At low boost (˜1×) EDI has ˜1.4× smaller noise than conventional, and at >10× boost, EDI has ˜1.4× larger noise than conventional. Readout noise is minimized by the use of three or four steps instead of 10 of TEDI. Net noise grows as step phases change from symmetrical arrangement with wavenumber across the band. For three (or four) steps, we calculate a multiplicative bandwidth of 1.8:1 (2.3:1), sufficient to handle the visible band (400 to 700 nm, 1.8:1) and most of TripleSpec (2.6:1).

High-resolution broadband spectroscopy using externally dispersed interferometry at the Hale telescope: Part 2, photon noise theory

DOE PAGES

Erskine, David J.; Edelstein, Jerry; Wishnow, Edward; ...

2016-10-01

High-resolution broadband spectroscopy at near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths (950 to 2450 nm) has been performed using externally dispersed interferometry (EDI) at the Hale telescope at Mt. Palomar, with the TEDI interferometer mounted within the central hole of the 200-in. primary mirror in series with the comounted TripleSpec NIR echelle spectrograph. These are the first multidelay EDI demonstrations on starlight. We demonstrated very high (10×) resolution boost and dramatic (20× or more) robustness to point spread function wavelength drifts in the native spectrograph. Data analysis, results, and instrument noise are described in a companion paper (part 1). This part 2 describes theoreticalmore » photon limited and readout noise limited behaviors, using simulated spectra and instrument model with noise added at the detector. We show that a single interferometer delay can be used to reduce the high frequency noise at the original resolution (1× boost case), and that except for delays much smaller than the native response peak half width, the fringing and nonfringing noises act uncorrelated and add in quadrature. This is due to the frequency shifting of the noise due to the heterodyning effect. We find a sum rule for the noise variance for multiple delays. The multiple delay EDI using a Gaussian distribution of exposure times has noise-to-signal ratio for photon-limited noise similar to a classical spectrograph with reduced slitwidth and reduced flux, proportional to the square root of resolution boost achieved, but without the focal spot limitation and pixel spacing Nyquist limitations. At low boost (~1×) EDI has ~1.4× smaller noise than conventional, and at >10× boost, EDI has ~1.4× larger noise than conventional. Readout noise is minimized by the use of three or four steps instead of 10 of TEDI. Net noise grows as step phases change from symmetrical arrangement with wavenumber across the band. As a result, for three (or four) steps, we calculate a multiplicative bandwidth of 1.8:1 (2.3:1), sufficient to handle the visible band (400 to 700 nm, 1.8:1) and most of TripleSpec (2.6:1).« less

High-resolution broadband spectroscopy using externally dispersed interferometry at the Hale telescope: Part 2, photon noise theory

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

Erskine, David J.; Edelstein, Jerry; Wishnow, Edward

High-resolution broadband spectroscopy at near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths (950 to 2450 nm) has been performed using externally dispersed interferometry (EDI) at the Hale telescope at Mt. Palomar, with the TEDI interferometer mounted within the central hole of the 200-in. primary mirror in series with the comounted TripleSpec NIR echelle spectrograph. These are the first multidelay EDI demonstrations on starlight. We demonstrated very high (10×) resolution boost and dramatic (20× or more) robustness to point spread function wavelength drifts in the native spectrograph. Data analysis, results, and instrument noise are described in a companion paper (part 1). This part 2 describes theoreticalmore » photon limited and readout noise limited behaviors, using simulated spectra and instrument model with noise added at the detector. We show that a single interferometer delay can be used to reduce the high frequency noise at the original resolution (1× boost case), and that except for delays much smaller than the native response peak half width, the fringing and nonfringing noises act uncorrelated and add in quadrature. This is due to the frequency shifting of the noise due to the heterodyning effect. We find a sum rule for the noise variance for multiple delays. The multiple delay EDI using a Gaussian distribution of exposure times has noise-to-signal ratio for photon-limited noise similar to a classical spectrograph with reduced slitwidth and reduced flux, proportional to the square root of resolution boost achieved, but without the focal spot limitation and pixel spacing Nyquist limitations. At low boost (~1×) EDI has ~1.4× smaller noise than conventional, and at >10× boost, EDI has ~1.4× larger noise than conventional. Readout noise is minimized by the use of three or four steps instead of 10 of TEDI. Net noise grows as step phases change from symmetrical arrangement with wavenumber across the band. As a result, for three (or four) steps, we calculate a multiplicative bandwidth of 1.8:1 (2.3:1), sufficient to handle the visible band (400 to 700 nm, 1.8:1) and most of TripleSpec (2.6:1).« less

Can you boost your metabolism?

MedlinePlus

Weight-loss boost metabolism; Obesity - boost metabolism; Overweight - boost metabolism ... Cowley MA, Brown WA, Considine RV. Obesity. In: Jameson JL, De Groot ... and Pediatric . 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; ...

Use of ChAd3-EBO-Z Ebola virus vaccine in Malian and US adults, and boosting of Malian adults with MVA-BN-Filo: a phase 1, single-blind, randomised trial, a phase 1b, open-label and double-blind, dose-escalation trial, and a nested, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

PubMed

Tapia, Milagritos D; Sow, Samba O; Lyke, Kirsten E; Haidara, Fadima Cheick; Diallo, Fatoumata; Doumbia, Moussa; Traore, Awa; Coulibaly, Flanon; Kodio, Mamoudou; Onwuchekwa, Uma; Sztein, Marcelo B; Wahid, Rezwanul; Campbell, James D; Kieny, Marie-Paule; Moorthy, Vasee; Imoukhuede, Egeruan B; Rampling, Tommy; Roman, Francois; De Ryck, Iris; Bellamy, Abbie R; Dally, Len; Mbaya, Olivier Tshiani; Ploquin, Aurélie; Zhou, Yan; Stanley, Daphne A; Bailer, Robert; Koup, Richard A; Roederer, Mario; Ledgerwood, Julie; Hill, Adrian V S; Ballou, W Ripley; Sullivan, Nancy; Graham, Barney; Levine, Myron M

2016-01-01

The 2014 west African Zaire Ebola virus epidemic prompted worldwide partners to accelerate clinical development of replication-defective chimpanzee adenovirus 3 vector vaccine expressing Zaire Ebola virus glycoprotein (ChAd3-EBO-Z). We aimed to investigate the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of ChAd3-EBO-Z in Malian and US adults, and assess the effect of boosting of Malians with modified vaccinia Ankara expressing Zaire Ebola virus glycoprotein and other filovirus antigens (MVA-BN-Filo). In the phase 1, single-blind, randomised trial of ChAd3-EBO-Z in the USA, we recruited adults aged 18-65 years from the University of Maryland medical community and the Baltimore community. In the phase 1b, open-label and double-blind, dose-escalation trial of ChAd3-EBO-Z in Mali, we recruited adults 18-50 years of age from six hospitals and health centres in Bamako (Mali), some of whom were also eligible for a nested, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of MVA-BN-Filo. For randomised segments of the Malian trial and for the US trial, we randomly allocated participants (1:1; block size of six [Malian] or four [US]; ARB produced computer-generated randomisation lists; clinical staff did randomisation) to different single doses of intramuscular immunisation with ChAd3-EBO-Z: Malians received 1 × 10(10) viral particle units (pu), 2·5 × 10(10) pu, 5 × 10(10) pu, or 1 × 10(11) pu; US participants received 1 × 10(10) pu or 1 × 10(11) pu. We randomly allocated Malians in the nested trial (1:1) to receive a single dose of 2 × 10(8) plaque-forming units of MVA-BN-Filo or saline placebo. In the double-blind segments of the Malian trial, investigators, clinical staff, participants, and immunology laboratory staff were masked, but the study pharmacist (MK), vaccine administrator, and study statistician (ARB) were unmasked. In the US trial, investigators were not masked, but participants were. Analyses were per protocol. The primary outcome was safety, measured with occurrence of adverse events for 7 days after vaccination. Both trials are registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, numbers NCT02231866 (US) and NCT02267109 (Malian). Between Oct 8, 2014, and Feb 16, 2015, we randomly allocated 91 participants in Mali (ten [11%] to 1 × 10(10) pu, 35 [38%] to 2·5 × 10(10) pu, 35 [38%] to 5 × 10(10) pu, and 11 [12%] to 1 × 10(11) pu) and 20 in the USA (ten [50%] to 1 × 10(10) pu and ten [50%] to 1 × 10(11) pu), and boosted 52 Malians with MVA-BN-Filo (27 [52%]) or saline (25 [48%]). We identified no safety concerns with either vaccine: seven (8%) of 91 participants in Mali (five [5%] received 5 × 10(10) and two [2%] received 1 × 10(11) pu) and four (20%) of 20 in the USA (all received 1 × 10(11) pu) given ChAd3-EBO-Z had fever lasting for less than 24 h, and 15 (56%) of 27 Malians boosted with MVA-BN-Filo had injection-site pain or tenderness. 1 × 10(11) pu single-dose ChAd3-EBO-Z could suffice for phase 3 efficacy trials of ring-vaccination containment needing short-term, high-level protection to interrupt transmission. MVA-BN-Filo boosting, although a complex regimen, could confer long-lived protection if needed (eg, for health-care workers). Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council UK, Department for International Development UK, National Cancer Institute, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Federal Funds from National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Copyright © 2016 Tapia et al. Open Access article distributed under the terms of CC BY. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

TRMM On-Orbit Performance Re-Accessed After Control Change

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bilanow, Steve

2006-01-01

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) spacecraft, a joint mission between the U.S. and Japan, launched onboard an HI1 rocket on November 27,1997 and transitioned in August, 2001 from an average operating altitude of 350 kilometers to 402.5 kilometers. Due to problems using the Earth Sensor Assembly (ESA) at the higher altitude, TRMM switched to a backup attitude control mode. Prior to the orbit boost TRMM controlled pitch and roll to the local vertical using ESA measurements while using gyro data to propagate yaw attitude between yaw updates from the Sun sensors. After the orbit boost, a Kalman filter used 3-axis gyro data with Sun sensor and magnetometers to estimate onboard attitude. While originally intended to meet a degraded attitude accuracy of 0.7 degrees, the new control mode met the original 0.2 degree attitude accuracy requirement after improving onboard ephemeris prediction and adjusting the magnetometer calibration onboard. Independent roll attitude checks using a science instrument, the Precipitation Radar (PR) which was built in Japan, provided a novel insight into the pointing performance. The PR data helped identify the pointing errors after the orbit boost, track the performance improvements, and show subtle effects from ephemeris errors and gyro bias errors. It also helped identify average bias trends throughout the mission. Roll errors tracked by the PR from sample orbits pre-boost and post-boost are shown in Figure 1. Prior to the orbit boost the largest attitude errors were due to occasional interference in the ESA. These errors were sometime larger than 0.2 degrees in pitch and roll, but usually less, as estimated from a comprehensive review of the attitude excursions using gyro data. Sudden jumps in the onboard roll show up as spikes in the reported attitude since the control responds within tens of seconds to null the pointing error. The PR estimated roll tracks well with an estimate of the roll history propagated using gyro data. After the orbit boost, the attitude errors shown by the PR roll have a smooth sine-wave type signal because of the way that attitude errors propagate with the use of gyro data. Yaw errors couple at orbit period to roll with '/4 orbit lag. By tracking the amplitude, phase, and bias of the sinusoidal PR roll error signal, it was shown that the average pitch rotation axis tends to be offset from orbit normal in a direction perpendicular to the Sun direction, as shown in Figure 2 for a 200 day period following the orbit boost. This is a result of the higher accuracy and stability of the Sun sensor measurements relative to the magnetometer measurements used in the Kalman filter. In November, 2001 a magnetometer calibration adjustment was uploaded which improved the pointing performance, keeping the roll and yaw amplitudes within about 0.1 degrees. After the boost, onboard ephemeris errors had a direct effect on the pitch pointing, being used to compute the Earth pointing reference frame. Improvements after the orbit boost have kept the the onboard ephemeris errors generally below 20 kilometers. Ephemeris errors have secondary effects on roll and yaw, especially during high beta angle when pitch effects can couple into roll and yaw. This is illustrated in figure 3. The onboard roll bias trends as measured by PR data show correlations with the Kalman filter's gyro bias error. This particularly shows up after yaw turns (every 2 to 4 weeks) as shown in Figure 3, when a slight roll bias is observed while the onboard computed gyro biases settle to new values. As for longer term trends, the PR data shows that the roll bias was influenced by Earth horizon radiance effects prior to the boost, changing values at yaw turns, and indicated a long term drift as shown in Figure 4. After the boost, the bias variations were smaller and showed some possible correlation with solar beta angle, probably due to sun sensor misalignment effects.

F-111B in Ames 40x80 Foot Wind Tunnel.

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-02-06

Installation Photos, 3/4 front view from below. F-111B in Ames 40x80 Foot Wind Tunnel. The General Dynamics/Grumman F-111B was a long-range carrier-based interceptor aircraft that was planned to be a follow-on to the F-4 Phantom II. The F-111B was developed in the 1960s by General Dynamics in conjunction with Grumman for the United States Navy (USN) as part of the joint Tactical Fighter Experimental (TFX) with the United States Air Force (USAF) to produce a common fighter for the services that could perform a variety of missions. It incorporated innovations such as variable-geometry wings, afterburning turbofan engines, and a long-range radar and missile weapons system.

Site Investigation Report. Volume 1. 120th Fighter Interceptor Group, Montana Air National Guard, International Airport, Great Falls, Montana

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-02-01

poisoning. Chromium . Cr is a transition element, occurring in nature principally as the trivalent ion Cr(III), although valence states ranging from -2...mg/kg 100 - 3,000 mg/kg Chromium 12.9 - 20.7 mg/kg 1 - 1,000 mg/kg Copper 6.9 - 18.6 mg/kg 2 - 1,000 mg/kg Lead 5.5 - 12.2 mg/kg 10 - 200 mg/kg Nickel...6.5 S 10.3 S 5.8 80 Barium ND-1,231 241 246 150 5,600 Cadmium ND ND 24.2 0.76 B 40 Chromium 8.7-22.7 13.8 64.9 14.5 8E04 Copper 3.3-19.7 16.1 66.9

Glutamatergic drive along the septo-temporal axis of hippocampus boosts prelimbic oscillations in the neonatal mouse

PubMed Central

Ahlbeck, Joachim; Song, Lingzhen; Chini, Mattia; Bitzenhofer, Sebastian H

2018-01-01

The long-range coupling within prefrontal-hippocampal networks that account for cognitive performance emerges early in life. The discontinuous hippocampal theta bursts have been proposed to drive the generation of neonatal prefrontal oscillations, yet the cellular substrate of these early interactions is still unresolved. Here, we selectively target optogenetic manipulation of glutamatergic projection neurons in the CA1 area of either dorsal or intermediate/ventral hippocampus at neonatal age to elucidate their contribution to the emergence of prefrontal oscillatory entrainment. We show that despite stronger theta and ripples power in dorsal hippocampus, the prefrontal cortex is mainly coupled with intermediate/ventral hippocampus by phase-locking of neuronal firing via dense direct axonal projections. Theta band-confined activation by light of pyramidal neurons in intermediate/ventral but not dorsal CA1 that were transfected by in utero electroporation with high-efficiency channelrhodopsin boosts prefrontal oscillations. Our data causally elucidate the cellular origin of the long-range coupling in the developing brain. PMID:29631696

Flowing BIon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grignani, Gianluca; Harmark, Troels; Kift, Callum; Marini, Andrea; Orselli, Marta

2017-11-01

In this paper we use the effective blackfold description of branes to extend the study of the thermal BIon, a D-brane, and parallel anti-D-brane connected by a wormhole with F-string charge in hot flat space, by introducing a radial boost along the brane. The boosted system behaves qualitatively differently from both the extremal and the thermal BIon considered previously. Interestingly, we are able to formulate a first law of thermodynamics for the system as a whole, despite the fact that it is not a stationary blackfold. In particular, the global temperature is given by the rest frame temperature times the gamma factor of special relativity which is the inverse transformation compared to the case of stationary blackfolds. In addition we define two new kinds of thermodynamic conjugate variables, the energy flux W and the integrated velocity on the brane. We find that a phase transition occurs by varying the energy flux W . Below a critical value of W the brane separation Δ changes only slightly with W . Instead above the critical value Δ grows exponentially.

Color image encryption using random transforms, phase retrieval, chaotic maps, and diffusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Annaby, M. H.; Rushdi, M. A.; Nehary, E. A.

2018-04-01

The recent tremendous proliferation of color imaging applications has been accompanied by growing research in data encryption to secure color images against adversary attacks. While recent color image encryption techniques perform reasonably well, they still exhibit vulnerabilities and deficiencies in terms of statistical security measures due to image data redundancy and inherent weaknesses. This paper proposes two encryption algorithms that largely treat these deficiencies and boost the security strength through novel integration of the random fractional Fourier transforms, phase retrieval algorithms, as well as chaotic scrambling and diffusion. We show through detailed experiments and statistical analysis that the proposed enhancements significantly improve security measures and immunity to attacks.

Supercurrent survival under a Rosen-Zener quench of hard-core bosons.

PubMed

Klich, I; Lannert, C; Refael, G

2007-11-16

We study the survival of supercurrents in a system of impenetrable bosons on a lattice, subject to a quantum quench from its critical superfluid phase to an insulating phase. We show that the evolution of the current when the quench follows a Rosen-Zener profile is exactly solvable. This allows us to analyze a quench of arbitrary rate, from a sudden destruction of the superfluid to a slow opening of a gap. The decay and oscillations of the current are analytically derived and studied numerically along with the momentum distribution after the quench. In the case of small supercurrent boosts nu, we find that the current surviving at long times is proportional to nu3.

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

Shusharina, N; Khan, F; Sharp, G

Purpose: To determine the dose level and timing of the boost in locally advanced lung cancer patients with confirmed tumor recurrence by comparing different boosting strategies by an impact of dose escalation in improvement of the therapeutic ratio. Methods: We selected eighteen patients with advanced NSCLC and confirmed recurrence. For each patient, a base IMRT plan to 60 Gy prescribed to PTV was created. Then we compared three dose escalation strategies: a uniform escalation to the original PTV, an escalation to a PET-defined target planned sequentially and concurrently. The PET-defined targets were delineated by biologically-weighed regions on a pre-treatment 18F-FDGmore » PET. The maximal achievable dose, without violating the OAR constraints, was identified for each boosting method. The EUD for the target, spinal cord, combined lung, and esophagus was compared for each plan. Results: The average prescribed dose was 70.4±13.9 Gy for the uniform boost, 88.5±15.9 Gy for the sequential boost and 89.1±16.5 Gy for concurrent boost. The size of the boost planning volume was 12.8% (range: 1.4 – 27.9%) of the PTV. The most prescription-limiting dose constraints was the V70 of the esophagus. The EUD within the target increased by 10.6 Gy for the uniform boost, by 31.4 Gy for the sequential boost and by 38.2 for the concurrent boost. The EUD for OARs increased by the following amounts: spinal cord, 3.1 Gy for uniform boost, 2.8 Gy for sequential boost, 5.8 Gy for concurrent boost; combined lung, 1.6 Gy for uniform, 1.1 Gy for sequential, 2.8 Gy for concurrent; esophagus, 4.2 Gy for uniform, 1.3 Gy for sequential, 5.6 Gy for concurrent. Conclusion: Dose escalation to a biologically-weighed gross tumor volume defined on a pre-treatment 18F-FDG PET may provide improved therapeutic ratio without breaching predefined OAR constraints. Sequential boost provides better sparing of OARs as compared with concurrent boost.« less

Defense Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR). Volume 3. Air Force Abstracts of Phase 1 Awards 1992

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-01-01

boost plenum which houses the camshaft . The compressed mixture is metered by a throttle to intake valves of the engine. The engine is constructed from...difficulties associated with a time-tagged fault tree . In particular, recent work indicates that the multi-layer perception architecture can give good fdi...Abstract: In the past decade, wastepaper recycling has gained a wider acceptance. Depletion of tree stocks, waste water treatment demands and

KSC-2009-2816

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-21

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, a worker attaches solid rocket boosters to a Delta II rocket for launch of the STSS Demonstrator spacecraft. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency on July 29. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2009-3667

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-05-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The STSS Demonstrator SV-2spacecraft arrives at the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller (Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4616 [27 May 09])

KSC-2009-2815

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-21

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, solid rocket boosters are attached to a Delta II rocket for launch of the STSS Demonstrator spacecraft. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency on July 29. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2009-2819

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-21

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, solid rocket boosters are installed on a Delta II rocket for launch of the STSS Demonstrator spacecraft. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency on July 29. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Dark matter freeze-out in a nonrelativistic sector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pappadopulo, Duccio; Ruderman, Joshua T.; Trevisan, Gabriele

2016-08-01

A thermally decoupled hidden sector of particles, with a mass gap, generically enters a phase of cannibalism in the early Universe. The Standard Model sector becomes exponentially colder than the hidden sector. We propose the cannibal dark matter framework, where dark matter resides in a cannibalizing sector with a relic density set by 2-to-2 annihilations. Observable signals of cannibal dark matter include a boosted rate for indirect detection, new relativistic degrees of freedom, and warm dark matter.

Power counting to better jet observables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larkoski, Andrew J.; Moult, Ian; Neill, Duff

2014-12-01

Optimized jet substructure observables for identifying boosted topologies will play an essential role in maximizing the physics reach of the Large Hadron Collider. Ideally, the design of discriminating variables would be informed by analytic calculations in perturbative QCD. Unfortunately, explicit calculations are often not feasible due to the complexity of the observables used for discrimination, and so many validation studies rely heavily, and solely, on Monte Carlo. In this paper we show how methods based on the parametric power counting of the dynamics of QCD, familiar from effective theory analyses, can be used to design, understand, and make robust predictions for the behavior of jet substructure variables. As a concrete example, we apply power counting for discriminating boosted Z bosons from massive QCD jets using observables formed from the n-point energy correlation functions. We show that power counting alone gives a definite prediction for the observable that optimally separates the background-rich from the signal-rich regions of phase space. Power counting can also be used to understand effects of phase space cuts and the effect of contamination from pile-up, which we discuss. As these arguments rely only on the parametric scaling of QCD, the predictions from power counting must be reproduced by any Monte Carlo, which we verify using Pythia 8 and Herwig++. We also use the example of quark versus gluon discrimination to demonstrate the limits of the power counting technique.

Boosting the bioavailability of hydrophobic nutrients, vitamins, and nutraceuticals in natural products using excipient emulsions.

PubMed

McClements, David Julian; Saliva-Trujillo, Laura; Zhang, Ruojie; Zhang, Zipei; Zou, Liqiang; Yao, Mingfei; Xiao, Hang

2016-10-01

Many highly hydrophobic bioactives, such as non-polar nutrients, nutraceuticals, and vitamins, have a relatively low or variable oral bioavailability. The poor bioavailability profile of these bioactives may be due to limited bioaccessibility, poor absorption, and/or chemical transformation within the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). The bioavailability of hydrophobic bioactives can be improved using specially designed oil-in-water emulsions consisting of lipid droplets dispersed within an aqueous phase. The bioactives may be isolated from their natural environment and then incorporated into the lipid phase of emulsion-based delivery systems. Alternatively, the bioactives may be left in their natural environment (e.g., fruits or vegetables), and then ingested with emulsion-based excipient systems. An excipient emulsion may have no inherent health benefits itself, but it boosts the biological activity of bioactive ingredients co-ingested with it by altering their bioaccessibility, absorption, and/or chemical transformation. This review discusses the design and fabrication of excipient emulsions, and gives some examples of recent research that demonstrates their potential efficacy for improving the bioavailability of hydrophobic bioactives. The concept of excipient emulsions could be used to formulate emulsion-based food products (such as excipient sauces, dressings, dips, creams, or yogurts) specifically designed to increase the bioavailability of bioactive agents in natural foods, such as fruits and vegetables. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bioactive natural constituents from lemongrass tea and erythropoiesis boosting effects: potential use in prevention and treatment of anemia.

PubMed

Ekpenyong, Christopher E; Daniel, Nyebuk E; Antai, Atim B

2015-01-01

This study assessed the effects of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) tea on hematologic indices in human volunteers. One hundred five subjects (55 men and 50 women), aged 18 to 35 years, were randomly assigned to groups set to orally receive infusion prepared from 2, 4, or 8 g of C. citratus leaves once daily for 30 days. Assessment of hematologic indices (hemoglobin concentration [Hb], packed cell volume [PCV], red blood cell [RBC] count, mean cell Hb [MCH], mean cell volume [MCV], mean cell Hb concentration [MCHC], total white blood cell [WBC-total] and differentials, and platelets) were performed 1 day before (baseline), and at 10 (acute) and 30 days (subchronic phase) after the initiation of treatment. Results obtained on days 10 and 30 were compared with baseline values. Infusions prepared from C. citratus leaf powder, which tested positive for tannins, saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids, macro- and micronutrients, significantly increased PCV, Hb, and RBC (P<.05) in all subjects, particularly in the subchronic phase of the study. MCH, MCV, and MCHC were not significantly different from baseline values in both the sexes. WBCs and differentials significantly decreased (P<.05) with the exception of neutrophils and lymphocytes, which significantly increased in some or all groups (P<.05), respectively. C. citratus leaf infusion appears to exert an erythropoiesis boosting effect, likely due to some nutritional constituents and its antioxidant and pharmacologic properties.

Milne boost from Galilean gauge theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banerjee, Rabin; Mukherjee, Pradip

2018-03-01

Physical origin of Milne boost invariance of the Newton Cartan spacetime is traced to the effect of local Galilean boosts in its metric structure, using Galilean gauge theory. Specifically, we do not require any gauge field to understand Milne boost invariance.

Robust boosting via convex optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rätsch, Gunnar

2001-12-01

In this work we consider statistical learning problems. A learning machine aims to extract information from a set of training examples such that it is able to predict the associated label on unseen examples. We consider the case where the resulting classification or regression rule is a combination of simple rules - also called base hypotheses. The so-called boosting algorithms iteratively find a weighted linear combination of base hypotheses that predict well on unseen data. We address the following issues: o The statistical learning theory framework for analyzing boosting methods. We study learning theoretic guarantees on the prediction performance on unseen examples. Recently, large margin classification techniques emerged as a practical result of the theory of generalization, in particular Boosting and Support Vector Machines. A large margin implies a good generalization performance. Hence, we analyze how large the margins in boosting are and find an improved algorithm that is able to generate the maximum margin solution. o How can boosting methods be related to mathematical optimization techniques? To analyze the properties of the resulting classification or regression rule, it is of high importance to understand whether and under which conditions boosting converges. We show that boosting can be used to solve large scale constrained optimization problems, whose solutions are well characterizable. To show this, we relate boosting methods to methods known from mathematical optimization, and derive convergence guarantees for a quite general family of boosting algorithms. o How to make Boosting noise robust? One of the problems of current boosting techniques is that they are sensitive to noise in the training sample. In order to make boosting robust, we transfer the soft margin idea from support vector learning to boosting. We develop theoretically motivated regularized algorithms that exhibit a high noise robustness. o How to adapt boosting to regression problems? Boosting methods are originally designed for classification problems. To extend the boosting idea to regression problems, we use the previous convergence results and relations to semi-infinite programming to design boosting-like algorithms for regression problems. We show that these leveraging algorithms have desirable theoretical and practical properties. o Can boosting techniques be useful in practice? The presented theoretical results are guided by simulation results either to illustrate properties of the proposed algorithms or to show that they work well in practice. We report on successful applications in a non-intrusive power monitoring system, chaotic time series analysis and a drug discovery process. --- Anmerkung: Der Autor ist Träger des von der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Universität Potsdam vergebenen Michelson-Preises für die beste Promotion des Jahres 2001/2002. In dieser Arbeit werden statistische Lernprobleme betrachtet. Lernmaschinen extrahieren Informationen aus einer gegebenen Menge von Trainingsmustern, so daß sie in der Lage sind, Eigenschaften von bisher ungesehenen Mustern - z.B. eine Klassenzugehörigkeit - vorherzusagen. Wir betrachten den Fall, bei dem die resultierende Klassifikations- oder Regressionsregel aus einfachen Regeln - den Basishypothesen - zusammengesetzt ist. Die sogenannten Boosting Algorithmen erzeugen iterativ eine gewichtete Summe von Basishypothesen, die gut auf ungesehenen Mustern vorhersagen. Die Arbeit behandelt folgende Sachverhalte: o Die zur Analyse von Boosting-Methoden geeignete Statistische Lerntheorie. Wir studieren lerntheoretische Garantien zur Abschätzung der Vorhersagequalität auf ungesehenen Mustern. Kürzlich haben sich sogenannte Klassifikationstechniken mit großem Margin als ein praktisches Ergebnis dieser Theorie herausgestellt - insbesondere Boosting und Support-Vektor-Maschinen. Ein großer Margin impliziert eine hohe Vorhersagequalität der Entscheidungsregel. Deshalb wird analysiert, wie groß der Margin bei Boosting ist und ein verbesserter Algorithmus vorgeschlagen, der effizient Regeln mit maximalem Margin erzeugt. o Was ist der Zusammenhang von Boosting und Techniken der konvexen Optimierung? Um die Eigenschaften der entstehenden Klassifikations- oder Regressionsregeln zu analysieren, ist es sehr wichtig zu verstehen, ob und unter welchen Bedingungen iterative Algorithmen wie Boosting konvergieren. Wir zeigen, daß solche Algorithmen benutzt werden koennen, um sehr große Optimierungsprobleme mit Nebenbedingungen zu lösen, deren Lösung sich gut charakterisieren laesst. Dazu werden Verbindungen zum Wissenschaftsgebiet der konvexen Optimierung aufgezeigt und ausgenutzt, um Konvergenzgarantien für eine große Familie von Boosting-ähnlichen Algorithmen zu geben. o Kann man Boosting robust gegenüber Meßfehlern und Ausreissern in den Daten machen? Ein Problem bisheriger Boosting-Methoden ist die relativ hohe Sensitivität gegenüber Messungenauigkeiten und Meßfehlern in der Trainingsdatenmenge. Um dieses Problem zu beheben, wird die sogenannte 'Soft-Margin' Idee, die beim Support-Vector Lernen schon benutzt wird, auf Boosting übertragen. Das führt zu theoretisch gut motivierten, regularisierten Algorithmen, die ein hohes Maß an Robustheit aufweisen. o Wie kann man die Anwendbarkeit von Boosting auf Regressionsprobleme erweitern? Boosting-Methoden wurden ursprünglich für Klassifikationsprobleme entwickelt. Um die Anwendbarkeit auf Regressionsprobleme zu erweitern, werden die vorherigen Konvergenzresultate benutzt und neue Boosting-ähnliche Algorithmen zur Regression entwickelt. Wir zeigen, daß diese Algorithmen gute theoretische und praktische Eigenschaften haben. o Ist Boosting praktisch anwendbar? Die dargestellten theoretischen Ergebnisse werden begleitet von Simulationsergebnissen, entweder, um bestimmte Eigenschaften von Algorithmen zu illustrieren, oder um zu zeigen, daß sie in der Praxis tatsächlich gut funktionieren und direkt einsetzbar sind. Die praktische Relevanz der entwickelten Methoden wird in der Analyse chaotischer Zeitreihen und durch industrielle Anwendungen wie ein Stromverbrauch-Überwachungssystem und bei der Entwicklung neuer Medikamente illustriert.

Heterologous Prime-Boost Immunisation Regimens Against Infectious Diseases

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-08-01

of these cells by boosting. DNA vaccines are good priming agents since they are internalised by antigen presenting cells and can induce antigen...presentation via both MHC class I and class II, thereby inducing both cytotoxic T lymphocytes and type 1-helper T lymphocytes. Successful boosting agents ...assessing prime-boost vaccine combinations for protection against infectious agents . • In a number of prime - boost studies, the inclusion of growth

Phases of cannibal dark matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farina, Marco; Pappadopulo, Duccio; Ruderman, Joshua T.; Trevisan, Gabriele

2016-12-01

A hidden sector with a mass gap undergoes an epoch of cannibalism if number changing interactions are active when the temperature drops below the mass of the lightest hidden particle. During cannibalism, the hidden sector temperature decreases only logarithmically with the scale factor. We consider the possibility that dark matter resides in a hidden sector that underwent cannibalism, and has relic density set by the freeze-out of two-to-two annihilations. We identify three novel phases, depending on the behavior of the hidden sector when dark matter freezes out. During the cannibal phase, dark matter annihilations decouple while the hidden sector is cannibalizing. During the chemical phase, only two-to-two interactions are active and the total number of hidden particles is conserved. During the one way phase, the dark matter annihilation products decay out of equilibrium, suppressing the production of dark matter from inverse annihilations. We map out the distinct phenomenology of each phase, which includes a boosted dark matter annihilation rate, new relativistic degrees of freedom, warm dark matter, and observable distortions to the spectrum of the cosmic microwave background.

Phases of cannibal dark matter

DOE PAGES

Farina, Marco; Pappadopulo, Duccio; Ruderman, Joshua T.; ...

2016-12-13

A hidden sector with a mass gap undergoes an epoch of cannibalism if number changing interactions are active when the temperature drops below the mass of the lightest hidden particle. During cannibalism, the hidden sector temperature decreases only logarithmically with the scale factor. We consider the possibility that dark matter resides in a hidden sector that underwent cannibalism, and has relic density set by the freeze-out of two-to-two annihilations. We identify three novel phases, depending on the behavior of the hidden sector when dark matter freezes out. During the cannibal phase, dark matter annihilations decouple while the hidden sector ismore » cannibalizing. During the chemical phase, only two-to-two interactions are active and the total number of hidden particles is conserved. During the one way phase, the dark matter annihilation products decay out of equilibrium, suppressing the production of dark matter from inverse annihilations. We map out the distinct phenomenology of each phase, which includes a boosted dark matter annihilation rate, new relativistic degrees of freedom, warm dark matter, and observable distortions to the spectrum of the cosmic microwave background.« less

Boosted ARTMAP: modifications to fuzzy ARTMAP motivated by boosting theory.

PubMed

Verzi, Stephen J; Heileman, Gregory L; Georgiopoulos, Michael

2006-05-01

In this paper, several modifications to the Fuzzy ARTMAP neural network architecture are proposed for conducting classification in complex, possibly noisy, environments. The goal of these modifications is to improve upon the generalization performance of Fuzzy ART-based neural networks, such as Fuzzy ARTMAP, in these situations. One of the major difficulties of employing Fuzzy ARTMAP on such learning problems involves over-fitting of the training data. Structural risk minimization is a machine-learning framework that addresses the issue of over-fitting by providing a backbone for analysis as well as an impetus for the design of better learning algorithms. The theory of structural risk minimization reveals a trade-off between training error and classifier complexity in reducing generalization error, which will be exploited in the learning algorithms proposed in this paper. Boosted ART extends Fuzzy ART by allowing the spatial extent of each cluster formed to be adjusted independently. Boosted ARTMAP generalizes upon Fuzzy ARTMAP by allowing non-zero training error in an effort to reduce the hypothesis complexity and hence improve overall generalization performance. Although Boosted ARTMAP is strictly speaking not a boosting algorithm, the changes it encompasses were motivated by the goals that one strives to achieve when employing boosting. Boosted ARTMAP is an on-line learner, it does not require excessive parameter tuning to operate, and it reduces precisely to Fuzzy ARTMAP for particular parameter values. Another architecture described in this paper is Structural Boosted ARTMAP, which uses both Boosted ART and Boosted ARTMAP to perform structural risk minimization learning. Structural Boosted ARTMAP will allow comparison of the capabilities of off-line versus on-line learning as well as empirical risk minimization versus structural risk minimization using Fuzzy ARTMAP-based neural network architectures. Both empirical and theoretical results are presented to enhance the understanding of these architectures.

Optimizing Survival of Patients With Marginally Operable Stage IIIA Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Receiving Chemoradiotherapy With or Without Surgery.

PubMed

Yang, Kai-Lin; Chang, Yih-Chen; Ko, Hui-Ling; Chi, Mau-Shin; Wang, Hsin-Ell; Hsu, Pei-Sung; Lin, Chen-Chun; Yeh, Diana Yu-Wung; Kao, Shang-Jyh; Jiang, Jiunn-Song; Chi, Kwan-Hwa

2016-11-01

For marginally operable stage IIIA non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), surgery might not be done as planned after neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for reasons (unresectable or medically inoperable conditions, or patient refusal). This study aims to investigate the outcomes of a phased CCRT protocol established to maximize the operability of marginally operable stage IIIA NSCLC and to care for reassessed inoperable patients, in comparison with continuous-course definitive CCRT. Forty-seven patients with marginally operable stage IIIA NSCLC receiving CCRT were included. Twenty-eight patients were treated with our phased CCRT protocol, including neoadjuvant CCRT followed by surgery (group A, n = 16) or, for reassessed inoperable patients, maintenance chemotherapy and split-course CCRT boost (group B, n = 12). The other 19 were treated with continuous-course definitive CCRT (group C). Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed. Among all, median OS and PFS were 35.6 and 12.8 months, respectively (median follow-up, 22.3 months). The median OS of group A (not reached) was better than that of group B (34.4 months) and group C (15.2 months) (P = .009). On multivariate analysis, performance status 0 to 1 (hazard ratio [HR], 0.026; P < .001), adenocarcinoma (HR, 0.156; P = .003), and group A (HR, 0.199; P = .033) were independent prognostic factors. The OS of group B (HR, 0.450; 95% confidence interval, 0.118-1.717; P = .243) was not statistically different from that of group C. For marginally operable stage IIIA NSCLC, our phased CCRT strategy may optimize survival by maximizing operability and maintain an acceptable survival for reassessed inoperable patients by split-course CCRT boost following maintenance chemotherapy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Long-Term Results of Concomitant Boost Radiation Plus Concurrent Cisplatin for Advanced Head and Neck Carcinomas: A Phase II Trial of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG 99-14)

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

Garden, Adam S.; Harris, Jonathan M.S.; Trotti, Andy

2008-08-01

Purpose: The feasibility of combining concomitant boost-accelerated radiation regimen (AFX-C) with cisplatin was previously demonstrated in this Phase II trial. This article reports the long-term toxicity, relapse patterns, and survival in patients with advanced head and neck carcinoma. Methods and Materials: Between April and November 2000, 84 patients with Stage III-IV HNC were enrolled, and 76 patients were analyzable. Radiation consisted of 72 Gy over 6 weeks. Cisplatin dose was 100 mg/m{sup 2} on Days 1 and 22. Tumor and clinical status were assessed, and acute-late toxicities were graded. Results: The median follow-up for surviving patients is 4.3 years. Themore » 2- and 4-year locoregional failure rates were 33% and 36%, respectively, and the 2- and 4-year survival rates were 70% and 54%, respectively. The worst overall late Grade 3 or 4 toxicity rate was 42%. The prevalence rates of a gastrostomy at any time during follow-up, at 12 months, and at 48 months were 83%, 41%, and 17%, respectively. Five of 36 patients (14%) alive and without disease at last follow-up were gastrostomy-tube dependent. Conclusion: These data of long-term follow-up of patients treated with AFX-C with cisplatin show encouraging results with regard to locoregional disease control and survival, with few recurrences after 2 years. The late toxicity rates are relatively high. However, although prolonged dysphagia was noted in our preliminary report, its prevalence does decreased over time. A Phase III trial comparing AFX-C plus cisplatin against standard radiation plus cisplatin has completed accrual.« less

Immunovirological response to triple nucleotide reverse-transcriptase inhibitors and ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitors in treatment-naive HIV-2-infected patients: The ACHIEV2E Collaboration Study Group.

PubMed

Benard, Antoine; van Sighem, Ard; Taieb, Audrey; Valadas, Emilia; Ruelle, Jean; Soriano, Vicente; Calmy, Alexandra; Balotta, Claudia; Damond, Florence; Brun-Vezinet, Françoise; Chene, Geneviève; Matheron, Sophie

2011-05-01

Triple nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) are recommended by the World Health Organization as first-line regimen in treatment-naïve HIV-2-infected patients. However, ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor (PI/r)-containing regimens are frequently prescribed. In the absence of previous randomized trials, we retrospectively compared these regimens in observational cohorts. HIV-2-infected patients from 7 European cohorts who started triple NRTI or PI/r since January 1998 were included. Piecewise linear models were used to estimate CD4 cell count and plasma HIV-2 RNA level slopes, differentiating an early phase (until end of month 3) and a second phase (months 4-12). On-treatment analyses censored data at major treatment modification and systematically at month 12. Forty-four patients started triple NRTI therapy and 126 started PI/r therapy. Overall, the median CD4 cell count was 191 cells/mm(3) and the median plasma HIV-2 RNA level was ≥2.7 log(10) copies/ml in 61% of the patients at combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) initiation; the median duration of the first cART was 20 months, not differing between groups. PI/r regimens were associated with better CD4 cell count and HIV-2 RNA level outcomes, compared with NRTI regimens. Estimated CD4 cell count slopes were +6 and +12 cells/mm(3)/month during the early phase (P = .22), and -60 cells/mm(3)/year versus +76 cells/mm(3)/year during the second phase (P = .002), for triple NRTI and PI/r, respectively. Estimated mean HIV-2 RNA levels at month 12 in patients with detectable viremia at cART initiation were 4.0 and 2.2 log(10) copies/ml, respectively (P = .005). In this observational study, PI/r-containing regimens showed superior efficacy over triple NRTI regimens as first-line therapy in HIV-2-infected patients.

HIV-1 gp120 and Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara (MVA) gp140 Boost Immunogens Increase Immunogenicity of a DNA/MVA HIV-1 Vaccine.

PubMed

Shen, Xiaoying; Basu, Rahul; Sawant, Sheetal; Beaumont, David; Kwa, Sue Fen; LaBranche, Celia; Seaton, Kelly E; Yates, Nicole L; Montefiori, David C; Ferrari, Guido; Wyatt, Linda S; Moss, Bernard; Alam, S Munir; Haynes, Barton F; Tomaras, Georgia D; Robinson, Harriet L

2017-12-15

An important goal of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine design is identification of strategies that elicit effective antiviral humoral immunity. One novel approach comprises priming with DNA and boosting with modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) expressing HIV-1 Env on virus-like particles. In this study, we evaluated whether the addition of a gp120 protein in alum or MVA-expressed secreted gp140 (MVAgp140) could improve immunogenicity of a DNA prime-MVA boost vaccine. Five rhesus macaques per group received two DNA primes at weeks 0 and 8 followed by three MVA boosts (with or without additional protein or MVAgp140) at weeks 18, 26, and 40. Both boost immunogens enhanced the breadth of HIV-1 gp120 and V1V2 responses, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), and low-titer tier 1B and tier 2 neutralizing antibody responses. However, there were differences in antibody kinetics, linear epitope specificity, and CD4 T cell responses between the groups. The gp120 protein boost elicited earlier and higher peak responses, whereas the MVAgp140 boost resulted in improved antibody durability and comparable peak responses after the final immunization. Linear V3 specific IgG responses were particularly enhanced by the gp120 boost, whereas the MVAgp140 boost also enhanced responses to linear C5 and C2.2 epitopes. Interestingly, gp120, but not the MVAgp140 boost, increased peak CD4 + T cell responses. Thus, both gp120 and MVAgp140 can augment potential protection of a DNA/MVA vaccine by enhancing gp120 and V1/V2 antibody responses, whereas potential protection by gp120, but not MVAgp140 boosts, may be further impacted by increased CD4 + T cell responses. IMPORTANCE Prior immune correlate analyses with humans and nonhuman primates revealed the importance of antibody responses in preventing HIV-1 infection. A DNA prime-modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) boost vaccine has proven to be potent in eliciting antibody responses. Here we explore the ability of boosts with recombinant gp120 protein or MVA-expressed gp140 to enhance antibody responses elicited by the GOVX-B11 DNA prime-MVA boost vaccine. We found that both types of immunogen boosts enhanced potentially protective antibody responses, whereas the gp120 protein boosts also increased CD4 + T cell responses. Our data provide important information for HIV vaccine designs that aim for effective and balanced humoral and T cell responses. Copyright © 2017 Shen et al.

Variable Thrust, Multiple Start Hybrid Motor Solutions for Missile and Space Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

considered: I. Boost/Sustain/Boost. Simulating a tactical solid rocket motor profile with another boost at the end to demonstrate a "throttle up", this...of tactical solid rocket motors were tested with 75%, 50%, and lower sustain-to- boost chamber pressure ratios with rapid throttle-up achieved... solid rocket motors were tested with 75%, 50%, and lower sustain-to-boost chamber pressure ratios with rapid throttle-up achieved following the sustain

AlignerBoost: A Generalized Software Toolkit for Boosting Next-Gen Sequencing Mapping Accuracy Using a Bayesian-Based Mapping Quality Framework.

PubMed

Zheng, Qi; Grice, Elizabeth A

2016-10-01

Accurate mapping of next-generation sequencing (NGS) reads to reference genomes is crucial for almost all NGS applications and downstream analyses. Various repetitive elements in human and other higher eukaryotic genomes contribute in large part to ambiguously (non-uniquely) mapped reads. Most available NGS aligners attempt to address this by either removing all non-uniquely mapping reads, or reporting one random or "best" hit based on simple heuristics. Accurate estimation of the mapping quality of NGS reads is therefore critical albeit completely lacking at present. Here we developed a generalized software toolkit "AlignerBoost", which utilizes a Bayesian-based framework to accurately estimate mapping quality of ambiguously mapped NGS reads. We tested AlignerBoost with both simulated and real DNA-seq and RNA-seq datasets at various thresholds. In most cases, but especially for reads falling within repetitive regions, AlignerBoost dramatically increases the mapping precision of modern NGS aligners without significantly compromising the sensitivity even without mapping quality filters. When using higher mapping quality cutoffs, AlignerBoost achieves a much lower false mapping rate while exhibiting comparable or higher sensitivity compared to the aligner default modes, therefore significantly boosting the detection power of NGS aligners even using extreme thresholds. AlignerBoost is also SNP-aware, and higher quality alignments can be achieved if provided with known SNPs. AlignerBoost's algorithm is computationally efficient, and can process one million alignments within 30 seconds on a typical desktop computer. AlignerBoost is implemented as a uniform Java application and is freely available at https://github.com/Grice-Lab/AlignerBoost.

Derivation of linearized transfer functions for switching-mode regulations. Phase A: Current step-up and voltage step-up converters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wong, R. C.; Owen, H. A., Jr.; Wilson, T. G.

1981-01-01

Small-signal models are derived for the power stage of the voltage step-up (boost) and the current step-up (buck) converters. The modeling covers operation in both the continuous-mmf mode and the discontinuous-mmf mode. The power stage in the regulated current step-up converter on board the Dynamics Explorer Satellite is used as an example to illustrate the procedures in obtaining the small-signal functions characterizing a regulated converter.

Advanced Sensors Boost Optical Communication, Imaging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2009-01-01

Brooklyn, New York-based Amplification Technologies Inc. (ATI), employed Phase I and II SBIR funding from NASA s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to forward the company's solid-state photomultiplier technology. Under the SBIR, ATI developed a small, energy-efficient, extremely high-gain sensor capable of detecting light down to single photons in the near infrared wavelength range. The company has commercialized this technology in the form of its NIRDAPD photomultiplier, ideal for use in free space optical communications, lidar and ladar, night vision goggles, and other light sensing applications.

The development of a complementary expendable launch vehicle interface for an STS deployable payload

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eubanks, Ed; Gibb, John

1990-04-01

The development is described of an interface, the Titan Payload Adapter (TPA), between a Space Transportation System (STS) deployable payload and an expendable launch vehicle (ELV). Separate ascent and separation constraint systems allow a payload with integral trunnions to retain its originally designed, boost-phase load structure, yet also allow the expendable booster vehicle to separate from the payload via retro-rockets. Design requirements as well as development problems and their solutions are discussed.

Ballistic missile defense effectiveness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, George N.

2017-11-01

The potential effectiveness of ballistic missile defenses today remains a subject of debate. After a brief discussion of terminal and boost phase defenses, this chapter will focus on long-range midcourse defenses. The problems posed by potential countermeasures to such midcourse defenses are discussed as are the sensor capabilities a defense might have available to attempt to discriminate the actual missile warhead in a countermeasures environment. The role of flight testing in assessing ballistic missile defense effectiveness is discussed. Arguments made about effectiveness by missile defense supporters and critics are summarized.

KSC-2009-4627

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. , technicians monitor the STSS Demonstrator SV-1 spacecraft as it is lowered to the orbital insertion system. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs (Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4800 [30 July 09] )

KSC-2009-2818

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-21

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, workers monitor the placement of a solid rocket booster on a Delta II rocket for launch of the STSS Demonstrator spacecraft. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency on July 29. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2009-3666

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-05-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A flatbed truck carrying the STSS Demonstrator SV-2spacecraft arrives at the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller (Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4616 [27 May 09])

KSC-2009-4625

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. , the STSS Demonstrator SV-1 spacecraft is lowered toward the orbital insertion system. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs (Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4800 [30 July 09] )

KSC-2009-4617

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-25

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The flatbed truck with the SV-1 cargo of the STSS Demonstrator spacecraft arrives at the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett (Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4804 [4 Aug 09] )

KSC-2009-4626

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. , technicians monitor the STSS Demonstrator SV-1 spacecraft as it is lowered to the orbital insertion system. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs (Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4800 [30 July 09] )

KSC-2009-4622

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. , the STSS Demonstrator SV-1 spacecraft is being moved to a stand. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs (Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4800 [30 July 09] )

KSC-2009-3668

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-05-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The STSS Demonstrator SV-2spacecraft is moved inside a building at the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller (Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4616 [27 May 09])

KSC-2009-4618

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-25

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The SV-1 cargo of the STSS Demonstrator spacecraft is moved into the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett (Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4804 [4 Aug 09] )

KSC-2009-4628

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. , the STSS Demonstrator SV-1 spacecraft is lowered to the orbital insertion system. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs (Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4800 [30 July 09] )

KSC-2009-4624

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. , the STSS Demonstrator SV-1 spacecraft is moved toward the orbital insertion system. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs (Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4800 [30 July 09] )

KSC-2009-4619

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The shipping crate is being removed from the STSS Demonstrator SV-1 spacecraft in the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs (Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4800 [30 July 09] )

KSC-2009-2817

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-21

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, a worker monitors the placement of a solid rocket booster on a Delta II rocket for launch of the STSS Demonstrator spacecraft. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency on July 29. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2009-4623

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. , the STSS Demonstrator SV-1 spacecraft is lowered onto a stand. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs (Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4800 [30 July 09] )

KSC-2009-2711

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-16

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Complex 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the first stage of the Delta II rocket waits on the gantry for the solid rocket boosters. The STSS Demonstrators is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator and is part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency on July 29. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2009-4616

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-25

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The flatbed truck with the SV-1 cargo of the STSS Demonstrator spacecraft arrives at the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett (Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4804 [4 Aug 09] )

KSC-2009-4620

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. , the STSS Demonstrator SV-1 spacecraft is lifted from its shipping crate. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs (Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4800 [30 July 09] )

KSC-2009-4621

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. , the STSS Demonstrator SV-1 spacecraft is lifted clear from its shipping crate. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs (Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4800 [30 July 09] )

Evaluation of coated columbian alloy heat shields for space shuttle thermal protection system application. Volume 1: Phase 1 - Environmental criteria and material characterization, October 1970 - March 1972

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Black, W. E.

1972-01-01

The studies presented are directed toward establishing criteria for a niobium alloy thermal protection system for the space shuttle. Evaluation of three niobium alloys and two silicon coatings for heat shield configurations culminated in the selection of two coating/substrate combinations for environmental criteria and material characterization tests. Specimens were exposed to boost and reentry temperatures, pressure, and loads simulating a space shuttle orbiter flight profile.

The development of a complementary expendable launch vehicle interface for an STS deployable payload

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eubanks, ED; Gibb, John

1990-01-01

The development is described of an interface, the Titan Payload Adapter (TPA), between a Space Transportation System (STS) deployable payload and an expendable launch vehicle (ELV). Separate ascent and separation constraint systems allow a payload with integral trunnions to retain its originally designed, boost-phase load structure, yet also allow the expendable booster vehicle to separate from the payload via retro-rockets. Design requirements as well as development problems and their solutions are discussed.

Seasat-A attitude control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weiss, R.; Rodden, J. J.; Hendricks, R. J.

1977-01-01

The Seasat-A attitude control system controls the attitude of the satellite system during injection into final circular orbit after Atlas boost, during orbit adjust and trim phases, and throughout the 3-year mission. Ascent and injection guidance and attitude control are provided by the Agena spacecraft with a gyrocompassed mass expulsion system. On-orbit attitude control functions are performed by a system that has its functional roots in the gravity-gradient momentum bias technology. The paper discusses hardware, control laws, and simulation results.

KSC-2009-4630

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. , technicians get ready to remove the overhead crane from the STSS Demonstrator SV-1 spacecraft. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs (Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4800 [30 July 09] )

14 CFR 27.695 - Power boost and power-operated control system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... TRANSPORTATION AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: NORMAL CATEGORY ROTORCRAFT Design and Construction Control Systems § 27.695 Power boost and power-operated control system. (a) If a power boost or power-operated... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Power boost and power-operated control...

14 CFR 29.695 - Power boost and power-operated control system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... TRANSPORTATION AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY ROTORCRAFT Design and Construction Control Systems § 29.695 Power boost and power-operated control system. (a) If a power boost or power-operated... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Power boost and power-operated control...

Nonlinear program based optimization of boost and buck-boost converter designs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahman, S.; Lee, F. C.

The facility of an Augmented Lagrangian (ALAG) multiplier based nonlinear programming technique is demonstrated for minimum-weight design optimizations of boost and buck-boost power converters. Certain important features of ALAG are presented in the framework of a comprehensive design example for buck-boost power converter design optimization. The study provides refreshing design insight of power converters and presents such information as weight and loss profiles of various semiconductor components and magnetics as a function of the switching frequency.

A Real Time AI Approach to Discrimination Boost Phase Optical Sensor Systems in SDI Architectures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sloggett, David R.

1990-04-01

Interest has been rekindled in the potential utility of Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) systems 1,2 and their ability to enhance the existing NATO strategic defence posture 3,4. Whereas in the past BMD systems have been thought to be vulnerable to relatively simple offence countermeasures, technological developments that have occurred over the past 20 years offer the potential to solve some of the main criticisms that have bedeviled BMD research since its inception in the early 1950s. One of the key areas where dramatic developments have taken place is in the field of electro-optic sensor technologies where developments in device sensitivity and packing density offer new solutions to threat detection, tracking and discrimination that complement data traditionally associated with radar based systems. Analysis has shown 5 that optical sensor systems can make a significant contribution to threat analysis in the boost and mid course phases of flight of ballistic missile systems. In the Boost phase the large amounts of energy contained within the plume of a ballistic missile system provides a signature that must be detected against cloud and earth backgrounds - necessitating viewing from space. The process of detection is complicated by reflected sunlight and other sources of false alarms. The optical sensor systems must therefore be adaptable and capable of reasoning about the location of the signatures, their persistence and temporal variations. Much of this processing is ideally carried out at the sensor system - in order to eliminate false alarms and reduce the communications bandwidths required to transfer the sensor data to centralised early warning and battle management facilities. In the mid course phase optical sensor systems can be used to detect warm objects against the background of deep space. These sensor systems can form tracks on these objects that can be merged into 3D tracks as data from individual sensor systems are combined. As closely spaced objects are resolved by sensor systems feature data can be extracted on individual objects that can be used by the defence system to attempt to discriminate between warheads, decoys and other penetration aids. This paper reviews work that has arisen from joint US SDIO and UK MOD research programmes into the feasibility of Theatre Missile Defence (TMD) systems that would be suitable for deploy ment and operation in a European theatre. The paper focuses on the problems of threat classification and discrimination in TtD systems and highlights the role of optical sensors. The paper discusses the integration of data derived from optical and radar sensors 6 and expands upon work previously reported into the use of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) approach to object classification and discrimination.

Novel concepts for the compression of large volumes of carbon dioxide-phase III

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

Moore, J. Jeffrey; Allison, Timothy C.; Evans, Neal D.

In the effort to reduce the release of CO 2 greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, sequestration of CO 2 from Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) and Oxy-Fuel power plants is being pursued. This approach, however, requires significant compression power to boost the pressure to typical pipeline levels. The penalty can be as high as 8-12% on a typical IGCC plant. The goal of this research is to reduce this penalty through novel compression concepts and integration with existing IGCC processes. The primary objective of the study of novel CO 2 compression concepts is to reliably boost the pressure of COmore » 2 to pipeline pressures with the minimal amount of energy required. Fundamental thermodynamics were studied to explore pressure rise in both liquid and gaseous states. For gaseous compression, the project investigated novel methods to compress CO 2 while removing the heat of compression internal to the compressor. The highpressure ratio, due to the delivery pressure of the CO 2 for enhanced oil recovery, results in significant heat of compression. Since less energy is required to boost the pressure of a cooler gas stream, both upstream and inter-stage cooling is desirable. While isothermal compression has been utilized in some services, it has not been optimized for the IGCC environment. Phase I of this project determined the optimum compressor configuration and developed technology concepts for internal heat removal. Other compression options using liquefied CO 2 and cryogenic pumping were explored as well. Preliminary analysis indicated up to a 35% reduction in power is possible with the new concepts being considered. In the Phase II program, two experimental test rigs were developed to investigate the two concepts further. A new pump loop facility was constructed to qualify a cryogenic turbopump for use on liquid CO 2 . Also, an internally cooled compressor diaphragm was developed and tested in a closed loop compressor facility using CO 2 . Both test programs successfully demonstrated good performance and mechanical behavior. In Phase III, a pilot compression plant consisting of a multi-stage centrifugal compressor with cooled diaphragm technology has been designed, constructed, and tested. Comparative testing of adiabatic and cooled tests at equivalent inlet conditions shows that the cooled diaphragms reduce power consumption by 3-8% when the compressor is operated as a back-to-back unit and by up to 9% when operated as a straight-though compressor with no intercooler. The power savings, heat exchanger effectiveness, and temperature drops for the cooled diaphragm were all slightly higher than predicted values but showed the same trends.« less

Three-phase multilevel solar inverter for motor drive system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhasagare, Mayuresh P.

This thesis deals with three phase inverters and the different control strategies that can be associated with an inverter being used together. The first part of this thesis discusses the present research in the fields of PV panels, motor drive systems and three phase inverters along with their control. This control includes various strategies like MPPT, Volts-Hertz and modulation index compensation. Incorporating these techniques together is the goal of this thesis. A new topology for operating an open end motor drive system has also been discusses, where a boost converter and a flyback converter have been used in cascade to run a three phase motor. The main advantage of this is increasing the number of levels and improving the quality of the output voltage, not to mention a few other benefits of having the proposed circuit. A new algorithm has also been designed for starting and stopping the motor, which controls the current drawn from the power source during starting.

Intermittent strong transport of the quasi-adiabatic plasma state.

PubMed

Kim, Chang-Bae; An, Chan-Yong; Min, Byunghoon

2018-06-05

The dynamics of the fluctuating electrostatic potential and the plasma density couched in the resistive-drift model at nearly adiabatic state are simulated. The linear modes are unstable if the phase difference between the potential and the density are positive. Exponential growth of the random small perturbations slows down due to the nonlinear E × B flows that work in two ways. They regulate the strength of the fluctuations by transferring the energy from the energy-producing scale to neighboring scales and reduce the cross phase at the same time. During quasi-steady relaxation sporadic appearance of very strong turbulent particle flux is observed that is characterized by the flat energy spectrum and the broad secondary peak in the mesoscale of the order of the gyro-radius. Such boost of the transport is found to be caused by presence of relatively large cross phase as the E × B flows are not effective in cancelling out the cross phase.

Installation Restoration Program. Site Investigation Report. 147th Fighter Interceptor Group, Texas Air National Guard, Ellington, Field, Houston, Texas

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-01-01

LOCATIONS DRAWN BY J. WELL LOCATIONS DATE: 5-31. DATE -31-MGM= . ENCE CORNER (O’S. & O’W) ...........x xC.O.E. MONUIM:NT NO. 324 NORTH COOR. - 670.555.7 x...RUDWTREEVTO OTU M ~ HYRAULC GRDENTLIN A% A W0 78W.M. 3 B1 - ENCE CORNER tos & o’U) -x x -x .O. E. MIONUMENT NO. 324 x-x-NORTH COOR. -. 670;;55;.7 x...ROUNwATE ELEATIO CON4UR3 ~~~~W xRJJ t ZRQ N IN tW 9 . AILA~E 261~ W-03- 26.6W~~ 0 B’ ENCE CORNER (O’S. & O’W) -K XMx X - .O.E. MONUMENT NO. 324

Spaceflight mechanics 1992; Proceedings of the 2nd AAS/AIAA Meeting, Colorado Springs, CO, Feb. 24-26, 1992. Pts. 1 & 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diehl, Roger E.; Schinnerer, Ralph G.; Williamson, Walton E.; Boden, Daryl G.

The present conference discusses topics in orbit determination, tethered satellite systems, celestial mechanics, guidance optimization, flexible body dynamics and control, attitude dynamics and control, Mars mission analyses, earth-orbiting mission analysis/debris, space probe mission analyses, and orbital computation numerical analyses. Attention is given to electrodynamic forces for control of tethered satellite systems, orbiting debris threats to asteroid flyby missions, launch velocity requirements for interceptors of short range ballistic missiles, transfers between libration-point orbits in the elliptic restricted problem, minimum fuel spacecraft reorientation, orbital guidance for hitting a fixed point at maximum speed, efficient computation of satellite visibility periods, orbit decay and reentry prediction for space debris, and the determination of satellite close approaches.

The militarization of space: U. S. policy, 1945-1984

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

Stares, P.B.

1985-01-01

This is an account of the U.S. military space program under successive administrations. Despite Sputnik and the advent of reconnaissance satellites, the development of antisatellite space weapons was resisted from the time of the Eisenhower Administration until the late 1970s. Indeed, Eisenhower wanted to keep U.S. activities in space ''peaceful'' so as to avoid a threat to reconnaissance satellites. When Soviet satellite interceptor tests became a matter of concern, the Carter Administration pursued a two-track policy of seeking to develop the technology and to ban its deployment through negotiations with the Soviet Union; thereafter, the Reagan Administration dropped arms controlmore » efforts and insisted upon testing. The author concludes that an arms race in space is now inevitable-and that a solid opportunity has been lost.« less

Tera-Ops Processing for ATR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Udomkesmalee, Suraphol; Padgett, Curtis; Zhu, David; Lung, Gerald; Howard, Ayanna

2000-01-01

A three-dimensional microelectronic device (3DANN-R) capable of performing general image convolution at the speed of 1012 operations/second (ops) in a volume of less than 1.5 cubic centimeter has been successfully built under the BMDO/JPL VIGILANTE program. 3DANN-R was developed in partnership with Irvine Sensors Corp., Costa Mesa, California. 3DANN-R is a sugar-cube-sized, low power image convolution engine that in its core computation circuitry is capable of performing 64 image convolutions with large (64x64) windows at video frame rates. This paper explores potential applications of 3DANN-R such as target recognition, SAR and hyperspectral data processing, and general machine vision using real data and discuss technical challenges for providing deployable systems for BMDO surveillance and interceptor programs.

Issues in national missile defense

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

Canavan, G.H.

1998-12-01

Strategic missiles and weapons are proliferating rapidly; thus, the US and its Allies are likely to face both capable bilateral threats and multilateral configurations with complex coalitions for which defenses could be essential for stability. Current hit-to-kill interceptor and radar and infrared detection, track, and discrimination technology should suffice for limited threats, but it is necessary to meet those threats in time while maintaining growth potential for the more sophisticated threats likely to follow. National Missile Defense faces a confusing array of threats, programs, and alternatives, but the technologies in development are clearly an appropriate first step towards any ofmore » them. They are likely to succeed in the near term; the challenge is to retain flexibility to provide needed options in the mid and long terms.« less

Spaceflight mechanics 1992; Proceedings of the 2nd AAS/AIAA Meeting, Colorado Springs, CO, Feb. 24-26, 1992. Pts. 1 & 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Diehl, Roger E. (Editor); Schinnerer, Ralph G. (Editor); Williamson, Walton E. (Editor); Boden, Daryl G. (Editor)

1992-01-01

The present conference discusses topics in orbit determination, tethered satellite systems, celestial mechanics, guidance optimization, flexible body dynamics and control, attitude dynamics and control, Mars mission analyses, earth-orbiting mission analysis/debris, space probe mission analyses, and orbital computation numerical analyses. Attention is given to electrodynamic forces for control of tethered satellite systems, orbiting debris threats to asteroid flyby missions, launch velocity requirements for interceptors of short range ballistic missiles, transfers between libration-point orbits in the elliptic restricted problem, minimum fuel spacecraft reorientation, orbital guidance for hitting a fixed point at maximum speed, efficient computation of satellite visibility periods, orbit decay and reentry prediction for space debris, and the determination of satellite close approaches.

Breast conserving treatment for breast cancer: dosimetric comparison of sequential versus simultaneous integrated photon boost.

PubMed

Van Parijs, Hilde; Reynders, Truus; Heuninckx, Karina; Verellen, Dirk; Storme, Guy; De Ridder, Mark

2014-01-01

Breast conserving surgery followed by whole breast irradiation is widely accepted as standard of care for early breast cancer. Addition of a boost dose to the initial tumor area further reduces local recurrences. We investigated the dosimetric benefits of a simultaneously integrated boost (SIB) compared to a sequential boost to hypofractionate the boost volume, while maintaining normofractionation on the breast. For 10 patients 4 treatment plans were deployed, 1 with a sequential photon boost, and 3 with different SIB techniques: on a conventional linear accelerator, helical TomoTherapy, and static TomoDirect. Dosimetric comparison was performed. PTV-coverage was good in all techniques. Conformity was better with all SIB techniques compared to sequential boost (P = 0.0001). There was less dose spilling to the ipsilateral breast outside the PTVboost (P = 0.04). The dose to the organs at risk (OAR) was not influenced by SIB compared to sequential boost. Helical TomoTherapy showed a higher mean dose to the contralateral breast, but less than 5 Gy for each patient. SIB showed less dose spilling within the breast and equal dose to OAR compared to sequential boost. Both helical TomoTherapy and the conventional technique delivered acceptable dosimetry. SIB seems a safe alternative and can be implemented in clinical routine.

Breast Conserving Treatment for Breast Cancer: Dosimetric Comparison of Sequential versus Simultaneous Integrated Photon Boost

PubMed Central

Reynders, Truus; Heuninckx, Karina; Verellen, Dirk; Storme, Guy; De Ridder, Mark

2014-01-01

Background. Breast conserving surgery followed by whole breast irradiation is widely accepted as standard of care for early breast cancer. Addition of a boost dose to the initial tumor area further reduces local recurrences. We investigated the dosimetric benefits of a simultaneously integrated boost (SIB) compared to a sequential boost to hypofractionate the boost volume, while maintaining normofractionation on the breast. Methods. For 10 patients 4 treatment plans were deployed, 1 with a sequential photon boost, and 3 with different SIB techniques: on a conventional linear accelerator, helical TomoTherapy, and static TomoDirect. Dosimetric comparison was performed. Results. PTV-coverage was good in all techniques. Conformity was better with all SIB techniques compared to sequential boost (P = 0.0001). There was less dose spilling to the ipsilateral breast outside the PTVboost (P = 0.04). The dose to the organs at risk (OAR) was not influenced by SIB compared to sequential boost. Helical TomoTherapy showed a higher mean dose to the contralateral breast, but less than 5 Gy for each patient. Conclusions. SIB showed less dose spilling within the breast and equal dose to OAR compared to sequential boost. Both helical TomoTherapy and the conventional technique delivered acceptable dosimetry. SIB seems a safe alternative and can be implemented in clinical routine. PMID:25162031

Adiabatic Quantum Anomaly Detection and Machine Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pudenz, Kristen; Lidar, Daniel

2012-02-01

We present methods of anomaly detection and machine learning using adiabatic quantum computing. The machine learning algorithm is a boosting approach which seeks to optimally combine somewhat accurate classification functions to create a unified classifier which is much more accurate than its components. This algorithm then becomes the first part of the larger anomaly detection algorithm. In the anomaly detection routine, we first use adiabatic quantum computing to train two classifiers which detect two sets, the overlap of which forms the anomaly class. We call this the learning phase. Then, in the testing phase, the two learned classification functions are combined to form the final Hamiltonian for an adiabatic quantum computation, the low energy states of which represent the anomalies in a binary vector space.

Study of conduction behavior in Pr0.67Sr0.03Ag0.30MnO3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhat, Masroor Ahmad; Modi, Anchit; Pandey, Devendra K.; Gaur, N. K.

2018-05-01

In this paper, we report the conduction mechanism in Pr0.67Sr0.03Ag0.30MnO3 system synthesized via conventional solid state reaction route. The structural information was carried by X - Ray diffraction using Rietveld refinement which confirms the secondary phase of the sample. The SEM image shows the formation of double phase composite because of limited reaction of silver with parent compound. The resistivity behavior indicates the semiconducting behavior. The electronic nature can be estimated by means of variable range hopping (VRH) and small polaron hopping (SPH) model showing that the enhancement of double exchange interaction suppress the band gap and boost the carrier delocalization of charge carriers.

Concentrated dark matter: Enhanced small-scale structure from codecaying dark matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dror, Jeff A.; Kuflik, Eric; Melcher, Brandon; Watson, Scott

2018-03-01

We study the cosmological consequences of codecaying dark matter—a recently proposed mechanism for depleting the density of dark matter through the decay of nearly degenerate particles. A generic prediction of this framework is an early dark matter dominated phase in the history of the Universe, that results in the enhanced growth of dark matter perturbations on small scales. We compute the duration of the early matter dominated phase and show that the perturbations are robust against washout from free streaming. The enhanced small-scale structure is expected to survive today in the form of compact microhalos and can lead to significant boost factors for indirect-detection experiments, such as FERMI, where dark matter would appear as point sources.

ADDJUST - An automated system for steering Centaur launch vehicles in measured winds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swanson, D. C.

1977-01-01

ADDJUST (Automatic Determination and Dissemination of Just-Updated Steering Terms) is an automated computer and communication system designed to provide Atlas/Centaur and Titan/Centaur launch vehicles with booster-phase steering data on launch day. Wind soundings are first obtained, from which a smoothed wind velocity vs altitude relationship is established. Design for conditions at the end of the boost phase with initial pitch and yaw maneuvers, followed by zero total angle of attack through the filtered wind establishes the required vehicle attitude as a function of altitude. Polynomial coefficients for pitch and yaw attitude vs altitude are determined and are transmitted for validation and loading into the Centaur airborne computer. The system has enabled 14 consecutive launches without a flight wind delay.

Radiotherapy Breast Boost With Reduced Whole-Breast Dose Is Associated With Improved Cosmesis: The Results of a Comprehensive Assessment From the St. George and Wollongong Randomized Breast Boost Trial

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

Hau, Eric, E-mail: helloerico@yahoo.com; Browne, Lois H.; Khanna, Sam

Purpose: To evaluate comprehensively the effect of a radiotherapy boost on breast cosmetic outcomes after 5 years in patients treated with breast-conserving surgery. Methods: The St. George and Wollongong trial (NCT00138814) randomized 688 patients with histologically proven Tis-2, N 0-1, M0 carcinoma to the control arm of 50 Gy in 25 fractions (342 patients) and the boost arm of 45 Gy in 25 fractions to the whole breast followed by a 16 Gy in 8 fraction electron boost (346 patients). Five-year cosmetic outcomes were assessed by a panel subjectively in 385 patients and objectively using pBRA (relative breast retraction assessment).more » A subset of patients also had absolute BRA measurements. Clinician assessment and patient self-assessment of overall cosmetic and specific items as well as computer BCCT.core analysis were also performed. Results: The boost arm had improved cosmetic overall outcomes as scored by the panel and BCCT.core software with 79% (p = 0.016) and 81% (p = 0.004) excellent/good cosmesis respectively compared with 68% in no-boost arm. The boost arm also had lower pBRA and BRA values with a mean difference of 0.60 and 1.82 mm, respectively, but was not statistically significant. There was a very high proportion of overall excellent/good cosmetic outcome in 95% and 93% in the boost and no-boost arms using patient self-assessment. However, no difference in overall and specific items scored by clinician assessment and patient self-assessment was found. Conclusion: The results show the negative cosmetic effect of a 16-Gy boost is offset by a lower whole-breast dose of 45 Gy.« less

A Study of 4-level DC-DC Boost Inverter with Passive Component Reduction Consideration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasiran, A. N.; Ponniran, A.; Harimon, M. A.; Hamzah, H. H.

2018-04-01

This study is to analyze design principles of boost inductor and capacitor used in the 4-level DC-DC boost converter to realize size reduction of passive component referring to their attributes. The important feature of this circuit is that most of the boost-up energy is transferred from the capacitor-clamped to the output side which the small inductance can be used at the input side. The inductance of the boost inductor is designed by referring the inductor current ripple. On the other hand, the capacitance of the capacitor-clamped is designed by considering voltage stress on semiconductor devices and also the used switching frequency. Besides that, according to the design specifications, the required inductance in 4-level DC-DC boost converter is decreased compared to a conventional conventional DC-DC boost converter. Meanwhile, voltage stress on semiconductor device is depending on the maximum voltage ripple of the capacitor-clamped. A 50 W 4-level DC-DC boost converter prototype has been constructed. The results show that the inductor current ripple was 1.15 A when the inductors, 1 mH and 0.11 mH were used in the conventional and 4-level DC-DC boost converters, respectively. Thus, based on the experimental results, it shows that the reduction of passive components by referring to their attributes in 4-level DC-DC boost converter is achieved. Moreover, the decreasing of voltage stress on the semiconductor devices is an advantage for the selection of low ON-resistance of the devices which will contribute to the reduction of the semiconductor conduction loss. The integration result of boost converter and H-bridge inverter is also shown.

A High Power Density Single-Phase PWM Rectifier With Active Ripple Energy Storage

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

Wang, Ruxi; Wang, Fei; Boroyevich, Dushan

It is well known that single-phase pulse width modulation rectifiers have second-order harmonic currents and corresponding ripple voltages on the dc bus. The low-frequency harmonic current is normally filtered using a bulk capacitor in the bus, which results in low power density. However, pursuing high power density in converter design is a very important goal in the aerospace applications. This paper studies methods for reducing the energy storage capacitor for single-phase rectifiers. The minimum ripple energy storage requirement is derived independently of a specific topology. Based on theminimum ripple energy requirement, the feasibility of the active capacitor s reduction schemesmore » is verified. Then, we propose a bidirectional buck boost converter as the ripple energy storage circuit, which can effectively reduce the energy storage capacitance. The analysis and design are validated by simulation and experimental results.« less

Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Boost After Concurrent Chemoradiation for Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Phase 1 Dose Escalation Study

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

Hepel, Jaroslaw T., E-mail: jhepel@lifespan.org; Department of Radiation Oncology, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts; Leonard, Kara Lynne

Purpose: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) boost to primary and nodal disease after chemoradiation has potential to improve outcomes for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A dose escalation study was initiated to evaluate the maximum tolerated dose (MTD). Methods and Materials: Eligible patients received chemoradiation to a dose of 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions and had primary and nodal volumes appropriate for SBRT boost (<120 cc and <60 cc, respectively). SBRT was delivered in 2 fractions after chemoradiation. Dose was escalated from 16 to 28 Gy in 2 Gy/fraction increments, resulting in 4 dose cohorts. MTD was defined when ≥2 of 6 patients permore » cohort experienced any treatment-related grade 3 to 5 toxicity within 4 weeks of treatment or the maximum dose was reached. Late toxicity, disease control, and survival were also evaluated. Results: Twelve patients (3 per dose level) underwent treatment. All treatment plans met predetermined dose-volume constraints. The mean age was 64 years. Most patients had stage III disease (92%) and were medically inoperable (92%). The maximum dose level was reached with no grade 3 to 5 acute toxicities. At a median follow-up time of 16 months, 1-year local-regional control (LRC) was 78%. LRC was 50% at <24 Gy and 100% at ≥24 Gy (P=.02). Overall survival at 1 year was 67%. Late toxicity (grade 3-5) was seen in only 1 patient who experienced fatal bronchopulmonary hemorrhage (grade 5). There were no predetermined dose constraints for the proximal bronchial-vascular tree (PBV) in this study. This patient's 4-cc PBV dose was substantially higher than that received by other patients in all 4 cohorts and was associated with the toxicity observed: 20.3 Gy (P<.05) and 73.5 Gy (P=.07) for SBRT boost and total treatment, respectively. Conclusions: SBRT boost to both primary and nodal disease after chemoradiation is feasible and well tolerated. Local control rates are encouraging, especially at doses ≥24 Gy in 2 fractions. Toxicity at the PBV is a concern but potentially can be avoided with strict dose-volume constraints.« less

14 CFR 27.695 - Power boost and power-operated control system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Systems § 27.695 Power boost and power-operated control system. (a) If a power boost or power-operated... failure of all engines. (b) Each alternate system may be a duplicate power portion or a manually operated... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Power boost and power-operated control...

14 CFR 29.695 - Power boost and power-operated control system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Systems § 29.695 Power boost and power-operated control system. (a) If a power boost or power-operated... failure of all engines. (b) Each alternate system may be a duplicate power portion or a manually operated... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Power boost and power-operated control...

14 CFR 29.695 - Power boost and power-operated control system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Systems § 29.695 Power boost and power-operated control system. (a) If a power boost or power-operated... failure of all engines. (b) Each alternate system may be a duplicate power portion or a manually operated... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Power boost and power-operated control...

14 CFR 27.695 - Power boost and power-operated control system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Systems § 27.695 Power boost and power-operated control system. (a) If a power boost or power-operated... failure of all engines. (b) Each alternate system may be a duplicate power portion or a manually operated... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Power boost and power-operated control...

14 CFR 29.695 - Power boost and power-operated control system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Systems § 29.695 Power boost and power-operated control system. (a) If a power boost or power-operated... failure of all engines. (b) Each alternate system may be a duplicate power portion or a manually operated... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Power boost and power-operated control...

14 CFR 29.695 - Power boost and power-operated control system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Systems § 29.695 Power boost and power-operated control system. (a) If a power boost or power-operated... failure of all engines. (b) Each alternate system may be a duplicate power portion or a manually operated... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Power boost and power-operated control...

14 CFR 27.695 - Power boost and power-operated control system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Systems § 27.695 Power boost and power-operated control system. (a) If a power boost or power-operated... failure of all engines. (b) Each alternate system may be a duplicate power portion or a manually operated... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Power boost and power-operated control...

14 CFR 27.695 - Power boost and power-operated control system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Systems § 27.695 Power boost and power-operated control system. (a) If a power boost or power-operated... failure of all engines. (b) Each alternate system may be a duplicate power portion or a manually operated... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Power boost and power-operated control...

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

Farina, Marco; Pappadopulo, Duccio; Ruderman, Joshua T.

A hidden sector with a mass gap undergoes an epoch of cannibalism if number changing interactions are active when the temperature drops below the mass of the lightest hidden particle. During cannibalism, the hidden sector temperature decreases only logarithmically with the scale factor. We consider the possibility that dark matter resides in a hidden sector that underwent cannibalism, and has relic density set by the freeze-out of two-to-two annihilations. We identify three novel phases, depending on the behavior of the hidden sector when dark matter freezes out. During the cannibal phase, dark matter annihilations decouple while the hidden sector ismore » cannibalizing. During the chemical phase, only two-to-two interactions are active and the total number of hidden particles is conserved. During the one way phase, the dark matter annihilation products decay out of equilibrium, suppressing the production of dark matter from inverse annihilations. We map out the distinct phenomenology of each phase, which includes a boosted dark matter annihilation rate, new relativistic degrees of freedom, warm dark matter, and observable distortions to the spectrum of the cosmic microwave background.« less

Power Quality Improvement Using an Enhanced Network-Side-Shunt-Connected Dynamic Voltage Restorer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fereidouni, Alireza; Masoum, Mohammad A. S.; Moghbel, Moayed

2015-10-01

Among the four basic dynamic voltage restorer (DVR) topologies, the network-side shunt-connected DVR (NSSC-DVR) has a relatively poor performance and is investigated in this paper. A new configuration is proposed and implemented for NSSC-DVR to enhance its performance in compensating (un)symmetrical deep and long voltage sags and mitigate voltage harmonics. The enhanced NSSC-DVR model includes a three-phase half-bridge semi-controlled network-side-shunt-connected rectifier and a three-phase full-bridge series-connected inverter implemented with a back-to-back configuration through a bidirectional buck-boost converter. The network-side-shunt-connected rectifier is employed to inject/draw the required energy by NSSC-DVR to restore the load voltage to its pre-fault value under sag/swell conditions. The buck-boost converter is responsible for maintaining the DC-link voltage of the series-connected inverter at its designated value in order to improve the NSSC-DVR capability in compensating deep and long voltage sags/swells. The full-bridge series-connected inverter permits to compensate unbalance voltage sags containing zero-sequence component. The harmonic compensation of the load voltage is achieved by extracting harmonics from the distorted network voltage using an artificial neural network (ANN) method called adaptive linear neuron (Adaline) strategy. Detailed simulations are performed by SIMULINK/MATLAB software for six case studies to verify the highly robustness of the proposed NSSC-DVR model under various conditions.

Reactogenicity and immunogenicity of inactivated poliovirus vaccine produced from Sabin strains: a phase I Trial in healthy adults in Cuba.

PubMed

Resik, Sonia; Tejeda, Alina; Fonseca, Magilé; Alemañi, Nilda; Diaz, Manuel; Martinez, Yenisleidys; Garcia, Gloria; Okayasu, Hiromasa; Burton, Anthony; Bakker, Wilfried A M; Verdijk, Pauline; Sutter, Roland W

2014-09-22

To ensure that developing countries have the option to produce inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV), the Global Polio Eradication Initiative has promoted the development of an IPV using Sabin poliovirus strains (Sabin IPV). This trial assessed the reactogenicity and immunogenicity of Sabin IPV and adjuvanted Sabin IPV in healthy adults in Cuba. This is a randomized, controlled phase I trial, enrolling 60 healthy (previously vaccinated) male human volunteers, aged 19-23 years to receive one dose of either Sabin IPV (20:32:64 DU/dose), adjuvanted Sabin IPV (10:16:32 DU/dose), or conventional Salk IPV (40:8:32 DU/dose). The primary endpoint for reactogenicity relied on monitoring of adverse events. The secondary endpoint measured boosting immune responses (i.e. seroconversion or 4-fold rise) of poliovirus antibody, assessed by neutralization assays. Sixty subjects fulfilled the study requirements. No serious adverse events reported were attributed to trial interventions during the 6-month follow-up period. Twenty-eight days after vaccination, boosting immune responses against poliovirus types 1-3 were between 90% and 100% in all vaccination groups. There was a more than 6-fold increase in median antibody titers between pre- and post-vaccination titers in all vaccination groups. Both Sabin IPV and adjuvanted Sabin IPV were well tolerated and immunogenic against all poliovirus serotypes. This result suggests that the aluminum adjuvant may allow a 50% (or higher) dose reduction. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Phase 2 Trial of Accelerated, Hypofractionated Whole-Breast Irradiation of 39 Gy in 13 Fractions Followed by a Tumor Bed Boost Sequentially Delivering 9 Gy in 3 Fractions in Early-Stage Breast Cancer

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

Kim, Ja Young; Jung, So-Youn; Lee, Seeyoun

Purpose: To report a phase 2 trial of accelerated, hypofractionated whole-breast irradiation (AH-WBI) delivered as a daily dose of 3 Gy to the whole breast followed by a tumor bed boost. Methods and Materials: Two hundred seventy-six patients diagnosed with breast cancer (pT1-2 and pN0-1a) who had undergone breast-conserving surgery in which the operative margins were negative were treated with AH-WBI delivered as 39 Gy in 13 fractions of 3 Gy to the whole breast once daily over 5 consecutive working days, and 9 Gy in 3 sequential fractions of 3 Gy to a lumpectomy cavity, all within 3.2 weeks.more » Results: After a median follow-up period of 57 months (range: 27-75 months), the rate of 5-year locoregional recurrence was 1.4% (n=4), whereas that of disease-free survival was 97.4%. No grade 3 skin toxicity was reported during the follow-up period. Qualitative physician cosmetic assessments of good or excellent were noted in 82% of the patients at 2 months after the completion of AH-WBI. The global cosmetic outcome did not worsen over time, and a good or excellent cosmetic outcome was reported in 82% of the patients at 3 years. The mean pretreatment percentage breast retraction assessment was 12.00 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 11.14-12.86). The mean value of percentage breast retraction assessment increased to 13.99 (95% CI: 12.17-15.96) after 1 year and decreased to 13.54 (95% CI: 11.84-15.46) after 3 years but was not significant (P>.05). Conclusions: AH-WBI consisting of 39 Gy in 13 fractions followed by a tumor bed boost sequentially delivering 9 Gy in 3 fractions can be delivered with excellent disease control and tolerable skin toxicity in patients with early-stage breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery.« less

Phase 2 trial of accelerated, hypofractionated whole-breast irradiation of 39 Gy in 13 fractions followed by a tumor bed boost sequentially delivering 9 Gy in 3 fractions in early-stage breast cancer.

PubMed

Kim, Ja Young; Jung, So-Youn; Lee, Seeyoun; Kang, Han-Sung; Lee, Eun Sook; Park, In Hae; Lee, Keun Seok; Ro, Jungsil; Lee, Nam Kwon; Shin, Kyung Hwan

2013-12-01

To report a phase 2 trial of accelerated, hypofractionated whole-breast irradiation (AH-WBI) delivered as a daily dose of 3 Gy to the whole breast followed by a tumor bed boost. Two hundred seventy-six patients diagnosed with breast cancer (pT1-2 and pN0-1a) who had undergone breast-conserving surgery in which the operative margins were negative were treated with AH-WBI delivered as 39 Gy in 13 fractions of 3 Gy to the whole breast once daily over 5 consecutive working days, and 9 Gy in 3 sequential fractions of 3 Gy to a lumpectomy cavity, all within 3.2 weeks. After a median follow-up period of 57 months (range: 27-75 months), the rate of 5-year locoregional recurrence was 1.4% (n=4), whereas that of disease-free survival was 97.4%. No grade 3 skin toxicity was reported during the follow-up period. Qualitative physician cosmetic assessments of good or excellent were noted in 82% of the patients at 2 months after the completion of AH-WBI. The global cosmetic outcome did not worsen over time, and a good or excellent cosmetic outcome was reported in 82% of the patients at 3 years. The mean pretreatment percentage breast retraction assessment was 12.00 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 11.14-12.86). The mean value of percentage breast retraction assessment increased to 13.99 (95% CI: 12.17-15.96) after 1 year and decreased to 13.54 (95% CI: 11.84-15.46) after 3 years but was not significant (P>.05). AH-WBI consisting of 39 Gy in 13 fractions followed by a tumor bed boost sequentially delivering 9 Gy in 3 fractions can be delivered with excellent disease control and tolerable skin toxicity in patients with early-stage breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

RBOOST: RIEMANNIAN DISTANCE BASED REGULARIZED BOOSTING

PubMed Central

Liu, Meizhu; Vemuri, Baba C.

2011-01-01

Boosting is a versatile machine learning technique that has numerous applications including but not limited to image processing, computer vision, data mining etc. It is based on the premise that the classification performance of a set of weak learners can be boosted by some weighted combination of them. There have been a number of boosting methods proposed in the literature, such as the AdaBoost, LPBoost, SoftBoost and their variations. However, the learning update strategies used in these methods usually lead to overfitting and instabilities in the classification accuracy. Improved boosting methods via regularization can overcome such difficulties. In this paper, we propose a Riemannian distance regularized LPBoost, dubbed RBoost. RBoost uses Riemannian distance between two square-root densities (in closed form) – used to represent the distribution over the training data and the classification error respectively – to regularize the error distribution in an iterative update formula. Since this distance is in closed form, RBoost requires much less computational cost compared to other regularized Boosting algorithms. We present several experimental results depicting the performance of our algorithm in comparison to recently published methods, LP-Boost and CAVIAR, on a variety of datasets including the publicly available OASIS database, a home grown Epilepsy database and the well known UCI repository. Results depict that the RBoost algorithm performs better than the competing methods in terms of accuracy and efficiency. PMID:21927643

Intelligent sensing sensory quality of Chinese rice wine using near infrared spectroscopy and nonlinear tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ouyang, Qin; Chen, Quansheng; Zhao, Jiewen

2016-02-01

The approach presented herein reports the application of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, in contrast with human sensory panel, as a tool for estimating Chinese rice wine quality; concretely, to achieve the prediction of the overall sensory scores assigned by the trained sensory panel. Back propagation artificial neural network (BPANN) combined with adaptive boosting (AdaBoost) algorithm, namely BP-AdaBoost, as a novel nonlinear algorithm, was proposed in modeling. First, the optimal spectra intervals were selected by synergy interval partial least square (Si-PLS). Then, BP-AdaBoost model based on the optimal spectra intervals was established, called Si-BP-AdaBoost model. These models were optimized by cross validation, and the performance of each final model was evaluated according to correlation coefficient (Rp) and root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) in prediction set. Si-BP-AdaBoost showed excellent performance in comparison with other models. The best Si-BP-AdaBoost model was achieved with Rp = 0.9180 and RMSEP = 2.23 in the prediction set. It was concluded that NIR spectroscopy combined with Si-BP-AdaBoost was an appropriate method for the prediction of the sensory quality in Chinese rice wine.

Modeling and control of fuel cell based distributed generation systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Jin Woo

This dissertation presents circuit models and control algorithms of fuel cell based distributed generation systems (DGS) for two DGS topologies. In the first topology, each DGS unit utilizes a battery in parallel to the fuel cell in a standalone AC power plant and a grid-interconnection. In the second topology, a Z-source converter, which employs both the L and C passive components and shoot-through zero vectors instead of the conventional DC/DC boost power converter in order to step up the DC-link voltage, is adopted for a standalone AC power supply. In Topology 1, two applications are studied: a standalone power generation (Single DGS Unit and Two DGS Units) and a grid-interconnection. First, dynamic model of the fuel cell is given based on electrochemical process. Second, two full-bridge DC to DC converters are adopted and their controllers are designed: an unidirectional full-bridge DC to DC boost converter for the fuel cell and a bidirectional full-bridge DC to DC buck/boost converter for the battery. Third, for a three-phase DC to AC inverter without or with a Delta/Y transformer, a discrete-time state space circuit model is given and two discrete-time feedback controllers are designed: voltage controller in the outer loop and current controller in the inner loop. And last, for load sharing of two DGS units and power flow control of two DGS units or the DGS connected to the grid, real and reactive power controllers are proposed. Particularly, for the grid-connected DGS application, a synchronization issue between an islanding mode and a paralleling mode to the grid is investigated, and two case studies are performed. To demonstrate the proposed circuit models and control strategies, simulation test-beds using Matlab/Simulink are constructed for each configuration of the fuel cell based DGS with a three-phase AC 120 V (L-N)/60 Hz/50 kVA and various simulation results are presented. In Topology 2, this dissertation presents system modeling, modified space vector PWM implementation (MSVPWM) and design of a closed-loop controller of the Z-source converter which utilizes L and C components and shoot-through zero vectors for the standalone AC power generation. The fuel cell system is modeled by an electrical R-C circuit in order to include slow dynamics of the fuel cells and a voltage-current characteristic of a cell is also considered. A discrete-time state space model is derived to implement digital control and a space vector pulse-width modulation (SVPWM) technique is modified to realize the shoot-through zero vectors that boost the DC-link voltage. Also, three discrete-time feedback controllers are designed: a discrete-time optimal voltage controller, a discrete-time sliding mode current controller, and a discrete-time PI DC-link voltage controller. Furthermore, an asymptotic observer is used to reduce the number of sensors and enhance the reliability of the system. To demonstrate the analyzed circuit model and proposed control strategy, various simulation results using Matlab/Simulink are presented under both light/heavy loads and linear/nonlinear loads for a three-phase AC 208 V (L-L)/60 Hz/10 kVA.

Integrated detection, estimation, and guidance in pursuit of a maneuvering target

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dionne, Dany

The thesis focuses on efficient solutions of non-cooperative pursuit-evasion games with imperfect information on the state of the system. This problem is important in the context of interception of future maneuverable ballistic missiles. However, the theoretical developments are expected to find application to a broad class of hybrid control and estimation problems in industry. The validity of the results is nevertheless confirmed using a benchmark problem in the area of terminal guidance. A specific interception scenario between an incoming target with no information and a single interceptor missile with noisy measurements is analyzed in the form of a linear hybrid system subject to additive abrupt changes. The general research is aimed to achieve improved homing accuracy by integrating ideas from detection theory, state estimation theory and guidance. The results achieved can be summarized as follows. (i) Two novel maneuver detectors are developed to diagnose abrupt changes in a class of hybrid systems (detection and isolation of evasive maneuvers): a new implementation of the GLR detector and the novel adaptive- H0 GLR detector. (ii) Two novel state estimators for target tracking are derived using the novel maneuver detectors. The state estimators employ parameterized family of functions to described possible evasive maneuvers. (iii) A novel adaptive Bayesian multiple model predictor of the ballistic miss is developed which employs semi-Markov models and ideas from detection theory. (iv) A novel integrated estimation and guidance scheme that significantly improves the homing accuracy is also presented. The integrated scheme employs banks of estimators and guidance laws, a maneuver detector, and an on-line governor; the scheme is adaptive with respect to the uncertainty affecting the probability density function of the filtered state. (v) A novel discretization technique for the family of continuous-time, game theoretic, bang-bang guidance laws is introduced. The performance of the novel algorithms is assessed for the scenario of a pursuit-evasion engagement between a randomly maneuvering ballistic missile and an interceptor. Extensive Monte Carlo simulations are employed to evaluate the main statistical properties of the algorithms. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Comparison of the Laboratory Standard Washing Using CIPAC Washing Agent and the Domestic Washing on Three Recommended Types of Long-Lasting Insecticidal Mosquito Nets

PubMed Central

Ouattara, Jean Pierre Nabléni; Louwagie, Johanna; Pigeon, Olivier; Spanoghe, Pieter

2013-01-01

Background One of the best ways to prevent malaria is the use of insecticide-treated bed nets. Manufacturers pursue easier, safer and more efficient nets. Hence, many studies on the efficacy and wash resistance using World Health Organization standards have been reported. The commonly used detergent is “Savon de Marseille”, because it closely resembles actually used soaps. At the 54th Collaborative International Pesticides Analytical Council (CIPAC) Technical Meeting in 2010, it was suggested to replace it by a standardized “CIPAC washing agent”. The aim of this study was to investigate the difference between a laboratory hand washing simulation using the CIPAC washing agent (method-1) and a domestic washing (method-2) on different bed nets, as well as the effect of the drying process on the release of active ingredient. Methods Interceptor®, Permanet®2.0 and Netprotect® nets were used in three treatments, each repeated 20 times. The first treatment included method-1 washing and indoor drying. The second treatment included method-2 washing and indoor drying. The third treatment used method-2 washing and UV-drying. The residual insecticide contents were determined using gas chromatography. Results The washing procedure and the number of washes have a significant effect on the release of active ingredient. Statistically, the two washing methods have the same effect on removing the active ingredient from the Interceptor® and Permanet®2.0 net, but a significantly different influence on the Netprotect® nets. The drying process has no significant effect on the insecticide. Conclusion Both washing procedures affected the amount of insecticide remaining on nets independently of the impregnation technology. The active ingredient decreases with the number of washing cycles following an exponential or logarithmic model for coated nets. The laboratory hand washing simulation had more impact on the decrease of active ingredient content of the Netprotect® nets. All net types seemed to be effectively protected against UV-light. PMID:24130671

Comparison of electrical and optical characteristics in gas-phase and gas-liquid phase discharges

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

Qazi, H. I. A.; Li, He-Ping, E-mail: liheping@tsinghua.edu.cn; Zhang, Xiao-Fei

This paper presents an AC-excited argon discharge generated using a gas-liquid (two-phase) hybrid plasma reactor, which mainly consists of a powered needle electrode enclosed in a conical quartz tube and grounded deionized water electrode. The discharges in the gas-phase, as well as in the two-phase, exhibit two discharge modes, i.e., the low current glow-like diffuse mode and the high current streamer-like constrict mode, with a mode transition, which exhibits a negative resistance of the discharges. The optical emission spectral analysis shows that the stronger diffusion of the water vapor into the discharge region in the two-phase discharges boosts up themore » generation of OH (A–X) radicals, and consequently, leads to a higher rotational temperature in the water-phase plasma plume than that of the gas-phase discharges. Both the increase of the power input and the decrease of the argon flow rate result in the increase of the rotational temperature in the plasma plume of the water-phase discharge. The stable two-phase discharges with a long plasma plume in the water-phase under a low power input and gas flow rate may show a promising prospect for the degradation of organic pollutants, e.g., printing and dyeing wastewater, in the field of environmental protection.« less

Modular high-voltage bias generator powered by dual-looped self-adaptive wireless power transmission.

PubMed

Xie, Kai; Huang, An-Feng; Li, Xiao-Ping; Guo, Shi-Zhong; Zhang, Han-Lu

2015-04-01

We proposed a modular high-voltage (HV) bias generator powered by a novel transmitter-sharing inductive coupled wireless power transmission technology, aimed to extend the generator's flexibility and configurability. To solve the problems caused through an uncertain number of modules, a dual-looped self-adaptive control method is proposed that is capable of tracking resonance frequency while maintaining a relatively stable induction voltage for each HV module. The method combines a phase-locked loop and a current feedback loop, which ensures an accurate resonance state and a relatively constant boost ratio for each module, simplifying the architecture of the boost stage and improving the total efficiency. The prototype was built and tested. The input voltage drop of each module is less than 14% if the module number varies from 3 to 10; resonance tracking is completed within 60 ms. The efficiency of the coupling structure reaches up to 95%, whereas the total efficiency approaches 73% for a rated output. Furthermore, this technology can be used in various multi-load wireless power supply applications.

Resummed Differential Cross Sections for Top-Quark Pairs at the LHC.

PubMed

Pecjak, Benjamin D; Scott, Darren J; Wang, Xing; Yang, Li Lin

2016-05-20

We present state of the art resummation predictions for differential cross sections in top-quark pair production at the LHC. They are derived from a formalism which allows the simultaneous resummation of both soft and small-mass logarithms, which endanger the convergence of fixed-order perturbative series in the boosted regime, where the partonic center-of-mass energy is much larger than the mass to the top quark. We combine such a double resummation at next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic^{'} (NNLL^{'}) accuracy with standard soft-gluon resummation at next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy and with next-to-leading-order calculations, so that our results are applicable throughout the whole phase space. We find that the resummation effects on the differential distributions are significant, bringing theoretical predictions into better agreement with experimental data compared to fixed-order calculations. Moreover, such effects are not well described by the next-to-next-to-leading-order approximation of the resummation formula, especially in the high-energy tails of the distributions, highlighting the importance of all-orders resummation in dedicated studies of boosted top production.

Electrochemical, H2O2-Boosted Catalytic Oxidation System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Akse, James R.; Thompson, John O.; Schussel, Leonard J.

2004-01-01

An improved water-sterilizing aqueous-phase catalytic oxidation system (APCOS) is based partly on the electrochemical generation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). This H2O2-boosted system offers significant improvements over prior dissolved-oxygen water-sterilizing systems in the way in which it increases oxidation capabilities, supplies H2O2 when needed, reduces the total organic carbon (TOC) content of treated water to a low level, consumes less energy than prior systems do, reduces the risk of contamination, and costs less to operate. This system was developed as a variant of part of an improved waste-management subsystem of the life-support system of a spacecraft. Going beyond its original intended purpose, it offers the advantage of being able to produce H2O2 on demand for surface sterilization and/or decontamination: this is a major advantage inasmuch as the benign byproducts of this H2O2 system, unlike those of systems that utilize other chemical sterilants, place no additional burden of containment control on other spacecraft air- or water-reclamation systems.

Administration of RANKL boosts thymic regeneration upon bone marrow transplantation.

PubMed

Lopes, Noella; Vachon, Hortense; Marie, Julien; Irla, Magali

2017-06-01

Cytoablative treatments lead to severe damages on thymic epithelial cells (TECs), which result in delayed de novo thymopoiesis and a prolonged period of T-cell immunodeficiency. Understanding the mechanisms that govern thymic regeneration is of paramount interest for the recovery of a functional immune system notably after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Here, we show that RANK ligand (RANKL) is upregulated in CD4 + thymocytes and lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi) cells during the early phase of thymic regeneration. Importantly, whereas RANKL neutralization alters TEC recovery after irradiation, ex vivo RANKL administration during BMT boosts the regeneration of TEC subsets including thymic epithelial progenitor-enriched cells, thymus homing of lymphoid progenitors, and de novo thymopoiesis. RANKL increases specifically in LTi cells, lymphotoxin α, which is critical for thymic regeneration. RANKL treatment, dependent on lymphotoxin α, is beneficial upon BMT in young and aged individuals. This study thus indicates that RANKL may be clinically useful to improve T-cell function recovery after BMT by controlling multiple facets of thymic regeneration. © 2017 The Authors. Published under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license.

Older adults get episodic memory boosting from noninvasive stimulation of prefrontal cortex during learning

PubMed Central

Brambilla, Michela; Cobelli, Chiara; Cohen, Leonardo G.; Cotelli, Maria

2016-01-01

Episodic memory displays the largest degree of age-related decline, a process that is accelerated in pathological conditions such as amnestic mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Previous studies have shown that the left lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) contributes to the encoding of episodic memories along the life span. The aim of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to test the hypothesis that anodal trascranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left lateral PFC during the learning phase would enhance delayed recall of verbal episodic memories in elderly individuals. Older adults learned a list of words while receiving anodal or placebo (sham) tDCS. Memory recall was tested 48 hours and 1 month later. The results showed that anodal tDCS strengthened episodic memories, an effect indicated by enhanced delayed recall (48 hours) compared to placebo stimulation (Cohen's d effect size = 1.01). The observation that PFC-tDCS during learning can boost verbal episodic memory in the elderly opens up the possibility to design-specific neurorehabilitation protocols targeted to conditions that affect episodic memory such as mild cognitive impairment. PMID:26923418

Modified Perfect Harmonics Cancellation Control of a Grid Interfaced SPV Power Generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, B.; Shahani, D. T.; Verma, A. K.

2015-03-01

This paper deals with a grid interfaced solar photo voltaic (SPV) power generating system with modified perfect harmonic cancellation (MPHC) control for power quality improvement in terms of mitigation of the current harmonics, power factor correction, control of point of common coupling (PCC) voltage with reactive power compensation and load balancing in a three phase distribution system. The proposed grid interfaced SPV system consists of a SPV array, a dc-dc boost converter and a voltage source converter (VSC) used for the compensation of other connected linear and nonlinear loads at PCC. The reference grid currents are estimated using MPHC method and control signals are derived by using pulse width modulation (PWM) current controller of VSC. The SPV power is fed to the common dc bus of VSC and dc-dc boost converter using maximum power point tracking (MPPT). The dc link voltage of VSC is regulated by using dc voltage proportional integral (PI) controller. The analysis of the proposed SPV power generating system is carried out under dc/ac short circuit and severe SPV-SX and SPV-TX intrusion.

AC to DC Bridgeless Boost Converter for Ultra Low Input Energy Harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dawam, A. H. A.; Muhamad, M.

2018-03-01

This paper presents design of circuit which converts low input AC voltage to a higher output DC voltage. A buck-boost topology and boost topology are combined to condition cycle of an AC input voltage. the unique integration of a combining circuit of buck-boost and boost circuit have been proposed in order to introduce a new direct ac-dc power converter topology without conventional diode bridge rectifier. The converter achieved to convert a milli-volt scale of input AC voltage into a volt scale of output DC voltages which is from 400mV to 3.3V.

AlignerBoost: A Generalized Software Toolkit for Boosting Next-Gen Sequencing Mapping Accuracy Using a Bayesian-Based Mapping Quality Framework

PubMed Central

Zheng, Qi; Grice, Elizabeth A.

2016-01-01

Accurate mapping of next-generation sequencing (NGS) reads to reference genomes is crucial for almost all NGS applications and downstream analyses. Various repetitive elements in human and other higher eukaryotic genomes contribute in large part to ambiguously (non-uniquely) mapped reads. Most available NGS aligners attempt to address this by either removing all non-uniquely mapping reads, or reporting one random or "best" hit based on simple heuristics. Accurate estimation of the mapping quality of NGS reads is therefore critical albeit completely lacking at present. Here we developed a generalized software toolkit "AlignerBoost", which utilizes a Bayesian-based framework to accurately estimate mapping quality of ambiguously mapped NGS reads. We tested AlignerBoost with both simulated and real DNA-seq and RNA-seq datasets at various thresholds. In most cases, but especially for reads falling within repetitive regions, AlignerBoost dramatically increases the mapping precision of modern NGS aligners without significantly compromising the sensitivity even without mapping quality filters. When using higher mapping quality cutoffs, AlignerBoost achieves a much lower false mapping rate while exhibiting comparable or higher sensitivity compared to the aligner default modes, therefore significantly boosting the detection power of NGS aligners even using extreme thresholds. AlignerBoost is also SNP-aware, and higher quality alignments can be achieved if provided with known SNPs. AlignerBoost’s algorithm is computationally efficient, and can process one million alignments within 30 seconds on a typical desktop computer. AlignerBoost is implemented as a uniform Java application and is freely available at https://github.com/Grice-Lab/AlignerBoost. PMID:27706155

"Mind the gap"--the impact of variations in the duration of the treatment gap and overall treatment time in the first UK Anal Cancer Trial (ACT I).

PubMed

Glynne-Jones, Rob; Sebag-Montefiore, David; Adams, Richard; McDonald, Alec; Gollins, Simon; James, Roger; Northover, John M A; Meadows, Helen M; Jitlal, Mark

2011-12-01

The United Kingdom Coordinating Committee on Cancer Research anal cancer trial demonstrated the benefit of combined modality treatment (CMT) using radiotherapy (RT), infusional 5-fluorouracil, and mitomycin C over RT alone. The present study retrospectively examines the impact of the recommended 6-week treatment gap and local RT boost on long-term outcome. A total of 577 patients were randomly assigned RT alone or CMT. After a 6-week gap responders received a boost using either additional external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) (15 Gy) or iridium-192 implant (25 Gy). The effect of boost, the gap between initial treatment (RT alone or CMT) and boost (Tgap), and overall treatment time (OTT) were examined for their impact on outcome. Among the 490 good responders, 436 (89%) patients received a boost after initial treatment. For boosted patients, the risk of anal cancer death decreased by 38% (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.62, 99% CI 0.35-1.12; p=0.04), but there was no evidence this was mediated via a reduction in locoregional failure (LRF) (HR: 0.90, 99% CI 0.48-1.68; p=0.66). The difference in Tgap was only 1.4 days longer for EBRT boost, compared with implant (p=0.51). OTT was longer by 6.1 days for EBRT (p=0.006). Tgap and OTT were not associated with LRF. Radionecrosis was reported in 8% of boosted, compared with 0% in unboosted patients (p=0.03). These results question the benefit of a radiotherapy boost after a 6-week gap. The higher doses of a boost may contribute more to an increased risk of late morbidity, rather than local control. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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

Glynne-Jones, Rob, E-mail: rob.glynnejones@nhs.net; Sebag-Montefiore, David; Adams, Richard

Purpose: The United Kingdom Coordinating Committee on Cancer Research anal cancer trial demonstrated the benefit of combined modality treatment (CMT) using radiotherapy (RT), infusional 5-fluorouracil, and mitomycin C over RT alone. The present study retrospectively examines the impact of the recommended 6-week treatment gap and local RT boost on long-term outcome. Methods and Materials: A total of 577 patients were randomly assigned RT alone or CMT. After a 6-week gap responders received a boost using either additional external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) (15 Gy) or iridium-192 implant (25 Gy). The effect of boost, the gap between initial treatment (RT alone ormore » CMT) and boost (Tgap), and overall treatment time (OTT) were examined for their impact on outcome. Results: Among the 490 good responders, 436 (89%) patients received a boost after initial treatment. For boosted patients, the risk of anal cancer death decreased by 38% (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.62, 99% CI 0.35-1.12; p = 0.04), but there was no evidence this was mediated via a reduction in locoregional failure (LRF) (HR: 0.90, 99% CI 0.48-1.68; p = 0.66). The difference in Tgap was only 1.4 days longer for EBRT boost, compared with implant (p = 0.51). OTT was longer by 6.1 days for EBRT (p = 0.006). Tgap and OTT were not associated with LRF. Radionecrosis was reported in 8% of boosted, compared with 0% in unboosted patients (p = 0.03). Conclusions: These results question the benefit of a radiotherapy boost after a 6-week gap. The higher doses of a boost may contribute more to an increased risk of late morbidity, rather than local control.« less

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

Wong, Philip; Lambert, Christine, E-mail: christine.lambert@muhc.mcgill.ca; Agnihotram, Ramanakumar V.

Purpose: Local recurrence (LR) of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is reduced by whole-breast irradiation after breast-conserving surgery (BCS). However, the benefit of adding a radiotherapy boost to the surgical cavity for DCIS is unclear. We sought to determine the impact of the boost on LR in patients with DCIS treated at the McGill University Health Centre. Methods and Materials: A total of 220 consecutive cases of DCIS treated with BCS and radiotherapy between January 2000 and December 2006 were reviewed. Of the patients, 36% received a radiotherapy boost to the surgical cavity. Median follow-up was 46 months for themore » boost and no-boost groups. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses and Cox regression analyses were performed. Results: Compared with the no-boost group, patients in the boost group more frequently had positive and <0.1-cm margins (48% vs. 8%) (p < 0.0001) and more frequently were in higher-risk categories as defined by the Van Nuys Prognostic (VNP) index (p = 0.006). Despite being at higher risk for LR, none (0/79) of the patients who received a boost experienced LR, whereas 8 of 141 patients who did not receive a boost experienced an in-breast LR (log-rank p = 0.03). Univariate analysis of prognostic factors (age, tumor size, margin status, histological grade, necrosis, and VNP risk category) revealed only the presence of necrosis to significantly correlate with LR (log-rank p = 0.003). The whole-breast irradiation dose and fractionation schedule did not affect LR rate. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the use of a radiotherapy boost improves local control in DCIS and may outweigh the poor prognostic effect of necrosis.« less

Recombinant BCG prime and PPE protein boost provides potent protection against acute Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in mice.

PubMed

Yang, Enzhuo; Gu, Jin; Wang, Feifei; Wang, Honghai; Shen, Hongbo; Chen, Zheng W

2016-04-01

Since BCG, the only vaccine widely used against tuberculosis (TB) in the world, provides varied protective efficacy and may not be effective for inducing long-term cellular immunity, it is in an urgent need to develop more effective vaccines and more potent immune strategies against TB. Prime-boost is proven to be a good strategy by inducing long-term protection. In this study, we tested the protective effect against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) challenge of prime-boost strategy by recombinant BCG (rBCG) expressing PPE protein Rv3425 fused with Ag85B and Rv3425. Results showed that the prime-boost strategy could significantly increase the protective efficiency against Mtb infection, characterized by reduction of bacterial load in lung and spleen, attenuation of tuberculosis lesions in lung tissues. Importantly, we found that Rv3425 boost, superior to Ag85B boost, provided better protection against Mtb infection. Further research proved that rBCG prime-Rv3425 boost could obviously increase the expansion of lymphocytes, significantly induce IL-2 production by lymphocytes upon PPD stimulation, and inhibit IL-6 production at an early stage. It implied that rBCG prime-Rv3425 boost opted to induce Th1 immune response and provided a long-term protection against TB. These results implicated that rBCG prime-Rv3425 boost is a potent and promising strategy to prevent acute Mtb infection. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intelligent sensing sensory quality of Chinese rice wine using near infrared spectroscopy and nonlinear tools.

PubMed

Ouyang, Qin; Chen, Quansheng; Zhao, Jiewen

2016-02-05

The approach presented herein reports the application of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, in contrast with human sensory panel, as a tool for estimating Chinese rice wine quality; concretely, to achieve the prediction of the overall sensory scores assigned by the trained sensory panel. Back propagation artificial neural network (BPANN) combined with adaptive boosting (AdaBoost) algorithm, namely BP-AdaBoost, as a novel nonlinear algorithm, was proposed in modeling. First, the optimal spectra intervals were selected by synergy interval partial least square (Si-PLS). Then, BP-AdaBoost model based on the optimal spectra intervals was established, called Si-BP-AdaBoost model. These models were optimized by cross validation, and the performance of each final model was evaluated according to correlation coefficient (Rp) and root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) in prediction set. Si-BP-AdaBoost showed excellent performance in comparison with other models. The best Si-BP-AdaBoost model was achieved with Rp=0.9180 and RMSEP=2.23 in the prediction set. It was concluded that NIR spectroscopy combined with Si-BP-AdaBoost was an appropriate method for the prediction of the sensory quality in Chinese rice wine. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Simultaneous infield boost with helical tomotherapy for patients with 1 to 3 brain metastases.

PubMed

Bauman, Glenn; Yartsev, Slav; Fisher, Barb; Kron, Tomas; Laperriere, Normand; Heydarian, Mostafa; VanDyk, Jake

2007-02-01

We sought to model the feasibility of a simultaneous in field boost (SIB) to individual brain metastases during a course of whole brain radiotherapy (WBXRT) using helical tomotherapy (HT) intensity-modulated radiation therapy. Planning computed tomography data from 14 patients with 1 to 3 brain metastases were used to model an intralesional SIB delivery that yielded a total intralesional dose of 60 Gy with a surrounding whole brain dose of 30 Gy (designed to be isoeffective to WBXRT of 30 Gy with an 18 Gy in 1 fraction radiosurgery boost). Accuracy of treatment of a phantom on the HT unit was measured. Comparisons of HT delivery versus a conventional stereotactic radiotherapy technique for a particularly challenging simulated anatomy were made. In all cases, SIB to 60 Gy with WBXRT to 30 Gy was possible while maintaining critical structures below assigned dose limits. Estimated radiation delivery time for the SIB treatment was approximately 10 minutes per fraction. Planning and treatment of the head phantom was associated with an overall accuracy of 2 mm. Comparison to conventional noncoplanar arc fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy plan demonstrated similar target coverage and improved critical tissue sparing even for a challenging anatomy with multiple lesions in the same plane as the optic apparatus. Based on this study, use of an image guided SIB using HT seemed feasible and a phase I trial initiated at our institution is described. Potential advantages of this approach include frameless stereotaxis through daily megavoltage computed tomography localization, more efficient use of resources and exploitation of radiobiologic advantages of fractionation.

Translating the Immunogenicity of Prime-boost Immunization With ChAd63 and MVA ME-TRAP From Malaria Naive to Malaria-endemic Populations

PubMed Central

Kimani, Domtila; Jagne, Ya Jankey; Cox, Momodou; Kimani, Eva; Bliss, Carly M; Gitau, Evelyn; Ogwang, Caroline; Afolabi, Muhammed O; Bowyer, Georgina; Collins, Katharine A; Edwards, Nick; Hodgson, Susanne H; Duncan, Christopher J A; Spencer, Alexandra J; Knight, Miguel G; Drammeh, Abdoulie; Anagnostou, Nicholas A; Berrie, Eleanor; Moyle, Sarah; Gilbert, Sarah C; Soipei, Peninah; Okebe, Joseph; Colloca, Stefano; Cortese, Riccardo; Viebig, Nicola K; Roberts, Rachel; Lawrie, Alison M; Nicosia, Alfredo; Imoukhuede, Egeruan B; Bejon, Philip; Chilengi, Roma; Bojang, Kalifa; Flanagan, Katie L; Hill, Adrian V S; Urban, Britta C; Ewer, Katie J

2014-01-01

To induce a deployable level of efficacy, a successful malaria vaccine would likely benefit from both potent cellular and humoral immunity. These requirements are met by a heterologous prime-boost immunization strategy employing a chimpanzee adenovirus vector followed by modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA), both encoding the pre-erythrocytic malaria antigen ME-thrombospondin-related adhesive protein (TRAP), with high immunogenicity and significant efficacy in UK adults. We undertook two phase 1b open-label studies in adults in Kenya and The Gambia in areas of similar seasonal malaria transmission dynamics and have previously reported safety and basic immunogenicity data. We now report flow cytometry and additional interferon (IFN)-γ enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) data characterizing pre-existing and induced cellular immunity as well as anti-TRAP IgG responses. T-cell responses induced by vaccination averaged 1,254 spot-forming cells (SFC) per million peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) across both trials and flow cytometry revealed cytokine production from both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells with the frequency of CD8+ IFN-γ-secreting monofunctional T cells (previously shown to associate with vaccine efficacy) particularly high in Kenyan adults. Immunization with ChAd63 and MVA ME-TRAP induced strong cellular and humoral immune responses in adults living in two malaria-endemic regions of Africa. This prime-boost approach targeting the pre-erythrocytic stage of the malaria life-cycle is now being assessed for efficacy in a target population. PMID:24930599

Maximum power point tracking techniques for wind energy systems using three levels boost converter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tran, Cuong Hung; Nollet, Frédéric; Essounbouli, Najib; Hamzaoui, Abdelaziz

2018-05-01

This paper presents modeling and simulation of three level Boost DC-DC converter in Wind Energy Conversion System (WECS). Three-level Boost converter has significant advantage compared to conventional Boost. A maximum power point tracking (MPPT) method for a variable speed wind turbine using permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) is also presented. Simulation of three-level Boost converter topology with Perturb and Observe algorithm and Fuzzy Logic Control is implemented in MATLAB/SIMULINK. Results of this simulation show that the system with MPPT using fuzzy logic controller has better performance to the Perturb and Observe algorithm: fast response under changing conditions and small oscillation.

KSC-2009-2718

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-16

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Complex 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the mobile service tower encloses the first stage of the Delta II rocket. The boosters in the tower will be attached to the rocket for launch of the STSS Demonstrator spacecraft. The STSS Demonstrators is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator and is part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency on July 29. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Chiral Majorana interference as a source of quantum entanglement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chirolli, Luca; Baltanás, José Pablo; Frustaglia, Diego

2018-04-01

Two-particle Hanbury Brown-Twiss interferometry with chiral Majorana modes produces maximally entangled electron-hole pairs. We promote the electron-hole quantum number to an interferometric degree of freedom and complete the set of linear tools for single- and two-particle interferometry by introducing a key phase gate that, combined with a Mach-Zehnder, allows full electron-hole rotations. By considering entanglement witnesses built on current cross-correlation measurements, we find that the possibility of independent local-channel rotations in the electron-hole subspace leads to a significant boost of the entanglement detection power.

KSC-2009-2710

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-16

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Complex 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, solid rocket boosters are lifted into the mobile service tower. The boosters will be attached to the Delta II rocket that will launch the STSS Demonstrator spacecraft. The STSS Demonstrators is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator and is part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency on July 29. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2009-2709

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-16

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Complex 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, solid rocket boosters are lifted into the mobile service tower. The boosters will be attached to the Delta II rocket that will launch the STSS Demonstrator spacecraft. The STSS Demonstrators is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator and is part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency on July 29. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Trade-off Study for the Hit-to-kill Interception of Ballistic Missiles in the Boost Phase

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-01

parabolic curve emerges, for any given Mach number. The relationship can be expressed as: CD = CD0 + k(CL –CL0)2 (IV.C.3) Graphically, the plot is shown...returned % from the SMTrajectory.m function based on the optimization parameters % and penalty parameters defined herein. This is a sub- funtion of the...of varied parameters "free" and boundary conditions "BC". % This is a sub- funtion of the SMGuidance.m function’s fminsearch. % This function

KSC-2009-3665

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-05-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, the shipping container with the STSS Demonstrator SV-2spacecraft is secured on a trailer for transfer to the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller (Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4616 [27 May 09])

KSC-2009-3664

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-05-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, the shipping container with the STSS Demonstrator SV-2spacecraft is secured on a trailer for transfer to the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller (Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4616 [27 May 09])

KSC-2009-4629

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. , technicians check equipment on the STSS Demonstrator SV-1 spacecraft after it was lowered onto the orbital insertion system. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs (Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4800 [30 July 09] )

KSC-2009-4614

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-25

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, the SV-1 cargo of the STSS Demonstrator spacecraft is moved onto a flatbed truck for transfer to the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett (Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4804 [4 Aug 09] )

KSC-2009-2670

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-15

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 17-B in Florida, the first stage of a Delta II rocket is lifted into the mobile service tower. The rocket is the launch vehicle for the STSS Demonstrators Program. STSS Demonstrators Program is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator and is part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency on July 29. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2009-4615

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-25

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, the flatbed truck with the SV-1 cargo of the STSS Demonstrator spacecraft begins moving to the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett (Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4804 [4 Aug 09] )

KSC-2009-2668

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-15

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 17-B in Florida, workers check the first stage of a Delta II rocket before it is lifted into the mobile service tower. The rocket is the launch vehicle for the STSS Demonstrators Program. STSS Demonstrators Program is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator and is part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency on July 29. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2009-2669

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-15

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 17-B in Florida, the first stage of a Delta II rocket is ready to be lifted into the mobile service tower. The rocket is the launch vehicle for the STSS Demonstrators Program. STSS Demonstrators Program is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator and is part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency on July 29. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

Using ensemble models to identify and apportion heavy metal pollution sources in agricultural soils on a local scale.

PubMed

Wang, Qi; Xie, Zhiyi; Li, Fangbai

2015-11-01

This study aims to identify and apportion multi-source and multi-phase heavy metal pollution from natural and anthropogenic inputs using ensemble models that include stochastic gradient boosting (SGB) and random forest (RF) in agricultural soils on the local scale. The heavy metal pollution sources were quantitatively assessed, and the results illustrated the suitability of the ensemble models for the assessment of multi-source and multi-phase heavy metal pollution in agricultural soils on the local scale. The results of SGB and RF consistently demonstrated that anthropogenic sources contributed the most to the concentrations of Pb and Cd in agricultural soils in the study region and that SGB performed better than RF. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The AEDC aerospace chamber 7V: An advanced test capability for infrared surveillance and seeker sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simpson, W. R.

1994-01-01

An advanced sensor test capability is now operational at the Air Force Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) for calibration and performance characterization of infrared sensors. This facility, known as the 7V, is part of a broad range of test capabilities under development at AEDC to provide complete ground test support to the sensor community for large-aperture surveillance sensors and kinetic kill interceptors. The 7V is a state-of-the-art cryo/vacuum facility providing calibration and mission simulation against space backgrounds. Key features of the facility include high-fidelity scene simulation with precision track accuracy and in-situ target monitoring, diffraction limited optical system, NIST traceable broadband and spectral radiometric calibration, outstanding jitter control, environmental systems for 20 K, high-vacuum, low-background simulation, and an advanced data acquisition system.

Modeling and Analysis of Power Processing Systems (MAPPS). Volume 2: Appendices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, F. C.; Radman, S.; Carter, R. A.; Wu, C. H.; Yu, Y.; Chang, R.

1980-01-01

The computer programs and derivations generated in support of the modeling and design optimization program are presented. Programs for the buck regulator, boost regulator, and buck-boost regulator are described. The computer program for the design optimization calculations is presented. Constraints for the boost and buck-boost converter were derived. Derivations of state-space equations and transfer functions are presented. Computer lists for the converters are presented, and the input parameters justified.

Effect of pole zero location on system dynamics of boost converter for micro grid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lavanya, A.; Vijayakumar, K.; Navamani, J. D.; Jayaseelan, N.

2018-04-01

Green clean energy like photo voltaic, wind energy, fuel cell can be brought together by microgrid.For low voltage sources like photovoltaic cell boost converter is very much essential. This paper explores the dynamic analysis of boost converter in a continuous conduction mode (CCM). The transient performance and stability analysis is carried out in this paper using time domain analysis and frequency domain analysis techniques. Boost converter is simulated using both PSIM and MATLAB software. Furthermore, state space model obtained and the transfer function is derived. The converter behaviour when a step input is applied is analyzed and stability of the converter is analyzed from bode plot frequency for open loop. Effect of the locations of poles and zeros in the transfer function of boost converter and how the performance parameters are affected is discussed in this paper. Closed loop performance with PI controller is also analyzed for boost converter.

Modeling the effect of boost timing in murine irradiated sporozoite prime-boost vaccines

PubMed Central

Zhang, Min; Herrero, Miguel A.; Acosta, Francisco J.; Tsuji, Moriya

2018-01-01

Vaccination with radiation-attenuated sporozoites has been shown to induce CD8+ T cell-mediated protection against pre-erythrocytic stages of malaria. Empirical evidence suggests that successive inoculations often improve the efficacy of this type of vaccines. An initial dose (prime) triggers a specific cellular response, and subsequent inoculations (boost) amplify this response to create a robust CD8+ T cell memory. In this work we propose a model to analyze the effect of T cell dynamics on the performance of prime-boost vaccines. This model suggests that boost doses and timings should be selected according to the T cell response elicited by priming. Specifically, boosting during late stages of clonal contraction would maximize T cell memory production for vaccines using lower doses of irradiated sporozoites. In contrast, single-dose inoculations would be indicated for higher vaccine doses. Experimental data have been obtained that support theoretical predictions of the model. PMID:29329308

Recent Advances on Neuromorphic Systems Using Phase-Change Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lei; Lu, Shu-Ren; Wen, Jing

2017-05-01

Realization of brain-like computer has always been human's ultimate dream. Today, the possibility of having this dream come true has been significantly boosted due to the advent of several emerging non-volatile memory devices. Within these innovative technologies, phase-change memory device has been commonly regarded as the most promising candidate to imitate the biological brain, owing to its excellent scalability, fast switching speed, and low energy consumption. In this context, a detailed review concerning the physical principles of the neuromorphic circuit using phase-change materials as well as a comprehensive introduction of the currently available phase-change neuromorphic prototypes becomes imperative for scientists to continuously progress the technology of artificial neural networks. In this paper, we first present the biological mechanism of human brain, followed by a brief discussion about physical properties of phase-change materials that recently receive a widespread application on non-volatile memory field. We then survey recent research on different types of neuromorphic circuits using phase-change materials in terms of their respective geometrical architecture and physical schemes to reproduce the biological events of human brain, in particular for spike-time-dependent plasticity. The relevant virtues and limitations of these devices are also evaluated. Finally, the future prospect of the neuromorphic circuit based on phase-change technologies is envisioned.

Recent Advances on Neuromorphic Systems Using Phase-Change Materials.

PubMed

Wang, Lei; Lu, Shu-Ren; Wen, Jing

2017-12-01

Realization of brain-like computer has always been human's ultimate dream. Today, the possibility of having this dream come true has been significantly boosted due to the advent of several emerging non-volatile memory devices. Within these innovative technologies, phase-change memory device has been commonly regarded as the most promising candidate to imitate the biological brain, owing to its excellent scalability, fast switching speed, and low energy consumption. In this context, a detailed review concerning the physical principles of the neuromorphic circuit using phase-change materials as well as a comprehensive introduction of the currently available phase-change neuromorphic prototypes becomes imperative for scientists to continuously progress the technology of artificial neural networks. In this paper, we first present the biological mechanism of human brain, followed by a brief discussion about physical properties of phase-change materials that recently receive a widespread application on non-volatile memory field. We then survey recent research on different types of neuromorphic circuits using phase-change materials in terms of their respective geometrical architecture and physical schemes to reproduce the biological events of human brain, in particular for spike-time-dependent plasticity. The relevant virtues and limitations of these devices are also evaluated. Finally, the future prospect of the neuromorphic circuit based on phase-change technologies is envisioned.

Enhanced power factor via the control of structural phase transition in SnSe

PubMed Central

Yu, Hulei; Dai, Shuai; Chen, Yue

2016-01-01

Tin selenide has attracted much research interest due to its unprecedentedly high thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT). For real applications, it is desirable to increase the ZT value in the lower-temperature range, as the peak ZT value currently exists near the melting point. It is shown in this paper that the structural phase transition plays an important role in boosting the ZT value of SnSe in the lower-temperature range, as the Cmcm phase is found to have a much higher power factor than the Pnma phase. Furthermore, hydrostatic pressure is predicted to be extremely effective in tuning the phase transition temperature based on ab-initio molecular dynamic simulations; a remarkable decrease in the phase transition temperature is found when a hydrostatic pressure is applied. Dynamical stabilities are investigated based on phonon calculations, providing deeper insight into the pressure effects. Accurate band structures are obtained using the modified Becke-Johnson correction, allowing reliable prediction of the electrical transport properties. The effects of hydrostatic pressure on the thermal transport properties are also discussed. Hydrostatic pressure is shown to be efficient in manipulating the transport properties via the control of phase transition temperature in SnSe, paving a new path for enhancing its thermoelectric efficiency. PMID:27193260

Radiobiological and treatment planning study of a simultaneously integrated boost for canine nasal tumors using helical tomotherapy.

PubMed

Gutíerrez, Alonso N; Deveau, Michael; Forrest, Lisa J; Tomé, Wolfgang A; Mackie, Thomas R

2007-01-01

Feasibility of delivering a simultaneously integrated boost to canine nasal tumors using helical tomotherapy to improve tumor control probability (TCP) via an increase in total biological equivalent uniform dose (EUD) was evaluated. Eight dogs with varying size nasal tumors (5.8-110.9 cc) were replanned to 42 Gy to the nasal cavity and integrated dose boosts to gross disease of 45.2, 48.3, and 51.3 Gy in 10 fractions. EUD values were calculated for tumors and mean normalized total doses (NTD(mean)) for organs at risk (OAR). Normal Tissue Complication Probability (NTCP) values were obtained for OARs, and estimated TCP values were computed using a logistic dose-response model and based on deliverable EUD boost doses. Significant increases in estimated TCP to 54%, 74%, and 86% can be achieved with 10%, 23%, and 37% mean relative EUD boosts to the gross disease, respectively. NTCP values for blindness of either eye and for brain necrosis were < 0.01% for all boosts. Values for cataract development were 31%, 42%, and 46% for studied boost schemas, respectively. Average NTD(mean) to eyes and brain for mean EUD boosts were 10.2, 11.3, and 12.1 Gy3, and 7.5, 7.2, and 7.9 Gy2, respectively. Using helical tomotherapy, simultaneously integrated dose boosts can be delivered to increase the estimated TCP at 1-year without significantly increasing the NTD(mean) to eyes and brain. Delivery of these treatments in a prospective trial may allow quantification of a dose-response relationship in canine nasal tumors.

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

Murphy, Colin; Anderson, Penny R.; Li Tianyu

Purpose: We examined the impact of radiation tumor bed boost parameters in early-stage breast cancer on local control and cosmetic outcomes. Methods and Materials: A total of 3,186 women underwent postlumpectomy whole-breast radiation with a tumor bed boost for Tis to T2 breast cancer from 1970 to 2008. Boost parameters analyzed included size, energy, dose, and technique. Endpoints were local control, cosmesis, and fibrosis. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate actuarial incidence, and a Cox proportional hazard model was used to determine independent predictors of outcomes on multivariate analysis (MVA). The median follow-up was 78 months (range, 1-305 months).more » Results: The crude cosmetic results were excellent in 54%, good in 41%, and fair/poor in 5% of patients. The 10-year estimate of an excellent cosmesis was 66%. On MVA, independent predictors for excellent cosmesis were use of electron boost, lower electron energy, adjuvant systemic therapy, and whole-breast IMRT. Fibrosis was reported in 8.4% of patients. The actuarial incidence of fibrosis was 11% at 5 years and 17% at 10 years. On MVA, independent predictors of fibrosis were larger cup size and higher boost energy. The 10-year actuarial local failure was 6.3%. There was no significant difference in local control by boost method, cut-out size, dose, or energy. Conclusions: Likelihood of excellent cosmesis or fibrosis are associated with boost technique, electron energy, and cup size. However, because of high local control and rare incidence of fair/poor cosmesis with a boost, the anatomy of the patient and tumor cavity should ultimately determine the necessary boost parameters.« less

Three-dimensional conformal simultaneously integrated boost technique for breast-conserving radiotherapy.

PubMed

van der Laan, Hans Paul; Dolsma, Wil V; Maduro, John H; Korevaar, Erik W; Hollander, Miranda; Langendijk, Johannes A

2007-07-15

To compare the target coverage and normal tissue dose with the simultaneously integrated boost (SIB) and the sequential boost technique in breast cancer, and to evaluate the incidence of acute skin toxicity in patients treated with the SIB technique. Thirty patients with early-stage left-sided breast cancer underwent breast-conserving radiotherapy using the SIB technique. The breast and boost planning target volumes (PTVs) were treated simultaneously (i.e., for each fraction, the breast and boost PTVs received 1.81 Gy and 2.3 Gy, respectively). Three-dimensional conformal beams with wedges were shaped and weighted using forward planning. Dose-volume histograms of the PTVs and organs at risk with the SIB technique, 28 x (1.81 + 0.49 Gy), were compared with those for the sequential boost technique, 25 x 2 Gy + 8 x 2 Gy. Acute skin toxicity was evaluated for 90 patients treated with the SIB technique according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 3.0. PTV coverage was adequate with both techniques. With SIB, more efficiently shaped boost beams resulted in smaller irradiated volumes. The mean volume receiving > or =107% of the breast dose was reduced by 20%, the mean volume outside the boost PTV receiving > or =95% of the boost dose was reduced by 54%, and the mean heart and lung dose were reduced by 10%. Of the evaluated patients, 32.2% had Grade 2 or worse toxicity. The SIB technique is proposed for standard use in breast-conserving radiotherapy because of its dose-limiting capabilities, easy implementation, reduced number of treatment fractions, and relatively low incidence of acute skin toxicity.

WE-AB-202-10: Modelling Individual Tumor-Specific Control Probability for Hypoxia in Rectal Cancer

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

Warren, S; Warren, DR; Wilson, JM

Purpose: To investigate hypoxia-guided dose-boosting for increased tumour control and improved normal tissue sparing using FMISO-PET images Methods: Individual tumor-specific control probability (iTSCP) was calculated using a modified linear-quadratic model with rectal-specific radiosensitivity parameters for three limiting-case assumptions of the hypoxia / FMISO uptake relationship. {sup 18}FMISO-PET images from 2 patients (T3N0M0) from the RHYTHM trial (Investigating Hypoxia in Rectal Tumours NCT02157246) were chosen to delineate a hypoxic region (GTV-MISO defined as tumor-to-muscle ratio > 1.3) within the anatomical GTV. Three VMAT treatment plans were created in Eclipse (Varian): STANDARD (45Gy / 25 fractions to PTV4500); BOOST-GTV (simultaneous integrated boostmore » of 60Gy / 25fr to GTV +0.5cm) and BOOST-MISO (60Gy / 25fr to GTV-MISO+0.5cm). GTV mean dose (in EQD2), iTSCP and normal tissue dose-volume metrics (small bowel, bladder, anus, and femoral heads) were recorded. Results: Patient A showed small hypoxic volume (15.8% of GTV) and Patient B moderate hypoxic volume (40.2% of GTV). Dose escalation to 60Gy was achievable, and doses to femoral heads and small bowel in BOOST plans were comparable to STANDARD plans. For patient A, a reduced maximum bladder dose was observed in BOOST-MISO compared to BOOST-GTV (D0.1cc 49.2Gy vs 54.0Gy). For patient B, a smaller high dose volume was observed for the anus region in BOOST-MISO compared to BOOST-GTV (V55Gy 19.9% vs 100%), which could potentially reduce symptoms of fecal incontinence. For BOOST-MISO, the largest iTSCPs (A: 95.5% / B: 90.0%) assumed local correlation between FMISO uptake and hypoxia, and approached iTSCP values seen for BOOST-GTV (A: 96.1% / B: 90.5%). Conclusion: Hypoxia-guided dose-boosting is predicted to improve local control in rectal tumors when FMISO is spatially correlated to hypoxia, and to reduce dose to organs-at-risk compared to boosting the whole GTV. This could lead to organ-preserving treatment strategies for locally-advanced rectal cancer, thereby improving quality of life. Oxford Cancer Imaging Centre (OCIC); Cancer Research UK (CRUK); Medical Research Council (MRC)« less

Boosting Learning Algorithm for Stock Price Forecasting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chengzhang; Bai, Xiaoming

2018-03-01

To tackle complexity and uncertainty of stock market behavior, more studies have introduced machine learning algorithms to forecast stock price. ANN (artificial neural network) is one of the most successful and promising applications. We propose a boosting-ANN model in this paper to predict the stock close price. On the basis of boosting theory, multiple weak predicting machines, i.e. ANNs, are assembled to build a stronger predictor, i.e. boosting-ANN model. New error criteria of the weak studying machine and rules of weights updating are adopted in this study. We select technical factors from financial markets as forecasting input variables. Final results demonstrate the boosting-ANN model works better than other ones for stock price forecasting.

Inelastic Boosted Dark Matter at direct detection experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giudice, Gian F.; Kim, Doojin; Park, Jong-Chul; Shin, Seodong

2018-05-01

We explore a novel class of multi-particle dark sectors, called Inelastic Boosted Dark Matter (iBDM). These models are constructed by combining properties of particles that scatter off matter by making transitions to heavier states (Inelastic Dark Matter) with properties of particles that are produced with a large Lorentz boost in annihilation processes in the galactic halo (Boosted Dark Matter). This combination leads to new signals that can be observed at ordinary direct detection experiments, but require unconventional searches for energetic recoil electrons in coincidence with displaced multi-track events. Related experimental strategies can also be used to probe MeV-range boosted dark matter via their interactions with electrons inside the target material.

Ag85A-specific CD4+ T cell lines derived after boosting BCG-vaccinated cattle with Ad5-85A possess both mycobacterial growth inhibition and anti-inflammatory properties.

PubMed

Metcalfe, Hannah J; Biffar, Lucia; Steinbach, Sabine; Guzman, Efrain; Connelley, Tim; Morrison, Ivan; Vordermeier, H Martin; Villarreal-Ramos, Bernardo

2018-05-11

There is a need to improve the efficacy of the BCG vaccine against human and bovine tuberculosis. Previous data showed that boosting bacilli Calmette-Guerin (BCG)-vaccinated cattle with a recombinant attenuated human type 5 adenovirally vectored subunit vaccine (Ad5-85A) increased BCG protection and was associated with increased frequency of Ag85A-specific CD4 + T cells post-boosting. Here, the capacity of Ag85A-specific CD4 + T cell lines - derived before and after viral boosting - to interact with BCG-infected macrophages was evaluated. No difference before and after boosting was found in the capacity of these Ag85A-specific CD4 + T cell lines to restrict mycobacterial growth, but the secretion of IL-10 in vitro post-boost increased significantly. Furthermore, cell lines derived post-boost had no statistically significant difference in the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-12, IFNγ or TNFα) compared to pre-boost lines. In conclusion, the protection associated with the increased number of Ag85A-specific CD4 + T cells restricting mycobacterial growth may be associated with anti-inflammatory properties to limit immune-pathology. Copyright © 2018 Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Climate and Lightning: An updated TRMM-LIS Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Petersen, Walter A.; Buechler, D. E.

2009-01-01

The TRMM Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) has sampled global tropical and sub-tropical lightning flash densities for approximately 11 years. These data were originally processed and results presented by the authors in the 3rd AMS MALD Conference held in 2007 using both pre and post TRMM-boost lightning data. These data were normalized for the orbit boost by scaling the pre-boost data by a fixed constant based on the different swath areas for the pre and post-boost years (post-boost after 2001). Inevitably, one must question this simple approach to accounting for the orbit boost when sampling such a noisy quantity. Hence we are in the process of reprocessing the entire 11-year TRMM LIS dataset to reduce the orbit swath of the post-boost era to that of the pre-boost in order to eliminate sampling bias in the dataset. Study of the diurnal/seasonal/annual sampling suggests that those biases are already minimal and should not contribute to error in examination of annual trends. We will present new analysis of the 11-year annual trends in total lightning flash density for all latitudinal belts and select regions/regimes of the tropics as related to conventional climate signals and precipitation contents in the same period. The results should enable us to address, in some fashion, the sensitivity of the lightning flash density to subtle changes in climate.

Experiences of social harm and changes in sexual practices among volunteers who had completed a phase I/II HIV vaccine trial employing HIV-1 DNA priming and HIV-1 MVA boosting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

PubMed

Tarimo, Edith A M; Munseri, Patricia; Aboud, Said; Bakari, Muhammad; Mhalu, Fred; Sandstrom, Eric

2014-01-01

Volunteers in phase I/II HIV vaccine trials are assumed to be at low risk of acquiring HIV infection and are expected to have normal lives in the community. However, during participation in the trials, volunteers may encounter social harm and changes in their sexual behaviours. The current study aimed to study persistence of social harm and changes in sexual practices over time among phase I/II HIV vaccine immunogenicity (HIVIS03) trial volunteers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. A descriptive prospective cohort study was conducted among 33 out of 60 volunteers of HIVIS03 trial in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, who had received three HIV-1 DNA injections boosted with two HIV-1 MVA doses. A structured interview was administered to collect data. Analysis was carried out using SPSS and McNemars' chi-square (χ2) was used to test the association within-subjects. Participants reported experiencing negative comments from their colleagues about the trial; but such comments were less severe during the second follow up visits (χ2 = 8.72; P<0.001). Most of the comments were associated with discrimination (χ2 = 26.72; P<0.001), stigma (χ2 = 6.06; P<0.05), and mistrust towards the HIV vaccine trial (χ2 = 4.9; P<0.05). Having a regular sexual partner other than spouse or cohabitant declined over the two follow-up periods (χ2 = 4.45; P<0.05). Participants in the phase I/II HIV vaccine trial were likely to face negative comments from relatives and colleagues after the end of the trial, but those comments decreased over time. In this study, the inherent sexual practice of having extra sexual partners other than spouse declined over time. Therefore, prolonged counselling and support appears important to minimize risky sexual behaviour among volunteers after participation in HIV Vaccine trials.

Change in Seroma Volume During Whole-Breast Radiation Therapy

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

Sharma, Rajiv; Spierer, Marnee; Mutyala, Subhakar

2009-09-01

Purpose: After breast-conserving surgery, a seroma often forms in the surgical cavity. If not drained, it may affect the volume of tumor bed requiring a boost after whole-breast radiation therapy (WBRT). Our objective was to evaluate the change in seroma volume that occurs during WBRT, before boost planning. Methods and Materials: A retrospective review was performed of women receiving breast-conserving therapy with evidence of seroma at the time of WBRT planning. Computed tomography (CT) simulation was performed before WBRT and before the tumor bed boost. All patients received either a hypofractionated (42.4 Gy/16 fraction + 9.6 Gy/4 fraction boost) ormore » standard fractionated (50.4 Gy/28 fraction + 10 Gy/5 fraction boost) regimen. Seroma volumes were contoured and compared on CT at the time of WBRT simulation and tumor bed boost planning. Results: Twenty-four patients with evidence of seroma were identified and all patients received WBRT without drainage of the seroma. Mean seroma volume before WBRT and at boost planning were significantly different at 65.7 cm{sup 3} (SD, 50.5 cm{sup 3}) and 35.6 cm{sup 3} (SD, 24.8 cm{sup 3}), respectively (p < 0.001). Mean and median reduction in seroma volume during radiation were 39.6% (SD, 23.8%) and 46.2% (range, 10.7-76.7%), respectively. Fractionation schedule was not correlated with change in seroma volume. Length of time from surgery to start of radiation therapy showed an inverse correlation with change in seroma volume (Pearson correlation r = -0.53, p < 0.01). Conclusions: The volume of seroma changes significantly during WBRT. Consequently, the accuracy of breast boost planning is likely affected, as is the volume of normal breast tissue irradiated. CT-based boost planning before boost irradiation is suggested to ensure appropriate coverage.« less

Intranasal boosting with an adenovirus-vectored vaccine markedly enhances protection by parenteral Mycobacterium bovis BCG immunization against pulmonary tuberculosis.

PubMed

Santosuosso, Michael; McCormick, Sarah; Zhang, Xizhong; Zganiacz, Anna; Xing, Zhou

2006-08-01

Parenterally administered Mycobacterium bovis BCG vaccine confers only limited immune protection from pulmonary tuberculosis in humans. There is a need for developing effective boosting vaccination strategies. We examined a heterologous prime-boost regimen utilizing BCG as a prime vaccine and our recently described adenoviral vector expressing Ag85A (AdAg85A) as a boost vaccine. Since we recently demonstrated that a single intranasal but not intramuscular immunization with AdAg85A was able to induce potent protection from pulmonary Mycobacterium tuberculosis challenge in a mouse model, we compared the protective effects of parenteral and mucosal booster immunizations following subcutaneous BCG priming. Protection by BCG prime immunization was not effectively boosted by subcutaneous BCG or intramuscular AdAg85A. In contrast, protection by BCG priming was remarkably boosted by intranasal AdAg85A. Such enhanced protection by intranasal AdAg85A was correlated to the numbers of gamma interferon-positive CD4 and CD8 T cells residing in the airway lumen of the lung. Our study demonstrates that intranasal administration of AdAg85A represents an effective way to boost immune protection by parenteral BCG vaccination.

Acute Toxicity and Tumor Response in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer After Preoperative Chemoradiation Therapy With Shortening of the Overall Treatment Time Using Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy With Simultaneous Integrated Boost: A Phase 2 Trial

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

But-Hadzic, Jasna, E-mail: jbut@onko-i.si; Anderluh, Franc; Brecelj, Erik

Background and Purpose: This phase 2 study investigated the efficacy and safety of preoperative intensity modulated radiation therapy with a simultaneous integrated boost (IMRT-SIB) without dose escalation, concomitant with standard capecitabine chemotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer. Methods and Materials: Between January 2014 and March 2015, 51 patients with operable stage II-III rectal adenocarcinoma received preoperative IMRT with pelvic dose of 41.8 Gy and simultaneously delivered 46.2 Gy to T2/3 and 48.4 Gy to T4 tumor in 22 fractions, concomitant with capecitabine, 825 mg/m{sup 2}/12 hours, including weekends. The primary endpoint was pathologic complete response (pCR). Results: Fifty patients completed preoperative treatment according to themore » protocol, and 47 underwent surgical resection. The sphincter preservation rate for the low rectal tumors was 62%, and the resection margins were free in all but 1 patient. Decrease in tumor and nodal stage was observed in 32 (68%) and 39 (83%) patients, respectively, with pCR achieved in 12 (25.5%) patients. There were only 2 G ≥ 3 acute toxicities, with infectious enterocolitis in 1 patient and dermatitis over the sacral area caused by the bolus effect of the treatment table in the second patient. Conclusions: Preoperative IMRT-SIB without dose escalation is well tolerated, with a low acute toxicity profile, and can achieve a high rate of pCR and downstaging.« less

Desynchronization boost by non-uniform coordinated reset stimulation in ensembles of pulse-coupled neurons

PubMed Central

Lücken, Leonhard; Yanchuk, Serhiy; Popovych, Oleksandr V.; Tass, Peter A.

2013-01-01

Several brain diseases are characterized by abnormal neuronal synchronization. Desynchronization of abnormal neural synchrony is theoretically compelling because of the complex dynamical mechanisms involved. We here present a novel type of coordinated reset (CR) stimulation. CR means to deliver phase resetting stimuli at different neuronal sub-populations sequentially, i.e., at times equidistantly distributed in a stimulation cycle. This uniform timing pattern seems to be intuitive and actually applies to the neural network models used for the study of CR so far. CR resets the population to an unstable cluster state from where it passes through a desynchronized transient, eventually resynchronizing if left unperturbed. In contrast, we show that the optimal stimulation times are non-uniform. Using the model of weakly pulse-coupled neurons with phase response curves, we provide an approach that enables to determine optimal stimulation timing patterns that substantially maximize the desynchronized transient time following the application of CR stimulation. This approach includes an optimization search for clusters in a low-dimensional pulse coupled map. As a consequence, model-specific non-uniformly spaced cluster states cause considerably longer desynchronization transients. Intriguingly, such a desynchronization boost with non-uniform CR stimulation can already be achieved by only slight modifications of the uniform CR timing pattern. Our results suggest that the non-uniformness of the stimulation times can be a medically valuable parameter in the calibration procedure for CR stimulation, where the latter has successfully been used in clinical and pre-clinical studies for the treatment of Parkinson's disease and tinnitus. PMID:23750134

Boosting recovery rather than buffering reactivity: Higher stress-induced oxytocin secretion is associated with increased cortisol reactivity and faster vagal recovery after acute psychosocial stress.

PubMed

Engert, Veronika; Koester, Anna M; Riepenhausen, Antje; Singer, Tania

2016-12-01

Animal models and human studies using paradigms designed to stimulate endogenous oxytocin release suggest a stress-buffering role of oxytocin. We here examined the involvement of stress-induced peripheral oxytocin secretion in reactivity and recovery phases of the human psychosocial stress response. Healthy male and female participants (N=114) were subjected to a standardized laboratory stressor, the Trier Social Stress Test. In addition to plasma oxytocin, cortisol was assessed as a marker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA-) axis activity, alpha-amylase and heart rate as markers of sympathetic activity, high frequency heart rate variability as a marker of vagal tone and self-rated anxiety as an indicator of subjective stress experience. On average, oxytocin levels increased by 51% following psychosocial stress. The stress-induced oxytocin secretion, however, did not reduce stress reactivity. To the contrary, higher oxytocin secretion was associated with greater cortisol reactivity and peak cortisol levels in both sexes. In the second phase of the stress response the opposite pattern was observed, with higher oxytocin secretion associated with faster vagal recovery. We suggest that after an early stage of oxytocin and HPA-axis co-activation, the stress-reducing action of oxytocin unfolds. Due to the time lag it manifests as a recovery-boosting rather than a reactivity-buffering effect. By reinforcing parasympathetic autonomic activity, specifically during stress recovery, oxytocin may provide an important protective function against the health-compromising effects of sustained stress. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Acute Toxicity and Tumor Response in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer After Preoperative Chemoradiation Therapy With Shortening of the Overall Treatment Time Using Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy With Simultaneous Integrated Boost: A Phase 2 Trial.

PubMed

But-Hadzic, Jasna; Anderluh, Franc; Brecelj, Erik; Edhemovic, Ibrahim; Secerov-Ermenc, Ajra; Hudej, Rihard; Jeromen, Ana; Kozelj, Miran; Krebs, Bojan; Oblak, Irena; Omejc, Mirko; Vogrin, Andrej; Velenik, Vaneja

2016-12-01

This phase 2 study investigated the efficacy and safety of preoperative intensity modulated radiation therapy with a simultaneous integrated boost (IMRT-SIB) without dose escalation, concomitant with standard capecitabine chemotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer. Between January 2014 and March 2015, 51 patients with operable stage II-III rectal adenocarcinoma received preoperative IMRT with pelvic dose of 41.8 Gy and simultaneously delivered 46.2 Gy to T2/3 and 48.4 Gy to T4 tumor in 22 fractions, concomitant with capecitabine, 825 mg/m 2 /12 hours, including weekends. The primary endpoint was pathologic complete response (pCR). Fifty patients completed preoperative treatment according to the protocol, and 47 underwent surgical resection. The sphincter preservation rate for the low rectal tumors was 62%, and the resection margins were free in all but 1 patient. Decrease in tumor and nodal stage was observed in 32 (68%) and 39 (83%) patients, respectively, with pCR achieved in 12 (25.5%) patients. There were only 2 G ≥ 3 acute toxicities, with infectious enterocolitis in 1 patient and dermatitis over the sacral area caused by the bolus effect of the treatment table in the second patient. Preoperative IMRT-SIB without dose escalation is well tolerated, with a low acute toxicity profile, and can achieve a high rate of pCR and downstaging. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fc Receptor-Mediated Activities of Env-Specific Human Monoclonal Antibodies Generated from Volunteers Receiving the DNA Prime-Protein Boost HIV Vaccine DP6-001.

PubMed

Costa, Matthew R; Pollara, Justin; Edwards, Regina Whitney; Seaman, Michael S; Gorny, Miroslaw K; Montefiori, David C; Liao, Hua-Xin; Ferrari, Guido; Lu, Shan; Wang, Shixia

2016-11-15

HIV-1 is able to elicit broadly potent neutralizing antibodies in a very small subset of individuals only after several years of infection, and therefore, vaccines that elicit these types of antibodies have been difficult to design. The RV144 trial showed that moderate protection is possible and that this protection may correlate with antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) activity. Our previous studies demonstrated that in an HIV vaccine phase I trial, the DP6-001 trial, a polyvalent Env DNA prime-protein boost formulation could elicit potent and broadly reactive, gp120-specific antibodies with positive neutralization activities. Here we report on the production and analysis of HIV-1 Env-specific human monoclonal antibodies (hMAbs) isolated from vaccinees in the DP6-001 trial. For this initial report, 13 hMAbs from four vaccinees in the DP6-001 trial showed broad binding to gp120 proteins of diverse subtypes both autologous and heterologous to vaccine immunogens. Equally cross-reactive Fc receptor-mediated functional activities, including ADCC and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) activities, were present with both immune sera and isolated MAbs, confirming the induction of nonneutralizing functional hMAbs by the DNA prime-protein boost vaccination. Elicitation of broadly reactive hMAbs by vaccination in healthy human volunteers confirms the value of the polyvalent formulation in this HIV vaccine design. The roles of Fc receptor-mediated protective antibody responses are gaining more attention due to their potential contribution to the low-level protection against HIV-1 infection that they provided in the RV144 trial. At the same time, information about hMabs from other human HIV vaccine studies is very limited. In the current study, both immune sera and monoclonal antibodies from vaccinated humans showed not only high-level ADCC and ADCP activities but also cross-subtype ADCC and ADCP activities when a polyvalent DNA prime-protein boost vaccine formulation was used. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

FIVE-YEAR RESULTS OF ADJUVANT RADIOTHER

PubMed Central

Osa, Etin-Osa O.; DeWyngaert, Keith; Roses, Daniel; Speyer, James; Guth, Amber; Axelrod, Deborah; Kerimian, Maria Fenton; Goldberg, Judith D.; Formenti, Silvia C.

2015-01-01

Purpose/Objective A technique of prone breast radiotherapy delivered by a regimen of accelerated intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with a concurrent boost to the tumor bed, was developed at our institution. We report the five year results of this approach. Methods and Materials Between 2003–2006, 404 patients with Stage I–II breast cancer were prospectively enrolled into two consecutive protocols, institutional trials 03–30 and 05–181, that used the same regimen of 40.5Gy/15 fractions delivered to the index breast over 3 weeks, with a concomitant daily boost to the tumor bed of 0.5Gy (total dose=48Gy). All patients were treated after segmental mastectomy, had negative margins, and nodal assessment. Patients were set up prone: only if lung or heart volumes were in the field was a supine set-up attempted, and chosen if found to better spare these organs. Results 92% of patients were treated prone, 8% supine. 72% had stage I, 28% stage II invasive breast cancer. In-field lung volume ranged from 0 –228.27cc, mean: 19.65cc. In-field heart volume for left breast cancer patients ranged from 0–21.24cc, mean: 1.59cc. There was no heart in the field for right breast cancer patients. At a median follow-up of five years, the five-year cumulative incidence of isolated ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence was 0.82% (95% CI: 0.65–1.04). The five-year cumulative incidence of regional recurrence was 0.53% (95% CI:0.41–0.69) and the five-year overall cumulative death rate was 1.28% (95% CI: 0.48–3.38). 82% (95% CI: 77–85) of patients judged their final cosmetic result as excellent/good. Conclusions Prone accelerated IMRT with a concomitant boost results in excellent local control, optimal sparing of heart and lung, with good cosmesis. RTOG 10–05, a phase III, multi-institutional, randomized trial is ongoing and is evaluating the equivalence of a similar dose and fractionation approach to standard six weeks radiotherapy with a sequential boost. PMID:24867535

The relation between treatment outcome and efavirenz, atazanavir or lopinavir exposure in the NORTHIV trial of treatment-naïve HIV-1 infected patients.

PubMed

Josephson, Filip; Andersson, Maria C H; Flamholc, Leo; Gisslén, Magnus; Hagberg, Lars; Ormaasen, Vidar; Sönnerborg, Anders; Vesterbacka, Jan; Böttiger, Ylva

2010-04-01

The relation between treatment outcome and trough plasma concentrations of efavirenz (EFV), atazanavir (ATV) and lopinavir (LPV) was studied in a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic substudy of the NORTHIV trial-a randomised phase IV efficacy trial comparing antiretroviral-naïve human immunodeficiency virus-1-infected patients treated with (1) EFV + 2 nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (2NRTI) once daily, (2) ritonavir-boosted ATV + 2NRTI once daily or (3) ritonavir-boosted LPV + 2NRTI twice daily. The findings were related to the generally cited minimum effective concentration levels for the respective drugs (EFV 1,000 ng/ml, ATV 150 ng/ml, LPV 1,000 ng/ml). The relation between atazanavir-induced hyperbilirubinemia and virological efficacy was also studied. Drug concentrations were sampled at weeks 4 and 48 and optionally at week 12 and analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detector. When necessary, trough values were imputed by assuming the reported average half-lives for the respective drugs. Outcomes up to week 48 are reported. No relation between plasma concentrations of EFV, ATV or LPV and virological failure, treatment withdrawal due to adverse effects or antiviral potency (viral load decline from baseline to week 4) was demonstrated. Very few samples were below the suggested minimum efficacy cut-offs, and their predictive value for treatment failure could not be validated. There was a trend toward an increased risk of virological failure in patients on ATV who had an average increase of serum bilirubin from baseline of <25 micromol/l. The great majority of treatment-naïve and adherent patients on standard doses of EFV, ritonavir-boosted ATV and ritonavir-boosted LPV have drug concentrations above that considered to deliver the maximum effect for the respective drug. The results do not support the use of routine therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) for efficacy optimisation in treatment-naïve patients on these drugs, although TDM may still be of value in some cases of altered pharmacokinetics, adverse events or drug interactions. Serum bilirubin may be a useful marker of adherence to ATV therapy.

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

Ahlawat, Stuti; Haffty, Bruce G.; Goyal, Sharad

Purpose: Conventionally fractionated whole-breast irradiation (WBI) with a boost takes approximately 6 to 7 weeks. We evaluated a short course of hypofractionated (HF), accelerated WBI in which therapy was completed in 3 weeks inclusive of a sequential boost. Methods and Materials: We delivered a whole-breast dose of 36.63 Gy in 11 fractions of 3.33 Gy over 11 days, followed by a lumpectomy bed boost in 4 fractions of 3.33 Gy delivered once daily for a total of 15 treatment days. Acute toxicities were scored using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4. Late toxicities were scored using the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for Researchmore » and Treatment of Cancer scale. Cosmesis was scored using the Harvard Cosmesis Scale. Our primary endpoint was freedom from locoregional failure; we incorporated early stopping criteria based on predefined toxicity thresholds. Cosmesis was examined as a secondary endpoint. Results: We enrolled 83 women with stages 0 to IIIa breast cancer. After a median follow-up of 40 months, 2 cases of isolated ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence occurred (2 of 83; crude rate, 2.4%). Three-year estimated local recurrence-free survival was 95.9% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 87.8%-98.7%). The 3-year estimated distant recurrence-free survival was 97.3% (95% CI: 89.8%-99.3%). Three-year secondary malignancy-free survival was 94.3% (95% CI: 85.3%-97.8%). Twenty-nine patients (34%) had grade 2 acute toxicity, and 1 patient had a late grade 2 toxicity (fibrosis). One patient had acute grade 3 dermatitis, whereas 2 patients experienced grade 3 late skin toxicity. Ninety-four percent of evaluable patients had good or excellent cosmesis. Conclusions: Our phase 2 institutional study offers one of the shortest courses of HF therapy, delivered in 15 fractions inclusive of a sequential boost. We demonstrated expected low toxicity and high local control rates with good to excellent cosmetic outcomes. This fractionation scheme is feasible and well tolerated and offers women WBI in a highly convenient schedule.« less

Effect of priming/booster immunisation protocols on immune response to canine parvovirus peptide induced by vaccination with a chimaeric plant virus construct.

PubMed

Nicholas, B L; Brennan, F R; Hamilton, W D O; Wakelin, D

2003-06-02

Expression of a 17-mer peptide sequence from canine parvovirus expressed on cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) to form chimaeric virus particles (CVPs) creates vaccine antigens that elicit strong anti-peptide immune responses in mice. Systemic (subcutaneous, s.c.) immunisation and boosting with such CVP constructs produces IgG(2a) serum antibody responses, while mucosal (intranasal, i.n.) immunisation and boosting elicits intestinal IgA responses. Combinations of systemic and mucosal routes for priming and boosting immunisations were used to examine their influence on the level, type and location of immune response generated to one of these constructs (CVP-1). In all cases, s.c. administration, whether for immunisation or boosting, generated a Th1-biased response, reflected in a predominantly IgG(2a) serum antibody isotype and secretion of IFN-gamma from in vitro-stimulated lymphocytes. Serum antibody responses were greatest in animals primed and boosted subcutaneously, and least in mucosally vaccinated mice. The i.n. exposure also led to IFN-gamma release from in vitro-stimulated cells, but serum IgG(2a) was significantly elevated only in mice primed intranasally and boosted subcutaneously. Peptide- and wild-type CPMV-specific IgA responses in gut lavage fluid were greatest in animals exposed mucosally and least in those primed and boosted subcutaneously or primed subcutaneously and boosted orally. Lymphocytes from immunised mice proliferated in response to in vitro stimulation with CPMV but not with peptide. The predominant secretion of IFN-gamma from all immunising/boosting combinations indicates that the route of vaccination and challenge does not alter the Th1 bias of the response to CVP constructs. However, optimal serum and intestinal antibody responses were achieved by combining s.c. and i.n. administration.

Antibody responses to prime-boost vaccination with an HIV-1 gp145 envelope protein and chimpanzee adenovirus vectors expressing HIV-1 gp140.

PubMed

Emmer, Kristel L; Wieczorek, Lindsay; Tuyishime, Steven; Molnar, Sebastian; Polonis, Victoria R; Ertl, Hildegund C J

2016-10-23

Over 2 million individuals are infected with HIV type 1 (HIV-1) each year, yet an effective vaccine remains elusive. The most successful HIV-1 vaccine to date demonstrated 31% efficacy. Immune correlate analyses associated HIV-1 envelope (Env)-specific antibodies with protection, thus providing a path toward a more effective vaccine. We sought to test the antibody response from novel prime-boost vaccination with a chimpanzee-derived adenovirus (AdC) vector expressing a subtype C Env glycoprotein (gp)140 combined with either a serologically distinct AdC vector expressing gp140 of a different subtype C isolate or an alum-adjuvanted, partially trimeric gp145 from yet another subtype C isolate. Three different prime-boost regimens were tested in mice: AdC prime-protein boost, protein prime-AdC boost, and AdC prime-AdC boost. Each regimen was tested at two different doses of AdC vector in a total of six experimental groups. Sera were collected at various time points and evaluated by ELISA for Env-specific antibody binding, isotype, and avidity. Antibody functionality was assessed by pseudovirus neutralization assay. Priming with AdC followed by a protein boost or sequential immunizations with two AdC vectors induced HIV-1 Env-specific binding antibodies, including those to the variable region 2, whereas priming with protein followed by an AdC boost was relatively ineffective. Antibodies that cross-neutralized tier 1 HIV-1 from different subtypes were elicited with vaccine regimens that included immunizations with protein. Our study warrants further investigation of AdC vector and gp145 protein prime-boost vaccines and their ability to protect against acquisition in animal challenge studies.

Black String and Velocity Frame Dragging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jungjai; Kim, Hyeong-Chan

We investigate velocity frame dragging with the boosted Schwarzschild black string solution and the boosted Kaluza-Klein bubble solution, in which a translational symmetry along the boosted z-coordinate is implemented. The velocity frame dragging effect can be nullified by the motion of an observer using the boost symmetry along the z-coordinate if it is not compact. However, in spacetime with the compact z-coordinate, we show that the effect cannot be removed since the compactification breaks the global Lorentz boost symmetry. As a result, the comoving velocity depends on r and the momentum parameter along the z-coordinate becomes an observer independent characteristic quantity of the black string and bubble solutions. The dragging induces a spherical ergo-region around the black string.

Search for Boosted Dark Matter Interacting with Electrons in Super-Kamiokande.

PubMed

Kachulis, C; Abe, K; Bronner, C; Hayato, Y; Ikeda, M; Iyogi, K; Kameda, J; Kato, Y; Kishimoto, Y; Marti, Ll; Miura, M; Moriyama, S; Nakahata, M; Nakano, Y; Nakayama, S; Okajima, Y; Orii, A; Pronost, G; Sekiya, H; Shiozawa, M; Sonoda, Y; Takeda, A; Takenaka, A; Tanaka, H; Tasaka, S; Tomura, T; Akutsu, R; Kajita, T; Kaneyuki, K; Nishimura, Y; Okumura, K; Tsui, K M; Labarga, L; Fernandez, P; Blaszczyk, F D M; Gustafson, J; Kearns, E; Raaf, J L; Stone, J L; Sulak, L R; Berkman, S; Tobayama, S; Goldhaber, M; Elnimr, M; Kropp, W R; Mine, S; Locke, S; Weatherly, P; Smy, M B; Sobel, H W; Takhistov, V; Ganezer, K S; Hill, J; Kim, J Y; Lim, I T; Park, R G; Himmel, A; Li, Z; O'Sullivan, E; Scholberg, K; Walter, C W; Ishizuka, T; Nakamura, T; Jang, J S; Choi, K; Learned, J G; Matsuno, S; Smith, S N; Amey, J; Litchfield, R P; Ma, W Y; Uchida, Y; Wascko, M O; Cao, S; Friend, M; Hasegawa, T; Ishida, T; Ishii, T; Kobayashi, T; Nakadaira, T; Nakamura, K; Oyama, Y; Sakashita, K; Sekiguchi, T; Tsukamoto, T; Abe, K E; Hasegawa, M; Suzuki, A T; Takeuchi, Y; Yano, T; Hayashino, T; Hiraki, T; Hirota, S; Huang, K; Jiang, M; Nakamura, K E; Nakaya, T; Quilain, B; Patel, N D; Wendell, R A; Anthony, L H V; McCauley, N; Pritchard, A; Fukuda, Y; Itow, Y; Murase, M; Muto, F; Mijakowski, P; Frankiewicz, K; Jung, C K; Li, X; Palomino, J L; Santucci, G; Vilela, C; Wilking, M J; Yanagisawa, C; Ito, S; Fukuda, D; Ishino, H; Kibayashi, A; Koshio, Y; Nagata, H; Sakuda, M; Xu, C; Kuno, Y; Wark, D; Di Lodovico, F; Richards, B; Tacik, R; Kim, S B; Cole, A; Thompson, L; Okazawa, H; Choi, Y; Ito, K; Nishijima, K; Koshiba, M; Totsuka, Y; Suda, Y; Yokoyama, M; Calland, R G; Hartz, M; Martens, K; Simpson, C; Suzuki, Y; Vagins, M R; Hamabe, D; Kuze, M; Yoshida, T; Ishitsuka, M; Martin, J F; Nantais, C M; Tanaka, H A; Konaka, A; Chen, S; Wan, L; Zhang, Y; Wilkes, R J; Minamino, A

2018-06-01

A search for boosted dark matter using 161.9 kt yr of Super-Kamiokande IV data is presented. We search for an excess of elastically scattered electrons above the atmospheric neutrino background, with a visible energy between 100 MeV and 1 TeV, pointing back to the Galactic center or the Sun. No such excess is observed. Limits on boosted dark matter event rates in multiple angular cones around the Galactic center and Sun are calculated. Limits are also calculated for a baseline model of boosted dark matter produced from cold dark matter annihilation or decay. This is the first experimental search for boosted dark matter from the Galactic center or the Sun interacting in a terrestrial detector.

Search for Boosted Dark Matter Interacting with Electrons in Super-Kamiokande

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kachulis, C.; Abe, K.; Bronner, C.; Hayato, Y.; Ikeda, M.; Iyogi, K.; Kameda, J.; Kato, Y.; Kishimoto, Y.; Marti, Ll.; Miura, M.; Moriyama, S.; Nakahata, M.; Nakano, Y.; Nakayama, S.; Okajima, Y.; Orii, A.; Pronost, G.; Sekiya, H.; Shiozawa, M.; Sonoda, Y.; Takeda, A.; Takenaka, A.; Tanaka, H.; Tasaka, S.; Tomura, T.; Akutsu, R.; Kajita, T.; Kaneyuki, K.; Nishimura, Y.; Okumura, K.; Tsui, K. M.; Labarga, L.; Fernandez, P.; Blaszczyk, F. d. M.; Gustafson, J.; Kearns, E.; Raaf, J. L.; Stone, J. L.; Sulak, L. R.; Berkman, S.; Tobayama, S.; Goldhaber, M.; Elnimr, M.; Kropp, W. R.; Mine, S.; Locke, S.; Weatherly, P.; Smy, M. B.; Sobel, H. W.; Takhistov, V.; Ganezer, K. S.; Hill, J.; Kim, J. Y.; Lim, I. T.; Park, R. G.; Himmel, A.; Li, Z.; O'Sullivan, E.; Scholberg, K.; Walter, C. W.; Ishizuka, T.; Nakamura, T.; Jang, J. S.; Choi, K.; Learned, J. G.; Matsuno, S.; Smith, S. N.; Amey, J.; Litchfield, R. P.; Ma, W. Y.; Uchida, Y.; Wascko, M. O.; Cao, S.; Friend, M.; Hasegawa, T.; Ishida, T.; Ishii, T.; Kobayashi, T.; Nakadaira, T.; Nakamura, K.; Oyama, Y.; Sakashita, K.; Sekiguchi, T.; Tsukamoto, T.; Abe, KE.; Hasegawa, M.; Suzuki, A. T.; Takeuchi, Y.; Yano, T.; Hayashino, T.; Hiraki, T.; Hirota, S.; Huang, K.; Jiang, M.; Nakamura, KE.; Nakaya, T.; Quilain, B.; Patel, N. D.; Wendell, R. A.; Anthony, L. H. V.; McCauley, N.; Pritchard, A.; Fukuda, Y.; Itow, Y.; Murase, M.; Muto, F.; Mijakowski, P.; Frankiewicz, K.; Jung, C. K.; Li, X.; Palomino, J. L.; Santucci, G.; Vilela, C.; Wilking, M. J.; Yanagisawa, C.; Ito, S.; Fukuda, D.; Ishino, H.; Kibayashi, A.; Koshio, Y.; Nagata, H.; Sakuda, M.; Xu, C.; Kuno, Y.; Wark, D.; Di Lodovico, F.; Richards, B.; Tacik, R.; Kim, S. B.; Cole, A.; Thompson, L.; Okazawa, H.; Choi, Y.; Ito, K.; Nishijima, K.; Koshiba, M.; Totsuka, Y.; Suda, Y.; Yokoyama, M.; Calland, R. G.; Hartz, M.; Martens, K.; Simpson, C.; Suzuki, Y.; Vagins, M. R.; Hamabe, D.; Kuze, M.; Yoshida, T.; Ishitsuka, M.; Martin, J. F.; Nantais, C. M.; Tanaka, H. A.; Konaka, A.; Chen, S.; Wan, L.; Zhang, Y.; Wilkes, R. J.; Minamino, A.; Super-Kamiokande Collaboration

2018-06-01

A search for boosted dark matter using 161.9 kt yr of Super-Kamiokande IV data is presented. We search for an excess of elastically scattered electrons above the atmospheric neutrino background, with a visible energy between 100 MeV and 1 TeV, pointing back to the Galactic center or the Sun. No such excess is observed. Limits on boosted dark matter event rates in multiple angular cones around the Galactic center and Sun are calculated. Limits are also calculated for a baseline model of boosted dark matter produced from cold dark matter annihilation or decay. This is the first experimental search for boosted dark matter from the Galactic center or the Sun interacting in a terrestrial detector.

Improved adaptive splitting and selection: the hybrid training method of a classifier based on a feature space partitioning.

PubMed

Jackowski, Konrad; Krawczyk, Bartosz; Woźniak, Michał

2014-05-01

Currently, methods of combined classification are the focus of intense research. A properly designed group of combined classifiers exploiting knowledge gathered in a pool of elementary classifiers can successfully outperform a single classifier. There are two essential issues to consider when creating combined classifiers: how to establish the most comprehensive pool and how to design a fusion model that allows for taking full advantage of the collected knowledge. In this work, we address the issues and propose an AdaSS+, training algorithm dedicated for the compound classifier system that effectively exploits local specialization of the elementary classifiers. An effective training procedure consists of two phases. The first phase detects the classifier competencies and adjusts the respective fusion parameters. The second phase boosts classification accuracy by elevating the degree of local specialization. The quality of the proposed algorithms are evaluated on the basis of a wide range of computer experiments that show that AdaSS+ can outperform the original method and several reference classifiers.

A grid-connected single-phase photovoltaic micro inverter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, X. Y.; Lin, P. J.; Chen, Z. C.; Wu, L. J.; Cheng, S. Y.

2017-11-01

In this paper, the topology of a single-phase grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) micro-inverter is proposed. The PV micro-inverter consists of DC-DC stage with high voltage gain boost and DC-AC conversion stage. In the first stage, we apply the active clamp circuit and two voltage multipliers to achieve soft switching technology and high voltage gain. In addition, the flower pollination algorithm (FPA) is employed for the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) in the PV module in this stage. The second stage cascades a H-bridge inverter and LCL filter. To feed high quality sinusoidal power into the grid, the software phase lock, outer voltage loop and inner current loop control method are adopted as the control strategy. The performance of the proposed topology is tested by Matlab/Simulink. A PV module with maximum power 300W and maximum power point voltage 40V is applied as the input source. The simulation results indicate that the proposed topology and the control strategy are feasible.

Focusing of light through turbid media by curve fitting optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Changmei; Wu, Tengfei; Liu, Jietao; Li, Huijuan; Shao, Xiaopeng; Zhang, Jianqi

2016-12-01

The construction of wavefront phase plays a critical role in focusing light through turbid media. We introduce the curve fitting algorithm (CFA) into the feedback control procedure for wavefront optimization. Unlike the existing continuous sequential algorithm (CSA), the CFA locates the optimal phase by fitting a curve to the measured signals. Simulation results show that, similar to the genetic algorithm (GA), the proposed CFA technique is far less susceptible to the experimental noise than the CSA. Furthermore, only three measurements of feedback signals are enough for CFA to fit the optimal phase while obtaining a higher focal intensity than the CSA and the GA, dramatically shortening the optimization time by a factor of 3 compared with the CSA and the GA. The proposed CFA approach can be applied to enhance the focus intensity and boost the focusing speed in the fields of biological imaging, particle trapping, laser therapy, and so on, and might help to focus light through dynamic turbid media.

Energy boost in laser wakefield accelerators using sharp density transitions

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

Döpp, A.; Guillaume, E.; Thaury, C.

The energy gain in laser wakefield accelerators is limited by dephasing between the driving laser pulse and the highly relativistic electrons in its wake. Since this phase depends on both the driver and the cavity length, the effects of dephasing can be mitigated with appropriate tailoring of the plasma density along propagation. Preceding studies have discussed the prospects of continuous phase-locking in the linear wakefield regime. However, most experiments are performed in the highly non-linear regime and rely on self-guiding of the laser pulse. Due to the complexity of the driver evolution in this regime, it is much more difficultmore » to achieve phase locking. As an alternative, we study the scenario of rapid rephasing in sharp density transitions, as was recently demonstrated experimentally. Starting from a phenomenological model, we deduce expressions for the electron energy gain in such density profiles. The results are in accordance with particle-in-cell simulations, and we present gain estimations for single and multiple stages of rephasing.« less

Reconcile Planck-scale discreteness and the Lorentz-Fitzgerald contraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rovelli, Carlo; Speziale, Simone

2003-03-01

A Planck-scale minimal observable length appears in many approaches to quantum gravity. It is sometimes argued that this minimal length might conflict with Lorentz invariance, because a boosted observer can see the minimal length further Lorentz contracted. We show that this is not the case within loop quantum gravity. In loop quantum gravity the minimal length (more precisely, minimal area) does not appear as a fixed property of geometry, but rather as the minimal (nonzero) eigenvalue of a quantum observable. The boosted observer can see the same observable spectrum, with the same minimal area. What changes continuously in the boost transformation is not the value of the minimal length: it is the probability distribution of seeing one or the other of the discrete eigenvalues of the area. We discuss several difficulties associated with boosts and area measurement in quantum gravity. We compute the transformation of the area operator under a local boost, propose an explicit expression for the generator of local boosts, and give the conditions under which its action is unitary.

Comparing the catalytic oxidation of ethanol at the solid-gas and solid-liquid interfaces over size-controlled Pt nanoparticles: striking differences in kinetics and mechanism.

PubMed

Sapi, Andras; Liu, Fudong; Cai, Xiaojun; Thompson, Christopher M; Wang, Hailiang; An, Kwangjin; Krier, James M; Somorjai, Gabor A

2014-11-12

Pt nanoparticles with controlled size (2, 4, and 6 nm) are synthesized and tested in ethanol oxidation by molecular oxygen at 60 °C to acetaldehyde and carbon dioxide both in the gas and liquid phases. The turnover frequency of the reaction is ∼80 times faster, and the activation energy is ∼5 times higher at the gas-solid interface compared to the liquid-solid interface. The catalytic activity is highly dependent on the size of the Pt nanoparticles; however, the selectivity is not size sensitive. Acetaldehyde is the main product in both media, while twice as much carbon dioxide was observed in the gas phase compared to the liquid phase. Added water boosts the reaction in the liquid phase; however, it acts as an inhibitor in the gas phase. The more water vapor was added, the more carbon dioxide was formed in the gas phase, while the selectivity was not affected by the concentration of the water in the liquid phase. The differences in the reaction kinetics of the solid-gas and solid-liquid interfaces can be attributed to the molecular orientation deviation of the ethanol molecules on the Pt surface in the gas and liquid phases as evidenced by sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy.

RBoost: Label Noise-Robust Boosting Algorithm Based on a Nonconvex Loss Function and the Numerically Stable Base Learners.

PubMed

Miao, Qiguang; Cao, Ying; Xia, Ge; Gong, Maoguo; Liu, Jiachen; Song, Jianfeng

2016-11-01

AdaBoost has attracted much attention in the machine learning community because of its excellent performance in combining weak classifiers into strong classifiers. However, AdaBoost tends to overfit to the noisy data in many applications. Accordingly, improving the antinoise ability of AdaBoost plays an important role in many applications. The sensitiveness to the noisy data of AdaBoost stems from the exponential loss function, which puts unrestricted penalties to the misclassified samples with very large margins. In this paper, we propose two boosting algorithms, referred to as RBoost1 and RBoost2, which are more robust to the noisy data compared with AdaBoost. RBoost1 and RBoost2 optimize a nonconvex loss function of the classification margin. Because the penalties to the misclassified samples are restricted to an amount less than one, RBoost1 and RBoost2 do not overfocus on the samples that are always misclassified by the previous base learners. Besides the loss function, at each boosting iteration, RBoost1 and RBoost2 use numerically stable ways to compute the base learners. These two improvements contribute to the robustness of the proposed algorithms to the noisy training and testing samples. Experimental results on the synthetic Gaussian data set, the UCI data sets, and a real malware behavior data set illustrate that the proposed RBoost1 and RBoost2 algorithms perform better when the training data sets contain noisy data.

Riemann curvature of a boosted spacetime geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battista, Emmanuele; Esposito, Giampiero; Scudellaro, Paolo; Tramontano, Francesco

2016-10-01

The ultrarelativistic boosting procedure had been applied in the literature to map the metric of Schwarzschild-de Sitter spacetime into a metric describing de Sitter spacetime plus a shock-wave singularity located on a null hypersurface. This paper evaluates the Riemann curvature tensor of the boosted Schwarzschild-de Sitter metric by means of numerical calculations, which make it possible to reach the ultrarelativistic regime gradually by letting the boost velocity approach the speed of light. Thus, for the first time in the literature, the singular limit of curvature, through Dirac’s δ distribution and its derivatives, is numerically evaluated for this class of spacetimes. Moreover, the analysis of the Kretschmann invariant and the geodesic equation shows that the spacetime possesses a “scalar curvature singularity” within a 3-sphere and it is possible to define what we here call “boosted horizon”, a sort of elastic wall where all particles are surprisingly pushed away, as numerical analysis demonstrates. This seems to suggest that such “boosted geometries” are ruled by a sort of “antigravity effect” since all geodesics seem to refuse to enter the “boosted horizon” and are “reflected” by it, even though their initial conditions are aimed at driving the particles toward the “boosted horizon” itself. Eventually, the equivalence with the coordinate shift method is invoked in order to demonstrate that all δ2 terms appearing in the Riemann curvature tensor give vanishing contribution in distributional sense.

AveBoost2: Boosting for Noisy Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oza, Nikunj C.

2004-01-01

AdaBoost is a well-known ensemble learning algorithm that constructs its constituent or base models in sequence. A key step in AdaBoost is constructing a distribution over the training examples to create each base model. This distribution, represented as a vector, is constructed to be orthogonal to the vector of mistakes made by the pre- vious base model in the sequence. The idea is to make the next base model's errors uncorrelated with those of the previous model. In previous work, we developed an algorithm, AveBoost, that constructed distributions orthogonal to the mistake vectors of all the previous models, and then averaged them to create the next base model s distribution. Our experiments demonstrated the superior accuracy of our approach. In this paper, we slightly revise our algorithm to allow us to obtain non-trivial theoretical results: bounds on the training error and generalization error (difference between training and test error). Our averaging process has a regularizing effect which, as expected, leads us to a worse training error bound for our algorithm than for AdaBoost but a superior generalization error bound. For this paper, we experimented with the data that we used in both as originally supplied and with added label noise-a small fraction of the data has its original label changed. Noisy data are notoriously difficult for AdaBoost to learn. Our algorithm's performance improvement over AdaBoost is even greater on the noisy data than the original data.

Reducing late effects of radiotherapy in average risk medulloblastoma.

PubMed

Ibrahim, Noha Yehia; Abdel Aal, Hisham H; Abdel Kader, Mohamed S; Makaar, Wael S; Shaaban, Ahmed H

2014-03-01

To assess the efficacy and safety in average-risk pediatric medulloblastoma (MB) receiving tumor bed boost irradiation compared to a posterior fossa (PF) boost. Thirty patients were enrolled in the study and divided evenly into two treatment arms of 15. Both arms received 23.4 Gy craniospinal irradiation (CS) and a 32.4 Gy boost. Patients in arm 1 were given PF boosts, and those in arm 2 were given boosts to the gross target volume (GTV). Weekly oncovin was given throughout all radiotherapy (RT). Eight cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy of CCNU, oncovin and platinol were given to all patients after RT. MRI, pure tone audiogram (PTA) and intelligence quotient (IQ) tests were performed before and after RT and every three months thereafter. There were significant differences in the sparing dose to the cochlea and brain stem as well as the volume of the normal brain receiving a 100% dose. There was a significant initial improvement of hearing function in patients given the target volume boost after RT, which was lost after chemotherapy. With a median follow up of 23 months, there was no difference in progression free survival or overall survival between the two arms. Irradiation of the tumor bed after 23.4 Gy craniospinal irradiation for average-risk MB results in similar disease control as a PF boost. Dosimetric sparing for the cochleae and normal tissue is evident in patients receiving tumor bed boosts. The hearing improvement and cognitive function preservation effects of the treatment need more follow up.

An improved fault detection classification and location scheme based on wavelet transform and artificial neural network for six phase transmission line using single end data only.

PubMed

Koley, Ebha; Verma, Khushaboo; Ghosh, Subhojit

2015-01-01

Restrictions on right of way and increasing power demand has boosted development of six phase transmission. It offers a viable alternative for transmitting more power, without major modification in existing structure of three phase double circuit transmission system. Inspite of the advantages, low acceptance of six phase system is attributed to the unavailability of a proper protection scheme. The complexity arising from large number of possible faults in six phase lines makes the protection quite challenging. The proposed work presents a hybrid wavelet transform and modular artificial neural network based fault detector, classifier and locator for six phase lines using single end data only. The standard deviation of the approximate coefficients of voltage and current signals obtained using discrete wavelet transform are applied as input to the modular artificial neural network for fault classification and location. The proposed scheme has been tested for all 120 types of shunt faults with variation in location, fault resistance, fault inception angles. The variation in power system parameters viz. short circuit capacity of the source and its X/R ratio, voltage, frequency and CT saturation has also been investigated. The result confirms the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed protection scheme which makes it ideal for real time implementation.

The GA sulfur-iodine water-splitting process - A status report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Besenbruch, G. E.; Chiger, H. D.; McCorkle, K. H.; Norman, J. H.; Rode, J. S.; Schuster, J. R.; Trester, P. W.

The development of a sulfur-iodine thermal water splitting cycle is described. The process features a 50% thermal efficiency, plus all liquid and gas handling. Basic chemical investigations comprised the development of multitemperature and multistage sulfuric acid boost reactors, defining the phase behavior of the HI/I2/H2O/H3PO4 mixtures, and development of a decomposition process for hydrogen iodide in the liquid phase. Initial process engineering studies have led to a 47% efficiency, improvements of 2% projected, followed by coupling high-temperature solar concentrators to the splitting processes to reduce power requirements. Conceptual flowsheets developed from bench models are provided; materials investigations have concentrated on candidates which can withstand corrosive mixtures at temperatures up to 400 deg K, with Hastelloy C-276 exhibiting the best properties for containment and heat exchange to I2.

Modified Fourier heat flux on MHD flow over stretched cylinder filled with dust, Graphene and silver nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mamatha Upadhya, S.; Raju, C. S. K.; Saleem, S.; Alderremy, A. A.; Mahesha

2018-06-01

A Comprehensive study on laminar, magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) boundary layer flow of nanofluid (water + Silver, water + Graphene) embedded with conducting micrometer sized dust particles over a stretching cylinder with the incorporation of Cattaneo-Christov heat flux model is conducted. Appropriate similarity variables are employed to the flow governing equations and the resulting ordinary differential equations are solved by employing Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg method. The results for varied controlling parameters for both dusty nano fluid and dust phase are shown through graphs, table and discussed in detail. Authentication of the obtained results is provided by comparing with published results. Results indicate that Graphene + water dusty nanofluid shows better heat transfer performance compared with Silver + water dusty nanofluid. Improvement in thermal relaxation boosts temperature distribution in both fluid and dust phase.

Coherent state coding approaches the capacity of non-Gaussian bosonic channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huber, Stefan; König, Robert

2018-05-01

The additivity problem asks if the use of entanglement can boost the information-carrying capacity of a given channel beyond what is achievable by coding with simple product states only. This has recently been shown not to be the case for phase-insensitive one-mode Gaussian channels, but remains unresolved in general. Here we consider two general classes of bosonic noise channels, which include phase-insensitive Gaussian channels as special cases: these are attenuators with general, potentially non-Gaussian environment states and classical noise channels with general probabilistic noise. We show that additivity violations, if existent, are rather minor for all these channels: the maximal gain in classical capacity is bounded by a constant independent of the input energy. Our proof shows that coding by simple classical modulation of coherent states is close to optimal.

The GA sulfur-iodine water-splitting process - A status report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Besenbruch, G. E.; Chiger, H. D.; Mccorkle, K. H.; Norman, J. H.; Rode, J. S.; Schuster, J. R.; Trester, P. W.

1981-01-01

The development of a sulfur-iodine thermal water splitting cycle is described. The process features a 50% thermal efficiency, plus all liquid and gas handling. Basic chemical investigations comprised the development of multitemperature and multistage sulfuric acid boost reactors, defining the phase behavior of the HI/I2/H2O/H3PO4 mixtures, and development of a decomposition process for hydrogen iodide in the liquid phase. Initial process engineering studies have led to a 47% efficiency, improvements of 2% projected, followed by coupling high-temperature solar concentrators to the splitting processes to reduce power requirements. Conceptual flowsheets developed from bench models are provided; materials investigations have concentrated on candidates which can withstand corrosive mixtures at temperatures up to 400 deg K, with Hastelloy C-276 exhibiting the best properties for containment and heat exchange to I2.

Adaptive fuzzy sliding control of single-phase PV grid-connected inverter.

PubMed

Fei, Juntao; Zhu, Yunkai

2017-01-01

In this paper, an adaptive fuzzy sliding mode controller is proposed to control a two-stage single-phase photovoltaic (PV) grid-connected inverter. Two key technologies are discussed in the presented PV system. An incremental conductance method with adaptive step is adopted to track the maximum power point (MPP) by controlling the duty cycle of the controllable power switch of the boost DC-DC converter. An adaptive fuzzy sliding mode controller with an integral sliding surface is developed for the grid-connected inverter where a fuzzy system is used to approach the upper bound of the system nonlinearities. The proposed strategy has strong robustness for the sliding mode control can be designed independently and disturbances can be adaptively compensated. Simulation results of a PV grid-connected system verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, demonstrating the satisfactory robustness and performance.

Dynamic Nuclear Polarization and the Paradox of Quantum Thermalization.

PubMed

De Luca, Andrea; Rosso, Alberto

2015-08-21

Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) is to date the most effective technique to increase the nuclear polarization opening disruptive perspectives for medical applications. In a DNP setting, the interacting spin system is quasi-isolated and brought out of equilibrium by microwave irradiation. Here we show that the resulting stationary state strongly depends on the ergodicity properties of the spin many-body eigenstates. In particular, the dipolar interactions compete with the disorder induced by local magnetic fields resulting in two distinct dynamical phases: while for weak interaction, only a small enhancement of polarization is observed, for strong interactions the spins collectively equilibrate to an extremely low effective temperature that boosts DNP efficiency. We argue that these two phases are intimately related to the problem of thermalization in closed quantum systems where a many-body localization transition can occur varying the strength of the interactions.

Experimental Treatment for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Gets Boost from Existing Medication

MedlinePlus

... Boost from Existing Medication Spotlight on Research Experimental Treatment for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Gets Boost from Existing Medication By Colleen Labbe, M.S. | March 1, 2013 A mouse hanging on a wire during a test of muscle strength. Mice with a mutant dystrophin gene, which ...

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Electric Trolley Boosts Business in

Science.gov Websites

Bakersfield, CaliforniaA> Electric Trolley Boosts Business in Bakersfield, California to someone Business in Bakersfield, California Discover how Bakersfield's electric trolley is giving a green boost to downtown businesses. For information about this project, contact San Joaquin Valley Clean Cities. Download

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

Cho, Kwan Ho; Ahn, Sung Ja; Pyo, Hong Ryull

Purpose: We evaluated the efficacy of synchronous three-dimensional (3D) conformal boost to the gross tumor volume (GTV) in concurrent chemoradiotherapy for patients with locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods and Materials: Eligibility included unresectable Stage III NSCLC with no pleural effusion, no supraclavicular nodal metastases, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance score of 0-1. Forty-nine patients with pathologically proven NSCLC were enrolled. Eighteen patients had Stage IIIA and 31 had Stage IIIB. By using 3D conformal radiotherapy (RT) techniques, a dose of 1.8 Gy was delivered to the planning target volume with a synchronous boost of 0.6 Gy tomore » the GTV, with a total dose of 60 Gy to the GTV and 45 Gy to the planning target volume in 25 fractions during 5 weeks. All patients received weekly chemotherapy consisting of paclitaxel and carboplatin during RT. Results: With a median follow-up of 36.8 months (range, 29.0-45.5 months) for surviving patients, median survival was 28.1 months. One-, 2- and 3-year overall survival rates were 77%, 56.4%, and 43.8%, respectively. Corresponding local progression-free survival rates were 71.2%, 53.7%, and 53.7%. Compliance was 90% for RT and 88% for chemotherapy. Acute esophagitis of Grade 2 or higher occurred in 29 patients. Two patients with T4 lesions died of massive bleeding and hemoptysis during treatment (Grade 5). Overall late toxicity was acceptable. Conclusions: Based on the favorable outcome with acceptable toxicity, the acceleration scheme using 3D conformal GTV boost in this trial is warranted to compare with conventional fractionation in a Phase III trial.« less

Simultaneous bright‐ and black‐blood whole‐heart MRI for noncontrast enhanced coronary lumen and thrombus visualization

PubMed Central

Neji, Radhouene; Phinikaridou, Alkystis; Whitaker, John; Botnar, René M.; Prieto, Claudia

2017-01-01

Purpose To develop a 3D whole‐heart Bright‐blood and black‐blOOd phase SensiTive (BOOST) inversion recovery sequence for simultaneous noncontrast enhanced coronary lumen and thrombus/hemorrhage visualization. Methods The proposed sequence alternates the acquisition of two bright‐blood datasets preceded by different preparatory pulses to obtain variations in blood/myocardium contrast, which then are combined in a phase‐sensitive inversion recovery (PSIR)‐like reconstruction to obtain a third, coregistered, black‐blood dataset. The bright‐blood datasets are used for both visualization of the coronary lumen and motion estimation, whereas the complementary black‐blood dataset potentially allows for thrombus/hemorrhage visualization. Furthermore, integration with 2D image‐based navigation enables 100% scan efficiency and predictable scan times. The proposed sequence was compared to conventional coronary MR angiography (CMRA) and PSIR sequences in a standardized phantom and in healthy subjects. Feasibility for thrombus depiction was tested ex vivo. Results With BOOST, the coronary lumen is visualized with significantly higher (P < 0.05) contrast‐to‐noise ratio and vessel sharpness when compared to conventional CMRA. Furthermore, BOOST showed effective blood signal suppression as well as feasibility for thrombus visualization ex vivo. Conclusion A new PSIR sequence for noncontrast enhanced simultaneous coronary lumen and thrombus/hemorrhage detection was developed. The sequence provided improved coronary lumen depiction and showed potential for thrombus visualization. Magn Reson Med 79:1460–1472, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. PMID:28722267

Radiative cooling of swept up gas in AGN-driven galactic winds and its implications for molecular outflows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richings, Alexander J.; Faucher-Giguére, Claude-André

2018-05-01

We recently used hydro-chemical simulations to demonstrate that molecular outflows observed in luminous quasars can be explained by molecule formation within the AGN wind. However, these simulations cover a limited parameter space, due to their computational cost. We have therefore developed an analytic model to follow cooling in the shocked ISM layer of an AGN wind. We explore different ambient densities (1-104 {cm}^{-3}), density profile slopes (0-1.5), AGN luminosities (1044-10^{47} {erg} {s}^{-1}), and metallicities (0.1-3 Z⊙). The swept up gas mostly cools within ˜1 Myr. Based on our previous simulations, we predict that this gas would produce observable molecular outflows. The instantaneous momentum boost initially increases as the outflow decelerates. However, it reaches a maximum of ≈20, due to work done against the gravitational potential. The predicted time-averaged observational estimate of the molecular outflow momentum boost reaches a maximum of ≈1 -2, partly due to our assumed molecular fraction, 0.2, but also because the instantaneous and observational, time-averaged definitions are not equivalent. Thus recent observational estimates of order unity momentum boosts do not necessarily rule out energy-driven outflows. Finally, we find that dust grains are likely to re-form by accretion of metals after the shocked ISM layer has cooled, assuming that a small fraction of dust grains swept up after this layer has cooled are able to mix into the cool phase, and assuming that grain growth remains efficient in the presence of the strong AGN radiation field. This would enable rapid molecule formation, as assumed in our models.

Phase I/II Trial of Hyperfractionated Concomitant Boost Proton Radiotherapy for Supratentorial Glioblastoma Multiforme

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

Mizumoto, Masashi; Tsuboi, Koji, E-mail: tsuboi@pmrc.tsukuba.ac.j; Department of Neurosurgery, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki

2010-05-01

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of postoperative hyperfractionated concomitant boost proton radiotherapy with nimustine hydrochloride for supratentorial glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Methods and Materials: Twenty patients with histologically confirmed supratentorial GBM met the following criteria: (1) a Karnofsky performance status of >=60; (2) the diameter of the enhanced area before radiotherapy was <=40 cm; and (3) the enhanced area did not extend to the brain stem, hypothalamus, or thalamus. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T{sub 2}-weighted high area (clinical tumor volume 3 [CTV3]) was treated by x-ray radiotherapy in the morning (50.4 Gy in 28 fractions). More than 6 hoursmore » later, 250 MeV proton beams were delivered to the enhanced area plus a 10-mm margin (CTV2) in the first half of the protocol (23.1 GyE in 14 fractions) and to the enhanced volume (CTV1) in the latter half (23.1 GyE in 14 fraction). The total dose to the CTV1 was 96.6 GyE. Nimustine hydrochloride (80 mg/m2) was administered during the first and fourth weeks. Results: Acute toxicity was mainly hematologic and was controllable. Late radiation necrosis and leukoencephalopathy were each seen in one patient. The overall survival rates after 1 and 2 years were 71.1% and 45.3%, respectively. The median survival period was 21.6 months. The 1- and 2-year progression-free survival rates were 45.0% and 15.5%, respectively. The median MRI change-free survival was 11.2 months. Conclusions: Hyperfractionated concomitant boost proton radiotherapy (96.6 GyE in 56 fractions) for GBM was tolerable and beneficial if the target size was well considered. Further studies are warranted to pursue the possibility of controlling border region recurrences.« less

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

Johns, Kenneth

BOOST 2013 was the 5th International Joint Theory/Experiment Workshop on Phenomenology, Reconstruction and Searches for Boosted Objects in High Energy Hadron Collisions. It was locally organized and hosted by the Experimental High Energy Physics Group at the University of Arizona and held at Flagstaff, Arizona on August 12-16, 2013. The workshop provided a forum for theorists and experimentalists to present and discuss the latest findings related to the reconstruction of boosted objects in high energy hadron collisions and their use in searches for new physics. This report gives the outcomes of the BOOST 2013 Workshop.

Use of nonlinear design optimization techniques in the comparison of battery discharger topologies for the space platform

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sable, Dan M.; Cho, Bo H.; Lee, Fred C.

1990-01-01

A detailed comparison of a boost converter, a voltage-fed, autotransformer converter, and a multimodule boost converter, designed specifically for the space platform battery discharger, is performed. Computer-based nonlinear optimization techniques are used to facilitate an objective comparison. The multimodule boost converter is shown to be the optimum topology at all efficiencies. The margin is greatest at 97 percent efficiency. The multimodule, multiphase boost converter combines the advantages of high efficiency, light weight, and ample margin on the component stresses, thus ensuring high reliability.

Boosted Schwarzschild metrics from a Kerr–Schild perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mädler, Thomas; Winicour, Jeffrey

2018-02-01

The Kerr–Schild version of the Schwarzschild metric contains a Minkowski background which provides a definition of a boosted black hole. There are two Kerr–Schild versions corresponding to ingoing or outgoing principle null directions. We show that the two corresponding Minkowski backgrounds and their associated boosts have an unexpected difference. We analyze this difference and discuss the implications in the nonlinear regime for the gravitational memory effect resulting from the ejection of massive particles from an isolated system. We show that the nonlinear effect agrees with the linearized result based upon the retarded Green function only if the velocity of the ejected particle corresponds to a boost symmetry of the ingoing Minkowski background. A boost with respect to the outgoing Minkowski background is inconsistent with the absence of ingoing radiation from past null infinity.

Design and dSpace interfacing of current fed high gain dc to dc boost converter for low voltage applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukhopadhyay, Debraj; Das, Subhrajit; Arunkumar, G.; Elangovan, D.; Ragunath, G.

2017-11-01

In this paper a current fed interleaved DC - DC boost converter which has an isolated topology and used for high voltage step up is proposed. A basic DC to DC boost converter converts uncontrolled DC voltage into controlled DC voltage of higher magnitude. Whereas this topology has the advantages of lower input current ripple, lesser output voltage, lesser stress on switches, faster transient response, improved reliability and much lesser electromagnetic emission over the conventional DC to DC boost converter. Most important benefit of this interleaved DC to DC boost converter is much higher efficiency. The input current is divided into two paths, substantially ohmic loss (I2R) and inductor ac loss gets reduced and finally the system achieves much higher efficiency. With recent mandates on energy saving interleaved DC to DC boost converter may be used as a very powerful tool to maintain good power density keeping the input current manageable. Higher efficiency also allows higher switching frequency and as a result the topology becomes more compact and cost friendly. The proposed topology boosts 48v DC to 200 V DC. Switching frequency is 100 kHz and PSIM 9.1 Platform has been used for the simulation.

Conditional Random Field (CRF)-Boosting: Constructing a Robust Online Hybrid Boosting Multiple Object Tracker Facilitated by CRF Learning

PubMed Central

Yang, Ehwa; Gwak, Jeonghwan; Jeon, Moongu

2017-01-01

Due to the reasonably acceptable performance of state-of-the-art object detectors, tracking-by-detection is a standard strategy for visual multi-object tracking (MOT). In particular, online MOT is more demanding due to its diverse applications in time-critical situations. A main issue of realizing online MOT is how to associate noisy object detection results on a new frame with previously being tracked objects. In this work, we propose a multi-object tracker method called CRF-boosting which utilizes a hybrid data association method based on online hybrid boosting facilitated by a conditional random field (CRF) for establishing online MOT. For data association, learned CRF is used to generate reliable low-level tracklets and then these are used as the input of the hybrid boosting. To do so, while existing data association methods based on boosting algorithms have the necessity of training data having ground truth information to improve robustness, CRF-boosting ensures sufficient robustness without such information due to the synergetic cascaded learning procedure. Further, a hierarchical feature association framework is adopted to further improve MOT accuracy. From experimental results on public datasets, we could conclude that the benefit of proposed hybrid approach compared to the other competitive MOT systems is noticeable. PMID:28304366

Modeling and analysis of fractional order DC-DC converter.

PubMed

Radwan, Ahmed G; Emira, Ahmed A; AbdelAty, Amr M; Azar, Ahmad Taher

2017-07-11

Due to the non-idealities of commercial inductors, the demand for a better model that accurately describe their dynamic response is elevated. So, the fractional order models of Buck, Boost and Buck-Boost DC-DC converters are presented in this paper. The detailed analysis is made for the two most common modes of converter operation: Continuous Conduction Mode (CCM) and Discontinuous Conduction Mode (DCM). Closed form time domain expressions are derived for inductor currents, voltage gain, average current, conduction time and power efficiency where the effect of the fractional order inductor is found to be strongly present. For example, the peak inductor current at steady state increases with decreasing the inductor order. Advanced Design Systems (ADS) circuit simulations are used to verify the derived formulas, where the fractional order inductor is simulated using Valsa Constant Phase Element (CPE) approximation and Generalized Impedance Converter (GIC). Different simulation results are introduced with good matching to the theoretical formulas for the three DC-DC converter topologies under different fractional orders. A comprehensive comparison with the recently published literature is presented to show the advantages and disadvantages of each approach. Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Technology Insight: Combined external-beam radiation therapy and brachytherapy in the management of prostate cancer.

PubMed

Hurwitz, Mark D

2008-11-01

External-beam radiation therapy (EBRT) combined with brachytherapy is an attractive treatment option for selected patients with clinically localized prostate cancer. This therapeutic strategy offers dosimetric coverage if local-regional microscopic disease is present and provides a highly conformal boost of radiation to the prostate and immediate surrounding tissues. Either low-dose-rate (LDR) permanent brachytherapy or high-dose-rate (HDR) temporary brachytherapy can be combined with EBRT; such combined-modality therapy (CMT) is typically used to treat patients with intermediate-risk to high-risk, clinically localized disease. Controversy persists with regard to indications for CMT, choice of LDR or HDR boost, isotope selection for LDR, and integration of EBRT and brachytherapy. Initial findings from prospective, multicenter trials of CMT support the feasibility of this strategy. Updated results from these trials as well as those of ongoing and new phase III trials should help to define the role of CMT in the management of prostate cancer. In the meantime, long-term expectations for outcomes of CMT are based largely on the experience of single institutions, which demonstrate that CMT with EBRT and either LDR or HDR brachytherapy can provide freedom from disease recurrence with acceptable toxicity.

Older adults get episodic memory boosting from noninvasive stimulation of prefrontal cortex during learning.

PubMed

Sandrini, Marco; Manenti, Rosa; Brambilla, Michela; Cobelli, Chiara; Cohen, Leonardo G; Cotelli, Maria

2016-03-01

Episodic memory displays the largest degree of age-related decline, a process that is accelerated in pathological conditions such as amnestic mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Previous studies have shown that the left lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) contributes to the encoding of episodic memories along the life span. The aim of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to test the hypothesis that anodal trascranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left lateral PFC during the learning phase would enhance delayed recall of verbal episodic memories in elderly individuals. Older adults learned a list of words while receiving anodal or placebo (sham) tDCS. Memory recall was tested 48 hours and 1 month later. The results showed that anodal tDCS strengthened episodic memories, an effect indicated by enhanced delayed recall (48 hours) compared to placebo stimulation (Cohen's d effect size = 1.01). The observation that PFC-tDCS during learning can boost verbal episodic memory in the elderly opens up the possibility to design-specific neurorehabilitation protocols targeted to conditions that affect episodic memory such as mild cognitive impairment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Aircraft symmetric flight optimization. [gradient techniques for supersonic aircraft control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Falco, M.; Kelley, H. J.

1973-01-01

Review of the development of gradient techniques and their application to aircraft optimal performance computations in the vertical plane of flight. Results obtained using the method of gradients are presented for attitude- and throttle-control programs which extremize the fuel, range, and time performance indices subject to various trajectory and control constraints, including boundedness of engine throttle control. A penalty function treatment of state inequality constraints which generally appear in aircraft performance problems is outlined. Numerical results for maximum-range, minimum-fuel, and minimum-time climb paths for a hypothetical supersonic turbojet interceptor are presented and discussed. In addition, minimum-fuel climb paths subject to various levels of ground overpressure intensity constraint are indicated for a representative supersonic transport. A variant of the Gel'fand-Tsetlin 'method of ravines' is reviewed, and two possibilities for further development of continuous gradient processes are cited - namely, a projection version of conjugate gradients and a curvilinear search.

The effects of scattering on the relative LPI performance of optical and mm-wave systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oetting, John; Hampton, Jerry

1988-01-01

Previous results comparing the LPI performance of optical and millimeter-wave satellite systems is extended to include the effects of scattering on optical LPI performance. The LPI figure of merit used to compare the two media is the circular equivalent vulnerability radius (CEVR). The CEVR is calculated for typical optical and spread spectrum millimeter-wave systems, and the LPI performance tradeoffs available with each medium are compared. Attention is given to the possibility that light will be scattered into the interceptor's FOV and thereby enable detection in geometries in which interception of the main beam is impossible. The effects of daytime vs. nighttime operation of the optical LPI system are also considered. Some illustrative results for the case of a ground-to-space uplink to a low earth orbit satellite are presented, along with some conclusions and unresolved issues for further study.

Automatically generated acceptance test: A software reliability experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Protzel, Peter W.

1988-01-01

This study presents results of a software reliability experiment investigating the feasibility of a new error detection method. The method can be used as an acceptance test and is solely based on empirical data about the behavior of internal states of a program. The experimental design uses the existing environment of a multi-version experiment previously conducted at the NASA Langley Research Center, in which the launch interceptor problem is used as a model. This allows the controlled experimental investigation of versions with well-known single and multiple faults, and the availability of an oracle permits the determination of the error detection performance of the test. Fault interaction phenomena are observed that have an amplifying effect on the number of error occurrences. Preliminary results indicate that all faults examined so far are detected by the acceptance test. This shows promise for further investigations, and for the employment of this test method on other applications.

Armored garment for protecting

DOEpatents

Purvis, James W [Albuquerque, NM; Jones, II, Jack F.; Whinery, Larry D [Albuquerque, NM; Brazfield, Richard [Albuquerque, NM; Lawrie, Catherine [Tijeras, NM; Lawrie, David [Tijeras, NM; Preece, Dale S [Watkins, CO

2009-08-11

A lightweight, armored protective garment for protecting an arm or leg from blast superheated gases, blast overpressure shock, shrapnel, and spall from a explosive device, such as a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) or a roadside Improvised Explosive Device (IED). The garment has a ballistic sleeve made of a ballistic fabric, such as an aramid fiber (e.g., KEVLAR.RTM.) cloth, that prevents thermal burns from the blast superheated gases, while providing some protection from fragments. Additionally, the garment has two or more rigid armor inserts that cover the upper and lower arm and protect against high-velocity projectiles, shrapnel and spall. The rigid inserts can be made of multiple plies of a carbon/epoxy composite laminate. The combination of 6 layers of KEVLAR.RTM. fabric and 28 plies of carbon/epoxy laminate inserts (with the inserts being sandwiched in-between the KEVLAR.RTM. layers), can meet the level IIIA fragmentation minimum V.sub.50 requirements for the US Interceptor Outer Tactical Vest.

Basic and applied studies of the ram accelerator as a hypervelocity projectile launcher

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruckner, Adam P.; Knowlen, Carl

1993-12-01

The potential of using ram accelerator technology for an impulsive launcher of autonomously guided interceptors, such as the LEAP, has been studied during this contract period. In addition, fundamental investigations on some of the engineering issues which must be addressed for enabling ram accelerator propulsive modes to operate at 4 km/sec have been undertaken. An experimental investigation of the gas dynamic limits of ram accelerator operation has demonstrated the existence of two distinct limiting mechanisms that must be accounted for when designing projectiles for these launchers. Other experiments were conducted to make detailed pressure measurements of the flow fields at the tube walls to study the effects of projectile canting. Results from this LEAP launcher study and the experimental investigations indicate that the ram accelerator technology is well suited for applications as a transportable launcher capable of meeting the needs of theater ballistic missile defense missions.

USAF bioenvironmental noise data handbook. Volume 158: F-106A aircraft, near and far-field noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rau, T. H.

1982-05-01

The USAF F-106A is a single seat, all-weather fighter/interceptor aircraft powered by a J75-P-17 turbojet engine. This report provides measured and extrapolated data defining the bioacoustic environments produced by this aircraft operating on a concrete runup pad for five engine-power conditions. Near-field data are reported for five locations in a wide variety of physical and psychoacoustic measures: overall and band sound pressure levels, C-weighted and A-weighted sound levels, preferred speech interference level, perceived noise levels, and limiting times for total daily exposure of personnel with and without standard Air Force ear protectors. Far-field data measured at 19 locations are normalized to standard meteorological conditions and extrapolated from 75 - 8000 meters to derive sets of equal-value contours for these same seven acoustic measures as functions of angle and distance from the source.

Quantification of the interceptor action of caffeine on the in vitro biological effect of the anti-tumour agent topotecan.

PubMed

Evstigneev, M P; Mosunov, A A; Evstigneev, V P; Parkes, H G; Davies, D B

2011-08-01

Using published in vitro data on the dependence of the percentage of apoptosis induced by the anti-cancer drug topotecan in a leukaemia cell line on the concentration of added caffeine, and a general model of competitive binding in a system containing two aromatic drugs and DNA, it has been shown to be possible to quantify the relative change in the biological effect just using a set of component concentrations and equilibrium constants of the complexation of the drugs. It is also proposed that a general model of competitive binding and parameterization of that model may potentially be applied to any system of DNA-targeting aromatic drugs under in vitro conditions. The main reasons underpinning the proposal are the general feature of the complexation of aromatic drugs with DNA and their interaction in physiological media via hetero-association.

STS-49 crew in JSC's FB Shuttle Mission Simulator (SMS) during simulation

NASA Image and Video Library

1992-02-19

S92-29406 (Feb 1992) --- Three mission specialists assigned to the STS-49 flight occupy temporary stations on the "middeck" of a Johnson Space Center (JSC) Shuttle trainer during a rehearsal of Endeavour's launch and entry phases. Left to right are astronauts Thomas D. Akers, Kathryn C. Thornton and Pierre J. Thuot. The three, along with four other NASA astronauts, will be aboard Endeavour in May for a week-long mission during which a satellite will be retrieved and boosted toward a higher orbit and extravehicular activity evaluations for Space Station Freedom assembly techniques will be conducted.

KSC-2009-5208

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-09-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Approaching rain clouds at dawn hover over Central Florida's east coast, effectively causing the scrub of the Space Tracking and Surveillance System - Demonstrator spacecraft from Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. STSS Demo is a space-based sensor component of a layered Ballistic Missile Defense System designed for the overall mission of detection, tracking and discriminating ballistic missiles. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency between 8 and 8:58 a.m. EDT Sept. 24. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2009-2716

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-16

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Complex 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the mobile service tower at right moves toward the first stage of the Delta II rocket. The boosters in the tower will be attached to the rocket for launch of the STSS Demonstrator spacecraft. The STSS Demonstrators is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator and is part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency on July 29. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2009-2717

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-16

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Complex 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the mobile service tower at right moves closer to the first stage of the Delta II rocket. The boosters in the tower will be attached to the rocket for launch of the STSS Demonstrator spacecraft. The STSS Demonstrators is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator and is part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency on July 29. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2009-2713

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-16

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Complex 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, a third solid rocket booster is raised from the transporter. It will join the others in the mobile service tower for attachment to the Delta II rocket that will launch the STSS Demonstrator spacecraft. The STSS Demonstrators is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator and is part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency on July 29. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2009-2712

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-16

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Complex 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, a third solid rocket booster is raised from the transporter. It will join the others in the mobile service tower for attachment to the Delta II rocket that will launch the STSS Demonstrator spacecraft. The STSS Demonstrators is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator and is part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency on July 29. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2009-2714

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-16

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Complex 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, a third solid rocket booster is lifted into the mobile service tower next to the other two. The boosters will be attached to the Delta II rocket that will launch the STSS Demonstrator spacecraft. The STSS Demonstrators is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator and is part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency on July 29. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2009-5068

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-08-27

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The enclosed Space Tracking and Surveillance System – Demonstrators, or STSS-Demo, spacecraft arrives on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Pad 17-B. The STSS Demo is a space-based sensor component of a layered Ballistic Missile Defense System designed for the overall mission of detecting, tracking and discriminating ballistic missiles. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency between 8 and 8:58 a.m. EDT Sept. 18. Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-04886 (10 SEPT 09) Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2009-3662

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-05-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, the shipping container with the STSS Demonstrator SV-2spacecraft moves out of the U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft. The spacecraft will be transferred to the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller (Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4616 [27 May 09])

KSC-2009-2666

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-15

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 17-B in Florida, the first stage of a Delta II rocket is raised to vertical before it can be moved into the mobile service tower for processing. The rocket is the launch vehicle for the STSS Demonstrators Program. STSS Demonstrators Program is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator and is part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency on July 29. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2009-2662

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-15

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The first stage of a Delta II rocket arrives on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 17-B in Florida. The rocket is the launch vehicle for the STSS Demonstrators Program and will be raised and lifted into the mobile service tower for processing. STSS Demonstrators Program is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator and is part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency on July 29. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2009-2661

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-15

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The first stage of a Delta II rocket arrives on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 17-B in Florida. The rocket is the launch vehicle for the STSS Demonstrators Program and will be raised and lifted into the mobile service tower for processing. STSS Demonstrators Program is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator and is part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency on July 29. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2009-2667

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-15

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 17-B in Florida, after being raised to vertical, the first stage of a Delta II rocket will be lifted into the mobile service tower on for processing. The rocket is the launch vehicle for the STSS Demonstrators Program. STSS Demonstrators Program is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator and is part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency on July 29. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2009-3658

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-05-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft arrives at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility with its cargo of the STSS Demonstrator SV-2 spacecraft. The spacecraft will be transferred to the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller (Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4616 [27 May 09])

KSC-2009-4611

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-25

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft arrives at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility with its SV-1 cargo of the STSS Demonstrator spacecraft. The cargo will be transferred to the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett (Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4804 [4 Aug 09] )

KSC-2009-4612

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-25

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, the SV-1 cargo of the STSS Demonstrator spacecraft moves out of the U.S. Air Force C-17. The cargo will be transferred to the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett (Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4804 [4 Aug 09] )

KSC-2009-2663

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-15

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 17-B in Florida, the first stage of a Delta II rocket is prepared to lift it into the mobile service tower for processing. The rocket is the launch vehicle for the STSS Demonstrators Program . STSS Demonstrators Program is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator and is part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency on July 29. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2009-2665

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-15

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 17-B in Florida, the first stage of a Delta II rocket is raised to vertical before it can be moved into the mobile service tower for processing. The rocket is the launch vehicle for the STSS Demonstrators Program. STSS Demonstrators Program is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator and is part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency on July 29. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2009-3660

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-05-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, more equipment for the STSS Demonstrator SV-2 spacecraft is offloaded from the U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft. The spacecraft will be transferred to the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla.The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller (Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4616 [27 May 09])

KSC-2009-4613

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-25

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, the SV-1 cargo of the STSS Demonstrator spacecraft moves out of the U.S. Air Force C-17. The cargo will be transferred to the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett (Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4804 [4 Aug 09] )

High-Dose Split-Course Radiation Therapy for Anal Cancer: Outcome Analysis Regarding the Boost Strategy (CORS-03 Study)

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

Hannoun-Levi, Jean-Michel, E-mail: jean-michel.hannoun-levi@nice.fnclcc.fr; Cercle des Oncologues Radiotherapeutes du Sud; Ortholan, Cecile

2011-07-01

Purpose: To retrospectively assess the clinical outcome in anal cancer patients treated with split-course radiation therapy and boosted through external-beam radiation therapy (EBRT) or brachytherapy (BCT). Methods and Materials: From January 2000 to December 2004, a selected group (162 patients) with invasive nonmetastatic anal squamous cell carcinoma was studied. Tumor staging reported was T1 = 31 patients (19%), T2 = 77 patients (48%), T3 = 42 patients (26%), and T4= 12 patients (7%). Lymph node status was N0-1 (86%) and N2-3 (14%). Patients underwent a first course of EBRT: mean dose 45.1 Gy (range, 39.5-50) followed by a boost: meanmore » dose 17.9 Gy (range, 8-25) using EBRT (76 patients, 47%) or BCT (86 patients, 53%). All characteristics of patients and tumors were well balanced between the BCT and EBRT groups. Results: The mean overall treatment time (OTT) was 82 days (range, 45-143) and 67 days (range, 37-128) for the EBRT and BCT groups, respectively (p < 0.001). The median follow-up was 62 months (range, 2-108). The 5-year cumulative rate of local recurrence (CRLR) was 21%. In the univariate analysis, the prognostic factors for CRLR were as follows: T stage (T1-2 = 15% vs. T3-4 = 36%, p = 0.03), boost technique (BCT = 12% vs. EBRT = 33%, p = 0.002) and OTT (OTT <80 days = 14%, OTT {>=}80 days = 34%, p = 0.005). In the multivariate analysis, BCT boost was the unique prognostic factor (hazard ratio = 0.62 (0.41-0.92). In the subgroup of patients with OTT <80 days, the 5-year CRLR was significantly increased with the BCT boost (BC = 9% vs. EBRT = 28%, p = 0.03). In the case of OTT {>=}80 days, the 5-year CRLR was not affected by the boost technique (BCT = 29% vs. EBRT = 38%, p = 0.21). Conclusion: In anal cancer, when OTT is <80 days, BCT boost is superior to EBRT boost for CRLR. These results suggest investigating the benefit of BCT boost in prospective trials.« less

Skin dose differences between intensity-modulated radiation therapy and volumetric-modulated arc therapy and between boost and integrated treatment regimens for treating head and neck and other cancer sites in patients

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

Penoncello, Gregory P.; Ding, George X., E-mail: george.ding@vanderbilt.edu

The purpose of this study was (1) to evaluate dose to skin between volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment techniques for target sites in the head and neck, pelvis, and brain and (2) to determine if the treatment dose and fractionation regimen affect the skin dose between traditional sequential boost and integrated boost regimens for patients with head and neck cancer. A total of 19 patients and 48 plans were evaluated. The Eclipse (v11) treatment planning system was used to plan therapy in 9 patients with head and neck cancer, 5 patients with prostate cancer, andmore » 5 patients with brain cancer with VMAT and static-field IMRT. The mean skin dose and the maximum dose to a contiguous volume of 2 cm{sup 3} for head and neck plans and brain plans and a contiguous volume of 5 cm{sup 3} for pelvis plans were compared for each treatment technique. Of the 9 patients with head and neck cancer, 3 underwent an integrated boost regimen. One integrated boost plan was replanned with IMRT and VMAT using a traditional boost regimen. For target sites located in the head and neck, VMAT reduced the mean dose and contiguous hot spot most noticeably in the shoulder region by 5.6% and 5.4%, respectively. When using an integrated boost regimen, the contiguous hot spot skin dose in the shoulder was larger on average than a traditional boost pattern by 26.5% and the mean skin dose was larger by 1.7%. VMAT techniques largely decrease the contiguous hot spot in the skin in the pelvis by an average of 36% compared with IMRT. For the same target coverage, VMAT can reduce the skin dose in all the regions of the body, but more noticeably in the shoulders in patients with head and neck and pelvis cancer. We also found that using integrated boost regimens in patients with head and neck cancer leads to higher shoulder skin doses compared with traditional boost regimens.« less

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

Jabbari, Siavash; Weinberg, Vivian K.; Kaprealian, Tania

Purpose: High dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy has been established as an excellent monotherapy or after external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) boost treatment for prostate cancer (PCa). Recently, dosimetric studies have demonstrated the potential for achieving similar dosimetry with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) compared with HDR brachytherapy. Here, we report our technique, PSA nadir, and acute and late toxicity with SBRT as monotherapy and post-EBRT boost for PCa using HDR brachytherapy fractionation. Patients and Methods: To date, 38 patients have been treated with SBRT at University of California-San Francisco with a minimum follow-up of 12 months. Twenty of 38 patients were treated withmore » SBRT monotherapy (9.5 Gy Multiplication-Sign 4 fractions), and 18 were treated with SBRT boost (9.5 Gy Multiplication-Sign 2 fractions) post-EBRT and androgen deprivation therapy. PSA nadir to date for 44 HDR brachytherapy boost patients with disease characteristics similar to the SBRT boost cohort was also analyzed as a descriptive comparison. Results: SBRT was well tolerated. With a median follow-up of 18.3 months (range, 12.6-43.5), 42% and 11% of patients had acute Grade 2 gastrourinary and gastrointestinal toxicity, respectively, with no Grade 3 or higher acute toxicity to date. Two patients experienced late Grade 3 GU toxicity. All patients are without evidence of biochemical or clinical progression to date, and favorably low PSA nadirs have been observed with a current median PSA nadir of 0.35 ng/mL (range, <0.01-2.1) for all patients (0.47 ng/mL, range, 0.2-2.1 for the monotherapy cohort; 0.10 ng/mL, range, 0.01-0.5 for the boost cohort). With a median follow-up of 48.6 months (range, 16.4-87.8), the comparable HDR brachytherapy boost cohort has achieved a median PSA nadir of 0.09 ng/mL (range, 0.0-3.3). Conclusions: Early results with SBRT monotherapy and post-EBRT boost for PCa demonstrate acceptable PSA response and minimal toxicity. PSA nadir with SBRT boost appears comparable to those achieved with HDR brachytherapy boost.« less

Missile sizing for ascent-phase intercept

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

Hull, D.G.; Salguero, D.E.

1994-11-01

A computer code has been developed to determine the size of a ground-launched, multistage missile which can intercept a theater ballistic missile before it leaves the atmosphere. Typical final conditions for the inteceptor are 450 km range, 60 km altitude, and 80 sec flight time. Given the payload mass (35 kg), which includes a kinetic kill vehicle, and achievable values for the stage mass fractions (0.85), the stage specific impulses (290 sec), and the vehicle density (60 lb/ft{sup 3}), the launch mass is minimized with respect to the stage payload mass ratios, the stage burn times, and the missile anglemore » of attack history subject to limits on the angle of attack (10 deg), the dynamic pressure (60,000 psf), and the maneuver load (200,000 psf deg). For a conical body, the minimum launch mass is approximately 1900 kg. The missile has three stages, and the payload coasts for 57 sec. A trade study has been performed by varying the flight time, the range, and the dynamic pressure Emits. With the results of a sizing study for a 70 lb payload and q{sub max} = 35,000 psf, a more detailed design has been carried out to determine heat shield mass, tabular aerodynamics, and altitude dependent thrust. The resulting missile has approximately 100 km less range than the sizing program predicted primarily because of the additional mass required for heat protection. On the other hand, launching the same missile from an aircraft increases its range by approximately 100 km. Sizing the interceptor for air launch with the same final conditions as the ground-launched missile reduces its launch mass to approximately 1000 kg.« less

The effects of feeding unpredictability and classical conditioning on pre-release training of white-lipped peccary (Mammalia, Tayassuidae).

PubMed

Nogueira, Selene S C; Abreu, Shauana A; Peregrino, Helderes; Nogueira-Filho, Sérgio L G

2014-01-01

Some authors have suggested that environmental unpredictability, accompanied by some sort of signal for behavioral conditioning, can boost activity or foster exploratory behavior, which may increase post-release success in re-introduction programs. Thus, using white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari), a vulnerable Neotropical species, as a model, we evaluated an unpredictable feeding schedule. Associating this with the effect of classical conditioning on behavioral activities, we assessed the inclusion of this approach in pre-release training protocols. The experimental design comprised predictable feeding phases (control phases: C1, C2 and C3) and unpredictable feeding phases (U1- signaled and U2- non-signaled). The animals explored more during the signaled and non-signaled unpredictable phases and during the second control phase (C2) than during the other two predictable phases (C1 and C3). The peccaries also spent less time feeding during the signaled unpredictable phase (U1) and the following control phase (C2) than during the other phases. Moreover, they spent more time in aggressive encounters during U1 than the other experimental phases. However, the animals did not show differences in the time they spent on affiliative interactions or in the body weight change during the different phases. The signaled unpredictability, besides improving foraging behavior, showing a prolonged effect on the next control phase (C2), also increased the competition for food. The signaled feeding unpredictability schedule, mimicking wild conditions by eliciting the expression of naturalistic behaviors in pre-release training, may be essential to fully prepare them for survival in the wild.

Alternative Fuels Data Center: New York Coalition Helps Local Alternative

Science.gov Websites

Fuel Station Boost Revenue New York Coalition Helps Local Alternative Fuel Station Boost Revenue to someone by E-mail Share Alternative Fuels Data Center: New York Coalition Helps Local Alternative Fuel Station Boost Revenue on Facebook Tweet about Alternative Fuels Data Center: New York

Series Connected Buck-Boost Regulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Birchenough, Arthur G. (Inventor)

2006-01-01

A Series Connected Buck-Boost Regulator (SCBBR) that switches only a fraction of the input power, resulting in relatively high efficiencies. The SCBBR has multiple operating modes including a buck, a boost, and a current limiting mode, so that an output voltage of the SCBBR ranges from below the source voltage to above the source voltage.

Using injectable hydrogel markers to assess resimulation for boost target volume definition in a patient undergoing whole-breast radiotherapy

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

Patel, Henal; Goyal, Sharad; Kim, Leonard, E-mail: kimlh@rutgers.edu

Several publications have recommended that patients undergoing whole-breast radiotherapy be resimulated for boost planning. The rationale for this is that the seroma may be smaller when compared with the initial simulation. However, the decision remains whether to use the earlier or later images to define an appropriate boost target volume. A patient undergoing whole-breast radiotherapy had new, injectable, temporary hydrogel fiducial markers placed 1 to 3 cm from the seroma at the time of initial simulation. The patient was resimulated 4.5 weeks later for conformal photon boost planning. Computed tomography (CT) scans acquired at the beginning and the end ofmore » whole-breast radiotherapy showed that shrinkage of the lumpectomy cavity was not matched by a corresponding reduction in the surrounding tissue volume, as demarcated by hydrogel markers. This observation called into question the usual interpretation of cavity shrinkage for boost target definition. For this patient, it was decided to define the boost target volume on the initial planning CT instead of the new CT.« less

HIV-DNA priming alters T-cell responses to HIV-adenovirus vaccine even when responses to DNA are undetectable1

PubMed Central

De Rosa, Stephen C.; Thomas, Evan P.; Bui, John; Huang, Yunda; deCamp, Allan; Morgan, Cecilia; Kalams, Spyros; Tomaras, Georgia D.; Akondy, Rama; Ahmed, Rafi; Lau, Chuen-Yen; Graham, Barney S.; Nabel, Gary J.; McElrath, M. Juliana

2011-01-01

Many candidate HIV vaccines are designed to primarily elicit T-cell responses. Although repeated immunization with the same vaccine boosts antibody responses, the benefit for T-cell responses is ill-defined. We compared two immunization regimens that include the same recombinant adenoviral serotype 5 (rAd5) boost. Repeated homologous rAd5 immunization fails to increase T-cell responses, but increases gp140 antibody responses ten-fold. DNA prime, as compared with rAd5 prime, directs long-term memory CD8+ T cells toward a terminally differentiated effector memory phenotype with cytotoxic potential. Based on the kinetics of activated cells measured directly ex vivo, the DNA vaccination primes for both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, despite the lack of detection of the latter until after the boost. These results suggest that heterologous prime-boost combinations have distinct immunological advantages over homologous prime-boosts, and suggest that the effect of DNA on subsequent boosting may not be easily detectable directly after the DNA vaccination. PMID:21844392

Can we predict Acute Medical readmissions using the BOOST tool? A retrospective case note review.

PubMed

Lee, Geraldine A; Freedman, Daniel; Beddoes, Penelope; Lyness, Emily; Nixon, Imogen; Srivastava, Vivek

2016-01-01

Readmissions within 30-days of hospital discharge are a problem. The aim was to determine if the Better Outcomes for Older Adults through Safe Transitions (BOOST) risk assessment tool was applicable within the UK. Patients over 65 readmitted were identified retrospectively via a casenote review. BOOST assessment was applied with 1 point for each risk factor. 324 patients were readmitted (mean age 77 years) with a median of 7 days between discharge and readmission. The median BOOST score was 3 (IQR 2-4) with polypharmacy evident in 88% and prior hospitalisation in 70%. The tool correctly predicted 90% of readmissions using two or more risk factors and 99.1% if one risk factor was included. The BOOST assessment tool appears appropriate in predicting readmissions however further analysis is required to determine its precision.

Longitudinal hydrodynamics from event-by-event Landau initial conditions

DOE PAGES

Sen, Abhisek; Gerhard, Jochen; Torrieri, Giorgio; ...

2015-02-02

Here we investigate three-dimensional ideal hydrodynamic evolution, with Landau initial conditions, incorporating event-by-event variation with many events and transverse density inhomogeneities. We show that the transition to boost-invariant flow occurs too late for realistic setups, with corrections of θ (20%-30%) expected at freeze-out for most scenarios. Moreover, the deviation from boost invariance is correlated with both transverse flow and elliptic flow, with the more highly transversely flowing regions also showing the most violation of boost invariance. Therefore, if longitudinal flow is not fully developed at the early stages of heavy ion collisions, hydrodynamics where boost invariance holds at midrapidity ismore » inadequate to extract transport coefficients of the quark-gluon plasma. We conclude by arguing that developing experimental probes of boost invariance is necessary, and suggest some promising directions in this regard.« less

Tumour bed boost radiotherapy for women after breast-conserving surgery.

PubMed

Kindts, Isabelle; Laenen, Annouschka; Depuydt, Tom; Weltens, Caroline

2017-11-06

Breast-conserving therapy, involving breast-conserving surgery followed by whole-breast irradiation and optionally a boost to the tumour bed, is a standard therapeutic option for women with early-stage breast cancer. A boost to the tumour bed means that an extra dose of radiation is applied that covers the initial tumour site. The rationale for a boost of radiotherapy to the tumour bed is that (i) local recurrence occurs mostly at the site of the primary tumour because remaining microscopic tumour cells are most likely situated there; and (ii) radiation can eliminate these causative microscopic tumour cells. The boost continues to be used in women at high risk of local recurrence, but is less widely accepted for women at lower risk. Reasons for questioning the boost are twofold. Firstly, the boost brings higher treatment costs. Secondly, the potential adverse events are not negligible. In this Cochrane Review, we investigated the effect of the tumour bed boost on local control and side effects. To assess the effects of tumour bed boost radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery and whole-breast irradiation for the treatment of breast cancer. We searched the Cochrane Breast Cancer Specialised Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE (January 1966 to 1 March 2017), Embase (1980 to 1 March 2017), the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and ClinicalTrials.gov on 1 March 2017. We also searched the European Society of Radiotherapy and Oncology Annual Meeting, the St Gallen Oncology Conferences, and the American Society for Radiation Oncology Annual Meeting for abstracts. Randomised controlled trials comparing the addition and the omission of breast cancer tumour bed boost radiotherapy. Two review authors (IK and CW) performed data extraction and assessed risk of bias using Cochrane's 'Risk of bias' tool, resolving any disagreements through discussion. We entered data into Review Manager 5 for analysis and applied GRADE to assess the quality of the evidence. We included 5 randomised controlled trials analysing a total of 8325 women.Local control appeared to be better for women receiving a tumour bed boost compared to no tumour bed boost (hazard ratio (HR) 0.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.55 to 0.75; 5 studies, 8315 women, low-quality evidence). Overall survival did not differ with or without a tumour bed boost (HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.14; 2 studies, 6342 women, moderate-quality evidence). Disease-free survival did not differ with or without a tumour bed boost (HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.02; 3 studies, 6549 women, low-quality evidence). Late toxicity scored by means of percentage of breast retraction assessment did not differ with or without a tumour bed boost (mean difference 0.38, 95% CI -0.18 to 0.93; 2 studies, 1526 women, very low-quality evidence). Cosmesis scored by a panel was better (i.e. excellent or good compared to fair or poor) in the no-boost group (odds ratio (OR) 1.41, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.85; 2 studies, 1116 women, low-quality evidence). Cosmesis scored by a physician did not differ with or without a tumour bed boost (OR 1.58, 95% CI 0.93 to 2.69; 2 studies, 592 women, very low-quality evidence).We excluded two studies in a sensitivity analysis of local recurrence (because the biological equivalent dose (BED) to the tumour bed was lower, in situ tumours were included, or there was a high risk of selective reporting bias or blinding of outcome assessment bias), which resulted in a HR of 0.62 (95% CI 0.52 to 0.73; 3 studies, 6963 women, high-quality evidence). Subgroup analysis including women older than 40 years of age yielded a HR of 0.65 (95% CI 0.53 to 0.81; 2 studies, 5058 women, high-quality evidence).We found no data for the outcomes of acute toxicity, quality of life, or costs. It appears that local control rates are increased with the boost to the tumour bed, but we found no evidence of a benefit for other oncological outcomes. Subgroup analysis including women older than 40 years of age yielded similarly significant results. Objective percentage of breast retraction assessment appears similar between groups. It appears that the cosmetic outcome is worse with the boost to the tumour bed, but only when measured by a panel, not when assessed by a physician.

Dramatically Polarized Opinion on the Role of Brachytherapy Boost in Management of High-risk Prostate Cancer: A Survey of North American Genitourinary Expert Radiation Oncologists.

PubMed

McClelland, Shearwood; Sandler, Kiri A; Degnin, Catherine; Chen, Yiyi; Mitin, Timur

2018-06-01

Three randomized clinical trials have established brachytherapy (BT) boost in combination with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) as superior to definitive EBRT and ADT alone in terms of biochemical control (but not overall survival) at the expense of increased toxicity in men with high-risk (HR) prostate cancer (PCa). The current view regarding these 2 treatment algorithms among North American genitourinary (GU) experts is not known. A survey was distributed to 88 practicing North American GU physicians serving on decision-making committees of cooperative group research organizations. Questions pertained to opinions regarding BT as monotherapy for low-risk PCa and BT boost for HR PCa. Responders were asked to self-identify as BT experts versus non-experts. Treatment recommendations were correlated with practice patterns using the Fisher exact test. Forty-two radiation oncologists completed the survey, of whom 23 (55%) recommend EBRT and ADT alone and 19 (45%) recommend addition of BT boost. Twenty-five participants (60%) identified themselves as BT experts. Nearly 90% of those recommending BT boost were BT experts versus approximately 10% of non-BT experts (P < .001). Responders who recommended BT monotherapy as first-choice treatment for low-risk PCa were more likely to recommend BT boost for HR PCa (P < .0001). There is a dramatic polarization in opinions regarding incorporation of BT boost into EBRT + ADT therapy for patients with HR PCa among North American GU radiation oncology experts, who serve on decision-making committees and influence the national treatment guidelines and future clinical trials. Those who identify themselves as BT experts are significantly more likely to recommend BT boost. These findings are likely to influence the national guidelines and implementation of BT boost in current and future North American PCa clinical studies. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A boosting skin vaccination with dissolving microneedle patch encapsulating M2e vaccine broadens the protective efficacy of conventional influenza vaccines.

PubMed

Zhu, Wandi; Pewin, Winston; Wang, Chao; Luo, Yuan; Gonzalez, Gilbert X; Mohan, Teena; Prausnitz, Mark R; Wang, Bao-Zhong

2017-09-10

The biodegradable microneedle patch (MNP) is a novel technology for vaccine delivery that could improve the immunogenicity of vaccines. To broaden the protective efficiency of conventional influenza vaccines, a new 4M2e-tFliC fusion protein construct containing M2e sequences from different subtypes was generated. Purified fusion protein was encapsulate into MNPs with a biocompatible polymer for use as a boosting vaccine. The results demonstrated that mice receiving a conventional inactivated vaccine followed by a skin-applied dissolving 4M2e-tFliC MNP boost could better maintain the humoral antibody response than that by the conventional vaccine-prime alone. Compared with an intramuscular injection boost, mice receiving the MNP boost showed significantly enhanced cellular immune responses, hemagglutination-inhibition (HAI) titers, and neutralization titers. Increased frequency of antigen-specific plasma cells and long-lived bone marrow plasma cells was detected in the MNP boosted group as well, indicating that skin vaccination with 4M2e-tFliC facilitated a long-term antibody-mediated immunity. The 4M2e-tFliC MNP-boosted group also possessed enhanced protection against high lethal dose challenges against homologous A/PR/8/34 and A/Aichi/2/68 viruses and protection for a majority of immunized mice against a heterologous A/California/07/2009 H1N1 virus. High levels of M2e specific immune responses were observed in the 4M2e-tFliC MNP-boosted group as well. These results demonstrate that a skin-applied 4M2e-tFliC MNP boosting immunization to seasonal vaccine recipients may be a rapid approach for increasing the protective efficacy of seasonal vaccines in response to a significant drift seen in circulating viruses. The results also provide a new perspective for future exploration of universal influenza vaccines. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optical Coherence Tomography and Stent Boost Imaging Guided Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold Overlapping for Coronary Chronic Total Occlusion Lesion

PubMed Central

Li, Hu; Choi, Cheol Ung; Oh, Dong Joo

2017-01-01

We report herein the optical coherence tomography (OCT) and stent boost imaging guided bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) implantation for right coronary artery (RCA) chronic total occlusion (CTO) lesion. The gold standard for evaluating BVS expansion after percutaneous coronary intervention is OCT. However, stent boost imaging is a new technique that improves fluoroscopy-based assessments of stent overlapping, and the present case shows clinical usefulness of OCT and stent boost imaging guided ‘overlapping’ BVS implantation via antegrade approach for a typical RCA CTO lesion. PMID:28792157

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

Rakovitch, Eileen, E-mail: Eileen.rakovitch@sunnybrook.ca; Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Ontario; University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario

Purpose: To report the outcomes of a population of women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) treated with breast-conserving surgery and radiation and to evaluate the independent effect of boost radiation on the development of local recurrence. Methods and Materials: All women diagnosed with DCIS and treated with breast-conserving surgery and radiation therapy in Ontario from 1994 to 2003 were identified. Treatments and outcomes were identified through administrative databases and validated by chart review. The impact of boost radiation on the development of local recurrence was determined using survival analyses. Results: We identified 1895 cases of DCIS that were treatedmore » by breast-conserving surgery and radiation therapy; 561 patients received boost radiation. The cumulative 10-year rate of local recurrence was 13% for women who received boost radiation and 12% for those who did not (P=.3). The 10-year local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) rate among women who did and who did not receive boost radiation was 88% and 87%, respectively (P=.27), 94% and 93% for invasive LRFS (P=.58), and was 95% and 93% for DCIS LRFS (P=.31). On multivariable analyses, boost radiation was not associated with a lower risk of local recurrence (hazard ratio = 0.82, 95% confidence interval 0.59-1.15) (P=.25). Conclusions: Among a population of women treated with breast-conserving surgery and radiation for DCIS, additional (boost) radiation was not associated with a lower risk of local or invasive recurrence.« less

Boosted classification trees result in minor to modest improvement in the accuracy in classifying cardiovascular outcomes compared to conventional classification trees

PubMed Central

Austin, Peter C; Lee, Douglas S

2011-01-01

Purpose: Classification trees are increasingly being used to classifying patients according to the presence or absence of a disease or health outcome. A limitation of classification trees is their limited predictive accuracy. In the data-mining and machine learning literature, boosting has been developed to improve classification. Boosting with classification trees iteratively grows classification trees in a sequence of reweighted datasets. In a given iteration, subjects that were misclassified in the previous iteration are weighted more highly than subjects that were correctly classified. Classifications from each of the classification trees in the sequence are combined through a weighted majority vote to produce a final classification. The authors' objective was to examine whether boosting improved the accuracy of classification trees for predicting outcomes in cardiovascular patients. Methods: We examined the utility of boosting classification trees for classifying 30-day mortality outcomes in patients hospitalized with either acute myocardial infarction or congestive heart failure. Results: Improvements in the misclassification rate using boosted classification trees were at best minor compared to when conventional classification trees were used. Minor to modest improvements to sensitivity were observed, with only a negligible reduction in specificity. For predicting cardiovascular mortality, boosted classification trees had high specificity, but low sensitivity. Conclusions: Gains in predictive accuracy for predicting cardiovascular outcomes were less impressive than gains in performance observed in the data mining literature. PMID:22254181

Quality of Life in Women Undergoing Breast Irradiation in a Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial Evaluating Different Tumor Bed Boost Fractionations

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

Finkel, Morgan A.; Cooper, Benjamin T.; Li, Xiaochun

Purpose: To identify differences in breast cancer patient-reported quality of life (QOL) between 2 radiation tumor bed boost dose regimens. Methods and Materials: Four hundred patients with stage 0, I, or II breast cancer who underwent segmental mastectomy with sentinel node biopsy and/or axillary node dissection were treated with either a daily or weekly boost. Patients were treated prone to 40.5 Gy/15 fractions to the whole breast, 5 days per week. Patients were randomized to a concomitant daily boost to the tumor bed of 0.5 Gy, or a weekly boost of 2 Gy on Friday. Patients completed 6 validated QOL survey instruments at baseline,more » last week of treatment (3 weeks), 45-60 days from the completion of radiation treatment, and at 2-year follow-up. Results: There were no statistically significance differences in responses to the 6 QOL instruments between the daily and weekly radiation boost regimens, even after adjustment for important covariates. However, several changes in responses over time occurred in both arms, including worsening functional status, cosmetic status, and breast-specific pain at the end of treatment as compared with before and 45 to 60 days after the conclusion of treatment. Conclusions: Whole-breast, prone intensity modulated radiation has similar outcomes in QOL measures whether given with a daily or weekly boost. This trial has generated the foundation for a current study of weekly versus daily radiation boost in women with early breast cancer in which 3-dimensional conformal radiation is allowed as a prospective stratification factor.« less

Ototoxicity After Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy and Cisplatin-Based Chemotherapy in Children With Medulloblastoma

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

Paulino, Arnold C., E-mail: apaulino@tmhs.or; Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX; Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

2010-12-01

Purpose: To report the incidence of Pediatric Oncology Group (POG) Grade 3 or 4 ototoxicity in a cohort of patients treated with craniospinal irradiation (CSI) followed by posterior fossa (PF) and/or tumor bed (TB) boost using intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Methods and Materials: From 1998 to 2006, 44 patients with medulloblastoma were treated with CSI followed by IMRT to the PF and/or TB and cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Patients with standard-risk disease were treated with 18 to 23.4 Gy CSI followed by either a (1) PF boost to 36 Gy and TB boost to 54 to 55.8 Gy or (2) TB boostmore » to 55.8 Gy. Patients with high-risk disease received 36 to 39.6 Gy CSI followed by a (1) PF boost to 54 to 55.8 Gy, (2) PF boost to 45 Gy and TB boost to 55.8 Gy, or (3) TB boost to 55.8 Gy. Median audiogram follow-up was 41 months (range, 11-92.4 months). Results: POG Grade Ototoxicity 0, 1, 2, 3. and 4 was found in 29, 32, 11, 13. and 3 ears. respectively, with POG Grade 3 or 4 accounting for 18.2% of cases. There was a statistically significant difference in mean radiation dose (D{sub mean}) cochlea according to degree of ototoxicity, with D{sub mean} cochlea increasing with severity of hearing loss (p = 0.027). Conclusions: Severe ototoxicity was seen in 18.2% of ears in children treated with IMRT boost and cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Increasing dose to the cochlea was associated with increasing severity of hearing loss.« less

Treatment plan comparison between Tri-Co-60 magnetic-resonance image-guided radiation therapy and volumetric modulated arc therapy for prostate cancer

PubMed Central

Park, Jong Min; Park, So-Yeon; Choi, Chang Heon; Chun, Minsoo; Kim, Jin Ho; Kim, Jung-In

2017-01-01

To investigate the plan quality of tri-Co-60 intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with magnetic-resonance image-guided radiation therapy compared with volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for prostate cancer. Twenty patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer, who received radical VMAT were selected. Additional tri-Co-60 IMRT plans were generated for each patient. Both primary and boost plans were generated with tri-Co-60 IMRT and VMAT techniques. The prescription doses of the primary and boost plans were 50.4 Gy and 30.6 Gy, respectively. The primary and boost planning target volumes (PTVs) of the tri-Co-60 IMRT were generated with 3 mm margins from the primary clinical target volume (CTV, prostate + seminal vesicle) and a boost CTV (prostate), respectively. VMAT had a primary planning target volume (primary CTV + 1 cm or 2 cm margins) and a boost PTV (boost CTV + 0.7 cm margins), respectively. For both tri-Co-60 IMRT and VMAT, all the primary and boost plans were generated that 95% of the target volumes would be covered by the 100% of the prescription doses. Sum plans were generated by summation of primary and boost plans. In sum plans, the average values of V70 Gy of the bladder of tri-Co-60 IMRT vs. VMAT were 4.0% ± 3.1% vs. 10.9% ± 6.7%, (p < 0.001). Average values of V70 Gy of the rectum of tri-Co-60 IMRT vs. VMAT were 5.2% ± 1.8% vs. 19.1% ± 4.0% (p < 0.001). The doses of tri-Co-60 IMRT delivered to the bladder and rectum were smaller than those of VMAT while maintaining identical target coverage in both plans. PMID:29207634

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

Chen, Xiaojian; Qiao, Qiao; Department of Radiotherapy, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang

Purpose: To evaluate the efficiency of standard image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) to account for lumpectomy cavity (LC) variation during whole-breast irradiation (WBI) and propose an adaptive strategy to improve dosimetry if IGRT fails to address the interfraction LC variations. Methods and Materials: Daily diagnostic-quality CT data acquired during IGRT in the boost stage using an in-room CT for 19 breast cancer patients treated with sequential boost after WBI in the prone position were retrospectively analyzed. Contours of the LC, treated breast, ipsilateral lung, and heart were generated by populating contours from planning CTs to boost fraction CTs using an auto-segmentationmore » tool with manual editing. Three plans were generated on each fraction CT: (1) a repositioning plan by applying the original boost plan with the shift determined by IGRT; (2) an adaptive plan by modifying the original plan according to a fraction CT; and (3) a reoptimization plan by a full-scale optimization. Results: Significant variations were observed in LC. The change in LC volume at the first boost fraction ranged from a 70% decrease to a 50% increase of that on the planning CT. The adaptive and reoptimization plans were comparable. Compared with the repositioning plans, the adaptive plans led to an improvement in target coverage for an increased LC case (1 of 19, 7.5% increase in planning target volume evaluation volume V{sub 95%}), and breast tissue sparing for an LC decrease larger than 35% (3 of 19, 7.5% decrease in breast evaluation volume V{sub 50%}; P=.008). Conclusion: Significant changes in LC shape and volume at the time of boost that deviate from the original plan for WBI with sequential boost can be addressed by adaptive replanning at the first boost fraction.« less

The quest for conditional independence in prospectivity modeling: weights-of-evidence, boost weights-of-evidence, and logistic regression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaeben, Helmut; Semmler, Georg

2016-09-01

The objective of prospectivity modeling is prediction of the conditional probability of the presence T = 1 or absence T = 0 of a target T given favorable or prohibitive predictors B, or construction of a two classes 0,1 classification of T. A special case of logistic regression called weights-of-evidence (WofE) is geologists' favorite method of prospectivity modeling due to its apparent simplicity. However, the numerical simplicity is deceiving as it is implied by the severe mathematical modeling assumption of joint conditional independence of all predictors given the target. General weights of evidence are explicitly introduced which are as simple to estimate as conventional weights, i.e., by counting, but do not require conditional independence. Complementary to the regression view is the classification view on prospectivity modeling. Boosting is the construction of a strong classifier from a set of weak classifiers. From the regression point of view it is closely related to logistic regression. Boost weights-of-evidence (BoostWofE) was introduced into prospectivity modeling to counterbalance violations of the assumption of conditional independence even though relaxation of modeling assumptions with respect to weak classifiers was not the (initial) purpose of boosting. In the original publication of BoostWofE a fabricated dataset was used to "validate" this approach. Using the same fabricated dataset it is shown that BoostWofE cannot generally compensate lacking conditional independence whatever the consecutively processing order of predictors. Thus the alleged features of BoostWofE are disproved by way of counterexamples, while theoretical findings are confirmed that logistic regression including interaction terms can exactly compensate violations of joint conditional independence if the predictors are indicators.

Boosting with Averaged Weight Vectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oza, Nikunj C.; Clancy, Daniel (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

AdaBoost is a well-known ensemble learning algorithm that constructs its constituent or base models in sequence. A key step in AdaBoost is constructing a distribution over the training examples to create each base model. This distribution, represented as a vector, is constructed to be orthogonal to the vector of mistakes made by the previous base model in the sequence. The idea is to make the next base model's errors uncorrelated with those of the previous model. Some researchers have pointed out the intuition that it is probably better to construct a distribution that is orthogonal to the mistake vectors of all the previous base models, but that this is not always possible. We present an algorithm that attempts to come as close as possible to this goal in an efficient manner. We present experimental results demonstrating significant improvement over AdaBoost and the Totally Corrective boosting algorithm, which also attempts to satisfy this goal.

A comparison of transient vehicle performance using a fixed geometry, wastegated turbocharger and a variable geometry turbocharger

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

Lundstrom, R.R.; Gall, J.M.

1986-01-01

The use of an exhaust-driven boosting device can significantly improve the performance of a vehicle using a small displacement engine. One of the concerns relative to the performance of vehicles using these devices is ''turbo lag,'' or the period of time during which no boost is generated. This paper presents the results of designed experiments comparing the performance of a fixed geometry, wastegated turbocharger to a variable geometry turbocharger incorporating a low-loss bearing system. In addition, experimental tests are presented for the naturally aspirated engine in the same vehicle. The results of the experiments show improvements with the use ofmore » pressure boosting and that there are signifcant differences in the boosting devices tested; specifically, the use of a variable geometry turbocharger demonstrates significant reduction in the length of time required to reach boost and reduced acceleration times for the tests conducted.« less

DIRBoost-an algorithm for boosting deformable image registration: application to lung CT intra-subject registration.

PubMed

Muenzing, Sascha E A; van Ginneken, Bram; Viergever, Max A; Pluim, Josien P W

2014-04-01

We introduce a boosting algorithm to improve on existing methods for deformable image registration (DIR). The proposed DIRBoost algorithm is inspired by the theory on hypothesis boosting, well known in the field of machine learning. DIRBoost utilizes a method for automatic registration error detection to obtain estimates of local registration quality. All areas detected as erroneously registered are subjected to boosting, i.e. undergo iterative registrations by employing boosting masks on both the fixed and moving image. We validated the DIRBoost algorithm on three different DIR methods (ANTS gSyn, NiftyReg, and DROP) on three independent reference datasets of pulmonary image scan pairs. DIRBoost reduced registration errors significantly and consistently on all reference datasets for each DIR algorithm, yielding an improvement of the registration accuracy by 5-34% depending on the dataset and the registration algorithm employed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Semi-supervised learning via regularized boosting working on multiple semi-supervised assumptions.

PubMed

Chen, Ke; Wang, Shihai

2011-01-01

Semi-supervised learning concerns the problem of learning in the presence of labeled and unlabeled data. Several boosting algorithms have been extended to semi-supervised learning with various strategies. To our knowledge, however, none of them takes all three semi-supervised assumptions, i.e., smoothness, cluster, and manifold assumptions, together into account during boosting learning. In this paper, we propose a novel cost functional consisting of the margin cost on labeled data and the regularization penalty on unlabeled data based on three fundamental semi-supervised assumptions. Thus, minimizing our proposed cost functional with a greedy yet stagewise functional optimization procedure leads to a generic boosting framework for semi-supervised learning. Extensive experiments demonstrate that our algorithm yields favorite results for benchmark and real-world classification tasks in comparison to state-of-the-art semi-supervised learning algorithms, including newly developed boosting algorithms. Finally, we discuss relevant issues and relate our algorithm to the previous work.

Phase I/II trial of single-fraction high-dose-rate brachytherapy-boosted hypofractionated intensity-modulated radiation therapy for localized adenocarcinoma of the prostate.

PubMed

Myers, Michael A; Hagan, Michael P; Todor, Dorin; Gilbert, Lynn; Mukhopadhyay, Nitai; Randolf, Jessica; Heimiller, Jeffrey; Anscher, Mitchell S

2012-01-01

A Phase I/II protocol was conducted to examine the toxicity and efficacy of the combination of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with a single-fraction high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy implant. From 2001 through 2006, 26 consecutive patients were treated on the trial. The primary objective was to demonstrate a high rate of completion without experiencing a treatment-limiting toxicity. Eligibility was limited to patients with T stage ≤2b, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) ≤20, and Gleason score ≤7. Treatment began with a single HDR fraction of 6Gy to the entire prostate and 9Gy to the peripheral zone, followed by IMRT optimized to deliver in 28 fractions with a normalized total dose of 70Gy. Patients received 50.4Gy to the pelvic lymph node. The prostate dose (IMRT and HDR) resulted in an average biologic equivalent dose >128Gy (α/β=3). Patients whose pretreatment PSA was ≥10ng/mL, Gleason score 7, or stage ≥T2b received short-term androgen ablation. Median followup was 53 months (9-68 months). There were no biochemical failures by either the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology or the Phoenix definitions. The median nadir PSA was 0.32ng/mL. All the 26 patients completed the treatment as prescribed. The rate of Grade 3 late genitourinary toxicity was 3.8% consisting of a urethral stricture. There was no other Grade 3 or 4 genitourinary or gastrointestinal toxicities. Single-fraction HDR-boosted IMRT is a safe effective method of dose escalation for localized prostate cancer. Copyright © 2012 American Brachytherapy Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.