Exploring the Premise of Lost Altruism: Content Analysis of Two Codes of Ethics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haddara, Wael; Lingard, Lorelei

2017-01-01

As an ideal, altruism has long enjoyed privileged status in medicine and medical education. As a practice, altruism is perceived to be in decline in the current generation. A number of educational efforts are underway to reclaim this "lost value" of medicine. In this paper we explore constructions of altruism over a defined period of…

The next generation of similarity measures that fully explore the semantics in biomedical ontologies.

PubMed

Couto, Francisco M; Pinto, H Sofia

2013-10-01

There is a prominent trend to augment and improve the formality of biomedical ontologies. For example, this is shown by the current effort on adding description logic axioms, such as disjointness. One of the key ontology applications that can take advantage of this effort is the conceptual (functional) similarity measurement. The presence of description logic axioms in biomedical ontologies make the current structural or extensional approaches weaker and further away from providing sound semantics-based similarity measures. Although beneficial in small ontologies, the exploration of description logic axioms by semantics-based similarity measures is computational expensive. This limitation is critical for biomedical ontologies that normally contain thousands of concepts. Thus in the process of gaining their rightful place, biomedical functional similarity measures have to take the journey of finding how this rich and powerful knowledge can be fully explored while keeping feasible computational costs. This manuscript aims at promoting and guiding the development of compelling tools that deliver what the biomedical community will require in a near future: a next-generation of biomedical similarity measures that efficiently and fully explore the semantics present in biomedical ontologies.

Japan's efforts to promote global health using satellite remote sensing data from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency for prediction of infectious diseases and air quality.

PubMed

Igarashi, Tamotsu; Kuze, Akihiko; Sobue, Shinichi; Yamamoto, Aya; Yamamoto, Kazuhide; Oyoshi, Kei; Imaoka, Keiji; Fukuda, Toru

2014-12-01

In this paper we review the status of new applications research of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for global health promotion using information derived from Earth observation data by satellites in cooperation with inter-disciplinary collaborators. Current research effort at JAXA to promote global public health is focused primarily on the use of remote sensing to address two themes: (i) prediction models for malaria and cholera in Kenya, Africa; and (ii) air quality assessment of small, particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3). Respiratory and cardivascular diseases constitute cross-boundary public health risk issues on a global scale. The authors report here on results of current of a collaborative research to call attention to the need to take preventive measures against threats to public health using newly arising remote sensing information from space.

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

Rabiti, Cristian; Alfonsi, Andrea; Huang, Dongli

This report collect the effort performed to improve the reliability analysis capabilities of the RAVEN code and explore new opportunity in the usage of surrogate model by extending the current RAVEN capabilities to multi physics surrogate models and construction of surrogate models for high dimensionality fields.

Low Cost Mars Surface Exploration: The Mars Tumbleweed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Antol, Jeffrey; Calhoun, Philip; Flick, John; Hajos, Gregory; Kolacinski, Richard; Minton, David; Owens, Rachel; Parker, Jennifer

2003-01-01

The "Mars Tumbleweed," a rover concept that would utilize surface winds for mobility, is being examined as a low cost complement to the current Mars exploration efforts. Tumbleweeds carrying microinstruments would be driven across the Martian landscape by wind, searching for areas of scientific interest. These rovers, relatively simple, inexpensive, and deployed in large numbers to maximize coverage of the Martian surface, would provide a broad scouting capability to identify specific sites for exploration by more complex rover and lander missions.

Higher Education in Kenya: An Assessment of Current Responses to the Imperative of Widening Access

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Odhiambo, George

2016-01-01

Higher education is a key factor in a nation's effort to develop a highly skilled workforce for competing in the global economy. In this paper, current trends in accessibility, equity, participation and financing of higher education in Kenya are examined. The paper explores the challenges which need to be confronted and discusses the way forward…

HSI in NASA: From Research to Implementation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitmore, Mihriban; Plaga, John A.

2016-01-01

As NASA plans to send human explorers beyond low Earth orbit, onward to Mars and other destinations in the solar system, there will be new challenges to address in terms of HSI. These exploration missions will be quite different from the current and past missions such as Apollo, Shuttle, and International Space Station. The exploration crew will be more autonomous from ground mission control with delayed, and at times, no communication. They will have limited to no resupply for much longer mission durations. Systems to deliver and support extended human habitation at these destinations are extremely complex and unique, presenting new opportunities to employ HSI practices. In order to have an effective and affordable HSI implementation, both research and programmatic efforts are required. Currently, the HSI-related research at NASA is primarily in the area of space human factors and habitability. The purpose is to provide human health and performance countermeasures, knowledge, technologies, and tools to enable safe, reliable, and productive human space exploration beyond low Earth orbit, and update standards, requirements, and processes to verify and validate these requirements. In addition, HSI teams are actively engaged in technology development and demonstration efforts to influence the mission architecture and next-generation vehicle design. Finally, appropriate HSI references have been added to NASA' s systems engineering documentation, and an HSI Practitioner's Guide has been published to help design engineers consider HSI early and continuously in the acquisition process. These current and planned HSI-related activities at NASA will be discussed in this panel.

Interoperability of Neuroscience Modeling Software

PubMed Central

Cannon, Robert C.; Gewaltig, Marc-Oliver; Gleeson, Padraig; Bhalla, Upinder S.; Cornelis, Hugo; Hines, Michael L.; Howell, Fredrick W.; Muller, Eilif; Stiles, Joel R.; Wils, Stefan; De Schutter, Erik

2009-01-01

Neuroscience increasingly uses computational models to assist in the exploration and interpretation of complex phenomena. As a result, considerable effort is invested in the development of software tools and technologies for numerical simulations and for the creation and publication of models. The diversity of related tools leads to the duplication of effort and hinders model reuse. Development practices and technologies that support interoperability between software systems therefore play an important role in making the modeling process more efficient and in ensuring that published models can be reliably and easily reused. Various forms of interoperability are possible including the development of portable model description standards, the adoption of common simulation languages or the use of standardized middleware. Each of these approaches finds applications within the broad range of current modeling activity. However more effort is required in many areas to enable new scientific questions to be addressed. Here we present the conclusions of the “Neuro-IT Interoperability of Simulators” workshop, held at the 11th computational neuroscience meeting in Edinburgh (July 19-20 2006; http://www.cnsorg.org). We assess the current state of interoperability of neural simulation software and explore the future directions that will enable the field to advance. PMID:17873374

Exploring Science Through Polar Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfirman, S. L.; Bell, R. E.; Zadoff, L.; Kelsey, R.

2003-12-01

Exploring the Poles is a First Year Seminar course taught at Barnard College, Columbia University. First Year Seminars are required of incoming students and are designed to encourage critical analysis in a small class setting with focused discussion. The class links historical polar exploration with current research in order to: introduce non-scientists to the value of environmental science through polar literature; discuss issues related to venturing into the unknown that are of relevance to any discipline: self-reliance, leadership, preparation, decisions under uncertainty; show students the human face of science; change attitudes about science and scientists; use data to engage students in exploring/understanding the environment and help them learn to draw conclusions from data; integrate research and education. These goals are met by bringing analysis of early exploration efforts together with a modern understanding of the polar environment. To date to class has followed the efforts of Nansen in the Fram, Scott and Amundsen in their race to the pole, and Shackleton's Endurance. As students read turn-of-the-century expedition journals, expedition progress is progressively revealed on an interactive map showing the environmental context. To bring the exploration process to life, students are assigned to expedition teams for specific years and the fates of the student "expeditions" are based on their own decisions. For example, in the Arctic, they navigate coastal sea ice and become frozen into the ice north of Siberia, re-creating Nansen's polar drift. Fates of the teams varied tremendously: some safely emerged at Fram Strait in 4 years, while others nearly became hopelessly lost in the Beaufort Gyre. Students thus learn about variability in the current polar environment through first hand experience, enabling them to appreciate the experiences, decisions, and, in some cases, the luck, of polar explorers. Evaluation by the Columbia Center for New Media, Teaching and Learning shows that combining historical texts with current data/simulations is an extremely powerful way of engaging non-scientists in science, and explaining the role of science and the environment in decision-making.

Sorbent Structural Impacts Due to Humidity on Carbon Dioxide Removal Sorbents for Advanced Exploration Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, David; Knox, James C.; West, Phillip; Stanley, Christine M.; Bush, Richard

2015-01-01

The Life Support Systems Project (LSSP) under the Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) program builds upon the work performed under the AES Atmosphere Resource Recovery and Environmental Monitoring (ARREM) project focusing on the numerous technology development areas. The CO2 removal and associated air drying development efforts are focused on improving the current state-of-the-art system on the International Space Station (ISS) utilizing fixed beds of sorbent pellets by seeking more robust pelletized sorbents, evaluating structured sorbents, and examining alternate bed configurations to improve system efficiency and reliability. A component of the CO2 removal effort encompasses structural stability testing of existing and emerging sorbents. Testing will be performed on dry sorbents and sorbents that have been conditioned to three humidity levels. This paper describes the sorbent structural stability screening efforts in support of the LSS Project within the AES Program.

Performance Improvement Assuming Complexity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowland, Gordon

2007-01-01

Individual performers, work teams, and organizations may be considered complex adaptive systems, while most current human performance technologies appear to assume simple determinism. This article explores the apparent mismatch and speculates on future efforts to enhance performance if complexity rather than simplicity is assumed. Included are…

Scale Determinants of Fiscal Investment in Geological Exploration: Evidence from China

PubMed Central

Lu, Linna; Lei, Yalin

2013-01-01

With the continued growth in demand for mineral resources and China's efforts in increasing investment in geological prospecting, fiscal investment in geological exploration becomes a research hotspot. This paper examines the yearly relationship among fiscal investment in geological exploration of the current term, that of the last term and prices of mining rights over the period 1999–2009. Hines and Catephores' investment acceleration model is applied to describe the scale determinants of fiscal investment in geological exploration which are value-added of mining rights, value of mining rights and fiscal investment in the last term. The results indicate that when value-added of mining rights, value of mining rights or fiscal investment in the last term moves at 1 unit, fiscal investment in the current term will move 0.381, 1.094 or 0.907 units respectively. In order to determine the scale of fiscal investment in geological exploration for the current year, the Chinese government should take fiscal investment in geological exploration for the last year and the capital stock of the previous investments into account. In practice, combination of government fiscal investment in geological exploration with its performance evaluation can create a virtuous circle of capital management mechanism. PMID:24204652

Scale determinants of fiscal investment in geological exploration: evidence from China.

PubMed

Lu, Linna; Lei, Yalin

2013-01-01

With the continued growth in demand for mineral resources and China's efforts in increasing investment in geological prospecting, fiscal investment in geological exploration becomes a research hotspot. This paper examines the yearly relationship among fiscal investment in geological exploration of the current term, that of the last term and prices of mining rights over the period 1999-2009. Hines and Catephores' investment acceleration model is applied to describe the scale determinants of fiscal investment in geological exploration which are value-added of mining rights, value of mining rights and fiscal investment in the last term. The results indicate that when value-added of mining rights, value of mining rights or fiscal investment in the last term moves at 1 unit, fiscal investment in the current term will move 0.381, 1.094 or 0.907 units respectively. In order to determine the scale of fiscal investment in geological exploration for the current year, the Chinese government should take fiscal investment in geological exploration for the last year and the capital stock of the previous investments into account. In practice, combination of government fiscal investment in geological exploration with its performance evaluation can create a virtuous circle of capital management mechanism.

Rethinking school-based health centers as complex adaptive systems: maximizing opportunities for the prevention of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.

PubMed

Daley, Alison Moriarty

2012-01-01

This article examines school-based health centers (SBHCs) as complex adaptive systems, the current gaps that exist in contraceptive access, and the potential to maximize this community resource in teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention efforts. Adolescent pregnancy is a major public health challenge for the United States. Existing community resources need to be considered for their potential to impact teen pregnancy and STI prevention efforts. SBHCs are one such community resource to be leveraged in these efforts. They offer adolescent-friendly primary care services and are responsive to the diverse needs of the adolescents utilizing them. However, current restrictions on contraceptive availability limit the ability of SBHCs to maximize opportunities for comprehensive reproductive care and create missed opportunities for pregnancy and STI prevention. A clinical case explores the current models of health care services related to contraceptive care provided in SBHCs and the ability to meet or miss the needs of an adolescent seeking reproductive care in a SBHC.

College Student Reporting Responses to Hypothetical and Actual Safety Concerns

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hollister, Brandon A.; Scalora, Mario J.; Hoff, Sarah M.; Hodges, Heath J.; Marquez, Allissa

2017-01-01

Campus violence prevention often includes proactively reducing crime through noticing and resolving concerning situations. Within these efforts, interventions aimed at enhancing reporting have been considered necessary. The current study explored several reporting influences on college students' responses to hypothetical and actual campus safety…

Energy Storage: Batteries and Fuel Cells for Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manzo, Michelle A.; Miller, Thomas B.; Hoberecht, Mark A.; Baumann, Eric D.

2007-01-01

NASA's Vision for Exploration requires safe, human-rated, energy storage technologies with high energy density, high specific energy and the ability to perform in a variety of unique environments. The Exploration Technology Development Program is currently supporting the development of battery and fuel cell systems that address these critical technology areas. Specific technology efforts that advance these systems and optimize their operation in various space environments are addressed in this overview of the Energy Storage Technology Development Project. These technologies will support a new generation of more affordable, more reliable, and more effective space systems.

Medical futility and nursing.

PubMed

Taylor, C

1995-01-01

Defining medical futility is central to the efforts of clinicians and ethicists who seek to identify the limits of patient autonomy. This article is a critique of current efforts to define and then use policies of medical futility to justify refusing requests for treatment and care that have no perceived medical benefit. After exploring the current definitions of medical futility in the bioethics and clinical literature, comparisons of the advantages and disadvantages of the following three options are provided: allowing patients to decide all but physiologic futility, allowing clinicians to decide futility, and pursuing negotiated compromise. The third option--negotiated compromise--is recommended. A role is developed for nurses in preventing and resolving conflict about futile treatment.

Exploring the Effects of International Traffic in Arms Regulations Restrictions on Innovation in the U.S. Space Industrial Base

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-08-01

third order effects of ITAR in economic and political environments to advise current ITAR reform efforts.   v    To my son...support and good- natured teasing during the final stretch of this effort. Finally, I would like to thank my husband who, whether near or far...are able to take advantage of these barriers to keep economic benefits within their own nations. For example, they may intentionally set shorter

Children's Responses to Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramsey, Patricia G.

2008-01-01

Early childhood multicultural education presents teachers with the challenge of how to engage young children in exploring issues of diversity and inequality in meaningful, authentic, and hopeful ways. To support these efforts, this review summarizes past and current research on children's understandings and feelings related to race, social class,…

Detection of suboptimal effort with symbol span: development of a new embedded index.

PubMed

Young, J Christopher; Caron, Joshua E; Baughman, Brandon C; Sawyer, R John

2012-03-01

Developing embedded indicators of suboptimal effort on objective neurocognitive testing is essential for detecting increasingly sophisticated forms of symptom feigning. The current study explored whether Symbol Span, a novel Wechsler Memory Scale-fourth edition measure of supraspan visual attention, could be used to discriminate adequate effort from suboptimal effort. Archival data were collected from 136 veterans classified into Poor Effort (n = 42) and Good Effort (n = 94) groups based on symptom validity test (SVT) performance. The Poor Effort group had significantly lower raw scores (p < .001) and age-corrected scaled scores (p < .001) than the Good Effort group on the Symbol Span test. A raw score cutoff of <14 produced 83% specificity and 50% sensitivity for detection of Poor Effort. Similarly, sensitivity was 52% and specificity was 84% when employing a cutoff of <7 for Age-Corrected Scale Score. Collectively, present results suggest that Symbol Span can effectively differentiate veterans with multiple failures on established free-standing and embedded SVTs.

Foundational Methane Propulsion Related Technology Efforts, and Challenges for Applications to Human Exploration Beyond Earth Orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Thomas; Klem, Mark; McRight, Patrick

2016-01-01

Current interest in human exploration beyond earth orbit is driving requirements for high performance, long duration space transportation capabilities. Continued advancement in photovoltaic power systems and investments in high performance electric propulsion promise to enable solar electric options for cargo delivery and pre-deployment of operational architecture elements. However, higher thrust options are required for human in-space transportation as well as planetary descent and ascent functions. While high thrust requirements for interplanetary transportation may be provided by chemical or nuclear thermal propulsion systems, planetary descent and ascent systems are limited to chemical solutions due to their higher thrust to weight and potential planetary protection concerns. Liquid hydrogen fueled systems provide high specific impulse, but pose challenges due to low propellant density and the thermal issues of long term propellant storage. Liquid methane fueled propulsion is a promising compromise with lower specific impulse, higher bulk propellant density and compatibility with proposed in-situ propellant production concepts. Additionally, some architecture studies have identified the potential for commonality between interplanetary and descent/ascent propulsion solutions using liquid methane (LCH4) and liquid oxygen (LOX) propellants. These commonalities may lead to reduced overall development costs and more affordable exploration architectures. With this increased interest, it is critical to understand the current state of LOX/LCH4 propulsion technology and the remaining challenges to its application to beyond earth orbit human exploration. This paper provides a survey of NASA's past and current methane propulsion related technology efforts, assesses the accomplishments to date, and examines the remaining risks associated with full scale development.

Research strategies for addressing uncertainties

USGS Publications Warehouse

Busch, David E.; Brekke, Levi D.; Averyt, Kristen; Jardine, Angela; Welling, Leigh; Garfin, Gregg; Jardine, Angela; Merideth, Robert; Black, Mary; LeRoy, Sarah

2013-01-01

Research Strategies for Addressing Uncertainties builds on descriptions of research needs presented elsewhere in the book; describes current research efforts and the challenges and opportunities to reduce the uncertainties of climate change; explores ways to improve the understanding of changes in climate and hydrology; and emphasizes the use of research to inform decision making.

Space transfer concepts and analyses for exploration missions: Technical directive 10

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodcock, Gordon R.

1992-01-01

The current technical effort is part of the third phase of a broad-scoped and systematic study of space transfer concepts for human lunar and Mars missions. The study addressed issues that were raised during the previous phases but specifically on launch vehicle size trades and MEV options.

The Decision Sciences in Vocational Education Leadership Development Programs. Project Monograph.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNamara, James F.

This essay explores how the application of the decision sciences in the interdisciplinary training, research, and development activities of model graduate professional schools of management, urban and public affairs, business, government, and regional planning might be linked to current efforts to improve leadership development and training…

The Effect of Health Beliefs on the Smoking Behavior of College Women.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gottlieb, Nell H.

1983-01-01

Women attending four New England colleges were surveyed to determine how their health beliefs and attitudes related to smoking. Beliefs of current smokers, former smokers, and nonsmokers were explored in an effort to shed light on motivation. Implications for public policy are discussed. (PP)

Regional Planning in California: Objectives, Obstacles, and Alternatives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deegan, William L.; Alford, Janis C.

1976-01-01

At the direction of the California State Legislature, the authors explored regional planning in other states as well as in California in an effort to determine the advantages and disadvantages of voluntary versus mandated interinstitutional cooperation. In this revised report the current state of regional planning and various alternatives for…

Characteristics of the wood adhesion bonding mechanism using hydroxymethyl resorcinol

Treesearch

Douglas J. Gardner; Charles E. Frazier; Alfred W. Christiansen

2006-01-01

A recent collaborative effort among the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory, Virginia Tech, and the University of Maine has explored the possible bonding mechanisms contributing to durable wood adhesive bonding using hydroxymethyl resorcinol (HMR) surface treatment. Current adhesive bonding mechanisms include: mechanical interlocking, electronic or electrostatic theory,...

Exploring Parental Perspectives on Parent-Child Sexual Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ballard, Sharon M.; Gross, Kevin H.

2009-01-01

We examined parental perspectives about parent-child sexual communication through four focus groups conducted with 25 parents of young children. Participant comments fell into six areas: 1) personal experience with sexuality education, 2) current sexuality education efforts, 3) comfort and confidence, 4) content and timing, 5) importance of a…

Exploring the Relationships between Dialogue and Inclusive School Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orzel, Courtney Leigh

2012-01-01

High standards and expectations for all students drive current school reform efforts which target accountability measures and focus on standardized tests, leaving many American students, particularly those who have been traditionally underserved and marginalized, feeling excluded and silenced in school. Thus, it is important for school leaders to…

When Businesses Go to School: Neoliberalism and Education for Sustainable Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manteaw, Bob Offei

2008-01-01

This paper foregrounds education for sustainable development (ESD) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) as emergent discourses that need conscious efforts to align their ideals. While it explores the capacity of ESD to make significant contribution towards educational thinking and practice, it does so recognising that current neoliberalists'…

Geothermal Exploration in Hot Springs, Montana

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

Toby McIntosh, Jackola Engineering

2012-09-26

The project involves drilling deeper in the Camp Aqua well dri lled in June 1982 as part of an effort to develop an ethanol plant. The purpose of the current drill ing effort is to determine if water at or above 165°F exists for the use in low temperature resource power generation. Previous geothermal resource study efforts in and around Hot Springs , MT and the Camp Aqua area (NE of Hot Springs) have been conducted through the years. A confined gravel aquifer exists in deep alluvium overlain by approximately 250 of si lt and c lay deposits from Glacialmore » Lake Missoula. This gravel aquifer overlies a deeper bedrock aquifer. In the Camp Aqua area several wel l s exist in the gravel aquifer which receives hot water f rom bedrock fractures beneath the area. Prior to this exploration, one known well in the Camp Aqua area penetrated into the bedrock without success in intersecting fractures transporting hot geothermal water. The exploration associated with this project adds to the physical knowledge database of the Camp Aqua area. The dri l l ing effort provides additional subsurface information that can be used to gain a better understanding of the bedrock formation that i s leaking hot geothermal water into an otherwise cold water aquifer. The exi s t ing well used for the explorat ion is located within the center of the hottest water within the gravel aquifer. This lent i t sel f as a logical and economical location to continue the exploration within the existing well. Faced with budget constraints due to unanticipated costs, changing dril l ing techniques stretched the limited project resources to maximize the overa l l well depth which f e l l short of original project goals. The project goal of finding 165°F or hotter water was not achieved; however the project provides additional information and understanding of the Camp Aqua area that could prove valuable in future exploration efforts« less

International Safety Regulation and Standards for Space Travel and Commerce

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pelton, J. N.; Jakhu, R.

The evolution of air travel has led to the adoption of the 1944 Chicago Convention that created the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), headquartered in Montreal, Canada, and the propagation of aviation safety standards. Today, ICAO standardizes and harmonizes commercial air safety worldwide. Space travel and space safety are still at an early stage of development, and the adoption of international space safety standards and regulation still remains largely at the national level. This paper explores the international treaties and conventions that govern space travel, applications and exploration today and analyzes current efforts to create space safety standards and regulations at the national, regional and global level. Recent efforts to create a commercial space travel industry and to license commercial space ports are foreseen as means to hasten a space safety regulatory process.

An Overview of Space Power Systems for NASA Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyons, Valerie J.; Scott, John H.

2007-01-01

Power is a critical commodity for all engineering efforts and is especially challenging in the aerospace field. This paper will provide a broad brush overview of some of the immediate and important challenges to NASA missions in the field of aerospace power, for generation, energy conversion, distribution, and storage. NASA s newest vehicles which are currently in the design phase will have power systems that will be developed from current technology, but will have the challenges of being light-weight, energy-efficient, and space-qualified. Future lunar and Mars "outposts" will need high power generation units for life support and energy-intensive exploration efforts. An overview of the progress in concepts for power systems and the status of the required technologies are discussed.

ExMC Work Prioritization Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simon, Matthew

2015-01-01

Last year, NASA's Human Research Program (HRP) introduced the concept of a "Path to Risk Reduction" (PRR), which will provide a roadmap that shows how the work being done within each HRP element can be mapped to reducing or closing exploration risks. Efforts are currently underway within the Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC) Element to develop a structured, repeatable process for prioritizing work utilizing decision analysis techniques and risk estimation tools. The goal of this effort is to ensure that the work done within the element maximizes risk reduction for future exploration missions in a quantifiable way and better aligns with the intent and content of the Path to Risk Reduction. The Integrated Medical Model (IMM) will be used to identify those conditions that are major contributors of medical risk for a given design reference mission. For each of these conditions, potential prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment methods will be identified. ExMC will then aim to prioritize its potential investments in these mitigation methods based upon their potential for risk reduction and other factors such as vehicle performance impacts, near term schedule needs, duplication with external efforts, and cost. This presentation will describe the process developed to perform this prioritization and inform investment discussions in future element planning efforts. It will also provide an overview of the required input information, types of process participants, figures of merit, and the expected outputs of the process.

Development of Carbon Dioxide Removal Systems for Advanced Exploration Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knox, James C.; Trinh, Diep; Gostowski, Rudy; King, Eric; Mattox, Emily M.; Watson, David; Thomas, John

2012-01-01

"NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) program is pioneering new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities, and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit" (NASA 2012). These forays beyond the confines of earth's gravity will place unprecedented demands on launch systems. They must not only blast out of earth's gravity well as during the Apollo moon missions, but also launch the supplies needed to sustain a crew over longer periods for exploration missions beyond earth's moon. Thus all spacecraft systems, including those for the separation of metabolic carbon dioxide and water from a crewed vehicle, must be minimized with respect to mass, power, and volume. Emphasis is also placed on system robustness both to minimize replacement parts and ensure crew safety when a quick return to earth is not possible. Current efforts are focused on improving the current state-of-the-art systems utilizing fixed beds of sorbent pellets by seeking more robust pelletized sorbents, evaluating structured sorbents, and examining alternate bed configurations to improve system efficiency and reliability. These development efforts combine testing of sub-scale systems and multi-physics computer simulations to evaluate candidate approaches, select the best performing options, and optimize the configuration of the selected approach, which is then implemented in a full-scale integrated atmosphere revitalization test. This paper describes the carbon dioxide (CO2) removal hardware design and sorbent screening and characterization effort in support of the Atmosphere Resource Recovery and Environmental Monitoring (ARREM) project within the AES program. A companion paper discusses development of atmosphere revitalization models and simulations for this project.

Implicit cognitive aggression among young male prisoners: Association with dispositional and current aggression.

PubMed

Ireland, Jane L; Adams, Christine

2015-01-01

The current study explores associations between implicit and explicit aggression in young adult male prisoners, seeking to apply the Reflection-Impulsive Model and indicate parity with elements of the General Aggression Model and social cognition. Implicit cognitive aggressive processing is not an area that has been examined among prisoners. Two hundred and sixty two prisoners completed an implicit cognitive aggression measure (Puzzle Test) and explicit aggression measures, covering current behaviour (DIPC-R) and aggression disposition (AQ). It was predicted that dispositional aggression would be predicted by implicit cognitive aggression, and that implicit cognitive aggression would predict current engagement in aggressive behaviour. It was also predicted that more impulsive implicit cognitive processing would associate with aggressive behaviour whereas cognitively effortful implicit cognitive processing would not. Implicit aggressive cognitive processing was associated with increased dispositional aggression but not current reports of aggressive behaviour. Impulsive implicit cognitive processing of an aggressive nature predicted increased dispositional aggression whereas more cognitively effortful implicit cognitive aggression did not. The article concludes by outlining the importance of accounting for implicit cognitive processing among prisoners and the need to separate such processing into facets (i.e. impulsive vs. cognitively effortful). Implications for future research and practice in this novel area of study are indicated. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Westinghouse programs in pulsed homopolar power supplies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Litz, D. C.; Mullan, E.

1984-01-01

This document details Westinghouse's ongoing study of homopolar machines since 1929 with the major effort occurring in the early 1970's to the present. The effort has enabled Westinghouse to develop expertise in the technology required for the design, fabrication and testing of such machines. This includes electrical design, electromagnetic analysis, current collection, mechanical design, advanced cooling, stress analysis, transient rotor performance, bearing analysis and seal technology. Westinghouse is using this capability to explore the use of homopolar machines as pulsed power supplies for future systems in both military and commercial applications.

Implications of the 2015 World Health Organization isoniazid preventive therapy recommendations on tuberculosis prevention efforts in Namibia.

PubMed

Oloo, Stella Anne

2016-07-01

The World Health Organization recently released guidelines recommending 36-month use of isoniazid preventive therapy in adults and adolescents living with HIV in resource-limited settings. Namibia continues to grapple with one of the highest incidences of tuberculosis (TB) worldwide. Implementation of these guidelines requires considerations of TB epidemiology, health infrastructure, programmatic priorities and patient adherence. This article explores the challenges Namibia currently faces in its fight against TB and the implications of the new guidelines on Namibian TB prevention efforts.

Leveraging Observation Tools for Instructional Improvement: Exploring Variability in Uptake of Ambitious Instructional Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Julie; Schuldt, Lorien Chambers; Brown, Lindsay; Grossman, Pamela

2016-01-01

Background/Context: Current efforts to build rigorous teacher evaluation systems has increased interest in standardized classroom observation tools as reliable measures for assessing teaching. However, many argue these instruments can also be used to effect change in classroom practice. This study investigates a model of professional development…

Space transfer concepts and analyses for exploration missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodcock, Gordon R.

1992-01-01

The current technical effort is part of the third phase of a broad-scoped and systematic study of space transfer concepts for human lunar and Mars missions. The study addressed the technical issues relating to the First Lunar Outpost (FLO) habitation vehicle with emphasis in the structure, power, life support system, and radiation environment.

Overview of NASA Cryocooler Programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boyle, R. F.; Ross, R. G., Jr.; Krebs, Carolyn A. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Mechanical cryocoolers represent a significant enabling technology for NASA's Earth and Space Science Enterprises, as well as augmenting existing capabilities in space exploration. An over-view is presented of on-going efforts at the Goddard Space Flight Center and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in support of current flight projects, near-term flight instruments, and long-term technology development.

PLAN-IT: Knowledge-Based Mission Sequencing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biefeld, Eric W.

1987-02-01

Mission sequencing consumes a large amount of time and manpower during a space exploration effort. Plan-It is a knowledge-based approach to assist in mission sequencing. Plan-It uses a combined frame and blackboard architecture. This paper reports on the approach implemented by Plan-It and the current applications of Plan-It for sequencing at NASA.

PATTERNS OF MASTERY AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LEVEL.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MINUCHIN, PATRICIA; AND OTHERS

EFFORTS WERE DIRECTED TOWARD THE EXPLORATION OF CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE HOME AND SCHOOL BACKGROUND INFLUENCES OF FOURTH-GRADE CHILDREN, AND THE PATTERNS OF RESPONSE THROUGH WHICH CHILDREN MASTER CHALLENGE, REACT TO OPPORTUNITY, AND EXPRESS AND HANDLE CONFLICT. THIS CURRENT RESEARCH WAS BUILT UPON AN EARLIER STUDY WHICH ASSESSED THE EFFECTS OF…

Teachers Learning in Community: Realities and Possibilities. SUNY Series, Restructuring and School Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitford, Betty Lou, Ed.; Wood, Diane R., Ed.

2010-01-01

This book raises provocative questions about the efficacy, viability, and sustainability of professional learning communities given the current political and structural realities of public schools. The culmination of six years of research in five states, it explores real-world efforts to establish learning communities as a strategy for…

Interweaving Youth Development, Community Development, and Social Change through Youth Organizing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christens, Brian D.; Dolan, Tom

2011-01-01

Community organizing groups that have built coalitions for local change over the past few decades are now involving young people as leaders in efforts to improve quality of life. The current study explores a particularly effective youth organizing initiative through review of organizational documents and collection and analysis of qualitative…

Occupant Protection during Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle Landings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gernhardt, Michael L.; Jones, J. A.; Granderson, B. K.; Somers, J. T.

2009-01-01

The constellation program is evaluating current vehicle design capabilities for nominal water landings and contingency land landings of the Orion Crew Exploration vehicle. The Orion Landing Strategy tiger team was formed to lead the technical effort for which associated activities include the current vehicle design, susceptibility to roll control and tip over, reviewing methods for assessing occupant injury during ascent / aborts /landings, developing an alternate seat/attenuation design solution which improves occupant protection and operability, and testing the seat/attenuation system designs to ensure valid results. The EVA physiology, systems and Performance (EPSP) project is leading the effort under the authority of the Tiger Team Steering committee to develop, verify, validate and accredit biodynamics models using a variety of crash and injury databases including NASCAR, Indy Car and military aircraft. The validated biodynamics models will be used by the Constellation program to evaluate a variety of vehicle, seat and restraint designs in the context of multiple nominal and off-nominal landing scenarios. The models will be used in conjunction with Acceptable Injury Risk definitions to provide new occupant protection requirements for the Constellation Program.

Recent Efforts in Communications Research and Technology at the Glenn Research Center in Support of NASA's Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miranda, Felix A.

2015-01-01

As it has done in the past, NASA is currently engaged in furthering the frontiers of space and planetary exploration. The effectiveness in gathering the desired science data in the amount and quality required to perform this pioneering work relies heavily on the communications capabilities of the spacecraft and space platforms being considered to enable future missions. Accordingly, the continuous improvement and development of radiofrequency and optical communications systems are fundamental to prevent communications to become the limiting factor for space explorations. This presentation will discuss some of the research and technology development efforts currently underway at the NASA Glenn Research Center in the radio frequency (RF) and Optical Communications. Examples of work conducted in-house and also in collaboration with academia, industry, and other government agencies (OGA) in areas such as antenna technology, power amplifiers, radio frequency (RF) wave propagation through Earths atmosphere, ultra-sensitive receivers, thin films ferroelectric-based tunable components, among others, will be presented. In addition, the role of these and other related RF technologies in enabling the NASA next generation space communications architecture will be also discussed.

Using Remote Sensing Data and Research Results for Urban Heat Island Mitigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Estes, Maury; Luvall, Jeffrey

1999-01-01

This paper provides information on the characteristics of the urban heat island, research designed to provide the data needed to develop effective urban heat island reduction strategies, and the development of local working groups to develop implementation plans. As background, an overview of research results on the urban heat island phenomenon and the resultant effect on energy usage and air quality will be explored. The use of more reflective roofing materials, paving materials, tree planting, and other initiatives will be explored as a basis for strategies to mitigate urban heat islands and improve the urban environment. Current efforts to use aircraft remote sensing data in Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Sacramento, and Salt Lake City and our work with non-profit organizations designated to lead public education and strategic development efforts will be presented. Efforts to organize working groups comprised of key stakeholders, the process followed in communicating research results, and methodology for soliciting feedback and incorporating ideas into local plans, policies and decision-making will be discussed. Challenges in developing and transferring data products and research results to stakeholders will be presented. It is our ultimate goal that such efforts be integrated into plans and/or decision models that encourage sustainable development.

Roles for specialty societies and vascular surgeons in accountable care organizations

PubMed Central

Goodney, Philip P.; Fisher, Elliott S.; Cambria, Richard P.

2012-01-01

With the passage of the Affordable Care Act, accountable care organizations (ACOs) represent a new paradigm in healthcare payment reform. Designed to limit growth in spending while preserving quality, these organizations aim to incant physicians to lower costs by returning a portion of the savings realized by cost-effective, evidence-based care back to the ACO. In this review, first, we will explore the development of ACOs within the context of prior attempts to control Medicare spending, such as the sustainable growth rate and managed care organizations. Second, we describe the evolution of ACOs, the demonstration projects that established their feasibility, and their current organizational structure. Third, because quality metrics are central to the use and implementation of ACOs, we describe current efforts to design, collect, and interpret quality metrics in vascular surgery. And fourth, because a “seat at the table” will be an important key to success for vascular surgeons in these efforts, we discuss how vascular surgeons can participate and lead efforts within ACOs. PMID:22370029

Overview of chemical vapor infiltration

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

Besmann, T.M.; Stinton, D.P.; Lowden, R.A.

1993-06-01

Chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) is developing into a commercially important method for the fabrication of continuous filament ceramic composites. Current efforts are focused on the development of an improved understanding of the various processes in CVI and its modeling. New approaches to CVI are being explored, including pressure pulse infiltration and microwave heating. Material development is also proceeding with emphasis on improving the oxidation resistance of the interfacial layer between the fiber and matrix. This paper briefly reviews these subjects, indicating the current state of the science and technology.

Measurement Techniques for Clock Jitter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lansdowne, Chatwin; Schlesinger, Adam

2012-01-01

NASA is in the process of modernizing its communications infrastructure to accompany the development of a Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) to replace the shuttle. With this effort comes the opportunity to infuse more advanced coded modulation techniques, including low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes that offer greater coding gains than the current capability. However, in order to take full advantage of these codes, the ground segment receiver synchronization loops must be able to operate at a lower signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) than supported by equipment currently in use.

New pathways towards efficient metallic spin Hall spintronics

DOE PAGES

Jungfleisch, Matthias Benjamin; Zhang, Wei; Jiang, Wanjun; ...

2015-11-16

Spin Hall effects (SHEs) interconvert spin- and charge currents due to spin- orbit interaction, which enables convenient electrical generation and detection of diffusive spin currents and even collective spin excitations in magnetic solids. Here, we review recent experimental efforts exploring efficient spin Hall detector materials as well as new approaches to drive collective magnetization dynamics and to manipulate spin textures by SHEs. As a result, these studies are also expected to impact practical spintronics applications beyond their significance in fundamental research.

The Policy of Universal Secondary Education: Its Influence on Secondary Schooling in Grenada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knight, Verna

2014-01-01

In an era of increasing access to secondary education in the Caribbean, it becomes critical that we understand the effect that Universal Secondary Education (USE) has had on our education systems in order to inform current educational reform efforts and future educational planning. This study explores the experience of the country of Grenada with…

The Impact of Intimate Partner Violence on Women's Condom Negotiation Efficacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swan, Holly; O'Connell, Daniel J.

2012-01-01

HIV prevention efforts promote the use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV and other STDs. Thus, a woman's agency to practice healthy sexual behaviors necessarily involves negotiation with another person. This poses unique challenges for women who have limited power in relationships. The current study explores how the experience of intimate…

City Literacies in Second Languages: New Questions for Policy and Advocacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mora, Raúl Alberto

2015-01-01

This article documents the current research efforts of a research team at a Colombian university to explore the new forms of literacies in second languages in the city. The different research projects from this research team aim to break the social imaginaries, often perpetuated in policies, that people in cities are not using English as a…

The Texas Bluebonnet Award: Planting the Seeds for Lifelong Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lesesne, Teri S.

2007-01-01

In this article, the author describes the Texas Bluebonnet Award (TBA), a program designed and implemented in Texas to encourage children to read more, explore a variety of current books, develop powers of discrimination, and identify their favorite books (www.txla.org/groups/tba/about.html). TBA began in 1979 through the effort of Dr. Janelle…

Exploring Lesson Study as an Improvement Strategy at a High-Stakes Accountability School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Alice Tae

2012-01-01

This study addressed the problem of chronic low student achievement in language arts at a Program Improvement 5+ school by implementing two cycles of facilitated lesson study. Using action research to facilitate and monitor change in instructional practices at a school that is currently undergoing a teacher-initiated turnaround reform effort, this…

The Provision of Counseling Services among School Psychologists: An Exploration of Training, Current Practices, and Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanchon, Timothy A.; Fernald, Lori N.

2013-01-01

Although school psychologists have been called on in recent literature to assume a leadership role in a collective and comprehensive effort to address students' mental health needs, many practitioners find that their professional roles continue to be narrowly focused on special education-related activities, such as individualized assessment…

Low-Cost Educational Materials: How To Make, How To Use, How To Adapt. Inventory, Volume I.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Bangkok (Thailand). Regional Office for Education in Asia and Oceania.

Instructions with line drawings and/or patterns are provided for making 85 of the exemplar products perpared in APEID-sponsored workshops, which reviewed current efforts and materials, and explored new strategies and directions in the utilization of low cost, simple, indigenous materials to fill the regional need for audiovisual resources. The…

Direct-to-consumer marketing of evidence-based psychological interventions: introduction.

PubMed

Santucci, Lauren C; McHugh, R Kathryn; Barlow, David H

2012-06-01

The dissemination and implementation of evidence-based psychological interventions (EBPIs) to service provision settings has been a major challenge. Most efforts to disseminate and implement EBPIs have focused on clinicians and clinical systems as the consumers of these treatments and thus have targeted efforts to these groups. An alternative, complementary approach to achieve more widespread utilization of EBPIs is to disseminate directly to patients themselves. The aim of this special section is to explore several direct-to-consumer (i.e., patient) dissemination and education efforts currently underway. This manuscript highlights the rationale for direct-to-patient dissemination strategies as well as the application of marketing science to dissemination efforts. Achieving greater access to EBPIs will require the use of multiple approaches to overcome the many and varied barriers to successful dissemination and implementation. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Which design for which question? An exploration toward a translation table for comparative effectiveness research.

PubMed

Montori, Victor M; Kim, Simon P; Guyatt, Gordon H; Shah, Nilay D

2012-05-01

In this paper, we explore the relative value that different methods offer in answering some stereotypical comparative effectiveness research questions with the goal of informing development of a 'translation table'--a selection tool for choosing appropriate methods for specific comparative effectiveness research questions. This paper was written as a parallel effort to Greenfield and Kaplan (also in this volume) to support the endeavor described in the manuscript by Tunis et al. (also in this volume). Originally based on four cases, the current article has been shortened to two cases for the current discussion. These cases represent research priorities proposed to orient the work of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, comparative clinical effectiveness and comparative health services.

Integrating spaceflight human system risk research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mindock, Jennifer; Lumpkins, Sarah; Anton, Wilma; Havenhill, Maria; Shelhamer, Mark; Canga, Michael

2017-10-01

NASA is working to increase the likelihood of exploration mission success and to maintain crew health, both during exploration missions and long term after return to Earth. To manage the risks in achieving these goals, a system modelled after a Continuous Risk Management framework is in place. ;Human System Risks; (Risks) have been identified, and 32 are currently being actively addressed by NASA's Human Research Program (HRP). Research plans for each of HRP's Risks have been developed and are being executed. Inter-disciplinary ties between the research efforts supporting each Risk have been identified; however, efforts to identify and benefit from these connections have been mostly ad hoc. There is growing recognition that solutions developed to address the full set of Risks covering medical, physiological, behavioural, vehicle, and organizational aspects of exploration missions must be integrated across Risks and disciplines. This paper discusses how a framework of factors influencing human health and performance in space is being applied as the backbone for bringing together sometimes disparate information relevant to the individual Risks. The resulting interrelated information enables identification and visualization of connections between Risks and research efforts in a systematic and standardized manner. This paper also discusses the applications of the visualizations and insights into research planning, solicitation, and decision-making processes.

Cooperative efforts by industry and government to develop geothermal resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Butler, D. R.

1974-01-01

The Federal government's current plans for participation in the geothermal field appear to affect four major areas of interest: (1) resources exploration and assessment, (2) resources utilization projects, (3) advanced research and technology, and (4) environmental, legal, and institutional research. Private industry is also actively involved in these same areas of interest. Because of lack of coordination and communication between the private and public sector, it appears that there will be considerable duplication of effort, and, in some cases, serious conflict. It is also likely that this lack of coordination and communication may result in lack of effort in some key areas. Close coordination and communication between government and industry may resolve some of the major problems that are clearly evident.

Poverty and Health Disparities for American Indian and Alaska Native Children: Current Knowledge and Future Prospects

PubMed Central

Sarche, Michelle; Spicer, Paul

2008-01-01

This report explores the current state of knowledge regarding inequalities and their effect on American Indian and Alaska Native children, underscoring gaps in our current knowledge and the opportunities for early intervention to begin to address persistent challenges in young American Indian and Alaska Native children’s development. This overview documents demographic, social, health, and health care disparities as they affect American Indian and Alaska Native children, the persistent cultural strengths that must form the basis for any conscientious intervention effort, and the exciting possibilities for early childhood interventions. PMID:18579879

Using Kepler Light Curves for Astronomy Education and Public Outreach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cash, Jennifer; Rivers, S.; Eleby, J.; Gould, A.; Komatsu, T.

2014-01-01

We will present our efforts related to Education and Public Outreach activities using Kepler Light Curves. We are currently developing interactive web based activities to introduce the public to the general topic of Stellar Variability and Intrinsic Variable Stars in particular using the high quality light curves of over a dozen Kepler targets. Along with the public website, we are exploring areas to develop teacher guides to use Kepler Light Curves in the middle and high school classrooms. These efforts are supported through a NASA EPSCoR grant "South Carolina Joint Venture Program" via a subaward to SC State University.

Effect of tax laws on mineral exploration in Canada

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeYoung, J.H.

1977-01-01

Changes since 1972 in Canadian federal and provincial tax laws have eliminated many of the prior tax incentives offered to the mining industry. These changes provide an opportunity to study the effect of tax laws on a country's mineral resource development by comparing trends in mineral exploration in various provinces with adjoining regions, and by comparing these results with firm behaviour that would be expected from microeconomic analysis. Mineral producers have sought higher, more stable returns, resulting in shifts of exploration into political regions with more favourable and less changeable tax policies. Future supplies of mineral raw materials from a political region are dependent on current exploration effort, which is in turn influenced by the region's tax laws. ?? 1977.

Requirements Doc for Refurb of JASPER Facility in B131HB

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

Knittel, Kenn M.

The Joint Actinide Shock Physics Experimental Research (JASPER) Program target fabrication facility is currently located in building 131 (B131) of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). A portion of this current facility has been committed to another program as part of a larger effort to consolidate LLNL capabilities into newer facilities. This facility assembles precision targets for scientific studies at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). B131 is also going through a modernization project to upgrade the infrastructure and abate asbestos. These activities will interrupt the continuous target fabrication efforts for the JASPER Program. Several options are explored to meetmore » the above conflicting requirements, with the final recommendation to prepare a new facility for JASPER target fabrication operations before modernization efforts begin in the current facility assigned to JASPER. This recommendation fits within all schedule constraints and minimizes the disruption to the JASPER Program. This option is not without risk, as it requires moving an aged, precision coordinate measuring machine, which is essential to the JASPER Program’s success. The selected option balances the risk to the machine with continuity of operations.« less

HIV/AIDS interventions in an aging U.S. population.

PubMed

Jacobson, Stephanie A

2011-05-01

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 25 percent of people living with HIV in the United States in 2006 were age 50 and older. HIV prevention for people over 50 is an important health concern, especially as the U.S. population grows older. Scholarly research has identified the need for HIV/AIDS interventions in the population of people over age 50, but few interventions have been established. The ecological perspective, which integrates intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy factors, was used to review the current interventions and propose possible new HIV/AIDS prevention efforts for older adults. Intrapersonal interventions are often based on the health belief model. The precaution adoption process model was explored as an alternative intrapersonal theory for modeling prevention efforts. Community interventions using diffusion of innovations theory are fully explored, and new interventions are proposed as an option for preventing HIV/AIDS in older adults. An agenda for future research and interventions is proposed. Social workers will be at the forefront of the effort to prevent HIV/AIDS in older adults. They must accept this responsibility, propose interventions, and evaluate their effectiveness.

Japanese and Taiwanese pelagic longline fleet dynamics and the impacts of climate change in the southern Indian Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michael, P. E.; Wilcox, C.; Tuck, G. N.; Hobday, A. J.; Strutton, P. G.

2017-06-01

Climate change is projected to continue shifting the distribution of marine species, leading to changes in local assemblages and different interactions with human activities. With regard to fisheries, understanding the relationship between fishing fleets, target species catch per unit effort (CPUE), and the environment enhances our ability to anticipate fisher response and is an essential step towards proactive management. Here, we explore the potential impact of climate change in the southern Indian Ocean by modelling Japanese and Taiwanese pelagic longline fleet dynamics. We quantify the mean and variability of target species CPUE and the relative value and cost of fishing in different areas. Using linear mixed models, we identify fleet-specific effort allocation strategies most related to observed effort and predict the future distribution of effort and tuna catch under climate change for 2063-2068. The Japanese fleet's strategy targets high-value species and minimizes the variability in CPUE of the primary target species. Conversely, the Taiwanese strategy indicated flexible targeting of a broad range of species, fishing in areas of high and low variability in catch, and minimizing costs. The projected future mean and variability in CPUE across species suggest a slight increase in CPUE in currently high CPUE areas for most species. The corresponding effort projections suggest a slight increase in Japanese effort in the western and eastern study area, and Taiwanese effort increasing east of Madagascar. This approach provides a useful method for managers to explore the impacts of different fishing and fleet management strategies for the future.

Development of a remote vital signs sensor

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

Ladd, M.D.; Pacheco, M.S.; Rivas, R.R.

1997-06-01

This paper describes the work at Sandia National Laboratories to develop sensors that remotely detect unique life-form characteristics, such as breathing patterns or heartbeat patterns. This paper will address the Technical Support Working Group`s (TSWG) objective: to develop a remote vital signs detector which can be used to assess someone`s malevolent intent. The basic concept of operations for the projects, system development issues, and the preliminary results for a radar device currently in-house and the implications for implementation are described. A survey that identified the in-house technology currently being evaluated is reviewed, as well as ideas for other potential technologiesmore » to explore. A radar unit for breathing and heartbeat detection is being tested, and the applicability of infrared technology is being explored. The desire for rapid prototyping is driving the need for off-the-shelf technology. As a conclusion, current status and future directions of the effort are reviewed.« less

NASA safety program activities in support of the Space Exploration Initiatives Nuclear Propulsion program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sawyer, J. C., Jr.

1993-01-01

The activities of the joint NASA/DOE/DOD Nuclear Propulsion Program Technical Panels have been used as the basis for the current development of safety policies and requirements for the Space Exploration Initiatives (SEI) Nuclear Propulsion Technology development program. The Safety Division of the NASA Office of Safety and Mission Quality has initiated efforts to develop policies for the safe use of nuclear propulsion in space through involvement in the joint agency Nuclear Safety Policy Working Group (NSPWG), encouraged expansion of the initial policy development into proposed programmatic requirements, and suggested further expansion into the overall risk assessment and risk management process for the NASA Exploration Program. Similar efforts are underway within the Department of Energy to ensure the safe development and testing of nuclear propulsion systems on Earth. This paper describes the NASA safety policy related to requirements for the design of systems that may operate where Earth re-entry is a possibility. The expected plan of action is to support and oversee activities related to the technology development of nuclear propulsion in space, and support the overall safety and risk management program being developed for the NASA Exploration Program.

Mental Depreciation and Marginal Decision Making

PubMed

Heath; Fennema

1996-11-01

We propose that individuals practice "mental depreciation," that is, they implicitly spread the fixed costs of their expenses over time or use. Two studies explore how people spread fixed costs on durable goods. A third study shows that depreciation can lead to two distinct errors in marginal decisions: First, people sometimes invest too much effort to get their money's worth from an expense (e.g., they may use a product a lot to spread the fixed expense across more uses). Second, people sometimes invest too little effort to get their money's worth: When people add a portion of the fixed cost to the current costs, their perceived marginal (i.e., incremental) costs exceed their true marginal costs. In response, they may stop investing because their perceived costs surpass the marginal benefits they are receiving. The latter effect is supported by two field studies that explore real board plan decisions by university students.

Mothers' characteristics as predictors of adolescents' ethnic-racial identity: An examination of Mexican-origin teen mothers.

PubMed

Derlan, Chelsea L; Umaña-Taylor, Adriana J; Updegraff, Kimberly A; Jahromi, Laudan B

2016-07-01

The current longitudinal study examined Mexican-origin mothers' cultural characteristics and ethnic socialization efforts as predictors of their adolescent daughters' ethnic-racial identity (ERI) exploration, resolution, and affirmation. Participants were 193 Mexican-origin adolescent mothers (M age = 16.78 years; SD = .98) and their mothers (M age = 41.24 years; SD = 7.11). Findings indicated that mothers' familism values and ERI exploration were positively associated with mother-reported ethnic socialization efforts 1 year later. Furthermore, mothers' ERI affirmation was a significant positive predictor of adolescents' ERI affirmation 2 years later, accounting for adolescents' ERI affirmation 1 year earlier. Discussion emphasizes the significance of ERI development among adolescent mothers who are negotiating the normative development of ERI and faced with their new role as parents and cultural socializers of their young children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

A Flight Dynamics Perspective of the Orion Pad Abort One Flight Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Idicula, Jinu; Williams-Hayes, Peggy S.; Stillwater, Ryan; Yates, Max

2009-01-01

The Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle is America s next generation of human rated spacecraft. The Orion Launch Abort System will take the astronauts away from the exploration vehicle in the event of an aborted launch. The pad abort mode of the Launch Abort System will be flight-tested in 2009 from the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. This paper examines some of the efforts currently underway at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center by the Controls & Dynamics group in preparation for the flight test. The concept of operation for the pad abort flight is presented along with an overview of the guidance, control and navigation systems. Preparations for the flight test, such as hardware testing and development of the real-time displays, are examined. The results from the validation and verification efforts for the aerodynamic and atmospheric models are shown along with Monte Carlo analysis results.

Mechanical Impact Testing: A Statistical Measurement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Engel, Carl D.; Herald, Stephen D.; Davis, S. Eddie

2005-01-01

In the decades since the 1950s, when NASA first developed mechanical impact testing of materials, researchers have continued efforts to gain a better understanding of the chemical, mechanical, and thermodynamic nature of the phenomenon. The impact mechanism is a real combustion ignition mechanism that needs understanding in the design of an oxygen system. The use of test data from this test method has been questioned due to lack of a clear method of application of the data and variability found between tests, material batches, and facilities. This effort explores a large database that has accumulated over a number of years and explores its overall nature. Moreover, testing was performed to determine the statistical nature of the test procedure to help establish sample size guidelines for material characterization. The current method of determining a pass/fail criterion based on either light emission or sound report or material charring is questioned.

Toward an Ideal Democracy: The Impact of Standardization Policies on the American Indian/Alaska Native Community and Language Revitalization Efforts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Erik; Allen, Ann

2013-01-01

This article explores the impact of standardization policies of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 on the American Indian/Alaska Native community and the ability of educational policy to promote sovereignty, liberty and equity within indigenous communities. Examining current research and data generated from the National Indian Education…

Dialogic Action in Climate Change Discussions: An International Study of High School Students in China, New Zealand, Norway and the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arya, Diana J.; Parker, Jessica K.

2015-01-01

Global efforts to prepare young developing minds for solving current and future challenges of climate change have advocated interdisciplinary, issues-based instructional approaches in order to transform traditional models of science education as delivering conceptual facts (UNESCO, 2014). This study is an exploration of the online interactions in…

Conservation assessment for the dusky Canada goose (Branta canadensis occidentalis Baird).

Treesearch

Robert G. Bromley; Thomas C. Rothe

2003-01-01

Dusky Canada geese compose one of the smallest populations of geese in North America and have exhibited a marked decline in the past 30 years. A comprehensive synthesis of past and current biological information on the subspecies has been compiled to provide insights into the ecology and demography of the population, as well as explore management efforts to promote...

Improving Teaching: A Partnership Success Story. San Diego State University and La Mesa-Spring Valley School District: Partners in Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bee, Clifford P.; And Others

A description is given of a collaborative effort between a state university and a middle school in California. The program is designed to attract, train, and retain future teachers. Among other factors, the program explores effective instruction, curriculum strategies, utilizing clinical supervision, and current teaching/learning techniques. An…

Additional Developments in Atmosphere Revitalization Modeling and Simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coker, Robert F.; Knox, James C.; Cummings, Ramona; Brooks, Thomas; Schunk, Richard G.

2013-01-01

NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) program is developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities, and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. These forays beyond the confines of earth's gravity will place unprecedented demands on launch systems. They must launch the supplies needed to sustain a crew over longer periods for exploration missions beyond earth's moon. Thus all spacecraft systems, including those for the separation of metabolic carbon dioxide and water from a crewed vehicle, must be minimized with respect to mass, power, and volume. Emphasis is also placed on system robustness both to minimize replacement parts and ensure crew safety when a quick return to earth is not possible. Current efforts are focused on improving the current state-of-the-art systems utilizing fixed beds of sorbent pellets by evaluating structured sorbents, seeking more robust pelletized sorbents, and examining alternate bed configurations to improve system efficiency and reliability. These development efforts combine testing of sub-scale systems and multi-physics computer simulations to evaluate candidate approaches, select the best performing options, and optimize the configuration of the selected approach. This paper describes the continuing development of atmosphere revitalization models and simulations in support of the Atmosphere Revitalization Recovery and Environmental Monitoring (ARREM)

On the lack of consensus over the meaning of openness: an empirical study.

PubMed

Grubb, Alicia M; Easterbrook, Steve M

2011-01-01

This study set out to explore the views and motivations of those involved in a number of recent and current advocacy efforts (such as open science, computational provenance, and reproducible research) aimed at making science and scientific artifacts accessible to a wider audience. Using a exploratory approach, the study tested whether a consensus exists among advocates of these initiatives about the key concepts, exploring the meanings that scientists attach to the various mechanisms for sharing their work, and the social context in which this takes place. The study used a purposive sampling strategy to target scientists who have been active participants in these advocacy efforts, and an open-ended questionnaire to collect detailed opinions on the topics of reproducibility, credibility, scooping, data sharing, results sharing, and the effectiveness of the peer review process. We found evidence of a lack of agreement on the meaning of key terminology, and a lack of consensus on some of the broader goals of these advocacy efforts. These results can be explained through a closer examination of the divergent goals and approaches adopted by different advocacy efforts. We suggest that the scientific community could benefit from a broader discussion of what it means to make scientific research more accessible and how this might best be achieved.

On the Lack of Consensus over the Meaning of Openness: An Empirical Study

PubMed Central

Grubb, Alicia M.; Easterbrook, Steve M.

2011-01-01

This study set out to explore the views and motivations of those involved in a number of recent and current advocacy efforts (such as open science, computational provenance, and reproducible research) aimed at making science and scientific artifacts accessible to a wider audience. Using a exploratory approach, the study tested whether a consensus exists among advocates of these initiatives about the key concepts, exploring the meanings that scientists attach to the various mechanisms for sharing their work, and the social context in which this takes place. The study used a purposive sampling strategy to target scientists who have been active participants in these advocacy efforts, and an open-ended questionnaire to collect detailed opinions on the topics of reproducibility, credibility, scooping, data sharing, results sharing, and the effectiveness of the peer review process. We found evidence of a lack of agreement on the meaning of key terminology, and a lack of consensus on some of the broader goals of these advocacy efforts. These results can be explained through a closer examination of the divergent goals and approaches adopted by different advocacy efforts. We suggest that the scientific community could benefit from a broader discussion of what it means to make scientific research more accessible and how this might best be achieved. PMID:21858110

Cancer Risk from Exposure to Galactic Cosmic Rays - Implications for Human Space Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cucinotta, Francis A.; Durant, marco

2006-01-01

Current space programs are shifting toward planetary exploration, and in particular towards human missions to the moon and Mars. However, space radiation is a major barrier to human exploration of the solar system because the biological effects of high-energy and charge (HZE) ions, which are the main contributors to radiation risks in deep space, are poorly understood. Predictions of the nature and magnitude of the risks posed by space radiation are subject to very large uncertainties. Great efforts have been dedicated worldwide in recent years toward a better understanding of the oncogenic potential of galactic cosmic rays. A review of the new results in this field will be presented here.

GSFC Information Systems Technology Developments Supporting the Vision for Space Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughes, Peter; Dennehy, Cornelius; Mosier, Gary; Smith, Dan; Rykowski, Lisa

2004-01-01

The Vision for Space Exploration will guide NASA's future human and robotic space activities. The broad range of human and robotic missions now being planned will require the development of new system-level capabilities enabled by emerging new technologies. Goddard Space Flight Center is actively supporting the Vision for Space Exploration in a number of program management, engineering and technology areas. This paper provides a brief background on the Vision for Space Exploration and a general overview of potential key Goddard contributions. In particular, this paper focuses on describing relevant GSFC information systems capabilities in architecture development; interoperable command, control and communications; and other applied information systems technology/research activities that are applicable to support the Vision for Space Exploration goals. Current GSFC development efforts and task activities are presented together with future plans.

United Nations Human Space Technology Initiative (HSTI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ochiai, Mika; Niu, Aimin; Steffens, Heike; Balogh, Werner; Haubold, Hans; Othman, Mazlan; Doi, Takao

2014-11-01

The Human Space Technology Initiative was launched in 2010 within the framework of the United Nations Programme on Space Applications implemented by the Office for Outer Space Affairs of the United Nations. It aims to involve more countries in activities related to human spaceflight and space exploration and to increase the benefits from the outcome of such activities through international cooperation, to make space exploration a truly international effort. The role of the Initiative in these efforts is to provide a platform to exchange information, foster collaboration between partners from spacefaring and non-spacefaring countries, and encourage emerging and developing countries to take part in space research and benefit from space applications. The Initiative organizes expert meetings and workshops annually to raise awareness of the current status of space exploration activities as well as of the benefits of utilizing human space technology and its applications. The Initiative is also carrying out primary science activities including the Zero-Gravity Instrument Project and the Drop Tower Experiment Series aimed at promoting capacity-building activities in microgravity science and education, particularly in developing countries.

Dawn of a New Space Age: Developing a Global Exploration Strategy.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Volosin, Jeff

2006-01-01

Jeff Volosin is an aerospace engineer with over 20 years of experience in the design, development, and operations of both robotic and crewed spacecraft. Mr. Volosin is currently leading the NASA effort to develop and integrate a global exploration strategy which reflects the lunar exploration interests of international space agencies, academia and commercial stakeholders. Prior to joining NASA as a member of the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate in 2004, Jeff was an aerospace contractor, serving in a number of leadership positions including: Operations Manager for the NASA Communications Network and Flight Operations Manager for the Advanced Composition Explorer, Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, and the NOAA Polar and Geostationary satellite constellations. Earlier in his career, Jeff spent 4 years as a system engineer supporting the Space Exploration Initiative studies on human voyages to the Moon and Mars and also supported the Space Station program as an advanced life support engineer.

NASA Glenn Research Center Electrochemistry Branch Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manzo, Michelle A.; Hoberecht, Mark; Reid, Concha

2010-01-01

This presentation covers an overview of NASA Glenn's history and heritage in the development of electrochemical systems for aerospace applications. Current programs related to batteries and fuel cells are addressed. Specific areas of focus are Li-ion batteries and Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel cells systems and their development for future Exploration missions. The presentation covers details of current component development efforts for high energy and ultra high energy Li-ion batteries and non-flow-through fuel cell stack and balance of plant development. Electrochemistry Branch capabilities and facilities are also addressed.

In Situ Resource Utilization For Mobility In Mars Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartman, Leo

There has been considerable interest in the unmanned exploration of Mars for quite some time but the current generation of rovers can explore only a small portion of the total planetary surface. One approach to addressing this deficiency is to consider a rover that has greater range and that is cheaper so that it can be deployed in greater numbers. The option explored in this paper uses the wind to propel a rover platform, trading off precise navigation for greater range. The capabilities of such a rover lie between the global perspective of orbiting satellites and the detailed local analysis of current-generation rovers. In particular, the design includes two inflatable wheels with an unspun payload platform suspended between then. Slightly deflating one of the wheels enables steering away from the direction of the wind and sufficiently deflating both wheels will allow the rover to stop. Current activities revolve around the development of a prototype with a wheel cross-sectional area that is scaled by 1/100 to enable terrestrial trials to provide meaningful insight into the performance and behavior of a full-sized rover on Mars. The paper will discuss the design and its capabilities in more detail as well as current efforts to build a prototype suitable for deployment at a Mars analogue site such as Devon Island in the Canadian arctic.

Overview of NASA's Thermal Control System Development for Exploration Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stephan, Ryan A.

2011-01-01

The now-cancelled Constellation Program included the Orion, Altair, and Lunar Surface Systems project offices. The first two elements, Orion and Altair, were planned to be manned space vehicles while the third element was much more diverse and included several sub-elements. Among other things, these sub-elements were Rovers and a Lunar Habitat. The planned missions involving these systems and vehicles included several risks and design challenges. Due to the unique thermal operating environment, many of these risks and challenges were associated with the vehicles thermal control system. NASA s Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP) consisted of various technology development projects. The project chartered with mitigating the aforementioned thermal risks and design challenges was the Thermal Control System Development for Exploration Project. These risks and design challenges were being addressed through a rigorous technology development process that was planned to culminate with an integrated thermal control system test. Although the technologies being developed were originally aimed towards mitigating specific Constellation risks, the technology development process is being continued within a new program. This continued effort is justified by the fact that many of the technologies are generically applicable to future spacecraft thermal control systems. The current paper summarizes the development efforts being performed by the technology development project. The development efforts involve heat acquisition and heat rejection hardware including radiators, heat exchangers, and evaporators. The project has also been developing advanced phase change material heat sinks and performing a material compatibility assessment for a promising thermal control system working fluid. The to-date progress and lessons-learned from these development efforts will be discussed throughout the paper.

TDRS-L NASA Social Tour

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-01-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, social media participants were given an opportunity to go inside the spaceport's Vehicle Assembly Building. After serving through the Apollo and Space Shuttle Programs, the structure now is undergoing renovations to accommodate future launch vehicles and to continue as a major part of America's efforts to explore space. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport for the launch of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS-L spacecraft. Their visit included tours of key facilities and participating in presentations by key NASA leaders who updated the space agency's current efforts. Photo credit: NASA/Dan Casper

Plasma Liner Research for MTF at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thio, Y. C. F.; Eskridge, R.; Lee, M.; Martin, A.; Smith, J.; Cassibry, J. T.; Wu, S. T.; Kirkpatrick, R. C.; Knapp, C. E.; Turchi, P. J.;

The Evolution of Neuroprosthetic Interfaces

PubMed Central

Adewole, Dayo O.; Serruya, Mijail D.; Harris, James P.; Burrell, Justin C.; Petrov, Dmitriy; Chen, H. Isaac; Wolf, John A.; Cullen, D. Kacy

2017-01-01

The ideal neuroprosthetic interface permits high-quality neural recording and stimulation of the nervous system while reliably providing clinical benefits over chronic periods. Although current technologies have made notable strides in this direction, significant improvements must be made to better achieve these design goals and satisfy clinical needs. This article provides an overview of the state of neuroprosthetic interfaces, starting with the design and placement of these interfaces before exploring the stimulation and recording platforms yielded from contemporary research. Finally, we outline emerging research trends in an effort to explore the potential next generation of neuroprosthetic interfaces. PMID:27652455

Roles for specialty societies and vascular surgeons in accountable care organizations.

PubMed

Goodney, Philip P; Fisher, Elliott S; Cambria, Richard P

2012-03-01

With the passage of the Affordable Care Act, accountable care organizations (ACOs) represent a new paradigm in healthcare payment reform. Designed to limit growth in spending while preserving quality, these organizations aim to incant physicians to lower costs by returning a portion of the savings realized by cost-effective, evidence-based care back to the ACO. In this review, first, we will explore the development of ACOs within the context of prior attempts to control Medicare spending, such as the sustainable growth rate and managed care organizations. Second, we describe the evolution of ACOs, the demonstration projects that established their feasibility, and their current organizational structure. Third, because quality metrics are central to the use and implementation of ACOs, we describe current efforts to design, collect, and interpret quality metrics in vascular surgery. And fourth, because a "seat at the table" will be an important key to success for vascular surgeons in these efforts, we discuss how vascular surgeons can participate and lead efforts within ACOs. Copyright © 2012 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Space transfer concepts and analysis for exploration missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodcock, Gordon R.

1992-01-01

The current technical effort is part of the third phase of a broad-scoped and systematic study of space transfer concepts for human lunar and Mars missions. The study addressed the technical issues relating to the First Lunar Outpost (FLO) habitation vehicle with emphasis on the structure, power, life support system, and radiation environment for a baseline habitat with specific alternatives for the baseline.

Career Orientations of Business Master's Students as Compared to Social Work Students: Further Inquiry into the Value of Graduate Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buchanan, F. Robert; Kim, Kong-Hee; Basham, Randall

2007-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore career orientations of business master's degree seekers in comparison with social work degree pursuers in an effort to provide insight for educators and policy makers. Design/methodology/approach: A web-based survey of current master's students from two graduate schools at a large university…

Perceptions of Teachers on Their Preparedness to Teach Students in Low-Income Urban Charter Schools in New Jersey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Kimberly S.

2017-01-01

This dissertation explores how novice teachers currently working in low-income urban charter schools in New Jersey perceive their specific preparation to work in a low-income urban charter school classroom, prior to doing so. In this qualitative study, a semistructured interview was used in an effort to assess the preparedness of 18 teachers based…

Bridging Theory and Practice: A Critical Discourse Analysis of a Social Justice Initiative within a Narrative Supervision Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahn, Sarah Zeta

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to increase the current understanding of what occurs within a narrative supervision process and to explore how this approach to supervision can contribute to the development of educational practices that promote social justice efforts in the field of marriage and family therapy. In particular, this study sought to…

Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networks for Human Space Flight Video Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fink, Patrick W.; Ngo, Phong; Schlesinger, Adam

2010-01-01

The movie describes collaboration between NASA and Vint Cerf on the development of Disruption Tolerant Networks (DTN) for use in space exploration. Current evaluation efforts at Johnson Space Center are focused on the use of DTNs in space communications. Tests include the ability of rovers to store data for later display, tracking local and remote habitat inventory using radio-frequency identification tags, and merging networks.

Ultimately short ballistic vertical graphene Josephson junctions

PubMed Central

Lee, Gil-Ho; Kim, Sol; Jhi, Seung-Hoon; Lee, Hu-Jong

2015-01-01

Much efforts have been made for the realization of hybrid Josephson junctions incorporating various materials for the fundamental studies of exotic physical phenomena as well as the applications to superconducting quantum devices. Nonetheless, the efforts have been hindered by the diffusive nature of the conducting channels and interfaces. To overcome the obstacles, we vertically sandwiched a cleaved graphene monoatomic layer as the normal-conducting spacer between superconducting electrodes. The atomically thin single-crystalline graphene layer serves as an ultimately short conducting channel, with highly transparent interfaces with superconductors. In particular, we show the strong Josephson coupling reaching the theoretical limit, the convex-shaped temperature dependence of the Josephson critical current and the exceptionally skewed phase dependence of the Josephson current; all demonstrate the bona fide short and ballistic Josephson nature. This vertical stacking scheme for extremely thin transparent spacers would open a new pathway for exploring the exotic coherence phenomena occurring on an atomic scale. PMID:25635386

Subsurface Sample Acquisition and Transfer Systems (SSATS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rafeek, S.; Gorevan, S. P.; Kong, K. Y.

2001-01-01

In the exploration of planets and small bodies, scientists will need the services of a deep drilling and material handling system to not only obtain the samples necessary for analyses but also to precisely transfer and deposit those samples in in-situ instruments on board a landed craft or rover. The technology for such a deep sampling system as the SSATS is currently been developed by Honeybee Robotics through a PIDDP effort. The SSATS has its foundation in a one-meter prototype (SATM) drill that was developed under the New Millenium Program for ST4/Champollion. Additionally the SSATS includes relevant coring technology form a coring drill (Athena Mini-Corer) developed for the Mars Sample Return Mission. These highly developed technologies along with the current PIDDP effort, is combined to produce a sampling system that can acquire and transfer samples from various depths. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Exploiting Untapped Information Resources in Earth Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramachandran, R.; Fox, P. A.; Kempler, S.; Maskey, M.

2015-12-01

One of the continuing challenges in any Earth science investigation is the amount of time and effort required for data preparation before analysis can begin. Current Earth science data and information systems have their own shortcomings. For example, the current data search systems are designed with the assumption that researchers find data primarily by metadata searches on instrument or geophysical keywords, assuming that users have sufficient knowledge of the domain vocabulary to be able to effectively utilize the search catalogs. These systems lack support for new or interdisciplinary researchers who may be unfamiliar with the domain vocabulary or the breadth of relevant data available. There is clearly a need to innovate and evolve current data and information systems in order to improve data discovery and exploration capabilities to substantially reduce the data preparation time and effort. We assert that Earth science metadata assets are dark resources, information resources that organizations collect, process, and store for regular business or operational activities but fail to utilize for other purposes. The challenge for any organization is to recognize, identify and effectively utilize the dark data stores in their institutional repositories to better serve their stakeholders. NASA Earth science metadata catalogs contain dark resources consisting of structured information, free form descriptions of data and pre-generated images. With the addition of emerging semantic technologies, such catalogs can be fully utilized beyond their original design intent of supporting current search functionality. In this presentation, we will describe our approach of exploiting these information resources to provide novel data discovery and exploration pathways to science and education communities

Fostering Outreach, Education and Exploration of the Moon Using the Lunar Mapping & Modeling Portal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dodge, K.; Law, E.; Malhotra, S.; Chang, G.; Kim, R. M.; Bui, B.; Sadaqathullah, S.; Day, B. H.

2014-12-01

The Lunar Mapping and Modeling Portal (LMMP)[1], is a web-based Portal and a suite of interactive visualization and analysis tools for users to access mapped lunar data products (including image mosaics, digital elevation models, etc.) from past and current lunar missions (e.g., Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, Apollo, etc.). Originally designed as a mission planning tool for the Constellation Program, LMMP has grown into a generalized suite of tools facilitating a wide range of activities in support of lunar exploration including public outreach, education, lunar mission planning and scientific research. LMMP fosters outreach, education, and exploration of the Moon by educators, students, amateur astronomers, and the general public. These efforts are enhanced by Moon Tours, LMMP's mobile application, which makes LMMP's information accessible to people of all ages, putting opportunities for real lunar exploration in the palms of their hands. Our talk will include an overview of LMMP and a demonstration of its technologies (web portals, mobile apps), to show how it serves NASA data as commodities for use by advanced visualization facilities (e.g., planetariums) and how it contributes to improving teaching and learning, increasing scientific literacy of the general public, and enriching STEM efforts. References:[1] http://www.lmmp.nasa.gov

Report on the COSPAR Workshop on Refining Planetary Protection Requirements for Human Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spry, James Andrew; Rummel, John; Conley, Catharine; Race, Margaret; Kminek, Gerhard; Siegel, Bette

2016-07-01

A human mission to Mars has been the driving long-term goal for the development of the Global Exploration Roadmap by the International Space Exploration Coordination Group. Additionally, multiple national space agencies and commercial organizations have published similar plans and aspirations for human missions beyond LEO. The current COSPAR planetary protection "Guidelines for Human Missions to Mars" were developed in a series of workshops in the early 2000s and adopted into COSPAR policy at the Montreal Assembly in 2008. With changes and maturation in mission architecture concepts and hardware capabilities, the holding of a workshop provided an opportunity for timely review of these guidelines and their interpretation within current frameworks provided by ISECG and others. The COSPAR Workshop on Refining Planetary Protection Requirements for Human Missions was held in the US in spring 2016 to evaluate recent efforts and activities in the context of current COSPAR policy, as well as collect inputs from the various organizations considering crewed exploration missions to Mars and precursor robotic missions focused on surface material properties and environmental challenges. The workshop also considered potential updates to the COSPAR policy for human missions across a range of planetary destinations. This paper will report on those deliberations.

Apollo Lunar Sample Photographs: Digitizing the Moon Rock Collection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lofgren, Gary E.; Todd, Nancy S.; Runco, S. K.; Stefanov, W. L.

2011-01-01

The Acquisition and Curation Office at JSC has undertaken a 4-year data restoration project effort for the lunar science community funded by the LASER program (Lunar Advanced Science and Exploration Research) to digitize photographs of the Apollo lunar rock samples and create high resolution digital images. These sample photographs are not easily accessible outside of JSC, and currently exist only on degradable film in the Curation Data Storage Facility

Viking 75 Project.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, J. S., Jr.; Sibbers, C. W.

1972-01-01

Description of the Viking Project, a current effort to explore Mars using two unmanned spacecraft, consisting of an orbiter and lander each, during the 1975-1976 opportunity. The experiments on the surface will deal principally with biology, geology, and meteorology. If life is discovered on Mars, the dramatic find would greatly expand the field of exobiology and lead to a remarkable opportunity to study life that may be similar or different from our own.

Additional Developments in Atmosphere Revitalization Modeling and Simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coker, Robert F.; Knox, James C.; Cummings, Ramona; Brooks, Thomas; Schunk, Richard G.; Gomez, Carlos

2013-01-01

NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) program is developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities, and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. These forays beyond the confines of earth's gravity will place unprecedented demands on launch systems. They must launch the supplies needed to sustain a crew over longer periods for exploration missions beyond earth's moon. Thus all spacecraft systems, including those for the separation of metabolic carbon dioxide and water from a crewed vehicle, must be minimized with respect to mass, power, and volume. Emphasis is also placed on system robustness both to minimize replacement parts and ensure crew safety when a quick return to earth is not possible. Current efforts are focused on improving the current state-of-the-art systems utilizing fixed beds of sorbent pellets by evaluating structured sorbents, seeking more robust pelletized sorbents, and examining alternate bed configurations to improve system efficiency and reliability. These development efforts combine testing of sub-scale systems and multi-physics computer simulations to evaluate candidate approaches, select the best performing options, and optimize the configuration of the selected approach. This paper describes the continuing development of atmosphere revitalization models and simulations in support of the Atmosphere Revitalization Recovery and Environmental Monitoring (ARREM) project within the AES program.

Developments in Atmosphere Revitalization Modeling and Simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knox, James C.; Kittredge, Kenneth; Xoker, Robert F.; Cummings, Ramona; Gomez, Carlos F.

2012-01-01

"NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) program is pioneering new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities, and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit" (NASA 2012). These forays beyond the confines of earth's gravity will place unprecedented demands on launch systems. They must not only blast out of earth's gravity well as during the Apollo moon missions, but also launch the supplies needed to sustain a crew over longer periods for exploration missions beyond earth's moon. Thus all spacecraft systems, including those for the separation of metabolic carbon dioxide and water from a crewed vehicle, must be minimized with respect to mass, power, and volume. Emphasis is also placed on system robustness both to minimize replacement parts and ensure crew safety when a quick return to earth is not possible. Current efforts are focused on improving the current state-of-the-art systems utilizing fixed beds of sorbent pellets by evaluating structured sorbents, seeking more robust pelletized sorbents, and examining alternate bed configurations to improve system efficiency and reliability. These development efforts combine testing of sub-scale systems and multi-physics computer simulations to evaluate candidate approaches, select the best performing options, and optimize the configuration of the selected approach, which is then implemented in a full-scale integrated atmosphere revitalization test. This paper describes the development of atmosphere revitalization models and simulations. A companion paper discusses the hardware design and sorbent screening and characterization effort in support of the Atmosphere Revitalization Recovery and Environmental Monitoring (ARREM) project within the AES program.

Current Barriers to Large-scale Interoperability of Traceability Technology in the Seafood Sector.

PubMed

Hardt, Marah J; Flett, Keith; Howell, Colleen J

2017-08-01

Interoperability is a critical component of full-chain digital traceability, but is almost nonexistent in the seafood industry. Using both quantitative and qualitative methodology, this study explores the barriers impeding progress toward large-scale interoperability among digital traceability systems in the seafood sector from the perspectives of seafood companies, technology vendors, and supply chains as a whole. We highlight lessons from recent research and field work focused on implementing traceability across full supply chains and make some recommendations for next steps in terms of overcoming challenges and scaling current efforts. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Research in the design of high-performance reconfigurable systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcewan, S. D.; Spry, A. J.

1985-01-01

Computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing have the potential for greatly reducing the cost and lead time in the development of VLSI components. This potential paves the way for the design and fabrication of a wide variety of economically feasible high level functional units. It was observed that current computer systems have only a limited capacity to absorb new VLSI component types other than memory, microprocessors, and a relatively small number of other parts. The first purpose is to explore a system design which is capable of effectively incorporating a considerable number of VLSI part types and will both increase the speed of computation and reduce the attendant programming effort. A second purpose is to explore design techniques for VLSI parts which when incorporated by such a system will result in speeds and costs which are optimal. The proposed work may lay the groundwork for future efforts in the extensive simulation and measurements of the system's cost effectiveness and lead to prototype development.

KSC-2012-4190

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Former NASA Director of Public Affairs Hugh Harris, left, is joined by Jill Rock, of Kennedy's External Relations Office, in speaking to about 45 of NASA’s social media followers about the space agency's extensive efforts to host guests and VIPs over the years. They were among several speakers to address the participants during two days of presentations on the Kennedy Space Center's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

Sociology, economics, and gender: can knowledge of the past contribute to a better future?

PubMed

Nelson, Julie A

2010-01-01

This article explores the profoundly gendered nature of the split between the disciplines of economics and sociology that took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, emphasizing implications for current efforts to bring the fields more closely together. Drawing on historical documents and feminist studies of science, it investigates the gendered processes underlying the divergence of the disciplines in definition, method, and degree of engagement with social problems. The recently developed field of economic sociology and other efforts to bridge the disciplinary gap have the potential to heal this disciplinary split, if they are broadened, deepened, and made wiser and more self-reflective through the use of feminist analysis.

Development of Eddy Current Techniques for the Detection of Cracking in Space Shuttle Primary Reaction Control Thrusters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wincheski, Buzz A.; Simpson, John W.; Koshti, Ajay

2007-01-01

A recent identification of cracking in the Space Shuttle Primary Reaction Control System (PRCS) thrusters triggered an extensive nondestructive evaluation effort to develop techniques capable of identifying such damage on installed shuttle hardware. As a part of this effort, specially designed eddy current probes inserted into the acoustic cavity were explored for the detection of such flaws and for evaluation of the remaining material between the crack tip and acoustic cavity. The technique utilizes two orthogonal eddy current probes which are scanned under stepper motor control in the acoustic cavity to identify cracks hidden with as much as 0.060 remaining wall thickness to the cavity. As crack growth rates in this area have been determined to be very slow, such an inspection provides a large safety margin for continued operation of the critical shuttle hardware. Testing has been performed on thruster components with both actual and fabricated defects. This paper will review the design and performance of the developed eddy current inspection system. Detection of flaws as a function of remaining wall thickness will be presented along with the proposed system configuration for depot level or on-vehicle inspection capabilities.

Development of Eddy Current Technique for the Detection of Stress Corrosion Cracking in Space Shuttle Primary Reaction Control Thrusters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wincheski, Buzz; Simpson, John; Koshti, Ajay

2006-01-01

A recent identification of stress corrosion cracking in the Space Shuttle Primary Reaction Control System (PRCS) thrusters triggered an extensive nondestructive evaluation effort to develop techniques capable of identifying such damage on installed shuttle hardware. As a part of this effort, specially designed eddy current probes inserted into the acoustic cavity were explored for the detection of such flaws and for evaluation of the remaining material between the crack tip and acoustic cavity. The technique utilizes two orthogonal eddy current probes which are scanned under stepper motor control in the acoustic cavity to identify cracks hidden with as much as 0.060 remaining wall thickness to the cavity. As crack growth rates in this area have been determined to be very slow, such an inspection provides a large safety margin for continued operation of the critical shuttle hardware. Testing has been performed on thruster components with both actual and fabricated defects. This paper will review the design and performance of the developed eddy current inspection system. Detection of flaws as a function of remaining wall thickness will be presented along with the proposed system configuration for depot level or on-vehicle inspection capabilities.

Investigation of Desiccants and CO2 Sorbents for Advanced Exploration Systems 2015-2016

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knox, James C.; Watson, David W.; Wingard, Charles D.; West, Phillip W.; Cmarik, Gregory E.; Miller, Lee A.

2016-01-01

Advanced Exploration Systems are integral to crewed missions beyond low earth orbit and beyond the moon. The long-term goal is to reach Mars and return to Earth, but current air revitalization systems are not capable of extended operation within the mass, power, and volume requirements of such a mission. Two primary points are the mechanical stability of sorbent pellets and recovery of sorbent productivity after moisture exposure in the event of a leak. In this paper, we discuss the present efforts towards screening and characterizing commercially-available sorbents for extended operation in desiccant and CO2 removal beds.

Precision medicine in pediatric oncology: Lessons learned and next steps.

PubMed

Mody, Rajen J; Prensner, John R; Everett, Jessica; Parsons, D Williams; Chinnaiyan, Arul M

2017-03-01

The maturation of genomic technologies has enabled new discoveries in disease pathogenesis as well as new approaches to patient care. In pediatric oncology, patients may now receive individualized genomic analysis to identify molecular aberrations of relevance for diagnosis and/or treatment. In this context, several recent clinical studies have begun to explore the feasibility and utility of genomics-driven precision medicine. Here, we review the major developments in this field, discuss current limitations, and explore aspects of the clinical implementation of precision medicine, which lack consensus. Lastly, we discuss ongoing scientific efforts in this arena, which may yield future clinical applications. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Precision medicine in pediatric oncology: Lessons learned and next steps

PubMed Central

Mody, Rajen J.; Prensner, John R.; Everett, Jessica; Parsons, D. Williams; Chinnaiyan, Arul M.

2017-01-01

The maturation of genomic technologies has enabled new discoveries in disease pathogenesis as well as new approaches to patient care. In pediatric oncology, patients may now receive individualized genomic analysis to identify molecular aberrations of relevance for diagnosis and/or treatment. In this context, several recent clinical studies have begun to explore the feasibility and utility of genomics-driven precision medicine. Here, we review the major developments in this field, discuss current limitations, and explore aspects of the clinical implementation of precision medicine, which lack consensus. Lastly, we discuss ongoing scientific efforts in this arena, which may yield future clinical applications. PMID:27748023

The Nautilus Exploration Program: Utilizing Live Ocean Exploration as a Platform for STEM Education and Outreach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fundis, A.; Cook, M.; Sutton, K.; Garson, S.; Poulton, S.; Munro, S.

2016-02-01

By sparking interest in scientific inquiry and engineering design at a young age through exposure to ocean exploration and innovative technologies, and building on that interest throughout students' educational careers, the Ocean Exploration Trust (OET) aims to motivate more students to be lifelong learners and pursue careers in STEM fields. Utilizing research conducted aboard Exploration Vessel Nautilus, the ship's associated technologies, and shore-based facilities at the University of Rhode Island — including the Graduate School of Oceanography and the Inner Space Center — we guide students to early career professionals through a series of educational programs focused on STEM disciplines and vocational skills. OET also raises public awareness of ocean exploration and research through a growing online presence, live streaming video, and interactions with the team aboard the ship 24 hours a day via the Nautilus Live website (www.nautiluslive.org). Annually, our outreach efforts bring research launched from Nautilus to tens of millions worldwide and allow the public, students, and scientists to participate in expeditions virtually from shore. We share the Nautilus Exploration Program's strategies, successes, and lessons learned for a variety of our education and outreach efforts including: 1) enabling global audiences access to live ocean exploration online and via social media; 2) engaging onshore audiences in live and interactive conversations with scientists and engineers on board; 3) engaging young K-12 learners in current oceanographic research via newly developed lessons and curricula; 4) onshore and offshore professional development opportunities for formal and informal educators; 5) programs and authentic research opportunities for high school, undergraduate, and graduate students onshore and aboard Nautilus; and 6) collaborative opportunities for early career and seasoned researchers to participate virtually in telepresence-enabled, interdisciplinary expeditions.

Bystander Intervention Among College Men: The Role of Alcohol and Correlates of Sexual Aggression.

PubMed

Orchowski, Lindsay M; Berkowitz, Alan; Boggis, Jesse; Oesterle, Daniel

2016-10-01

Current efforts to reduce sexual violence in college campuses underscore the role of engaging men in prosocial bystander behavior. The current study implemented an online survey to explore associations between engaging in heavy drinking and attitudes toward bystander intervention among a sample of college men (N = 242). Correlates of sexual aggression were also explored as mediators of the hypothesized relationship between engaging in heavy drinking and attitudes toward bystander intervention. Data indicated that men who engaged in two or more episodes of heavy drinking over the past month reported lower prosocial bystander attitudes compared with men who did not engage in such behavior. The association between engaging in heavy drinking and lower prosocial bystander attitudes was mediated by men's perception of their peers' approval for sexual aggression, their own comfort with sexism, and engagement in coercive sexual behavior. Implications for sexual assault prevention are discussed. © The Author(s) 2015.

"We're still in a struggle": Diné resilience, survival, historical trauma, and healing.

PubMed

Goodkind, Jessica R; Hess, Julia Meredith; Gorman, Beverly; Parker, Danielle P

2012-08-01

As part of a community/university collaborative effort to promote the mental health and well-being of Diné (Navajo) youth, we explored the relevance of addressing historical trauma and current structural stressors, and of building on individual and community strengths through healing and social transformation at multiple levels. Qualitative analyses of 74 ethnographic interviews with 37 Diné youth, parents, and grandparents suggested that a focus on historical trauma as a conceptual frame for behavioral health inequities, understood within the context of resilience and survival, is appropriate. Our findings also highlight the salience of current stressors such as poverty and violence exposure. We explore the fit of an historical trauma healing framework and present implications for intervention and transformation through revitalization of traditional knowledge, culturally based healing practices, intergenerational education, and social change strategies designed to eliminate social inequities.

“We’re Still in a Struggle”: Diné Resilience, Survival, Historical Trauma, and Healing

PubMed Central

Goodkind, Jessica R.; Hess, Julia Meredith; Gorman, Beverly; Parker, Danielle P.

2014-01-01

As part of a community/university collaborative effort to promote the mental health and well-being of Diné (Navajo) youth, we explored the relevance of addressing historical trauma and current structural stressors and of building on individual and community strengths through healing and social transformation at multiple levels. Qualitative analyses of 74 ethnographic interviews with 37 Diné youth, parents, and grandparents suggested that a focus on historical trauma as a conceptual frame for behavioral health inequities, understood within the context of resilience and survival, is appropriate. Our findings also highlight the salience of current stressors such as poverty and violence exposure. We explore the fit of a historical trauma healing framework and present implications for intervention and transformation through revitalization of traditional knowledge, culturally-based healing practices, intergenerational education, and social change strategies designed to eliminate social inequities. PMID:22707344

NetCDF-CF: Supporting Earth System Science with Data Access, Analysis, and Visualization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, E.; Zender, C. S.; Arctur, D. K.; O'Brien, K.; Jelenak, A.; Santek, D.; Dixon, M. J.; Whiteaker, T. L.; Yang, K.

2017-12-01

NetCDF-CF is a community-developed convention for storing and describing earth system science data in the netCDF binary data format. It is an OGC recognized standard with numerous existing FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) and commercial software tools can explore, analyze, and visualize data that is stored and described as netCDF-CF data. To better support a larger segment of the earth system science community, a number of efforts are underway to extend the netCDF-CF convention with the goal of increasing the types of data that can be represented as netCDF-CF data. This presentation will provide an overview and update of work to extend the existing netCDF-CF convention. It will detail the types of earth system science data currently supported by netCDF-CF and the types of data targeted for support by current netCDF-CF convention development efforts. It will also describe some of the tools that support the use of netCDF-CF compliant datasets, the types of data they support, and efforts to extend them to handle the new data types that netCDF-CF will support.

KSC-2012-4252

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden speaks to about 45 of NASA’s social media followers during two days of presentations on the Kennedy's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-4226

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Several of the 45 of NASA social media followers photograph a speaker during two days of presentations on the Kennedy Space Center's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

KSC-2012-4216

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- About 45 of NASA’s social media followers respond to a speaker during two days of presentations on the Kennedy Space Center's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

KSC-2012-4183

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- About 45 of NASA’s social media followers respond to a speaker during two days of presentations on the Kennedy Space Center's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

KSC-2012-4255

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden speaks to about 45 of NASA’s social media followers during two days of presentations on the Kennedy's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

KSC-2012-4251

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden speaks to about 45 of NASA’s social media followers during two days of presentations on the Kennedy's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-4185

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- About 45 of NASA’s social media followers listen to a speaker during two days of presentations on the Kennedy Space Center's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

Wiring for aerospace applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christian, J. L., Jr.; Dickman, J. E.; Bercaw, R. W.; Myers, I. T.; Hammoud, A. N.; Stavnes, M.; Evans, J.

1992-07-01

In this paper, the authors summarize the current state of knowledge of arc propagation in aerospace power wiring and efforts by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) towards the understanding of the arc tracking phenomena in space environments. Recommendations will be made for additional testing. A database of the performance of commonly used insulating materials will be developed to support the design of advanced high power missions, such as Space Station Freedom and Lunar/Mars Exploration.

Lunar architecture and urbanism, 2nd ed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sherwood, Brent

2005-01-01

As the space population grows over time, persistent issues of human urbanism will eclipse within a historically short time the technical challenges of space exploration that dominate current efforts. Although urban design teams will have to integrate many new disciplines into their already renaissance array of expertise, doing so will enable them to adapt ancient, proven solutions to opportunities afforded by expanding urbanism offworld. This paper updates the author's original 1988 treatment of the subject.

Wiring for aerospace applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christian, J. L., Jr.; Dickman, J. E.; Bercaw, R. W.; Myers, I. T.; Hammoud, A. N.; Stavnes, M.; Evans, J.

1992-01-01

In this paper, the authors summarize the current state of knowledge of arc propagation in aerospace power wiring and efforts by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) towards the understanding of the arc tracking phenomena in space environments. Recommendations will be made for additional testing. A database of the performance of commonly used insulating materials will be developed to support the design of advanced high power missions, such as Space Station Freedom and Lunar/Mars Exploration.

MISSIONS: The Mobile-Based Disaster Mitigation System in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Passarella, Rossi; Putri Raflesia, Sarifah; Lestarini, Dinda; Rifai, Ahmad; Veny, Harumi

2018-04-01

Disaster mitigation is essential to minimize the effects of disasters. Indonesia is one of the disaster prone areas in Asia and the government explores the usage of Information technology (IT) to aid its mitigation efforts. Currently, there are Indonesian websites which hold information regarding the weather monitoring, climate conditions, and geophysics. But, there is no clear indicator of mitigation efforts or things to do during an emergency. Therefore, this research proposed MISSIONS, a disaster mitigation model using geo-fencing technique to detect the location of the users through their mobile devices. MISSIONS uses mobile-based disaster mitigation system as a way to disseminate critical information to victims during emergency when they are in disaster zones using virtual fences. It aims to help the government to reduce the effects of disaster and aid in the mitigation efforts. The implementation result shows that MISSIONS have a high accuracy in detecting user whereabouts.

Reward circuitry activation reflects social preferences in the face of cognitive effort.

PubMed

Sullivan-Toole, Holly; Dobryakova, Ekaterina; DePasque, Samantha; Tricomi, Elizabeth

2018-06-12

Research at the intersection of social neuroscience and cognitive effort is an interesting new area for exploration. There is great potential to broaden our understanding of how social context and cognitive effort processes, currently addressed in disparate literatures, interact with one another. In this paper, we briefly review the literature on cognitive effort, focusing on effort-linked valuation and the gap in the literature regarding cognitive effort in the social domain. Next, we present a study designed to explore valuation processes linked to cognitive effort within the social context of an inequality manipulation. More specifically, we created monetary inequality among the participant (SELF, endowed with $50) and two confederates: one also endowed with $50 (OTHER HIGH) and another with only $5 (OTHER LOW). We then scanned participants using fMRI as they attempted to earn bonus payments for themselves and others through a cognitively effortful feedback-based learning task. Positive feedback produced significantly greater activation than negative feedback in key valuation regions, the ventral striatum (VS) and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), both when participants were performing the task on their own behalf and when earning rewards for others. While reward-related activity in the VS was exaggerated for SELF compared to OTHER HIGH for both positive and negative feedback, activity in the vmPFC did not distinguish between recipients in the group-level results. Furthermore, participants naturally fell into two groups: those most engaged when playing for themselves and those who reported engagement for others. While Self-Engaged participants showed differences between the SELF and both OTHER conditions in the VS and vmPFC, Other-Engaged participants only showed an attenuated response to negative feedback for OTHER HIGH compared to SELF in the VS and no differences between recipient conditions in the vmPFC. Together, this work shows the importance of individual differences and the fragility of advantageous inequality aversion in the face of cognitive effort, highlighting the need to study cognitive effort in the social domain. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

LANDFIRE Remap: A New National Baseline Product Suite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dockter, D.; Peterson, B.; Picotte, J. J.; Long, J.; Tolk, B.; Callahan, K.; Davidson, A.; Earnhardt, T.

2017-12-01

LANDFIRE, also known as the Landscape Fire and Resource Management Planning Tools Program, is a vegetation, fire, and fuel characteristic data creation program managed by both the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior with involvement from The Nature Conservancy. LANDFIRE represents the first and only complete, nationally consistent collection of over 20 geo-spatial layers (e.g., vegetation type and structure, fuels, fire regimes), databases, and ecological models that can be used across multiple disciplines to support cross-boundary planning, management, and operations across all lands of the United States and insular areas. Since 2004, LANDFIRE has produced comprehensive, consistent, and scientifically based suites of mapped products and associated databases for the United States and affiliated territories. These products depict the nation's major ecosystems and wildlife habitats. Over a decade has passed since the development of the first LANDFIRE base map, and an overhaul of the data products, i.e., a "Remap", is needed to maintain their functionality and relevance. To prepare for Remap production LANDFIRE has invested in a prototyping phase that focused on exploring various input data sources and new modeling and mapping techniques. While still grounded in a solid base consisting of Landsat imagery and high-quality field observations, the prototyping efforts explored different image compositing techniques, the integration of lidar data, modeling approaches as well as other factors that will inform Remap production. Several of these various research efforts are highlighted here and are currently being integrated into an end-to-end data processing flow that will drive the Remap production. The current Remap prototype effort has focused on several study areas throughout CONUS, with additional studies anticipated for Alaska, Hawaii and the territories. The LANDFIRE Remap effort is expected to take three to four years, with production commencing in northwestern CONUS.

Current trends in nursing theories.

PubMed

Im, Eun-Ok; Chang, Sun Ju

2012-06-01

To explore current trends in nursing theories through an integrated literature review. The literature related to nursing theories during the past 10 years was searched through multiple databases and reviewed to determine themes reflecting current trends in nursing theories. The trends can be categorized into six themes: (a) foci on specifics; (b) coexistence of various types of theories; (c) close links to research; (d) international collaborative works; (e) integration to practice; and (f) selective evolution. We need to make our continuous efforts to link research and practice to theories, to identify specifics of our theories, to develop diverse types of theories, and to conduct international collaborative works. Our paper gives implications for future theoretical development in diverse clinical areas of nursing research and practice. © 2012 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Robotics and telepresence for moon missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sallaberger, Christian

1994-01-01

An integrated moon program has often been proposed as a logical next step for today's space efforts. In the context of preparing for the possibility of launching a moon program, the European Space Agency is currently conducting an internal study effort which is focusing on the assessment of key technologies. Current thinking has this moon program organized into four phases. Phase 1 will deal with lunar resource exploration. The goal would be to produce a complete chemical inventory of the moon, including oxygen, water, other volatiles, carbon, silicon, and other resources. Phase 2 will establish a permanent robotic presence on the moon via a number of landers and surface rovers. Phase 3 will extend the second phase and concentrate on the use and exploitation of local lunar resources. Phase 4 will be the establishment of a first human outpost. Some preliminary work such as the building of the outpost and the installation of scientific equipment will be done by unmanned systems before a human crew is sent to the moon.

Basil Downy Mildew (Peronospora belbahrii): Discoveries and Challenges Relative to Its Control.

PubMed

Wyenandt, Christian A; Simon, James E; Pyne, Robert M; Homa, Kathryn; McGrath, Margaret T; Zhang, Shouan; Raid, Richard N; Ma, Li-Jun; Wick, Robert; Guo, Li; Madeiras, Angela

2015-07-01

Basil (Ocimum spp.) is one of the most economically important and widely grown herbs in the world. Basil downy mildew, caused by Peronospora belbahrii, has become an important disease in sweet basil (O. basilicum) production worldwide in the past decade. Global sweet basil production is at significant risk to basil downy mildew because of the lack of genetic resistance and the ability of the pathogen to be distributed on infested seed. Controlling the disease is challenging and consequently many crops have been lost. In the past few years, plant breeding efforts have been made to identify germplasm that can be used to introduce downy mildew resistance genes into commercial sweet basils while ensuring that resistant plants have the correct phenotype, aroma, and tastes needed for market acceptability. Fungicide efficacy studies have been conducted to evaluate current and newly developed conventional and organic fungicides for its management with limited success. This review explores the current efforts and progress being made in understanding basil downy mildew and its control.

NASA Open Rotor Noise Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Envia, Ed

2010-01-01

Owing to their inherent fuel burn efficiency advantage compared with the current generation high bypass ratio turbofan engines, there is resurgent interest in developing open rotor propulsion systems for powering the next generation commercial aircraft. However, to make open rotor systems truly competitive, they must be made to be acoustically acceptable too. To address this challenge, NASA in collaboration with industry is exploring the design space for low-noise open rotor propulsion systems. The focus is on the system level assessment of the open rotors compared with other candidate concepts like the ultra high bypass ratio cycle engines. To that end there is an extensive research effort at NASA focused on component testing and diagnostics of the open rotor acoustic performance as well as assessment and improvement of open rotor noise prediction tools. In this presentation and overview of the current NASA research on open rotor noise will be provided. Two NASA projects, the Environmentally Responsible Aviation Project and the Subsonic Fixed Wing Project, have been funding this research effort.

Ni-Co laterite deposits

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marsh, Erin E.; Anderson, Eric D.

2011-01-01

Nickel-cobalt (Ni-Co) laterite deposits are an important source of nickel (Ni). Currently, there is a decline in magmatic Ni-bearing sulfide lode deposit resources. New efforts to develop an alternative source of Ni, particularly with improved metallurgy processes, make the Ni-Co laterites an important exploration target in anticipation of the future demand for Ni. This deposit model provides a general description of the geology and mineralogy of Ni-Co laterite deposits, and contains discussion of the influences of climate, geomorphology (relief), drainage, tectonism, structure, and protolith on the development of favorable weathering profiles. This model of Ni-Co laterite deposits represents part of the U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Resources Program's effort to update the existing models to be used for an upcoming national mineral resource assessment.

Teachers' Perspectives on Preventing Suicide in Children and Adolescents in Schools: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Ross, Victoria; Kõlves, Kairi; De Leo, Diego

2017-07-03

Given the important role teachers play as gatekeepers in school suicide prevention, this study explored teachers' perspectives on what should be done to improve current suicide prevention efforts. The study, in Queensland, Australia, was part of a large-scale survey examining teachers' knowledge, attitudes and experience of suicidality. One hundred and fifteen teachers responded to an online survey question regarding their views on the requirements for school suicide prevention. Qualitative analysis identified five themes from teachers' responses: awareness and stigma reduction, support services for students, education and training, bullying and the role of social media. The results of this study provide some profound insights into teachers' perspectives on suicide and highlight the critical need for improved suicide prevention efforts in schools.

The others: our biased perspective of eukaryotic genomes

PubMed Central

del Campo, Javier; Sieracki, Michael E.; Molestina, Robert; Keeling, Patrick; Massana, Ramon; Ruiz-Trillo, Iñaki

2015-01-01

Understanding the origin and evolution of the eukaryotic cell and the full diversity of eukaryotes is relevant to many biological disciplines. However, our current understanding of eukaryotic genomes is extremely biased, leading to a skewed view of eukaryotic biology. We argue that a phylogeny-driven initiative to cover the full eukaryotic diversity is needed to overcome this bias. We encourage the community: (i) to sequence a representative of the neglected groups available at public culture collections, (ii) to increase our culturing efforts, and (iii) to embrace single cell genomics to access organisms refractory to propagation in culture. We hope that the community will welcome this proposal, explore the approaches suggested, and join efforts to sequence the full diversity of eukaryotes. PMID:24726347

Integrating landslide and liquefaction hazard and loss estimates with existing USGS real-time earthquake information products

USGS Publications Warehouse

Allstadt, Kate E.; Thompson, Eric M.; Hearne, Mike; Nowicki Jessee, M. Anna; Zhu, J.; Wald, David J.; Tanyas, Hakan

2017-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has made significant progress toward the rapid estimation of shaking and shakingrelated losses through their Did You Feel It? (DYFI), ShakeMap, ShakeCast, and PAGER products. However, quantitative estimates of the extent and severity of secondary hazards (e.g., landsliding, liquefaction) are not currently included in scenarios and real-time post-earthquake products despite their significant contributions to hazard and losses for many events worldwide. We are currently running parallel global statistical models for landslides and liquefaction developed with our collaborators in testing mode, but much work remains in order to operationalize these systems. We are expanding our efforts in this area by not only improving the existing statistical models, but also by (1) exploring more sophisticated, physics-based models where feasible; (2) incorporating uncertainties; and (3) identifying and undertaking research and product development to provide useful landslide and liquefaction estimates and their uncertainties. Although our existing models use standard predictor variables that are accessible globally or regionally, including peak ground motions, topographic slope, and distance to water bodies, we continue to explore readily available proxies for rock and soil strength as well as other susceptibility terms. This work is based on the foundation of an expanding, openly available, case-history database we are compiling along with historical ShakeMaps for each event. The expected outcome of our efforts is a robust set of real-time secondary hazards products that meet the needs of a wide variety of earthquake information users. We describe the available datasets and models, developments currently underway, and anticipated products. 

A Multi-Purpose Modular Electronics Integration Node for Exploration Extravehicular Activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hodgson, Edward; Papale, William; Wichowski, Robert; Rosenbush, David; Hawes, Kevin; Stankiewicz, Tom

2013-01-01

As NASA works to develop an effective integrated portable life support system design for exploration Extravehicular activity (EVA), alternatives to the current system s electrical power and control architecture are needed to support new requirements for flexibility, maintainability, reliability, and reduced mass and volume. Experience with the current Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) has demonstrated that the current architecture, based in a central power supply, monitoring and control unit, with dedicated analog wiring harness connections to active components in the system has a significant impact on system packaging and seriously constrains design flexibility in adapting to component obsolescence and changing system needs over time. An alternative architecture based in the use of a digital data bus offers possible wiring harness and system power savings, but risks significant penalties in component complexity and cost. A hybrid architecture that relies on a set of electronic and power interface nodes serving functional models within the Portable Life Support System (PLSS) is proposed to minimize both packaging and component level penalties. A common interface node hardware design can further reduce penalties by reducing the nonrecurring development costs, making miniaturization more practical, maximizing opportunities for maturation and reliability growth, providing enhanced fault tolerance, and providing stable design interfaces for system components and a central control. Adaptation to varying specific module requirements can be achieved with modest changes in firmware code within the module. A preliminary design effort has developed a common set of hardware interface requirements and functional capabilities for such a node based on anticipated modules comprising an exploration PLSS, and a prototype node has been designed assembled, programmed, and tested. One instance of such a node has been adapted to support testing the swingbed carbon dioxide and humidity control element in NASA s advanced PLSS 2.0 test article. This paper will describe the common interface node design concept, results of the prototype development and test effort, and plans for use in NASA PLSS 2.0 integrated tests.

KSC-2012-4222

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- One of about 45 of NASA’s social media followers asks a question during two days of presentations on the Kennedy Space Center's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

KSC-2012-4260

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Jim Adams, NASA deputy chief technologist, speaks to about 45 of NASA’s social media followers for two days of presentations on the Kennedy's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

KSC-2012-4182

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- One of about 45 of NASA’s social media followers photographs a speaker during two days of presentations on the Kennedy Space Center's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

KSC-2012-4256

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- About 45 of NASA’s social media followers respond to remarks by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden during two days of presentations on the Kennedy's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

KSC-2012-4250

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA Public Affairs Officer George Diller speaks to about 45 of NASA’s social media followers during two days of presentations on the Kennedy's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-4177

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA Director of Public Affairs Lisa Malone welcomes about 45 of NASA’s social media followers for two days of presentations on the Kennedy Space Center's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

KSC-2012-4223

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA Public Affairs Officer George Diller speaks to about 45 of NASA’s social media followers during two days of presentations on the Kennedy's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

Management of the third stage of labor.

PubMed

McDonald, Susan

2007-01-01

Management of the third stage of labor has been an issue of discussion, concern, and continued debate for the past two decades. Despite the many strategies employed and the divergent approaches to care and philosophies espoused, there has not been a significant, consistent reduction in the postpartum hemorrhage rates reported in industrialized countries in recent times. This article explores the strategies that have been and are currently being used in an effort to reduce the risk of postpartum hemorrhage.

Heroes and Legends Exhibit

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-07

The Heroes and Legends attraction at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is just inside the entrance to set the stage as guests arrive. In addition to displays honoring the Americans currently enshrined in the U. S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. The new facility looks back to the pioneering efforts of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. It sets the stage by providing the background and context for space exploration and the legendary men and women who pioneered the nation's journey into space.

Heroes and Legends Exhibit

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-07

Inside the Heroes and Legends attraction at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex guests watch a video presentation depicting the International Space Station in Earth orbit. In addition to displays honoring the Americans currently enshrined in the U. S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, the new facility looks back to the pioneering efforts of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. It sets the stage by providing the background and context for space exploration and the legendary men and women who pioneered the nation's journey into space.

Sea otter mortality in fish and shellfish traps: Estimating potential impacts and exploring possible solutions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hatfield, B.B.; Ames, J.A.; Estes, J.A.; Tinker, M.T.; Johnson, A.B.; Staedler, M.M.; Harris, M.D.

2011-01-01

Sea otters Enhydra lutris can be bycaught and drowned in fishing pots and traps, which may pose a threat to the welfare of otter populations. We explored this potential problem and its solutions using a wide variety of analyses. We exposed live California (USA) sea otters to finfish traps, lobster traps, and mock Dungeness crab traps in captive trials and found that the animals attempted to enter the circular and rectangular fyke openings, with some becoming entrapped. Using both live and dead sea otters, we found that a 3 ?? 9 inch (7.6 ?? 22.9 cm) fyke opening (1 inch narrower than the 4 ?? 9 inch [10.2 ?? 22.9 cm] openings currently used in California's commercial Dungeness crab fishery) would exclude most free-living (i.e. weaned from their mothers) otters while permitting the undiminished capture of crabs. Observer programs do not currently exist in California for these fisheries, so we calculated the effort required by an observer program to document sea otter bycatch over a range of hypothetical levels and evaluated the impact of those mortality rates on population growth. These analyses demonstrate that significant mortality from bycatch might easily go undetected, even with seemingly high levels of observer effort. As sea otters reoccupy portions of their former habitat in California, co-occurrence with finfish and shellfish traps with relatively large fyke openings will increase. ?? Inter-Research 2011.

Strategic emergency department design: An approach to capacity planning in healthcare provision in overcrowded emergency rooms.

PubMed

Exadaktylos, Aristomenis K; Evangelopoulos, Dimitrios S; Wullschleger, Marcel; Bürki, Leo; Zimmermann, Heinz

2008-11-17

Healthcare professionals and the public have increasing concerns about the ability of emergency departments to meet current demands. Increased demand for emergency services, mainly caused by a growing number of minor and moderate injuries has reached crisis proportions, especially in the United Kingdom. Numerous efforts have been made to explore the complex causes because it is becoming more and more important to provide adequate healthcare within tight budgets. Optimisation of patient pathways in the emergency department is therefore an important factor.This paper explores the possibilities offered by dynamic simulation tools to improve patient pathways using the emergency department of a busy university teaching hospital in Switzerland as an example.

NASA Glenn Research Center Electrochemistry Branch Battery Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manzo, Michelle A.

2010-01-01

This presentation covers an overview of NASA Glenn s history and heritage in the development of electrochemical systems for aerospace applications. Specific areas of focus are Li-ion batteries and their development for future Exploration missions. Current component development efforts for high energy and ultra high energy Li-ion batteries are addressed. Electrochemical systems are critical to the success of Exploration, Science and Space Operations missions. NASA Glenn has a long, successful heritage with batteries and fuel cells for aerospace applications. GRC Battery capabilities and expertise span basic research through flight hardware development and implementation. There is a great deal of synergy between energy storage system needs for aerospace and terrestrial applications.

Layered Metals Fabrication Technology Development for Support of Lunar Exploration at NASA/MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, Kenneth G.; Good, James E.; Gilley, Scott D.

2007-01-01

NASA's human exploration initiative poses great opportunity and risk for missions to the Moon and beyond. In support of these missions, engineers and scientists at the Marshall Space Flight Center are developing technologies for ground-based and in-situ fabrication capabilities utilizing provisioned and locally-refined materials. Development efforts are pushing state-of-the art fabrication technologies to support habitat structure development, tools and mechanical part fabrication, as well as repair and replacement of ground support and space mission hardware such as life support items, launch vehicle components and crew exercise equipment. This paper addresses current fabrication technologies relative to meeting targeted capabilities, near term advancement goals, and process certification of fabrication methods.

BRAF inhibitors: the current and the future.

PubMed

Zhang, Weijiang

2015-08-01

The introduction of BRAF inhibitors (BRAFi), vemurafenib and dabrafenib, revolutionized BRAFV600-mutated metastatic melanoma treatment with improved response rate and overall survival compared to standard chemotherapy. However, the mechanism related cutaneous toxicity remains a concern. In addition, intrinsic and acquired resistance remain the key challenges in BRAFi therapy. Extensive efforts to elucidate the mechanisms have led to an improved understanding of disease biology and resulted in exploration of multiple new therapeutic options. While the future looks bright with multiple new therapeutic strategies in exploration and possible new generations of BRAFi, there are questions remaining to be answered to enable more efficient use of BRAFi in cancer therapy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Current Trends in Nanomaterial-Based Amperometric Biosensors

PubMed Central

Hayat, Akhtar; Catanante, Gaëlle; Marty, Jean Louis

2014-01-01

The last decade has witnessed an intensive research effort in the field of electrochemical sensors, with a particular focus on the design of amperometric biosensors for diverse analytical applications. In this context, nanomaterial integration in the construction of amperometric biosensors may constitute one of the most exciting approaches. The attractive properties of nanomaterials have paved the way for the design of a wide variety of biosensors based on various electrochemical detection methods to enhance the analytical characteristics. However, most of these nanostructured materials are not explored in the design of amperometric biosensors. This review aims to provide insight into the diverse properties of nanomaterials that can be possibly explored in the construction of amperometric biosensors. PMID:25494347

Instrument development and the measurement of unitary constructs.

PubMed

Carboni, J T

1992-01-01

This article initiates needed dialogue on the development of instruments to measure unitary constructs. The concept of measurement is explored and current measurement in Rogerian research is considered in light of the issues raised in the discussion. The human field - environmental field relationship is presented as the clinical practice area serving as the basis for the development of a unitary instrument that purports to measure field pattern. The instrument entitled Mutual Exploration of the Healing Human Field - Environmental Field Relationship is offered as a beginning effort in constructing an instrument that measures a unitary phenomenon. Rogerian scholars are provided with the challenge to continue the debate regarding the whole field of measurement and the development of unitary tools.

High-Pressure Systems Suppress Fires in Seconds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2012-01-01

Much deserved attention is given to the feats of innovation that allow humans to live in space and robotic explorers to beam never-before-seen images back to Earth. In the background of these accomplishments is a technology that makes it all possible the rockets that propel NASA s space exploration efforts skyward. Marshall Space Flight Center has been at the heart of the Agency s rocketry and spacecraft propulsion efforts since its founding in 1960. Located at the Redstone Arsenal near Huntsville, Alabama, the Center has a legacy of success stretching back to the Saturn rockets that carried the Apollo astronauts into space. Even before Marshall was established, Redstone was the site of significant advances in American rocketry under the guidance of famous rocket engineer Werner Von Braun; these included the Juno I rocket that successfully carried the United States first satellite, Explorer 1, into orbit in 1958. And from the first orbital test flight of the Space Shuttle Columbia through the final flights of the shuttle program this year, these vehicles have been enabled by the solid rocket boosters, external tank, and orbiter main engines created at Marshall. Today, Marshall continues to host innovation in rocket and spacecraft propulsion at state-of-the-art facilities such as the Propulsion Research Laboratory. Like many of its past successes, some of the Center s current advancements are being made with the help of private industry partners. The efforts have led not only to new propulsion technologies, but to terrestrial benefits in a seemingly unrelated field in this case, firefighting.

NASA evolution of exploration architectures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts, Barney B.

1991-01-01

A series of charts and diagrams is used to provide a detailed overview of the evolution of NASA space exploration architectures. The pre-Apollo programs including the Werner von Braun feasibility study are discussed and the evolution of the Apollo program itself is treated in detail. The post-Apollo era is reviewed and attention is given to the resurgence of strategic planning exemplified by both ad hoc and formal efforts at planning. Results of NASA's study of the main elements of the Space Exploration Initiative which examined technical scenarios, science opportunities, required technologies, international considerations, institutional strengths and needs, and resource estimates are presented. The 90-day study concludes that, among other things, major investments in challenging technologies are required, the scientific opportunities provided by the program are considerable, current launch capabilities are inadequate, and Space Station Freedom is essential.

Guatemala accelerates efforts to attract foreign E and D capital

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

NONE

The Guatemalan government, headed by recently elected President Alvaro Arzu, has embarked on an ambitious program of petroleum exploration and development with the goal of producing 40,000 b/d by 2000. Production averaged 16,000 b/d last fall and was to be raised to 25,000 b/d by year end 1996. Oil and gas exploration began in Guatemala in the 1920s, but production is currently limited to two regions in the Peten basin in northeastern Guatemala. Officials at the Ministry of Energy and Mines aim to encourage comprehensive evaluation of the Peten basin as well as exploration of the Amatique basin in southeasternmore » Guatemala and the Pacific basin on the country`s Pacific coast. The paper describes the Peten basin, the Amatique basin, the Pacific basin, bidding, and contract rules.« less

Importance of joint efforts for balanced process of designing and education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayorova, V. I.; Bannova, O. K.; Kristiansen, T.-H.; Igritsky, V. A.

2015-06-01

This paper discusses importance of a strategic planning and design process when developing long-term space exploration missions both robotic and manned. The discussion begins with reviewing current and/or traditional international perspectives on space development at the American, Russian and European space agencies. Some analogies and comparisons will be drawn upon analysis of several international student collaborative programs: Summer International workshops at the Bauman Moscow State Technical University, International European Summer Space School "Future Space Technologies and Experiments in Space", Summer school at Stuttgart University in Germany. The paper will focus on discussion about optimization of design and planning processes for successful space exploration missions and will highlight importance of the following: understanding connectivity between different levels of human being and machinery; simultaneous mission planning approach; reflections and correlations between disciplines involved in planning and executing space exploration missions; knowledge gained from different disciplines and through cross-applying and re-applying design approaches between variable space related fields of study and research. The conclusions will summarize benefits and complications of applying balanced design approach at all levels of the design process. Analysis of successes and failures of organizational efforts in space endeavors is used as a methodological approach to identify key questions to be researched as they often cause many planning and design processing problems.

GeoVision Exploration Task Force Report

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

Doughty, Christine; Dobson, Patrick F.; Wall, Anna

The GeoVision study effort included ground-breaking, detailed research on current and future market conditions and geothermal technologies in order to forecast and quantify the electric and non-electric deployment potentials under a range of scenarios, in addition to their impacts on the Nation’s jobs, economy and environment. Coordinated by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO), the GeoVision study development relied on the collection, modeling, and analysis of robust datasets through seven national laboratory partners, which were organized into eight technical Task Force groups. The purpose of this report is to provide a central repository for the researchmore » conducted by the Exploration Task Force. The Exploration Task Force consists of four individuals representing three national laboratories: Patrick Dobson (task lead) and Christine Doughty of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Anna Wall of National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Travis McLing of Idaho National Laboratory, and Chester Weiss of Sandia National Laboratories. As part of the GeoVision analysis, our team conducted extensive scientific and financial analyses on a number of topics related to current and future geothermal exploration methods. The GeoVision Exploration Task Force complements the drilling and resource technology investigations conducted as part of the Reservoir Maintenance and Development Task Force. The Exploration Task Force however has focused primarily on early stage R&D technologies in exploration and confirmation drilling, along with an evaluation of geothermal financing challenges and assumptions, and innovative “blue-sky” technologies. This research was used to develop geothermal resource supply curves (through the use of GETEM) for use in the ReEDS capacity expansion modeling that determines geothermal technology deployment potential. It also catalogues and explores the large array of early-stage R&D technologies with the potential to dramatically reduce exploration and geothermal development costs, forming the basis of the GeoVision Technology Improvement (TI) scenario. These modeling topics are covered in detail in Potential to Penetration task force report. Most of the research contained herein has been published in peer-reviewed papers or conference proceedings and are cited and referenced accordingly. The sections that follow provide a central repository for all of the research findings of the Exploration and Confirmation Task Force. In summary, it provides a comprehensive discussion of Engineered Geothermal Systems (EGS) and associated technology challenges, the risks and costs of conducting geothermal exploration, a review of existing government efforts to date in advancing early-stage R&D in both exploration and EGS technologies, as well as a discussion of promising and innovative technologies and implementation of blue-sky concepts that could significantly reduce costs, lower risks, and shorten the time needed to explore and develop geothermal resources of all types.« less

The carbon price: a toothless tool for material efficiency?

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

This article explores whether a carbon price will effectively encourage the more efficient use of greenhouse gas intensive materials such as steel. The article identifies a range of distortions that arise when some of the restrictive assumptions of neoclassical economics are relaxed. Distortions occur due to the sequential nature of decision-making along supply chains, due to imperfect competition and due to government intervention to reduce the risk of carbon leakage. If upstream sectors do not pass on carbon costs, downstream sectors do not have the opportunity to react. Of the distortions identified, compensation mechanisms that reduce the risk of carbon leakage are likely to act as the greatest hinderance to appropriate incentives for the more efficient use of steel in the UK: as things currently stand, unless upstream companies are encouraged to make windfall profits, incentives downstream are weakened. The article concludes by exploring policy options to address the distortions identified, including efforts to reinstate the carbon price downstream and efforts to remove other distortive taxes. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Material demand reduction’. PMID:28461438

‘Killing Me Softly With His/Her Song’: How Leaders Dismantle Followers’ Sense of Work Meaningfulness

PubMed Central

Kipfelsberger, Petra; Kark, Ronit

2018-01-01

Leaders influence followers’ meaning and play a key role in shaping their employees’ experience of work meaningfulness. While the dominant perspective in theory and in empirical work focuses on the positive influence of leaders on followers’ work meaningfulness, our conceptual model explores conditions in which leaders may harm followers’ sense of meaning. We introduce six types of conditions: leaders’ personality traits, leaders’ behaviors, the relationship between leader and follower, followers’ attributions, followers’ characteristics, and job design under which leaders’ meaning making efforts might harm or ‘kill’ followers’ sense of work meaningfulness. Accordingly, we explore how these conditions may interact with leaders’ meaning making efforts to lower levels of followers’ sense of meaning, and in turn, lead to negative personal outcomes (cynicism, lower well-being, and disengagement), as well as negative organizational outcomes (corrosive organizational energy, higher turnover rates, and lower organizational productivity). By doing so, our research extends the current literature, enabling a more comprehensive understanding of leaders’ influence on followers’ work meaningfulness, while considering the dark side of meaning making. PMID:29867638

The carbon price: a toothless tool for material efficiency?

PubMed

Skelton, Alexandra C H; Allwood, Julian M

2017-06-13

This article explores whether a carbon price will effectively encourage the more efficient use of greenhouse gas intensive materials such as steel. The article identifies a range of distortions that arise when some of the restrictive assumptions of neoclassical economics are relaxed. Distortions occur due to the sequential nature of decision-making along supply chains, due to imperfect competition and due to government intervention to reduce the risk of carbon leakage. If upstream sectors do not pass on carbon costs, downstream sectors do not have the opportunity to react. Of the distortions identified, compensation mechanisms that reduce the risk of carbon leakage are likely to act as the greatest hinderance to appropriate incentives for the more efficient use of steel in the UK: as things currently stand, unless upstream companies are encouraged to make windfall profits, incentives downstream are weakened. The article concludes by exploring policy options to address the distortions identified, including efforts to reinstate the carbon price downstream and efforts to remove other distortive taxes.This article is part of the themed issue 'Material demand reduction'. © 2017 The Authors.

KSC-2012-4225

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Amanda Mitskevich, program manager for NASA's Launch Services Program, speaks to about 45 of NASA’s social media followers during two days of presentations on the Kennedy's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

KSC-2012-4220

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Stephanie Stilson, NASA flow director for Orbiter Transition and Retirement, speaks to about 45 of NASA’s social media followers during two days of presentations on the Kennedy Space Center's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

KSC-2012-4181

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Roy Tharpe, president of Space Gateway Support, speaks to about 45 of NASA’s social media followers for two days of presentations on the Kennedy Space Center's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

KSC-2012-4188

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Former Kennedy Space Center Director Jay Honeycutt speaks to about 45 of NASA’s social media followers for two days of presentations on the Kennedy Space Center's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

KSC-2012-4180

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Jack King, former NASA chief of Public Information, speaks to about 45 of NASA’s social media followers for two days of presentations on the Kennedy Space Center's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

KSC-2012-4219

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Thomas Engler, deputy manager of the Kennedy Space Center Planning and Development Office, speaks to about 45 of NASA’s social media followers during two days of presentations on the Kennedy's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

KSC-2012-4224

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Amanda Mitskevich, program manager for NASA's Launch Services Program, speaks to about 45 of NASA’s social media followers during two days of presentations on the Kennedy's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

KSC-2012-4259

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Dr. Lesley Fletcher, Kennedy Space Center deputy division chief for Education Programs, speaks to about 45 of NASA’s social media followers for two days of presentations on the Kennedy's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

KSC-2012-4221

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Scott Colloredo, chief architect for the Kennedy Space Center's Ground System Development and Operations Program, speaks to about 45 of NASA’s social media followers during two days of presentations on the Kennedy's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

KSC-2012-4189

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Lee Solid, a retired senior executive with Rockwell and Boeing, speaks to about 45 of NASA’s social media followers for two days of presentations on the Kennedy Space Center's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

KSC-2012-4257

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Caley Burke, NASA Flight Design and Flight Controls engineer, speaks to about 45 of NASA’s social media followers for two days of presentations on the Kennedy Space Center's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

KSC-2012-4218

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Dr. Liz Warren, communications coordinator for the International Space Station program Science Office, speaks to about 45 of NASA’s social media followers for two days of presentations on the Kennedy Space Center's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

KSC-2012-4179

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- John Tribe, retired chief engineer for Boeing/Rockwell Launch Support Services, speaks to about 45 of NASA’s social media followers for two days of presentations on the Kennedy Space Center's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

KSC-2012-4258

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Si Song, East Coast Spacecraft Integration Lead for United Launch Alliance, speaks to about 45 of NASA’s social media followers for two days of presentations on the Kennedy Space Center's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

KSC-2012-4217

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Dr. Liz Warren, communications coordinator for the International Space Station program Science office, speaks to about 45 of NASA’s social media followers for two days of presentations on the Kennedy Space Center's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

Youth tobacco prevention mass media campaigns: past, present, and future directions.

PubMed

Farrelly, M C; Niederdeppe, J; Yarsevich, J

2003-06-01

This paper focuses on countermarketing efforts aimed at curbing youth smoking. We review the literature on the effectiveness of tobacco countermarketing campaigns, characterise current state and national campaign approaches, present findings from qualitative approaches and laboratory experiments that explore a variety of messages (for example, health consequences, industry manipulation), and discuss newer, non-traditional approaches to countermarketing. In conclusion, we outline research needed to fill gaps in our existing knowledge and discuss future directions in tobacco countermarketing aimed at youth.

Photo-electrochemical communication between cyanobacteria (Leptolyngbia sp.) and osmium redox polymer modified electrodes.

PubMed

Hasan, Kamrul; Bekir Yildiz, Huseyin; Sperling, Eva; Conghaile, Peter Ó; Packer, Michael A; Leech, Dónal; Hägerhäll, Cecilia; Gorton, Lo

2014-12-07

Photosynthetic microbial fuel cells (PMFCs) are an emerging technology for renewable solar energy conversion. Major efforts have been made to explore the electrogenic activity of cyanobacteria, mostly using practically unsustainable reagents. Here we report on photocurrent generation (≈8.64 μA cm(-2)) from cyanobacteria immobilized on electrodes modified with an efficient electron mediator, an Os(2+/3+) redox polymer. Upon addition of ferricyanide to the electrolyte, cyanobacteria generate the maximum current density of ≈48.2 μA cm(-2).

NASA's Role in Aeronautics: A Workshop. Volume 6: Aeronautical research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

While each aspect of its aeronautical technology program is important to the current preeminence of the United States in aeronautics, the most essential contributions of NASA derive from its research. Successes and challenges in NASA's efforts to improve civil and military aviation are discussed for the following areas: turbulence, noise, supercritical aerodynamics, computational aerodynamics, fuels, high temperature materials, composite materials, single crystal components, powder metallurgy, and flight controls. Spin offs to engineering and other sciences explored include NASTRAN, lubricants, and composites.

Design, Integration, Certification and Testing of the Orion Crew Module Propulsion System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McKay, Heather; Coffman, Eric; May, Sarah; Freeman, Rich; Cain, George; Albright, John; Schoenberg, Rich; Delventhal, Rex

2014-01-01

The Orion Crew Module Propulsion Reaction Control System is currently complete and ready for flight as part of the Orion program's first flight test, Exploration Flight Test One (EFT-1). As part of the first article design, build, test, and integration effort, several key lessons learned have been noted and are planned for incorporation into the next build of the system. This paper provides an overview of those lessons learned and a status on the Orion propulsion system progress to date.

Six hospitals describe decentralization, cost containment, and downsizing.

PubMed

Lineweaver, L A; Battle, C E; Schilling, R M; Nall, C M

1999-01-01

Decentralization, cost containment, and downsizing continue in full force as healthcare organizations continue to adapt to constant economic change. Hospitals are forced to take a second and third look at how health care is managed in order to survive. Six Northwest Florida hospitals were surveyed in an effort to explore current changes within the healthcare delivery system. This article provides both managers and staff with an overview of recent healthcare changes in an area of the country with implications for staff development.

Enhancing Interdisciplinary Human System Risk Research Through Modeling and Network Approaches

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mindock, Jennifer; Lumpkins, Sarah; Shelhamer, Mark

2015-01-01

NASA's Human Research Program (HRP) supports research to reduce human health and performance risks inherent in future human space exploration missions. Understanding risk outcomes and contributing factors in an integrated manner allows HRP research to support development of efficient and effective mitigations from cross-disciplinary perspectives, and to enable resilient human and engineered systems for spaceflight. The purpose of this work is to support scientific collaborations and research portfolio management by utilizing modeling for analysis and visualization of current and potential future interdisciplinary efforts.

Science in 60 – A Clean, Renewable Power Source

ScienceCinema

Borup, Rod

2018-06-12

Fuel cells have long been one of the most tantalizing clean-energy solutions. They offer electricity from an abundant energy source—hydrogen. Compared to internal combustion engines, fuel cells are more than twice as efficient at converting fuel to power, but are currently dependent on costly platinum. Rod Borup and his team at Los Alamos National Lab are leading efforts to reduce the cost of fuel cells and are exploring alternatives that could eliminate platinum all together.

Acquisition of Earth Science Remote Sensing Observations from Commercial Sources: Lessons Learned from the Space Imaging IKONOS Example

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goward, Samuel N.; Townshend, John R.; Zanoni, Vicki; Policelli, Fritz; Stanley, Tom; Ryan, Robert; Holekamp, Kara; Underwood, Lauren; Pagnutti, Mary; Fletcher, Rose

2003-01-01

In an effort to more full explore the potential of commercial remotely sensed land data sources, the NASA Earth Science Enterprise (ESE) implemented an experimental Scientific Data Purchase (SDP) that solicited bids from the private sector to meet ESE-user data needs. The images from the Space Imaging IKONOS system provided a particularly good match to the current ESE missions such as Terra and Landsat 7 and therefore serve as a focal point in this analysis.

Testing general relativity in space-borne and astronomical laboratories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Will, Clifford M.

1989-01-01

The current status of space-based experiments and astronomical observations designed to test the theory of general relativity is surveyed. Consideration is given to tests of post-Newtonian gravity, searches for feeble short-range forces and gravitomagnetism, improved measurements of parameterized post-Newtonian parameter values, explorations of post-Newtonian physics, tests of the Einstein equivalence principle, observational tests of post-Newtonian orbital effects, and efforts to detect quadrupole and dipole radiation damping. Recent numerical results are presented in tables.

HEDS-UP Mars Exploration Forum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Budden, Nancy Ann (Editor); Duke, Micheal B. (Editor)

1998-01-01

In the early 1990s, Duke and Budden convened a series of workshops addressing mission rationale, exploration objectives, and key constraints and issues facing human crews on Mars. The focal point was "why" the U.S. should fly humans to Mars. In the mid-1990s, strategies for a Mars mission matured and evolved, driven formally by NASA Johnson Space Center's Office of Exploration. In 1997, NASA published a report capturing the current thinking: the NASA Mars Reference Mission. In the 1997-1998 school year, HEDS-UP sponsored six universities to conduct design studies on Mars exploration, using the Reference Mission as a basis for their work. The 1998 Mars Exploration Forum presents the results of these university studies, suggesting "how" we might explore Mars, in terms of specific technical components that would enable human missions to Mars. A primary objective of the HEDS-UP Mars Exploration Forum was to provide a forum for active interaction among NASA, industry, and the university community on the subject of human missions to Mars. NASA scientists and engineers were asked to present the state of exploration for Mars mission options currently under study. This status "snapshot" of current Mars strategies set the stage for the six HEDS-UP universities to present their final design study results. Finally, a panel of industry experts discussed readiness for human missions to Mars as it pertains to the aerospace industries and technologies. A robust poster session provided the backdrop for government-industry-university discussions and allowed for feedback to NASA on the Mars Reference Mission. The common thread woven through the two days was discussion of technologies, proven and emerging, that will be required to launch, land, and sustain human crews on the Red Planet. As this decade (and indeed this millenium) draws to a close, Mars will continue to loom in our sights as the next target for human space exploration. It is our hope that the efforts of the Mars Exploration Forum will serve as one small contribution toward the ultimate goal of humans exploring Mars.

Counter Tunnel Exploration, Mapping, and Localization with an Unmanned Ground Vehicle

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-01

support terrorist activity. Past robotic tunnel exploration efforts have had limited success in aiding law enforcement to explore and map the suspect...cross-border tunnels. These efforts have made use of adapted explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) or pipe inspection robotic systems that are not ideally... Robotics Enterprise (JGRE) to develop a prototype robotic system for counter-tunnel operations, focusing on exploration, mapping, and characterization of

Miniature Biosensor with Health Risk Assessment Feedback

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanson, Andrea; Downs, Meghan; Kalogera, Kent; Buxton, Roxanne; Cooper, Tommy; Cooper, Alan; Cooper, Ross

2016-01-01

Heart rate (HR) monitoring is a medical requirement during exercise on the International Space Station (ISS), fitness tests, and extravehicular activity (EVA); however, NASA does not currently have the technology to consistently and accurately monitor HR and other physiological data during these activities. Performance of currently available HR monitor technologies is dependent on uninterrupted contact with the torso and are prone to data drop-out and motion artifact. Here, we seek an alternative to the chest strap and electrode based sensors currently in use on ISS today. This project aims to develop a high performance, robust earbud based biosensor with focused efforts on improved HR data quality during exercise or EVA. A health risk assessment algorithm will further advance the goals of autonomous crew health care for exploration missions.

Modifying cochlear implant design: advantages of placing a return electrode in the modiolus.

PubMed

Ho, Steven Y; Wiet, Richard J; Richter, Claus-Peter

2004-07-01

A modiolar return electrode significantly increases the current flow across spiral ganglion cells into the modiolus, and may decrease the cochlear implant's power requirements. Ideal cochlear implants should maximize current flow into the modiolus to stimulate auditory neurons. Previous efforts to facilitate current flow through the modiolus included the fabrication and use of precurved electrodes designed to "hug" the modiolus and silastic positioners designed to place the electrodes closer to the modiolus. In contrast to earlier efforts, this study explores the effects of return electrode placement on current distributions in the modiolus. The effects of return electrode positioning on current flow in the modiolus were studied in a Plexiglas model of the cochlea. Results of model measurements were confirmed by measurements in the modiolus of human temporal bones. The return electrode was placed either within the modiolus, or remotely, outside the temporal bone, simulating contemporary cochlear implant configurations using monopolar stimulation. Cochlear model results clearly show that modiolar current amplitudes can be influenced significantly by the location of the return electrode, being larger when placed into the modiolus. Temporal bone data show similar findings. Voltages recorded in the modiolus are, on average, 2.8 times higher with the return electrode in the modiolus compared with return electrode locations outside the temporal bone. Placing a cochlear implant's return electrode in the modiolus should significantly reduce its power consumption. Reducing power requirements should lead to improved efficiency, safer long-term use, and longer device life.

"We have always lived here": indigenous movements, citizenship and poverty in Argentina.

PubMed

vom Hau, Matthias; Wilde, Guillermo

2010-01-01

This article explores the nexus between indigenous mobilisation, citizenship, and poverty in Argentina. A subnational comparison of land struggles among the Diaguita Calchaqu in Tucumn and the Mbya Guaran in Misiones shows that changing global and national opportunity structures, most prominently a new multicultural citizenship regime, set the stage for indigenous mobilisation. In turn, local transformations of capitalist development motivate indigenous mobilising efforts, whereas leadership patterns and state-movement relations shape the capacity to mobilise. Diaguita and Mbya mobilisation reveals that indigenous movements play a central role in the activation of formal citizenship rights and the contestation of dominant notions of poverty. At the same time, the current design of multicultural citizenship and the adverse socioeconomic incorporation of indigenous communities also counteract indigenous mobilising efforts in Argentina.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) Integrated Roadmap Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Metcalf, Jordan; Peterson, Laurie; Carrasquillo, Robyn; Bagdigian, Robert

2012-01-01

Although NASA is currently considering a number of future human space exploration mission concepts, detailed mission requirements and vehicle architectures remain mostly undefined, making technology investment strategies difficult to develop and sustain without a top-level roadmap to serve as a guide. This paper documents the process and results of an effort to define a roadmap for Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) capabilities required to enhance the long-term operation of the International Space Station (ISS) as well as enable beyond-Low Earth Orbit (LEO) human exploration missions. Three generic mission types were defined to serve as a basis for developing a prioritized list of needed capabilities and technologies. Those are 1) a short duration micro-gravity mission; 2) a long duration microgravity mission; and 3) a long duration partial gravity (surface) exploration mission. To organize the effort, a functional decomposition of ECLSS was completed starting with the three primary functions: atmosphere, water, and solid waste management. Each was further decomposed into sub-functions to the point that current state-of-the-art (SOA) technologies could be tied to the sub-function. Each technology was then assessed by NASA subject matter experts as to its ability to meet the functional needs of each of the three mission types. When SOA capabilities were deemed to fall short of meeting the needs of one or more mission types, those gaps were prioritized in terms of whether or not the corresponding capabilities enable or enhance each of the mission types. The result was a list of enabling and enhancing capability needs that can be used to guide future ECLSS development, as well as a list of existing hardware that is ready to go for exploration-class missions. A strategy to fulfill those needs over time was then developed in the form of a roadmap. Through execution of this roadmap, the hardware and technologies intended to meet exploration needs will, in many cases, directly benefit the ISS operational capability, benefit the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV), and guide long-term technology investments for longer duration missions.

Automated Operations Development for Advanced Exploration Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haddock, Angie; Stetson, Howard K.

2012-01-01

Automated space operations command and control software development and its implementation must be an integral part of the vehicle design effort. The software design must encompass autonomous fault detection, isolation, recovery capabilities and also provide single button intelligent functions for the crew. Development, operations and safety approval experience with the Timeliner system on-board the International Space Station (ISS), which provided autonomous monitoring with response and single command functionality of payload systems, can be built upon for future automated operations as the ISS Payload effort was the first and only autonomous command and control system to be in continuous execution (6 years), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week within a crewed spacecraft environment. Utilizing proven capabilities from the ISS Higher Active Logic (HAL) System [1] , along with the execution component design from within the HAL 9000 Space Operating System [2] , this design paper will detail the initial HAL System software architecture and interfaces as applied to NASA s Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) in support of the Advanced Exploration Systems, Autonomous Mission Operations project. The development and implementation of integrated simulators within this development effort will also be detailed and is the first step in verifying the HAL 9000 Integrated Test-Bed Component [2] designs effectiveness. This design paper will conclude with a summary of the current development status and future development goals as it pertains to automated command and control for the HDU.

Automated Operations Development for Advanced Exploration Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haddock, Angie T.; Stetson, Howard

2012-01-01

Automated space operations command and control software development and its implementation must be an integral part of the vehicle design effort. The software design must encompass autonomous fault detection, isolation, recovery capabilities and also provide "single button" intelligent functions for the crew. Development, operations and safety approval experience with the Timeliner system onboard the International Space Station (ISS), which provided autonomous monitoring with response and single command functionality of payload systems, can be built upon for future automated operations as the ISS Payload effort was the first and only autonomous command and control system to be in continuous execution (6 years), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week within a crewed spacecraft environment. Utilizing proven capabilities from the ISS Higher Active Logic (HAL) System, along with the execution component design from within the HAL 9000 Space Operating System, this design paper will detail the initial HAL System software architecture and interfaces as applied to NASA's Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) in support of the Advanced Exploration Systems, Autonomous Mission Operations project. The development and implementation of integrated simulators within this development effort will also be detailed and is the first step in verifying the HAL 9000 Integrated Test-Bed Component [2] designs effectiveness. This design paper will conclude with a summary of the current development status and future development goals as it pertains to automated command and control for the HDU.

Mild Normobaric Hypoxia Exposure for Human-Autonomy System Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stephens, Chad L.; Kennedy, Kellie D.; Crook, Brenda L.; Williams, Ralph A.; Schutte, Paul

2017-01-01

An experiment investigated the impact of normobaric hypoxia induction on aircraft pilot performance to specifically evaluate the use of hypoxia as a method to induce mild cognitive impairment to explore human-autonomous systems integration opportunities. Results of this exploratory study show that the effect of 15,000 feet simulated altitude did not induce cognitive deficits as indicated by performance on written, computer-based, or simulated flight tasks. However, the subjective data demonstrated increased effort by the human test subject pilots to maintain equivalent performance in a flight simulation task. This study represents current research intended to add to the current knowledge of performance decrement and pilot workload assessment to improve automation support and increase aviation safety.

Protein cage assembly across multiple length scales.

PubMed

Aumiller, William M; Uchida, Masaki; Douglas, Trevor

2018-05-21

Within the materials science community, proteins with cage-like architectures are being developed as versatile nanoscale platforms for use in protein nanotechnology. Much effort has been focused on the functionalization of protein cages with biological and non-biological moieties to bring about new properties of not only individual protein cages, but collective bulk-scale assemblies of protein cages. In this review, we report on the current understanding of protein cage assembly, both of the cages themselves from individual subunits, and the assembly of the individual protein cages into higher order structures. We start by discussing the key properties of natural protein cages (for example: size, shape and structure) followed by a review of some of the mechanisms of protein cage assembly and the factors that influence it. We then explore the current approaches for functionalizing protein cages, on the interior or exterior surfaces of the capsids. Lastly, we explore the emerging area of higher order assemblies created from individual protein cages and their potential for new and exciting collective properties.

Geothermal Program Review XI: proceedings. Geothermal Energy - The Environmental Responsible Energy Technology for the Nineties

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

Not Available

1993-10-01

These proceedings contain papers pertaining to current research and development of geothermal energy in the USA. The seven sections of the document are: Overview, The Geysers, Exploration and Reservoir Characterization, Drilling, Energy Conversion, Advanced Systems, and Potpourri. The Overview presents current DOE energy policy and industry perspectives. Reservoir studies, injection, and seismic monitoring are reported for the geysers geothermal field. Aspects of geology, geochemistry and models of geothermal exploration are described. The Drilling section contains information on lost circulation, memory logging tools, and slim-hole drilling. Topics considered in energy conversion are efforts at NREL, condensation on turbines and geothermal materials.more » Advanced Systems include hot dry rock studies and Fenton Hill flow testing. The Potpourri section concludes the proceedings with reports on low-temperature resources, market analysis, brines, waste treatment biotechnology, and Bonneville Power Administration activities. Selected papers have been indexed separately for inclusion in the Energy Science and Technology Database.« less

Early intervention for substance abuse among youth and young adults with mental health conditions: an exploration of community mental health practices.

PubMed

Anthony, Elizabeth K; Taylor, Sarah A; Raffo, Zulma

2011-05-01

This mixed method study examined current practices and barriers for screening and assessing substance use among youth/young adults in community mental health systems. Substance use rates remain high among youth/young adults in the general population and substance use disorders are prevalent among young people involved in public service systems such as mental health. In an effort to understand the dynamics for early intervention, 64 case managers and/or clinical directors from children's mental health systems in two states participated in an online survey or focus group in fall 2008. Quantitative survey questions and qualitative focus group questions explored attitudes and perspectives about screening and early intervention for substance use among youth/young adults involved in the mental health system and current agency practices. Mixed method results suggest a number of barriers to substance use screening and early intervention and point to innovations that could be more effectively supported.

Biomedical Uses for 2D Materials Beyond Graphene: Current Advances and Challenges Ahead.

PubMed

Kurapati, Rajendra; Kostarelos, Kostas; Prato, Maurizio; Bianco, Alberto

2016-08-01

Currently, a broad interdisciplinary research effort is pursued on biomedical applications of 2D materials (2DMs) beyond graphene, due to their unique physicochemical and electronic properties. The discovery of new 2DMs is driven by the diverse chemical compositions and tuneable characteristics offered. Researchers are increasingly attracted to exploit those as drug delivery systems, highly efficient photothermal modalities, multimodal therapeutics with non-invasive diagnostic capabilities, biosensing, and tissue engineering. A crucial limitation of some of the 2DMs is their moderate colloidal stability in aqueous media. In addition, the lack of suitable functionalisation strategies should encourage the exploration of novel chemical methodologies with that purpose. Moreover, the clinical translation of these emerging materials will require undertaking of fundamental research on biocompatibility, toxicology and biopersistence in the living body as well as in the environment. Here, a thorough account of the biomedical applications using 2DMs explored today is given. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Mars scientific investigations as a precursor for human exploration.

PubMed

Ahlf, P; Cantwell, E; Ostrach, L; Pline, A

2000-01-01

In the past two years, NASA has begun to develop and implement plans for investigations on robotic Mars missions which are focused toward returning data critical for planning human missions to Mars. The Mars Surveyor Program 2001 Orbiter and Lander missions will mark the first time that experiments dedicated to preparation for human exploration will be carried out. Investigations on these missions and future missions range from characterization of the physical and chemical environment of Mars, to predicting the response of biology to the Mars environment. Planning for such missions must take into account existing data from previous Mars missions which were not necessarily focused on human exploration preparation. At the same time, plans for near term missions by the international community must be considered to avoid duplication of effort. This paper reviews data requirements for human exploration and applicability of existing data. It will also describe current plans for investigations and place them within the context of related international activities. c 2000 International Astronautical Federation. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mars scientific investigations as a precursor for human exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahlf, P.; Cantwell, E.; Ostrach, L.; Pline, A.

2000-01-01

In the past two years, NASA has begun to develop and implement plans for investigations on robotic Mars missions which are focused toward returning data critical for planning human missions to Mars. The Mars Surveyor Program 2001 Orbiter and Lander missions will mark the first time that experiments dedicated to preparation for human exploration will be carried out. Investigations on these missions and future missions range from characterization of the physical and chemical environment of Mars, to predicting the response of biology to the Mars environment. Planning for such missions must take into account existing data from previous Mars missions which were not necessarily focused on human exploration preparation. At the same time, plans for near term missions by the international community must be considered to avoid duplication of effort. This paper reviews data requirements for human exploration and applicability of existing data. It will also describe current plans for investigations and place them within the context of related international activities. c 2000 International Astronautical Federation. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Introduction

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warwick, Peter D.

2011-01-01

The Energy Minerals Division (EMD) of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) is a membership-based, technical interest group having the primary goal of advancing the science of geology, especially as it relates to exploration, discovery, and production of unconventional energy resources. Current research on unconventional energy resources is rapidly changing and exploration and development efforts for these resources are constantly expanding. Nine summaries derived from 2011 committee reports presented at the EMD Annual Meeting in Houston, Texas in April, 2011, are contained in this review. The complete set of committee reports is available to AAPG members at http://emd.aapg.org/members_only/ annual2011/index.cfm. This report updates the 2006 and 2009 EMD unconventional energy review published in this journal (American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Energy Minerals Division 2007, 2009).

Three-Dimensional Printing of Nanomaterial Scaffolds for Complex Tissue Regeneration

PubMed Central

O'Brien, Christopher M.; Holmes, Benjamin; Faucett, Scott

2015-01-01

Three-dimensional (3D) printing has recently expanded in popularity, and become the cutting edge of tissue engineering research. A growing emphasis from clinicians on patient-specific care, coupled with an increasing knowledge of cellular and biomaterial interaction, has led researchers to explore new methods that enable the greatest possible control over the arrangement of cells and bioactive nanomaterials in defined scaffold geometries. In this light, the cutting edge technology of 3D printing also enables researchers to more effectively compose multi-material and cell-laden scaffolds with less effort. In this review, we explore the current state of 3D printing with a focus on printing of nanomaterials and their effect on various complex tissue regeneration applications. PMID:25084122

When the Fog Clears: Long-Term Monitoring of Fog and Fog-Dependent Biota in the Namib Desert

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Logan, J. R. V.

2014-12-01

The Gobabeb Research and Training Centre in western Namibia is currently undertaking several efforts to enhance long-term atmospheric and fog monitoring in the central Namib Desert and to measure how fog-dependent biota are responding to global change. In an environment that receives regular sea fog and a mean annual rainfall of only 25 mm, Gobabeb is ideally situated to study the drivers and ecological role of fog in arid environments. Currently more than ten meteorological projects perform measurements at or close to Gobabeb. These projects include continuous trace gas measurements, fog isotope sampling, in situ surface radiation measurements, land surface temperature and other satellite validation studies, and multiple aerosol/dust monitoring projects; most of these projects are also components in other global monitoring networks. To these projects, Gobabeb has recently added a network of nine autonomous weather stations spanning the central Namib that will continuously collect basic meteorological data over an area of approximately 70x70 km. Using this data in conjunction with modeling efforts will expand our understanding of fog formation and the linkages between fog and the Benguela Current off Namibia's coast. Historical weather data from previous meteorological stations and satellite observations will also enable development of a fog time series for the last 50 years to determine climate variability driven by possible changes in the Benguela Current system. To complement these efforts, Gobabeb is also expanding its decades-old ecological research programs to explore the impacts of the fog on the region's biota at various time and spatial scales. Gobabeb's long-term, multidisciplinary projects can serve as a prototype for monitoring in other fog-affected systems, together increasing our understanding of coastal fog dynamics, land-atmosphere-ocean connections, and the impacts of fog-related global change.

PROOF OF CONCEPT FOR A HUMAN RELIABILITY ANALYSIS METHOD FOR HEURISTIC USABILITY EVALUATION OF SOFTWARE

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

Ronald L. Boring; David I. Gertman; Jeffrey C. Joe

2005-09-01

An ongoing issue within human-computer interaction (HCI) is the need for simplified or “discount” methods. The current economic slowdown has necessitated innovative methods that are results driven and cost effective. The myriad methods of design and usability are currently being cost-justified, and new techniques are actively being explored that meet current budgets and needs. Recent efforts in human reliability analysis (HRA) are highlighted by the ten-year development of the Standardized Plant Analysis Risk HRA (SPAR-H) method. The SPAR-H method has been used primarily for determining humancentered risk at nuclear power plants. The SPAR-H method, however, shares task analysis underpinnings withmore » HCI. Despite this methodological overlap, there is currently no HRA approach deployed in heuristic usability evaluation. This paper presents an extension of the existing SPAR-H method to be used as part of heuristic usability evaluation in HCI.« less

Exploration of Advanced Probabilistic and Stochastic Design Methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mavris, Dimitri N.

2003-01-01

The primary objective of the three year research effort was to explore advanced, non-deterministic aerospace system design methods that may have relevance to designers and analysts. The research pursued emerging areas in design methodology and leverage current fundamental research in the area of design decision-making, probabilistic modeling, and optimization. The specific focus of the three year investigation was oriented toward methods to identify and analyze emerging aircraft technologies in a consistent and complete manner, and to explore means to make optimal decisions based on this knowledge in a probabilistic environment. The research efforts were classified into two main areas. First, Task A of the grant has had the objective of conducting research into the relative merits of possible approaches that account for both multiple criteria and uncertainty in design decision-making. In particular, in the final year of research, the focus was on the comparison and contrasting between three methods researched. Specifically, these three are the Joint Probabilistic Decision-Making (JPDM) technique, Physical Programming, and Dempster-Shafer (D-S) theory. The next element of the research, as contained in Task B, was focused upon exploration of the Technology Identification, Evaluation, and Selection (TIES) methodology developed at ASDL, especially with regards to identification of research needs in the baseline method through implementation exercises. The end result of Task B was the documentation of the evolution of the method with time and a technology transfer to the sponsor regarding the method, such that an initial capability for execution could be obtained by the sponsor. Specifically, the results of year 3 efforts were the creation of a detailed tutorial for implementing the TIES method. Within the tutorial package, templates and detailed examples were created for learning and understanding the details of each step. For both research tasks, sample files and tutorials are attached in electronic form with the enclosed CD.

Exploring the performance of large-N radio astronomical arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lonsdale, Colin J.; Doeleman, Sheperd S.; Cappallo, Roger J.; Hewitt, Jacqueline N.; Whitney, Alan R.

2000-07-01

New radio telescope arrays are currently being contemplated which may be built using hundreds, or even thousands, of relatively small antennas. These include the One Hectare Telescope of the SETI Institute and UC Berkeley, the LOFAR telescope planned for the New Mexico desert surrounding the VLA, and possibly the ambitious international Square Kilometer Array (SKA) project. Recent and continuing advances in signal transmission and processing technology make it realistic to consider full cross-correlation of signals from such a large number of antennas, permitting the synthesis of an aperture with much greater fidelity than in the past. In principle, many advantages in instrumental performance are gained by this 'large-N' approach to the design, most of which require the development of new algorithms. Because new instruments of this type are expected to outstrip the performance of current instruments by wide margins, much of their scientific productivity is likely to come from the study of objects which are currently unknown. For this reason, instrumental flexibility is of special importance in design studies. A research effort has begun at Haystack Observatory to explore large-N performance benefits, and to determine what array design properties and data reduction algorithms are required to achieve them. The approach to these problems, involving a sophisticated data simulator, algorithm development, and exploration of array configuration parameter space, will be described, and progress to date will be summarized.

LOX/Methane In-Space Propulsion Systems Technology Status and Gaps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klem, Mark D.

2017-01-01

Human exploration architecture studies have identified liquid oxygen (LOX)Methane (LCH4) as a strong candidate for both interplanetary and descent ascent propulsion solutions. Significant research efforts into methane propulsion have been conducted for over 50 years, ranging from fundamental combustion mixing efforts to rocket chamber and system level demonstrations. Over the past 15 years NASA and its partners have built upon these early activities that have demonstrated practical components and sub-systems needed to field future methane space transportation elements. These advanced development efforts have formed a foundation of LOXLCH4 propulsion knowledge that has significantly reduced the development risks of future methane based space transportation elements for human exploration beyond earth orbit. As a bipropellant propulsion system, LOXLCH4 has some favorable characteristics for long life and reusability, which are critical to lunar and Mars missions. Non-toxic, non-corrosive, self-venting, and simple to purge. No extensive decontamination process required as with toxic propellants. High vapor pressure provides for excellent vacuum ignition characteristics. Performance is better than current earth storable propellants for human scale spacecraft. Provides the capability for future Mars exploration missions to use propellants that are produced in-situ on Mars Liquid Methane is thermally similar to O2 as a cryogenic propellant, 90,111 K (LO2, LCH4 respectively) instead of the 23 K of LH2. Allows for common components and thus providing cost savings as compared to liquid hydrogen (LH2). Due to liquid methane having a 6x higher density than hydrogen, it can be stored in much smaller volumes. Cryogenic storage aspect of these propellants needs to be addressed. Passive techniques using shielding and orientations to deep space Refrigeration may be required to maintain both oxygen and methane in liquid forms

Extracting Drug-Drug Interactions with Word and Character-Level Recurrent Neural Networks

PubMed Central

Kavuluru, Ramakanth; Rios, Anthony; Tran, Tung

2017-01-01

Drug-drug interactions (DDIs) are known to be responsible for nearly a third of all adverse drug reactions. Hence several current efforts focus on extracting signal from EMRs to prioritize DDIs that need further exploration. To this end, being able to extract explicit mentions of DDIs in free text narratives is an important task. In this paper, we explore recurrent neural network (RNN) architectures to detect and classify DDIs from unstructured text using the DDIExtraction dataset from the SemEval 2013 (task 9) shared task. Our methods are in line with those used in other recent deep learning efforts for relation extraction including DDI extraction. However, to our knowledge, we are the first to investigate the potential of character-level RNNs (Char-RNNs) for DDI extraction (and relation extraction in general). Furthermore, we explore a simple but effective model bootstrapping method to (a). build model averaging ensembles, (b). derive confidence intervals around mean micro-F scores (MMF), and (c). assess the average behavior of our methods. Without any rule based filtering of negative examples, a popular heuristic used by most earlier efforts, we achieve an MMF of 69.13. By adding simple replicable heuristics to filter negative instances we are able to achieve an MMF of 70.38. Furthermore, our best ensembles produce micro F-scores of 70.81 (without filtering) and 72.13 (with filtering), which are superior to metrics reported in published results. Although Char-RNNs turnout to be inferior to regular word based RNN models in overall comparisons, we find that ensembling models from both architectures results in nontrivial gains over simply using either alone, indicating that they complement each other. PMID:29034375

Autonomous Navigation Above the GNSS Constellations and Beyond: GPS Navigation for the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission and SEXTANT Pulsar Navigation Demonstration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winternitz, Luke

2017-01-01

This talk will describe two first-of-their-kind technology demonstrations attached to ongoing NASA science missions, both of which aim to extend the range of autonomous spacecraft navigation far from the Earth. First, we will describe the onboard GPS navigation system for the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission which is currently operating in elliptic orbits reaching nearly halfway to the Moon. The MMS navigation system is a key outgrowth of a larger effort at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to advance high-altitude Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) navigation on multiple fronts, including developing Global Positioning System receivers and onboard navigation software, running simulation studies, and leading efforts to characterize and protect signals at high-altitude in the so-called GNSS Space-Service Volume (SSV). In the second part of the talk, we will describe the Station Explorer for X-ray Timing and Navigation Technology (SEXTANT) mission that aims to make the first in-space demonstration of X-ray pulsar navigation (XNAV). SEXTANT is attached to the NASA astrophysics mission Neutron-star Interior Composition ExploreR (NICER) whose International Space Station mounted X-ray telescope is investigating the fundamental physics of extremes in gravity, material density, and electromagnetic fields found in neutron stars, and whose instrument provides a nearly ideal navigation sensor for XNAV.

Exploration Life Support Technology Development for Lunar Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ewert, Michael K.; Barta, Daniel J.; McQuillan, Jeffrey

2009-01-01

Exploration Life Support (ELS) is one of NASA's Exploration Technology Development Projects. ELS plans, coordinates and implements the development of new life support technologies for human exploration missions as outlined in NASA's Vision for Space Exploration. ELS technology development currently supports three major projects of the Constellation Program - the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), the Altair Lunar Lander and Lunar Surface Systems. ELS content includes Air Revitalization Systems (ARS), Water Recovery Systems (WRS), Waste Management Systems (WMS), Habitation Engineering, Systems Integration, Modeling and Analysis (SIMA), and Validation and Testing. The primary goal of the ELS project is to provide different technology options to Constellation which fill gaps or provide substantial improvements over the state-of-the-art in life support systems. Since the Constellation missions are so challenging, mass, power, and volume must be reduced from Space Shuttle and Space Station technologies. Systems engineering analysis also optimizes the overall architecture by considering all interfaces with the life support system and potential for reduction or reuse of resources. For long duration missions, technologies which aid in closure of air and water loops with increased reliability are essential as well as techniques to minimize or deal with waste. The ELS project utilizes in-house efforts at five NASA centers, aerospace industry contracts, Small Business Innovative Research contracts and other means to develop advanced life support technologies. Testing, analysis and reduced gravity flight experiments are also conducted at the NASA field centers. This paper gives a current status of technologies under development by ELS and relates them to the Constellation customers who will eventually use them.

Microbial control in Asia: a bellwether for the future?

PubMed

Gelernter, Wendy D

2007-07-01

Advances and barriers faced by microbial control efforts in Asia offer instructive insights for microbial control in general. The papers in this series, which are based on plenary lectures given at the Society for Invertebrate Pathology 2006 meeting in Wuhan, China, explore the history and current status of microbial control in China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, and in doing so, bring to light the following key assumptions that deserve further examination; (1) the adoption rate of microbial control is well documented; (2) microbial control agents can compete directly with conventional insecticides; (3) microbial control agents are relatively easy and inexpensive to produce and develop; (4) patents will promote innovation and investor interest in microbial control. Alternative viewpoints are presented that can hopefully aid in future efforts to develop more safe and effective microbial control agents.

On the need and use of models to explore the role of economic confidence:a survey.

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

Sprigg, James A.; Paez, Paul J.; Hand, Michael S.

2005-04-01

Empirical studies suggest that consumption is more sensitive to current income than suggested under the permanent income hypothesis, which raises questions regarding expectations for future income, risk aversion, and the role of economic confidence measures. This report surveys a body of fundamental economic literature as well as burgeoning computational modeling methods to support efforts to better anticipate cascading economic responses to terrorist threats and attacks. This is a three part survey to support the incorporation of models of economic confidence into agent-based microeconomic simulations. We first review broad underlying economic principles related to this topic. We then review the economicmore » principle of confidence and related empirical studies. Finally, we provide a brief survey of efforts and publications related to agent-based economic simulation.« less

JSC Advanced Curation: Research and Development for Current Collections and Future Sample Return Mission Demands

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fries, M. D.; Allen, C. C.; Calaway, M. J.; Evans, C. A.; Stansbery, E. K.

2015-01-01

Curation of NASA's astromaterials sample collections is a demanding and evolving activity that supports valuable science from NASA missions for generations, long after the samples are returned to Earth. For example, NASA continues to loan hundreds of Apollo program samples to investigators every year and those samples are often analyzed using instruments that did not exist at the time of the Apollo missions themselves. The samples are curated in a manner that minimizes overall contamination, enabling clean, new high-sensitivity measurements and new science results over 40 years after their return to Earth. As our exploration of the Solar System progresses, upcoming and future NASA sample return missions will return new samples with stringent contamination control, sample environmental control, and Planetary Protection requirements. Therefore, an essential element of a healthy astromaterials curation program is a research and development (R&D) effort that characterizes and employs new technologies to maintain current collections and enable new missions - an Advanced Curation effort. JSC's Astromaterials Acquisition & Curation Office is continually performing Advanced Curation research, identifying and defining knowledge gaps about research, development, and validation/verification topics that are critical to support current and future NASA astromaterials sample collections. The following are highlighted knowledge gaps and research opportunities.

Comparative analysis of dietary guidelines in the Spanish-Speaking Caribbean.

PubMed

Fuster, Melissa

2016-03-01

Dietary guidelines are important education and policy tools to address local nutrition concerns. The current paper presents a comparative analysis of nutrition messages from three Spanish-speaking Caribbean countries (Cuba, Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic) to explore how these dietary guidelines address common public health nutrition concerns, contextualized in different changing food environments and food culture similarities. Qualitative, comparative analysis of current dietary guideline documents and key recommendations. Key recommendations were categorized into sixteen themes (two diet-based, ten food-based and four 'other'). Only the Cuban dietary guidelines included diet-based key recommendations. Of the ten food-based key recommendations, only four themes overlapped across the three dietary guidelines (the encouragement of fruits and vegetables, addressing protein sources and fat). Other overlaps were found between dietary guideline pairs, except between Cuba and Puerto Rico. Further analysis revealed differences in levels of specificity and acknowledgement of local dietary patterns and issues, as well as the need to revise the guidelines to account for current scientific advances. The present study underscored the importance of context in the framing of dietary advice and the influence of national socio-economic and political situations on nutrition policy and education efforts. The results contribute to inform efforts to improve nutrition communication in the region and among migrant communities.

Harm reduction and cessation efforts and interest in cessation resources among survivors of smoking-related cancers.

PubMed

Berg, Carla J; Carpenter, Matthew J; Jardin, Bianca; Ostroff, Jamie S

2013-03-01

Despite the well-established risks associated with persistent smoking, many cancer survivors who were active smokers at the time of cancer diagnosis continue to smoke. In order to guide the development of tobacco cessation interventions for cancer survivors, a better understanding is needed regarding post-diagnosis quitting efforts. Thus, we examined quitting and reduction efforts and interest in cessation resources among cancer survivors who self-identified as current smokers at the time of diagnosis. We conducted analyses of survey participants (n = 54) who were current smokers at the time of cancer diagnosis and were continued smokers at the time of assessment. We also conducted semi-structured interviews (n = 21) among a subset of those who either continued to smoke or quit smoking post-cancer diagnosis. Among our survey participants, 22.2 % had ever used behavioral cessation resources and 66.7 % had use pharmacotherapy, while 62.8 % had interest in future use of behavioral cessation resources and 75.0 % had interest in pharmacotherapy. The majority reported some quitting efforts including making quit attempts, using cessation medications, and reducing their daily cigarette consumption. Semi-structured interview data revealed various strategies used to aid in smoking reduction and cessation as well as variability in preferences for cessation resources. Cancer patients who smoke following diagnosis often engage in smoking reduction and cessation-related behaviors, which may reflect their motivation to reduce their smoking-related risks. They also report high interest in cessation resources. Thus, it is important to explore the acceptability and effectiveness of different cessation intervention components among this group. Cancer survivors who smoke demonstrate actions toward harm reduction and cessation. They should inquire about potential resources that might facilitate their efforts among their healthcare providers and enlist support and advice from others around them to bolster their efforts.

KSC-2012-4187

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Former Kennedy Space Center Director Jay Honeycutt, left, is joined by Lee Solid, a retired senior executive with Rockwell and Boeing, in speaking to about 45 of NASA’s social media followers for two days of presentations on the Kennedy Space Center's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

PNT Activities at NASA Glenn Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sands, Obed

2017-01-01

This presentation provides a review of Position Navigation and Timing activities at the Glenn Research Center. Topics include 1) contributions to simulation studies for the Space Service Volume of the Global Navigation Satellite System, 2) development and integration efforts for a Software Defined Radio (SDR) waveform for the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) testbed, currently onboard the International Space Station and 3) a GPS L5 testbed intended to explore terrain mapping capabilities with communications signals. Future directions are included and a brief discussion of NASA, GRC and the SCAN office.

Synthetic Lethal Networks for Precision Oncology: Promises and Pitfalls.

PubMed

Shen, John Paul; Ideker, Trey

2018-06-19

Synthetic lethal interactions, in which the simultaneous loss-of-function of two genes produces a lethal phenotype, are being explored as a means to therapeutically exploit cancer-specific vulnerabilities and expand the scope of precision oncology. Currently, three FDA approved drugs work by targeting the synthetic lethal interaction between BRCA1/2 and PARP. This review examines additional efforts to discover networks of synthetic lethal interactions and discusses both challenges and opportunities regarding the translation of new synthetic lethal interactions into the clinic. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

IMPaCT - Integration of Missions, Programs, and Core Technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balacuit, Carlos P.; Cutts, James A.; Peterson, Craig E.; Beauchamp, Patricia M.; Jones, Susan K.; Hang, Winnie N.; Dastur, Shahin D.

2013-01-01

IMPaCT enables comprehensive information on current NASA missions, prospective future missions, and the technologies that NASA is investing in, or considering investing in, to be accessed from a common Web-based interface. It allows dependencies to be established between missions and technology, and from this, the benefits of investing in individual technologies can be determined. The software also allows various scenarios for future missions to be explored against resource constraints, and the nominal cost and schedule of each mission to be modified in an effort to fit within a prescribed budget.

TDRS-L Launch Social

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-01-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the NASA News Center annex at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, social media participants listen to a briefing by Badri Younes, deputy associate administrator, Space Communications and Navigation SCaN NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington D.C. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport for the launch of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS-L spacecraft. Their visit included tours of key facilities and participating in presentations by key NASA leaders who updated the space agency's current efforts. Photo credit: NASA/Dan Casper

Evolution of the Birth Plan

PubMed Central

Kaufman, Tamara

2007-01-01

Many birth professionals are discarding the birth plan as an outdated and ineffectual document. This column discusses the past limitations and present uses of the birth plan in an effort to enhance current teaching on how expectant parents can write and use this important document. Encouraging expectant parents to prepare two separate, but corresponding, birth plans—the “Discussion Birth Plan” and the “Hospital Birth Plan”—is proposed. Teaching suggestions and possible implications are explored in order to give childbirth educators practical information to share with their class members. PMID:18566650

Heroes and Legends Exhibit

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-07

Inside the Heroes and Legends attraction at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, a statue of astronaut Alan Shepard, America's first person in space, stands just inside the doors to the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. In addition to displays honoring the Americans currently enshrined in the U. S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, the new facility looks back to the pioneering efforts of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. It sets the stage by providing the background and context for space exploration and the legendary men and women who pioneered the nation's journey into space.

Tracing Cosmic Dawn

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fialkov, Anastasia

2018-05-01

Observational effort is on the way to probe the 21-cm of neutral hydrogen from the epochs of Reionization and Cosmic Dawn. Our current poor knowledge of high redshift astrophysics results in a large uncertainty in the theoretically predicted 21-cm signal. A recent parameter study that is highlighted here explores the variety of 21-cm signals resulting from viable astrophysical scenarios. Model-independent relations between the shape of the signal and the underlying astrophysics are discussed. Finally, I briefly note on possible alternative probes of the high redshift Universe, specifically Fast Radio Bursts.

Gathering and Exploring Scientific Knowledge in Pharmacovigilance

PubMed Central

Lopes, Pedro; Nunes, Tiago; Campos, David; Furlong, Laura Ines; Bauer-Mehren, Anna; Sanz, Ferran; Carrascosa, Maria Carmen; Mestres, Jordi; Kors, Jan; Singh, Bharat; van Mulligen, Erik; Van der Lei, Johan; Diallo, Gayo; Avillach, Paul; Ahlberg, Ernst; Boyer, Scott; Diaz, Carlos; Oliveira, José Luís

2013-01-01

Pharmacovigilance plays a key role in the healthcare domain through the assessment, monitoring and discovery of interactions amongst drugs and their effects in the human organism. However, technological advances in this field have been slowing down over the last decade due to miscellaneous legal, ethical and methodological constraints. Pharmaceutical companies started to realize that collaborative and integrative approaches boost current drug research and development processes. Hence, new strategies are required to connect researchers, datasets, biomedical knowledge and analysis algorithms, allowing them to fully exploit the true value behind state-of-the-art pharmacovigilance efforts. This manuscript introduces a new platform directed towards pharmacovigilance knowledge providers. This system, based on a service-oriented architecture, adopts a plugin-based approach to solve fundamental pharmacovigilance software challenges. With the wealth of collected clinical and pharmaceutical data, it is now possible to connect knowledge providers’ analysis and exploration algorithms with real data. As a result, new strategies allow a faster identification of high-risk interactions between marketed drugs and adverse events, and enable the automated uncovering of scientific evidence behind them. With this architecture, the pharmacovigilance field has a new platform to coordinate large-scale drug evaluation efforts in a unique ecosystem, publicly available at http://bioinformatics.ua.pt/euadr/. PMID:24349421

Harm reduction and cessation efforts and interest in cessation resources among survivors of smoking-related cancers

PubMed Central

Berg, Carla J.; Carpenter, Matthew J.; Jardin, Bianca; Ostroff, Jamie S.

2013-01-01

Purpose Despite the well-established risks associated with persistent smoking, many cancer survivors who were active smokers at the time of cancer diagnosis continue to smoke. In order to guide the development of tobacco cessation interventions for cancer survivors, a better understanding is needed regarding post-diagnosis quitting efforts. Thus, we examined quitting and reduction efforts and interest in cessation resources among cancer survivors who self-identified as current smokers at the time of diagnosis. Methods We conducted analyses of survey participants (n=54) who were current smokers at the time of cancer diagnosis and were continued smokers at the time of assessment. We also conducted semi-structured interviews (n=21) among a subset of those who either continued to smoke or quit smoking post cancer diagnosis. Results Among our survey participants, 22.2% had ever used behavioral cessation resources and 66.7% had use pharmacotherapy, while 62.8% had interest in future use of behavioral cessation resources and 75.0% had interest in pharmacotherapy. The majority reported some quitting efforts including making quit attempts, using cessation medications, and reducing their daily cigarette consumption. Semi-structured interview data revealed various strategies used to aid in smoking reduction and cessation as well as variability in preferences for cessation resources. Conclusions Cancer patients who smoke following diagnosis often engage in smoking reduction and cessation-related behaviors, which may reflect their motivation to reduce their smoking-related risks. They also report high interest in cessation resources. Thus, it is important to explore the acceptability and effectiveness of different cessation intervention components among this group. PMID:23307036

Exploration Medical Capability System Engineering Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mindock, J.; McGuire, K.

2018-01-01

Deep Space Gateway and Transport missions will change the way NASA currently practices medicine. The missions will require more autonomous capability compared to current low Earth orbit operations. For the medical system, lack of consumable resupply, evacuation opportunities, and real-time ground support are key drivers toward greater autonomy. Recognition of the limited mission and vehicle resources available to carry out exploration missions motivates the Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC) Element's approach to enabling the necessary autonomy. The ExMC Systems Engineering team's mission is to "Define, develop, validate, and manage the technical system design needed to implement exploration medical capabilities for Mars and test the design in a progression of proving grounds." The Element's work must integrate with the overall exploration mission and vehicle design efforts to successfully provide exploration medical capabilities. ExMC is using Model-Based System Engineering (MBSE) to accomplish its integrative goals. The MBSE approach to medical system design offers a paradigm shift toward greater integration between vehicle and the medical system, and directly supports the transition of Earth-reliant ISS operations to the Earth-independent operations envisioned for Mars. This talk will discuss how ExMC is using MBSE to define operational needs, decompose requirements and architecture, and identify medical capabilities needed to support human exploration. How MBSE is being used to integrate across disciplines and NASA Centers will also be described. The medical system being discussed in this talk is one system within larger habitat systems. Data generated within the medical system will be inputs to other systems and vice versa. This talk will also describe the next steps in model development that include: modeling the different systems that comprise the larger system and interact with the medical system, understanding how the various systems work together, and developing tools to support trade studies.

Exploration Medical Cap Ability System Engineering Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McGuire, K.; Mindock, J.

2018-01-01

Deep Space Gateway and Transport missions will change the way NASA currently practices medicine. The missions will require more autonomous capability compared to current low Earth orbit operations. For the medical system, lack of consumable resupply, evacuation opportunities, and real-time ground support are key drivers toward greater autonomy. Recognition of the limited mission and vehicle resources available to carry out exploration missions motivates the Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC) Element's approach to enabling the necessary autonomy. The ExMC Systems Engineering team's mission is to "Define, develop, validate, and manage the technical system design needed to implement exploration medical capabilities for Mars and test the design in a progression of proving grounds." The Element's work must integrate with the overall exploration mission and vehicle design efforts to successfully provide exploration medical capabilities. ExMC is using Model-Based System Engineering (MBSE) to accomplish its integrative goals. The MBSE approach to medical system design offers a paradigm shift toward greater integration between vehicle and the medical system, and directly supports the transition of Earth-reliant ISS operations to the Earth-independent operations envisioned for Mars. This talk will discuss how ExMC is using MBSE to define operational needs, decompose requirements and architecture, and identify medical capabilities needed to support human exploration. How MBSE is being used to integrate across disciplines and NASA Centers will also be described. The medical system being discussed in this talk is one system within larger habitat systems. Data generated within the medical system will be inputs to other systems and vice versa. This talk will also describe the next steps in model development that include: modeling the different systems that comprise the larger system and interact with the medical system, understanding how the various systems work together, and developing tools to support trade studies.

International Space Station Evolution Data Book. Volume 1; Baseline Design; Revised

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jorgensen, Catherine A. (Editor); Antol, Jeffrey (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The International Space Station (ISS) will provide an Earth-orbiting facility that will accommodate engineering experiments as well as research in a microgravity environment for life and natural sciences. The ISS will distribute resource utilities and support permanent human habitation for conducting this research and experimentation in a safe and habitable environment. The objectives of the ISS program are to develop a world-class, international orbiting laboratory for conducting high-value scientific research for the benefit of humans on Earth; to provide access to the microgravity environment; to develop the ability to live and work in space for extended periods; and to provide a research test bed for developing advanced technology for human and robotic exploration of space. The current design and development of the ISS has been achieved through the outstanding efforts of many talented engineers, designers, technicians, and support personnel who have dedicated their time and hard work to producing a state-of-the-art Space Station. Despite these efforts, the current design of the ISS has limitations that have resulted from cost and technology issues. Regardless, the ISS must evolve during its operational lifetime to respond to changing user needs and long-term national and international goals. As technologies develop and user needs change, the ISS will be modified to meet these demands. The design and development of these modifications should begin now to prevent a significant lapse in time between the baseline design and the realization of future opportunities. For this effort to begin, an understanding of the baseline systems and current available opportunities for utilization needs to be achieved. Volume I of this document provides the consolidated overview of the ISS baseline systems. It also provides information on the current facilities available for pressurized and unpressurized payloads. Information on current plans for crew availability and utilization; resource timelines and margin summaries including power, thermal, and storage volumes; and an overview of the ISS cargo traffic and the vehicle traffic model is also included.

Self-regulating the effortful "social dos".

PubMed

Cortes, Kassandra; Kammrath, Lara K; Scholer, Abigail A; Peetz, Johanna

2014-03-01

In the current research, we explored differences in the self-regulation of the personal dos (i.e., engaging in active and effortful behaviors that benefit the self) and in the self-regulation of the social dos (engaging in those same effortful behaviors to benefit someone else). In 6 studies, we examined whether the same trait self-control abilities that predict task persistence on personal dos would also predict task persistence on social dos. That is, would the same behavior, such as persisting through a tedious and attentionally demanding task, show different associations with trait self-control when it is framed as benefitting the self versus someone else? In Studies 1-3, we directly compared the personal and social dos and found that trait self-control predicted self-reported and behavioral personal dos but not social dos, even when the behaviors were identical and when the incentives were matched. Instead, trait agreeableness--a trait linked to successful self-regulation within the social domain--predicted the social dos. Trait self-control did not predict the social dos even when task difficulty increased (Study 4), but it did predict the social don'ts, consistent with past research (Studies 5-6). The current studies provide support for the importance of distinguishing different domains of self-regulated behaviors and suggest that social dos can be successfully performed through routes other than traditional self-control abilities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

In-space assembly and servicing infrastructures for the Evolvable Space Telescope (EST)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lillie, Charles F.; MacEwen, Howard A.

2016-07-01

The concept for EST presented in past SPIE forums will benefit significantly from the current efforts of DARPA, NASA and several commercial organizations to develop an in-space infrastructure that will enable on-orbit assembly, servicing, repair and repurposing of space vehicles. Two documents provide particularly relevant discussions: "NASA's Journey to Mars: Pioneering Next Steps in Space Exploration" provides a recent (2015) outline of NASA's thoughts on human deep space exploration and the tools that will enable it, while the "On-Orbit Satellite Servicing Study: Project Report" details a number of the concepts and technologies that must be developed. In this paper we examine the concepts in these and related documents to explore how systems such as EST will shape and support the infrastructure needed by future space vehicles. In so doing, we address previous examples of on-orbit assembly and servicing of space vehicles; the lessons learned from these efforts and the existing systems and facilities available to execute servicing missions; the EST concept for an LUVOIR telescope designed for in-orbit assembly and servicing and the resulting requirements for a servicing vehicle; the use of heavy lift launch vehicles, including the SLS and Exploration Upper Stage to co-manifest other large payloads along with a crewed Orion mission; Deep Space Habitats (DSHs) in cislunar space as a site for assembly and servicing spacecraft vehicles, and a base for Maneuverable Servicing Vehicles; and how space vehicles need to be designed for in-space assembly and servicing (i.e., commonality of parts, systems, modularity, accessibility, and stable maneuverability).

Prediction of forces and moments for flight vehicle control effectors: Workplan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maughmer, Mark D.

1989-01-01

Two research activities directed at hypersonic vehicle configurations are currently underway. The first involves the validation of a number of classical local surface inclination methods commonly employed in preliminary design studies of hypersonic flight vehicles. Unlike studies aimed at validating such methods for predicting overall vehicle aerodynamics, this effort emphasizes validating the prediction of forces and moments for flight control studies. Specifically, several vehicle configurations for which experimental or flight-test data are available are being examined. By comparing the theoretical predictions with these data, the strengths and weaknesses of the local surface inclination methods can be ascertained and possible improvements suggested. The second research effort, of significance to control during take-off and landing of most proposed hypersonic vehicle configurations, is aimed at determining the change due to ground effect in control effectiveness of highly swept delta planforms. Central to this research is the development of a vortex-lattice computer program which incorporates an unforced trailing vortex sheet and an image ground plane. With this program, the change in pitching moment of the basic vehicle due to ground proximity, and whether or not there is sufficient control power available to trim, can be determined. In addition to the current work, two different research directions are suggested for future study. The first is aimed at developing an interactive computer program to assist the flight controls engineer in determining the forces and moments generated by different types of control effectors that might be used on hypersonic vehicles. The first phase of this work would deal in the subsonic portion of the flight envelope, while later efforts would explore the supersonic/hypersonic flight regimes. The second proposed research direction would explore methods for determining the aerodynamic trim drag of a generic hypersonic flight vehicle and ways in which it can be minimized through vehicle design and trajectory optimization.

Miniature Biometric Sensor Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Falker, John; Terrier, Douglas; Clayton, Ronald; Hanson, Andrea; Cooper, Tommy; Downs, Meghan; Flint, Stephanie; Reyna, Baraquiel; Simon, Cory; Wilt, Grier

2015-01-01

Heart rate monitoring (HRM) is a critical need during exploration missions. Unlike the four separate systems used on ISS today, the single HRM system should perform as a diagnostic tool, perform well during exercise or high level activity, and be suitable for use during EVA. Currently available HRM technologies are dependent on uninterrupted contact with the skin and are prone to data drop-out and motion artifact when worn in the spacesuit or during exercise. Here, we seek an alternative to the chest strap and electrode based sensors currently in use on ISS today. This project aims to develop a single, high performance, robust biosensor with focused efforts on improved heart rate data quality collection during high intensity activity such as exercise or EVA.

Performance Characterization and Simulation of Amine-Based Vacuum Swing Adsorption Units for Spacesuit Carbon Dioxide and Humidity Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swickrath, Michael J.; Watts,Carly; Anderson, Molly; McMillin, Summer; Boerman, Craig; Colunga, Aaron; Vogel, Matthew

2011-01-01

Controlling carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) concentrations in the vapor phase of a space suit is critical to ensuring an astronauts safety, comfortability, and capability to perform extra-vehicular activity (EVA) tasks. Historically, this has been accomplished using lithium hydroxide (LiOH) and metal oxides (MetOx). Lithium hydroxide is a consumable material and requires priming with water before it becomes effective at removing carbon dioxide. MetOx is regenerable through a power-intensive thermal cycle but is significantly heavier on a volume basis than LiOH. As an alternative, amine-based vacuum swing beds are under aggressive development for EVA applications which control atmospheric concentrations of both CO2 and H2O through a fully-regenerative process. The current concept, referred to as the rapid cycle amine (RCA), has resulted in numerous laboratory prototypes. Performance of these prototypes have been assessed and documented from experimental and theoretical perspectives. To support developmental efforts, a first principles model has also been established for the vacuum swing adsorption technology. The efforts documented herein summarize performance characterization and simulation results for several variable metabolic profiles subjected to the RCA. Furthermore, a variety of control methods are explored including timed swing cycles, instantaneous CO2 feedback control, and time-averaged CO2 feedback control. A variety of off-nominal tests are also explored including high/low suit temperatures, increasingly high humidity cases, and dynamic pressure cases simulating the suit pre-breathe protocol. Consequently, this work builds on efforts previous efforts to fully bound the performance of the rapid cycle amine under a variety of nominal and off-nominal conditions.

Bridging the research-practice gap: breaking new ground in health care.

PubMed

Mulhall, A

2001-08-01

Many theorists have discussed the existence of a gap between nursing research and practice. Consequently much time and effort has been expended in trying to devise strategies to bridge this divide. This article explores what the research-practice gap is and discusses five important reasons for it. The issue is then raised as to whether or not there is a gap between evidence and practice, despite the existence of the gap between research and practice. This is explored in relation to the potential conflict between the 'know how' knowledge important in practice and the 'know that' knowledge important in academia. Finally, the concept of practitioner-centred research is described as one strategy that would effectively obliterate the research-practice gap as it is currently conceived.

A literature review of connectedness to nature and its potential for environmental management.

PubMed

Restall, Brian; Conrad, Elisabeth

2015-08-15

Understanding how people's relationships with nature form, how they influence personal values and attitudes, and what behavioural implications they may have could provide more insight into how connectedness to nature (CNT) can effectively contribute to environmental management goals. This paper undertakes a review of literature published over the past decade (2002-2011) on SCOPUS; and describes the current state of knowledge regarding CNT, assesses any efforts towards the spatial mapping of CNT for environmental management, and identifies measures of CNT defined in the broader literature. This review suggests that there is quite some overlap in the literature on CNT concepts, and that more effort needs to be made towards multi-disciplinary research which explores how CNT can be useful to environmental planning and conservation research on the field. It also further corroborates the need and relevance of applying more social and affective strategies to promote conservation behaviour. The main progress in CNT theory seems to have been made in the development of measurement tools, and it is clear that there is a strong convergent validity amongst the different measures due to their similarity, and functional associations. Further efforts towards the exploration of multi-dimensional measures is recommended since they consistently stand out as showing better results. The geographic visualisation of CNT constructs is another area of research that deserves attention since it can provide a unique point of view towards guiding participatory protected area planning and management. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Counting complete? Finalising the plant inventory of a global biodiversity hotspot

PubMed Central

Colville, Jonathan F.; Joppa, Lucas N.; Huyser, Onno; Manning, John

2017-01-01

The Cape Floristic Region—the world’s smallest and third richest botanical hotspot—has benefited from sustained levels of taxonomic effort and exploration for almost three centuries, but how close is this to resulting in a near-complete plant species inventory? We analyse a core component of this flora over a 250-year period for trends in taxonomic effort and species discovery linked to ecological and conservation attributes. We show that >40% of the current total of species was described within the first 100 years of exploration, followed by a continued steady rate of description. We propose that <1% of the flora is still to be described. We document a relatively constant cohort of taxonomists, working over 250 years at what we interpret to be their ‘taxonomic maximum.’ Rates of description of new species were independent of plant growth-form but narrow-range taxa have constituted a significantly greater proportion of species discoveries since 1950. This suggests that the fraction of undiscovered species predominantly comprises localised endemics that are thus of high conservation concern. Our analysis provides important real-world insights for other hotspots in the context of global strategic plans for biodiversity in informing considerations of the likely effort required in attaining set targets of comprehensive plant inventories. In a time of unprecedented biodiversity loss, we argue for a focused research agenda across disciplines to increase the rate of species descriptions in global biodiversity hotspots. PMID:28243528

Nuclear Engine System Simulation (NESS). Volume 1: Program user's guide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pelaccio, Dennis G.; Scheil, Christine M.; Petrosky, Lyman J.

1993-03-01

A Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) engine system design analysis tool is required to support current and future Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) propulsion and vehicle design studies. Currently available NTP engine design models are those developed during the NERVA program in the 1960's and early 1970's and are highly unique to that design or are modifications of current liquid propulsion system design models. To date, NTP engine-based liquid design models lack integrated design of key NTP engine design features in the areas of reactor, shielding, multi-propellant capability, and multi-redundant pump feed fuel systems. Additionally, since the SEI effort is in the initial development stage, a robust, verified NTP analysis design tool could be of great use to the community. This effort developed an NTP engine system design analysis program (tool), known as the Nuclear Engine System Simulation (NESS) program, to support ongoing and future engine system and stage design study efforts. In this effort, Science Applications International Corporation's (SAIC) NTP version of the Expanded Liquid Engine Simulation (ELES) program was modified extensively to include Westinghouse Electric Corporation's near-term solid-core reactor design model. The ELES program has extensive capability to conduct preliminary system design analysis of liquid rocket systems and vehicles. The program is modular in nature and is versatile in terms of modeling state-of-the-art component and system options as discussed. The Westinghouse reactor design model, which was integrated in the NESS program, is based on the near-term solid-core ENABLER NTP reactor design concept. This program is now capable of accurately modeling (characterizing) a complete near-term solid-core NTP engine system in great detail, for a number of design options, in an efficient manner. The following discussion summarizes the overall analysis methodology, key assumptions, and capabilities associated with the NESS presents an example problem, and compares the results to related NTP engine system designs. Initial installation instructions and program disks are in Volume 2 of the NESS Program User's Guide.

Nuclear Engine System Simulation (NESS). Volume 1: Program user's guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pelaccio, Dennis G.; Scheil, Christine M.; Petrosky, Lyman J.

1993-01-01

A Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) engine system design analysis tool is required to support current and future Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) propulsion and vehicle design studies. Currently available NTP engine design models are those developed during the NERVA program in the 1960's and early 1970's and are highly unique to that design or are modifications of current liquid propulsion system design models. To date, NTP engine-based liquid design models lack integrated design of key NTP engine design features in the areas of reactor, shielding, multi-propellant capability, and multi-redundant pump feed fuel systems. Additionally, since the SEI effort is in the initial development stage, a robust, verified NTP analysis design tool could be of great use to the community. This effort developed an NTP engine system design analysis program (tool), known as the Nuclear Engine System Simulation (NESS) program, to support ongoing and future engine system and stage design study efforts. In this effort, Science Applications International Corporation's (SAIC) NTP version of the Expanded Liquid Engine Simulation (ELES) program was modified extensively to include Westinghouse Electric Corporation's near-term solid-core reactor design model. The ELES program has extensive capability to conduct preliminary system design analysis of liquid rocket systems and vehicles. The program is modular in nature and is versatile in terms of modeling state-of-the-art component and system options as discussed. The Westinghouse reactor design model, which was integrated in the NESS program, is based on the near-term solid-core ENABLER NTP reactor design concept. This program is now capable of accurately modeling (characterizing) a complete near-term solid-core NTP engine system in great detail, for a number of design options, in an efficient manner. The following discussion summarizes the overall analysis methodology, key assumptions, and capabilities associated with the NESS presents an example problem, and compares the results to related NTP engine system designs. Initial installation instructions and program disks are in Volume 2 of the NESS Program User's Guide.

NASA Human Spaceflight Architecture Team: Lunar Surface Exploration Strategies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mueller, Rob P.

2012-01-01

NASA s agency wide Human Spaceflight Architecture Team (HAT) has been developing Design Reference Missions (DRMs) to support the ongoing effort to characterize NASA s future human exploration strategy. The DRM design effort includes specific articulations of transportation and surface elements, technologies and operations required to enable future human exploration of various destinations including the moon, Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) and Mars as well as interim cis-lunar targets. In prior architecture studies, transportation concerns have dominated the analysis. As a result, an effort was made to study the human utilization strategy at each specific destination and the resultant impacts on the overall architecture design. In particular, this paper considers various lunar surface strategies as representative scenarios that could occur in a human lunar return, and demonstrates their alignment with the internationally developed Global Exploration Roadmap (GER).

Floridian heatwaves and extreme precipitation: future climate projections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raghavendra, Ajay; Dai, Aiguo; Milrad, Shawn M.; Cloutier-Bisbee, Shealynn R.

2018-02-01

Observational analysis and climate modeling efforts concur that the frequency, intensity, and duration of heatwaves will increase as the Earth's mean climate shifts towards warmer temperatures. While the impacts and mechanisms of heatwaves have been well explored, extreme temperatures over Florida are generally understudied. This paper sheds light on Floridian heatwaves by exploring 13 years of daily data from surface observations and high-resolution WRF climate simulations for the same timeframe. The characteristics of the current and future heatwaves under the RCP8.5 high emissions scenario for 2070-2099 were then investigated. Results show a tripling in the frequency, and greater than a sixfold increase in the mean duration of heatwaves over Florida when the current standard of heatwaves was used. The intensity of heatwaves also increased by 4-6 °C due to the combined effects of rising mean temperatures and a 1-2 °C increase attributed to the flattening of the temperature distribution. Since Florida's atmospheric boundary layer is rich in moisture and heatwaves could further increase the moisture content in the lower troposphere, the relationship between heatwaves and extreme precipitation was also explored in both the current and future climate. As expected, rainfall during a heatwave event was anomalously low, but it quickly recovered to normal within 3 days after the passage of a heatwave. Finally, the late 21st-century climate could witness a slight decrease in the mean precipitation over Florida, accompanied by heavier heatwave-associated extreme precipitation events over central and southern Florida.

Extravehicular Activity Technology Development Status and Forecast

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chullen, Cinda; Westheimer, David T.

2011-01-01

The goal of NASA s current EVA technology effort is to further develop technologies that will be used to demonstrate a robust EVA system that has application for a variety of future missions including microgravity and surface EVA. Overall the objectives will be to reduce system mass, reduce consumables and maintenance, increase EVA hardware robustness and life, increase crew member efficiency and autonomy, and enable rapid vehicle egress and ingress. Over the past several years, NASA realized a tremendous increase in EVA system development as part of the Exploration Technology Development Program and the Constellation Program. The evident demand for efficient and reliable EVA technologies, particularly regenerable technologies was apparent under these former programs and will continue to be needed as future mission opportunities arise. The technological need for EVA in space has been realized over the last several decades by the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Space Shuttle, and the International Space Station (ISS) programs. EVAs were critical to the success of these programs. Now with the ISS extension to 2028 in conjunction with a current forecasted need of at least eight EVAs per year, the EVA hardware life and limited availability of the Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMUs) will eventually become a critical issue. The current EMU has successfully served EVA demands by performing critical operations to assemble the ISS and provide repairs of satellites such as the Hubble Space Telescope. However, as the life of ISS and the vision for future mission opportunities are realized, a new EVA systems capability will be needed and the current architectures and technologies under development offer significant improvements over the current flight systems. In addition to ISS, potential mission applications include EVAs for missions to Near Earth Objects (NEO), Phobos, or future surface missions. Surface missions could include either exploration of the Moon or Mars. Providing an EVA capability for these types of missions enables in-space construction of complex vehicles or satellites, hands on exploration of new parts of our solar system, and engages the public through the inspiration of knowing that humans are exploring places that they have never been before. This paper offers insight into what is currently being developed and what the potential opportunities are in the forecast.

Implementation of microchip electrophoresis instrumentation for future spaceflight missions.

PubMed

Willis, Peter A; Creamer, Jessica S; Mora, Maria F

2015-09-01

We present a comprehensive discussion of the role that microchip electrophoresis (ME) instrumentation could play in future NASA missions of exploration, as well as the current barriers that must be overcome to make this type of chemical investigation possible. We describe how ME would be able to fill fundamental gaps in our knowledge of the potential for past, present, or future life beyond Earth. Despite the great promise of ME for ultrasensitive portable chemical analysis, to date, it has never been used on a robotic mission of exploration to another world. We provide a current snapshot of the technology readiness level (TRL) of ME instrumentation, where the TRL is the NASA systems engineering metric used to evaluate the maturity of technology, and its fitness for implementation on missions. We explain how the NASA flight implementation process would apply specifically to ME instrumentation, and outline the scientific and technology development issues that must be addressed for ME analyses to be performed successfully on another world. We also outline research demonstrations that could be accomplished by independent researchers to help advance the TRL of ME instrumentation for future exploration missions. The overall approach described here for system development could be readily applied to a wide range of other instrumentation development efforts having broad societal and commercial impact.

The Development of Models for Carbon Dioxide Reduction Technologies for Spacecraft Air Revitalization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swickrath, Michael J.; Anderson, Molly

2012-01-01

Through the respiration process, humans consume oxygen (O2) while producing carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) as byproducts. For long term space exploration, CO2 concentration in the atmosphere must be managed to prevent hypercapnia. Moreover, CO2 can be used as a source of oxygen through chemical reduction serving to minimize the amount of oxygen required at launch. Reduction can be achieved through a number of techniques. NASA is currently exploring the Sabatier reaction, the Bosch reaction, and co- electrolysis of CO2 and H2O for this process. Proof-of-concept experiments and prototype units for all three processes have proven capable of returning useful commodities for space exploration. All three techniques have demonstrated the capacity to reduce CO2 in the laboratory, yet there is interest in understanding how all three techniques would perform at a system level within a spacecraft. Consequently, there is an impetus to develop predictive models for these processes that can be readily rescaled and integrated into larger system models. Such analysis tools provide the ability to evaluate each technique on a comparable basis with respect to processing rates. This manuscript describes the current models for the carbon dioxide reduction processes under parallel developmental efforts. Comparison to experimental data is provided were available for verification purposes.

Modified ACES Portable Life Support Integration, Design, and Testing for Exploration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kelly, Cody

2014-01-01

NASA's next generation of exploration missions provide a unique challenge to designers of EVA life support equipment, especially in a fiscally-constrained environment. In order to take the next steps of manned space exploration, NASA is currently evaluating the use of the Modified ACES (MACES) suit in conjunction with the Advanced Portable Life Support System (PLSS) currently under development. This paper will detail the analysis and integration of the PLSS thermal and ventilation subsystems into the MACES pressure garment, design of prototype hardware, and hardware-in-the-loop testing during the spring 2014 timeframe. Prototype hardware was designed with a minimal impact philosophy in order to mitigate design constraints becoming levied on either the advanced PLSS or MACES subsystems. Among challenges faced by engineers were incorporation of life support thermal water systems into the pressure garment cavity, operational concept definition between vehicle/portable life support system hardware, and structural attachment mechanisms while still enabling maximum EVA efficiency from a crew member's perspective. Analysis was completed in late summer 2013 to 'bound' hardware development, with iterative analysis cycles throughout the hardware development process. The design effort will cumulate in the first ever manned integration of NASA's advanced PLSS system with a pressure garment originally intended primarily for use in a contingency survival scenario.

Teaching adaptive leadership to family medicine residents: what? why? how?

PubMed

Eubank, Daniel; Geffken, Dominic; Orzano, John; Ricci, Rocco

2012-09-01

Health care reform calls for patient-centered medical homes built around whole person care and healing relationships. Efforts to transform primary care practices and deliver these qualities have been challenging. This study describes one Family Medicine residency's efforts to develop an adaptive leadership curriculum and use coaching as a teaching method to address this challenge. We review literature that describes a parallel between the skills underlying such care and those required for adaptive leadership. We address two questions: What is leadership? Why focus on adaptive leadership? We then present a synthesis of leadership theories as a set of process skills that lead to organization learning through effective work relationships and adaptive leadership. Four models of the learning process needed to acquire such skills are explored. Coaching is proposed as a teaching method useful for going beyond information transfer to create the experiential learning necessary to acquire the process skills. Evaluations of our efforts to date are summarized. We discuss key challenges to implementing such a curriculum and propose that teaching adaptive leadership is feasible but difficult in the current medical education and practice contexts.

Global Burden of Skin Disease: Inequities and Innovations.

PubMed

Seth, Divya; Cheldize, Khatiya; Brown, Danielle; Freeman, Esther F

2017-09-01

We review the current understanding of the burden of dermatological disease through the lens of the Global Burden of Disease project, evaluate the impact of skin disease on quality of life in a global context, explore socioeconomic implications, and finally summarize interventions towards improving quality of dermatologic care in resource-poor settings. The Global Burden of Disease project has shown that skin diseases continue to be the 4 th leading cause of nonfatal disease burden world-wide. However, research efforts and funding do not match with the relative disability of skin diseases. International and national efforts, such as the WHO List of Essential Medicines, are critical towards reducing the socioeconomic burden of skin diseases and increasing access to care. Recent innovations such as teledermatology, point-of-care diagnostic tools, and task-shifting help to provide dermatological care to underserved regions in a cost-effective manner. Skin diseases cause significant non-fatal disability worldwide, especially in resource-poor regions. Greater impetus to study the burden of skin disease in low resource settings and policy efforts towards delivering high quality care are essential in improving the burden of skin diseases.

Electronics Demonstrated for Low- Temperature Operation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patterson, Richard L.; Hammond, Ahmad; Gerber, Scott S.

2000-01-01

The operation of electronic systems at cryogenic temperatures is anticipated for many NASA spacecraft, such as planetary explorers and deep space probes. For example, an unheated interplanetary probe launched to explore the rings of Saturn would experience an average temperature near Saturn of about 183 C. Electronics capable of low-temperature operation in the harsh deep space environment also would help improve circuit performance, increase system efficiency, and reduce payload development and launch costs. An ongoing research and development program on low-temperature electronics at the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field is focusing on the design of efficient power systems that can survive and exploit the advantages of low-temperature environments. The targeted systems, which are mission driven, include converters, inverters, controls, digital circuits, and special-purpose circuits. Initial development efforts successfully demonstrated the low-temperature operation and cold-restart of several direct-current/direct-current (dc/dc) converters based on different types of circuit design, some with superconducting inductors. The table lists some of these dc/dc converters with their properties, and the photograph shows a high-voltage, high-power dc/dc converter designed for an ion propulsion system for low-temperature operation. The development efforts of advanced electronic systems and the supporting technologies for low-temperature operation are being carried out in-house and through collaboration with other Government agencies, industry, and academia. The Low Temperature Electronics Program supports missions and development programs at NASA s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Goddard Space Flight Center. The developed technologies will be transferred to commercial end users for applications such as satellite infrared sensors and medical diagnostic equipment.

"New" Vistas for Polarimetric Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yanamandra-Fisher, P. A.

2016-12-01

The versatility of polarimetric exploration is exploited to address the overarching goals for the remote sensing and robotic exploration of our solar system and exoplanetary systems: (1) understanding the formation of planetary systems and their diversity; and (2) search for habitability. Spectral dependence of polarization is important to separate the macroscopic (bulk) properties of the scattering medium from the microscopic (particulate) properties of the scattering medium. While linear polarization of reflected light by solar system objects provides insight into the scattering characteristics of aerosols and hazes in atmospheres and surficial properties of atmosphereless objects, circular polarization and related chirality (or handedness, a property of molecules that exhibit mirror-image symmetry, similar to right and left hands) can serve as diagnostic of biological activity. Most solar system polarimetric exploration is dominantly the study of cometary and asteroidal dust/regoliths. However, efforts are starting to emerge as "new" directions in this field: from recent studies of outer planetary atmospheres and satellites; polarization of magnetic field lines; addressing taxonomy of asteroids and including amateur astronomers. Although current solar system missions do not have polarimeters on-board, ground-based polarimetric observations prove to valuable and complementary. For example, NASA/JUNO lacks a polarimeter in its payload, and one of its goals is to understand Jupiter's aurorae. Recent ground-based observations from NASA/IRTF indicate that the auroral H3+ line is polarized (Barthelemy et al., 2011, A&A, 530). Another new direction for polarimetric exploration is the inclusion of amateur astronomers. Imaging and spectroscopy are routinely performed by amateurs, but recently, there is interest in developing polarimetric exploration amongst the amateur community, such as the study of polarization of the moon (Fearnside et al., 2016, Icarus). I will present a review of the field, with advances made in instrumentation, measurements and efforts to develop a "Polarimetry Network" of observers, modelers and instrument experts to expand and fully utilize polarimetery in the remote sensing of planetary systems.

An evaluation of the suitability of ERTS data for the purposes of petroleum exploration. [Anadarko Basin in Oklahoma and Texas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Everett, J. R.; Petzel, G.

1974-01-01

This investigation was undertaken to determine the types and amounts of information valuable to petroleum exploration that are extractable from ERTS data and to determine the cost of obtaining the information from ERTS relative to costs using traditional or conventional means. In particular, it was desirable to evaluate this new petroleum exploration tool in a geologically well-known area in order to assess its potential usefulness in an unknown area. In light of the current energy situation, it is felt that such an evaluation is important in order to best utilize technical efforts with customary exploration tools, by rapidly focusing attention on the most promising areas in order to reduce the time required to go through the exploration cycle and to maximize cost savings. The Anadarko Basin lies in western Oklahoma and the panhandle of Texas (Figure 1). It was chosen as a test site because there is a great deal of published information available on the surface and subsurface geology of the area, there are many known structures that act as traps for hydrocarbons, and it is similar to several other large epicontinental sedimentary basins.

Mission and Safety Critical (MASC): An EVACS simulation with nested transactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Auty, David; Atkinson, Colin; Randall, Charlie

1992-01-01

The Extra-Vehicular Activity Control System (EVACS) Simulation with Nested Transactions, a recent effort of the MISSION Kernel Team, is documented. The EVACS simulation is a simulation of some aspects of the Extra-Vehicular Activity Control System, in particular, just the selection of communication frequencies. The simulation is a tool to explore mission and safety critical (MASC) applications. For the purpose of this effort, its current definition is quite narrow serving only as a starting point for prototyping purposes. (Note that EVACS itself has been supplanted in a larger scenario of a lunar outpost with astronauts and a lunar rover). The frequency selection scenario was modified to embed its processing in nested transactions. Again as a first step, only two aspects of transaction support were implemented in this prototype: architecture and state recovery. Issues of concurrency and distribution are yet to be addressed.

Biomaterial delivery of morphogens to mimic the natural healing cascade in bone

PubMed Central

Mehta, Manav; Schmidt-Bleek, Katharina; Duda, Georg N; Mooney, David J

2012-01-01

Complications in treatment of large bone defects using bone grafting still remain. Our understanding of the endogenous bone regeneration cascade has inspired the exploration of a wide variety of growth factors (GFs) in an effort to mimic the natural signaling that controls bone healing. Biomaterial-based delivery of single exogenous GFs has shown therapeutic efficacy, and this likely relates to its ability to recruit and promote replication of cells involved in tissue development and the healing process. However, as the natural bone healing cascade involves the action of multiple factors, each acting in a specific spatiotemporal pattern, strategies aiming to mimic the critical aspects of this process will likely benefit from the usage of multiple therapeutic agents. This article reviews the current status of approaches to deliver single GFs, as well as ongoing efforts to develop sophisticated delivery platforms to deliver multiple lineage-directing morphogens (multiple GFs) during bone healing. PMID:22626978

Motivational predictors of physical education students' effort, exercise intentions, and leisure-time physical activity: a multilevel linear growth analysis.

PubMed

Taylor, Ian M; Ntoumanis, Nikos; Standage, Martyn; Spray, Christopher M

2010-02-01

Grounded in self-determination theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 2000), the current study explored whether physical education (PE) students' psychological needs and their motivational regulations toward PE predicted mean differences and changes in effort in PE, exercise intentions, and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) over the course of one UK school trimester. One hundred and seventy-eight students (69% male) aged between 11 and 16 years completed a multisection questionnaire at the beginning, middle, and end of a school trimester. Multilevel growth models revealed that students' perceived competence and self-determined regulations were the most consistent predictors of the outcome variables at the within- and between-person levels. The results of this work add to the extant SDT-based literature by examining change in PE students' motivational regulations and psychological needs, as well as underscoring the importance of disaggregating within- and between-student effects.

Communities of Practice: Professional Development Through Fostering Connections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, N. A.; Raftery, C.; Shackleford, R.; Nelson, A.; Turney, D.

2015-11-01

A community of practice is a group of people informally bound together by shared expertise and passion for a joint enterprise. Through facilitated discussion, we will share best practices and research about communities of practice, and explore how they evolve as they grow. The target audience for this Special Interest Group session is Education and Public Outreach professionals who are interested in using communities of practice as a way to support the professional development of their audiences. This session will be of interest to people who want to learn more about communities of practice as well as those who are currently coordinating similar efforts. Participants will have the opportunity to share their challenges and success, as well as gain new ideas for the planning, implementation, and expansion of efforts. This session will be facilitated by the coordinators of NASA's SMD Heliophysics EPO Forum online community of practice for middle and high school science teachers.

Large, horizontal-axis wind turbines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Linscott, B. S.; Perkins, P.; Dennett, J. T.

1984-01-01

Development of the technology for safe, reliable, environmentally acceptable large wind turbines that have the potential to generate a significant amount of electricity at costs competitive with conventional electric generating systems are presented. In addition, these large wind turbines must be fully compatible with electric utility operations and interface requirements. There are several ongoing large wind system development projects and applied research efforts directed toward meeting the technology requirements for utility applications. Detailed information on these projects is provided. The Mod-O research facility and current applied research effort in aerodynamics, structural dynamics and aeroelasticity, composite and hybrid composite materials, and multiple system interaction are described. A chronology of component research and technology development for large, horizontal axis wind turbines is presented. Wind characteristics, wind turbine economics, and the impact of wind turbines on the environment are reported. The need for continued wind turbine research and technology development is explored. Over 40 references are sited and a bibliography is included.

Self-Uncertainty and the Influence of Alternative Goals on Self-Regulation.

PubMed

Light, Alysson E; Rios, Kimberly; DeMarree, Kenneth G

2018-01-01

The current research examines factors that facilitate or undermine goal pursuit. Past research indicates that attempts to reduce self-uncertainty can result in increased goal motivation. We explore a critical boundary condition of this effect-the presence of alternative goals. Though self-regulatory processes usually keep interest in alternative goals in check, uncertainty reduction may undermine these self-regulatory efforts by (a) reducing conflict monitoring and (b) increasing valuation of alternative goals. As such, reminders of alternative goals will draw effort away from focal goals for self-uncertain (but not self-certain) participants. Across four studies and eight supplemental studies, using different focal goals (e.g., academic achievement, healthy eating) and alternative goals (e.g., social/emotional goals, attractiveness, indulgence), we found that alternative goal salience does not negatively influence goal-directed behavior among participants primed with self-certainty, but that reminders of alternative goals undermine goal pursuit among participants primed with self-uncertainty.

Sustainable Materials for Sustainable Energy Storage: Organic Na Electrodes

PubMed Central

Oltean, Viorica-Alina; Renault, Stéven; Valvo, Mario; Brandell, Daniel

2016-01-01

In this review, we summarize research efforts to realize Na-based organic materials for novel battery chemistries. Na is a more abundant element than Li, thereby contributing to less costly materials with limited to no geopolitical constraints while organic electrode materials harvested from biomass resources provide the possibility of achieving renewable battery components with low environmental impact during processing and recycling. Together, this can form the basis for truly sustainable electrochemical energy storage. We explore the efforts made on electrode materials of organic salts, primarily carbonyl compounds but also Schiff bases, unsaturated compounds, nitroxides and polymers. Moreover, sodiated carbonaceous materials derived from biomasses and waste products are surveyed. As a conclusion to the review, some shortcomings of the currently investigated materials are highlighted together with the major limitations for future development in this field. Finally, routes to move forward in this direction are suggested. PMID:28773272

Safeguards Knowledge Management & Retention at U.S. National Laboratories.

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

Haddal, Risa; Jones, Rebecca; Bersell, Bridget

In 2017, four U.S. National Laboratories collaborated on behalf of DOE/NNSA to explore the safeguards knowledge retention problem, identify possible approaches, and develop a strategy to address it. The one-year effort consisted of four primary tasks. First, the project sought to identify critical safeguards information at risk of loss. Second, a survey and workshop were conducted to assess nine U.S. National Laboratories' efforts to determine current safeguards knowledge retention practices and challenges, and identify best practices. Third, specific tools were developed to identify and predict critical safeguards knowledge gaps and how best to recruit in order to fill those gaps.more » Finally, based on findings from the first three tasks and research on other organizational approaches to address similar issues, a strategy was developed on potential knowledge retention methods, customized HR policies, and best practices that could be implemented across the National Laboratory Complex.« less

A multilevel examination of affective job insecurity climate on safety outcomes.

PubMed

Jiang, Lixin; Probst, Tahira M

2016-07-01

Previous research has established a causal link between individual perceptions of job insecurity and safety outcomes. However, whether job insecurity climate is associated with safety outcomes has not been studied. The purpose of the current study was to explore the main and cross-level interaction effects of affective job insecurity climate on safety outcomes, including behavioral safety compliance, reporting attitudes, workplace injuries, experienced safety events, unreported safety events, and accident underreporting, beyond individual affective job insecurity. With 171 employees nested in 40 workgroups, multilevel analyses revealed that the negative impacts of individual affective job insecurity on safety outcomes are exacerbated when they occur in a climate of high affective job insecurity. These results are interpreted in light of safety management efforts and suggest that efforts to create a secure climate within one's workgroup may reap safety-related benefits. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Cardiovascular Countermeasures for Exploration-Class Space Flight Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Charles, John B.

2004-01-01

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

Sustainable Materials for Sustainable Energy Storage: Organic Na Electrodes.

PubMed

Oltean, Viorica-Alina; Renault, Stéven; Valvo, Mario; Brandell, Daniel

2016-03-01

In this review, we summarize research efforts to realize Na-based organic materials for novel battery chemistries. Na is a more abundant element than Li, thereby contributing to less costly materials with limited to no geopolitical constraints while organic electrode materials harvested from biomass resources provide the possibility of achieving renewable battery components with low environmental impact during processing and recycling. Together, this can form the basis for truly sustainable electrochemical energy storage. We explore the efforts made on electrode materials of organic salts, primarily carbonyl compounds but also Schiff bases, unsaturated compounds, nitroxides and polymers. Moreover, sodiated carbonaceous materials derived from biomasses and waste products are surveyed. As a conclusion to the review, some shortcomings of the currently investigated materials are highlighted together with the major limitations for future development in this field. Finally, routes to move forward in this direction are suggested.

Psychological Issues in Online Adaptive Task Allocation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morris, N. M.; Rouse, W. B.; Ward, S. L.; Frey, P. R.

1984-01-01

Adaptive aiding is an idea that offers potential for improvement over many current approaches to aiding in human-computer systems. The expected return of tailoring the system to fit the user could be in the form of improved system performance and/or increased user satisfaction. Issues such as the manner in which information is shared between human and computer, the appropriate division of labor between them, and the level of autonomy of the aid are explored. A simulated visual search task was developed. Subjects are required to identify targets in a moving display while performing a compensatory sub-critical tracking task. By manipulating characteristics of the situation such as imposed task-related workload and effort required to communicate with the computer, it is possible to create conditions in which interaction with the computer would be more or less desirable. The results of preliminary research using this experimental scenario are presented, and future directions for this research effort are discussed.

Planning for the Future, a Look from Apollo to the Present

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Segrera, David

2008-01-01

Future missions out of low Earth orbit, returning to the moon and Mars, will be some of the most complicated endeavors ever attempted by mankind. It will require the wealth of nations and the dedicated efforts of thousand of individuals working in a concerted effort to take man to the moon, Mars and beyond. These missions will require new equipment and new approaches to optimize our limited resources and time in space. This daily planning and optimization which currently is being performed by scores of people in MCC Houston and around the world will need to adapt to the challenges faced far from Earth. By studying the processes, methodologies, and tools employed from Apollo, Skylab, Shuttle, ISS, and other programs such as NEEMO, we can learn from the past to plan for the future. This paper will explore the planning process used from Apollo onward and will discuss their relevancy in future applications.

Developing Advanced Human Support Technologies for Planetary Exploration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berdich, Debra P.; Campbell, Paul D.; Jernigan, J. Mark

2004-01-01

The United States Vision for Space Exploration calls for sending robots and humans to explore the Earth's moon, the planet Mars, and beyond. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is developing a set of design reference missions that will provide further detail to these plans. Lunar missions are expected to provide a stepping stone, through operational research and evaluation, in developing the knowledge base necessary to send crews on long duration missions to Mars and other distant destinations. The NASA Exploration Systems Directorate (ExSD), in its program of bioastronautics research, manages the development of technologies that maintain human life, health, and performance in space. Using a system engineering process and risk management methods, ExSD's Human Support Systems (HSS) Program selects and performs research and technology development in several critical areas and transfers the results of its efforts to NASA exploration mission/systems development programs in the form of developed technologies and new knowledge about the capabilities and constraints of systems required to support human existence beyond Low Earth Orbit. HSS efforts include the areas of advanced environmental monitoring and control, extravehicular activity, food technologies, life support systems, space human factors engineering, and systems integration of all these elements. The HSS Program provides a structured set of deliverable products to meet the needs of exploration programs. These products reduce the gaps that exist in our knowledge of and capabilities for human support for long duration, remote space missions. They also reduce the performance gap between the efficiency of current space systems and the greater efficiency that must be achieved to make human planetary exploration missions economically and logistically feasible. In conducting this research and technology development program, it is necessary for HSS technologists and program managers to develop a common currency for decision making and the allocation of funding. A high level assessment is made of both the knowledge gaps and the system performance gaps across the program s technical project portfolio. This allows decision making that assures proper emphasis areas and provides a key measure of annual technological progress, as exploration mission plans continue to mature.

Developing Advanced Support Technologies for Planetary Exploration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berdich, Debra P.; Campbel, Paul D.; Jernigan, J. Mark

2004-01-01

The United States Vision for Space Exploration calls for sending robots and humans to explore the Earth s moon, the planet Mars, and beyond. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is developing a set of design reference missions that will provide further detail to these plans. Lunar missions are expected to provide a stepping stone, through operational research and evaluation, in developing the knowledge base necessary to send crews on long duration missions to Mars and other distant destinations. The NASA Exploration Systems Directorate (ExSD), in its program of bioastronautics research, manages the development of technologies that maintain human life, health, and performance in space. Using a systems engineering process and risk management methods, ExSD s Human Support Systems (HSS) Program selects and performs research and technology development in several critical areas and transfers the results of its efforts to NASA exploration mission/systems development programs in the form of developed technologies and new knowledge about the capabilities and constraints of systems required to support human existence beyond Low Earth Orbit. HSS efforts include the areas of advanced environmental monitoring and control, extravehicular activity, food technologies, life support systems, space human factors engineering, and systems integration of all these elements. The HSS Program provides a structured set of deliverable products to meet the needs of exploration programs. these products reduce the gaps that exist in our knowledge of and capabilities for human support for long duration, remote space missions. They also reduce the performance gap between the efficiency of current space systems and the greater efficiency that must be achieved to make human planetary exploration missions economically and logistically feasible. In conducting this research and technology development program, it is necessary for HSS technologists and program managers to develop a common currency for decision making and the allocation of funding. A high level assessment is made of both the knowledge gaps and the system performance gaps across the program s technical project portfolio. This allows decision making that assures proper emphasis areas and provides a key measure of annual technological progress, as exploration mission plans continue to mature.

Lifemap: Exploring the Entire Tree of Life.

PubMed

de Vienne, Damien M

2016-12-01

The Tree of Life (ToL) is meant to be a unique representation of the evolutionary relationships between all species on earth. Huge efforts are made to assemble such a large tree, helped by the decrease of sequencing costs and improved methods to reconstruct and combine phylogenies, but no tool exists today to explore the ToL in its entirety in a satisfying manner. By combining methods used in modern cartography, such as OpenStreetMap, with a new way of representing tree-like structures, I created Lifemap, a tool allowing the exploration of a complete representation of the ToL (between 800,000 and 2.2 million species depending on the data source) in a zoomable interface. A server version of Lifemap also allows users to visualize their own trees. This should help researchers in ecology and evolutionary biology in their everyday work, but may also permit the diffusion to a broader audience of our current knowledge of the evolutionary relationships linking all organisms.

Potential Mission Scenarios Post Asteroid Crewed Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lopez, Pedro, Jr.; McDonald, Mark A.

2015-01-01

A deep-space mission has been proposed to identify and redirect an asteroid to a distant retrograde orbit around the moon, and explore it by sending a crew using the Space Launch System and the Orion spacecraft. The Asteroid Redirect Crewed Mission (ARCM), which represents the third segment of the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM), could be performed on EM-3 or EM-4 depending on asteroid return date. Recent NASA studies have raised questions on how we could progress from current Human Space Flight (HSF) efforts to longer term human exploration of Mars. This paper will describe the benefits of execution of the ARM as the initial stepping stone towards Mars exploration, and how the capabilities required to send humans to Mars could be built upon those developed for the asteroid mission. A series of potential interim missions aimed at developing such capabilities will be described, and the feasibility of such mission manifest will be discussed. Options for the asteroid crewed mission will also be addressed, including crew size and mission duration.

Near Earth Object (NEO) Mitigation Options Using Exploration Technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arnold William; Baysinger, Mike; Crane, Tracie; Capizzo, Pete; Sutherlin, Steven; Dankanich, John; Woodcock, Gordon; Edlin, George; Rushing, Johnny; Fabisinski, Leo;

Ares V: Progress Toward Unprecedented Heavy Lift

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sumrall, Phil

2010-01-01

Every major examination of America s spaceflight capability since the Apollo program has highlighted and reinforced the need for a heavy lift vehicle for human exploration, science, national security, and commercial development. The Ares V is NASA s most recent effort to address this gap and provide the needed heavy lift capability for NASA and the nation. An Ares V-class heavy lift capability is important to supporting beyond earth orbit (BEO) human exploration. Initially, that consists of exploration of the Moon vastly expanded from the narrow equatorial Apollo missions to a global capability that includes the interesting polar regions. It also enables a permanent human outpost. Under the current program of record, both the Ares V and the lunar exploration it enables serve as a significant part of the technology and experience base for exploration beyond the Moon, including Mars, asteroids, and other destinations. The Ares V is part of NASA s Constellation Program architecture. The Ares V remains in an early stage of concept development, while NASA focused on development of the Ares I crew launch vehicle to replace the Space Shuttle fleet. However, Ares V development has benefitted from its commonality with Ares I, the Shuttle, and contemporary programs on which its design is based. The Constellation program is currently slated for cancellation under the proposed 2011 federal budget, pending review by the legislative branch. However, White House guidance on its 2011 budget retains funding for heavy lift research. This paper will discuss progress to date on the Ares V and its potential utility to payload users.

Gene Therapy Models of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias

PubMed Central

Combs, Benjamin; Kneynsberg, Andrew; Kanaan, Nicholas M.

2016-01-01

Dementias are among the most common neurological disorders, and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia worldwide. AD remains a looming health crisis despite great efforts to learn the mechanisms surrounding the neuron dysfunction and neurodegeneration that accompanies AD primarily in the medial temporal lobe. In addition to AD, a group of diseases known as frontotemporal dementias (FTDs) are degenerative diseases involving atrophy and degeneration in the frontal and temporal lobe regions. Importantly, AD and a number of FTDs are collectively known as tauopathies due to the abundant accumulation of pathological tau inclusions in the brain. The precise role tau plays in disease pathogenesis remains an area of strong research focus. A critical component to effectively study any human disease is the availability of models that recapitulate key features of the disease. Accordingly, a number of animal models are currently being pursued to fill the current gaps in our knowledge of the causes of dementias and to develop effective therapeutics. Recent developments in gene therapy-based approaches, particularly in recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs), have provided new tools to study AD and other related neurodegenerative disorders. Additionally, gene therapy approaches have emerged as an intriguing possibility for treating these diseases in humans. This chapter explores the current state of rAAV models of AD and other dementias, discuss recent efforts to improve these models, and describe current and future possibilities in the use of rAAVs and other viruses in treatments of disease. PMID:26611599

Usability and accessibility in consumer health informatics current trends and future challenges.

PubMed

Goldberg, Larry; Lide, Bettijoyce; Lowry, Svetlana; Massett, Holly A; O'Connell, Trisha; Preece, Jennifer; Quesenbery, Whitney; Shneiderman, Ben

2011-05-01

It is a truism that, for innovative eHealth systems to have true value and impact, they must first and foremost be usable and accessible by clinicians, consumers, and other stakeholders. In this paper, current trends and future challenges in the usability and accessibility of consumer health informatics will be described. Consumer expectations of their healthcare providers and healthcare records in this new era of consumer-directed care will be explored, and innovative visualizations, assistive technologies, and other ways that healthcare information is currently being provided and/or shared will be described. Challenges for ensuring the usability of current and future systems will also be discussed. An innovative model for conducting systematic, timely, user-centered research on consumer-facing websites at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the ongoing efforts at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to promote health information technology (HIT) usability standards and evaluation criteria will also be presented. Copyright © 2011 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. All rights reserved.

Accelerating Harmonization in Digital Health.

PubMed

Moore, Carolyn; Werner, Laurie; BenDor, Amanda Puckett; Bailey, Mike; Khan, Nighat

2017-01-01

Digital tools play an important role in supporting front-line health workers who deliver primary care. This paper explores the current state of efforts undertaken to move away from single-purpose applications of digital health towards integrated systems and solutions that align with national strategies. Through examples from health information systems, data and health worker training, this paper demonstrates how governments and stakeholders are working to integrate digital health services. We emphasize three factors as crucial for this integration: development and implementation of national digital health strategies; technical interoperability and collaborative approaches to ensure that digital health has an impact on the primary care level. Consolidation of technologies will enable an integrated, scaleable approach to the use of digital health to support health workers. As this edition explores a paradigm shift towards harmonization in primary healthcare systems, this paper explores complementary efforts undertaken to move away from single-purpose applications of digital health towards integrated systems and solutions that align with national strategies. It describes a paradigm shift towards integrated and interoperable systems that respond to health workers' needs in training, data and health information; and calls for the consolidation and integration of digital health tools and approaches across health areas, functions and levels of the health system. It then considers the critical factors that must be in place to support this paradigm shift. This paper aims not only to describe steps taken to move from fractured pilots to effective systems, but to propose a new perspective focused on consolidation and collaboration guided by national digital health strategies.

Systems Engineering for Space Exploration Medical Capabilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mindock, Jennifer; Reilly, Jeffrey; Urbina, Michelle; Hailey, Melinda; Rubin, David; Reyes, David; Hanson, Andrea; Burba, Tyler; McGuire, Kerry; Cerro, Jeffrey;

A 3D-CFD code for accurate prediction of fluid flows and fluid forces in seals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Athavale, M. M.; Przekwas, A. J.; Hendricks, R. C.

1994-01-01

Current and future turbomachinery requires advanced seal configurations to control leakage, inhibit mixing of incompatible fluids and to control the rotodynamic response. In recognition of a deficiency in the existing predictive methodology for seals, a seven year effort was established in 1990 by NASA's Office of Aeronautics Exploration and Technology, under the Earth-to-Orbit Propulsion program, to develop validated Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) concepts, codes and analyses for seals. The effort will provide NASA and the U.S. Aerospace Industry with advanced CFD scientific codes and industrial codes for analyzing and designing turbomachinery seals. An advanced 3D CFD cylindrical seal code has been developed, incorporating state-of-the-art computational methodology for flow analysis in straight, tapered and stepped seals. Relevant computational features of the code include: stationary/rotating coordinates, cylindrical and general Body Fitted Coordinates (BFC) systems, high order differencing schemes, colocated variable arrangement, advanced turbulence models, incompressible/compressible flows, and moving grids. This paper presents the current status of code development, code demonstration for predicting rotordynamic coefficients, numerical parametric study of entrance loss coefficients for generic annular seals, and plans for code extensions to labyrinth, damping, and other seal configurations.

A history of medical student debt: observations and implications for the future of medical education.

PubMed

Greysen, S Ryan; Chen, Candice; Mullan, Fitzhugh

2011-07-01

Over the last 50 years, medical student debt has become a problem of national importance, and obtaining medical education in the United States has become a loan-dependent, individual investment. Although this phenomenon must be understood in the general context of U.S. higher education as well as economic and social trends in late-20th-century America, the historical problem of medical student debt requires specific attention for several reasons. First, current mechanisms for students' educational financing may not withstand debt levels above a certain ceiling which is rapidly approaching. Second, there are no standards for costs of medical school attendance, and these can vary dramatically between different schools even within a single city. Third, there is no consensus on the true cost of educating a medical student, which limits accountability to students and society for these costs. Fourth, policy efforts to improve physician workforce diversity and mitigate shortages in the primary care workforce are inhibited by rising levels of medical student indebtedness. Fortunately, the current effort to expand the U.S. physician workforce presents a unique opportunity to confront the unsustainable growth of medical student debt and explore new approaches to the financing of medical students' education.

Fiber Lasers and Amplifiers for Space-based Science and Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yu, Anthony W.; Krainak, Michael A.; Stephen, Mark A.; Chen, Jeffrey R.; Coyle, Barry; Numata, Kenji; Camp, Jordan; Abshire, James B.; Allan, Graham R.; Li, Steven X.;

21SSD: a new public 21-cm EoR database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eames, Evan; Semelin, Benoît

2018-05-01

With current efforts inching closer to detecting the 21-cm signal from the Epoch of Reionization (EoR), proper preparation will require publicly available simulated models of the various forms the signal could take. In this work we present a database of such models, available at 21ssd.obspm.fr. The models are created with a fully-coupled radiative hydrodynamic simulation (LICORICE), and are created at high resolution (10243). We also begin to analyse and explore the possible 21-cm EoR signals (with Power Spectra and Pixel Distribution Functions), and study the effects of thermal noise on our ability to recover the signal out to high redshifts. Finally, we begin to explore the concepts of `distance' between different models, which represents a crucial step towards optimising parameter space sampling, training neural networks, and finally extracting parameter values from observations.

Independent Review Support for Phoenix Mars Mission Robotic Arm Brush Motor Failure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McManamen, John P.; Pellicciotti, Joseph; DeKramer, Cornelis; Dube, Michael J.; Peeler, Deborah; Muirhead, Brian K.; Sevilla, Donald R.; Sabahi, Dara; Knopp, Michael D.

2007-01-01

The Phoenix Project requested the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) perform an independent peer review of the Robotic Arm (RA) Direct Current (DC) motor brush anomalies that originated during the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Project and recurred during the Phoenix Project. The request was to evaluate the Phoenix Project investigation efforts and provide an independent risk assessment. This includes a recommendation for additional work and assessment of the flight worthiness of the RA DC motors. Based on the investigation and findings contained within this report, the IRT concurs with the risk assessment Failure Cause / Corrective Action (FC/CA) by the project, "Failure Effect Rating "3"; Major Degradation or Total Loss of Function, Failure Cause/Corrective Action Rating Currently "4"; Unknown Cause, Uncertainty in Corrective Action."

Development of a Real-Time Environmental Monitoring System, Life Cycle Assessment Systems, and Pollution Prevention Programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kocher, Walter M.

2003-01-01

Pollution prevention (P2) opportunities and Greening the Government (GtG) activities, including the development of the Real-Time Environmental Monitoring System (RTEMS), are currently under development at the NASA Glenn Research Center. The RTEMS project entails the ongoing development of a monitoring system which includes sensors, instruments, computer hardware and software, plus a data telemetry system.Professor Kocher has been directing the RTEMS project for more than 3 years, and the implementation of the prototype system at GRC will be a major portion of his summer effort. This prototype will provide mulitmedia environmental monitoring and control capabilities, although water quality and air emissions will be the immediate issues addressed this summer. Applications beyond those currently identified for environmental purposes will also be explored.

Avionics Architectures for Exploration: Wireless Technologies and Human Spaceflight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goforth, Montgomery B.; Ratliff, James E.; Barton, Richard J.; Wagner, Raymond S.; Lansdowne, Chatwin

2014-01-01

The authors describe ongoing efforts by the Avionics Architectures for Exploration (AAE) project chartered by NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Program to evaluate new avionics architectures and technologies, provide objective comparisons of them, and mature selected technologies for flight and for use by other AES projects. The AAE project team includes members from most NASA centers and from industry. This paper provides an overview of recent AAE efforts, with particular emphasis on the wireless technologies being evaluated under AES to support human spaceflight.

Exploration: Past and Future Contributions of the Vertical Lift Community and the Flight Vehicle Research and Technology Division

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, Larry A.; Aiken, Edwin W.

2005-01-01

Fulfillment of the exploration vision will require new cross-mission directorate and multi-technical discipline synergies in order to achieve the necessary long-term sustainability. In part, lessons from the Apollo-era, as well as more recent research efforts, suggest that the aeronautics and specifically the vertical lift research community can and will make significant contributions to the exploration effort. A number of notional concepts and associated technologies for such contributions are outlined.

Smoking among Hispanic/Latino nationality groups and Whites, comparisons between California and the United States.

PubMed

Felicitas-Perkins, Jamie Q; Sakuma, Kari-Lyn K; Blanco, Lyzette; Fagan, Pebbles; Pérez-Stable, Eliseo J; Bostean, Georgiana; Xie, Bin; Trinidad, Dennis R

2017-08-30

Although California is home to the largest Hispanic/Latino population, few studies have compared smoking behavior trends of Hispanic/Latino nationality groups in California to the remaining United States (US), which may identify the impact of the state's anti-tobacco efforts on these groups. This study compared smoking status, frequency, and intensity among Mexican Americans, Central/South Americans, and non-Hispanic Whites in California to the remaining US in the 1990s and 2000s. Data were analyzed using the 1992-2011 Current Population Survey Tobacco Use Supplement to report the estimated prevalence of smoking status, frequency, and intensity by decade, race/ethnicity, and state residence. Weighted logistic regression explored sociodemographic factors associated with never and heavy smoking (≥ 20 cigarettes per day). Results showed absolute overall increases from 6.8% to 9.6% in never smoking across all groups. Compared to the remaining US, there was a greater decrease in heavy smoking among Mexican American current smokers in California (5.1%) and a greater increase in light and intermittent smokers among Central/South American current smokers in California (9.3%) between decades. Compared to those living in the remaining US, smokers living in California had lower odds of heavy smoking (1990s: OR=0.64, 95% CI=0.62, 0.66; 2000s: 0.54, 95% CI= 0.52, 0.55). California state residence significantly impacted smoking behaviors as indicated by significant differences in smoking intensity between California and the remaining US among Hispanic/Latino nationality groups. Understanding smoking behaviors across Hispanic/Latino nationality groups in California and the US can inform tobacco control and smoking prevention strategies for these groups. The present study explored the differences in smoking behaviors between Whites, Mexican Americans, and Central South/Americans living in California versus the rest of the US in the 1990s and the 2000s. The results contribute to our current knowledge as there have been minimal efforts to provide disaggregated cigarette consumption information among Hispanic/Latino nationality groups. Additionally, by comparing cigarette consumption between those in California and the remaining US, our data may provide insight into the impact of California's anti-tobacco efforts in reaching Hispanic/Latino subpopulations relative to the remaining US states, many of which have had less tobacco control policy implementation. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Exploration Medical Capability - Technology Watch

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krihak, Michael; Watkins, Sharmila; Barr, Yael; Barsten, Kristina; Fung, Paul; Baumann, David

2011-01-01

The objectives of the Technology Watch process are to identify emerging, high-impact technologies that augment current ExMC development efforts, and to work with academia, industry, and other government agencies to accelerate the development of medical care and research capabilities for the mitigation of potential health issues that could occur during space exploration missions. The establishment of collaborations with these entities is beneficial to technology development, assessment and/or insertion. Such collaborations also further NASA s goal to provide a safe and healthy environment for human exploration. The Tech Watch project addresses requirements and capabilities identified by knowledge and technology gaps that are derived from a discrete set of medical conditions that are most likely to occur on exploration missions. These gaps are addressed through technology readiness level assessments, market surveys, collaborations and distributed innovation opportunities. Ultimately, these gaps need to be closed with respect to exploration missions, and may be achieved through technology development projects. Information management is a key aspect to this process where Tech Watch related meetings, research articles, collaborations and partnerships are tracked by the HRP s Exploration Medical Capabilities (ExMC) Element. In 2011, ExMC will be introducing the Tech Watch external website and evidence wiki that will provide access to ExMC technology and knowledge gaps, technology needs and requirements documents.

International Arctic Research Collaborations: Past, Present and Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kintisch, E. S.

2015-12-01

International cooperation on Arctic research has a long and storied history, predating even the first International Polar Year in 1881. But scientists want to improve and expand current efforts to conduct international Arctic research, despite politcal and legal barriers that can hamper it. A review of the past and present aspects of such research can inform that effort. As part of a six month fellowship at the Center for Science Diplomacy at the American Association for the Advancement of Science I studied the history and current status of international cooperation in the Arctic. I will report on my findings, which include the fact that some of the first substantial international environmental research and regulatory cooperation began in the far North. My session will identify the elements that make international research collaborations successful, for example more than a century of cooperative work by Russian and Norwegian fishery scientists to monitor and regulate the cod trade in the Barents Sea. And it will explore the challenges that can threaten such collaborations. These can include rules that stymie data collection, block the import of certain analytical equipment across national boundaries, and bar the export of soil or water samples. I will mention specific complications to recent international arctic research projects. These include the SWERUS cruise, a joint effort between Sweden, Russia and the US, an effort to study carbon fluxes over the East Siberian Arctic Shelf in 2014. The session will also review progress towards a new international agreeement, first proposed by the US, on improving arctic research cooperation. That deal is focused on removing the bureacratic and legal barriers to scientists seeking to conduct arctic research on foreign waters and land.

Statistical analysis of low-energy electron fluxes in the radiation belt: ERG LEP-e measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, T. F.; Chiang, C. Y.; Tam, S. W. Y.; Syugu, W. J.; Kazama, Y.; Wang, B. J.; Wang, S. Y.; Hori, T.; Yoshizumi, M.; Shinohara, I.

2017-12-01

The Exploration of energization and Radiation in Geospace (ERG) satellite, which is led by Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), has observed the Earth's radiation belts for several months. Through years of efforts, Taiwan team successfully delivered the low-energy particle experiments - electron analyzer (LEP-e) for deployment on the ERG satellite. In Taiwan, the project is led by Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA) in partnership with National Cheng Kung University (NCKU). The LEP-e instrument measures a 3-D velocity distribution function of low energy electrons ranging from 20 eV to 19 keV. We provide an overview of electron fluxes within the radiation belts using the LEP-e instrument data obtained in the past months. The L-shell plots are made upon 100 eV, 1 keV and 10 keV, respectively, to display the electron flux in various L-shells measured by the ERG satellite. The enhancement of the electron fluxes is found to show correspondence with the increase of ring current intensity. These electrons are found to migrate inwards as the ring current increases. We also investigate the 3-D distribution of the electron fluxes and discuss the contribution of the energetic electrons to the ring current.

Overview of current capabilities and research and technology developments for planetary protection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frick, Andreas; Mogul, Rakesh; Stabekis, Pericles; Conley, Catharine A.; Ehrenfreund, Pascale

2014-07-01

The pace of scientific exploration of our solar system provides ever-increasing insights into potentially habitable environments, and associated concerns for their contamination by Earth organisms. Biological and organic-chemical contamination has been extensively considered by the COSPAR Panel on Planetary Protection (PPP) and has resulted in the internationally recognized regulations to which spacefaring nations adhere, and which have been in place for 40 years. The only successful Mars lander missions with system-level “sterilization” were the Viking landers in the 1970s. Since then different cleanliness requirements have been applied to spacecraft based on their destination, mission type, and scientific objectives. The Planetary Protection Subcommittee of the NASA Advisory Council has noted that a strategic Research & Technology Development (R&TD) roadmap would be very beneficial to encourage the timely availability of effective tools and methodologies to implement planetary protection requirements. New research avenues in planetary protection for ambitious future exploration missions can best be served by developing an over-arching program that integrates capability-driven developments with mission-driven implementation efforts. This paper analyzes the current status concerning microbial reduction and cleaning methods, recontamination control and bio-barriers, operational analysis methods, and addresses concepts for human exploration. Crosscutting research and support activities are discussed and a rationale for a Strategic Planetary Protection R&TD Roadmap is outlined. Such a roadmap for planetary protection provides a forum for strategic planning and will help to enable the next phases of solar system exploration.

Integrating Mercury Science and Policy in the Marine Context: Challenges and Opportunities

PubMed Central

Lambert, Kathleen F.; Evers, David C.; Warner, Kimberly A.; King, Susannah L.; Selin, Noelle E.

2014-01-01

Mercury is a global pollutant and presents policy challenges at local, regional, and global scales. Mercury poses risks to the health of people, fish, and wildlife exposed to elevated levels of mercury, most commonly from the consumption of methylmercury in marine and estuarine fish. The patchwork of current mercury abatement efforts limits the effectiveness of national and multi-national policies. This paper provides an overview of the major policy challenges and opportunities related to mercury in coastal and marine environments, and highlights science and policy linkages of the past several decades. The U.S. policy examples explored here point to the need for a full life cycle approach to mercury policy with a focus on source reduction and increased attention to: (1) the transboundary movement of mercury in air, water, and biota; (2) the coordination of policy efforts across multiple environmental media; (3) the cross-cutting issues related to pollutant interactions, mitigation of legacy sources, and adaptation to elevated mercury via improved communication efforts; and (4) the integration of recent research on human and ecological health effects into benefits analyses for regulatory purposes. Stronger science and policy integration will benefit national and international efforts to prevent, control, and minimize exposure to methylmercury. PMID:22901766

Establishing a Framework for Community Modeling in Hydrologic Science: Recommendations from the CUAHSI CHyMP Initiative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arrigo, J. S.; Famiglietti, J. S.; Murdoch, L. C.; Lakshmi, V.; Hooper, R. P.

2012-12-01

The Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. (CUAHSI) continues a major effort towards supporting Community Hydrologic Modeling. From 2009 - 2011, the Community Hydrologic Modeling Platform (CHyMP) initiative held three workshops, the ultimate goal of which was to produce recommendations and an implementation plan to establish a community modeling program that enables comprehensive simulation of water anywhere on the North American continent. Such an effort would include connections to and advances in global climate models, biogeochemistry, and efforts of other disciplines that require an understanding of water patterns and processes in the environment. To achieve such a vision will require substantial investment in human and cyber-infrastructure and significant advances in the science of hydrologic modeling and spatial scaling. CHyMP concluded with a final workshop, held March 2011, and produced several recommendations. CUAHSI and the university community continue to advance community modeling and implement these recommendations through several related and follow on efforts. Key results from the final 2011 workshop included agreement among participants that the community is ready to move forward with implementation. It is recognized that initial implementation of this larger effort can begin with simulation capabilities that currently exist, or that can be easily developed. CHyMP identified four key activities in support of community modeling: benchmarking, dataset evaluation and development, platform evaluation, and developing a national water model framework. Key findings included: 1) The community supported the idea of a National Water Model framework; a community effort is needed to explore what the ultimate implementation of a National Water Model is. A true community modeling effort would support the modeling of "water anywhere" and would include all relevant scales and processes. 2) Implementation of a community modeling program could initially focus on continental scale modeling of water quantity (rather than quality). The goal of this initial model is the comprehensive description of water stores and fluxes in such a way to permit linkage to GCM's, biogeochemical, ecological, and geomorphic models. This continental scale focus allows systematic evaluation of our current state of knowledge and data, leverages existing efforts done by large scale modelers, contributes to scientific discovery that informs globally and societal relevant questions, and provides an initial framework to evaluate hydrologic information relevant to other disciplines and a structure into which to incorporate other classes of hydrologic models. 3) Dataset development will be a key aspect of any successful national water model implementation. Our current knowledge of the subsurface is limiting our ability to truly integrate soil and groundwater into large scale models, and to answering critical science questions with societal relevance (i.e. groundwater's influence on climate). 4) The CHyMP workshops and efforts to date have achieved collaboration between university scientists, government agencies and the private sector that must be maintained. Follow on efforts in community modeling should aim at leveraging and maintaining this collaboration for maximum scientific and societal benefit.

KSC-2012-4186

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Bruce Buckingham, of the Kennedy Space Center's Technology Integration Office, speaks to about 45 of social media followers about advances in technology made possible by space research and development. He was one of several speakers to address the participants during two days of presentations on the Kennedy Space Center's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

KSC-2012-4184

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Bruce Buckingham, of the Kennedy Space Center's Technology Integration Office, speaks to about 45 of social media followers about advances in technology made possible by space research and development. He was one of several speakers to address the participants during two days of presentations on the Kennedy Space Center's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

Nuclear Propulsion through Direct Conversion of Fusion Energy: The Fusion Driven Rocket

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Slough, John; Pancotti, Anthony; Kirtley, David; Pihl, Christopher; Pfaff, Michael

2012-01-01

The future of manned space exploration and development of space depends critically on the creation of a dramatically more proficient propulsion architecture for in-space transportation. A very persuasive reason for investigating the applicability of nuclear power in rockets is the vast energy density gain of nuclear fuel when compared to chemical combustion energy. Current nuclear fusion efforts have focused on the generation of electric grid power and are wholly inappropriate for space transportation as the application of a reactor based fusion-electric system creates a colossal mass and heat rejection problem for space application.

Poor boy 3D seismic effort yields South Central Kentucky discovery

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

Hanratty, M.

1996-11-04

Clinton County, Ky., is on the eastern flank of the Cincinnati arch and the western edge of the Appalachian basin and the Pine Mountain overthrust. Clinton County has long been known for high volume fractured carbonate wells. The discovery of these fractured reservoir, unfortunately, has historically been serendipitous. The author currently uses 2D seismic and satellite imagery to design 3D high resolution seismic shoots. This method has proven to be the most efficient and is the core of his program. The paper describes exploration methods, seismic acquisition, well data base, and seismic interpretation.

Clostridium difficile infection: Early history, diagnosis and molecular strain typing methods.

PubMed

Rodriguez, C; Van Broeck, J; Taminiau, B; Delmée, M; Daube, G

2016-08-01

Recognised as the leading cause of nosocomial antibiotic-associated diarrhoea, the incidence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) remains high despite efforts to improve prevention and reduce the spread of the bacterium in healthcare settings. In the last decade, many studies have focused on the epidemiology and rapid diagnosis of CDI. In addition, different typing methods have been developed for epidemiological studies. This review explores the history of C. difficile and the current scope of the infection. The variety of available laboratory tests for CDI diagnosis and strain typing methods are also examined. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aptamer-Functionalized Nanoparticles for Medical Applications: Challenges and Opportunities

PubMed Central

Xiao, Zeyu; Farokhzad, Omid C.

2012-01-01

With advances in aptamer selection technologies and nanomedicine, aptamer-functionalized nanoparticles are being explored as promising platforms for targeted therapeutic and diagnostic applications. In this Perspective, we outline recent progress in this field, as exemplified by Bamrungsap et al. in this issue of ACS Nano. Furthermore, we highlight the challenges and opportunities in translating current proof-of-concept designs into in vivo applications, with emphasis on the intrinsic properties of aptamers and their interplay with nanoparticles. With continuous efforts, we expect aptamer-functionalized nanoparticles to advance from preclinical into clinical development for further evaluation. PMID:22574989

The Next Wave of Influenza Drugs.

PubMed

Shaw, Megan L

2017-10-13

Options for influenza therapy are currently limited to one class of drug, the neuraminidase inhibitors. Amidst concerns about drug resistance, much effort has been placed on the discovery of new drugs with distinct targets and mechanisms of action, with great success. There are now several candidates in late stage development which include small molecules targeting the three subunits of the viral polymerase complex and monoclonal antibodies targeting the hemagglutinin, as well as host-directed therapies. The availability of drugs with diverse mechanisms now opens the door to exploring combination therapies for influenza, and the range of administration routes presents more opportunities for treating hospitalized patients.

Future Directions for the National Health Accounts

PubMed Central

Huskamp, Haiden A.; Newhouse, Joseph P.

1999-01-01

Over the past 15 years, the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) has engaged in ongoing efforts to improve the methodology and data collection processes used to develop the national health accounts (NHA) estimates of national health expenditures (NHE). In March 1998, HCFA initiated a third conference to explore possible improvements or useful extensions to the current NHA projects. This article summarizes the issues discussed at the conference, provides an overview of three commissioned papers on future directions for the NHA that were presented, and summarizes suggestions made by participants regarding future directions for the accounts. PMID:11481786

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

Xu, Xingchen; Peng, Xuan; Sumption, Michael

The internal oxidation technique can generate ZrO2 nano particles in Nb3Sn strands, which markedly refine the Nb3Sn grain size and boost the high-field critical current density (Jc). This article summarizes recent efforts on implementing this technique in practical Nb3Sn wires and adding Ti as a dopant. It is demonstrated that this technique can be readily incorporated into the present Nb3Sn conductor manufacturing technology. Powder-in-tube (PIT) strands with fine subelements (~25 µm) based on this technique were successfully fabricated, and proper heat treatments for oxygen transfer were explored. Future work for producing strands ready for applications is proposed.

Interdisciplinary Evidence-based Practice: Moving from Silos to Synergy

PubMed Central

Newhouse, Robin P.; Spring, Bonnie

2010-01-01

Despite the assumption that health care providers work synergistically in practice, professions have tended to be more exclusive than inclusive when it comes to educating students in a collaborative approach to interdisciplinary evidence-based practice (EBP). This article explores the state of academic and clinical training regarding interdisciplinary EBP, describes efforts to foster interdisciplinary EBP, and suggests strategies to accelerate the translation of EBP across disciplines. Moving from silos to synergy in interdisciplinary EBP will require a paradigm shift. Changes can be leveraged professionally and politically using national initiatives currently in place on improving quality and health care reform. PMID:21074648

Review and Design of Low-Dose Bacillus anthracis Inhalation ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Report In July 2011, EPA NHSRC sponsored a Review and Design of Low-Dose Bacillus anthracis Inhalation Exposures meeting to review the research done to date and to identify gaps that future research should address regarding low-dose exposures. This effort brought together many organizations across the country, including EPA’s program offices, federal government agencies and laboratories, academia, and the private sector. Participants of the conference shared knowledge, explored differing opinions, and expanded understanding of the current state of research for low-dose exposure and future research needs. This report represents a summary of the presentations and discussions during the meeting.

Space Station personal hygiene study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prejean, Stephen E.; Booher, Cletis R.

1986-01-01

A personal hygiene system is currently under development for Space Station application that will provide capabilities equivalent to those found on earth. This paper addresses the study approach for specifying both primary and contingency personal hygiene systems and provisions for specified growth. Topics covered are system definition and subsystem descriptions. Subsystem interfaces are explored to determine which concurrent NASA study efforts must be monitored during future design phases to stay up-to-date on critical Space Station parameters. A design concept for a three (3) compartment personal hygiene facility is included as a baseline for planned test and verification activities.

Sample of a client intake information protocol: a synopsis and rationale.

PubMed

Green, Shari

2012-11-01

The utilization of standardized comprehensive forms in the field of orofacial myology is crucial as this profession continues to grow and establish assessment and treatment protocols. This article formally presents a comprehensive health history intake form currently in use, and highlights the rationale for each particular question within this form in an effort to explore the evidence-based theory behind each question utilized. Highlighting the importance of obtaining a thorough health history as it pertains to our profession, personally allows the clinician to ultimately best plan a therapeutic strategy and assess the individual criteria necessary for successful orofacial myofunctional habituation.

Phase I (Year 1) Summary of Research--Establishing the Relationship between Fracture-Related Dolomite and Primary Rock Fabric on the Distribution of Reservoirs in the Michigan Basin

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

G. Michael Grammer

2005-11-09

This topical report covers the first 12 months of the subject 3-year grant, evaluating the relationship between fracture-related dolomite and dolomite constrained by primary rock fabric in the 3 most prolific reservoir intervals in the Michigan Basin (Ordovician Trenton-Black River Formations; Silurian Niagara Group; and the Devonian Dundee Formation). Phase I tasks, including Developing a Reservoir Catalog for selected dolomite reservoirs in the Michigan Basin, Characterization of Dolomite Reservoirs in Representative Fields and Technology Transfer have all been initiated and progress is consistent with our original scheduling. The development of a reservoir catalog for the 3 subject formations in themore » Michigan Basin has been a primary focus of our efforts during Phase I. As part of this effort, we currently have scanned some 13,000 wireline logs, and compiled in excess of 940 key references and 275 reprints that cover reservoir aspects of the 3 intervals in the Michigan Basin. A summary evaluation of the data in these publications is currently ongoing, with the Silurian Niagara Group being handled as a first priority. In addition, full production and reservoir parameter data bases obtained from available data sources have been developed for the 3 intervals in Excel and Microsoft Access data bases. We currently have an excess of 25 million cells of data for wells in the Basin. All Task 2 objectives are on time and on target for Phase I per our original proposal. Our mapping efforts to date, which have focused in large part on the Devonian Dundee Formation, have important implications for both new exploration plays and improved enhanced recovery methods in the Dundee ''play'' in Michigan--i.e. the interpreted fracture-related dolomitization control on the distribution of hydrocarbon reservoirs. In an exploration context, high-resolution structure mapping using quality-controlled well data should provide leads to convergence zones of fault/fracture trends that are not necessarily related to structural elevation. Further work in Phase II will be focused on delineating the relative contribution to fracture-only dolomitization to that which occurs in conjunction with primary facies and/or sequence stratigraphic framework.« less

Propulsion Technology Needs for Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Thomas

2007-01-01

The objectives of currently planned exploration efforts, as well as those further in the future, require significant advancements in propulsion technologies. The current Lunar exploration architecture has set goals and mission objectives that necessitate the use of new systems and the extension of existing technologies beyond present applications. In the near term, the majority of these technologies are the result of a need to apply high performing cryogenic propulsion systems to long duration in-space applications. Advancement of cryogenic propulsion to these applications is crucial to provide higher performing propulsion systems that reduce the vehicle masses; enhance the safety of vehicle systems and ground operations; and provide a path for In-situ Resource Utilization (ISRU).Use of a LOX/LH2 main propulsion system for Lunar Lander Descent is a top priority because more conventional storable propellants are far from meeting the performance needs of the current architecture. While LOX/LH2 pump feed engines have been used in flight applications for many years, these engines have limited throttle capabilities. Engines that are capable of much greater throttling while still meeting high performance goals are a necessity to achieving exploration goals. Applications of LOX/CH4 propulsion to Lander ascent propulsion systems and reaction control systems are also if interest because of desirable performance and operations improvements over conventional storable systems while being more suitable for use of in-situ produced propellants. Within the current lunar architecture, use of cryogenic propulsion for the Earth Departure Stage and Lunar Lander elements also necessitate the need for advanced Cryogenic Fluid Management technologies. These technologies include long duration propellant storage/distribution, low-gravity propellant management, cryogenic couplings and disconnects, light weight composite tanks and support structure, and subsystem integration. In addition to the propulsive and fluid management system technologies described, many component level technologies are also required to enable to the success if the integrated systems. The components include, but are not limited to, variable/throttling valves, variable position actuators, leak detectors, light weight cryogenic fluid pumps, sensor technology and others. NASA, partnering with the Aerospace Industry must endeavor to develop these, and other promising propulsion technologies, to enable the implements of the country's goals in exploration of the Moon, Mars and beyond.

The Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP): a national scale natural resources and conservation needs assessment and decision support tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, M.-V. V.; Norfleet, M. L.; Atwood, J. D.; Behrman, K. D.; Kiniry, J. R.; Arnold, J. G.; White, M. J.; Williams, J.

2015-07-01

The Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) was initiated to quantify the impacts of agricultural conservation practices at the watershed, regional, and national scales across the United States. Representative cropland acres in all major U.S. watersheds were surveyed in 2003-2006 as part of the seminal CEAP Cropland National Assessment. Two process-based models, the Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender(APEX) and the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), were applied to the survey data to provide a quantitative assessment of current conservation practice impacts, establish a benchmark against which future conservation trends and efforts could be measured, and identify outstanding conservation concerns. The flexibility of these models and the unprecedented amount of data on current conservation practices across the country enabled Cropland CEAP to meet its Congressional mandate of quantifying the value of current conservation practices. It also enabled scientifically grounded exploration of a variety of conservation scenarios, empowering CEAP to not only inform on past successes and additional needs, but to also provide a decision support tool to help guide future policy development and conservation practice decision making. The CEAP effort will repeat the national survey in 2015-2016, enabling CEAP to provide analyses of emergent conservation trends, outstanding needs, and potential costs and benefits of pursuing various treatment scenarios for all agricultural watersheds across the United States.

Reduction and analysis of data from cosmic dust experiments on Mariner 4, OGO 3, and Lunar Explorer 35

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

The analysis of data from the cosmic dust experiment on three NASA missions is discussed. These missions were Mariner IV, OGO III, and Lunar Explorer 35. The analysis effort has included some work in the laboratory of the physics of microparticle hypervelocity impact. This laboratory effort was initially aimed at the calibration and measurements of the different sensors being used in the experiment. The latter effort was conducted in order to better understand the velocity and mass distributions of the picogram sized ejecta particles.

Toward a global space exploration program: A stepping stone approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ehrenfreund, Pascale; McKay, Chris; Rummel, John D.; Foing, Bernard H.; Neal, Clive R.; Masson-Zwaan, Tanja; Ansdell, Megan; Peter, Nicolas; Zarnecki, John; Mackwell, Steve; Perino, Maria Antionetta; Billings, Linda; Mankins, John; Race, Margaret

2012-01-01

In response to the growing importance of space exploration in future planning, the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) Panel on Exploration (PEX) was chartered to provide independent scientific advice to support the development of exploration programs and to safeguard the potential scientific assets of solar system objects. In this report, PEX elaborates a stepwise approach to achieve a new level of space cooperation that can help develop world-wide capabilities in space science and exploration and support a transition that will lead to a global space exploration program. The proposed stepping stones are intended to transcend cross-cultural barriers, leading to the development of technical interfaces and shared legal frameworks and fostering coordination and cooperation on a broad front. Input for this report was drawn from expertise provided by COSPAR Associates within the international community and via the contacts they maintain in various scientific entities. The report provides a summary and synthesis of science roadmaps and recommendations for planetary exploration produced by many national and international working groups, aiming to encourage and exploit synergies among similar programs. While science and technology represent the core and, often, the drivers for space exploration, several other disciplines and their stakeholders (Earth science, space law, and others) should be more robustly interlinked and involved than they have been to date. The report argues that a shared vision is crucial to this linkage, and to providing a direction that enables new countries and stakeholders to join and engage in the overall space exploration effort. Building a basic space technology capacity within a wider range of countries, ensuring new actors in space act responsibly, and increasing public awareness and engagement are concrete steps that can provide a broader interest in space exploration, worldwide, and build a solid basis for program sustainability. By engaging developing countries and emerging space nations in an international space exploration program, it will be possible to create a critical bottom-up support structure to support program continuity in the development and execution of future global space exploration frameworks. With a focus on stepping stones, COSPAR can support a global space exploration program that stimulates scientists in current and emerging spacefaring nations, and that will invite those in developing countries to participate—pursuing research aimed at answering outstanding questions about the origins and evolution of our solar system and life on Earth (and possibly elsewhere). COSPAR, in cooperation with national and international science foundations and space-related organizations, will advocate this stepping stone approach to enhance future cooperative space exploration efforts.

An Improved Neutron Transport Algorithm for HZETRN2006

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slaba, Tony

NASA's new space exploration initiative includes plans for long term human presence in space thereby placing new emphasis on space radiation analyses. In particular, a systematic effort of verification, validation and uncertainty quantification of the tools commonly used for radiation analysis for vehicle design and mission planning has begun. In this paper, the numerical error associated with energy discretization in HZETRN2006 is addressed; large errors in the low-energy portion of the neutron fluence spectrum are produced due to a numerical truncation error in the transport algorithm. It is shown that the truncation error results from the narrow energy domain of the neutron elastic spectral distributions, and that an extremely fine energy grid is required in order to adequately resolve the problem under the current formulation. Since adding a sufficient number of energy points will render the code computationally inefficient, we revisit the light-ion transport theory developed for HZETRN2006 and focus on neutron elastic interactions. The new approach that is developed numerically integrates with adequate resolution in the energy domain without affecting the run-time of the code and is easily incorporated into the current code. Efforts were also made to optimize the computational efficiency of the light-ion propagator; a brief discussion of the efforts is given along with run-time comparisons between the original and updated codes. Convergence testing is then completed by running the code for various environments and shielding materials with many different energy grids to ensure stability of the proposed method.

Behavior modification after inactivation of cerebellar dentate nuclei.

PubMed

Peterson, Todd C; Villatoro, Lee; Arneson, Tom; Ahuja, Brittany; Voss, Stephanie; Swain, Rodney A

2012-08-01

Effort-based decision making occurs when subjects are given a choice between a reward available at a high response cost and a reward available at a low response cost and is altered in individuals with disorders such as autism or particular patterns of brain injury. The current study explored the relationship between effort-based decision making and reinforcement characteristics in the T maze. This was done using both normal animals and animals with bilateral inactivation of the cerebellar dentate nuclei. Rats chose between alternatives in which one arm contained high-density reinforcement (HR) and the other arm contained low-density reinforcement (LR). During training, the HR arm was obstructed and the point at which the animal no longer worked for reinforcement (breaking point) was determined. The cerebellar dentate nuclei were then transiently inactivated and once again breaking points were assessed. The results indicated that inactivation of the dentate nucleus disrupted effort-based decision making. Additionally, altering both the palatability and the magnitude of the reinforcement were assessed in an attempt to reestablish the original preinactivation breaking point. It was hypothesized that an increase in the strength or magnitude of the reinforcement would promote an increase in the breaking point of the animal even when the cerebellum was inactivated. The results indicated that with both strategies animals effectively reestablished original breaking points. The results of this study will inform the current literature regarding the modification of behavior after brain injury and further the understanding of the behavioral deficits associated with cerebellar dysfunction.

The Fundamental Physical Processes Producing and Controlling Stellar Coronal/Transition Region/Chromospheric Activity and Structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ayres, T. R.; Brown, A.

2000-01-01

Our LTSA (Long Term Space Astrophysics) research has utilized current NASA and ESA spacecraft, supporting ground-based IR, radio, and sub-mm telescopes, and the extensive archives of HST (Hubble Space Telescope), IUE (International Ultraviolet Explorer), ROSAT, EUVE (Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer), and other missions. Our research effort has included observational work (with a nonnegligible groundbased component), specialized processing techniques for imaging and spectral data, and semiempirical modelling, ranging from optically thin emission measure studies to simulations of optically thick resonance lines. In our previous LTSA efforts, we have had a number of major successes, including most recently: organizing and carrying out an extensive cool star UV survey in HST cycle eight; obtaining observing time with new instruments, such as Chandra and XMM (X-ray Multi-Mirror) in their first cycles; collaborating with the Chandra GTO program and participating with the Chandra Emission Line Project on multi-wavelength observations of HR 1099 and Capella. These are the main broad-brush themes of our previous investigation: a) Where do Coronae Occur in the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram? b) Winds of Coronal and Noncoronal Stars; c) Activity, Age, Rotation Relations; d) Atmospheric Inhomogeneities; e) Heating Mechanisms, Subcoronal Flows, and Flares; f) Development of Analysis and Modelling Tools.

Systems Integration, Analysis and Modeling Support to the HEDS Technology/Commercialization Initiative (HTCI)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feingold, Harvey; ONeil, Dan (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

In response to a recommendation from OMB, NASA's Fiscal Year 2001 budget included a new program within the HEDS (Human Exploration and Development of Space) Enterprise called HEDS Technology/ Commercialization Initiative (HTCI). HTCI had three overarching goals: to support REDS analysis and planning for safe, affordable and effective future programs and projects that advance human exploration, scientific discovery, and the commercial development of space; to pursue research, development, and validation of breakthrough technologies and highly innovative systems concepts; and to advance die creation of strong partnerships within NASA, with U.S. industry and universities, and internationally. As part of its contracted effort, SAIC was to write a report contribution, describing die results of its task activities, to a final HTCI report prepared by MSFC. Unfortunately, government cancellation of the HTCI program in the summer of 2001 curtailed all efforts on the program including die Final HTCI report. In the absence of that report, SAIC has issued this final report in an attempt to document some of the technical material it produced. The report contains SAIC presentations for both HTCI workshops; a set of roadmap charts for the Systems Analysis, Integration and Modeling; and charts showing the evolution of the current TITAN modeling architecture.

Chapter 13. Exploring Use of the Reserved Core

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

Holmen, John; Humphrey, Alan; Berzins, Martin

2015-07-29

In this chapter, we illustrate benefits of thinking in terms of thread management techniques when using a centralized scheduler model along with interoperability of MPI and PThread. This is facilitated through an exploration of thread placement strategies for an algorithm modeling radiative heat transfer with special attention to the 61st core. This algorithm plays a key role within the Uintah Computational Framework (UCF) and current efforts taking place at the University of Utah to model next-generation, large-scale clean coal boilers. In such simulations, this algorithm models the dominant form of heat transfer and consumes a large portion of compute time.more » Exemplified by a real-world example, this chapter presents our early efforts in porting a key portion of a scalability-centric codebase to the Intel Xeon Phi coprocessor. Specifically, this chapter presents results from our experiments profiling the native execution of a reverse Monte-Carlo ray tracing-based radiation model on a single coprocessor. These results demonstrate that our fastest run configurations utilized the 61st core and that performance was not profoundly impacted when explicitly oversubscribing the coprocessor operating system thread. Additionally, this chapter presents a portion of radiation model source code, a MIC-centric UCF cross-compilation example, and less conventional thread management technique for developers utilizing the PThreads threading model.« less

Exploring Place and Practicing Justice: Preparing Pre-Service Teachers for Success in Rural Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Azano, Amy Price; Stewart, Trevor Thomas

2015-01-01

This article examines efforts made by a teacher preparation program to provide pre-service teachers with an introduction to the rural context, strategies for place-based pedagogy, and a field experience in rural schools. The study explores the influence of these efforts, along with how students' sense of place and educational upbringing, might be…

NASA's Decadal Planning Team Mars Mission Analysis Summary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drake, Bret G.

2007-02-01

In June 1999 the NASA Administrator chartered an internal NASA task force, termed the Decadal Planning Team, to create new integrated vision and strategy for space exploration. The efforts of the Decadal Planning Team evolved into the Agency-wide team known as the NASA Exploration Team (NEXT). This team was also instructed to identify technology roadmaps to enable the science-driven exploration vision, established a cross-Enterprise, cross-Center systems engineering team with emphasis focused on revolutionary not evolutionary approaches. The strategy of the DPT and NEXT teams was to "Go Anywhere, Anytime" by conquering key exploration hurdles of space transportation, crew health and safety, human/robotic partnerships, affordable abundant power, and advanced space systems performance. Early emphasis was placed on revolutionary exploration concepts such as rail gun and electromagnetic launchers, propellant depots, retrograde trajectories, nano structures, and gas core nuclear rockets to name a few. Many of these revolutionary concepts turned out to be either not feasible for human exploration missions or well beyond expected technology readiness for near-term implementation. During the DPT and NEXT study cycles, several architectures were analyzed including missions to the Earth-Sun Libration Point (L2), the Earth-Moon Gateway and L1, the lunar surface, Mars (both short and long stays), one-year round trip Mars, and near-Earth asteroids. Common emphasis of these studies included utilization of the Earth-Moon Libration Point (L1) as a staging point for exploration activities, current (Shuttle) and near-term launch capabilities (EELV), advanced propulsion, and robust space power. Although there was much emphasis placed on utilization of existing launch capabilities, the team concluded that missions in near-Earth space are only marginally feasible and human missions to Mars were not feasible without a heavy lift launch capability. In addition, the team concluded that missions in Earth s neighborhood, such as to the Moon, can serve as stepping-stones toward further deep-space missions in terms of proving systems, technologies, and operational concepts. The material contained in this presentation was compiled to capture the work performed by the Mars Sub-Team of the DPT NEXT efforts in the late 1999-2001 timeframe.

NASA's Decadal Planning Team Mars Mission Analysis Summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drake, Bret G. (Editor)

2007-01-01

In June 1999 the NASA Administrator chartered an internal NASA task force, termed the Decadal Planning Team, to create new integrated vision and strategy for space exploration. The efforts of the Decadal Planning Team evolved into the Agency-wide team known as the NASA Exploration Team (NEXT). This team was also instructed to identify technology roadmaps to enable the science-driven exploration vision, established a cross-Enterprise, cross-Center systems engineering team with emphasis focused on revolutionary not evolutionary approaches. The strategy of the DPT and NEXT teams was to "Go Anywhere, Anytime" by conquering key exploration hurdles of space transportation, crew health and safety, human/robotic partnerships, affordable abundant power, and advanced space systems performance. Early emphasis was placed on revolutionary exploration concepts such as rail gun and electromagnetic launchers, propellant depots, retrograde trajectories, nano structures, and gas core nuclear rockets to name a few. Many of these revolutionary concepts turned out to be either not feasible for human exploration missions or well beyond expected technology readiness for near-term implementation. During the DPT and NEXT study cycles, several architectures were analyzed including missions to the Earth-Sun Libration Point (L2), the Earth-Moon Gateway and L1, the lunar surface, Mars (both short and long stays), one-year round trip Mars, and near-Earth asteroids. Common emphasis of these studies included utilization of the Earth-Moon Libration Point (L1) as a staging point for exploration activities, current (Shuttle) and near-term launch capabilities (EELV), advanced propulsion, and robust space power. Although there was much emphasis placed on utilization of existing launch capabilities, the team concluded that missions in near-Earth space are only marginally feasible and human missions to Mars were not feasible without a heavy lift launch capability. In addition, the team concluded that missions in Earth s neighborhood, such as to the Moon, can serve as stepping-stones toward further deep-space missions in terms of proving systems, technologies, and operational concepts. The material contained in this presentation was compiled to capture the work performed by the Mars Sub-Team of the DPT NEXT efforts in the late 1999-2001 timeframe.

Explorations in K-12 Education and Public Outreach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Limaye, S. S.; Pertzborn, R. A.; Sromovsky, L. A.

1997-07-01

Space exploration remains a topic of immense interest and excitement for children and the general public. A diverse approach has been utilized at the Space Science and Engineering Center to initiate outreach and K-12 education activities. The hands-on experience gained through a working relationships with educators has been useful in understanding the challenges, usefulness and limitations of scientists' involvement in the education process. Our efforts have included school visits, development of lesson plans (KidSat), internet based activities (Planet Exploration Toolkit for Live from Mars, a Passport to Knowledge Project), World Wide Web, Public Lectures, summer teacher enhancement workshops, internships, and substitute teaching in science classes. The feedback and comments from teachers and students has demonstrated the usefulness and need for these efforts. The experience has also demonstrated that a committed effort in outreach is ultimately satisfying although immensely time consuming. Our outreach efforts have been partially supported by a NASA/IDEA grant, Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium, NOAA and more recently, the Evjue Foundation (Madison-Wisconsin).

From ESAS to Ares: A Chronology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cook, Stephen A.

2007-01-01

Throughout my career, I have observed many launch vehicle efforts come and go. Although it may appear on the surface that those were dead-end streets, the knowledge we gained through them actually informs the work in progress. Following the tragic loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia's crew, the administration took the Columbia Accident Investigation Board's findings to heart and united the Agency behind the Vision for Space Exploration, with clear goals and objectives, including fielding a new generation of safe, reliable, and affordable space transportation. The genesis of the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle and Ares V Cargo Launch Vehicle activities now under way by a nationwide Government and industry team was the confirmation of the current NASA Administrator in April 2005. Shortly thereafter, he commissioned a team of aerospace experts to conduct the Exploration Systems Architecture Study (ESAS), which gave shape to launch vehicles that will empower America's resurgence in scientific discovery through human and robotic space exploration. In October 2005, I was asked to lead this effort, building the team and forming the partnerships that will, in turn, build America's next human-rated space transportation system. In November 2006, the Ares I team began conducting the System Requirements Review milestone, just 1 year after its formation. We are gaining momentum toward the first test flight of the integrated vehicle system in 2009, just a few short years away. The Agency is now poised to deliver on the commitment this nation has made to advance our interests in space. In its inaugural year, the Ares team has conducted the first human-rated launch vehicle major milestone in over 30 years. Using the Exploration Systems Architecture Study recommendations as a starting point, the vehicle designs have been evolved to best meet customer and stakeholder requirements to fulfill the strategic goals outlined in the Vision for Space Exploration.

WENESSA, Wide Eye-Narrow Eye Space Simulation fo Situational Awareness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albarait, O.; Payne, D. M.; LeVan, P. D.; Luu, K. K.; Spillar, E.; Freiwald, W.; Hamada, K.; Houchard, J.

In an effort to achieve timelier indications of anomalous object behaviors in geosynchronous earth orbit, a Planning Capability Concept (PCC) for a “Wide Eye-Narrow Eye” (WE-NE) telescope network has been established. The PCC addresses the problem of providing continuous and operationally robust, layered and cost-effective, Space Situational Awareness (SSA) that is focused on monitoring deep space for anomalous behaviors. It does this by first detecting the anomalies with wide field of regard systems, and then providing reliable handovers for detailed observational follow-up by another optical asset. WENESSA will explore the added value of such a system to the existing Space Surveillance Network (SSN). The study will assess and quantify the degree to which the PCC completely fulfills, or improves or augments, these deep space knowledge deficiencies relative to current operational systems. In order to improve organic simulation capabilities, we will explore options for the federation of diverse community simulation approaches, while evaluating the efficiencies offered by a network of small and larger aperture, ground-based telescopes. Existing Space Modeling and Simulation (M&S) tools designed for evaluating WENESSA-like problems will be taken into consideration as we proceed in defining and developing the tools needed to perform this study, leading to the creation of a unified Space M&S environment for the rapid assessment of new capabilities. The primary goal of this effort is to perform a utility assessment of the WE-NE concept. The assessment will explore the mission utility of various WE-NE concepts in discovering deep space anomalies in concert with the SSN. The secondary goal is to generate an enduring modeling and simulation environment to explore the utility of future proposed concepts and supporting technologies. Ultimately, our validated simulation framework would support the inclusion of other ground- and space-based SSA assets through integrated analysis. Options will be explored using at least two competing simulation capabilities, but emphasis will be placed on reasoned analyses as supported by the simulations.

[Psychometric properties of the French version of the Effort-Reward Imbalance model].

PubMed

Niedhammer, I; Siegrist, J; Landre, M F; Goldberg, M; Leclerc, A

2000-10-01

Two main models are currently used to evaluate psychosocial factors at work: the Job Strain model developed by Karasek and the Effort-Reward Imbalance model. A French version of the first model has been validated for the dimensions of psychological demands and decision latitude. As regards the second one evaluating three dimensions (extrinsic effort, reward, and intrinsic effort), there are several versions in different languages, but until recently there was no validated French version. The objective of this study was to explore the psychometric properties of the French version of the Effort-Reward Imbalance model in terms of internal consistency, factorial validity, and discriminant validity. The present study was based on the GAZEL cohort and included the 10 174 subjects who were working at the French national electric and gas company (EDF-GDF) and answered the questionnaire in 1998. A French version of Effort-Reward Imbalance was included in this questionnaire. This version was obtained by a standard forward/backward translation procedure. Internal consistency was satisfactory for the three scales of extrinsic effort, reward, and intrinsic effort: Cronbach's Alpha coefficients higher than 0.7 were observed. A one-factor solution was retained for the factor analysis of the scale of extrinsic effort. A three-factor solution was retained for the factor analysis of reward, and these dimensions were interpreted as the factor analysis of intrinsic effort did not support the expected four-dimension structure. The analysis of discriminant validity displayed significant associations between measures of Effort-Reward Imbalance and the variables of sex, age, education level, and occupational grade. This study is the first one supporting satisfactory psychometric properties of the French version of the Effort-Reward Imbalance model. However, the factorial validity of intrinsic effort could be questioned. Furthermore, as most previous studies were based on male samples working in specific occupations, the present one is also one of the first to show strong associations between measures of this model and social class variables in a population of men and women employed in various occupations.

Tsunami Risk Management in Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs): Some Issues, Challenges and Ways Forward

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dominey-Howes, Dale; Goff, James

2013-09-01

The Pacific is well known for producing tsunamis, and events such as the 2011 Tōhoku-oki, Japan disaster demonstrate the vulnerability of coastal communities. We review what is known about the current state of tsunami risk management for Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs), identify the issues and challenges associated with affecting meaningful tsunami disaster risk reduction (DRR) efforts and outline strategies and possible ways forward. Small island states are scattered across the vast Pacific region and these states have to varying degrees been affected by not only large tsunamis originating in circum-Pacific subduction zones, but also more regionally devastating events. Having outlined and described what is meant by the risk management process, the various problems associated with our current understanding of this process are examined. The poorly understood hazard related to local, regional and distant sources is investigated and the dominant focus on seismic events at the expense of other tsunami source types is noted. We reflect on the challenges of undertaking numerical modelling from generation to inundation and specifically detail the problems as they relate to PICTs. This is followed by an exploration of the challenges associated with mapping exposure and estimating vulnerability in low-lying coastal areas. The latter part of the paper is devoted to exploring what mitigation of the tsunami risk can look like and draw upon good practice cases as exemplars of the actions that can be taken from the local to regional level. Importantly, given the diversity of PICTs, no one approach will suit all places. The paper closes by making a series of recommendations to assist PICTs and the wider tsunami research community in thinking through improvements to their tsunami risk management processes and the research that can underpin these efforts.

Professional Development in the International Year of Astronomy: Expanding the Universe in the Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reinfeld, Erika L.; Harman, P.; Lee, M. H.; Bailey, J. M.

2008-05-01

The International Year of Astronomy offers unparalleled opportunity to expand our audiences’ understanding about the universe. However, many learners, students and adults alike, are unfamiliar with the universe beyond the solar system. This collaborative workshop explores strategies for teacher professional development around the origin and evolution of the universe, using the resources of the Beyond the Solar System Professional Development Project as a guide. The Beyond the Solar System (BtSS) Professional Development Project is a NASA-supported initiative from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) designed to foster public understanding of NASA's exciting astronomy and space science research. The BtSS portfolio includes video resources, assessment tools, data about common student ideas, content presentations, online telescope investigations, and other classroom activities designed to deepen content knowledge and improve the quality of teaching and learning about current scientific models and evidence for the origin and evolution of our universe of galaxies. During this session, members of the BtSS Leadership Team from around the country will share their experience using these resources in educator workshops and teacher-training courses, and facilitate discussions among workshop participants about how these materials and pedagogical strategies can be used in their own professional development efforts during the International Year of Astronomy. EPO specialists and scientists will engage in focused exploration of the project's DVD--"Expanding the Universe in the Classroom"--in order make explicit connections between the themes of the International Year of Astronomy and their own work. The goals of this workshop are to equip professional development providers to support IYA education efforts in classrooms, afterschool programs, and informal education venues and to raise awareness about the opportunities for continuing Galileo's legacy of discovery through current science and online telescopes.

Repair of Electronics for Long Duration Spaceflight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pettegrew, Richard D.; Easton, John; Struk, Peter

2007-01-01

To reduce mission risk, long duration spaceflight and exploration activities will require greater degrees of self-sufficiency with regards to repair capability than have ever been employed before in space exploration. The current repair paradigm of replacing Orbital Replacement Units (ORUs) of malfunctioning avionics and electronic hardware will be impractical, since carrying all of the spares that could possibly be needed for a long duration mission would require upmass and volume at unprecedented and unacceptable levels. A strategy of component-level repair for electronics, however, could significantly reduce the mass and volume necessary for spares and enhance mission safety via a generic contingency capability. This approach is already used to varying degrees by the U.S. Navy, where vessels at sea experience some similar constraints such as the need for self sufficiency for moderately long time periods, and restrictions on volume of repair spares and infrastructure. The concept of conducting component-level repairs of electronics in spacecraft requires the development of design guidelines for future avionics (to enable repair), development of diagnostic techniques to allow an astronaut to pinpoint the faulty component aboard a vastly complex vehicle, and development of tools and methodologies for dealing with the physical processes of replacing the component. This physical process includes tasks such as conformal coating removal and replacement, component removal, replacement, and alignment--all in the difficulty of a reduced gravity environment. Further, the gravitational effects on the soldering process must be characterized and accounted for to ensure reliability of the newly repaired components. The Component-Level Electronics-Assembly Repair (CLEAR) project under the NASA Supportability program was established to develop and demonstrate the practicality of this repair approach. CLEAR involves collaborative efforts between NASA s Glenn Research Center, Langley Research Center, Johnson Space Center, the National Center for Space Exploration Research, and the U.S. Navy. The project goals are 1) develop and demonstrate a manually-operated electronics repair capability to be conducted in a spacecraft environment; and 2) develop guidelines for designs of electronics that facilitates component-level repair for future space exploration efforts. This multi-faceted program utilizes a cross-disciplinary approach to examine pre- and post-repair diagnostics, conformal coating removal and replacement, component soldering, and electronics design for supportability. These areas are investigated by a combination of trade studies, ground based testing, reduced gravity aircraft testing, and actual spaceflight testing on the International Space Station (ISS) in multiple experiments. This paper details the efforts of this program, with emphasis on early trade study results, ground-based efforts, and two upcoming ISS experiments.

Energy transport towards magnetosphere: current background and perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savin, Sergey; Zelenyi, Lev

On the background of rising number of multi-scale magnetospheric constellations of satellites (e.g. MMS, ROY, SCOPE etc.), we discuss realistic options for the future experimental efforts in the current international framework. Now space weather predictions require cross-scale (i.e. multi-point) and micro-scale (down to the electron inertial length and gyroradius, i.e. few km and 0.1 s) measurements, which should facilitate the fundamental turbulence explorations impacting e.g. fusion and astrophysical tasks. Both ROY and SCOPE could provide 4-6 space-craft under wide international collaboration. For SCOPE near-equatorial plane is the region for the multi-scale studies, while ROY will start from high latitudes and finish at the intermediate and, hopefully, low ones. We suggest a new strategy for the correlated measurements instead of a multi-tetrahedron configuration: -place spacecraft along magnetospheric boundaries: magne-topause, neutral sheet, bow shock et. instead of tetrahedron Cluster-like configuration trying to get the multi-scale measurements along the natural boundaries; -monitor the processes along the streamlines in magnetosheath; -use extra 2-8 nano/ pico-satellites for campaigns of the multi-spacecraft explorations, -utilize multi-frequency radio-tomography for monitoring of the inter-spacecraft processes Both SCOPE and ROY launchers have respective payload resources, which, with the respective international cooperation, should provide a new step in the magnetospheric plasma explorations.

Balancing the Values of Ethnic Studies and Academe: Exploring Efforts to Advance the Organizational Stability of American Indian and Asian American Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kimura-Walsh, Erin Fukiko

2009-01-01

This study examines Ethnic Studies' efforts to gain institutional stability at the university. The issue is explored through a qualitative, multi-case study of Ethnic Studies units, specifically American Indian and Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University and University of California, Los Angeles. To gain insight into their…

Parental conflict and blue egg coloration in a seabird

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morales, Judith; Torres, Roxana; Velando, Alberto

2010-02-01

When both parents provide offspring care, equal sharing of costly parental duties may enhance reproductive success. This is crucial for longlived species, where increased parental effort in current reproduction profoundly affects future reproduction. Indication of reproductive value or willingness to invest in reproduction may promote matching responses by mates, thus reducing the conflict over care. In birds with biparental care, blue-green eggshell color may function as a signal of reproductive value that affects parental effort, as predicted by the signaling hypothesis of blue-green eggshell coloration. However, this hypothesis has not been explored during incubation, when the potential stimulus of egg color is present, and has been little studied in longlived birds. We experimentally studied if egg color affected incubation patterns in the blue-footed booby, a longlived species with biparental care and blue eggs. We exchanged fresh eggs between nests of the same laying date and recorded parental incubation effort on the following 4 days. Although egg color did not affect male effort, original eggshell color was correlated with pair matching in incubation. Exchanged eggshell color did not affect incubation patterns. This suggests that biliverdin-based egg coloration reflects female quality features that are associated with pair incubation effort or that blue-footed boobies mate assortatively high-quality pairs incubating more colorful clutches. An intriguing possibility is that egg coloration facilitates an equal sharing of incubation, the signal being functional only during a short period close to laying. Results also suggest that indication of reproductive value reduces the conflict over care.

Cartography for lunar exploration: 2008 status and mission plans

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kirk, R.L.; Archinal, B.A.; Gaddis, L.R.; Rosiek, M.R.; Chen, Jun; Jiang, Jie; Nayak, Shailesh

2008-01-01

The initial spacecraft exploration of the Moon in the 1960s-70s yielded extensive data, primarily in the form of film and television images, which were used to produce a large number of hardcopy maps by conventional techniques. A second era of exploration, beginning in the early 1990s, has produced digital data including global multispectral imagery and altimetry, from which a new generation of digital map products tied to a rapidly evolving global control network has been made. Efforts are also underway to scan the earlier hardcopy maps for online distribution and to digitize the film images so that modern processing techniques can be used to make high-resolution digital terrain models (DTMs) and image mosaics consistent with the current global control. The pace of lunar exploration is accelerating dramatically, with as many as eight new missions already launched or planned for the current decade. These missions, of which the most important for cartography are SMART-1 (Europe), Kaguya/SELENE (Japan), Chang'e-1 (China), Chandrayaan-1 (India), and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (USA), will return a volume of data exceeding that of all previous lunar and planetary missions combined. Framing and scanner camera images, including multispectral and stereo data, hyperspectral images, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images, and laser altimetry will all be collected, including, in most cases, multiple data sets of each type. Substantial advances in international standardization and cooperation, development of new and more efficient data processing methods, and availability of resources for processing and archiving will all be needed if the next generation of missions are to fulfill their potential for high-precision mapping of the Moon in support of subsequent exploration and scientific investigation.

NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute: Merging Science and Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pendleton, Y. J.; Schmidt, G. K.; Bailey, B. E.; Minafra, J. A.

2016-01-01

NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) represents a close collaboration between science, technology and exploration, and was created to enable a deeper understanding of the Moon and other airless bodies. SSERVI is supported jointly by NASA's Science Mission Directorate and Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The institute currently focuses on the scientific aspects of exploration as they pertain to the Moon, Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) and the moons of Mars, but the institute goals may expand, depending on NASA's needs, in the future. The 9 initial teams, selected in late 2013 and funded from 2014-2019, have expertise across the broad spectrum of lunar, NEA, and Martian moon sciences. Their research includes various aspects of the surface, interior, exosphere, near-space environments, and dynamics of these bodies. NASA anticipates a small number of additional teams to be selected within the next two years, with a Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN) likely to be released in 2016. Calls for proposals are issued every 2-3 years to allow overlap between generations of institute teams, but the intent for each team is to provide a stable base of funding for a five year period. SSERVI's mission includes acting as a bridge between several groups, joining together researchers from: 1) scientific and exploration communities, 2) multiple disciplines across a wide range of planetary sciences, and 3) domestic and international communities and partnerships. The SSERVI central office is located at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA. The administrative staff at the central office forms the organizational hub for the domestic and international teams and enables the virtual collaborative environment. Interactions with geographically dispersed teams across the U.S., and global partners, occur easily and frequently in a collaborative virtual environment. This poster will provide an overview of the 9 current US teams and international partners, as well as information about outreach efforts and future opportunities to participate in SSERVI.

Physics of the Inner Heliosphere 1-10 R(sub s): Plasma Diagnostics and Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Habbal, Shadia R.; Wagner, William J. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

While the mechanisms responsible for heating the solar corona and accelerating the fast and slow solar wind streams are still unknown, model computations offer the only means for exploring and predicting the properties of such mechanisms in light of the empirical constraints currently available. During the time covered by this grant, modeling and data analysis efforts were aimed at: 1) the study of the propagation and damping of ion-cyclotron waves in the fast solar wind 2) the exploration of the role of instabilities in the development of temperature anisotropies in the inner corona 3) the coupling of neutral hydrogen and protons in the fast solar wind 4) the morphology of the source region of the solar wind. Summarized are some of the highlights of these studies. Two PhD theses by Xing Li and Lorraine Allen were partially supported by this grant.

Overview of a Preliminary Destination Mission Concept for a Human Orbital Mission to the Martial Moons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mazanek, D. D.; Abell, P. A.; Antol, J.; Barbee, B. W.; Beaty, D. W.; Bass, D. S.; Castillo-Rogez, J. C.; Coan, D. A.; Colaprete, A.; Daugherty, K. J.;

Mesenchymal stem cell therapy in the treatment of osteoarthritis: reparative pathways, safety and efficacy - a review.

PubMed

Freitag, Julien; Bates, Dan; Boyd, Richard; Shah, Kiran; Barnard, Adele; Huguenin, Leesa; Tenen, Abi

2016-05-26

Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of pain and disability across the world. With an aging population its prevalence is likely to further increase. Current accepted medical treatment strategies are aimed at symptom control rather than disease modification. Surgical options including joint replacement are not without possible significant complications. A growing interest in the area of regenerative medicine, led by an improved understanding of the role of mesenchymal stem cells in tissue homeostasis and repair, has seen recent focused efforts to explore the potential of stem cell therapies in the active management of symptomatic osteoarthritis. Encouragingly, results of pre-clinical and clinical trials have provided initial evidence of efficacy and indicated safety in the therapeutic use of mesenchymal stem cell therapies for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. This paper explores the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis and how mesenchymal stem cells may play a role in future management strategies of this disabling condition.

Co-Occurring Disorders in Substance Abuse Treatment: Issues and Prospects

PubMed Central

Flynn, Patrick M.; Brown, Barry S.

2008-01-01

This paper explores the epidemiology of co-occurring disorders with an emphasis on the implications of study findings for the functioning and potential of substance abuse treatment. Severity of disorder is discussed as an issue that may have particular significance for the selection of specialized as opposed to traditional substance abuse treatment forms. Exploration is made, as well, of the resources currently available to substance abuse treatment, especially the human resources available, and the implications of resource availability for undertaking initiatives specific to co-occurring disorder. Findings from standard and enhanced treatment for comorbid individuals are examined in an effort to clarify areas of need for specialized and typical treatment personnel. Issues are raised for consideration by the clinical research and treatment provider communities in terms of assessment and diagnosis, manpower and training, and response to the challenge of relapse in this population. PMID:17574791

Salicylanilide Inhibitors of Toxoplasma gondii

PubMed Central

Fomovska, Alina; Wood, Richard D.; Mui, Ernest; Dubey, Jitenter P.; Ferriera, Leandra R.; Hickman, Mark R.; Lee, Patricia J.; Leed, Susan E.; Auschwitz, Jennifer M.; Welsh, William J.; Sommerville, Caroline; Woods, Stuart; Roberts, Craig; McLeod, Rima

2012-01-01

Toxoplasma gondii(T. gondii) is an apicomplexan parasite that can cause eye disease, brain disease, and death, especially in congenitally infected and immune-compromised people. Novel medicines effective against both active and latent forms of the parasite are greatly needed. The current study focused on the discovery of such medicines by exploring a family of potential inhibitors whose anti-apicomplexan activity has not been previously reported. Initial screening efforts revealed that niclosamide, a drug approved for anthelmintic use, possessed promising activity in vitro against T. gondii. This observation inspired the evaluation of the activity of a series of salicylanilides and derivatives. Several inhibitors with activities in the nanomolar range with no appreciable in vitro toxicity to human cells were identified. An initial structure-activity relationship was explored. Four compounds were selected for evaluation in an in vivo model of infection, and two derivatives with potentially enhanced pharmacological parameters demonstrated the best activity profiles. PMID:22970937

NASA AMES Remote Operations Center for 2001

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sims, M.; Marshall, J.; Cox, S.; Galal, K.

1999-01-01

There is a Memorandum of Agreement between NASA Ames, JPL, West Virginia University and University of Arizona which led to funding for the MECA microscope and to the establishment of an Ames facility for science analysis of microscopic and other data. The data and analysis will be by agreement of the Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment (MECA), Robotic Arm Camera (RAC) and other PI's. This facility is intended to complement other analysis efforts with one objective of this facility being to test the latest information technologies in support of actual mission science operations. Additionally, it will be used as a laboratory for the exploration of collaborative science activities. With a goal of enhancing the science return for both Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) and Astrobiology we shall utilize various tools such as superresolution and the Virtual Environment Vehicle Interface (VEVI) virtual reality visualization tools. In this presentation we will describe the current planning for this facility.

Remote observing with the Keck Telescopes from the U.S. mainland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kibrick, Robert I.; Allen, Steve L.; Conrad, Albert

2000-06-01

We describe the current status of efforts to establish a high-bandwidth network from the U.S. mainland to Mauna Kea and a facility in California to support Keck remote observing and engineering via the Internet. The California facility will be an extension of the existing Keck remote operations facility located in Waimea, Hawaii. It will be targeted towards short-duration observing runs which now comprise roughly half of all scheduled science runs on the Keck Telescope. Keck technical staff in Hawaii will support remote observers on the mainland via video conferencing and collaborative software tools. Advantages and disadvantages of remote operation from California versus Hawaii are explored, and costs of alternative communication paths examined. We describe a plan for a backup communications path to protect against failure of the primary network. Alternative software models for remote operation are explored, and recent operational results described.

Efficiency in SETI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shostak, Seth

2011-02-01

While modern SETI experiments are often highly sensitive, reaching detection limits of 10 -25 W/m 2 Hz in the radio, interstellar distances imply that if extraterrestrial societies are using isotropic or broad-beamed transmitters, the power requirements for their emissions are enormous. Indeed, isotropic transmissions to the entire Galaxy, sufficiently intense to be detectable by our current searches, would consume power comparable to the stellar insolation of an Earth-size planet. In this paper we consider how knowledge can be traded for power, and how, and to what degree, astronomical accuracy can reduce the energy costs of a comprehensive transmission program by putative extraterrestrials. Indeed, an exploration of how far this trade-off might be taken suggests that extraterrestrial transmitting strategies of civilizations only modestly more advanced than our own would be, as are our SETI receiving experiments, inexpensive enough to allow multiple efforts. We explore the consequences this supposition has for our SETI listening experiments.

Synthetic Self-Healing Methods

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

Bello, Mollie

Given enough time, pressure, temperature fluctuation, and stress any material will fail. Currently, synthesized materials make up a large part of our everyday lives, and are used in a number of important applications such as; space travel, under water devices, precise instrumentation, transportation, and infrastructure. Structural failure of these material scan lead to expensive and dangerous consequences. In an attempt to prolong the life spans of specific materials and reduce efforts put into repairing them, biologically inspired, self-healing systems have been extensively investigated. The current review explores recent advances in three methods of synthesized self-healing: capsule based, vascular, and intrinsic.more » Ideally, self-healing materials require no human intervention to promote healing, are capable of surviving all the steps of polymer processing, and heal the same location repeatedly. Only the vascular method holds up to all of these idealities.« less

Avoiding threat in late adulthood: testing two life span theories of emotion.

PubMed

Orgeta, Vasiliki

2011-07-01

The purpose of the present research was to explore the time course of age-related attentional biases and the role of emotion regulation as a potential mediator of older adults' performance in an emotion dot probe task. In two studies, younger and older adults (N = 80) completed a visual probe detection task, which presented happy, angry, and sad facial expressions. Across both studies, age influenced attentional responses to angry faces. Results indicated a bias away from angry-related facial emotion information occurring relatively late in attention. Age effects were not attributable to decreasing information processing speed or visuoperceptual function. Current results demonstrated that an age-related attentional preference away from angry facial cues was mediated by efforts to suppress emotion. Findings are discussed in relation to current theories of sociocognitive aging.

Stroke rehabilitation in ontario: an opportunity for health care transformation.

PubMed

Meyer, Matthew J; Meyer, John P; Foley, Norine; Salter, Katherine; McClure, J Andrew; Teasell, Robert

2011-11-01

In this article, Ontario's stroke rehabilitation system is used to exemplify the challenges faced by rehabilitation and healthcare systems across Canada who are attempting to provide quality care to patients in the face of increasing demands. Currently, Ontario's rehabilitation system struggles in its efforts to provide accessible and comprehensive care to patients recovering from stroke. We begin our exploration by identifying both the primary stakeholders and the underlying factors that have contributed to the current challenges. The framework put forward in the Canadian Medical Association's recommendations for transformation is then used to suggest a vision for a more patient-focused system incorporating three key principles: a broader perspective, a patient-first approach, and greater unity. The use of health information technology, proper incentives, and greater accountability are discussed as mechanisms to improve the quality and efficiency of care.

Traditional Tibetan medicine in China: an overview of current status and prospects.

PubMed

Luo, Hui

2015-01-01

To introduce and explore the current status and prospects of traditional Tibetan medicine (TTM) in China. Government websites, national statistics, and authoritative papers from journal and government daily were fully searched. Further data were gathered by related experts. With the implementation of policies on growing TTM, there have been improvements in TTM's health care, scientific research, education, and pharmacy industry. TTM hospitals contribute to the health service system in Tibet Autonomous Region and other four Tibetan regions; TTM education has been incorporated into national education system in China; the number of scientific researches on TTM funded by the government is increasing year by year; Tibetan medicines become available to more people with the development of TTM pharmacy industry. TTM is well preserved and developed in China, and more efforts should be taken to promote its spread and development.

Building long-term constituencies for space exploration: The challenge of raising public awareness and engagement in the United States and in Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ehrenfreund, P.; Peter, N.; Billings, L.

2010-08-01

Space exploration is a multifaceted endeavor and will be a "grand challenge" of the 21st century. It has already become an element of the political agenda of a growing number of countries worldwide. However, the public is largely unaware of space exploration activities and in particular does not perceive any personal benefit. In order to achieve highly ambitious space exploration goals to explore robotically and with humans the inner solar system, space agencies must improve and expand their efforts to inform and raise the awareness of the public about what they are doing, and why. Therefore adopting new techniques aiming at informing and engaging the public using participatory ways, new communication techniques to reach, in particular, the younger generation will be a prerequisite for a sustainable long-term exploration program: as they will enable it and carry most of the associated financial burden. This paper presents an environmental analysis of space exploration in the United States and Europe and investigates the current branding stature of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA). We discuss how improved market research and new branding methods can increase public space awareness and improve the image of NASA and ESA. We propose a new participatory approach to engage the public as major stakeholder (along governments, the industrial space sector and the science community) that may provide sufficient resources for and sustainability of a long-term space exploration program.

Science Innovation Through Industry Partnership: Lessons from AMPERE in Bridging the Federal Sponsor/Private Corporation Divide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, B. J.; Korth, H.; Erlandson, R. E.

2017-12-01

The Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Electrodynamics Response Experiment (AMPERE) was made possible by harnessing an fortuitous capability of the Iridium Communications constellation of 70 polar orbiting satellites. In 1996 it was realized that the attitude magnetometers on-board the Iridium satellites, then in fabrication, could potentially be used to obtain the first ever global and continuous measurements of the Birkeland currents with a sufficiently short re-sampling cadence (10 minutes) to track the dynamic evolution of the large-scale currents. The experience of taking this idea from 1996 through various research grant supported efforts, mission of opportunity proposal attempts, and finally through funding and implementation as a National Science Foundation geospace facility, revealed a number of challenges both in proposing innovative solutions to existing sponsor programs and also in working between the federal sponsor community and the private commercial space environment. Implementing AMPERE required a code change to on-board software on the Iridium satellites and it proved necessary to engage NASA to adjust the solicitation language to allow AMPERE. For NASA proposals we also encountered a conflict with respect to federal sponsorship such that the original business configuration of Iridium could not accept the accounting regime implied by a sub-contract derived from a federal contract acquisition. Subsequent mission of opportunity efforts encountered various other challenges including the cancellation of an explorer to fund the exploration initiative in 2001. The facilities proposal to NSF was almost not submitted owing a funding vehicle disparity between the preferred proposer structure (contract) vs NSF's requirement to fund only grants and a final hurdle concerned the structure of the contract with Iridium which was initially a sub-contract but was changed to a fixed-price data purchase due to NSF's limitations on funding fee-bearing engineering services. More general differences in the federal procurement timeline versus the corporate decision making timeline were also encountered. These lessons in the industry/federal partnership for innovative science are discussed as they may offer guidance for future efforts.

Variation in National ACGME Case Log Data for Pediatric Orthopaedic Fellowships: Are Fellow Coding Practices Responsible?

PubMed

McClure, Philip K; Woiczik, Marcella; Karol, Lori; Sankar, Wudbhav N

The introduction of the 80-hour work week for Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited fellowship programs initiated many efforts to optimize surgical training. One particular area of interest is on recording and tracking surgical experiences. The current standard is logging cases based on Current Procedural Terminology codes, which are primarily designed for billing. Proposed guidelines from the ACGME regarding logging exist, but their implementation is unknown, as is the variation in case volume across fellowship programs. The purpose of this study was to investigate variability in the national case log data, and explore potential sources of variation using fellow surveys. National ACGME case log data for pediatric orthopaedic fellowships from 2012 to 2015 were reviewed, with particular attention to the domains of spine, pelvis/hip, arthroscopy, trauma, and other (which includes clubfoot casting). To explore potential sources of case log variability, a survey on case logging behavior was distributed to all pediatric orthopaedic fellows for the academic year 2015 to 2016. Reported experiences based on ACGME case logs varied widely between fellows with percentage difference of up to 100% in all areas. Similarly, wide variability is present in coding practices of pediatric orthopaedic fellows, who often lack formal education on the topic of appropriate coding/logging. In the survey, hypothetical case scenarios had an absolute difference in recorded codes of up to 13 and a percentage difference of up to 100%. ACGME case log data for pediatric orthopaedic fellowships demonstrates wide variability in reported surgical experiences. This variability may be due, in part, to differences in logging practices by individual fellows. This observation makes meaningful interpretation of national data on surgical volume challenging. Proposed surgical experience minimums should be interpreted in light of these data, and may not be advisable unless accompanied by standardized and specific guidelines for case log entry. Efforts to optimize training in the post 80-hour era will require accurate data to serve as a starting point for future educational efforts.

On lifting the fog of war in the battle on heart disease: Star Wars technology in pursuit of a seamless integration strategy.

PubMed

Espinosa, J A; Kosnik, L K; Kraitsik, M; Dillow, J C

1997-01-01

In our efforts to reduce cardiac morbidity and mortality we often use terms such as the "battle" or "war" on heart disease. If we believe efforts to reduce cardiac disease are the moral equivalent of war, then perhaps we should explore ways that military strategic and tactical metaphors can be applied through technology to the cardiac battle. In this article we explore three major areas for technological advancement: adaptation of the strategies of outcomes management and evidence-based medicine, computer simulation and animation efforts to create horizontal and vertical integration of strategic efforts, and use of interactive multimedia in "recruiting an army" through community empowerment. The overall goal is to find ways to lift "the fog of war" in the battle on heart disease, in order to further the integration of our various efforts.

Exploration-Related Research on ISS: Connecting Science Results to Future Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rhatigan, Jennifer L.; Robinson, Julie A.; Sawin, Charles F.

2005-01-01

In January, 2004, the U.S. President announced The Vision for Space Exploration, and charged the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) with using the International Space Station (ISS) for research and technology targeted at supporting U.S. space exploration goals. This paper describes: What we have learned from the first four years of research on ISS relative to the exploration mission; The on-going research being conducted in this regard; and Our current understanding of the major exploration mission risks that the ISS can be used to address. Specifically, we discuss research carried out on the ISS to determine the mechanisms by which human health is affected on long-duration missions, and to develop countermeasures to protect humans from the space environment. These bioastronautics experiments are key enablers of future long duration human exploration missions. We also discuss how targeted technological developments can enable mission design trade studies. We discuss the relationship between the ultimate number of human test subjects available on the ISS to the quality and quantity of scientific insight that can be used to reduce health risks to future explorers. We discuss the results of NASA's efforts over the past year to realign the ISS research programs to support a product-driven portfolio that is directed towards reducing the major risks of exploration missions. The fundamental challenge to science on ISS is completing experiments that answer key questions in time to shape design decisions for future exploration. In this context, exploration relevant research must do more than be conceptually connected to design decisions - it must become a part of the mission design process.

Collaborative Research in Childhood Cancer Survivorship: The Current Landscape

PubMed Central

Bhatia, Smita; Armenian, Saro H.; Armstrong, Gregory T.; van Dulmen-den Broeder, Eline; Hawkins, Michael M.; Kremer, Leontien C.M.; Kuehni, Claudia E.; Olsen, Jørgen H.; Robison, Leslie L.; Hudson, Melissa M.

2015-01-01

Survivors of childhood cancer carry a substantial burden of morbidity and are at increased risk for premature death. Furthermore, clear associations exist between specific therapeutic exposures and the risk for a variety of long-term complications. The entire landscape of health issues encountered for decades after successful completion of treatment is currently being explored in various collaborative research settings. These settings include large population-based or multi-institutional cohorts and single-institution studies. The ascertainment of outcomes has depended on self-reporting, linkage to registries, or clinical assessments. Survivorship research in the cooperative group setting, such as the Children's Oncology Group, has leveraged the clinical trials infrastructure to explore the molecular underpinnings of treatment-related adverse events, and to understand specific complications in the setting of randomized risk-reduction strategies. This review highlights the salient findings from these large collaborative initiatives, emphasizing the need for life-long follow-up of survivors of childhood cancer, and describing the development of several guidelines and efforts toward harmonization. Finally, the review reinforces the need to identify populations at highest risk, facilitating the development of risk prediction models that would allow for targeted interventions across the entire trajectory of survivorship. PMID:26304891

Advances in Psychiatric Diagnosis: Past, Present, and Future.

PubMed

North, Carol S; Surís, Alina M

2017-04-26

This editorial examines controversies identified by the articles in this special issue, which explore psychopathology in the broad history of the classification of selected psychiatric disorders and syndromes over time through current American criteria. Psychiatric diagnosis has a long history of scientific investigation and application, with periods of rapid change, instability, and heated controversy associated with it. The articles in this issue examine the history of psychiatric nomenclature and explore current and future directions in psychiatric diagnosis through the various versions of accepted diagnostic criteria and accompanying research literature addressing the criteria. The articles seek to guide readers in appreciating the complexities of psychiatric diagnosis as the field of psychiatry pushes forward toward future advancements in diagnosis. Despite efforts of many scientists to advance a diagnostic classification system that incorporates neuroscience and genetics, it has been argued that it may be premature to attempt to move to a biologically-based classification system, because psychiatric disorders cannot yet be fully distinguished by any specific biological markers. For now, the symptom-based criteria that the field has been using continue to serve many essential purposes, including selection of the most effective treatment, communication about disease with colleagues, education about psychiatric illness, and support for ongoing research.

Overview of Intelligent Power Controller Development for Human Deep Space Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soeder, James F.; Dever, Timothy P.; McNelis, Anne M.; Beach, Raymond F.; Trase, Larry M.; May, Ryan D.

2014-01-01

Intelligent or autonomous control of an entire spacecraft is a major technology that must be developed to enable NASA to meet its human exploration goals. NASA's current long term human space platform, the International Space Station, is in low Earth orbit with almost continuous communication with the ground based mission control. This permits the near real-time control by the ground of all of the core systems including power. As NASA moves beyond low Earth orbit, the issues of communication time-lag and lack of communication bandwidth beyond geosynchronous orbit does not permit this type of operation. This paper presents the work currently ongoing at NASA to develop an architecture for an autonomous power control system as well as the effort to assemble that controller into the framework of the vehicle mission manager and other subsystem controllers to enable autonomous control of the complete spacecraft. Due to the common problems faced in both space power systems and terrestrial power system, the potential for spin-off applications of this technology for use in micro-grids located at the edge or user end of terrestrial power grids for peak power accommodation and reliability are described.

Overview of Intelligent Power Controller Development for Human Deep Space Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soeder, James F.; Dever, Timothy P.; McNelis, Anne M.; Beach, Raymond F.; Trase, Larry M.; May, Ryan D.

2014-01-01

Intelligent or autonomous control of an entire spacecraft is a major technology that must be developed to enable NASA to meet its human exploration goals. NASA's current long term human space platform, the International Space Station, is in low earth orbit with almost continuous communication with the ground based mission control. This permits the near real-time control by the ground of all of the core systems including power. As NASA moves beyond Low Earth Orbit, the issues of communication time-lag and lack of communication bandwidth beyond geosynchronous orbit does not permit this type of operation. This paper presents the work currently ongoing at NASA to develop an architecture for an autonomous power control system as well as the effort to assemble that controller into the framework of the vehicle mission manager and other subsystem controllers to enable autonomous control of the complete spacecraft. Due to the common problems faced in both space power systems and terrestrial power system, the potential for spin-off applications of this technology for use in micro-grids located at the edge or user end of terrestrial power grids for peak power accommodation and reliability are described.

Overview of Intelligent Power Controller Development for Human Deep Space Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soeder, James F.; Dever, Timothy P.; McNelis, Anne M.; Beach, Raymond F.; Trase, Larry M.; May, Ryan

2014-01-01

Intelligent or autonomous control of an entire spacecraft is a major technology that must be developed to enable NASA to meet its human exploration goals. NASAs current long term human space platform, the International Space Station, is in low earth orbit with almost continuous communication with the ground based mission control. This permits the near real-time control by the ground of all of the core systems including power. As NASA moves beyond Low Earth Orbit, the issues of communication time-lag and lack of communication bandwidth beyond geosynchronous orbit does not permit this type of operation. This paper presents the work currently ongoing at NASA to develop an architecture for an autonomous power control system as well as the effort to assemble that controller into the framework of the vehicle mission manager and other subsystem controllers to enable autonomous control of the complete spacecraft. Due to the common problems faced in both space power systems and terrestrial power system, the potential for spin-off applications of this technology for use in micro-grids located at the edge or user end of terrestrial power grids for peak power accommodation and reliability are described.

Learning Environment and Student Effort

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hopland, Arnt O.; Nyhus, Ole Henning

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between satisfaction with learning environment and student effort, both in class and with homework assignments. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use data from a nationwide and compulsory survey to analyze the relationship between learning environment and student effort. The…

Geothermal Exploration of Newberry Volcano, Oregon

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

Waibel, Albert F.; Frone, Zachary S.; Blackwell, David D.

Davenport Newberry (Davenport) has completed 8 years of exploration for geothermal energy on Newberry Volcano in central Oregon. Two deep exploration test wells were drilled by Davenport on the west flank of the volcano, one intersected a hydrothermal system; the other intersected isolated fractures with no hydrothermal interconnection. Both holes have bottom-hole temperatures near or above 315°C (600°F). Subsequent to deep test drilling an expanded exploration and evaluation program was initiated. These efforts have included reprocessing existing data, executing multiple geological, geophysical, geochemical programs, deep exploration test well drilling and shallow well drilling. The efforts over the last three yearsmore » have been made possible through a DOE Innovative Exploration Technology (IET) Grant 109, designed to facilitate innovative geothermal exploration techniques. The combined results of the last 8 years have led to a better understanding of the history and complexity of Newberry Volcano and improved the design and interpretation of geophysical exploration techniques with regard to blind geothermal resources in volcanic terrain.« less

Exploring the Relationship of College Freshmen Honors Students' Effort and Ability Attribution, Interest, and Implicit Theory of Intelligence with Perceived Ability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siegle, Del; Da Via Rubenstein, Lisa; Pollard, Elizabeth; Romey, Elizabeth

2010-01-01

Although there are several explanations for why one succeeds or fails, effort and ability are the major causes that students report. The purpose of the present study was to measure the perceptions of 149 college freshmen enrolled in a university honors program about their skills in 15 talent areas. In addition, this study explored the relationship…

Continuing the International Roadmapping Effort - An Introduction to the Evolution of the ISECG Global Exploration Roadmap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schlutz, Juergen; Hufenbach, Bernhard; Laurini, Kathy; Spiero, Francois

2016-07-01

Future space exploration goals call for sending humans and robots beyond low Earth orbit and establishing sustained access to destinations such as the Moon, asteroids and Mars. Space agencies participating in the International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG) are discussing an international approach for achieving these goals, documented in ISECG's Global Exploration Roadmap (GER). The GER reference scenario reflects a step-wise evolution of critical capabilities from ISS to missions in the lunar vicinity in preparation for the journey of humans to Mars. As ISECG agencies advance their individual planning, they also advance the mission themes and reference architecture of the GER to consolidate common goals, near-term mission scenarios and initial opportunities for collaboration. In this context, particular focus has been given to the Better understanding and further refinement of cislunar infrastructure and potential lunar transportation architecture Interaction with international science communities to identify and articulate the scientific opportunities of the near-term exploration mission themes Coordination and consolidation of interest in lunar polar volatiles prospecting and potential for in-situ resource utilisation Identification and articulation of the benefits from exploration and the technology transfer activities The paper discusses the ongoing roadmapping activity of the ISECG agencies. It provides an insight into the status of the above activities and an outlook towards the evolution of the GER that is currently foreseen in the 2017 timeframe.

A Proposal for Public and Private Partnership in Extension.

PubMed

Krell, Rayda K; Fisher, Marc L; Steffey, Kevin L

2016-01-01

Public funding for Extension in the United States has been decreasing for many years, but farmers' need for robust information on which to make management decisions has not diminished. The current Extension funding challenges provide motivation to explore a different model for developing and delivering extension. The private sector has partnered with the public sector to fund and conduct agricultural research, but partnering on extension delivery has occurred far less frequently. The fundamental academic strength and established Extension network of the public sector combined with the ability of the private sector to encourage and deliver practical, implementable solutions has the potential to provide measurable benefits to farmers. This paper describes the current Extension climate, presents data from a survey about Extension and industry relationships, presents case studies of successful public- and private-sector extension partnerships, and proposes a framework for evaluating the state of effective partnerships. Synergistic public-private extension efforts could ensure that farmers receive the most current and balanced information available to help with their management decisions.

A Proposal for Public and Private Partnership in Extension

PubMed Central

Krell, Rayda K.; Fisher, Marc L.; Steffey, Kevin L.

2016-01-01

Public funding for Extension in the United States has been decreasing for many years, but farmers’ need for robust information on which to make management decisions has not diminished. The current Extension funding challenges provide motivation to explore a different model for developing and delivering extension. The private sector has partnered with the public sector to fund and conduct agricultural research, but partnering on extension delivery has occurred far less frequently. The fundamental academic strength and established Extension network of the public sector combined with the ability of the private sector to encourage and deliver practical, implementable solutions has the potential to provide measurable benefits to farmers. This paper describes the current Extension climate, presents data from a survey about Extension and industry relationships, presents case studies of successful public- and private-sector extension partnerships, and proposes a framework for evaluating the state of effective partnerships. Synergistic public–private extension efforts could ensure that farmers receive the most current and balanced information available to help with their management decisions. PMID:26949567

Academic Patents and Access to Medicines in Developing Countries

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

There is a widespread and growing concern that patents hinder access to life-saving drugs in developing countries. Recent student movements and legislative initiatives emphasize the potential role that research universities in developed countries could have in ameliorating this “access gap.” These efforts are based on the assumption that universities own patents on a substantial number of drugs and that patents on these drugs are currently filed in developing countries. I provide empirical evidence regarding these issues and explore the feasibility and desirability of proposals to change university patenting and licensing practices to promote access to medicines in the developing world. PMID:19008514

Current Technology for Thermal Protection Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scotti, Stephen J. (Compiler)

1992-01-01

Interest in thermal protection systems for high-speed vehicles is increasing because of the stringent requirements of such new projects as the Space Exploration Initiative, the National Aero-Space Plane, and the High-Speed Civil Transport, as well as the needs for improved capabilities in existing thermal protection systems in the Space Shuttle and in turbojet engines. This selection of 13 papers from NASA and industry summarizes the history and operational experience of thermal protection systems utilized in the national space program to date, and also covers recent development efforts in thermal insulation, refractory materials and coatings, actively cooled structures, and two-phase thermal control systems.

Exploring shame, guilt, and risky substance use among sexual minority men and women

PubMed Central

Hequembourg, Amy L.; Dearing, Ronda L.

2013-01-01

This study examined the interrelationships among shame-proneness, guilt-proneness, internalized heterosexism, and problematic substance use among 389 gay, lesbian, and bisexual men and women. Problematic alcohol and drug use were positively related to shame-proneness and negatively related to guilt-proneness. Bisexuals reported riskier substance use behaviors, lower levels of guilt-proneness, and higher levels of internalized heterosexism than gay men and lesbians. Furthermore, study findings indicated that shame and internalized heterosexism are related. Additional investigations of these associations would supplement current understanding of sexual minority stress and would advance the development of substance-related intervention and prevention efforts targeting sexual minorities. PMID:23469820

The Greatest Missions Never Flown: Anticipatory Discourse and the "Projectory" in Technological Communities.

PubMed

Messeri, Lisa; Vertesi, Janet

2015-01-01

This article introduces the concept of the sociotechnical projectory to explore the importance of future-oriented discourse in technical practice. It examines the case of two flagship NASA missions that, since the 1960s, have been continually proposed and deferred. Despite the missions never being flown, it argues that they produced powerful effects within the planetary science community as assumed "end-points" to which all current technological, scientific, and community efforts are directed. It asserts that attention to the social construction of technological systems requires historical attention to how actors situate themselves with respect to a shared narrative of the future.

Personal Access Satellite System (PASS) study. Fiscal year 1989 results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sue, Miles K. (Editor)

1990-01-01

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is exploring the potential and feasibility of a personal access satellite system (PASS) that will offer the user greater freedom and mobility than existing or currently planned communications systems. Studies performed in prior years resulted in a strawman design and the identification of technologies that are critical to the successful implementation of PASS. The study efforts in FY-89 were directed towards alternative design options with the objective of either improving the system performance or alleviating the constraints on the user terminal. The various design options and system issues studied this year and the results of the study are presented.

The Relationship of Welding Fume Exposure, Smoking, and Pulmonary Function in Welders.

PubMed

Roach, Laura L

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between occupational exposure to welding fumes and pulmonary function in an effort to add supportive evidence and clarity to the current body of research. This study utilized a retrospective chart review of pulmonary function testing and pulmonary questionnaires already available in charts from preplacement physicals to the most recent test. When comparing smokers to nonsmokers, utilizing multiple regression and controlling for age and percentage of time using a respirator, years welding was statistically significant at p = .04. Data support that smoking has a synergistic effect when combined with welding fume exposure on pulmonary decline.

The Blazhko Effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovács, G.

2009-09-01

Current status of (the lack of) understanding Blazhko effect is reviewed. We focus mostly on the various components of the failure of the models and touch upon the observational issues only at a degree needed for the theoretical background. Attention is to be paid to models based on radial mode resonances, since they seem to be not fully explored yet, especially if we consider possible non-standard effects (e.g., heavy element enhancement). To aid further modeling efforts, we stress the need for accurate time-series spectral line analysis to reveal any possible non-radial component(s) and thereby let to include (or exclude) non-radial modes in explaining the Blazhko phenomenon.

Toxicity of Engineered Nanoparticles in the Environment

PubMed Central

Maurer-Jones, Melissa A.; Gunsolus, Ian L.; Murphy, Catherine J.; Haynes, Christy L.

2014-01-01

While nanoparticles occur naturally in the environment and have been intentionally used for centuries, the production and use of engineered nanoparticles has seen a recent spike, which makes environmental release almost certain. Therefore, recent efforts to characterize the toxicity of engineered nanoparticles have focused on the environmental implications, including exploration of toxicity to organisms from wide-ranging parts of the ecosystem food webs. Herein, we summarize the current understanding of toxicity of engineered nanoparticles to representatives of various trophic levels, including bacteria, plants, and multicellular aquatic/terrestrial organisms, to highlight important challenges within the field of econanotoxicity, challenges that analytical chemists are expertly poised to address. PMID:23427995

Toxicity of engineered nanoparticles in the environment.

PubMed

Maurer-Jones, Melissa A; Gunsolus, Ian L; Murphy, Catherine J; Haynes, Christy L

2013-03-19

While nanoparticles occur naturally in the environment and have been intentionally used for centuries, the production and use of engineered nanoparticles has seen a recent spike, which makes environmental release almost certain. Therefore, recent efforts to characterize the toxicity of engineered nanoparticles have focused on the environmental implications, including exploration of toxicity to organisms from wide-ranging parts of the ecosystem food webs. Herein, we summarize the current understanding of toxicity of engineered nanoparticles to representatives of various trophic levels, including bacteria, plants, and multicellular aquatic/terrestrial organisms, to highlight important challenges within the field of econanotoxicity, challenges that analytical chemists are expertly poised to address.

Regional Distribution Models with Lack of Proximate Predictors: Africanized Honeybees Expanding North

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jarnevich, Catherine S.; Esaias, Wayne E.; Ma, Peter L. A.; Morisette, Jeffery T.; Nickeson, Jaime E.; Stohlgren, Thomas J.; Holcombe, Tracy R.; Nightingale, Joanne M.; Wolfe, Robert E.; Tan, Bin

2014-01-01

Species distribution models have often been hampered by poor local species data, reliance on coarse-scale climate predictors and the assumption that species-environment relationships, even with non-proximate predictors, are consistent across geographical space. Yet locally accurate maps of invasive species, such as the Africanized honeybee (AHB) in North America, are needed to support conservation efforts. Current AHB range maps are relatively coarse and are inconsistent with observed data. Our aim was to improve distribution maps using more proximate predictors (phenology) and using regional models rather than one across the entire range of interest to explore potential differences in drivers.

Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Technology - Summary of FY 1991 Interagency Panel Planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, John S.; Mcdaniel, Patrick; Howe, Steven; Stanley, Marland

1991-01-01

An Interagency (NASA/DOE/DOD) technical panel has been working in 1991 to evaluate nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) concepts on a consistent basis, and to continue technology development project planning for a joint project in nuclear propulsion for Space Exploration Initiative (SEI). This paper summarizes the efforts of the panel to date and summarizes the technology plans defined for NTP. Concepts were categorized based on probable technology readiness data, and innovative 'proof-of-concept' tests and analyses were defined. While further studies will be required to provide a consistent comparison of all of the NTP concepts, the current status of the studies is presented.

Regional distribution models with lack of proximate predictors: Africanized honeybees expanding north

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jarnevich, Catherine S.; Esaias, Wayne E.; Ma, Peter L.A.; Morisette, Jeffery T.; Nickeson, Jaime E.; Stohlgren, Thomas J.; Holcombe, Tracy R.; Nightingale, Joanne M.; Wolfe, Robert E.; Tan, Bin

2014-01-01

Species distribution models have often been hampered by poor local species data, reliance on coarse-scale climate predictors and the assumption that species–environment relationships, even with non-proximate predictors, are consistent across geographical space. Yet locally accurate maps of invasive species, such as the Africanized honeybee (AHB) in North America, are needed to support conservation efforts. Current AHB range maps are relatively coarse and are inconsistent with observed data. Our aim was to improve distribution maps using more proximate predictors (phenology) and using regional models rather than one across the entire range of interest to explore potential differences in drivers.

Exploring teacher's perceptions of concept mapping as a teaching strategy in science: An action research approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marks Krpan, Catherine Anne

In order to promote science literacy in the classroom, students need opportunities in which they can personalize their understanding of the concepts they are learning. Current literature supports the use of concept maps in enabling students to make personal connections in their learning of science. Because they involve creating explicit connections between concepts, concept maps can assist students in developing metacognitive strategies and assist educators in identifying misconceptions in students' thinking. The literature also notes that concept maps can improve student achievement and recall. Much of the current literature focuses primarily on concept mapping at the secondary and university levels, with limited focus on the elementary panel. The research rarely considers teachers' thoughts and ideas about the concept mapping process. In order to effectively explore concept mapping from the perspective of elementary teachers, I felt that an action research approach would be appropriate. Action research enabled educators to debate issues about concept mapping and test out ideas in their classrooms. It also afforded the participants opportunities to explore their own thinking, reflect on their personal journeys as educators and play an active role in their professional development. In an effort to explore concept mapping from the perspective of elementary educators, an action research group of 5 educators and myself was established and met regularly from September 1999 until June 2000. All of the educators taught in the Toronto area. These teachers were interested in exploring how concept mapping could be used as a learning tool in their science classrooms. In summary, this study explores the journey of five educators and myself as we engaged in collaborative action research. This study sets out to: (1) Explore how educators believe concept mapping can facilitate teaching and student learning in the science classroom. (2) Explore how educators implement concept mapping in their classrooms. (3) Identify challenges educators experience when they implement concept mapping. (4) Explore factors that impact on facilitating collaborative action research. (5) Provide insight into my growth as an action research facilitator.

Tobacco as a social currency: cigarette gifting and sharing in China.

PubMed

Rich, Zachary C; Xiao, Shuiyuan

2012-03-01

China produces and consumes more tobacco than any other country in the world and as such is at the forefront of the world tobacco epidemic. Many studies have recently emerged that directly or indirectly reference the acts of giving and sharing cigarettes as a major contributor to China's high tobacco usage. The goal of this report is to review relevant literature relating to sharing and gifting cigarettes as well as provide useful historic and cultural contexts. Important differences between the act of giving individual cigarettes and the gifting of packaged cigarettes are explored as well as explanations for how both these practices have influenced current tobacco control efforts. Available Chinese and English sources on gifting and sharing cigarettes in China published between 1991 and 2011 were reviewed and discussed with a cultural and historical background. The practices of gifting and sharing cigarettes strongly contribute to smoking initiation as well as failure to quit smoking among Chinese males. Historical and cultural roots have reinforced these practices and hampered efforts to reduce tobacco use in China. Traditional tobacco control efforts should be combined with culture-specific approaches to reduce tobacco usage in China. The regular exchange of cigarettes normalizes smoking across society and promotes tobacco's acceptability. Great efforts should be taken not only to minimize these practices among males but also to discourage their adoption by females.

Logistics Needs for Potential Deep Space Mission Scenarios Post Asteroid Crewed Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lopez, Pedro, Jr.

2015-01-01

A deep-space mission has been proposed to identify and redirect an asteroid to a distant retrograde orbit around the moon, and explore it by sending a crew using the Space Launch System and the Orion spacecraft. The Asteroid Redirect Crewed Mission (ARCM), which represents the third segment of the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM), could be performed on EM-3 or EM-4 depending on asteroid return date. Recent NASA studies have raised questions on how we could progress from current Human Space Flight (HSF) efforts to longer term human exploration of Mars. This paper will describe the benefits of execution of the ARM as the initial stepping stone towards Mars exploration, and how the capabilities required to send humans to Mars could be built upon those developed for the asteroid mission. A series of potential interim missions aimed at developing such capabilities will be described, and the feasibility of such mission manifest will be discussed. Options for the asteroid crewed mission will also be addressed, including crew size and mission duration.

Scientific exploration of the moon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

El-Baz, F.

1979-01-01

The paper reviews efforts undertaken to explore the moon and the results obtained, noting that such efforts have involved a successful interdisciplinary approach to solving a number of scientific problems. Attention is given to the interactions of astronomers, cartographers, geologists, geochemists, geophysicists, physicists, mathematicians and engineers. Earth based remote sensing and unmanned spacecraft such as the Ranger and Surveyor programs are discussed. Emphasis is given to the manned Apollo missions and the results obtained. Finally, the information gathered by these missions is reviewed with regards to how it has increased understanding of the moon, and future exploration is considered.

Update on the Ares V to Support Heavy Lift for U.S. Space Exploration Policy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Creech, Steve

2008-01-01

The focus of design efforts in the near future will be on the primary Lunar mission. We are currently just beginning to integrate the design functions from the various centers for this mission. We appreciate all thoughts and ideas for different ways to use the Ares V platform. The Ares V can support an order of magnitude more science instrumentation for outer planetary exploration missions. It can also reach outer planets such as Neptune and other high energy insertion destinations. Current Ares V Point-of-Departure (51.00.48) exceeds Saturn mass capability by approx.40%. Ares V Lunar Capabilities Concept Review analysis focused on meeting lunar requirements and developing margin. Ares V is sensitive to Loiter, Attitude, Power, and Altitude requirements in addition to payload performance. LCCR-approved 51.00.48 POD 5.5-segment steel case booster/6 engine core) Ares V can meet current Human Lunar Return requirements with approx.6 mT of Margin. LCCR-approved 51.00.47 option maintained (5 segment HTPB composite case booster/6 engine core) can meet HLR requirement with more than 9 mT Margin. Ares V team is actively reaching out to external organizations during this early concept phase to ensure that the Ares V vehicle can be leveraged for national security, scientific and commercial development needs.

Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOS): Structure, Function, and Enzyme-Catalyzed Synthesis.

PubMed

Chen, Xi

2015-01-01

The important roles played by human milk oligosaccharides (HMOS), the third major component of human milk, in the health of breast-fed infants have been increasingly recognized, as the structures of more than 100 different HMOS have now been elucidated. Despite the recognition of the various functions of HMOS as prebiotics, antiadhesive antimicrobials, and immunomodulators, the roles and the applications of individual HMOS species are less clear. This is mainly due to the limited accessibility to large amounts of individual HMOS in their pure forms. Current advances in the development of enzymatic, chemoenzymatic, whole-cell, and living-cell systems allow for the production of a growing number of HMOS in increasing amounts. This effort will greatly facilitate the elucidation of the important roles of HMOS and allow exploration into the applications of HMOS both as individual compounds and as mixtures of defined structures with desired functions. The structures, functions, and enzyme-catalyzed synthesis of HMOS are briefly surveyed to provide a general picture about the current progress on these aspects. Future efforts should be devoted to elucidating the structures of more complex HMOS, synthesizing more complex HMOS including those with branched structures, and developing HMOS-based or HMOS-inspired prebiotics, additives, and therapeutics. © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

On the use of controls for subsonic transport performance improvement: Overview and future directions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gilyard, Glenn; Espana, Martin

1994-01-01

Increasing competition among airline manufacturers and operators has highlighted the issue of aircraft efficiency. Fewer aircraft orders have led to an all-out efficiency improvement effort among the manufacturers to maintain if not increase their share of the shrinking number of aircraft sales. Aircraft efficiency is important in airline profitability and is key if fuel prices increase from their current low. In a continuing effort to improve aircraft efficiency and develop an optimal performance technology base, NASA Dryden Flight Research Center developed and flight tested an adaptive performance seeking control system to optimize the quasi-steady-state performance of the F-15 aircraft. The demonstrated technology is equally applicable to transport aircraft although with less improvement. NASA Dryden, in transitioning this technology to transport aircraft, is specifically exploring the feasibility of applying adaptive optimal control techniques to performance optimization of redundant control effectors. A simulation evaluation of a preliminary control law optimizes wing-aileron camber for minimum net aircraft drag. Two submodes are evaluated: one to minimize fuel and the other to maximize velocity. This paper covers the status of performance optimization of the current fleet of subsonic transports. Available integrated controls technologies are reviewed to define approaches using active controls. A candidate control law for adaptive performance optimization is presented along with examples of algorithm operation.

The Impact of the Patient-Centered Medical Home on Health Care Disparities: Exploring Stakeholder Perspectives on Current Standards and Future Directions.

PubMed

De Marchis, Emilia H; Doekhie, Kirti; Willard-Grace, Rachel; Olayiwola, J Nwando

2018-06-19

Over the past decade, the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) has become a preeminent model for primary care delivery. Simultaneously, health care disparities have gained increasing attention. There has been limited research on whether and how the PCMH can or should affect health care disparities. The authors conducted qualitative interviews with key stakeholders and experts on the PCMH model and health care disparities, including grant and policy makers, accreditors, researchers, patient advocates, primary care practices, practice transformation organizations, and payers, to assess perspectives on the role of the PCMH in addressing health care disparities. The application of grounded theory and thematic analysis elucidated best practice recommendations for the PCMH model's role in addressing health care disparities. Although the majority of stakeholders support greater integration of efforts to reduce health care disparities into the PCMH model, most stakeholders view the current PCMH model as having minimal or indirect influence on health care disparities. The majority supported greater integration of efforts to reduce health care disparities into the PCMH model. As the PCMH model continues to be refined, and as the health care system strives toward improving population health, there must be reflection on the policies and delivery systems that impact health care disparities.

KRAS Mutant Pancreatic Cancer: No Lone Path to an Effective Treatment

PubMed Central

Zeitouni, Daniel; Pylayeva-Gupta, Yuliya; Der, Channing J.; Bryant, Kirsten L.

2016-01-01

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is among the deadliest cancers with a dismal 7% 5-year survival rate and is projected to become the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths by 2020. KRAS is mutated in 95% of PDACs and is a well-validated driver of PDAC growth and maintenance. However, despite comprehensive efforts, an effective anti-RAS drug has yet to reach the clinic. Different paths to inhibiting RAS signaling are currently under investigation in the hope of finding a successful treatment. Recently, direct RAS binding molecules have been discovered, challenging the perception that RAS is an “undruggable” protein. Other strategies currently being pursued take an indirect approach, targeting proteins that facilitate RAS membrane association or downstream effector signaling. Unbiased genetic screens have identified synthetic lethal interactors of mutant RAS. Most recently, metabolic targets in pathways related to glycolytic signaling, glutamine utilization, autophagy, and macropinocytosis are also being explored. Harnessing the patient’s immune system to fight their cancer is an additional exciting route that is being considered. The “best” path to inhibiting KRAS has yet to be determined, with each having promise as well as potential pitfalls. We will summarize the state-of-the-art for each direction, focusing on efforts directed toward the development of therapeutics for pancreatic cancer patients with mutated KRAS. PMID:27096871

Human Factors in Training

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barshi, Immanuel; Byme, Vicky; Arsintescu, Lucia

2008-01-01

Future space missions will be significantly longer than current Shuttle missions and new systems will be more complex than current systems. Increasing communication delays between crews and Earth-based support means that astronauts need to be prepared to handle the unexpected on their own. As crews become more autonomous, their potential span of control and required expertise must grow to match their autonomy. It is not possible to train for every eventuality ahead of time on the ground, or to maintain trained skills across long intervals of disuse. To adequately prepare NASA personnel for these challenges, new training approaches, methodologies, and tools are required. This research project aims at developing these training capabilities. Training efforts in FY07 strongly focused on crew medical training, but also began exploring how Space Flight Resource Management training for Mission Operations Directorate (MOD) Flight Controllers could be integrated with systems training for optimal Mission Control Center operations. Beginning in January 2008, the training research effort will include team training prototypes and tools. The Training Task addresses Program risks that lie at the intersection of the following three risks identified by the Project: 1) Risk associated with poor task design; 2) Risk of error due to inadequate information; 3) Risk associated with reduced safety and efficiency due to poor human factors design.

Bay in Flux: Marine Climate Impacts, Art and Tablet App Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kintisch, E. S.

2012-12-01

Bay in Flux is a year-long experimental effort to design and develop interactive tablet computer apps exploring the marine impacts of climate change. The goal is to convey, visualize and enliven scientific ideas around this topic, while engaging a broad audience through the design of interactive content. Pioneering new models of scientist-artist collaborations are a central part of the effort as well. The project begins with an innovative studio class at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) called Bay in Flux, taught in the Fall 2012 semester. Its three instructor team includes two artist-designers and one science reporter, with active collaborations from affiliated marine scientists. The subject matter focus is the Narragansett Bay, which has shown physical, chemical and ecological impacts of climate change, along with the ongoing efforts of researchers to explain and characterize it. In exploring this rich story, we intend to innovate pioneering means of handling narrative material on interactive e-books, enable data collection by citizen scientists or devise game-like simulations to enable audiences to explore and understand complex natural systems. The lessons we seek to learn in this project include: how to effectively encourage collaborations between scientists and designers around digital design; how to pioneer new and compelling ways to tell science-based nonfiction stories on tablets; and how art and design students with no scientific training can engage with complex scientific content effectively. The project will also challenge us to think about the tablet computer not only as a data output device -- in which the user reads, watches, or interacts with provided content -- but also as a dynamic and ideal tool for mobile data input, enabling citizen science projects and novel connections between working researchers and the public. The intended audience could include high school students or older audiences who currently eschew science journalism. HTML5 is the likely language of choice, with the iPad being the initial intended platform. Following the fall class, a spring 2013 effort will involve developing a prototype app. Partners in the Bay in Flux project are the Knight Science Journalism program at MIT, RISD and the National Science Foundation's Rhode Island Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research. Ultimately, the goal is to foster new ways for artists and designers to collaborate with scientists in the environmental field while reaching broad audiences.

Military efforts in nanosensors, 3D printing, and imaging detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, Eugene; Booth, Janice C.; Roberts, J. Keith; Brantley, Christina L.; Crutcher, Sihon H.; Whitley, Michael; Kranz, Michael; Seif, Mohamed; Ruffin, Paul

2017-04-01

A team of researchers and support organizations, affiliated with the Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center (AMRDEC), has initiated multidiscipline efforts to develop nano-based structures and components for advanced weaponry, aviation, and autonomous air/ground systems applications. The main objective of this research is to exploit unique phenomena for the development of novel technology to enhance warfighter capabilities and produce precision weaponry. The key technology areas that the authors are exploring include nano-based sensors, analysis of 3D printing constituents, and nano-based components for imaging detection. By integrating nano-based devices, structures, and materials into weaponry, the Army can revolutionize existing (and future) weaponry systems by significantly reducing the size, weight, and cost. The major research thrust areas include the development of carbon nanotube sensors to detect rocket motor off-gassing; the application of current methodologies to assess materials used for 3D printing; and the assessment of components to improve imaging seekers. The status of current activities, associated with these key areas and their implementation into AMRDEC's research, is outlined in this paper. Section #2 outlines output data, graphs, and overall evaluations of carbon nanotube sensors placed on a 16 element chip and exposed to various environmental conditions. Section #3 summarizes the experimental results of testing various materials and resulting components that are supplementary to additive manufacturing/fused deposition modeling (FDM). Section #4 recapitulates a preliminary assessment of the optical and electromechanical components of seekers in an effort to propose components and materials that can work more effectively.

NASA Efforts on Nanotechnology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miranda, Felix A.

2003-01-01

An overview of the field of nanotechnology within the theme of "New efforts in Nanotechnology Research," will be presented. NASA's interest, requirements and current efforts in this emerging field will be discussed. In particular, NASA efforts to develop nanoelectronic devices, fuel cells, and other applications of interest using this novel technology by collaborating with academia will be addressed. Progress on current collaborations in this area with the University of Puerto Rico will be highlighted.

Positioning continuing education: boundaries and intersections between the domains continuing education, knowledge translation, patient safety and quality improvement.

PubMed

Kitto, Simon; Bell, Mary; Peller, Jennifer; Sargeant, Joan; Etchells, Edward; Reeves, Scott; Silver, Ivan

2013-03-01

Public and professional concern about health care quality, safety and efficiency is growing. Continuing education, knowledge translation, patient safety and quality improvement have made concerted efforts to address these issues. However, a coordinated and integrated effort across these domains is lacking. This article explores and discusses the similarities and differences amongst the four domains in relation to their missions, stakeholders, methods, and limitations. This paper highlights the potential for a more integrated and collaborative partnership to promote networking and information sharing amongst the four domains. This potential rests on the premise that an integrated approach may result in the development and implementation of more holistic and effective interdisciplinary interventions. In conclusion, an outline of current research that is informed by the preliminary findings in this paper is also briefly discussed. The research concerns a comprehensive mapping of the relationships between the domains to gain an understanding of potential dissonances between how the domains represent themselves, their work and the work of their 'partner' domains.

Carbon Dioxide Reduction Post-Processing Sub-System Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abney, Morgan B.; Miller, Lee A.; Greenwood, Zachary; Barton, Katherine

2012-01-01

The state-of-the-art Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Reduction Assembly (CRA) on the International Space Station (ISS) facilitates the recovery of oxygen from metabolic CO2. The CRA utilizes the Sabatier process to produce water with methane as a byproduct. The methane is currently vented overboard as a waste product. Because the CRA relies on hydrogen for oxygen recovery, the loss of methane ultimately results in a loss of oxygen. For missions beyond low earth orbit, it will prove essential to maximize oxygen recovery. For this purpose, NASA is exploring an integrated post-processor system to recover hydrogen from CRA methane. The post-processor, called a Plasma Pyrolysis Assembly (PPA) partially pyrolyzes methane to recover hydrogen with acetylene as a byproduct. In-flight operation of post-processor will require a Methane Purification Assembly (MePA) and an Acetylene Separation Assembly (ASepA). Recent efforts have focused on the design, fabrication, and testing of these components. The results and conclusions of these efforts will be discussed as well as future plans.

Chain conformations and phase behavior of conjugated polymers.

PubMed

Kuei, Brooke; Gomez, Enrique D

2016-12-21

Conjugated polymers may play an important role in various emerging optoelectronic applications because they combine the chemical versatility of organic molecules and the flexibility, stretchability and toughness of polymers with semiconducting properties. Nevertheless, in order to achieve the full potential of conjugated polymers, a clear description of how their structure, morphology, and macroscopic properties are interrelated is needed. We propose that the starting point for understanding conjugated polymers includes understanding chain conformations and phase behavior. Efforts to predict and measure the persistence length have significantly refined our intuition of the chain stiffness, and have led to predictions of nematic-to-isotropic transitions. Exploring mixing between conjugated polymers and small molecules or other polymers has demonstrated tremendous advancements in attaining the needed properties for various optoelectronic devices. Current efforts continue to refine our knowledge of chain conformations and phase behavior and the factors that influence these properties, thereby providing opportunities for the development of novel optoelectronic materials based on conjugated polymers.

Petitioning for Social Change: Letters to Religious Leaders From Gay Men and Their Family Allies.

PubMed

Etengoff, Chana

2017-01-01

Coming out is often described as challenging, especially for individuals from conservative religious communities (Etengoff, 2013). In an effort to explore how these sociocultural conflicts are mediated, gay men (n = 16) and their family allies (n = 9) from Christian and Jewish communities wrote letters to religious leaders regarding current sexual minority policies and whether they should change or remain the same. Petitioning tasks were selected as letters can shift author-audience relations to allow for non-normative and unscripted expressions (Daiute & Lightfoot, 2004). Sixteen of the 25 participants addressed their letters to a specific religious figure, illustrating the sociorelational applicability of the task. Ninety-three problems and 75 solutions were discussed, supporting prior discussions of petitioning tasks as a form of living history and conflict mediation (Daiute, 2010). Moreover, 20 of the 25 participants wrote about humanization needs (e.g., "We are not freaks at a freak show"), providing new conceptual structures for participatory research efforts, policy initiatives, and clinical applications.

Biomaterial delivery of morphogens to mimic the natural healing cascade in bone.

PubMed

Mehta, Manav; Schmidt-Bleek, Katharina; Duda, Georg N; Mooney, David J

2012-09-01

Complications in treatment of large bone defects using bone grafting still remain. Our understanding of the endogenous bone regeneration cascade has inspired the exploration of a wide variety of growth factors (GFs) in an effort to mimic the natural signaling that controls bone healing. Biomaterial-based delivery of single exogenous GFs has shown therapeutic efficacy, and this likely relates to its ability to recruit and promote replication of cells involved in tissue development and the healing process. However, as the natural bone healing cascade involves the action of multiple factors, each acting in a specific spatiotemporal pattern, strategies aiming to mimic the critical aspects of this process will likely benefit from the usage of multiple therapeutic agents. This article reviews the current status of approaches to deliver single GFs, as well as ongoing efforts to develop sophisticated delivery platforms to deliver multiple lineage-directing morphogens (multiple GFs) during bone healing. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Top 40 priorities for science to inform conservation and management policy in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fleishman, Erica; Blockstein, David E.; Hall, John A.; Mascia, Michael B.; Rudd, Murray A.; Scott, J. Michael; Sutherland, William J.; Bartuska, Ann M.; Brown, A. Gordon; Christen, Catherine A.; Clement, Joel P.; DellaSala, Dominick; Duke, Clifford D.; Fiske, Shirley J.; Gosnell, Hannah; Haney, J. Christopher; Hutchins, Michael; Klein, Mary L.; Marqusee, Jeffrey; Noon, Barry R.; Nordgren, John R.; Orbuch, Paul M.; Powell, Jimmie; Quarles, Steven P.; Saterson, Kathryn A.; Stein, Bruce A.; Webster, Michael S.; Vedder, Amy

2011-01-01

To maximize the utility of research to decisionmaking, especially given limited financial resources, scientists must set priorities for their efforts. We present a list of the top 40 high-priority, multidisciplinary research questions directed toward informing some of the most important current and future decisions about management of species, communities, and ecological processes in the United States. The questions were generated by an open, inclusive process that included personal interviews with decisionmakers, broad solicitation of research needs from scientists and policymakers, and an intensive workshop that included scientifically oriented individuals responsible for managing and developing policy related to natural resources. The process differed from previous efforts to set priorities for conservation research in its focus on the engagement of decisionmakers in addition to researchers. The research priorities emphasized the importance of addressing societal context and exploration of trade-offs among alternative policies and actions, as well as more traditional questions related to ecological processes and functions.

Intergenerational Efforts to Develop a Healthy Environment for Everyone: Sustainability as a Human Rights Issue.

PubMed

Kruger, Tina M; Savage, Caroline E; Newsham, Patrick

2014-12-01

As climate change proceeds at an unprecedented rate, concern for the natural environment has increased. The world's population aging also continues to rise at an unprecedented rate, giving greater attention to the implications of an older population. The two trends are linked through the fact that changes to the environment affect older adults, and older adults affect the environment. Sustainability is, therefore, an intergenerational phenomenon, and protecting resources today leaves a positive legacy and enhances quality of life for future generations. Older adults have much to share with younger generations about behaviors that promote sustainable living, yet few sustainability efforts are intergenerational in nature. As large numbers of people currently subsist without secure access to basic needs, ensuring equitable resource consumption for all generations is urgent and aligns with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Through exploring linkages between aging and sustainability, we identify intergenerational strategies to protect the environment and promote human rights and quality of life for older adults. © The Author(s) 2015.

Health benefits of air pollution abatement policy: Role of the shape of the concentration-response function.

PubMed

Pope, C Arden; Cropper, Maureen; Coggins, Jay; Cohen, Aaron

2015-05-01

There is strong evidence that fine particulate matter (aerodynamic diameter<2.5 μm; PM2.5) air pollution contributes to increased risk of disease and death. Estimates of the burden of disease attributable to PM2.5 pollution and benefits of reducing pollution are dependent upon the shape of the concentration response (C-R) functions. Recent evidence suggests that the C-R function between PM2.5 air pollution and mortality risk may be supralinear across wide ranges of exposure. Such results imply that incremental pollution abatement efforts may yield greater benefits in relatively clean areas than in highly polluted areas. The role of the shape of the C-R function in evaluating and understanding the costs and health benefits of air pollution abatement policy is explored. There remain uncertainties regarding the shape of the C-R function, and additional efforts to more fully understand the C-R relationships between PM2.5 and adverse health effects are needed to allow for more informed and effective air pollution abatement policies. Current evidence, however, suggests that there are benefits both from reducing air pollution in the more polluted areas and from continuing to reduce air pollution in cleaner areas. Estimates of the benefits of reducing PM2.5 air pollution are highly dependent upon the shape of the PM2.5-mortality concentration-response (C-R) function. Recent evidence indicates that this C-R function may be supralinear across wide ranges of exposure, suggesting that incremental pollution abatement efforts may yield greater benefits in relatively clean areas than in highly polluted areas. This paper explores the role of the shape of the C-R function in evaluating and understanding the costs and health benefits of PM2.5 air pollution abatement.

Approach for assessing coastal vulnerability to oil spills for prevention and readiness using GIS and the Blowout and Spill Occurrence Model

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

Nelson, J. R.; Grubesic, T. H.; Sim, L.

Increasing interest in offshore hydrocarbon exploration has pushed the operational fronts associated with exploration efforts further offshore into deeper waters and more uncertain subsurface settings. This has become particularly common in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. In this study we develop a spatial vulnerability approach and example assessment to support future spill prevention and improve future response readiness. This effort, which is part of a larger integrated assessment modeling spill prevention effort, incorporated economic and environmental data, and utilized a novel new oil spill simulation model from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory, the Blowout and Spillmore » Occurrence Model (BLOSOM). Specifically, this study demonstrated a novel approach to evaluate potential impacts of hypothetical spill simulations at varying depths and locations in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The simulations are analyzed to assess spatial and temporal trends associated with the oil spill. The approach itself demonstrates how these data, tools and techniques can be used to evaluate potential spatial vulnerability of Gulf communities for various spill scenarios. Results of the hypothetical scenarios evaluated in this study suggest that under conditions like those simulated, a strong westward push by ocean currents and tides may increase the impacts of deep water spills along the Texas coastline, amplifying the vulnerability of communities on the local barrier islands. Ultimately, this approach can be used further to assess a range of conditions and scenarios to better understand potential risks and improve informed decision making for operators, responders, and stakeholders to support spill prevention as well as response readiness.« less

NASA Education Recommendation Report - Education Design Team 2011

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pengra, Trish; Stofan, James

2011-01-01

NASA people are passionate about their work. NASA's missions are exciting to learners of all ages. And since its creation in 1958, NASA's people have been passionate about sharing their inspiring discoveries, research and exploration with students and educators. In May 2010, NASA administration chartered an Education Design Team composed of 12 members chosen from the Office of Education, NASA's Mission Directorates and Centers for their depth of knowledge and education expertise, and directed them to evaluate the Agency's program in the context of current trends in education. By improving NASA's educational offerings, he was confident that the Agency can play a leading role in inspiring student interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as few other organizations can. Through its unique workforce, facilities, research and innovations, NASA can expand its efforts to engage underserved and underrepresented communities in science and mathematics. Through the Agency's STEM education efforts and science and exploration missions, NASA can help the United States successfully compete, prosper and be secure in the 21st century global community. After several months of intense effort, including meeting with education experts; reviewing Administration policies, congressional direction and education research; and seeking input from those passionate about education at NASA, the Education Design Team made six recommendations to improve the impact of NASA's Education Program: (1) Focus the NASA Education Program to improve its impact on areas of greatest national need (2) Identify and strategically manage NASA Education partnerships (3) Participate in National and State STEM Education policy discussions (4) Establish a structure to allow the Office of Education, Centers and Mission Directorates to implement a strategically integrated portfolio (5) Expand the charter of the Education Coordinating Committee to enable deliberate Education Program design (6) Improve communication to inspire learners

Approach for assessing coastal vulnerability to oil spills for prevention and readiness using GIS and the Blowout and Spill Occurrence Model

DOE PAGES

Nelson, J. R.; Grubesic, T. H.; Sim, L.; ...

2015-08-01

Increasing interest in offshore hydrocarbon exploration has pushed the operational fronts associated with exploration efforts further offshore into deeper waters and more uncertain subsurface settings. This has become particularly common in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. In this study we develop a spatial vulnerability approach and example assessment to support future spill prevention and improve future response readiness. This effort, which is part of a larger integrated assessment modeling spill prevention effort, incorporated economic and environmental data, and utilized a novel new oil spill simulation model from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory, the Blowout and Spillmore » Occurrence Model (BLOSOM). Specifically, this study demonstrated a novel approach to evaluate potential impacts of hypothetical spill simulations at varying depths and locations in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The simulations are analyzed to assess spatial and temporal trends associated with the oil spill. The approach itself demonstrates how these data, tools and techniques can be used to evaluate potential spatial vulnerability of Gulf communities for various spill scenarios. Results of the hypothetical scenarios evaluated in this study suggest that under conditions like those simulated, a strong westward push by ocean currents and tides may increase the impacts of deep water spills along the Texas coastline, amplifying the vulnerability of communities on the local barrier islands. Ultimately, this approach can be used further to assess a range of conditions and scenarios to better understand potential risks and improve informed decision making for operators, responders, and stakeholders to support spill prevention as well as response readiness.« less

Avionics Architectures for Exploration: Building a Better Approach for (Human) Spaceflight Avionics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goforth, Montgomery B.; Ratliff, James E.; Hames, Kevin L.; Vitalpur, Sharada V.

2014-01-01

The field of Avionics is advancing far more rapidly in terrestrial applications than in space flight applications. Spaceflight Avionics are not keeping pace with expectations set by terrestrial experience, nor are they keeping pace with the need for increasingly complex automation and crew interfaces as we move beyond Low Earth Orbit. NASA must take advantage of the strides being made by both space-related and terrestrial industries to drive our development and sustaining costs down. This paper describes ongoing efforts by the Avionics Architectures for Exploration (AAE) project chartered by NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Program to evaluate new avionic architectures and technologies, provide objective comparisons of them, and mature selected technologies for flight and for use by other AES projects. Results from the AAE project's FY13 efforts are discussed, along with the status of FY14 efforts and future plans.

Understanding palliative care on the heart failure care team: an innovative research methodology.

PubMed

Lingard, Lorelei A; McDougall, Allan; Schulz, Valerie; Shadd, Joshua; Marshall, Denise; Strachan, Patricia H; Tait, Glendon R; Arnold, J Malcolm; Kimel, Gil

2013-05-01

There is a growing call to integrate palliative care for patients with advanced heart failure (HF). However, the knowledge to inform integration efforts comes largely from interview and survey research with individual patients and providers. This work has been critically important in raising awareness of the need for integration, but it is insufficient to inform solutions that must be enacted not by isolated individuals but by complex care teams. Research methods are urgently required to support systematic exploration of the experiences of patients with HF, family caregivers, and health care providers as they interact as a care team. To design a research methodology that can support systematic exploration of the experiences of patients with HF, caregivers, and health care providers as they interact as a care team. This article describes in detail a methodology that we have piloted and are currently using in a multisite study of HF care teams. We describe three aspects of the methodology: the theoretical framework, an innovative sampling strategy, and an iterative system of data collection and analysis that incorporates four data sources and four analytical steps. We anticipate that this innovative methodology will support groundbreaking research in both HF care and other team settings in which palliative integration efforts are emerging for patients with advanced nonmalignant disease. Copyright © 2013 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

NASA's future space power needs and requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schnyer, A. D.; Sovie, Ronald J.

1990-01-01

The National Space Policy of 1988 established the U.S.'s long-range civil space goals, and has served to guide NASA's recent planning for future space mission operations. One of the major goals was to extend the human presence beyond earth's boundaries and to advance the scientific knowledge of the solar system. A broad spectrum of potential civil space mission opportunities and interests are currently being investigated by NASA to meet the espoused goals. Participation in many of these missions requires power systems with capabilities far beyond what exists today. In other mission examples, advanced power systems technology could enhance mission performance significantly. Power system requirements and issues that need resolution to ensure eventual mission accomplishment are addressed, in conjunction with the ongoing NASA technology development efforts and the need for even greater innovative efforts to match the ambitious solar exploration mission goals. Particular attention is given to potential lunar surface operations and technology goals, based on investigations to date. It is suggested that the nuclear reactor power systems can best meet long-life requirements as well as dramatically reduce the earth-surface-to-lunar-surface transportation costs due to the lunar day/night cycle impact on the solar system's energy storage mass requirements. The state of the art of candidate power systems and elements for the lunar application and the respective exploration technology goals for mission life requirements from 10 to 25 years are examined.

Optimization of the Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA-4EU) in Support of the International Space System and Advanced Exploration Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knox, James C.; Stanley, Christine M.

2015-01-01

The Life Support Systems Project (LSSP) under the Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) program builds upon the work performed under the AES Atmosphere Resource Recovery and Environmental Monitoring (ARREM) project focusing on the numerous technology development areas. The Carbon Dioxide (CO2) removal and associated air drying development efforts are focused on improving the current state-of-the-art system on the International Space Station (ISS) utilizing fixed beds of sorbent pellets by seeking more robust pelletized sorbents, evaluating structured sorbents, and examining alternate bed configurations to improve system efficiency and reliability. A component of the CO2 removal effort utilizes a virtual Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly, revision 4 (CDRA-4) test bed to test a large number of potential operational configurations with independent variations in flow rate, cycle time, heater ramp rate, and set point. Initial ground testing will provide prerequisite source data and provide baseline data in support of the virtual CDRA. Once the configurations with the highest performance and lowest power requirements are determined by the virtual CDRA, the results will be confirmed by testing these configurations with the CDRA-4EU ground test hardware. This paper describes the initial ground testing of select configurations. The development of the virtual CDRA under the AES-LSS Project will be discussed in a companion paper.

Post-Formation Sodium Loss on the Moon: A Bulk Estimate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saxena, P.; Killen, R. M.; Airapetian, V.; Petro, N. E.; Mandell, A. M.

2018-01-01

The Moon and Earth are generally similar in terms of composition, but there exist variations in the abundance of certain elements among the two bodies. These differences are a likely consequence of differing physical evolution of the two bodies over the solar system's history. While previous works have assumed this may be due to conditions during the Moonâ€"TM"s formation, we explore the likelihood that the observed depletion in Sodium in lunar samples may be partially due to post-formation mechanisms. Solar effects, loss from a primordial atmosphere and impacts are some of the dominant post-formation mechanisms that we examine. We describe how our past and current modeling efforts indicate that a significant fraction of the observed depletion of sodium in lunar samples relative to a bulk silicate earth composition may have been due to solar activity, atmospheric loss and impacts. Using profiles of sodium abundances from lunar crustal samples may thus serve as a powerful tool towards exploring conditions on the Moon's surface throughout solar system history. Conditions on the Moon immediately after formation may still be recorded in the lunar crust and may provide a window towards interpreting observations from some of the first rocky exoplanets that will be most amenable to characterization. Potential spatial variation of sodium in the lunar crust may be a relevant consideration for future sample return efforts. Sodium Depletion in the Lunar Crust: Lunar

Introducing NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pendleton, Yvonne

The Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) is focused on the Moon, near Earth asteroids, and the moons of Mars. Comprised of competitively selected teams across the U.S., a growing number of international partnerships around the world, and a small central office located at NASA Ames Research Center, the institute advances collaborative research to bridge science and exploration goals. As a virtual institute, SSERVI brings unique skills and collaborative technologies for enhancing collaborative research between geographically disparate teams. SSERVI is jointly funded through the NASA Science Mission Directorate and the NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. Current U.S. teams include: Dr. Jennifer L. Heldmann, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA; Dr. William Farrell, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD; Prof. Carlé Pieters, Brown University, Providence, RI; Prof. Daniel Britt, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL; Prof. Timothy Glotch, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY; Dr. Mihaly Horanyi, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO; Dr. Ben Bussey, Johns Hopkins Univ. Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD; Dr. David A. Kring, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, TX; and Dr. William Bottke, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO. Interested in becoming part of SSERVI? SSERVI Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN) awards are staggered every 2.5-3yrs, with award periods of five-years per team. SSERVI encourages those who wish to join the institute in the future to engage current teams and international partners regarding potential collaboration, and to participate in focus groups or current team activities now. Joining hand in hand with international partners is a winning strategy for raising the tide of Solar System science around the world. Non-U.S. science organizations can propose to become either Associate or Affiliate members on a no-exchange-of-funds basis. Current international partners include: Canada, Germany, Israel, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. Discussions are ongoing to bring several more partners into the fold. These partnerships have impacted lunar science in a number of ways, resulting in such efforts and groups as the Pan-European Lunar Science Consortium and the Canadian Sudbury Field School. For more information visit sservi.nasa.gov

NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pendleton, Yvonne J.

2015-11-01

NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) represents a close collaboration between science, technology and exploration, and was created to enable a deeper understanding of the Moon and other airless bodies. SSERVI is supported jointly by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate and Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The institute currently focuses on the scientific aspects of exploration as they pertain to the Moon, Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) and the moons of Mars, but the institute goals may expand, depending on NASA's needs, in the future. The 9 initial teams, selected in late 2013 and funded from 2014-2019, have expertise across the broad spectrum of lunar, NEA, and Martian moon sciences. Their research includes various aspects of the surface, interior, exosphere, near-space environments, and dynamics of these bodies.NASA anticipates a small number of additional teams to be selected within the next two years, with a Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN) likely to be released in 2016. Calls for proposals are issued every 2-3 years to allow overlap between generations of institute teams, but the intent for each team is to provide a stable base of funding for a five year period. SSERVI's mission includes acting as a bridge between several groups, joining together researchers from: 1) scientific and exploration communities, 2) multiple disciplines across a wide range of planetary sciences, and 3) domestic and international communities and partnerships.The SSERVI central office is located at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA. The administrative staff at the central office forms the organizational hub for the domestic and international teams and enables the virtual collaborative environment. Interactions with geographically dispersed teams across the U.S., and global partners, occur easily and frequently in a collaborative virtual environment. This poster will provide an overview of the 9 current US teams and international partners, as well as information about outreach efforts and future opportunities to participate in SSERVI.

NASA RPS Program Overview: A Focus on RPS Users

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamley, John A.; Sutliff, Thomas J.; Sandifer, Carl E., II; Zakrajsek, June F.

2016-01-01

The goal of NASA's Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) Program is to make RPS ready and available to support the exploration of the solar system in environments where the use of conventional solar or chemical power generation is impractical or impossible to meet the needs of the missions. To meet this goal, the RPS Program, working closely with the Department of Energy, performs mission and system studies (such as the recently released Nuclear Power Assessment Study), assesses the readiness of promising technologies to infuse in future generators, assesses the sustainment of key RPS capabilities and knowledge, forecasts and tracks the Programs budgetary needs, and disseminates current information about RPS to the community of potential users. This process has been refined and used to determine the current content of the RPS Programs portfolio. This portfolio currently includes an effort to mature advanced thermoelectric technology for possible integration into an enhanced Multi-Mission Radioisotope Generator (eMMRTG), sustainment and production of the currently deployed MMRTG, and technology investments that could lead to a future Stirling Radioisotope Generator (SRG). This paper describes the program planning processes that have been used, the currently available MMRTG, and one of the potential future systems, the eMMRTG.

NASA's Radioisotope Power Systems Planning and Potential Future Systems Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zakrajsek, June F.; Woerner, Dave F.; Cairns-Gallimore, Dirk; Johnson, Stephen G.; Qualls, Louis

2016-01-01

The goal of NASA's Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) Program is to make RPS ready and available to support the exploration of the solar system in environments where the use of conventional solar or chemical power generation is impractical or impossible to meet the needs of the missions. To meet this goal, the RPS Program, working closely with the Department of Energy, performs mission and system studies (such as the recently released Nuclear Power Assessment Study), assesses the readiness of promising technologies to infuse in future generators, assesses the sustainment of key RPS capabilities and knowledge, forecasts and tracks the Program's budgetary needs, and disseminates current information about RPS to the community of potential users. This process has been refined and used to determine the current content of the RPS Program's portfolio. This portfolio currently includes an effort to mature advanced thermoelectric technology for possible integration into an enhanced Multi-Mission Radioisotope Generator (eMMRTG), sustainment and production of the currently deployed MMRTG, and technology investments that could lead to a future Stirling Radioisotope Generator (SRG). This paper describes the program planning processes that have been used, the currently available MMRTG, and one of the potential future systems, the eMMRTG.

NASA's Radioisotope Power Systems Planning and Potential Future Systems Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zakrajsek, June F.; Woerner, Dave F.; Cairns-Gallimore, Dirk; Johnson, Stephen G.; Qualis, Louis

2016-01-01

The goal of NASA's Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) Program is to make RPS ready and available to support the exploration of the solar system in environments where the use of conventional solar or chemical power generation is impractical or impossible to meet the needs of the missions. To meet this goal, the RPS Program, working closely with the Department of Energy, performs mission and system studies (such as the recently released Nuclear Power Assessment Study), assesses the readiness of promising technologies to infuse in future generators, assesses the sustainment of key RPS capabilities and knowledge, forecasts and tracks the Programs budgetary needs, and disseminates current information about RPS to the community of potential users. This process has been refined and used to determine the current content of the RPS Programs portfolio. This portfolio currently includes an effort to mature advanced thermoelectric technology for possible integration into an enhanced Multi-Mission Radioisotope Generator (eMMRTG), sustainment and production of the currently deployed MMRTG, and technology investments that could lead to a future Stirling Radioisotope Generator (SRG). This paper describes the program planning processes that have been used, the currently available MMRTG, and one of the potential future systems, the eMMRTG.

Opportunities for Space Science Education Using Current and Future Solar System Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matiella Novak, M.; Beisser, K.; Butler, L.; Turney, D.

2010-12-01

The Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) office in The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) Space Department strives to excite and inspire the next generation of explorers by creating interactive education experiences. Since 1959, APL engineers and scientists have designed, built, and launched 61 spacecraft and over 150 instruments involved in space science. With the vast array of current and future Solar System exploration missions available, endless opportunities exist for education programs to incorporate the real-world science of these missions. APL currently has numerous education and outreach programs tailored for K-12 formal and informal education, higher education, and general outreach communities. Current programs focus on Solar System exploration missions such as the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM), Miniature Radio Frequency (Mini-RF) Moon explorer, the Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP), New Horizons mission to Pluto, and the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) Satellite, to name a few. Education and outreach programs focusing on K-12 formal education include visits to classrooms, summer programs for middle school students, and teacher workshops. APL hosts a Girl Power event and a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Day each year. Education and outreach specialists hold teacher workshops throughout the year to train educators in using NASA spacecraft science in their lesson plans. High school students from around the U.S. are able to engage in NASA spacecraft science directly by participating in the Mars Exploration Student Data Teams (MESDT) and the Student Principal Investigator Programs. An effort is also made to generate excitement for future missions by focusing on what mysteries will be solved. Higher education programs are used to recruit and train the next generation of scientists and engineers. The NASA/APL Summer Internship Program offers a unique glimpse into the Space Department’s “end-to-end” approach to mission design and execution. College students - both undergraduate and graduate - are recruited from around the U.S. to work with APL scientists and engineers who act as mentors to the students. Many students are put on summer projects that allow them to work with existing spacecraft systems, while others participate in projects that investigate the operational and science objectives of future planned spacecraft systems. In many cases these interns have returned to APL as full-time staff after graduation.

The Depositional and Erosional History of Northwestern Aeolis Mons, Gale Crater, Mars: Insights from Detailed 1:2K Geologic Mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edgar, L. A.; Calef, F. J., III; Thomson, B. J.

2017-12-01

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover is currently exploring the stratigraphy exposed in Aeolis Mons, the central mound of Gale crater. Gale crater has been the target of numerous remote sensing studies, aimed at understanding the origin and evolution of the mound, informally known as Mt. Sharp. A number of efforts have produced geologic maps of the mound and the MSL traverse path, in order to investigate the stratigraphic relationships between different sedimentary units. However, a scale gap exists between local mapping and stratigraphic analyses of the area explored by Curiosity and regional mapping of Aeolis Mons. As Curiosity explores the northwest flank of Aeolis Mons, there is a critical need for investigations to bridge this gap to enable rover-scale observations to be tied to orbital interpretations. This study is focused on detailed geologic mapping and stratigraphic correlations for the northwest flank of Aeolis Mons, including an area that the Curiosity rover will likely explore. The study region covers a 5.8 x 10 km area from approximately 137.27 to 137.44 °E and -4.70 to -4.82 °N. A 25 cm/pixel mosaic produced from images acquired by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera provides a basemap for all mapping, and topographic information is provided by a HiRISE 1 m Digital Terrain Model. Preliminary digital geologic mapping was carried out at a scale of 1:10,000 to provide a framework for detailed geologic mapping efforts. Higher-resolution geologic mapping was then conducted at a scale of 1:2,000, and type localities were identified. As a result of newer, higher-resolution datasets that are now available and more narrowly focused mapping, we identify a number of new geologic units. Erosional remnants of some units point to a substantial erosional history. Collectively, the stratigraphy records diverse sedimentary environments and more variability in the depositional and erosional histories than previously identified. This study helps bridge the gap between previous mapping efforts and detailed rover-scale mapping, and will enable rover observations to be more closely tied to orbital interpretations across the northwest flank of Aeolis Mons.

Multi-Lab EV Smart Grid Integration Requirements Study. Providing Guidance on Technology Development and Demonstration

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

Markel, T.; Meintz, A.; Hardy, K.

2015-05-28

The report begins with a discussion of the current state of the energy and transportation systems, followed by a summary of some VGI scenarios and opportunities. The current efforts to create foundational interface standards are detailed, and the requirements for enabling PEVs as a grid resource are presented. Existing technology demonstrations that include vehicle to grid functions are summarized. The report also includes a data-based discussion on the magnitude and variability of PEVs as a grid resource, followed by an overview of existing simulation tools that vi This report is available at no cost from the National Renewable Energy Laboratorymore » (NREL) at www.nrel.gov/publications. can be used to explore the expansion of VGI to larger grid functions that might offer system and customer value. The document concludes with a summary of the requirements and potential action items that would support greater adoption of VGI.« less

Redefining Quality Measurement in Cancer Care.

PubMed

Nardi, Elizabeth A; McCanney, James; Winckworth-Prejsnar, Katy; Schatz, Alyssa A; Adelson, Kerin; Neubauer, Marcus; Smith, Mary Lou; Walters, Ronald; Carlson, Robert W

2018-05-01

Quality measurement in oncology is increasing in significance as payment schemes shift from volume to value. As demand for quality measures increases, challenges in the development of quality measures, standardization across measures, and the limitations of health information technology have become apparent. Moreover, the time and financial burden associated with developing, tracking, and reporting quality measures are substantial. Despite these challenges, best practices and leaders in the field of quality measurement in oncology have emerged. To understand the current challenges and promising practices in quality measurement and to explore future considerations for measure development and measure reporting in oncology, NCCN convened the NCCN Policy Summit: Redefining Quality Measurement in Oncology. The summit included discussion of the current quality landscape and efforts to develop quality measures, use of quality measures in various programs, patient perspective of quality, and challenges and best practices for quality reporting. Copyright © 2018 by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

Examining accident reports involving autonomous vehicles in California

PubMed Central

Nader, Nazanin; Eurich, Sky O.; Tripp, Michelle; Varadaraju, Naresh

2017-01-01

Autonomous Vehicle technology is quickly expanding its market and has found in Silicon Valley, California, a strong foothold for preliminary testing on public roads. In an effort to promote safety and transparency to consumers, the California Department of Motor Vehicles has mandated that reports of accidents involving autonomous vehicles be drafted and made available to the public. The present work shows an in-depth analysis of the accident reports filed by different manufacturers that are testing autonomous vehicles in California (testing data from September 2014 to March 2017). The data provides important information on autonomous vehicles accidents’ dynamics, related to the most frequent types of collisions and impacts, accident frequencies, and other contributing factors. The study also explores important implications related to future testing and validation of semi-autonomous vehicles, tracing the investigation back to current literature as well as to the current regulatory panorama. PMID:28931022

Examining accident reports involving autonomous vehicles in California.

PubMed

Favarò, Francesca M; Nader, Nazanin; Eurich, Sky O; Tripp, Michelle; Varadaraju, Naresh

2017-01-01

Autonomous Vehicle technology is quickly expanding its market and has found in Silicon Valley, California, a strong foothold for preliminary testing on public roads. In an effort to promote safety and transparency to consumers, the California Department of Motor Vehicles has mandated that reports of accidents involving autonomous vehicles be drafted and made available to the public. The present work shows an in-depth analysis of the accident reports filed by different manufacturers that are testing autonomous vehicles in California (testing data from September 2014 to March 2017). The data provides important information on autonomous vehicles accidents' dynamics, related to the most frequent types of collisions and impacts, accident frequencies, and other contributing factors. The study also explores important implications related to future testing and validation of semi-autonomous vehicles, tracing the investigation back to current literature as well as to the current regulatory panorama.

Medicare Part D Beneficiaries' Plan Switching Decisions and Information Processing.

PubMed

Han, Jayoung; Urmie, Julie

2017-03-01

Medicare Part D beneficiaries tend not to switch plans despite the government's efforts to engage beneficiaries in the plan switching process. Understanding current and alternative plan features is a necessary step to make informed plan switching decisions. This study explored beneficiaries' plan switching using a mixed-methods approach, with a focus on the concept of information processing. We found large variation in beneficiary comprehension of plan information among both switchers and nonswitchers. Knowledge about alternative plans was especially poor, with only about half of switchers and 2 in 10 nonswitchers being well informed about plans other than their current plan. We also found that helpers had a prominent role in plan decision making-nearly twice as many switchers as nonswitchers worked with helpers for their plan selection. Our study suggests that easier access to helpers as well as helpers' extensive involvement in the decision-making process promote informed plan switching decisions.

Advanced Plasma Pyrolysis Assembly (PPA) Reactor and Process Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wheeler, Richard R., Jr.; Hadley, Neal M.; Dahl, Roger W.; Abney, Morgan B.; Greenwood, Zachary; Miller, Lee; Medlen, Amber

2012-01-01

Design and development of a second generation Plasma Pyrolysis Assembly (PPA) reactor is currently underway as part of NASA's Atmosphere Revitalization Resource Recovery effort. By recovering up to 75% of the hydrogen currently lost as methane in the Sabatier reactor effluent, the PPA helps to minimize life support resupply costs for extended duration missions. To date, second generation PPA development has demonstrated significant technology advancements over the first generation device by doubling the methane processing rate while, at the same time, more than halving the required power. One development area of particular interest to NASA system engineers is fouling of the PPA reactor with carbonaceous products. As a mitigation plan, NASA MSFC has explored the feasibility of using an oxidative plasma based upon metabolic CO2 to regenerate the reactor window and gas inlet ports. The results and implications of this testing are addressed along with the advanced PPA reactor development.

Freshwater Metaviromics and Bacteriophages: A Current Assessment of the State of the Art in Relation to Bioinformatic Challenges

PubMed Central

Bruder, Katherine; Malki, Kema; Cooper, Alexandria; Sible, Emily; Shapiro, Jason W.; Watkins, Siobhan C.; Putonti, Catherine

2016-01-01

Advances in bioinformatics and sequencing technologies have allowed for the analysis of complex microbial communities at an unprecedented rate. While much focus is often placed on the cellular members of these communities, viruses play a pivotal role, particularly bacteria-infecting viruses (bacteriophages); phages mediate global biogeochemical processes and drive microbial evolution through bacterial grazing and horizontal gene transfer. Despite their importance and ubiquity in nature, very little is known about the diversity and structure of viral communities. Though the need for culture-based methods for viral identification has been somewhat circumvented through metagenomic techniques, the analysis of metaviromic data is marred with many unique issues. In this review, we examine the current bioinformatic approaches for metavirome analyses and the inherent challenges facing the field as illustrated by the ongoing efforts in the exploration of freshwater phage populations. PMID:27375355

Finding Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) Destinations for Human Exploration: Implications for Astrobiology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landis, Rob; Abell, Paul; Barbee, Brent; Johnson, Lindley

2012-01-01

The current number of known potential NEA targets for HSF is limited to those objects whose orbital characteristics are similar to that of the Earth. This is due to the projected capabilities of the exploration systems currently under consideration and development at NASA. However, NEAs with such orbital characteristics often have viewing geometries that place them at low solar elongations and thus are difficult to detect from the vicinity of Earth. While ongoing ground-based surveys and data archives maintained by the NEO Program Observation Program Office and the Minor Planet Center (MPC) have provided a solid basis upon which to build, a more complete catalog of the NEO population is required to inform a robust and sustainable HSF exploration program. Since all the present NEO observing assets are currently confined to the vicinity of the Earth, additional effort must be made to provide capabilities for detection of additional HSF targets via assets beyond Earth orbit. A space-based NEO survey telescope located beyond the vicinity of the Earth, has considerable implications for planetary science and astrobiology. Such a telescope will provide foundational knowledge of our Solar System small body population and detect targets of interest for both the HSF and scientific communities. Data from this asset will yield basic characterization data on the NEOs observed (i.e., albedo, size determination, potential for volatiles and organics, etc.) and help down select targets for future HSF missions. Ideally, the most attractive targets from both HSF and astrobiology perspectives are those NEAs that may contain organic and volatile materials, and which could be effectively sampled at a variety of locations and depths. Presented here is an overview of four space-based survey concepts; any one of which after just a few years of operation will discover many highly accessible NEO targets suitable for robotic and human exploration. Such a space-based survey mission will reveal incredible returns for several disciplines including: exploration, in situ resource utilization, planetary defense, and science. Of particular, interest to the scientific

Human Exploration of Mars Design Reference Architecture 5.0, Addendum #2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drake, Bret G. (Editor); Watts Kevin D. (Editor)

2014-01-01

This report serves as the second Addendum to NASA-SP-2009-566, "Human Exploration of Mars Design Reference Architecture 5.0." The data and descriptions contained within this Addendum capture some of the key assessments and studies produced since publication of the original document, predominately covering those conducted from 2009 through 2012. The assessments and studies described herein are for the most part independent stand-alone contributions. Effort has not been made to assimilate the findings to provide an updated integrated strategy. That is a recognized future effort. This report should not be viewed as constituting a formal plan for the human exploration of Mars.

Heroes and Legends Exhibit

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-07

The Heroes and Legends attraction at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex honors what it takes to be a hero. In the center of this display are models of rockets that played key roles in the history of NASA's efforts to explore space. The new facility looks back to the pioneering efforts of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. It sets the stage by providing the background and context for space exploration and the legendary men and women who pioneered the nation's journey into space.

Current Reform Efforts in Mathematics Education. ERIC/CSMEE Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Thomas G.

The current reform effort in mathematics education has its roots in the decade of the 1980's and the national reports that focused attention on an impending crisis in education, particularly in mathematics and science. Within this context, dozens of individual reform efforts have been initiated in recent years. Many have focused on the development…

International Planning for Subglacial Lake Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kennicutt, M.; Priscu, J.

2003-04-01

As one of the last unexplored frontiers on our planet, subglacial lakes offer a unique and exciting venue for exploration and research. Over the past several years, subglacial lakes have captured the imagination of the scientific community and public, evoking images of potential exotic life forms surviving under some of the most extreme conditions on earth. Various planning activities have recognized that due to the remote and harsh conditions, that a successful subglacial lake exploration program will entail a concerted effort for a number of years. It will also require an international commitment of major financial and human resources. To begin a detailed planning process, the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) convened the Subglacial Antarctic Lake Exploration Group of Specialists (SALEGOS) in Tokyo in 2000. The group was asked to build on previous workshops and meetings to develop a plan to explore subglacial lake environments. Its mandate adopted the guiding principles as agreed in Cambridge in 1999 that the program would be interdisciplinary in scope, be designed for minimum contamination and disturbance of the subglacial lake environment, have as a goal lake entry and sample retrieval, and that the ultimate target of the program should be Lake Vostok exploration. Since its formation SALEGOS has met three times and addressed some of the more intractable issues related to subglacial lake exploration. Topics under discussion include current state-of-the-knowledge of subglacial environments, technological needs, international management and organizational strategies, a portfolio of scientific projects, "clean" requirements, and logistical considerations. In this presentation the actvities of SALEGOS will be summarized and recommendations for an international subglacial lake exploration program discussed.

Workshop on Science and the Human Exploration of Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duke, M. B. (Editor)

2001-01-01

The exploration of Mars will be a multi-decadal activity. Currently, a scientific program is underway, sponsored by NASA's Office of Space Science in the United States, in collaboration with international partners France, Italy, and the European Space Agency. Plans exist for the continuation of this robotic program through the first automated return of Martian samples in 2014. Mars is also a prime long-term objective for human exploration, and within NASA, efforts are being made to provide the best integration of the robotic program and future human exploration missions. From the perspective of human exploration missions, it is important to understand the scientific objectives of human missions, in order to design the appropriate systems, tools, and operational capabilities to maximize science on those missions. In addition, data from the robotic missions can provide critical environmental data - surface morphology, materials composition, evaluations of potential toxicity of surface materials, radiation, electrical and other physical properties of the Martian environment, and assessments of the probability that humans would encounter Martian life forms. Understanding of the data needs can lead to the definition of experiments that can be done in the near-term that will make the design of human missions more effective. This workshop was convened to begin a dialog between the scientific community that is central to the robotic exploration mission program and a set of experts in systems and technologies that are critical to human exploration missions. The charge to the workshop was to develop an understanding of the types of scientific exploration that would be best suited to the human exploration missions and the capabilities and limitations of human explorers in undertaking science on those missions.

Farmer Participation in U.S. Farm Bill Conservation Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reimer, Adam P.; Prokopy, Linda S.

2014-02-01

Conservation policy in agricultural systems in the United States relies primarily on voluntary action by farmers. Federal conservation programs, including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, offer incentives, both financial and technical, to farmers in exchange for adoption of conservation practices. Understanding motivations for (as well as barriers to) participation in voluntary programs is important for the design of future policy and effective outreach. While a significant literature has explored motivations and barriers to conservation practice adoption and participation in single programs, few studies in the U.S. context have explored general participation by farmers in one place and time. A mixed-methods research approach was utilized to explore farmer participation in all U.S. Farm Bill programs in Indiana. Current and past program engagement was high, with nearly half of survey respondents reporting participation in at least one program. Most participants had experience with the Conservation Reserve Program, with much lower participation rates in other programs. Most interview participants who had experience in programs were motivated by the environmental benefits of practices, with incentives primarily serving to reduce the financial and technical barriers to practice adoption. The current policy arrangement, which offers multiple policy approaches to conservation, offers farmers with different needs and motivations a menu of options. However, evidence suggests that the complexity of the system may be a barrier that prevents participation by farmers with scarce time or resources. Outreach efforts should focus on increasing awareness of program options, while future policy must balance flexibility of programs with complexity.

Direct Energy Conversion for Nuclear Propulsion at Low Specific Mass

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scott, John H.

2014-01-01

The project will continue the FY13 JSC IR&D (October-2012 to September-2013) effort in Travelling Wave Direct Energy Conversion (TWDEC) in order to demonstrate its potential as the core of a high potential, game-changing, in-space propulsion technology. The TWDEC concept converts particle beam energy into radio frequency (RF) alternating current electrical power, such as can be used to heat the propellant in a plasma thruster. In a more advanced concept (explored in the Phase 1 NIAC project), the TWDEC could also be utilized to condition the particle beam such that it may transfer directed kinetic energy to a target propellant plasma for the purpose of increasing thrust and optimizing the specific impulse. The overall scope of the FY13 first-year effort was to build on both the 2012 Phase 1 NIAC research and the analysis and test results produced by Japanese researchers over the past twenty years to assess the potential for spacecraft propulsion applications. The primary objective of the FY13 effort was to create particle-in-cell computer simulations of a TWDEC. Other objectives included construction of a breadboard TWDEC test article, preliminary test calibration of the simulations, and construction of first order power system models to feed into mission architecture analyses with COPERNICUS tools. Due to funding cuts resulting from the FY13 sequestration, only the computer simulations and assembly of the breadboard test article were completed. The simulations, however, are of unprecedented flexibility and precision and were presented at the 2013 AIAA Joint Propulsion Conference. Also, the assembled test article will provide an ion current density two orders of magnitude above that available in previous Japanese experiments, thus enabling the first direct measurements of power generation from a TWDEC for FY14. The proposed FY14 effort will use the test article for experimental validation of the computer simulations and thus complete to a greater fidelity the mission analysis products originally conceived for FY13.

Test and Evaluation of an Eddy Current Clutch/Brake Propulsion System

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1975-01-01

This report covers the Phase II effort of a program to develop and test a 15 hp eddy-current clutch propulsion system. Included in the Phase 2 effort are the test and evaluation of the eddy-current clutch propulsion system on board a test vehicle. Th...

Explorations in Education and Public Outreach in Space Sciences - a Wisconsin Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Limaye, S. S.; Pertzborn, R. A.

1999-09-01

To better serve the Education and Public Outreach needs of federally funded space science research programs at the University of Wisconsin, an Office of Space Science Education has recently been established on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. This office also acts as the campus focus for the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium, and has undertaken a broad spectrum of interdisciplinary space science programs in the past several years. These activities range from a public exhibition focusing on current space exploration in conjunction with the DPS '98 meeting in Madison, WI that attracted over 5,000 students and teachers from across the state, to organizing state-of-the-art HDTV presentations on earth remote sensing topics at a Milwaukee science museum. Programs for students have included development and support of a six week solar system exploration program in the Milwaukee Public Schools for at-risk students, a two week college access program for minority middle school students, the NASA/QEM/SHARP Plus program for minority high school students, and a web based journal for middle school science projects (SPARK). Teacher professional development efforts include summer workshops for academic credit, year-round classroom support for pilot school programs, and support for development of standards-based curriculum in both space science and earth remote sensing topics. Public outreach activities have included evening family activities and public lectures at the Space Place, an off-campus outreach center, and an ask-a-scientist web based program. These efforts continue to affirm the need for effective outreach programs for diverse and multigenerational communities. In spite of the growing recognition at both the state and federal level for an improved level of literacy in the space-related sciences, sustainable support, program opportunities and logistical implementation continue to pose significant challenges. We gratefully acknowledge the support we have received from NASA, NOAA, the Division for Planetary Sciences of the AAS (space exploration exhibition), the University of Wisconsin System and the Eisenhower Professional Development Program.

NOAA International Polar Year Formal And Informal Education Projects: Climate Change And Exploration At The Poles During The Forth International Polar Year

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niepold, F.; Kermond, J.

2006-12-01

The Polar Regions play an integral role in how our Earth system operates. However, the Polar Regions are marginally studied in the K-12 classroom in the United States. The International Polar Year's (IPY) coordinated campaign of polar observations, research, and analysis that will be multidisciplinary in scope and international in participation offers a powerful opportunity for K-12 classroom. The IPY's scientific objective to better understand the key roles of the Polar Regions in global processes will allow students a window into the poles and this unique regions role in the Earth system. IPY will produce careful, useful scientific information that will advance our understanding of the Polar Regions and their connections to the rest of the globe. The IPY is an opportunity to inspire the next generation of very young Earth system scientists. This IPY's will education & outreach position paper asks a key question that must guide future educational projects; "Why is the polar regions and polar research important to all people on earth"? In efforts to coordinate educational activities and collaborate with international projects, United States national agencies, NOAA, NASA, USGS and NSF to mention a few, and other educational initiatives, it is the purpose of this session to explore potential partnerships, while primarily recommending a model for educational product development and review. In the context of the 125 year legacy of IPY, this talk will provide an opportunity to discuss the NOAA Arctic programs current arctic research and explorations, projects being planned for this IPY, its education related activities, new and innovative efforts to capture the inherent mystique of polar regions and describe the process of scientific research relating to IPY. In addition, numerous teacher professional development opportunities, newly developed curricula, and other public events will be introduced so scientists, teachers and their students can find ways to explore the changing arctic in-person or through tele-presences venues.

US and Cuban Scientists Forge Collaboration on Arbovirus Research.

PubMed

Pérez-Ávila, Jorge; Guzmán-Tirado, Maria G; Fraga-Nodarse, Jorge; Handley, Gray; Meegan, James; Pelegrino-Martínez de la Cotera, Jose L; Fauci, Anthony S

2018-04-01

After December 17, 2014, when the US and Cuban governments announced their intent to restore relations, the two countries participated in various exchange activities in an effort to encourage cooperation in public health, health research and biomedical sciences. The conference entitled Exploring Opportunities for Arbovirus Research Collaboration, hosted at Havana's Hotel Nacional, was part of these efforts and was the first major US-Cuban scientific conference in over 50 years. Its purpose was to share information about current arbovirus research and recent findings, and to explore opportunities for future joint research. The nearly 100 participants included leading arbovirus and vector transmission experts from ten US academic institutions, NIH, CDC, FDA and the US Department of Defense. Cuban participants included researchers, clinicians and students from Cuba's Ministry of Public Health, Pedro Kourí Tropical Medicine Institute, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Center for State Control of Medicines and Medical Devices and other health research and regulatory organizations. Topics highlighted at the three-day meeting included surveillance, research and epidemiology; pathogenesis, immunology and virology; treatment and diagnosis; vector biology and control; vaccine development and clinical trials; and regulatory matters. Concurrent breakout discussions focused on novel vector control, nonvector transmission, community engagement, Zika in pregnancy, and workforce development. Following the conference, the Pedro Kourí Tropical Medicine Institute and the US National Institute of Allergic and Infectious Diseases have continued to explore ways to encourage and support scientists in Cuba and the USA who wish to pursue arbovirus research cooperation to advance scientific discovery to improve disease prevention and control. KEYWORDS Arboviruses, flavivirus, Zika virus, chikungunya virus, dengue virus, research, disease vectors, Cuba, USA.

Principal Components Analysis of Reflectance Spectra Returned by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mercer, C. M.; Cohen, Barbara A.

2010-01-01

The Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has spent over six years exploring the Martian surface near its landing site at Meridiani Planum. Meridiani bedrock observed by the rover is largely characterized by sulfate-rich sandstones and hematite spherules, recording evidence of ancient aqueous environments [1]. The region is a deflationary surface, allowing hematite spherules, fragments of bedrock, and "cobbles" of foreign origin to collect loosely on the surface. These cobbles may be meteorites (e.g., Barberton, Heat Shield Rock, Santa Catarina) [2], or rock fragments of exotic composition derived from adjacent terranes or from the subsurface and delivered to Meridiani Planum as impact ejecta [3]. The cobbles provide a way to better understand Martian meteorites and the lithologic diversity of Meridiani Planum by examining the various rock types located there. In the summer of 2007, a global dust storm on Mars effectively disabled Opportunity's Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer (Mini-TES), which served as the Athena Science Team s primary tool for remotely identifying rocks of interest on a tactical timescale for efficient rover planning. While efforts are ongoing to recover use of the Mini-TES, the team is currently limited to identifying rocks of interest by visual inspection of images returned from Opportunity's Panoramic Camera (Pancam). This study builds off of previous efforts to characterize cobbles at Meridiani Planum using a database of reflectance spectra extracted from Pancam 13-Filter (13F) images [3]. We analyzed the variability of rock spectra in this database and identified physical characteristics of Martian rocks that could potentially account for the observed variance. By understanding such trends, we may be able to distinguish between rock types at Meridiani Planum and regain the capability to remotely identify locally unique rocks.

Fatigue-Related Countermeasures for Long-Duration Exploration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitmire, A.; Johnston, S.; Sipes, W.

2014-01-01

The NASA Human Research Program's (HRP) Behavioral Health and Performance Element (BHP) supports and conducts research to mitigate deleterious outcomes related to fatigue, sleep loss, circadian desynchronization, and work overload. Objective evidence indicates that within the context of the International Space Station (ISS), sleep is reduced and there is circadian misalignment. Despite chronic sleep loss and high workloads; however, astronauts successfully complete their missions. Contributing to their success is not only the tremendous skills and capabilities of each astronaut, but also the collaborative team efforts amongst the crew, between flight and ground crews, and through real-time care provided by medical personnel. It is anticipated that risks to human health and performance will increase in the context of exploration missions, where crewmembers will venture to deep space for extended durations and in small vehicles with limited communication with home. Hence, fatigue-related countermeasures are being developed and/or validated that include unobtrusive monitoring technologies to detect fatigue-related performance decrements, environmental countermeasures, and sleep education and training for flight and ground crews. Given that fatigue is an issue in current ISS missions, the BHP works collaboratively with Space Medicine operations to collect data in the operational environment, to validate fatigue-related countermeasures, and provide evidence-based mitigations. Our presentation will summarize fatigue-related operational research that is underway through NASA's BHP in partnership with its operational counterparts. Efforts include studies evaluating the effects of hypnotics, lighting protocols as countermeasures for circadian entrainment, and investigations involving education and training. This presentation will further identify, based on flight and terrestrial evidence, additional sleep and circadian countermeasures that may still be needed to support exploration missions. Lessons learned from transitioning research deliverables into ISS operations will also be discussed.

Space Radiation Protection, Space Weather, and Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zapp, Neal; Rutledge, R.; Semones, E. J.; Johnson, A. S.; Guetersloh, S.; Fry, D.; Stoffle, N.; Lee, K.

2008-01-01

Management of crew exposure to radiation is a major concern for manned spaceflight -- and will be even more important for the modern concept of longer-duration exploration. The inherent protection afforded to astronauts by the magnetic field of the Earth in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) makes operations on the space shuttle or space station very different from operations during an exploration mission. In order to experience significant radiation-derived Loss of Mission (LOM) or Loss of Crew (LOC) risk for LEO operations, one is almost driven to dictate extreme duration or to dictate an extreme sequence of solar activity. Outside of the geo-magnetosphere, however, this scenario changes dramatically. Exposures to the same event on the ISS and on the surface of the Moon may differ by multiple orders of magnitude. This change in magnitude, coupled with the logistical constraints present in implementing any practical operational mitigation make situational awareness with regard to space weather a limiting factor for our ability to conduct exploration operations. With these differences in risk to crew, vehicle and mission in mind, we present the status of the efforts currently underway as the required development to enable exploration operations. The changes in the operating environment as crewed operations begin to stretch away from the Earth are changing the way we think about the lines between "research" and "operations". The real, practical work to enable a permanent human presence away from Earth has already begun.

New Direction of NASA Exploration Life Support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chambliss, Joe; Lawson, B. Michael; Barta, Daniel J.

2006-01-01

NASA's activities in life support Research and Technology Development (R&TD) have changed in both focus and scope following implementation of recommendations from the Exploration System Architecture Study (ESAS). The limited resources available and the compressed schedule to conduct life support R&TD have required that future efforts address the needs of the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), the Lunar Surface Access Module (LSAM) and Lunar Outpost (LO). Advanced Life Support (ALS) efforts related to long duration planetary bases have been deferred or canceled. This paper describes the scope of the new Exploration Life Support (ELS) project; how it differs from ALS, and how it supports critical needs for the CEV, LSAM and LO. In addition, this paper provides rationale for changes in the scope and focus of technical content within ongoing life support R&TD activities.

Attitudes towards Study Effort Response to Higher Grading Standards: Do Gender and Personality Distinctions Matter?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fallan, Lars; Opstad, Leiv

2012-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to explore how gender and personality preferences affect student attitudes towards effort response to higher grading standards. Data collected from 150 economics and business students at a Scandinavian business school reveals that higher grading standards enhance effort and time devoted to learning to a higher degree…

The Apollo Medical Operations Project: Recommendations to Improve Crew Health and Performance for Future Exploration Missions and Lunar Surface Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scheuring, Richard A.; Jones, Jeffrey A.; Jones, Jeffrey A.; Novak, Joseph D.; Polk, James D.; Gillis, David B.; Schmid, Josef; Duncan, James M.; Davis, Jeffrey R.

2007-01-01

Medical requirements for the future Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), Lunar Surface Access Module (LSAM), advanced Extravehicular Activity (EVA) suits and Lunar habitat are currently being developed. Crews returning to the lunar surface will construct the lunar habitat and conduct scientific research. Inherent in aggressive surface activities is the potential risk of injury to crewmembers. Physiological responses and the operational environment for short forays during the Apollo lunar missions were studied and documented. Little is known about the operational environment in which crews will live and work and the hardware will be used for long-duration lunar surface operations. Additional information is needed regarding productivity and the events that affect crew function such as a compressed timeline. The Space Medicine Division at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) requested a study in December 2005 to identify Apollo mission issues relevant to medical operations that had impact to crew health and/or performance. The operationally oriented goals of this project were to develop or modify medical requirements for new exploration vehicles and habitats, create a centralized database for future access, and share relevant Apollo information with the multiple entities at NASA and abroad participating in the exploration effort.

The Apollo Medical Operations Project: Recommendations to Improve Crew Health and Performance for Future Exploration Missions and Lunar Surface Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scheuring, Richard A.; Jones, Jeffrey A.; Polk, James D.; Gillis, David B.; Schmid, Joseph; Duncan, James M.; Davis, Jeffrey R.; Novak, Joseph D.

2007-01-01

Medical requirements for the future Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), Lunar Surface Access Module (LSAM), advanced Extravehicular Activity (EVA) suits and Lunar habitat are currently being developed. Crews returning to the lunar surface will construct the lunar habitat and conduct scientific research. Inherent in aggressive surface activities is the potential risk of injury to crewmembers. Physiological responses to and the operational environment of short forays during the Apollo lunar missions were studied and documented. Little is known about the operational environment in which crews will live and work and the hardware that will be used for long-duration lunar surface operations.Additional information is needed regarding productivity and the events that affect crew function such as a compressed timeline. The Space Medicine Division at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) requested a study in December 2005 to identify Apollo mission issues relevant to medical operations that had impact to crew health and/or performance. The operationally oriented goals of this project were to develop or modify medical requirements for new exploration vehicles and habitats, create a centralized database for future access, and share relevant Apollo information with the multiple entities at NASA and abroad participating in the exploration effort.

An Investigation of the Relationship between In-Class and Out-of-Class Efforts on Student Learning: Empirical Evidence and Strategy Suggestion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Tin-Chun

2016-01-01

In this paper we explore and discuss an important research question in higher education--is there a trade-off relationship between in-class and out-of-class efforts for students? We used an empirical model to test the trade-off hypothesis between these two efforts. We identified a trade-off between in-class and out-of-class efforts, especially for…

Trade Study of System Level Ranked Radiation Protection Concepts for Deep Space Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cerro, Jeffrey A

2013-01-01

A strategic focus area for NASA is to pursue the development of technologies which support exploration in space beyond the current inhabited region of low earth orbit. An unresolved issue for crewed deep space exploration involves limiting crew radiation exposure to below acceptable levels, considering both solar particle events and galactic cosmic ray contributions to dosage. Galactic cosmic ray mitigation is not addressed in this paper, but by addressing credible, easily implemented, and mass efficient solutions for the possibility of solar particle events, additional margin is provided that can be used for cosmic ray dose accumulation. As a result, NASA s Advanced Engineering Systems project office initiated this Radiation Storm Shelter design activity. This paper reports on the first year results of an expected 3 year Storm Shelter study effort which will mature concepts and operational scenarios that protect exploration astronauts from solar particle radiation events. Large trade space definition, candidate concept ranking, and a planned demonstration comprised the majority of FY12 activities. A system key performance parameter is minimization of the required increase in mass needed to provide a safe environment. Total system mass along with operational assessments and other defined protection system metrics provide the guiding metrics to proceed with concept developments. After a downselect to four primary methods, the concepts were analyzed for dosage severity and the amount of shielding mass necessary to bring dosage to acceptable values. Besides analytical assessments, subscale models of several concepts and one full scale concept demonstrator were created. FY12 work terminated with a plan to demonstrate test articles of two selected approaches. The process of arriving at these selections and their current envisioned implementation are presented in this paper.

The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spremo, Stevan; Turner, Mark; Caffrey, Robert T.; Hine, Butler Preston

2010-01-01

The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) is a Lunar science orbiter mission currently under development to address the goals of the National Research Council decadal surveys and the recent "Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon" (SCEM) [1] report to study the pristine state of the lunar atmosphere and dust environment prior to significant human activities. LADEE will determine the composition of the lunar atmosphere and investigate the processes that control its distribution and variability, including sources, sinks, and surface interactions. LADEE will also determine whether dust is present in the lunar exosphere, and reveal the processes that contribute to its sources and variability. These investigations are relevant to our understanding of surface boundary exospheres and dust processes throughout the solar system, address questions regarding the origin and evolution of lunar volatiles, and have potential implications for future exploration activities. LADEE employs a high heritage science instrument payload including a neutral mass spectrometer, ultraviolet spectrometer, and dust sensor. In addition to the science payloads, LADEE will fly a laser communications system technology demonstration that could provide a building block for future space communications architectures. LADEE is an important component in NASA's portfolio of near-term lunar missions, addressing objectives that are currently not covered by other U.S. or international efforts, and whose observations must be conducted before large-scale human or robotic activities irrevocably perturb the tenuous and fragile lunar atmosphere. LADEE will also demonstrate the effectiveness of a low-cost, rapid-development program utilizing a modular bus design launched on the new Minotaur V launch vehicle. Once proven, this capability could enable future lunar missions in a highly cost constrained environment. This paper describes the LADEE objectives, mission design, and technical approach.

Requirements for Designing Life Support System Architectures for Crewed Exploration Missions Beyond Low-Earth Orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howard, David; Perry,Jay; Sargusingh, Miriam; Toomarian, Nikzad

2016-01-01

NASA's technology development roadmaps provide guidance to focus technological development on areas that enable crewed exploration missions beyond low-Earth orbit. Specifically, the technology area roadmap on human health, life support and habitation systems describes the need for life support system (LSS) technologies that can improve reliability and in-situ maintainability within a minimally-sized package while enabling a high degree of mission autonomy. To address the needs outlined by the guiding technology area roadmap, NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Program has commissioned the Life Support Systems (LSS) Project to lead technology development in the areas of water recovery and management, atmosphere revitalization, and environmental monitoring. A notional exploration LSS architecture derived from the International Space has been developed and serves as the developmental basis for these efforts. Functional requirements and key performance parameters that guide the exploration LSS technology development efforts are presented and discussed. Areas where LSS flight operations aboard the ISS afford lessons learned that are relevant to exploration missions are highlighted.

Dissemination of Health-Related Research among Scientists in Three Countries: Access to Resources and Current Practices

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Objectives. In public health and clinical settings insufficient dissemination of evidence-based practices limits the reach of new discoveries to broad populations. This study aimed to describe characteristics of the dissemination process by researchers across three countries (Brazil, United Kingdom, and United States), explore how designing for dissemination practices has been used, and analyze factors associated with dissemination. Methods. A similar online survey was used to query researchers across the three countries; data were pooled to draw cross-country conclusions. Findings. This study identified similarities and differences between countries. Importance of dissemination to nonresearcher audiences was widely recognized as important; however, traditional academic venues were the main dissemination method. Several factors were associated with self-rated dissemination effort in the pooled sample, but these predictive factors (e.g., support and resources for dissemination) had low prevalence. Less than one-third of researchers rated their level of effort for dissemination as excellent. Respondents reported limited support and resources to make it easier for researchers who might want to disseminate their findings. Conclusion. Though intentions show the importance of dissemination, researchers across countries lack supports to increase dissemination efforts. Additional resources and training in designing for dissemination along with improved partnerships could help bridge the research-practice gap. PMID:26495287

Dissemination of health-related research among scientists in three countries: access to resources and current practices.

PubMed

Tabak, Rachel G; Reis, Rodrigo S; Wilson, Paul; Brownson, Ross C

2015-01-01

In public health and clinical settings insufficient dissemination of evidence-based practices limits the reach of new discoveries to broad populations. This study aimed to describe characteristics of the dissemination process by researchers across three countries (Brazil, United Kingdom, and United States), explore how designing for dissemination practices has been used, and analyze factors associated with dissemination. A similar online survey was used to query researchers across the three countries; data were pooled to draw cross-country conclusions. This study identified similarities and differences between countries. Importance of dissemination to nonresearcher audiences was widely recognized as important; however, traditional academic venues were the main dissemination method. Several factors were associated with self-rated dissemination effort in the pooled sample, but these predictive factors (e.g., support and resources for dissemination) had low prevalence. Less than one-third of researchers rated their level of effort for dissemination as excellent. Respondents reported limited support and resources to make it easier for researchers who might want to disseminate their findings. Though intentions show the importance of dissemination, researchers across countries lack supports to increase dissemination efforts. Additional resources and training in designing for dissemination along with improved partnerships could help bridge the research-practice gap.

Proton-Exchange-Membrane Fuel Cell Powerplants Developed and Tested for Exploration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoberecht, Mark A.; Pham, Nang T.

2005-01-01

Proton-exchange-membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) technology has received major attention for terrestrial applications, such as the automotive and residential markets, for the past 20 years. This attention has significantly advanced the maturity of the technology, resulting in ever more compact, efficient, reliable, and inexpensive PEMFC designs. In comparison to the terrestrial operating environment, the space operating environment is much more demanding. Microgravity to high-gravity loads and the need to use pure oxygen (rather than air) as the fuel cell oxidizer place more stringent demands on PEMFC technology. NASA and its partners from industry are leveraging terrestrial PEMFC advancements by conducting parallel space technology development for future exploration missions. A team from the NASA Glenn Research Center, NASA Johnson Space Center, and NASA Kennedy Space Center recently completed the first phase of a PEMFC powerplant development effort for exploration missions. The industry partners for this phase of the development effort were ElectroChem, Inc., and Teledyne Energy Systems, Inc. Under contract to Glenn, both of these industry partners successfully designed, fabricated, and tested a breadboard PEMFC powerplant in the 1- to 5-kW power range. These powerplants were based on existing company-proprietary fuel cell stack designs, combined with off-the-shelf components, which formed the balance of the powerplant design. Subsequent to the contractor development efforts, both powerplants were independently tested at Johnson to verify operational and performance characteristics, and to determine suitability for further technology development in the second phase of the NASA-led effort. Following the independent NASA testing, Teledyne Energy Systems, Inc., was selected to develop an engineering model PEMFC powerplant. This effort was initiated by the 2nd Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Program Office in 2001; it transitioned to the Next Generation Launch Technologies (NGLT) Program Office in 2003. The effort is now being funded by the Exploration Program Office. We plan to summarize the results from the ongoing engineering model PEMFC powerplant development in a future Research & Technology article.

Proton-Exchange-Membrane Fuel Cell Powerplants Developed and Tested for Exploration Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoberecht, Mark A.; Pham, Nang T.

2005-06-01

Proton-exchange-membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) technology has received major attention for terrestrial applications, such as the automotive and residential markets, for the past 20 years. This attention has significantly advanced the maturity of the technology, resulting in ever more compact, efficient, reliable, and inexpensive PEMFC designs. In comparison to the terrestrial operating environment, the space operating environment is much more demanding. Microgravity to high-gravity loads and the need to use pure oxygen (rather than air) as the fuel cell oxidizer place more stringent demands on PEMFC technology. NASA and its partners from industry are leveraging terrestrial PEMFC advancements by conducting parallel space technology development for future exploration missions. A team from the NASA Glenn Research Center, NASA Johnson Space Center, and NASA Kennedy Space Center recently completed the first phase of a PEMFC powerplant development effort for exploration missions. The industry partners for this phase of the development effort were ElectroChem, Inc., and Teledyne Energy Systems, Inc. Under contract to Glenn, both of these industry partners successfully designed, fabricated, and tested a breadboard PEMFC powerplant in the 1- to 5-kW power range. These powerplants were based on existing company-proprietary fuel cell stack designs, combined with off-the-shelf components, which formed the balance of the powerplant design. Subsequent to the contractor development efforts, both powerplants were independently tested at Johnson to verify operational and performance characteristics, and to determine suitability for further technology development in the second phase of the NASA-led effort. Following the independent NASA testing, Teledyne Energy Systems, Inc., was selected to develop an engineering model PEMFC powerplant. This effort was initiated by the 2nd Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Program Office in 2001; it transitioned to the Next Generation Launch Technologies (NGLT) Program Office in 2003. The effort is now being funded by the Exploration Program Office. We plan to summarize the results from the ongoing engineering model PEMFC powerplant development in a future Research & Technology article.

KSC-2012-4178

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- From the left, former NASA Director of Public Affairs Hugh Harris is joined by Jack King, former NASA chief of Public Information, John Tribe, retired chief engineer for Boeing/Rockwell Launch Support Services, and Roy Tharpe, president of Space Gateway Support, speak to about 45 of NASA’s social media followers for two days of presentations on the Kennedy Space Center's past, present and future. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport on Aug. 2 and 3, 2012 to hear from key former and current leaders who related stories of the space agency's efforts to explore the unknown. It was the first social media event totally run by Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/ Gianni Woods

Knowledge Translation Efforts in Child and Youth Mental Health: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

SCHACHTER, HOWARD M.; BENNETT, LINDSAY M.; McGOWAN, JESSIE; LY, MYLAN; WILSON, ANGELA; BENNETT, KATHRYN; BUCHANAN, DON H.; FERGUSSON, DEAN; MANION, IAN

2012-01-01

The availability of knowledge translation strategies that have been empirically studied and proven useful is a critical prerequisite to narrowing the research-to-practice gap in child and youth mental health. Through this review the authors sought to determine the current state of scientific knowledge of the effectiveness of knowledge translation approaches in child and youth mental health by conducting a systematic review of the research evidence. The findings and quality of the 12 included studies are discussed. Future work of high methodological quality that explores a broader range of knowledge translation strategies and practitioners to which they are applied and that also attends to implementation process is recommended. PMID:22830938

Bringing social identity to work: the influence of manifestation and suppression on perceived discrimination, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions.

PubMed

Madera, Juan M; King, Eden B; Hebl, Michelle R

2012-04-01

In the current article, we explored whether manifesting or suppressing an identity (race/ethnicity, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, or disability) at work is related to perceived discrimination, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions. Participants included 211 working adults who completed an online survey. The results showed that efforts to suppress a group identity were positively (and behavioral manifestations of group identity negatively) related to perceived discrimination, which predicted job satisfaction and turnover intentions. These results suggest that diverse employees actively manage their nonwork identities while at work and that these identity management strategies have important consequences. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

The politics of Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmitt, Harrison H.

1986-01-01

A discussion is presented comparing past and present major accomplishments of the U.S. and the Soviet Union in space. It concludes that the Soviets are presently well ahead of the U.S. in several specific aspects of space accomplishment and speculates that the Soviet strategy is directed towards sending a man to the vicinity of Mars by the end of this century. A major successful multinational space endeavor, INTELSAT, is reviewed and it is suggested that the manned exploration of Mars offers a unique opportunity for another such major international cooperative effort. The current attitude of U.S. leadership and the general public is assessed as uniformed or ambivalent about the perceived threat of Soviet dominance in space.

Exploring critical youth media practice: connections and contributions for social work.

PubMed

Johnston-Goodstar, Katie; Richards-Schuster, Katie; Sethi, Jenna K

2014-10-01

Youth media is emerging as an interdisciplinary field of practice and subject of study. Over the last two decades, there have been many efforts within communities to engage in media, especially within the fields of youth work and education. Despite the increase in practice, we found surprisingly little attention to the potential for youth media within the social work literature. Drawing on a qualitative content analysis of program descriptions from 49 youth media groups, the authors attempt to examine the current field of youth media. Using a critical media literacy framework, the authors analyze the practice of these youth media groups and apply those findings to social work practice, education, and research.

Activities of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1 January - 31 December 1983

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

There are many facets to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, for JPL is an organization of multiple responsibilities and broad scope, of diverse talents and great enterprise. The Laboratory's philosophy, mission, and goals have been shaped by its ties to the California Institute of Technology (JPL's parent organization) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (JPL's principal sponsor). JPL's activities for NASA in planetary, Earth, and space sciences currently account for almost 75 percent of the Laboratory's overall effort. JPL Research activities in the following areas are discussed: (1) deep space exploration; (2) telecommunications systems; (3) Earth observations; (4) advanced technology; (5) defense programs; and (6) energy and technology applications.

Understanding women's journey of recovering from anorexia nervosa.

PubMed

Weaver, Kathryn; Wuest, Judith; Ciliska, Donna

2005-02-01

Previous studies of recovery from anorexia nervosa (AN) have concentrated on discrete behavioral responses of individual women. Little is understood about the subjective process of women's recovery in the context of family, community, or society. In this feminist grounded theory study, the authors explored the perceptions of 12 women who considered themselves recovered or recovering from AN. They discovered a substantive theory of self-development that explains, within the current social context, women's journey from the perilous self-soothing of devastating weight loss to the informed self-care of healthy eating and problem-solving practices. The findings provide an urgently needed explanatory framework to inform women, clinicians, and health policy makers in their prevention and recovery efforts.

A Review on Community-Based Knowledge Transfer and Exchange (KTE) Initiatives for Promoting Well-Being in Older Adults.

PubMed

Syed, M Anum; Moorhouse, Aynsley; McDonald, Lynn; Hitzig, Sander L

2017-01-01

Knowledge transfer and exchange (KTE) processes can facilitate evidence-informed community-based care for seniors, but understanding effective KTE in gerontology is limited. A scoping review was conducted to evaluate the current state of KTE in the community-based sector for seniors. Twelve articles met the inclusion criteria, which addressed a broad variety of topics including caregiving, elder abuse, falls prevention, home-rehabilitation, hospice and dementia care. Studies evaluated KTE practices (n = 8), developed a KTE intervention (n = 3), or explored research uptake (n = 1). Community-based initiatives for seniors informed by KTE processes are scarce, requiring further efforts at the research, practice and policy levels.

Proton beam therapy and the convoluted pathway to incorporating emerging technology into routine medical care in the United States.

PubMed

Steinberg, Michael L; Konski, Andre

2009-01-01

The pathway that emerging medical technologies take to incorporation into routine medical care in the United States is a product of the social, economic, and political milieu. Our review explores how this milieu brought the incorporation of proton beam therapy into the healthcare delivery system to its current point. We look at how new technologies are presently accepted into this system and discuss the emerging trends--such as the use of evidence-based assessment of technology, coverage with evidence policies, and comparative effectiveness analysis--that are affecting proton beam therapy's effort to finds its place in the pantheon of available medical treatments for patients with cancer.

Sources for Leads: Natural Products and Libraries.

PubMed

van Herwerden, Eric F; Süssmuth, Roderich D

2016-01-01

Natural products have traditionally been a major source of leads in the drug discovery process. However, the development of high-throughput screening led to an increased interest in synthetic methods that enabled the rapid construction of large libraries of molecules. This resulted in the termination or downscaling of many natural product research programs, but the chemical libraries did not necessarily produce a larger amount of drug leads. On one hand, this chapter explores the current state of natural product research within the drug discovery process. On the other hand it evaluates the efforts made to increase the amount of leads generated from chemical libraries and considers what role natural products could play here.

Integration of the enterprise electronic health record and anesthesia information management systems.

PubMed

Springman, Scott R

2011-09-01

Fewer than 5% of anesthesia departments use an electronic medical record (EMR) that is anesthesia specific. Many anesthesia information management systems (AIMS) have been developed with a focus only on the unique needs of anesthesia providers, without being fully integrated into other electronic health record components of the entire enterprise medical system. To understand why anesthesia providers should embrace health information technology (HIT) on a health system-wide basis, this article reviews recent HIT history and reviews HIT concepts. The author explores current developments in efforts to expand enterprise HIT, and the pros and cons of full enterprise integration with an AIMS. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy combined with immunotherapy: present status and future perspectives.

PubMed

Rekers, N H; Troost, E G C; Zegers, C M L; Germeraad, W T V; Dubois, L J; Lambin, P

2014-10-01

Radiotherapy is along with surgery and chemotherapy one of the prime treatment modalities in cancer. It is applied in the primary, neoadjuvant as well as the adjuvant setting. Radiation techniques have rapidly evolved during the past decade enabling the delivery of high radiation doses, reducing side-effects in tumour-adjacent normal tissues. While increasing local tumour control, current and future efforts ought to deal with microscopic disease at a distance of the primary tumour, ultimately responsible for disease-progression. This review explores the possibility of bimodal treatment combining radiotherapy with immunotherapy. Copyright © 2014 Société française de radiothérapie oncologique (SFRO). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Reliable transfer of data from ground to space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brosi, Fred

1993-01-01

This paper describes the problems involved in uplink of data from control centers on the ground to spacecraft, and explores the solutions to those problems, past. present. and future. The evolution of this process, from simple commanding to transfer of large volumes of data and commands is traced. The need for reliable end-to-end protocols for commanding and file transfer is demonstrated, and the shortcomings of both existing telecommand protocols and commercial products to meet this need are discussed. Recent developments in commercial protocols that may be adaptable to the mentioned operations environment are surveyed, and current efforts to develop a suite of protocols for reliable transfer in this environment are presented.

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

Mauro, R.; Leach, S.

This paper summarizes current and planned activities in the areas of hydrogen production and use, near-term venture opportunities, and codes and standards. The rationale for these efforts is to assess industry interest and engage in activities that move hydrogen technologies down the path to commercialization. Some of the work presented in this document is a condensed, preliminary version of reports being prepared under the DOE/NREL contract. In addition, the NHA work funded by Westinghouse Savannah River Corporation (WSRC) to explore the opportunities and industry interest in a Hydrogen Research Center is briefly described. Finally, the planned support of and industrymore » input to the Hydrogen Technical Advisory Panel (HTAP) on hydrogen demonstration projects is discussed.« less

IMAGE Mission Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gallagher, D. L.; Fok, M.-C.; Fuselier, S.; Gladstone, G. R.; Green, J. L.; Fung, S. F.; Perez, J.; Reiff, P.; Roelof, E. C.; Wilson, G.

1998-01-01

Simultaneous, global measurement of major magnetospheric plasma systems will be performed for the first time with the Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE) Mission. The ring current, plasmasphere, and auroral systems will be imaged using energetic neutral and ultraviolet cameras. Quantitative remote measurement of the magnetosheath, plasmaspheric, and magnetospheric densities will be obtained through radio sounding by the Radio Plasma Imager. The IMAGE Mission will open a new era in global magnetospheric physics, while bringing with it new challenges in data analysis. An overview of the IMAGE Theory and Modeling team efforts will be presented, including the state of development of Internet tools that will be available to the science community for access and analysis of IMAGE observations.

Robotic lunar exploration: Architectures, issues and options

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mankins, John C.; Valerani, Ernesto; Della Torre, Alberto

2007-06-01

The US ‘vision for space exploration’ articulated at the beginning of 2004 encompasses a broad range of human and robotic space missions, including missions to the Moon, Mars and destinations beyond. It establishes clear goals and objectives, yet sets equally clear budgetary ‘boundaries’ by stating firm priorities, including ‘tough choices’ regarding current major NASA programs. The new vision establishes as policy the goals of pursuing commercial and international collaboration in realizing future space exploration missions. Also, the policy envisions that advances in human and robotic mission technologies will play a key role—both as enabling and as a major public benefit that will result from implementing that vision. In pursuing future international space exploration goals, the exploration of the Moon during the coming decades represents a particularly appealing objective. The Moon provides a unique venue for exploration and discovery—including the science of the Moon (e.g., geological studies), science from the Moon (e.g., astronomical observatories), and science on the Moon (including both basic research, such as biological laboratory science, and applied research and development, such as the use of the Moon as a test bed for later exploration). The Moon may also offer long-term opportunties for utilization—including Earth observing applications and commercial developments. During the coming decade, robotic lunar exploration missions will play a particularly important role, both in their own right and as precursors to later, more ambitious human and robotic exploration and development efforts. The following paper discusses some of the issues and opportunities that may arise in establishing plans for future robotic lunar exploration. Particular emphasis is placed on four specific elements of future robotic infrastructure: Earth Moon in-space transportation systems; lunar orbiters; lunar descent and landing systems; and systems for long-range transport on the Moon.

Swept-Wing Ice Accretion Characterization and Aerodynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Broeren, Andy P.; Potapczuk, Mark G.; Riley, James T.; Villedieu, Philippe; Moens, Frederic; Bragg, Michael B.

2013-01-01

NASA, FAA, ONERA, the University of Illinois and Boeing have embarked on a significant, collaborative research effort to address the technical challenges associated with icing on large-scale, three-dimensional swept wings. The overall goal is to improve the fidelity of experimental and computational simulation methods for swept-wing ice accretion formation and resulting aerodynamic effect. A seven-phase research effort has been designed that incorporates ice-accretion and aerodynamic experiments and computational simulations. As the baseline, full-scale, swept-wing-reference geometry, this research will utilize the 65% scale Common Research Model configuration. Ice-accretion testing will be conducted in the NASA Icing Research Tunnel for three hybrid swept-wing models representing the 20%, 64% and 83% semispan stations of the baseline-reference wing. Three-dimensional measurement techniques are being developed and validated to document the experimental ice-accretion geometries. Artificial ice shapes of varying geometric fidelity will be developed for aerodynamic testing over a large Reynolds number range in the ONERA F1 pressurized wind tunnel and in a smaller-scale atmospheric wind tunnel. Concurrent research will be conducted to explore and further develop the use of computational simulation tools for ice accretion and aerodynamics on swept wings. The combined results of this research effort will result in an improved understanding of the ice formation and aerodynamic effects on swept wings. The purpose of this paper is to describe this research effort in more detail and report on the current results and status to date. 1

Swept-Wing Ice Accretion Characterization and Aerodynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Broeren, Andy P.; Potapczuk, Mark G.; Riley, James T.; Villedieu, Philippe; Moens, Frederic; Bragg, Michael B.

2013-01-01

NASA, FAA, ONERA, the University of Illinois and Boeing have embarked on a significant, collaborative research effort to address the technical challenges associated with icing on large-scale, three-dimensional swept wings. The overall goal is to improve the fidelity of experimental and computational simulation methods for swept-wing ice accretion formation and resulting aerodynamic effect. A seven-phase research effort has been designed that incorporates ice-accretion and aerodynamic experiments and computational simulations. As the baseline, full-scale, swept-wing-reference geometry, this research will utilize the 65 percent scale Common Research Model configuration. Ice-accretion testing will be conducted in the NASA Icing Research Tunnel for three hybrid swept-wing models representing the 20, 64 and 83 percent semispan stations of the baseline-reference wing. Threedimensional measurement techniques are being developed and validated to document the experimental ice-accretion geometries. Artificial ice shapes of varying geometric fidelity will be developed for aerodynamic testing over a large Reynolds number range in the ONERA F1 pressurized wind tunnel and in a smaller-scale atmospheric wind tunnel. Concurrent research will be conducted to explore and further develop the use of computational simulation tools for ice accretion and aerodynamics on swept wings. The combined results of this research effort will result in an improved understanding of the ice formation and aerodynamic effects on swept wings. The purpose of this paper is to describe this research effort in more detail and report on the current results and status to date.

Ghana: Disability and Spirituality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Botts, Betsy H.; Evans, William H.

2010-01-01

This descriptive study explores the educational system and attitudes toward disability in the Volta Region of Ghana. Traditional, Christian, and Islamic beliefs toward disability are explored. Educators from Accra and three families from the Volta Region with children with special needs are interviewed in an effort to explore the connection…

Geographically isolated wetlands: Rethinking a misnomer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mushet, David M.; Calhoun, Aram J.K.; Alexander, Laurie C.; Cohen, Matthew J.; DeKeyser, Edward S.; Fowler, Laurie G.; Lane, Charles R.; Lang, Megan W.; Rains, Mark C.; Walls, Susan

2015-01-01

We explore the category “geographically isolated wetlands” (GIWs; i.e., wetlands completely surrounded by uplands at the local scale) as used in the wetland sciences. As currently used, the GIW category (1) hampers scientific efforts by obscuring important hydrological and ecological differences among multiple wetland functional types, (2) aggregates wetlands in a manner not reflective of regulatory and management information needs, (3) implies wetlands so described are in some way “isolated,” an often incorrect implication, (4) is inconsistent with more broadly used and accepted concepts of “geographic isolation,” and (5) has injected unnecessary confusion into scientific investigations and discussions. Instead, we suggest other wetland classification systems offer more informative alternatives. For example, hydrogeomorphic (HGM) classes based on well-established scientific definitions account for wetland functional diversity thereby facilitating explorations into questions of connectivity without an a priori designation of “isolation.” Additionally, an HGM-type approach could be used in combination with terms reflective of current regulatory or policymaking needs. For those rare cases in which the condition of being surrounded by uplands is the relevant distinguishing characteristic, use of terminology that does not unnecessarily imply isolation (e.g., “upland embedded wetlands”) would help alleviate much confusion caused by the “geographically isolated wetlands” misnomer.

Ecology and evolution of mammalian biodiversity

PubMed Central

Jones, Kate E.; Safi, Kamran

2011-01-01

Mammals have incredible biological diversity, showing extreme flexibility in eco-morphology, physiology, life history and behaviour across their evolutionary history. Undoubtedly, mammals play an important role in ecosystems by providing essential services such as regulating insect populations, seed dispersal and pollination and act as indicators of general ecosystem health. However, the macroecological and macroevolutionary processes underpinning past and present biodiversity patterns are only beginning to be explored on a global scale. It is also particularly important, in the face of the global extinction crisis, to understand these processes in order to be able to use this knowledge to prevent future biodiversity loss and loss of ecosystem services. Unfortunately, efforts to understand mammalian biodiversity have been hampered by a lack of data. New data compilations on current species' distributions, ecologies and evolutionary histories now allow an integrated approach to understand this biodiversity. We review and synthesize these new studies, exploring the past and present ecology and evolution of mammalian biodiversity, and use these findings to speculate about the mammals of our future. PMID:21807728

Ecology and evolution of mammalian biodiversity.

PubMed

Jones, Kate E; Safi, Kamran

2011-09-12

Mammals have incredible biological diversity, showing extreme flexibility in eco-morphology, physiology, life history and behaviour across their evolutionary history. Undoubtedly, mammals play an important role in ecosystems by providing essential services such as regulating insect populations, seed dispersal and pollination and act as indicators of general ecosystem health. However, the macroecological and macroevolutionary processes underpinning past and present biodiversity patterns are only beginning to be explored on a global scale. It is also particularly important, in the face of the global extinction crisis, to understand these processes in order to be able to use this knowledge to prevent future biodiversity loss and loss of ecosystem services. Unfortunately, efforts to understand mammalian biodiversity have been hampered by a lack of data. New data compilations on current species' distributions, ecologies and evolutionary histories now allow an integrated approach to understand this biodiversity. We review and synthesize these new studies, exploring the past and present ecology and evolution of mammalian biodiversity, and use these findings to speculate about the mammals of our future.

Exploring the Influence of Environment on the Spatial Behavior of Older Adults in a Purpose-Built Acute Care Dementia Unit.

PubMed

Mazzei, Francesco; Gillan, Roslyn; Cloutier, Denise

2014-06-01

Limited research explores the experience of individuals with dementia in acute care geriatric psychiatry units. This observational case study examines the influence of the physical environment on behavior (wandering, pacing, door testing, congregation and seclusions) among residents in a traditional geriatric psychiatry unit who were then relocated to a purpose-built acute care unit. Purpose-built environments should be well suited to the needs of residents with dementia. Observed trends revealed differences in spatial behaviors in the pre- and post- environments attributable to the physical environment. Person-centred modifications to the current environment including concerted efforts to know residents are meaningful in fostering quality of life. Color coded environments (rooms vs dining areas etc.) to improve wayfinding and opportunities to personalize rooms that address the `hominess' of the setting also have potential. Future research could also seek the opinions of staff about the impact of the environment on them as well as residents. © The Author(s) 2013.

Robotic Lunar Landers For Science And Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, B. A.; Bassler, J. A.; Morse, B. J.; Reed, C. L. B.

2010-01-01

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory have been conducting mission studies and performing risk reduction activities for NASA s robotic lunar lander flight projects. In 2005, the Robotic Lunar Exploration Program Mission #2 (RLEP-2) was selected as an ESMD precursor robotic lander mission to demonstrate precision landing and determine if there was water ice at the lunar poles; however, this project was canceled. Since 2008, the team has been supporting SMD designing small lunar robotic landers for science missions, primarily to establish anchor nodes of the International Lunar Network (ILN), a network of lunar geophysical nodes. Additional mission studies have been conducted to support other objectives of the lunar science community. This paper describes the current status of the MSFC/APL robotic lunar mission studies and risk reduction efforts including high pressure propulsion system testing, structure and mechanism development and testing, long cycle time battery testing, combined GN&C and avionics testing, and two autonomous lander test articles.

Can we detect oceanic biodiversity hotspots from space?

PubMed

De Monte, Silvia; Soccodato, Alice; Alvain, Séverine; d'Ovidio, Francesco

2013-10-01

Understanding the variability of marine biodiversity is a central issue in microbiology. Current observational programs are based on in situ studies, but their implementation at the global scale is particularly challenging, owing to the ocean extent, its temporal variability and the heterogeneity of the data sources on which compilations are built. Here, we explore the possibility of identifying phytoplanktonic biodiversity hotspots from satellite. We define a Shannon entropy index based on patchiness in ocean color bio-optical anomalies. This index provides a high resolution (1 degree) global coverage. It shows a relation to temperature and mid-latitude maxima in accordance with those previously evidenced in microbiological biodiversity model and observational studies. Regional maxima are in remarkable agreement with several known biodiversity hotspots for plankton organisms and even for higher levels of the marine trophic chain, as well as with some in situ planktonic biodiversity estimates (from Atlantic Meridional Transect cruise). These results encourage to explore marine biodiversity with a coordinated effort of the molecular, ecological and remote sensing communities.

Data Sharing For Precision Medicine: Policy Lessons And Future Directions.

PubMed

Blasimme, Alessandro; Fadda, Marta; Schneider, Manuel; Vayena, Effy

2018-05-01

Data sharing is a precondition of precision medicine. Numerous organizations have produced abundant guidance on data sharing. Despite such efforts, data are not being shared to a degree that can trigger the expected data-driven revolution in precision medicine. We set out to explore why. Here we report the results of a comprehensive analysis of data-sharing guidelines issued over the past two decades by multiple organizations. We found that the guidelines overlap on a restricted set of policy themes. However, we observed substantial fragmentation in the policy landscape across specific organizations and data types. This may have contributed to the current stalemate in data sharing. To move toward a more efficient data-sharing ecosystem for precision medicine, policy makers should explore innovative ways to cope with central policy themes such as privacy, consent, and data quality; focus guidance on interoperability, attribution, and public engagement; and promote data-sharing policies that can be adapted to multiple data types.

Deep Space Network-Wide Portal Development: Planning Service Pilot Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doneva, Silviya

2011-01-01

The Deep Space Network (DSN) is an international network of antennas that supports interplanetary spacecraft missions and radio and radar astronomy observations for the exploration of the solar system and the universe. DSN provides the vital two-way communications link that guides and controls planetary explorers, and brings back the images and new scientific information they collect. In an attempt to streamline operations and improve overall services provided by the Deep Space Network a DSN-wide portal is under development. The project is one step in a larger effort to centralize the data collected from current missions including user input parameters for spacecraft to be tracked. This information will be placed into a principal repository where all operations related to the DSN are stored. Furthermore, providing statistical characterization of data volumes will help identify technically feasible tracking opportunities and more precise mission planning by providing upfront scheduling proposals. Business intelligence tools are to be incorporated in the output to deliver data visualization.

The Determinants of Parental Effort in Education Production: Do Parents Respond to Changes in Class Size?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonesronning, Hans

2004-01-01

The present paper supplements the traditional class size literature by exploring the causal relationship between class size and parental effort in education production. Class size variation that is exogenous to parental effort comes from interaction between enrollment and a maximum class size rule of 30 students in the lower secondary school in…

Mediating Effect of Body Image Distortion on Weight Loss Efforts in Normal-Weight and Underweight Korean Adolescent Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Jeong-Sil; Kim, Ji-Soo

2017-01-01

Background: We explored the relationship between body mass index-for-age percentile, body image distortion, and unnecessary weight loss efforts in Korean adolescent girls who are underweight and normal weight and examined the mediating effect of body image distortion on weight loss efforts. Methods: This study used data from the 2013 Korea Youth…

Sperm competition games when males invest in paternal care.

PubMed

Requena, Gustavo S; Alonzo, Suzanne H

2017-08-16

Sperm competition games investigate how males partition limited resources between pre- and post-copulatory competition. Although extensive research has explored how various aspects of mating systems affect this allocation, male allocation between mating, fertilization and parental effort has not previously been considered. Yet, paternal care can be energetically expensive and males are generally predicted to adjust their parental effort in response to expected paternity. Here, we incorporate parental effort into sperm competition games, particularly exploring how the relationship between paternal care and offspring survival affects sperm competition and the relationship between paternity and paternal care. Our results support existing expectations that (i) fertilization effort should increase with female promiscuity and (ii) paternal care should increase with expected paternity. However, our analyses also reveal that the cost of male care can drive the strength of these patterns. When paternal behaviour is energetically costly, increased allocation to parental effort constrains allocation to fertilization effort. As paternal care becomes less costly, the association between paternity and paternal care weakens and may even be absent. By explicitly considering variation in sperm competition and the cost of male care, our model provides an integrative framework for predicting the interaction between paternal care and patterns of paternity. © 2017 The Author(s).

Analysis of improved government geological map information for mineral exploration: Incorporating efficiency, productivity, effectiveness, and risk considerations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bernknopf, R.L.; Wein, A.M.; St-Onge, M. R.; Lucas, S.B.

2007-01-01

This bulletin/professional paper focuses on the value of geoscientific information and knowledge, as provided in published government bedrock geological maps, to the mineral exploration sector. An economic model is developed that uses an attribute- ranking approach to convert geological maps into domains of mineral favourability. Information about known deposits in these (or analogous) favourability domains allow the calculation of exploration search statistics that provide input into measures of exploration efficiency, productivity, effectiveness, risk, and cost stemming from the use of the published geological maps. Two case studies, the Flin Flon Belt (Manitoba and Saskatchewan) and the south Baffin Island area (Nunavut), demonstrate that updated, finer resolution maps can be used to identify more exploration campaign options, and campaigns thats are more efficient, more effective, and less risky than old, coarser resolution maps when used as a guide for mineral exploration. The Flin Flon Belt study illustrates that an updated, coarser resolution bedrock map enables improved mineral exploration efficiency, productivity, and effectiveness by locating 60% more targets and supporting an exploration campaign that is 44% more efficient. Refining the map resolution provides an additional 17% reduction in search effort across all favourable domains and a 55% reduction in search effort in the most favourable domain. The south Baffin Island case study projects a 40% increase in expected targets and a 27% reduction in search effort when the updated, finer resolution map is used in lieu of the old, coarser resolution map. On southern Baffin Island, the economic value of the up dated map ranges from CAN$2.28 million to CAN$15.21 million, which can be compared to the CAN$1.86 million that it cost to produce the map (a multiplier effect of up to eight).

Alzheimer disease research in the 21st century: past and current failures, new perspectives and funding priorities.

PubMed

Pistollato, Francesca; Ohayon, Elan L; Lam, Ann; Langley, Gillian R; Novak, Thomas J; Pamies, David; Perry, George; Trushina, Eugenia; Williams, Robin S B; Roher, Alex E; Hartung, Thomas; Harnad, Stevan; Barnard, Neal; Morris, Martha Clare; Lai, Mei-Chun; Merkley, Ryan; Chandrasekera, P Charukeshi

2016-06-28

Much of Alzheimer disease (AD) research has been traditionally based on the use of animals, which have been extensively applied in an effort to both improve our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of the disease and to test novel therapeutic approaches. However, decades of such research have not effectively translated into substantial therapeutic success for human patients. Here we critically discuss these issues in order to determine how existing human-based methods can be applied to study AD pathology and develop novel therapeutics. These methods, which include patient-derived cells, computational analysis and models, together with large-scale epidemiological studies represent novel and exciting tools to enhance and forward AD research. In particular, these methods are helping advance AD research by contributing multifactorial and multidimensional perspectives, especially considering the crucial role played by lifestyle risk factors in the determination of AD risk. In addition to research techniques, we also consider related pitfalls and flaws in the current research funding system. Conversely, we identify encouraging new trends in research and government policy. In light of these new research directions, we provide recommendations regarding prioritization of research funding. The goal of this document is to stimulate scientific and public discussion on the need to explore new avenues in AD research, considering outcome and ethics as core principles to reliably judge traditional research efforts and eventually undertake new research strategies.

Social Support and HIV-related Risk Behaviors: A Systematic Review of the Global Literature

PubMed Central

Li, Xiaoming; Stanton, Bonita

2013-01-01

Existing empirical evidence has well documented the role of social support in both physical and psychological well-being among various populations. In the context of HIV prevention, the rapid increase of studies on social support merits a systematic review to synthesize the current global literature on association between social support and HIV-related risk behaviors. The current review reveals a complex picture of this relationship across diverse populations. Existing studies indicate that higher levels of social support are related to fewer HIV-related risk behaviors among female sex workers and people living with HIV/AIDS and heterosexual adults in general. However, influences of social support on HIV-related risk behaviors are inconsistent within drug users, men who have sex with men and adolescents. These variations in findings may be attributed to different measurement of social support in different studies, specific context of social support for diverse population, or various characteristics of the social networks the study population obtained support from. Future studies are needed to explore the mechanism of how social support affects HIV-related risk behaviors. HIV prevention intervention efforts need to focus on the positive effect of social support for various vulnerable and at-risk populations. Future efforts also need to incorporate necessary structure change and utilize technical innovation in order to maximize the protective role of social support in HIV risk prevention or reduction. PMID:23921582

Alzheimer disease research in the 21st century: past and current failures, new perspectives and funding priorities

PubMed Central

Pistollato, Francesca; Ohayon, Elan L.; Lam, Ann; Langley, Gillian R.; Novak, Thomas J.; Pamies, David; Perry, George; Trushina, Eugenia; Williams, Robin S.B.; Roher, Alex E.; Hartung, Thomas; Harnad, Stevan; Barnard, Neal; Morris, Martha Clare; Lai, Mei-Chun; Merkley, Ryan; Chandrasekera, P. Charukeshi

2016-01-01

Much of Alzheimer disease (AD) research has been traditionally based on the use of animals, which have been extensively applied in an effort to both improve our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of the disease and to test novel therapeutic approaches. However, decades of such research have not effectively translated into substantial therapeutic success for human patients. Here we critically discuss these issues in order to determine how existing human-based methods can be applied to study AD pathology and develop novel therapeutics. These methods, which include patient-derived cells, computational analysis and models, together with large-scale epidemiological studies represent novel and exciting tools to enhance and forward AD research. In particular, these methods are helping advance AD research by contributing multifactorial and multidimensional perspectives, especially considering the crucial role played by lifestyle risk factors in the determination of AD risk. In addition to research techniques, we also consider related pitfalls and flaws in the current research funding system. Conversely, we identify encouraging new trends in research and government policy. In light of these new research directions, we provide recommendations regarding prioritization of research funding. The goal of this document is to stimulate scientific and public discussion on the need to explore new avenues in AD research, considering outcome and ethics as core principles to reliably judge traditional research efforts and eventually undertake new research strategies. PMID:27229915

International Coordination of Lunar Polar Volatiles Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gruener, J. E.; Suzuki, N. H.; Carpenter, J. D.

2015-10-01

The International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG) has established a study team to coordinate the worldwide interest in lunar polar volatiles, and in particular water ice, in an effort to stimulate cooperation and collaboration.

Texture Fish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stone, Julie

2007-01-01

In an effort to provide an opportunity for her first graders to explore texture through an engaging subject, the author developed a three-part lesson that features fish in a mixed-media artwork: (1) Exploring Textured Paint; (2) Creating the Fish; and (3) Role Playing. In this lesson, students effectively explore texture through painting, drawing,…

Future Visions for Scientific Human Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garvin, James

2002-01-01

Human exploration has always played a vital role within NASA, in spite of current perceptions that today it is adrift as a consequence of the resource challenges associated with construction and operation of the International Space Station (ISS). On the basis of the significance of human spaceflight within NASA's overall mission, periodic evaluation of its strategic position has been conducted by various groups, most recently exemplified by the recent Human Exploration and Development of Space Enterprise Strategic Plan. While such reports paint one potential future pathway, they are necessarily constrained by the ground rules and assumptions under which they are developed. An alternate approach, involving a small team of individuals selected as "brainstormers," has been ongoing within NASA for the past two years in an effort to capture a vision of a long-term future for human spaceflight not limited by nearer-term "point design" solutions. This paper describes the guiding principles and concepts developed by this team. It is not intended to represent an implementation plan, but rather one perspective on what could result as human beings extend their range of experience in spaceflight beyond today's beach-head of Low-Earth Orbit (LEO).

Exploration cost-cutting

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

Huttrer, J.

This presentation by Jerry Huttrer, President, Geothermal Management Company, discusses the general state of exploration in the geothermal industry today, and mentions some ways to economize and perhaps save costs of geothermal exploration in the future. He suggests an increased use of satellite imagery in the mapping of geothermal resources and the identification of hot spots. Also, coordinating with oil and gas exploration efforts, the efficiency of the exploration task could be optimized.