An Integrative and Collaborative Approach to Creating a Diverse and Computationally Competent Geoscience Workforce

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, S. L.; Kar, A.; Gomez, R.

2015-12-01

A partnership between Fort Valley State University (FVSU), the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas (UT) at Austin, and the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) is engaging computational geoscience faculty and researchers with academically talented underrepresented minority (URM) students, training them to solve grand challenges . These next generation computational geoscientists are being trained to solve some of the world's most challenging geoscience grand challenges requiring data intensive large scale modeling and simulation on high performance computers . UT Austin's geoscience outreach program GeoFORCE, recently awarded the Presidential Award in Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring, contributes to the collaborative best practices in engaging researchers with URM students. Collaborative efforts over the past decade are providing data demonstrating that integrative pipeline programs with mentoring and paid internship opportunities, multi-year scholarships, computational training, and communication skills development are having an impact on URMs developing middle skills for geoscience careers. Since 1997, the Cooperative Developmental Energy Program at FVSU and its collaborating universities have graduated 87 engineers, 33 geoscientists, and eight health physicists. Recruited as early as high school, students enroll for three years at FVSU majoring in mathematics, chemistry or biology, and then transfer to UT Austin or other partner institutions to complete a second STEM degree, including geosciences. A partnership with the Integrative Computational Education and Research Traineeship (ICERT), a National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site at TACC provides students with a 10-week summer research experience at UT Austin. Mentored by TACC researchers, students with no previous background in computational science learn to use some of the world's most powerful high performance computing resources to address a grand geosciences problem. Students increase their ability to understand and explain the societal impact of their research and communicate the research to multidisciplinary and lay audiences via near-peer mentoring, poster presentations, and publication opportunities.

Southern California Earthquake Center/Undergraduate Studies in Earthquake Information Technology (SCEC/UseIT): Towards the Next Generation of Internship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perry, S.; Benthien, M.; Jordan, T. H.

2005-12-01

The SCEC/UseIT internship program is training the next generation of earthquake scientist, with methods that can be adapted to other disciplines. UseIT interns work collaboratively, in multi-disciplinary teams, conducting computer science research that is needed by earthquake scientists. Since 2002, the UseIT program has welcomed 64 students, in some two dozen majors, at all class levels, from schools around the nation. Each summer''s work is posed as a ``Grand Challenge.'' The students then organize themselves into project teams, decide how to proceed, and pool their diverse talents and backgrounds. They have traditional mentors, who provide advice and encouragement, but they also mentor one another, and this has proved to be a powerful relationship. Most begin with fear that their Grand Challenge is impossible, and end with excitement and pride about what they have accomplished. The 22 UseIT interns in summer, 2005, were primarily computer science and engineering majors, with others in geology, mathematics, English, digital media design, physics, history, and cinema. The 2005 Grand Challenge was to "build an earthquake monitoring system" to aid scientists who must visualize rapidly evolving earthquake sequences and convey information to emergency personnel and the public. Most UseIT interns were engaged in software engineering, bringing new datasets and functionality to SCEC-VDO (Virtual Display of Objects), a 3D visualization software that was prototyped by interns last year, using Java3D and an extensible, plug-in architecture based on the Eclipse Integrated Development Environment. Other UseIT interns used SCEC-VDO to make animated movies, and experimented with imagery in order to communicate concepts and events in earthquake science. One movie-making project included the creation of an assessment to test the effectiveness of the movie''s educational message. Finally, one intern created an interactive, multimedia presentation of the UseIT program.

Fostering Scientific Literacy: Establishing Social Relevance via the Grand Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyford, M. E.; Myers, J. D.; Buss, A.

2010-12-01

Numerous studies and polls suggest the general public’s understanding of science and scientific literacy remain woefully inadequate despite repeated calls for improvement over the last 150 years. This inability to improve scientific literacy significantly is a complex problem likely driven by a number of factors. However, we argue that past calls and efforts for improving scientific literacy have failed to: 1) articulate a truly meaningful justification for society to foster a scientifically literate public; 2) provide a rationale that motivates individuals of diverse backgrounds to become scientifically literate; 3) consider the impact of personal perspective, e.g. values, beliefs, attitudes, etc., on learning; and 4) offer a relevant and manageable framework in which to define scientific literacy. For instance, past calls for improving scientific literacy, e.g. the U.S. is behind the Soviets in the space race, U.S students rank below country X in math and science, etc., have lacked justification, personal motivation and a comprehensive framework for defining scientific literacy. In these cases, the primary justification for improving science education and scientific literacy was to regain international dominance in the space race or to advance global standing according to test results. These types of calls also articulate short-term goals that are rendered moot once they have been achieved. At the same time, teaching practices have commonly failed to consider the perspectives students bring to the classroom. Many STEM faculty do not address issues of personal perspective through ignorance or the desire to avoid controversial subjects, e g. evolution, climate change. We propose that the ‘grand challenges’ (e.g., energy, climate change, antibacterial resistance, water, etc.) humankind currently faces provides a compelling framework for developing courses and curricula well-suited for improving scientific literacy. A grand challenge paradigm offers four distinct advantages. First, it defines an enduring and meaningful rationale for society to invest resources in educational programs that promote scientific literacy. Second, it provides an educational context designed to engage individuals and motivate them to learn. Third, the nature of grand challenges provides mechanisms for addressing other affective barriers to individual learning that are commonly associated with controversial science-societal issues. Fourth, a grand challenge approach provides a framework to identify the concepts and processes of science a scientifically literate person should understand. Based on our experiences, we propose grand challenge science literacy (GCSL) courses or curricula are based on two primary foundations: the nature of science and the unifying concepts of science. Complementing this foundation is the science necessary to understand the grand challenge. To illustrate how science can contribute to crafting a just, equitable and sustainable solution, a GCSL course must also incorporate non-STEM perspectives, e.g. economics, politics. Finally, the personal perspectives learners bring to the classroom must be explicitly considered throughout the course.

Fundamental Physics Program and the NASA Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trinh, Eugene

2003-01-01

The accomplishments of Physics, the increasing power of its instruments, and its expanding reach into other sciences have generated an unprecedented set of scientific opportunities. The committee has identified six such Grand Challenges listed below in no particular order: Developing quantum technologies. Creating new materials. Understanding complex systems. Unifying the forces of Nature. Exploring the universe Applying Physics to Biology.

Using Grand Challenges to Teach Science: A Biology-Geology Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyford, M.; Myers, J. D.

2012-12-01

Three science courses at the University of Wyoming explore the inextricable connections between science and society by centering on grand challenges. Two of these courses are introductory integrated science courses for non-majors while the third is an upper level course for majors and non-majors. Through collaboration, the authors have developed these courses to explore the grand challenges of energy, water and climate. Each course focuses on the fundamental STEM principles required for a citizen to understand each grand challenge. However, the courses also emphasize the non-STEM perspectives (e.g., economics, politics, human well-being, externalities) that underlie each grand challenge and argue that creating equitable, sustainable and just solutions to the grand challenges hinges on an understanding of STEM and non-STEM perspectives. Moreover, the authors also consider the multitude of personal perspectives individuals bring to the classroom (e.g., values, beliefs, empathy misconceptions) that influence any stakeholder's ability to engage in fruitful discussions about grand challenge solutions. Discovering Science (LIFE 1002) focuses on the grand challenges of energy and climate. Students attend three one-hour lectures, one two-hour lab and a one-hour discussion each week. Lectures emphasize the STEM and non-STEM principles underlying each grand challenge. Laboratory activities are designed to be interdisciplinary and engage students in inquiry-driven activities to reinforce concepts from lecture and to model how science is conducted. Labs also expose students to the difficulties often associated with scientific studies, the limits of science, and the inherent uncertainties associated with scientific findings. Discussion sessions provide an opportunity for students to explore the complexity of the grand challenges from STEM and non-STEM perspectives, and expose the multitude of personal perspectives an individual might harbor related to each grand challenge. Global Sustainability: Managing Earth's Resources (GEOL 1600) focuses on the energy-water climate nexus with a similar emphasis on STEM and non-STEM perspectives as LIFE 1002. Each week, there are three one hour lectures and a two hour lab. To set the stage for global and systems thinking, the concept of the Anthropocene and planetary boundaries are introduced early in the semester. Lectures focus on a variety of energy-water-climate topics and provide the content background for the labs. Labs are mini-case studies that address a variety of issues set in different global contexts, e.g. groundwater in Bangladesh, coal in China and petroleum in Saudi Arabia. Often the labs cover two weeks with one part covering science and the other economics. Unlike the other two courses, Energy: A Geological Perspective (GEOL 3650), is enrolled with half geology majors and half non-majors, representing almost every college on campus. Its organizational structure is similar to 1600. Labs focus on case studies, each lasting from 3 to 5 weeks, with each week addressing a different aspect of the same issue and social context, e.g. geology, economics, engineering, regulatory and political/social. Students, working in groups, present oral and written reports. Topics range from nuclear power and weapons in Iran to atmospheric emissions and global climate treaties.

Research of the Rio Grande Ecosystem Management Program

Treesearch

Deborah M. Finch

2000-01-01

This paper describes the mission, objectives, and preliminary results of the Middle Rio Grande Ecosystem Management Research Program managed at the Rocky Mountain Research Station's Albuquerque laboratory. This program was initiated in 1994 to address growing pressures to effectively manage the limited resources of the middle Rio Grande Basin. The program is...

Grand challenges in the management and conservation of North American inland fishes and fisheries

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lynch, Abigail; Cooke, Steven J.; Beard, Douglas; Kao, Yu-Chun; Lorenzen, Kai; Song, Andrew M.; Allen, Micheal S.; Basher, Zeenatul; Bunnell, David B.; Camp, Edward V.; Cowx, Ian G.; Freedman, Jonathan A.; Nguyen, Vivian M.; Nohner, Joel K.; Rogers, Mark W.; Siders, Zachary A.; Taylor, William W.; Youn, So-Jung

2017-01-01

Even with long-standing management and extensive science support, North American inland fish and fisheries still face many conservation and management challenges. We used a grand challenges approach to identify critical roadblocks that if removed would help solve important problems in the management and long-term conservation of North American inland fish and fisheries. We identified seven grand challenges within three themes (valuation, governance, and externalities) and 34 research needs and management actions. The major themes identified are to (1) raise awareness of diverse values associated with inland fish and fisheries, (2) govern inland fish and fisheries to satisfy multiple use and conservation objectives, and (3) ensure productive inland fisheries given nonfishing sector externalities. Addressing these grand challenges will help the broader community understand the diverse values of inland fish and fisheries, promote open forums for engagement of diverse stakeholders in fisheries management, and better integrate the inland fish sector into the greater water and land use policy process.

Programming the social computer.

PubMed

Robertson, David; Giunchiglia, Fausto

2013-03-28

The aim of 'programming the global computer' was identified by Milner and others as one of the grand challenges of computing research. At the time this phrase was coined, it was natural to assume that this objective might be achieved primarily through extending programming and specification languages. The Internet, however, has brought with it a different style of computation that (although harnessing variants of traditional programming languages) operates in a style different to those with which we are familiar. The 'computer' on which we are running these computations is a social computer in the sense that many of the elementary functions of the computations it runs are performed by humans, and successful execution of a program often depends on properties of the human society over which the program operates. These sorts of programs are not programmed in a traditional way and may have to be understood in a way that is different from the traditional view of programming. This shift in perspective raises new challenges for the science of the Web and for computing in general.

Grand Challenges and Great Potential in Foreign Language Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hlas, Anne Cummings

2018-01-01

This article argues for the field of foreign languages to begin to identify and define our Grand Challenges, which are difficult yet solvable problems facing our field. Seeking answers to these challenges can provide new opportunities for collaboration and can spur new directions and innovation within language learning and teaching. Researchable…

The Upper Rio Grande Basin as a Long-Term Hydrologic Observatory - Challenges and Opportunities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Springer, E.; Duffy, C.; Phillips, F.; Hogan, J.; Winter, C. L.

2001-12-01

Long-term hydrologic observatories (LTHO) have been identified as a key element to advance hydrologic science. Issues to be addressed are the size and locations of LTHOs to meet research needs and address water resources management concerns. To date, considerable small watershed research has been performed, and these have provided valuable insights into processes governing hydrologic response on local scales. For hydrology to advance as a science, more complete and coherent data sets at larger scales are needed to tie together local studies and examine lower frequency long wavelength processes that may govern the water cycle at the scale of river basins and continents. The objective of this poster is to describe the potential opportunities and challenges for the upper Rio Grande as a LTHO. The presence of existing research programs and facilities can be leveraged by a LTHO to develop the required scientific measurements. Within the upper Rio Grande Basin, there are two Long-Term Ecological Research sites, Jornada and Sevilleta; Los Alamos National Laboratory, which monitors the atmosphere, surface water and groundwater; a groundwater study is being performed by the USGS in the Albuquerque Basin to examine recharge and water quality issues. Additionally, the upper Rio Grande basin served as an USGS-NAWQA study site starting in the early 1990's and is currently being studied by SAHRA (NSF-STC) to understand sources of salinity of the river system; such studies provide an existing framework on which to base long-term monitoring of water quality. The upper Rio Grande Basin has a wealth of existing long-term climate, hydrologic and geochemical records on which to base an LTHO. Within the basin there are currently 122 discharge gages operated by the USGS; and many of these gages have long-term records of discharge. Other organizations operate additional surface water gages in the lower part of the basin. Long-term records of river chemistry have been kept by the USGS, U. S. Bureau of Reclamation, IBWC and EBID. Significantly, these records extend through periods of climate extremes, notably the 1950's drought. One challenge that the Rio Grande faces as a LTHO is combining datasets maintained by different agencies in order to address research questions at this spatial and temporal scale. Challenges facing the development of a LTHO on the Rio Grande include instrumentation over steep topographic and biological gradients that exist. Political issues surrounding any basin can create problems for making long-term measurements. Current water resources management requires a greater scientific understanding of coupled processes, serious improvements in predictive capability and available computational resources, both of which require a comprehensive hydrologic monitoring system beyond any which exist today.

Cultural neuroscience and global mental health: addressing grand challenges

PubMed Central

Chiao, Joan Y.; Li, Shu-Chen; Turner, Robert; Lee-Tauler, Su Yeon; Pringle, Beverly A.

2016-01-01

Mental, neurological and substance-use (MNS) disorders comprise approximately 13% of the global burden of disease. The Grand Challenges in Global Mental Health Initiative has recently identified research priorities for the next decade to address prevention and treatment of MNS disorders. One main research priority is to identify the root causes, risks and protective factors associated with global mental health. Recent advances in cultural neuroscience have identified theoretical, methodological, and empirical methods of identifying biomarkers associated with mental health disorders across nations. Here we review empirical research in cultural neuroscience that address meeting the grand challenges in global mental health. PMID:28642836

The Grand Challenges Discourse: Transforming Identity Work in Science and Science Policy.

PubMed

Kaldewey, David

2018-01-01

This article analyzes the concept of "grand challenges" as part of a shift in how scientists and policymakers frame and communicate their respective agendas. The history of the grand challenges discourse helps to understand how identity work in science and science policy has been transformed in recent decades. Furthermore, the question is raised whether this discourse is only an indicator, or also a factor in this transformation. Building on conceptual history and historical semantics, the two parts of the article reconstruct two discursive shifts. First, the observation that in scientific communication references to "problems" are increasingly substituted by references to "challenges" indicates a broader cultural trend of how attitudes towards what is problematic have shifted in the last decades. Second, as the grand challenges discourse is rooted in the sphere of sports and competition, it introduces a specific new set of societal values and practices into the spheres of science and technology. The article concludes that this process can be characterized as the sportification of science, which contributes to self-mobilization and, ultimately, to self-optimization of the participating scientists, engineers, and policymakers.

A new organismal systems biology: how animals walk the tight rope between stability and change.

PubMed

Padilla, Dianna K; Tsukimura, Brian

2014-07-01

The amount of knowledge in the biological sciences is growing at an exponential rate. Simultaneously, the incorporation of new technologies in gathering scientific information has greatly accelerated our capacity to ask, and answer, new questions. How do we, as organismal biologists, meet these challenges, and develop research strategies that will allow us to address the grand challenge question: how do organisms walk the tightrope between stability and change? Organisms and organismal systems are complex, and multi-scale in both space and time. It is clear that addressing major questions about organismal biology will not come from "business as usual" approaches. Rather, we require the collaboration of a wide range of experts and integration of biological information with more quantitative approaches traditionally found in engineering and applied mathematics. Research programs designed to address grand challenge questions will require deep knowledge and expertise within subfields of organismal biology, collaboration and integration among otherwise disparate areas of research, and consideration of organisms as integrated systems. Our ability to predict which features of complex integrated systems provide the capacity to be robust in changing environments is poorly developed. A predictive organismal biology is needed, but will require more quantitative approaches than are typical in biology, including complex systems-modeling approaches common to engineering. This new organismal systems biology will have reciprocal benefits for biologists, engineers, and mathematicians who address similar questions, including those working on control theory and dynamical systems biology, and will develop the tools we need to address the grand challenge questions of the 21st century. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Biological approaches for addressing the grand challenge of providing access to clean drinking water.

PubMed

Riley, Mark R; Gerba, Charles P; Elimelech, Menachem

2011-03-31

The U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE) recently published a document presenting "Grand Challenges for Engineering". This list was proposed by leading engineers and scientists from around the world at the request of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). Fourteen topics were selected for these grand challenges, and at least seven can be addressed using the tools and methods of biological engineering. Here we describe how biological engineers can address the challenge of providing access to clean drinking water. This issue must be addressed in part by removing or inactivating microbial and chemical contaminants in order to properly deliver water safe for human consumption. Despite many advances in technologies this challenge is expanding due to increased pressure on fresh water supplies and to new opportunities for growth of potentially pathogenic organisms.

Biological approaches for addressing the grand challenge of providing access to clean drinking water

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

The U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE) recently published a document presenting "Grand Challenges for Engineering". This list was proposed by leading engineers and scientists from around the world at the request of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). Fourteen topics were selected for these grand challenges, and at least seven can be addressed using the tools and methods of biological engineering. Here we describe how biological engineers can address the challenge of providing access to clean drinking water. This issue must be addressed in part by removing or inactivating microbial and chemical contaminants in order to properly deliver water safe for human consumption. Despite many advances in technologies this challenge is expanding due to increased pressure on fresh water supplies and to new opportunities for growth of potentially pathogenic organisms. PMID:21453515

Grand challenge problems in environmental modeling and remediation: groundwater contaminant transport

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

Todd Arbogast; Steve Bryant; Clint N. Dawson

1998-08-31

This report describes briefly the work of the Center for Subsurface Modeling (CSM) of the University of Texas at Austin (and Rice University prior to September 1995) on the Partnership in Computational Sciences Consortium (PICS) project entitled Grand Challenge Problems in Environmental Modeling and Remediation: Groundwater Contaminant Transport.

STEM Beyond The Classroom: Creating Authentic Outreach Programs That Build Bridges Between The Classroom And Real World Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibarra, D. L.; Forder, S. E.; Pritchard, M.

2014-12-01

The ISF Academy was founded by Charles Kao, a Nobel Prize laureate. In 2011, the Shuyuan programs were established at The ISF Academy to operate both as a "school within a school" and as a "school outside the classroom." The Shuyuan programs work together with the IBO Science and Technology subject areas to develop comprehensive and challenging opportunities that address the 14 Grand Engineering Challenges. The goal is to establish co-curricular programs that go beyond the taught curriculum and support STEM curricula. Several programs outside of the classroom include an onsite robotics researcher, underwater and land based robotics programs, field trips, whole school food waste composting and the implementation of an energy tracking system. Relationships with several local universities allow students to work closely with professors in research settings and, annually, a leading researcher gives a keynote speech to our students. Other signature Shuyuan programs have developed international strategic relationships with the NRI at Cambridge University, where students spend several weeks studying science and civilization in China using primary source materials. Additionally, Shuyuan has supported extension opportunities for classroom teachers with institutional partnerships that include the British Council, governmental organizations, local universities, corporations, and NGOs. In conclusion, the overall goal of the Shuyuan Programs is to provide experiential learning opportunities that challenge conventional curriculum design in a manner that is supportive and innovative!

CTUIR Grande Ronde River Watershed Restoration Program McCoy Creek/McIntyre Creek Road Crossing, 1995-1999 Progress Report.

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

Childs, Allen B.

2000-08-01

The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) and Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) entered into a contract agreement beginning in 1996 to fund watershed restoration and enhancement actions and contribute to recovery of fish and wildlife resources and water quality in the Grande Ronde River Basin. The CTUIR's habitat program is closely coordinated with the Grande Ronde Model Watershed Program and multiple agencies and organizations within the basin. The CTUIR has focused during the past 4 years in the upper portions of the Grande Ronde Subbasin (upstream of LaGrande, Oregon) on several major project areas in the Meadow, McCoy,more » and McIntyre Creek watersheds and along the mainstem Grande Ronde River. This Annual Report provides an overview of individual projects and accomplishments.« less

Overview of an REU program: A case study in gender parity, ethnic diversity, and community college students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pearson, J. K.; Noriega, G.; Benthien, M. L.

2017-12-01

The Undergraduate Studies in Earthquake Information Technology (USEIT) is an REU Internship Program focused in multi-disciplinary, collaborative research offered through the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC); a research consortium focused on earthquake science. USEIT is an 8-week intensive undergraduate research program. The program is designed for interns to work as a collaborative engine to solve an overarching real-world earthquake problem referred to as the "Grand Challenge". The interns are organized in teams and paired with mentors that have expertise in their specific task in the Grand Challenge. The program is focused around earthquake system science, where students have the opportunity to use super computers, programming platforms, geographic information systems, and internally designed and developed visualization software. The goal of the USEIT program is to motivate undergraduates from diverse backgrounds towards careers in science and engineering through team-based research in the field of earthquake information technology. Efforts are made to recruit students with diverse backgrounds, taking into consideration gender, ethnic background, socioeconomic standing, major, college year, and institution type (2-year and 4-year colleges). USEIT has a partnership with two local community colleges to recruit underserved students. Our emphasis is to attract students that would 1) grow and develop technical skills, soft skills, and confidence from the program, and 2) provide perspective and innovation to the program. USEIT offers on-campus housing to provide a submerged learning environment, recruits diverse majors to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, maintains a full time in lab mentor for day-to-day intern needs, takes students on field trips to provide context to their research, and plans activities and field trips for team building and morale. Each year metrics are collected through exit surveys, personal statements, and intern experience statements. We highlight lessons learned, including a need for pre-program engagement to ensure student success.

Is it possible to give scientific solutions to Grand Challenges? On the idea of grand challenges for life science research.

PubMed

Efstathiou, Sophia

2016-04-01

This paper argues that challenges that are grand in scope such as "lifelong health and wellbeing", "climate action", or "food security" cannot be addressed through scientific research only. Indeed scientific research could inhibit addressing such challenges if scientific analysis constrains the multiple possible understandings of these challenges into already available scientific categories and concepts without translating between these and everyday concerns. This argument builds on work in philosophy of science and race to postulate a process through which non-scientific notions become part of science. My aim is to make this process available to scrutiny: what I call founding everyday ideas in science is both culturally and epistemologically conditioned. Founding transforms a common idea into one or more scientifically relevant ones, which can be articulated into descriptively thicker and evaluatively deflated terms and enable operationalisation and measurement. The risk of founding however is that it can invisibilise or exclude from realms of scientific scrutiny interpretations that are deemed irrelevant, uninteresting or nonsensical in the domain in question-but which may remain salient for addressing grand-in-scope challenges. The paper considers concepts of "wellbeing" in development economics versus in gerontology to illustrate this process. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Grand Challenges and Chemical Engineering Curriculum--Developments at TU Dortmund University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kockmann, Norbert; Lutze, Philip; Gorak, Andrzej

2016-01-01

Chemical processing industry is progressively focusing their research activities and product placements in the areas of Grand Challenges (or Global Megatrends) such as mobility, energy, communication, or health care and food. Innovation in all these fields requires solving high complex problems, rapid product development as well as dealing with…

Scaling up Social: Strategies for Solving Social Work's Grand Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Maria Y.; Ostrow, Laysha; Kemp, Susan P.

2017-01-01

The Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative aims to focus the profession's attention on how social work can play a larger role in mitigating contemporary social problems. Yet a central issue facing contemporary social work is its seeming reticence to engage with social problems, and their solutions, beyond individual-level interventions.…

Tracking Student Participants from a REU Site with NAE Grand Challenges as the Common Theme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burkett, Susan; Dye, Tabatha; Johnson, Pauline

2015-01-01

The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) Grand Challenges provides the theme for this NSFfunded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site. Research topics, with their broad societal impact, allow undergraduate students from multiple engineering disciplines and computer science to work together on exciting and critical problems. The…

Using Grand Challenges For Innovative Teaching in Structural Geology, Geophysics, and Tectonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDaris, J. R.; Tewksbury, B. J.; Wysession, M. E.

2012-12-01

An innovative approach to teaching involves using the "Big Ideas" or "Grand Challenges" of a field, as determined by the research community in that area, as the basis for classroom activities. There have been several recent efforts in the areas of structural geology, tectonics, and geophysics to determine these Grand Challenges, including the areas of seismology ("Seismological Grand Challenges in Understanding Earth's Dynamic Systems"), mineral physics ("Unlocking the Building Blocks of the Planet"), EarthScope-related science ("Unlocking the Secrets of the North American Continent: An EarthScope Science Plan for 2010-2020"), and structural geology and tectonics (at the Structural Geology and Tectonics Forum held at Williams College in June, 2012). These research community efforts produced frameworks of the essential information for their fields with the aim of guiding future research. An integral part of this, however, is training the next generation of scientists, and using these Big Ideas as the basis for course structures and activities is a powerful way to make this happen. When activities, labs, and homeworks are drawn from relevant and cutting-edge research topics, students can find the material more fascinating and engaging, and can develop a better sense of the dynamic process of scientific discovery. Many creative ideas for incorporating the Grand Challenges of structural geology, tectonics, and geophysics in the classroom were developed at a Cutting Edge workshop on "Teaching Structural Geology, Geophysics, and Tectonics in the 21st Century" held at the University of Tennessee in July, 2012.

Intersections of downscaling, the ethics of climate services, and regional research grand challenges.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hewitson, B.; Jack, C. D.; Gutowski, W. J., Jr.

2014-12-01

Possibly the leading complication for users of climate information for policy and adaptation is the confusing mix of contrasting data sets that offer widely differing (and often times fundamentally contradictory) indications of the magnitude and direction of past and future regional climate change. In this light, the most pressing scientific-societal challenge is the need to find new ways to understand the sources of conflicting messages from multi-model, multi-method and multi-scale disparities, to develop and implement new analytical methodologies to address this difficulty and so to advance the interpretation and communication of robust climate information to decision makers. Compounding this challenge is the growth of climate services which, in view of the confusing mix of climate change messages, raises serious concerns as to the ethics of communication and dissemination of regional climate change data.The Working Group on Regional Climate (WGRC) of the World Climate Research Program (WCRP) oversees the CORDEX downscaling program which offers a systematic approach to compare the CMIP5 GCMs alongside RCMs and Empirical-statistical (ESD) downscaling within a common experimental design, and which facilitates the evaluation and assessment of the relative information content and sources of error. Using results from the CORDEX RCM and ESD evaluation experiment, and set against the regional messages from the CMIP5 GCMs, we examine the differing messages that arise from each data source. These are then considered in terms of the implications of consequence if each data source were to be independently adopted in a real world use-case scenario. This is then cast in the context of the emerging developments on the distillation dilemma - where the pressing need is for multi-method integration - and how this relates to the WCRP regional research grand challenges.

Engineering's Grand Challenges: Priorities and Integration Recommendations for Technology Education Curriculum Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buelin, Jennifer; Clark, Aaron C.; Ernst, Jeremy V.

2016-01-01

In this study, the 14 Grand Challenges for Engineering in the 21st Century identified by the National Academy of Engineering were examined by a panel of experts in an effort to identify prospective curricular integration opportunities in the field of technology and engineering education. The study utilized a three-round modified Delphi methodology…

Promoting Collaborative Problem-Solving Skills in a Course on Engineering Grand Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zou, Tracy X. P.; Mickleborough, Neil C.

2015-01-01

The ability to solve problems with people of diverse backgrounds is essential for engineering graduates. A course on engineering grand challenges was designed to promote collaborative problem-solving (CPS) skills. One unique component is that students need to work both within their own team and collaborate with the other team to tackle engineering…

EV Charging Infrastructure Roadmap

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

Karner, Donald; Garetson, Thomas; Francfort, Jim

2016-08-01

As highlighted in the U.S. Department of Energy’s EV Everywhere Grand Challenge, vehicle technology is advancing toward an objective to “… produce plug-in electric vehicles that are as affordable and convenient for the average American family as today’s gasoline-powered vehicles …” [1] by developing more efficient drivetrains, greater battery energy storage per dollar, and lighter-weight vehicle components and construction. With this technology advancement and improved vehicle performance, the objective for charging infrastructure is to promote vehicle adoption and maximize the number of electric miles driven. The EV Everywhere Charging Infrastructure Roadmap (hereafter referred to as Roadmap) looks forward and assumesmore » that the technical challenges and vehicle performance improvements set forth in the EV Everywhere Grand Challenge will be met. The Roadmap identifies and prioritizes deployment of charging infrastructure in support of this charging infrastructure objective for the EV Everywhere Grand Challenge« less

An interactive parallel programming environment applied in atmospheric science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

vonLaszewski, G.

1996-01-01

This article introduces an interactive parallel programming environment (IPPE) that simplifies the generation and execution of parallel programs. One of the tasks of the environment is to generate message-passing parallel programs for homogeneous and heterogeneous computing platforms. The parallel programs are represented by using visual objects. This is accomplished with the help of a graphical programming editor that is implemented in Java and enables portability to a wide variety of computer platforms. In contrast to other graphical programming systems, reusable parts of the programs can be stored in a program library to support rapid prototyping. In addition, runtime performance data on different computing platforms is collected in a database. A selection process determines dynamically the software and the hardware platform to be used to solve the problem in minimal wall-clock time. The environment is currently being tested on a Grand Challenge problem, the NASA four-dimensional data assimilation system.

Persistence of elementary programming skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennedsen, Jens; Caspersen, Michael E.

2012-06-01

Programming is recognised as one of seven grand challenges in computing education and attracts much attention in computing education research. Most research in the area concerns teaching methods, educational technology and student understanding/misconceptions. Typically, evaluation of learning outcome takes place during or immediately following the educational activity. In this research, we conduct a qualitative investigation of sustainability of programming competence by studying the effect of recalling programming competence long time after the educational activity has taken place. Our population consists of 10 students who have taken an introductory object-oriented programming course 3, 15 or 27 months prior to our study. None of the students have been exposed to programming in the intervening period. As expected, our research shows that syntactical issues in general hinder immediate programming productivity, but more interestingly it also indicate that a tiny retraining activity and simple guidelines is enough to recall programming competence and overcome syntactical issues.

Vegetation Versus Man-Made Object Detection from Imagery for Unmanned Vehicles in Off-Road Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-05-01

saliency, natural scene statistics 1. INTRODUCTION Research into the area of autonomous navigation for unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) has accelerated in...recent years. This is partly due to the success of programs such as the DARPA Grand Challenge1 and the dream of driverless cars ,2 but is also due to the...NOTES 14. ABSTRACT There have been several major advances in autonomous navigation for unmanned ground vehicles in controlled urban environments in

Asteroid Initiative Industry and Partner Day

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-06-18

Jenn Gustetic, Prizes Program Executive, NASA Office of the Chief Technologist moderates the Asteroid Initiative Industry and Partner Day at NASA Headquarters on Tuesday, June 18, 2013 in Washington. During the event NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver and other senior NASA officials discussed the progress being made on NASA's mission to capture, redirect, and explore an asteroid. NASA also announced an Asteroid Grand Challenge focused on finding all asteroid threats to human populations and knowing what to do about them. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Asteroid Initiative Industry and Partner Day

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-06-18

Jason Kessler, Special Projects Program Executive, NASA Office of the Chief Technologist, talks during the Asteroid Initiative Industry and Partner Day at NASA Headquarters on Tuesday, June 18, 2013 in Washington. During the event NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver and other senior NASA officials discussed the progress being made on NASA's mission to capture, redirect, and explore an asteroid. NASA also announced an Asteroid Grand Challenge focused on finding all asteroid threats to human populations and knowing what to do about them. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Grand challenges in bioengineered nanorobotics for cancer therapy.

PubMed

Lenaghan, Scott C; Wang, Yongzhong; Xi, Ning; Fukuda, Toshio; Tarn, Tzyhjong; Hamel, William R; Zhang, Mingjun

2013-03-01

One of the grand challenges currently facing engineering, life sciences, and medicine is the development of fully functional nanorobots capable of sensing, decision making, and actuation. These nanorobots may aid in cancer therapy, site-specific drug delivery, circulating diagnostics, advanced surgery, and tissue repair. In this paper, we will discuss, from a bioinspired perspective, the challenges currently facing nanorobotics, including core design, propulsion and power generation, sensing, actuation, control, decision making, and system integration. Using strategies inspired from microorganisms, we will discuss a potential bioengineered nanorobot for cancer therapy.

Grande Ronde Basin Chinook Salmon Captive Brood and Conventional Supplementation Programs, 2003 Annual Report.

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

Hoffnagle, Timothy L.; Hair, Don; Carmichael, Richard W.

2004-07-01

BPA Fish and Wildlife Program Project Number 1998-01-001 provides funding for the Grande Ronde Basin Spring Chinook Salmon Captive Broodstock Program. This report satisfies the requirement that an annual report be submitted for FY 2003. The Grande Ronde Basin Spring Chinook Salmon Captive Broodstock Project is designed to rapidly increase numbers of salmon in stocks that are in imminent danger of extirpation. Parr are captured in Catherine Creek, upper Grande Ronde River and Lostine River and reared to adulthood in captivity. Upon maturation, these fish are spawned (within stocks) and their progeny reared to smoltification before being released into themore » natal stream of their parents. This program is co-managed by ODFW, National Marine Fisheries Service, Nez Perce Tribe and Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. This report covers activities conducted and provides data analyses for the Grande Ronde Spring Chinook Salmon Captive broodstock Program from 1 January--31 December 2003. Since the fiscal year ends in the middle of the spawning period, an annual report based on calendar year is more logical. This document is the FY 2003 annual report. Detailed information on historic and present population status, project background, goals and objectives, significance to regional programs and relationships to other programs, methods and previous results are available in the 1995-2002 Project Status Report (Hoffnagle et al 2003).« less

Grande Ronde Endemic Spring Chinook Salmon Supplementation Program : Facility Operation and Maintenance Facilities, Annual Report 2003.

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

McLean, Michael L.; Seeger, Ryan; Hewitt, Laurie

2004-01-01

Anadromous salmonid stocks have declined in both the Grande Ronde River Basin (Lower Snake River Compensation Plan (LSRCP) Status Review Symposium 1998) and in the entire Snake River Basin (Nehlsen et al. 1991), many to the point of extinction. The Grande Ronde River Basin historically supported large populations of fall and spring chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), sockeye (O. nerka), and coho (O. kisutch) salmon and steelhead trout (O. mykiss) (Nehlsen et al. 1991). The decline of chinook salmon and steelhead populations and extirpation of coho and sockeye salmon in the Grande Ronde River Basin was, in part, a result of constructionmore » and operation of hydroelectric facilities, over fishing, and loss and degradation of critical spawning and rearing habitat in the Columbia and Snake River basins (Nehlsen et al. 1991). Hatcheries were built in Oregon, Washington and Idaho under the Lower Snake River Compensation Plan (LSRCP) to compensate for losses of anadromous salmonids due to the construction and operation of the lower four Snake River dams. Lookingglass Hatchery (LGH) on Lookingglass Creek, a tributary of the Grande Ronde River, was completed under LSRCP in 1982 and has served as the main incubation and rearing site for chinook salmon programs for Grande Ronde and Imnaha rivers in Oregon. Despite these hatchery programs, natural spring chinook populations continued to decline resulting in the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) listing Snake River spring/summer chinook salmon as ''threatened'' under the federal Endangered Species Act (1973) on 22 April 1992. Continuing poor escapement levels and declining population trends indicated that Grande Ronde River basin spring chinook salmon were in imminent danger of extinction. These continuing trends led fisheries co-managers in the basin to initiate the Grande Ronde Endemic Spring Chinook Salmon Supplementation Program (GRESCSSP) in order to prevent extinction and preserve options for use of endemic fish stocks in future artificial propagation programs. The GRESCSSP was implemented in three Grande Ronde River basin tributaries; the Lostine and upper Grande Ronde rivers and Catherine Creek. The GRESCSSP employs two broodstock strategies utilizing captive and conventional brood sources. The captive brood program began in 1995, with the collection of parr from the three tributary areas. The conventional broodstock component of the program began in 1997 with the collection of natural adults returning to these tributary areas. Although LGH was available as the primary production facility for spring chinook programs in the Grande Ronde Basin, there were never any adult or juvenile satellite facilities developed in the tributary areas that were to be supplemented. An essential part of the GRESCSSP was the construction of adult traps and juvenile acclimation facilities in these tributary areas. Weirs were installed in 1997 for the collection of adult broodstock for the conventional component of the program. Juvenile facilities were built in 2000 for acclimation of the smolts produced by the captive and conventional broodstock programs and as release sites within the natural production areas of their natal streams. The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) operate both the juvenile acclimation and adult trapping facilities located on Catherine Creek and the upper Grande Ronde River under this project. The Nez Perce Tribe (NPT) operate the facilities on the Lostine River under a sister project. Hatcheries were also built in Oregon, Washington and Idaho under the LSRCP to compensate for losses of summer steelhead due to the construction and operation of the lowest four Snake River dams. Despite these harvest-driven hatchery programs, natural summer steelhead populations continued to decline as evidenced by declining counts at Lower Granite Dam since 1995 (Columbia River Data Access in Real Time, DART) and low steelhead redd counts on index streams in the Grande Ronde Basin. Because of low escapement the Snake River summer steelhead were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) on 18 August, 1997. Co-managers have also discontinued off-station releases of juvenile Wallowa stock (non-endemic) hatchery summer steelhead into Catherine Creek in 1998 and the upper Grande Ronde River in 1999. Data are lacking on adult return numbers and the genetic make-up of populations that return to tributaries of the Grande Ronde River basin, Catherine Creek and the upper Grande Ronde River specifically. Adult fish weirs are in place on Catherine Creek and the upper Grande Ronde River and data on summer steelhead populations in those areas are collected.« less

Grand challenges for integrated USGS science—A workshop report

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jenni, Karen E.; Goldhaber, Martin B.; Betancourt, Julio L.; Baron, Jill S.; Bristol, R. Sky; Cantrill, Mary; Exter, Paul E.; Focazio, Michael J.; Haines, John W.; Hay, Lauren E.; Hsu, Leslie; Labson, Victor F.; Lafferty, Kevin D.; Ludwig, Kristin A.; Milly, Paul C. D.; Morelli, Toni L.; Morman, Suzette A.; Nassar, Nedal T.; Newman, Timothy R.; Ostroff, Andrea C.; Read, Jordan S.; Reed, Sasha C.; Shapiro, Carl D.; Smith, Richard A.; Sanford, Ward E.; Sohl, Terry L.; Stets, Edward G.; Terando, Adam J.; Tillitt, Donald E.; Tischler, Michael A.; Toccalino, Patricia L.; Wald, David J.; Waldrop, Mark P.; Wein, Anne; Weltzin, Jake F.; Zimmerman, Christian E.

2017-06-30

Executive SummaryThe U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has a long history of advancing the traditional Earth science disciplines and identifying opportunities to integrate USGS science across disciplines to address complex societal problems. The USGS science strategy for 2007–2017 laid out key challenges in disciplinary and interdisciplinary arenas, culminating in a call for increased focus on a number of crosscutting science directions. Ten years on, to further the goal of integrated science and at the request of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), a workshop with three dozen invited scientists spanning different disciplines and career stages in the Bureau convened on February 7–10, 2017, at the USGS John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis in Fort Collins, Colorado.The workshop focused on identifying “grand challenges” for integrated USGS science. Individual participants identified nearly 70 potential grand challenges before the workshop and through workshop discussions. After discussion, four overarching grand challenges emerged:Natural resource security,Societal risk from existing and emerging threats,Smart infrastructure development, andAnticipatory science for changing landscapes.Participants also identified a “comprehensive science challenge” that highlights the development of integrative science, data, models, and tools—all interacting in a modular framework—that can be used to address these and other future grand challenges:Earth Monitoring, Analyses, and Projections (EarthMAP)EarthMAP is our long-term vision for an integrated scientific framework that spans traditional scientific boundaries and disciplines, and integrates the full portfolio of USGS science: research, monitoring, assessment, analysis, and information delivery.The Department of Interior, and the Nation in general, have a vast array of information needs. The USGS meets these needs by having a broadly trained and agile scientific workforce. Encouraging and supporting cross-discipline engagement would position the USGS to tackle complex and multifaceted scientific and societal challenges in the 21st Century.

Cooperative effort in training small- and medium-scale industries in the Lower Rio Grande Valley in environmental management system (EMS) certification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edinbarough, Immanuel A.; Wells, Wayne E.; Lichaa, Pierre M.

2004-12-01

The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College (UTB/TSC) partners with The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to provide pollution prevention and compliance assistance for U.S. based small to medium sized entities (SME"s) located in the Lower Rio Grande Valley border region of Texas. It is anticipated that this training would evolve into environmental management system certification for these entities. This paper discusses pollution challenges and environmental initiatives between Texas and Mexico to confront these challenges and the ongoing cooperative efforts between UTB and TCEQ to enhance the economic and environmental health of the Lower Rio Grande Valley region.

VAST 2010 Challenge: Arms Dealings and Pandemics

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

Grinstein, Georges; Konecni, Shawn; Plaisant, Catherine

2010-10-23

The 5th VAST Challenge consisted of three mini-challenges that involved both intelligence analysis and bioinformatics. Teams could solve one, two or all three mini-challenges and assess the overall situation to enter the Grand Challenge. Mini-challenge one involved text reports about people and events giving information about arms dealers, situations in various countries and linkages between different countries. Mini-challenge two involved hospital admission and death records from various countries providing information about the spread of a world wide pandemic. Mini-challenge three involved genetic data to be used to identify the origin of the pandemic and the most dangerous viral mutations. Themore » Grand Challenge was to determine how these various mini-challenges were connected. As always the goal was to analyze the data and provide novel interactive visualizations useful in the analytic process. We received 58 submissions in total and gave 15 awards.« less

The Grand Canyon of the Colorado: a challenge to float, a challenge to manage

Treesearch

David N. Cole

1989-01-01

Last summer, I finally got my chance to float the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, one of the world’s premier adventure trips. For 18 days and 280 miles, my group floated through some of the most spectacular scenery imaginable, spacing our days with hikes through slickrock alcoves, along terraced pools of blue-green water, to waterfalls plunging out of holes on...

An empirical assessment of the Healthy Early Childhood Program in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil.

PubMed

Ribeiro, Felipe Garcia; Braun, Gisele; Carraro, André; Teixeira, Gibran da Silva; Gigante, Denise Petrucci

2018-01-01

We investigate the effect of a family-based primary health care program (Healthly Early Childhood Program) on infant mortality in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. We estimate infant mortality's counterfactual trajectories using the differences-in-differences approach, combined with the use of longitudinal data for all municipalities in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Our main result is that the program reduced the number of deaths caused by external causes. The length of exposure to the program seems to potentiate the effects. For the number of deaths by general causes, there is no evidence of impact. Our findings are consistent with the nature of the program that aims to improve adults care with children. The Healthly Early Childhood Program is effective in reducing the number of avoidable deaths in infants.

VAST Challenge 2014: The Kronos Incident

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

Whiting, Mark A.; Cook, Kristin A.; Grinstein, Georges

2014-10-31

The 2014 IEEE Visual Analytics Science and Technology (VAST) Challenge presented researchers with a single fictitious scenario: the disappearance of staff members of the GASTech oil and gas company on location on the island of Kronos. A group named the Protectors of Kronos (POK) was the prime suspect in the disappearance. Three mini-challenges and a grand challenge were offered. Mini-challenge 1 included multiple types of text data for participants to provide a timeline of key events and characterize the POK, mini-challenge 2 focused on individuals’ movement and financial data for participants to provide patterns of daily life, and mini-challenge 3more » featured real-time streaming social media and emergency service data for participants to provide hostage and kidnapper information. The grand challenge asked the participants to integrate results and generate a synopsis of events. The VAST Challenge received 73 submissions from 13 countries« less

Grand Rounds: A Method for Improving Student Learning and Client Care Continuity in a Student-Run Physical Therapy Pro Bono Clinic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Black, Jill D.; Bauer, Kyle N.; Spano, Georgia E.; Voelkel, Sarah A.; Palombaro, Kerstin M.

2017-01-01

Background and Purpose: Grand Rounds is a teaching methodology that has existed in various forms in medical education for centuries. When a student-run pro bono clinic identified a growing challenge of providing continuity of care for clients and a lack of preparedness in students, they implemented a Grand Rounds model of case presentation within…

Elementary Foreign Language Program in the Grand Blanc Community Schools, 1993-1994 (K-3): A Practical Handbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lemke, Laura A.

The guide is designed as a resource to help elementary school administrators and teachers in the Grand Blanc (Michigan) Community School district understand the rationale for beginning an elementary foreign language program, program types, and specifics of the district's model and philosophy. Chapters address the following topics: the rationale…

Tipping Points and Balancing Acts: Grand Challenges and Synergistic Opportunities of Integrating Research and Education, Science and Solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCaffrey, M. S.; Stroeve, J. C.

2011-12-01

The "Grand Challenges" to address Global Change identified by the International Council for Science (ICSU) and its partners through the Earth System Sustainability Initiative-improving forecasting, enhancing and integrating observation systems, confining and minimizing global environmental change, responding effectively to change, as well as innovating and evaluating these efforts-require an integrative approach that engages and inspires society in general and young people in particular. What are some of the effective strategies-and stumbling blocks-in being able to make Earth System science and related sustainability efforts relevant and practical to non-technical audiences? Recent climate education projects have pioneered new strategies toward linking and infusing research with education, science with solutions. For example, the Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN), a National Science Digital Library Pathway funded by NSF, has approached this integral approach by "closing the loop" between climate and energy topics, identifying and annotating high quality online resources relating to the carbon cycle and related topics. The Inspiring Climate Education Excellence (ICEE) project, funded by NASA, offers professional development for teachers that infuses climate science with solutions as an emerging "best practice" while being sensitive to the emotional, psychological and political aspects of avoiding "gloom and doom" on one hand or advocating for particular policy solutions on another. Other examples includes NASA's climate website (http://climate.nasa.gov ), which serves as a robust, engaging portal for climate research and data, especially for educators. The recent PBS series Earth: The Operators' Manual and related book and website are other recent example of how climate science research, education and solutions can be incorporated in a way that is appealing and informative. The Alliance for Climate Education (ACE) has given assemblies in thousands of US high schools that integrate climate science and solutions in a way that inspires and informs youth, and similar programs exist internationally. Other approaches to prepare vulnerable communities, especially young people, for natural hazards and human-induced environmental change include programs such as Plan International's "Child Centered Disaster Risk Reduction- Building Resilience Through Participation," and their "Weathering the Storm" project, focusing on integrating the needs of teenage girls with climate change adaptation and risk reduction. While minimizing global environmental and climate change is crucial, these and related programs that weave research with education, science with solutions offer the potential for addressing the "Grand Challenges" by better preparing for societal and environmental tipping points through a more balanced and integrated approach to addressing change."

Thriving Earth Exchange: AGU's new grand challenge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McEntee, Chris; Williams, Billy

2012-11-01

Imagine a world where scientists are acknowledged and celebrated for their good works. Imagine being able to make a powerful impact, applying your expertise and experience to create real solutions to ensure a sustainable future. Now imagine those two ideas linked: AGU scientists engaged in creating solutions that are recognized and celebrated for their positive impact on our world. The AGU Grand Challenge: Thriving Earth Exchange, a new idea from our member leaders, is about making this dream real.

Grande Ronde Endemic Spring Chinook Salmon Supplementation Program: Facility Operation and Maintenance and Monitoring and Evaluation, 1999 Annual Report.

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

Boe, Stephen J.; Lofy, Peter T.

2002-11-01

This is the second annual report of a multi-year, multi-agency project to restore spring chinook salmon populations in the Grande Ronde River Basin (Grande Ronde Endemic Chinook Salmon Program--GRESCP). The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) operates adult collection and juvenile acclimation facilities on Catherine Creek and the upper Grande Ronde River for Snake River spring chinook salmon. These two streams have historically supported populations that provided significant tribal and non-tribal fisheries. Supplementation using conventional and captive broodstock techniques is being used to increase natural production and restore fisheries in these two streams. Statement of Work Objectives formore » 1999: (1) Participate in development and continued implementation of the comprehensive multi year operations plan for the Grande Ronde Endemic Supplementation Program. (2) Ensure proper construction and trial operation of semi-permanent adult and juvenile facilities for use in 2000. (3) Monitor adult endemic spring chinook salmon populations and collect broodstock. (4) Plan detailed Monitoring and Evaluation for future years. (5) Monitor population abundance and characteristics and local environmental factors that may influence abundance and run timing of Grande Ronde River spring chinook populations. (6) Participate in Monitoring and Evaluation of the captive brood component of the Program to assure this component is contributing to the Program. (7) Participate in data collection for incidentally-caught bull trout and summer steelhead and planning for recovery of summer steelhead populations. (8) Document accomplishments and needs to permitters, comanagers, and funding agencies. (9) Communicate project results to the scientific community.« less

The Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology's Grand Rounds Around the World-An Online Educational Program Freely Accessible to All.

PubMed

Lam, Dennis; Leung, Christopher; He, Mingguang; Tham, Clement; Liu, Yizhi; Pang, Calvin; Martin, Frank

2012-01-01

Grand rounds are excellent learning platforms for physicians and other health care professionals to keep up with important evolving areas in the management and treatment models of various diseases. However, there are hardly any freely accessible grand rounds in ophthalmology to meet the need for ophthalmic education in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. The Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology would like to meet the need by sponsoring a new initiative "Grand Rounds Around the World" so that ophthalmologists and eye care professionals in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond can benefit from the program, leading to improved patient care and the elimination of learning barriers.

Thermal Protection for Mars Sample Return Earth Entry Vehicle: A Grand Challenge for Design Methodology and Reliability Verification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Venkatapathy, Ethiraj; Gage, Peter; Wright, Michael J.

2017-01-01

Mars Sample Return is our Grand Challenge for the coming decade. TPS (Thermal Protection System) nominal performance is not the key challenge. The main difficulty for designers is the need to verify unprecedented reliability for the entry system: current guidelines for prevention of backward contamination require that the probability of spores larger than 1 micron diameter escaping into the Earth environment be lower than 1 million for the entire system, and the allocation to TPS would be more stringent than that. For reference, the reliability allocation for Orion TPS is closer to 11000, and the demonstrated reliability for previous human Earth return systems was closer to 1100. Improving reliability by more than 3 orders of magnitude is a grand challenge indeed. The TPS community must embrace the possibility of new architectures that are focused on reliability above thermal performance and mass efficiency. MSR (Mars Sample Return) EEV (Earth Entry Vehicle) will be hit with MMOD (Micrometeoroid and Orbital Debris) prior to reentry. A chute-less aero-shell design which allows for self-righting shape was baselined in prior MSR studies, with the assumption that a passive system will maximize EEV robustness. Hence the aero-shell along with the TPS has to take ground impact and not break apart. System verification will require testing to establish ablative performance and thermal failure but also testing of damage from MMOD, and structural performance at ground impact. Mission requirements will demand analysis, testing and verification that are focused on establishing reliability of the design. In this proposed talk, we will focus on the grand challenge of MSR EEV TPS and the need for innovative approaches to address challenges in modeling, testing, manufacturing and verification.

Grand challenges in mass storage: A system integrator's perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mintz, Dan; Lee, Richard

1993-01-01

The grand challenges are the following: to develop more innovation in approach; to expand the I/O barrier; to achieve increased volumetric efficiency and incremental cost improvements; to reinforce the 'weakest link' software; to implement improved architectures; and to minimize the impact of self-destructing technologies. Mass storage is defined as any type of storage system exceeding 100 GBytes in total size, under the control of a centralized file management scheme. The topics covered are presented in viewgraph form.

Grande Ronde Basin Supplementation Program; Lostine River, 2000 Annual Report.

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

Onjukka, Sam T.; Harbeck, Jim

2003-03-01

The Northwest Power Planning Council (NPPC) identified supplementation as a high priority to achieve its goal of increasing runs of anadromous fish in the Columbia Basin. Supplementation activities in the Lostine River and associated monitoring and evaluation conducted by the Nez Perce Tribe relate directly to the needs addressed in the Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program (NPPC 1994). Measure 7.4L.1 of the Program mandates that appropriate research accompany any proposed supplementation. In addition, measure 7.3B.2 of the Program stresses the need for evaluating supplementation projects to assess their ability to increase production. Finally, Section 7.4D.3 encourages the studymore » of hatchery rearing and release strategies to improve survival and adaptation of cultured fish. In 1997, Oregon Department of Fisheries and Wildlife (ODFW) requested a modification of Permit 1011 to allow the take of adult spring chinook salmon. In 1998, the Nez Perce Tribe also requested a permit specific to activities on Lostine River. The permit was issued in 2000. A special condition in the permits required the development of a long term management plan for the spring chinook salmon of the Grande Ronde Basin. The Nez Perce Tribe, ODFW, and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) completed a formal long range plan entitled ''Grande Ronde Basin Endemic Spring Chinook Salmon Supplementation Program''. The program proposes to increase the survival of spring chinook salmon in the Grand Ronde Basin through hatchery intervention. Adult salmon from the Lostine River, Catherine Creek, and the Upper Grande Ronde River are used for a conventional supplementation program in the basin. The Nez Perce program currently operates under the ESA Section 10 Permit 1149.« less

Grande Ronde Basin Supplementation Program; Lostine River, 2001 Annual Report.

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

Onjukka, Sam T.; Harbeck, Jim

2003-03-01

The Northwest Power Planning Council (NPPC) identified supplementation as a high priority to achieve its goal of increasing runs of anadromous fish in the Columbia Basin. Supplementation activities in the Lostine River and associated monitoring and evaluation conducted by the Nez Perce Tribe relate directly to the needs addressed in the Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program (NPPC 1994). Measure 7.4L.1 of the Program mandates that appropriate research accompany any proposed supplementation. In addition, measure 7.3B.2 of the Program stresses the need for evaluating supplementation projects to assess their ability to increase production. Finally, Section 7.4D.3 encourages the studymore » of hatchery rearing and release strategies to improve survival and adaptation of cultured fish. In 1997, Oregon Department of Fisheries and Wildlife (ODFW) requested a modification of Permit 1011 to allow the take of adult spring chinook salmon. In 1998, the Nez Perce Tribe also requested a permit specific to activities on Lostine River. The permit was issued in 2000. A special condition in the permits required the development of a long term management plan for the spring chinook salmon of the Grande Ronde Basin. The Nez Perce Tribe, ODFW, and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) completed a formal long range plan entitled ''Grande Ronde Basin Endemic Spring Chinook Salmon Supplementation Program''. The program proposes to increase the survival of spring chinook salmon in the Grand Ronde Basin through hatchery intervention. Adult salmon from the Lostine River, Catherine Creek, and the Upper Grande Ronde River are used for a conventional supplementation program in the basin. The Nez Perce program currently operates under the ESA Section 10 Permit 1149.« less

Social Work Grand Challenges: Leaders' Perceptions of the Potential for Partnering with Business.

PubMed

Long, Ashley

2018-04-23

Social work's ability to address complex societal problems such as those identified in the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare's Grand Challenges for Social Work is reliant on being innovative in how we prepare social workers and how we collaborate with others, including business. This research seeks to understand how leaders of major social work organizations perceive potential partnership with the business sector-including both possible threats and opportunities. Interviews were conducted with those serving on the Council on Social Work Education's Leadership Roundtable. The research explores how emerging partnership models can be helpful and ways in which the profession can prepare practitioners for better partnering with the business sector. Qualitative findings identify four key strategies to address the grand challenges and enhance partnerships: (1) more interdisciplinary work is needed, (2) social work students need to be adequately equipped for collaborative work, (3) a cohesive message is needed from the field, and (4) the potential benefits for partnering with business outweigh the risks.

Grand Canyon Trekkers: School-Based Lunchtime Walking Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawthorne, Alisa; Shaibi, Gabriel; Gance-Cleveland, Bonnie; McFall, Sarah

2011-01-01

The incidence of childhood overweight is especially troubling among low income Latino youth. Grand Canyon Trekkers (GCT) was implemented as a quasi-experimental study in 10 Title 1 elementary schools with a large Latino population to examine the effects of a 16-week structured walking program on components of health-related physical fitness: Body…

Transforming the diagnosis of tuberculosis: an editorial board member's opinion at the 15th year of Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics.

PubMed

Pai, Madhukar; Raison, Claire

2015-03-01

Interview with Professor Madhukar Pai, MD, PhD by Claire Raison (Commissioning Editor). Professor Madhukar Pai did his medical training and community medicine residency in Vellore, India. He completed his PhD in epidemiology at the University of California, Berkeley (CA, USA) and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco (CA, USA). He is currently an associate professor of epidemiology at McGill University in Montreal (Canada). He serves as the Director of Global Health Programs, and as an Associate Director of the McGill International Tuberculosis Centre. In addition, he serves as a Consultant for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He also serves on the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Geneva, Switzerland. His research is focused on improving the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis, especially in high-burden countries such as India and South Africa. His research is supported by grant funding from the Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada and Canadian Institutes of Health Research. He has more than 200 peer-reviewed publications. He is recipient of the Union Scientific Prize, Chanchlani Global Health Research Award and Stars in Global Health award from Grand Challenges Canada, and is a member of the Royal Society of Canada.

Food and nutrition security in families with children under five years old in the city of Campina Grande, Paraíba.

PubMed

Pedraza, Dixis Figueroa; Gama, Jacqueline Santos da Fonsêca Almeida

2015-01-01

To estimate the prevalence and identify the socioeconomic risk factors for food insecurity in households with children under five years in the city of Campina Grande, Paraíba. This cross-sectional study involved 793 families with children assisted in municipal day care centers in Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil. Household socioeconomic variables were analyzed as the possible predictors of mild food insecurity and moderate/severe food insecurity. For the evaluation of food and nutrition security of households, the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale was used. Mild food insecurity was characterized in 37.6% of families, and moderate/severe food insecurity affected 31.6% of households. Regarding the household socioeconomic variables, none was associated with mild food insecurity. Meanwhile, the highest prevalence of moderate/severe food insecurity, when compared with reference categories, was present in households without water treatment for drinking purposes, with toilets that are not flushable and individual, with larger families, and without a refrigerator. Being a beneficiary, or not, of the social welfare program "Bolsa Familia" did not represent a factor associated with food insecurity. The results show high rates of food insecurity with the most severe degrees being related to factors dependent on the family purchasing power, indicating a major challenge for them.

Refined lateral energy correction functions for the KASCADE-Grande experiment based on Geant4 simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gherghel-Lascu, A.; Apel, W. D.; Arteaga-Velázquez, J. C.; Bekk, K.; Bertaina, M.; Blümer, J.; Bozdog, H.; Brancus, I. M.; Cantoni, E.; Chiavassa, A.; Cossavella, F.; Daumiller, K.; de Souza, V.; Di Pierro, F.; Doll, P.; Engel, R.; Engler, J.; Fuchs, B.; Fuhrmann, D.; Gils, H. J.; Glasstetter, R.; Grupen, C.; Haungs, A.; Heck, D.; Hörandel, J. R.; Huber, D.; Huege, T.; Kampert, K.-H.; Kang, D.; Klages, H. O.; Link, K.; Łuczak, P.; Mathes, H. J.; Mayer, H. J.; Milke, J.; Mitrica, B.; Morello, C.; Oehlschläger, J.; Ostapchenko, S.; Palmieri, N.; Petcu, M.; Pierog, T.; Rebel, H.; Roth, M.; Schieler, H.; Schoo, S.; Schröder, F. G.; Sima, O.; Toma, G.; Trinchero, G. C.; Ulrich, H.; Weindl, A.; Wochele, J.; Zabierowski, J.

2015-02-01

In previous studies of KASCADE-Grande data, a Monte Carlo simulation code based on the GEANT3 program has been developed to describe the energy deposited by EAS particles in the detector stations. In an attempt to decrease the simulation time and ensure compatibility with the geometry description in standard KASCADE-Grande analysis software, several structural elements have been neglected in the implementation of the Grande station geometry. To improve the agreement between experimental and simulated data, a more accurate simulation of the response of the KASCADE-Grande detector is necessary. A new simulation code has been developed based on the GEANT4 program, including a realistic geometry of the detector station with structural elements that have not been considered in previous studies. The new code is used to study the influence of a realistic detector geometry on the energy deposited in the Grande detector stations by particles from EAS events simulated by CORSIKA. Lateral Energy Correction Functions are determined and compared with previous results based on GEANT3.

SpaceView (Viral Space Situational Awareness) One Year Update

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gleckler, A.; Butterfield, M.; Copenhaver, R.; Wade, A.; Apponi, A.

2013-09-01

Viral SSA takes advantage of the amateur astronomy community to provide an extremely low-cost and geographically-diverse network of optical SSA sites. In the spirit of programs such as DARPA's Grand Challenge and the National Weather Service's program of providing amateur meteorologists with weather stations linked to a central professional meteorological facility, we form a cooperative bond with a willing community of technicallyminded individuals. We term this program "viral" because we will qualify an initial set of astronomers for SSA operation and then use word of mouth in the astronomy community, as well as an outreach program, to pull in new observers. The use of modern remote controlled telescopes allows the incorporation of certified amateur, university, and commercial telescope systems. The availability of the local Viral SSA member for troubleshooting eliminates most significant costs of operating a large network. In this talk, we discuss the project's first year and the roadmap for the next two years.

Grand challenges in mass storage: A systems integrators perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Richard R.; Mintz, Daniel G.

1993-01-01

Within today's much ballyhooed supercomputing environment, with its CFLOPS of CPU power, and Gigabit networks, there exists a major roadblock to computing success; that of Mass Storage. The solution to this mass storage problem is considered to be one of the 'Grand Challenges' facing the computer industry today, as well as long into the future. It has become obvious to us, as well as many others in the industry, that there is no clear single solution in sight. The Systems Integrator today is faced with a myriad of quandaries in approaching this challenge. He must first be innovative in approach, second choose hardware solutions that are volumetric efficient; high in signal bandwidth; available from multiple sources; competitively priced, and have forward growth extendibility. In addition he must also comply with a variety of mandated, and often conflicting software standards (GOSIP, POSIX, IEEE, MSRM 4.0, and others), and finally he must deliver a systems solution with the 'most bang for the buck' in terms of cost vs. performance factors. These quandaries challenge the Systems Integrator to 'push the envelope' in terms of his or her ingenuity and innovation on an almost daily basis. This dynamic is explored further, and an attempt to acquaint the audience with rational approaches to this 'Grand Challenge' is made.

Grande Ronde Endemic Spring Chinook Salmon Supplementation Program: Facility Operation and Maintenance and Monitoring and Evaluation, 2000 Annual Report.

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

Boe, Stephen J.; Lofy, Peter T.

2003-03-01

This is the third annual report of a multi-year project to operate adult collection and juvenile acclimation facilities on Catherine Creek and the upper Grande Ronde River for Snake River spring chinook salmon. These two streams have historically supported populations that provided significant tribal and non-tribal fisheries. Supplementation using conventional and captive broodstock techniques is being used to restore fisheries in these streams. Statement of Work Objectives for 2000: (1) Participate in implementation of the comprehensive multiyear operations plan for the Grande Ronde Endemic Spring Chinook Supplementation Program (GRESCP). (2) Plan for recovery of endemic summer steelhead populations in Catherinemore » Creek and the upper Grande Ronde River. (3) Ensure proper construction and trial operation of semi-permanent adult and juvenile facilities for use in 2000. (4) Collect summer steelhead. (5) Collect adult endemic spring chinook salmon broodstock. (6) Acclimate juvenile spring chinook salmon prior to release into the upper Grande Ronde River and Catherine Creek. (7) Document accomplishments and needs to permitters, comanagers, and funding agency. (8) Communicate project results to the scientific community. (9) Plan detailed GRESCP Monitoring and Evaluation for future years. (10) Monitor adult population abundance and characteristics of Grande Ronde River spring chinook salmon populations and incidentally-caught summer steelhead and bull trout. (11) Monitor condition, movement, and mortality of spring chinook salmon acclimated at remote facilities. (12) Monitor water quality at facilities. (13) Participate in Monitoring & Evaluation of the captive brood component of the Program to document contribution to the Program.« less

Grande Ronde Basin Chinook Salmon Captive Brood and Conventional Supplementation Programs, 2002 Annual Report.

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

Carmichael, Richard W.

2003-07-01

Endangered Species Permit Number 1011 (formerly Permit No. 973) authorizes ODFW to take listed spring chinook salmon juveniles from Catherine Creek (CC), Lostine River (LR) and Grande Ronde River (GR) for research and enhancement purposes. Modification 2 of this permit authorizes ODFW to take adults for spawning and the production and release of smolts for the Captive and Conventional broodstock programs. This report satisfies the requirement that an annual report be submitted. Herein we report on activities conducted and provide cursory data analyses for the Grande Ronde spring chinook salmon Captive and Conventional broodstock projects from 1 January-31 December 2002.more » The Grande Ronde Basin Spring Chinook Salmon Captive Broodstock Project is designed to rapidly increase numbers of salmon in stocks that are in imminent danger of extirpation. Parr are captured in Catherine Creek, upper Grande Ronde River and Lostine River and reared to adulthood in captivity. Upon maturation, they are spawned (within stocks) and their progeny reared to smoltification before being released into the natal stream of their parents. This program is co-managed by ODFW, National Marine Fisheries Service, the Nez Perce Tribe and Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.« less

PARC - Scientific Exchange Program (A "Life at the Frontiers of Energy Research" contest entry from the 2011 Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) Summit and Forum)

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

Blankenship, Robert E.

"PARC - Scientific Exchange Program" was submitted by the Photosynthetic Antenna Research Center (PARC) to the "Life at the Frontiers of Energy Research" video contest at the 2011 Science for Our Nation's Energy Future: Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) Summit and Forum. Twenty-six EFRCs created short videos to highlight their mission and their work. PARC, an EFRC directed by Robert E. Blankenship at Washington University in St. Louis, is a partnership of scientists from ten institutions. The Office of Basic Energy Sciences in the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science established the 46 Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) inmore » 2009. These collaboratively-organized centers conduct fundamental research focused on 'grand challenges' and use-inspired 'basic research needs' recently identified in major strategic planning efforts by the scientific community. The overall purpose is to accelerate scientific progress toward meeting the nation's critical energy challenges.« less

PARC - Scientific Exchange Program (A "Life at the Frontiers of Energy Research" contest entry from the 2011 Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) Summit and Forum)

ScienceCinema

Blankenship, Robert E. (Director, Photosynthetic Antenna Research Center); PARC Staff

2017-12-09

'PARC - Scientific Exchange Program' was submitted by the Photosynthetic Antenna Research Center (PARC) to the 'Life at the Frontiers of Energy Research' video contest at the 2011 Science for Our Nation's Energy Future: Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) Summit and Forum. Twenty-six EFRCs created short videos to highlight their mission and their work. PARC, an EFRC directed by Robert E. Blankenship at Washington University in St. Louis, is a partnership of scientists from ten institutions. The Office of Basic Energy Sciences in the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science established the 46 Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) in 2009. These collaboratively-organized centers conduct fundamental research focused on 'grand challenges' and use-inspired 'basic research needs' recently identified in major strategic planning efforts by the scientific community. The overall purpose is to accelerate scientific progress toward meeting the nation's critical energy challenges.

Research Furthers Conservation of Grand Canyon Sandbars

USGS Publications Warehouse

Melis, Theodore S.; Topping, David J.; Rubin, David M.; Wright, Scott A.

2007-01-01

Grand Canyon National Park lies approximately 25 km (15 mi) down-river from Glen Canyon Dam, which was built on the Colorado River just south of the Arizona-Utah border in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Before the dam began to regulate the Colorado River in 1963, the river carried such large quantities of red sediment, for which the Southwest is famous, that the Spanish named the river the Rio Colorado, or 'red river'. Today, the Colorado River usually runs clear below Glen Canyon Dam because the dam nearly eliminates the main-channel sand supply. The daily and seasonal flows of the river were also altered by the dam. These changes have disrupted the sedimentary processes that create and maintain Grand Canyon sandbars. Throughout Grand Canyon, sandbars create habitat for native plants and animals, supply camping beaches for river runners and hikers, and provide sediment needed to protect archaeological resources from weathering and erosion. Maintenance of sandbars in the Colorado River ecosystem, the river corridor that stretches from the dam to the western boundary of Grand Canyon National Park, is a goal of the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program. The program is a federally authorized initiative to ensure that the mandates of the Grand Canyon Protection Act of 1992 are met through advances in information and resource management. The U.S. Geological Survey's Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center has responsibility for scientific monitoring and research efforts for the program. Extensive research and monitoring during the past decade have resulted in the identification of possible alternatives for operating Glen Canyon Dam that hold new potential for the conservation of sand resources.

"In the middle of an orange grove, across the street from the tortilla factory": The Science Academy of South Texas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canter, Anna Rudolph

2004-12-01

The Science Academy of South Texas, one of four magnet schools in The South Texas Independent School District (STISD), opened in 1989 to bring educational opportunities in mathematics and science to students in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. STISD serves three counties and offers enrollment to any student who applies from any of the twenty-eight feeder districts. The Science Academy is the only mathematics and science magnet school in the Rio Grande Valley. Over years, Science Academy has developed partnerships with major colleges and universities in Houston, Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. University partnerships have provided funding for programs at the school and have created continuing summer study programs for Science Academy students. Graduates have been accepted to and/or attended some of the most prestigious colleges and universities across the United States, despite personal challenges including low socioeconomic status, English as their second language, and being the first in their family to attend college. This historical study seeks to answer two basic questions. How has the Science Academy faced its academic, political, and social challenges over the years? What factors appear to have contributed to its establishment, survival, and success? Chapter One, "Significance of the Study and Research Methods" describes the study's significance within the scholarly literature and the research methods used for this study. Chapter Two, "The Science Academy of South Texas" presents the history of STISD and the events which precipitated Science Academy's establishment. Chapter Three, "The Administration, Faculty and Staff of Science Academy," discusses administration and faculty of the Science Academy. Its focus is Science Academy teachers and their educational beliefs as well as the administrators and staff and their beliefs. Chapter Four, "Curriculum Continuity and Change at the Science Academy," focuses on the curriculum history of Science Academy and the changes faculty members and administrators have made over time. Chapter Five, "The Students of the Science Academy of South Texas," focuses on the students at the Science Academy, who administrators and teachers describe as "the whole reason we are here." Chapter Six offers concluding thoughts and ideas for future research.

40 CFR 81.173 - Grand Mesa Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 17 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Grand Mesa Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. 81.173 Section 81.173 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) DESIGNATION OF AREAS FOR AIR QUALITY PLANNING PURPOSES Designation of Air Quality Control Regions § 81.173 Grand Mesa...

40 CFR 81.173 - Grand Mesa Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 17 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Grand Mesa Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. 81.173 Section 81.173 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) DESIGNATION OF AREAS FOR AIR QUALITY PLANNING PURPOSES Designation of Air Quality Control Regions § 81.173 Grand Mesa...

Challenges and opportunities in developmental integrative physiology☆

PubMed Central

Mueller, C.A.; Eme, J.; Burggren, W.W.; Roghair, R.D.; Rundle, S.D.

2015-01-01

This review explores challenges and opportunities in developmental physiology outlined by a symposium at the 2014 American Physiological Society Intersociety Meeting: Comparative Approaches to Grand Challenges in Physiology. Across animal taxa, adverse embryonic/fetal environmental conditions can alter morphological and physiological phenotypes in juveniles or adults, and capacities for developmental plasticity are common phenomena. Human neonates with body sizes at the extremes of perinatal growth are at an increased risk of adult disease, particularly hypertension and cardiovascular disease. There are many rewarding areas of current and future research in comparative developmental physiology. We present key mechanisms, models, and experimental designs that can be used across taxa to investigate patterns in, and implications of, the development of animal phenotypes. Intraspecific variation in the timing of developmental events can be increased through developmental plasticity (heterokairy), and could provide the raw material for selection to produce heterochrony — an evolutionary change in the timing of developmental events. Epigenetics and critical windows research recognizes that in ovo or fetal development represent a vulnerable period in the life history of an animal, when the developing organism may be unable to actively mitigate environmental perturbations. ‘Critical windows’ are periods of susceptibility or vulnerability to environmental or maternal challenges, periods when recovery from challenge is possible, and periods when the phenotype or epigenome has been altered. Developmental plasticity may allow survival in an altered environment, but it also has possible long-term consequences for the animal. “Catch-up growth” in humans after the critical perinatal window has closed elicits adult obesity and exacerbates a programmed hypertensive phenotype (one of many examples of “fetal programing”). Grand challenges for developmental physiology include integrating variation in developmental timing within and across generations, applying multiple stressor dosages and stressor exposure at different developmental timepoints, assessment of epigenetic and parental influences, developing new animal models and techniques, and assessing and implementing these designs and models in human health and development. PMID:25711780

Research and management of soil, plant, animal, and human resources in the Middle Rio Grande Basin

Treesearch

Deborah M. Finch

1996-01-01

The Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station initiated a research program in 1994 called. "Ecology, diversity, and sustainability of soil, plant, animal, and human resources of the Rio Grande Basin". This program is funded by an Ecosystem Management grant from Forest Service Research. Its mission focuses on the development and application of new...

River bar vegetation mowing response in the Middle Rio Grande

Treesearch

Esteban Muldavin; Elizabeth Milford; Yvonne Chauvin

1999-01-01

The Bureau of Reclamation routinely mows vegetation on side bars along the Rio Grande to assist with river flow management. To address the question of how such mowing affects vegetation composition and structure, three bars in the middle Rio Grande near Albuquerque, New Mexico were selected in 1994 for an experimental mowing program. Three 50-foot-wide strips on each...

Saving Lives at Birth; development of a retrospective theory of change, impact framework and prioritised metrics.

PubMed

Lalli, Marek; Ruysen, Harriet; Blencowe, Hannah; Yee, Kristen; Clune, Karen; DeSilva, Mary; Leffler, Marissa; Hillman, Emily; El-Noush, Haitham; Mulligan, Jo; Murray, Jeffrey C; Silver, Karlee; Lawn, Joy E

2018-01-29

Grand Challenges for international health and development initiatives have received substantial funding to tackle unsolved problems; however, evidence of their effectiveness in achieving change is lacking. A theory of change may provide a useful tool to track progress towards desired outcomes. The Saving Lives at Birth partnership aims to address inequities in maternal-newborn survival through the provision of strategic investments for the development, testing and transition-to-scale of ground-breaking prevention and treatment approaches with the potential to leapfrog conventional healthcare approaches in low resource settings. We aimed to develop a theory of change and impact framework with prioritised metrics to map the initiative's contribution towards overall goals, and to measure progress towards improved outcomes around the time of birth. A theory of change and impact framework was developed retrospectively, drawing on expertise across the partnership and stakeholders. This included a document and literature review, and wide consultation, with feedback from stakeholders at all stages. Possible indicators were reviewed from global maternal-newborn health-related partner initiatives, priority indicator lists, and project indicators from current innovators. These indicators were scored across five domains to prioritise those most relevant and feasible for Saving Lives at Birth. These results informed the identification of the prioritised metrics for the initiative. The pathway to scale through Saving Lives at Birth is articulated through a theory of change and impact framework, which also highlight the roles of different actors involved in the programme. A prioritised metrics toolkit, including ten core impact indicators and five additional process indicators, complement the theory of change. The retrospective nature of this development enabled structured reflection of the program mechanics, allowing for inclusion of learning from the first four rounds of the program to inform implementation of subsequent rounds. While theories of change are more traditionally developed before program implementation, retrospective development can still be a useful exercise for multi-round programs like Saving Lives at Birth, where outputs from the development can be used to strengthen subsequent rounds. However, identifying a uniform set of prioritised metrics for use across the portfolio proved more challenging. Lessons learnt from this exercise will be relevant to the development of pathways to change across other Grand Challenges and global health platforms.

Advantages of Computer Simulation in Enhancing Students' Learning about Landform Evolution: A Case Study Using the Grand Canyon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luo, Wei; Pelletier, Jon; Duffin, Kirk; Ormand, Carol; Hung, Wei-chen; Shernoff, David J.; Zhai, Xiaoming; Iverson, Ellen; Whalley, Kyle; Gallaher, Courtney; Furness, Walter

2016-01-01

The long geological time needed for landform development and evolution poses a challenge for understanding and appreciating the processes involved. The Web-based Interactive Landform Simulation Model--Grand Canyon (WILSIM-GC, http://serc.carleton.edu/landform/) is an educational tool designed to help students better understand such processes,…

D3R Grand Challenge 2: blind prediction of protein-ligand poses, affinity rankings, and relative binding free energies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaieb, Zied; Liu, Shuai; Gathiaka, Symon; Chiu, Michael; Yang, Huanwang; Shao, Chenghua; Feher, Victoria A.; Walters, W. Patrick; Kuhn, Bernd; Rudolph, Markus G.; Burley, Stephen K.; Gilson, Michael K.; Amaro, Rommie E.

2018-01-01

The Drug Design Data Resource (D3R) ran Grand Challenge 2 (GC2) from September 2016 through February 2017. This challenge was based on a dataset of structures and affinities for the nuclear receptor farnesoid X receptor (FXR), contributed by F. Hoffmann-La Roche. The dataset contained 102 IC50 values, spanning six orders of magnitude, and 36 high-resolution co-crystal structures with representatives of four major ligand classes. Strong global participation was evident, with 49 participants submitting 262 prediction submission packages in total. Procedurally, GC2 mimicked Grand Challenge 2015 (GC2015), with a Stage 1 subchallenge testing ligand pose prediction methods and ranking and scoring methods, and a Stage 2 subchallenge testing only ligand ranking and scoring methods after the release of all blinded co-crystal structures. Two smaller curated sets of 18 and 15 ligands were developed to test alchemical free energy methods. This overview summarizes all aspects of GC2, including the dataset details, challenge procedures, and participant results. We also consider implications for progress in the field, while highlighting methodological areas that merit continued development. Similar to GC2015, the outcome of GC2 underscores the pressing need for methods development in pose prediction, particularly for ligand scaffolds not currently represented in the Protein Data Bank (http://www.pdb.org), and in affinity ranking and scoring of bound ligands.

Active Debris Removal - A Grand Engineering Challenge for the Twenty-First Century

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liou, J.-C.

2011-01-01

The collision between Iridium 33 and Cosmos 2251 in 2009 has reignited interest in using active debris removal to remediate the near-Earth orbital debris environment. A recent NASA study shows that, in order to stabilize the environment in the low Earth orbit (LEO) region for the next 200 years, active debris removal of about five large and massive (1 to more than 8 metric tons) objects per year is needed. To develop the capability to remove five of those objects per year in a cost-effective manner truly represents a grand challenge in engineering and technology development.

The Quest toward limb regeneration: a regenerative engineering approach

PubMed Central

Laurencin, Cato T.; Nair, Lakshmi S.

2016-01-01

The Holy Grail to address the clinical grand challenge of human limb loss is to develop innovative strategies to regrow the amputated limb. The remarkable advances in the scientific understanding of regeneration, stem cell science, material science and engineering, physics and novel surgical approaches in the past few decades have provided a regenerative tool box to face this grand challenge and address the limitations of human wound healing. Here we discuss the convergence approach put forward by the field of Regenerative Engineering to use the regenerative tool box to design and develop novel translational strategies to limb regeneration. PMID:27047679

New and improved proteomics technologies for understanding complex biological systems: Addressing a grand challenge in the life sciences

PubMed Central

Hood, Leroy E.; Omenn, Gilbert S.; Moritz, Robert L.; Aebersold, Ruedi; Yamamoto, Keith R.; Amos, Michael; Hunter-Cevera, Jennie; Locascio, Laurie

2014-01-01

This White Paper sets out a Life Sciences Grand Challenge for Proteomics Technologies to enhance our understanding of complex biological systems, link genomes with phenotypes, and bring broad benefits to the biosciences and the US economy. The paper is based on a workshop hosted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, MD, 14–15 February 2011, with participants from many federal R&D agencies and research communities, under the aegis of the US National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). Opportunities are identified for a coordinated R&D effort to achieve major technology-based goals and address societal challenges in health, agriculture, nutrition, energy, environment, national security, and economic development. PMID:22807061

Grand challenges for biological engineering

PubMed Central

Yoon, Jeong-Yeol; Riley, Mark R

2009-01-01

Biological engineering will play a significant role in solving many of the world's problems in medicine, agriculture, and the environment. Recently the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE) released a document "Grand Challenges in Engineering," covering broad realms of human concern from sustainability, health, vulnerability and the joy of living. Biological engineers, having tools and techniques at the interface between living and non-living entities, will play a prominent role in forging a better future. The 2010 Institute of Biological Engineering (IBE) conference in Cambridge, MA, USA will address, in part, the roles of biological engineering in solving the challenges presented by the NAE. This letter presents a brief outline of how biological engineers are working to solve these large scale and integrated problems of our society. PMID:19772647

Bringing Seismology's Grand Challenges to the Undergraduate Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benoit, M. H.; Taber, J.; Hubenthal, M.

2011-12-01

The "Seismological Grand Challenges in Understanding Earth's Dynamic Systems," a community-written long-range science plan for the next decade, poses 10 questions to guide fundamental seismological research. Written in an approachable fashion suitable for policymakers, the broad questions and supporting discussion contained in this document offer an ideal framework for the development of undergraduate curricular materials. Leveraging this document, we have created a collection of inquiry-based classroom modules that utilize authentic data to modernize seismological instruction in 100 and 200 level undergraduate courses. The modules not only introduce undergraduates to the broad questions that the seismological community seeks to answer in the future but also showcase the numerous areas where modern seismological research is actively contributing to our understanding of fundamental Earth processes. To date 6 in-depth explorations that correspond to the Grand Challenges document have been developed. The specific topics for each exploration were selected to showcase modern seismological research while also covering topics commonly included in the curriculum of these introductory classes. Examples of activities that have been created and their corresponding Grand Challenge include: -A guided inquiry that introduces students to episodic tremor and slip and compares the GPS and seismic signatures of ETS with those produced from standard tectonic earthquakes (Grand Challenge "How do faults slip?"). - A laboratory exercise where students engage in b-value mapping of volcanic earthquakes to assess potential eruption hazards (How do magmas ascend and erupt?). - A module that introduce students to glacial earthquakes in Greenland and compares their frequency and spatial distribution to tectonic earthquakes (How do processes in the ocean and atmosphere interact with the solid Earth?). What is the relationship between stress and strain in the lithosphere? - An activity that examines the phenomena of earthquake triggering by distant events. (What is the relationship between stress and strain in the lithosphere?) To enhance the usefulness of these resources, all have been developed in a modular fashion which allows instructors to pick and choose some (or all) of these resources for integration in to the scope and sequence of their course. In addition to the in-depth labs, we also have created a number of mini-activities and visual material for the classroom, including think-pair-shares and lecture tutorials based on the following Grand Challenges: -What is the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary? -How do plate boundary systems evolve? -How do temperature and composition variations control mantle and core convection? -How are Earth's internal boundaries affected by dynamics? Over the next year we will be pilot testing and refining these activities at a number of institutions, including 2- and 4-year colleges, and the materials will eventually be disseminated online and through small training workshops. Current drafts of some of the activities are available at www.tcnj.edu/~benoit/grandchallenges.

Grande Ronde Basin Chinook Salmon Captive Brood and Conventional Supplementation Programs, 2001 Annual Report.

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

Carmichael, Richard W.

2003-03-01

Endangered Species Permit Number 1011 (formerly Permit No. 973) authorizes ODFW to take listed spring chinook salmon juveniles from Catherine Creek (CC), Lostine River (LR) and Grande Ronde River (GR) for research and enhancement purposes. Modification 2 of this permit authorizes ODFW to take adults for spawning and the production and release of smolts for the Captive and Conventional broodstock programs. This report satisfies the requirement that an annual report be submitted. Herein we report on activities conducted and provide cursory data analyses for the Grande Ronde spring chinook salmon Captive and Conventional broodstock projects from 1 January-31 December 2001.

Grande Ronde Basin Chinook Salmon Captive Brood and Conventional Supplementation Program, 2000 Annual Report.

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

Carmichael, Richard W.

2003-03-01

Endangered Species Permit Number 1011 (formerly Permit No. 973) authorizes ODFW to take listed spring chinook salmon juveniles from Catherine Creek (CC), Lostine River (LR) and Grande Ronde River (GR) for research and enhancement purposes. Modification 2 of this permit authorizes ODFW to take adults for spawning and the production and release of smolts for the Captive and Conventional broodstock programs. This report satisfies the requirement that an annual report be submitted. Herein we report on activities conducted and provide cursory data analyses for the Grande Ronde spring chinook salmon Captive and Conventional broodstock projects from 1 January-31 December 2000.

D3R grand challenge 2015: Evaluation of protein-ligand pose and affinity predictions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gathiaka, Symon; Liu, Shuai; Chiu, Michael; Yang, Huanwang; Stuckey, Jeanne A.; Kang, You Na; Delproposto, Jim; Kubish, Ginger; Dunbar, James B.; Carlson, Heather A.; Burley, Stephen K.; Walters, W. Patrick; Amaro, Rommie E.; Feher, Victoria A.; Gilson, Michael K.

2016-09-01

The Drug Design Data Resource (D3R) ran Grand Challenge 2015 between September 2015 and February 2016. Two targets served as the framework to test community docking and scoring methods: (1) HSP90, donated by AbbVie and the Community Structure Activity Resource (CSAR), and (2) MAP4K4, donated by Genentech. The challenges for both target datasets were conducted in two stages, with the first stage testing pose predictions and the capacity to rank compounds by affinity with minimal structural data; and the second stage testing methods for ranking compounds with knowledge of at least a subset of the ligand-protein poses. An additional sub-challenge provided small groups of chemically similar HSP90 compounds amenable to alchemical calculations of relative binding free energy. Unlike previous blinded Challenges, we did not provide cognate receptors or receptors prepared with hydrogens and likewise did not require a specified crystal structure to be used for pose or affinity prediction in Stage 1. Given the freedom to select from over 200 crystal structures of HSP90 in the PDB, participants employed workflows that tested not only core docking and scoring technologies, but also methods for addressing water-mediated ligand-protein interactions, binding pocket flexibility, and the optimal selection of protein structures for use in docking calculations. Nearly 40 participating groups submitted over 350 prediction sets for Grand Challenge 2015. This overview describes the datasets and the organization of the challenge components, summarizes the results across all submitted predictions, and considers broad conclusions that may be drawn from this collaborative community endeavor.

D3R Grand Challenge 2015: Evaluation of Protein-Ligand Pose and Affinity Predictions

PubMed Central

Gathiaka, Symon; Liu, Shuai; Chiu, Michael; Yang, Huanwang; Stuckey, Jeanne A; Kang, You Na; Delproposto, Jim; Kubish, Ginger; Dunbar, James B.; Carlson, Heather A.; Burley, Stephen K.; Walters, W. Patrick; Amaro, Rommie E.; Feher, Victoria A.; Gilson, Michael K.

2017-01-01

The Drug Design Data Resource (D3R) ran Grand Challenge 2015 between September 2015 and February 2016. Two targets served as the framework to test community docking and scoring methods: (i) HSP90, donated by AbbVie and the Community Structure Activity Resource (CSAR), and (ii) MAP4K4, donated by Genentech. The challenges for both target datasets were conducted in two stages, with the first stage testing pose predictions and the capacity to rank compounds by affinity with minimal structural data; and the second stage testing methods for ranking compounds with knowledge of at least a subset of the ligand-protein poses. An additional sub-challenge provided small groups of chemically similar HSP90 compounds amenable to alchemical calculations of relative binding free energy. Unlike previous blinded Challenges, we did not provide cognate receptors or receptors prepared with hydrogens and likewise did not require a specified crystal structure to be used for pose or affinity prediction in Stage 1. Given the freedom to select from over 200 crystal structures of HSP90 in the PDB, participants employed workflows that tested not only core docking and scoring technologies, but also methods for addressing water-mediated ligand-protein interactions, binding pocket flexibility, and the optimal selection of protein structures for use in docking calculations. Nearly 40 participating groups submitted over 350 prediction sets for Grand Challenge 2015. This overview describes the datasets and the organization of the challenge components, summarizes the results across all submitted predictions, and considers broad conclusions that may be drawn from this collaborative community endeavor. PMID:27696240

Astronomy Aid

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

As a Jet Propulsion Laboratory astronomer, John D. Callahan developed a computer program called Multimission Interactive Planner (MIP) to help astronomers analyze scientific and optical data collected on the Voyager's Grand Tour. The commercial version of the program called XonVu is published by XonTech, Inc. Callahan has since developed two more advanced programs based on MIP technology, Grand Tour and Jovian Traveler, which simulate Voyager and Giotto missions. The software allows astronomers and space novices to view the objects seen by the spacecraft, manipulating perspective, distance and field of vision.

International Astronomical Search Collaboration: Online Educational Outreach Program in Astronomical Discovery for Middle School, High School, & College Students and Citizen Scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, P.

2016-12-01

The International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC = "Isaac") in an online educational outreach program in planetary science. Citizen scientists and students from middle schools, high schools, and colleges make original discoveries of Main Belt asteroids. They discover trans-Neptunian objects and near-Earth objects. To date there have been discoveries of 1300 provisional MBAs, 7 TNOs, 2 potentially hazardous NEOs, and one Jupiter-family comet 276P/Vorobjov. IASC receives images from the Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii. Images are provided by the 1.8-m Pan-STARRS telescopes (PS1, PS2). These telescopes have the world's largest CCD cameras that produce 3o fields containing 1.4 billion pixels. These images are partitioned into 208 sub-images that are distributed online to the participating citizen scientists and schools (see http://iasc.hsutx.edu). Using the software Astrometrica, the sub-images are searched for moving object discoveries that are recorded with astrometry then reported to the Minor Planet Center (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Harvard). There are >5,000 citizen scientists and 700 schools that participate in the IASC asteroid searches. They come from more than 80 countries. And, the cost to participate…is free. Of the 1300 provisional MBA discoveries, 39 have been numbered and cataloged by the International Astronomical Union (Paris). The numbered discoveries are named by their citizen scientist and student discoverers. IASC works in conjunction with the NASA Asteroid Grand Challenge providing digital badging to the students (https://www.nasa.gov/feature/the-asteroid-grand-challenge-digital-badging-effort). IASC works online with the teachers from the participating schools, training them using videoconferencing to use Astrometrica in the search for, measurement of, and reporting of MBA discoveries by their students.

Grand Challenges in Physics Education Research: Teacher Preparation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heron, Paula

2015-04-01

The courses, curricula and programs that produce new K-12 teachers have been the subject of research in the physics education community for many years. In terms of recruitment, curricula, and mentoring, programs and pathways vary considerably from institution to institution. Each program addresses many different aspects of teaching including knowledge of the content and familiarity with best teaching practices. At the same time, even within physics (or physical science) there is a broad range of student outcomes that are considered important, including acquisition of factual knowledge, development of skill with disciplinary practices, and positive attitudes toward the discipline and one's own abilities. Given the broad range of both input and outcome variables it is no surprise that there are very few clear answers about the impact of teacher preparation on teachers, students and society. In this talk I will summarize some of the main findings to date, and identify some areas where much more research is needed.

Enhancing continental-scale understanding of agriculture: Integrating the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) with existing research networks to address global change.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelly, G.

2015-12-01

Over the past decade, there has been a resurgence of interest in the sustainability of the world's food system and its contributions to feeding the world's population as well as to ensuring environmental sustainability of the planet. The elements of this grand challenge are by now well known. Analysis of agricultural sustainability is made more challenging by the fact that the local responses to these global drivers of change are extremely variable in space and time due to the biophysical and geopolitical heterogeneity across the United States, and the world. Utilizing research networks allows the scientific community to leverage existing knowledge, models and data to develop a framework for understanding the interplay between global change drivers, regional, and continental sustainability of US agriculture. For example, well-established instrumented and calibrated research networks will allow for the examination of the potential tradeoffs between: 1) crop production, 2) land use and carbon emissions and sequestration, 3) groundwater depletion, and 4) nitrogen dynamics. NEON represents a major investment in scientific infrastructure in support of ecological research at a continental scale and is intended to address multiple ecological grand challenges. NEON will collect data from automated sensors and sample organisms and ecological variables in 20 eco-climatic domains. We will provide examples of how NEON's full potential can be realized when these data are combined with long term experimental results and other sensor networks [e.g., Ameriflux, Fluxnet, the Long-term Ecological Research Program (LTER), the Long-term Agroecosystem Research Network (LTAR)], Critical Zone Observatory (CZO).

Endeavour Grand Opening Ceremony

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-10-30

The space shuttle Endeavour is seen as workers prepare for the grand opening ceremony for the California Science center's Samuel Oschin Space Shuttle Endeavour Display Pavilion, Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, in Los Angeles. Endeavour, built as a replacement for space shuttle Challenger, completed 25 missions, spent 299 days in orbit, and orbited Earth 4,671 times while traveling 122,883,151 miles. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Repetitive Discrepancy between Espoused and In-Use Action Theories for Fishery Intervention in Grand-Popo, Benin

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kouevi, Augustin T.; Van Mierlo, Barbara; Leeuwis, Cees

2011-01-01

In order to be able to adapt successfully to eco-challenges, interest in change-oriented learning is growing around the world. The authors of this paper aim to assess the occurrence of learning for effective action-taking in successive fishery problem-solving interventions in the municipality of Grand-Popo, South-Western Benin, where interventions…

The SGI/CRAY T3E: Experiences and Insights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bernard, Lisa Hamet

1999-01-01

The focus of the HPCC Earth and Space Sciences (ESS) Project is capability computing - pushing highly scalable computing testbeds to their performance limits. The drivers of this focus are the Grand Challenge problems in Earth and space science: those that could not be addressed in a capacity computing environment where large jobs must continually compete for resources. These Grand Challenge codes require a high degree of communication, large memory, and very large I/O (throughout the duration of the processing, not just in loading initial conditions and saving final results). This set of parameters led to the selection of an SGI/Cray T3E as the current ESS Computing Testbed. The T3E at the Goddard Space Flight Center is a unique computational resource within NASA. As such, it must be managed to effectively support the diverse research efforts across the NASA research community yet still enable the ESS Grand Challenge Investigator teams to achieve their performance milestones, for which the system was intended. To date, all Grand Challenge Investigator teams have achieved the 10 GFLOPS milestone, eight of nine have achieved the 50 GFLOPS milestone, and three have achieved the 100 GFLOPS milestone. In addition, many technical papers have been published highlighting results achieved on the NASA T3E, including some at this Workshop. The successes enabled by the NASA T3E computing environment are best illustrated by the 512 PE upgrade funded by the NASA Earth Science Enterprise earlier this year. Never before has an HPCC computing testbed been so well received by the general NASA science community that it was deemed critical to the success of a core NASA science effort. NASA looks forward to many more success stories before the conclusion of the NASA-SGI/Cray cooperative agreement in June 1999.

Grande Ronde Basin Spring Chinook Salmon Captive Broodstock Program, 1995-2002 Summary Report.

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

Hoffnagle, Timothy; Carmichael, Richard; Noll, William

2003-12-01

The Grande Ronde Basin once supported large runs of chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and estimated peak escapements in excess of 10,000 occurred as recently as the late 1950's (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 1975). Natural escapement declines in the Grande Ronde Basin have been severe and parallel those of other Snake River populations. Reduced productivity has primarily been attributed to increased mortality associated with downstream and upstream migration past eight dams and reservoirs in the Snake and Columbia rivers. Reduced spawner numbers, combined with human manipulation of previously important spawning and rearing habitat in the Grande Ronde Basin, have resultedmore » in decreased spawning distribution and population fragmentation of chinook salmon in the Grande Ronde Basin (Figure 1; Table 1). Escapement of spring/summer chinook salmon in the Snake River basin included 1,799 adults in 1995, less than half of the previous record low of 3,913 adults in 1994. Catherine Creek, Grande Ronde River and Lostine River were historically three of the most productive populations in the Grande Ronde Basin (Carmichael and Boyce 1986). However, productivity of these populations has been poor for recent brood years. Escapement (based on total redd counts) in Catherine Creek and Grande Ronde and Lostine rivers dropped to alarmingly low levels in 1994 and 1995. A total of 11, 3 and 16 redds were observed in 1994 in Catherine Creek, upper Grande Ronde River and Lostine River, respectively, and 14, 6 and 11 redds were observed in those same streams in 1995. In contrast, the maximum number of redds observed in the past was 505 in Catherine Creek (1971), 304 in the Grande Ronde River (1968) and 261 in 1956 in the Lostine River (Tranquilli et al 2003). Redd counts for index count areas (a standardized portion of the total stream) have also decreased dramatically for most Grande Ronde Basin streams from 1964-2002, dropping to as low as 37 redds in the 119.5 km in the index survey areas in 1995 from as high as 1,205 redds in the same area in 1969 (Table 1). All streams reached low points (0-6 redds in the index areas) in the 1990's, except those in which no redds were found for several years and surveys were discontinued, such as Spring, Sheep and Indian creeks which had a total of 109 redds in 1969. The Minam and Wenaha rivers are tributaries of the Grande Ronde River located primarily in wilderness areas. Chinook salmon numbers in these two streams (based on redd counts) also decreased dramatically beginning in the early 1970's (Table 1). Since then there have been a few years of increasing numbers of redds but counts have generally been 25-40% of the number seen in the 1960's. No hatchery fish have been released into either of these streams and we monitor them during spawning ground surveys for the presence of hatchery strays. These populations will be used as a type of control for evaluating our supplementation efforts in Catherine Creek, upper Grande Ronde River and Lostine River. In this way, we can attempt to filter out the effects of downstream variables, over which we have no control, when we interpret the results of the captive broodstock program as the F1 and F2 generations spawn and complete their life cycles in the wild. The Grande Ronde Basin Captive Broodstock Program was initiated because these chinook salmon populations had reached critical levels where dramatic and unprecedented efforts were needed to prevent extinction and preserve any future options for use of endemic fish for artificial propagation programs for recovery and mitigation. This program was designed to quickly increase numbers of returning adults, while maintaining the genetic integrity of each endemic population.« less

Grand Challenges of Advanced Computing for Energy Innovation Report from the Workshop Held July 31-August 2, 2012

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

Larzelere, Alex R.; Ashby, Steven F.; Christensen, Dana C.

2013-03-06

On July 31-August 2 of 2012, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) held a workshop entitled Grand Challenges of Advanced Computing for Energy Innovation. This workshop built on three earlier workshops that clearly identified the potential for the Department and its national laboratories to enable energy innovation. The specific goal of the workshop was to identify the key challenges that the nation must overcome to apply the full benefit of taxpayer-funded advanced computing technologies to U.S. energy innovation in the ways that the country produces, moves, stores, and uses energy. Perhaps more importantly, the workshop also developed a set ofmore » recommendations to help the Department overcome those challenges. These recommendations provide an action plan for what the Department can do in the coming years to improve the nation’s energy future.« less

Albuquerque/Middle Rio Grande Urban Waters Viewer

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

These data have been compiled in support of the Middle Rio Grande/Albuquerque Urban Waters Partnership for the region including Albuquerque, New Mexico.The Middle Rio Grande/Albuquerque Urban Waters Federal Partnership is co-chaired by the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. There are also a number of other federal agencies engaged in projects with Tribal, State, and local officials, and community stakeholders. Like many western river ecosystems, the Middle Rio Grande faces numerous challenges in balancing competing needs within a finite water supply and other resource constrains. Historical practices by our ancestors and immigrants to the Middle Rio Grande have established the conditions that we have inherited. Long-term drought exacerbated by climate change is changing conditions that affect natural and human communities as we strive to improve our precious Rio Grande.The Middle Rio Grande/Albuquerque Urban Waters Federal Partnership will reconnect our urban communities, particularly those that are overburdened or economically distressed, with the waterway by improving coordination among federal agencies and collaborating with community-led revitalization efforts. Our projects will improve our community water systems and promote their economic, environmental and social benefits. Specifically, the Middle Rio Grande/Albuquerque Urban Waters Federal Partnership will support the development of the Valle de Oro

Parallel Computational Fluid Dynamics: Current Status and Future Requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simon, Horst D.; VanDalsem, William R.; Dagum, Leonardo; Kutler, Paul (Technical Monitor)

1994-01-01

One or the key objectives of the Applied Research Branch in the Numerical Aerodynamic Simulation (NAS) Systems Division at NASA Allies Research Center is the accelerated introduction of highly parallel machines into a full operational environment. In this report we discuss the performance results obtained from the implementation of some computational fluid dynamics (CFD) applications on the Connection Machine CM-2 and the Intel iPSC/860. We summarize some of the experiences made so far with the parallel testbed machines at the NAS Applied Research Branch. Then we discuss the long term computational requirements for accomplishing some of the grand challenge problems in computational aerosciences. We argue that only massively parallel machines will be able to meet these grand challenge requirements, and we outline the computer science and algorithm research challenges ahead.

New and improved proteomics technologies for understanding complex biological systems: addressing a grand challenge in the life sciences.

PubMed

Hood, Leroy E; Omenn, Gilbert S; Moritz, Robert L; Aebersold, Ruedi; Yamamoto, Keith R; Amos, Michael; Hunter-Cevera, Jennie; Locascio, Laurie

2012-09-01

This White Paper sets out a Life Sciences Grand Challenge for Proteomics Technologies to enhance our understanding of complex biological systems, link genomes with phenotypes, and bring broad benefits to the biosciences and the US economy. The paper is based on a workshop hosted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, MD, 14-15 February 2011, with participants from many federal R&D agencies and research communities, under the aegis of the US National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). Opportunities are identified for a coordinated R&D effort to achieve major technology-based goals and address societal challenges in health, agriculture, nutrition, energy, environment, national security, and economic development. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Grande Ronde Endemic Spring Chinook Salmon Supplementation Program: Facility Operation and Maintenance and Monitoring and Evaluation, 2001 Annual Report.

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

Boe, Stephen J.; Ogburn, Parker N.

2003-03-01

This is the second annual report of a multi-year project to operate adult collection and juvenile acclimation facilities on Catherine Creek and the upper Grande Ronde River for Snake River spring chinook salmon. These two streams have historically supported populations that provided significant tribal and non-tribal fisheries. Supplementation using conventional and captive broodstock techniques is being used to restore fisheries in these streams. Statement of Work Objectives for 2001: (1) Participate in implementation of the comprehensive multiyear operations plan for the Grande Ronde Endemic Spring chinook Supplementation Program (GRESCP). (2) Plan detailed GRESCP Monitoring and Evaluation for future years. (3)more » Ensure proper construction and trial operation of semi-permanent adult and juvenile facilities for use in 2001. (4) Plan for data collection needs for bull trout. (5) Ensure proper construction and trial operation of semi-permanent adult and juvenile facilities for use in 2001. (6) Collect summer steelhead. (7) Monitor adult endemic spring chinook salmon populations and collect broodstock. (8) Acclimate juvenile spring chinook salmon prior to release into the upper Grande Ronde River and Catherine Creek. (9) Monitor adult population abundance and characteristics of Grande Ronde River spring chinook salmon populations. (10) Monitor condition, movement, and mortality of spring chinook salmon acclimated at remote facilities. (11) Participate in Monitoring & Evaluation of the captive brood component of the Program to document contribution to the Program. (12) Monitor water quality at facilities. (13) Document accomplishments and needs to permitters, comanagers, and funding agencies. (14) Communicate Project results to the scientific community.« less

Viral Space Situational Awareness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gleckler, A.; Butterfield, M. C.

2012-09-01

Viral SSA takes advantage of the amateur astronomy community to provide an extremely low-cost and geographically-diverse network of optical SSA sites. In the spirit of programs such as DARPA's Grand Challenge and the National Weather Service's program of providing amateur meteorologists with weather stations linked to a central professional meteorological facility, we form a cooperative bond with a willing community of technically-minded individuals. We term this program "viral" because we will qualify an initial set of astronomers for SSA operation and then use word of mouth in the astronomy community, as well as an outreach program, to pull in new observers. The use of modern remote controlled telescopes allows the incorporation of certified amateur, university, and commercial telescope systems. The availability of the local Viral SSA member for troubleshooting eliminates most significant costs of operating a large network. In this talk, we discuss the key concepts of Viral SSA and the route to a network of 100+ sites in a three year or less timeframe.

Controlling corrosion in drinking water distribution systems: a grand challenge for the 21st century.

PubMed

Edwards, M

2004-01-01

It is argued that the water distribution system will be a key public health battlefield of the 21st century. Corrosion in private plumbing is deserving of special attention, since the health and economic impacts are probably of equal or greater magnitude compared to public systems, and there has not been an advocate working on behalf of the consumer to solve these problems. To better serve society in this endeavour we will need educational programs, aggressive research to minimize the unsustainable costs of corrosion, and to consider our legacy to future generations when making decisions on materials use.

Laboratory directed research and development annual report 2004.

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

Not Available

This report summarizes progress from the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program during fiscal year 2004. In addition to a programmatic and financial overview, the report includes progress reports from 352 individual R and D projects in 15 categories. The 15 categories are: (1) Advanced Concepts; (2) Advanced Manufacturing; (3) Biotechnology; (4) Chemical and Earth Sciences; (5) Computational and Information Sciences; (6) Differentiating Technologies; (7) Electronics and Photonics; (8) Emerging Threats; (9) Energy and Critical Infrastructures; (10) Engineering Sciences; (11) Grand Challenges; (12) Materials Science and Technology; (13) Nonproliferation and Materials Control; (14) Pulsed Power and High Energy Densitymore » Sciences; and (15) Corporate Objectives.« less

Structural characterization of UHPC waffle bridge deck and connections.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-07-01

The AASHTO strategic plan in 2005 for bridge engineering identified extending the service life of bridges and accelerating bridge : construction as two of the grand challenges in bridge engineering. These challenges have the objective of producing sa...

Grand Challenges for Disaster Reduction

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-06-01

6—Promote risk-wise behavior. Develop and apply principles of economics and human behavior to enhance communications, trust, and understand- ing...Challenges for Disaster Reduction Promote Risk-Wise Behavior. Develop and apply principles of economics and human behavior to enhance communications

Endeavour Grand Opening Ceremony

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-10-30

California Governor Jerry Brown speaks from a podium underneath the space shuttle Endeavour during the grand opening ceremony for the California Science center's Samuel Oschin Space Shuttle Endeavour Display Pavilion, Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, in Los Angeles. Endeavour, built as a replacement for space shuttle Challenger, completed 25 missions, spent 299 days in orbit, and orbited Earth 4,671 times while traveling 122,883,151 miles. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Endeavour Grand Opening Ceremony

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-10-30

A police officer is seen underneath the wing of the space shuttle Endeavour during the grand opening ceremony for the California Science center's Samuel Oschin Space Shuttle Endeavour Display Pavilion, Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, in Los Angeles. Endeavour, built as a replacement for space shuttle Challenger, completed 25 missions, spent 299 days in orbit, and orbited Earth 4,671 times while traveling 122,883,151 miles. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Endeavour Grand Opening Ceremony

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-10-30

Mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa addresses a class of fourth graders during the grand opening ceremony for the California Science center's Samuel Oschin Space Shuttle Endeavour Display Pavilion, Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, in Los Angeles. Endeavour, built as a replacement for space shuttle Challenger, completed 25 missions, spent 299 days in orbit, and orbited Earth 4,671 times while traveling 122,883,151 miles. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

76 FR 68760 - Notice of Suspension and Commencement of Proposed Debarment Proceedings; Schools and Libraries...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-07

... obstructed a 2007 federal grand jury investigation by instructing a CMS employee to testify falsely before the grand jury about receiving gifts, and to destroy E-Rate program records and remove the hard drives...

Water-quality trends in the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Basin using sediment cores from reservoirs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Metre, Peter C.; Mahler, B.J.; Callender, Edward C.

1997-01-01

In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began full implementation of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program (Leahy and others, 1990). Also in 1991, the State of Texas established the Clean Rivers Program (CRP) administered by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC). The coring study reported here was a collaborative effort between the NAWQA Program and the CRP Rio Grande Border Environmental Assessment Team, with additional funding support from the El Paso County Water Improvement District No. 1.

Traditional Chinese medicine research in the post-genomic era: good practice, priorities, challenges and opportunities.

PubMed

Uzuner, Halil; Bauer, Rudolf; Fan, Tai-Ping; Guo, De-An; Dias, Alberto; El-Nezami, Hani; Efferth, Thomas; Williamson, Elizabeth M; Heinrich, Michael; Robinson, Nicola; Hylands, Peter J; Hendry, Bruce M; Cheng, Yung-Chi; Xu, Qihe

2012-04-10

GP-TCM is the 1st EU-funded Coordination Action consortium dedicated to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) research. This paper aims to summarise the objectives, structure and activities of the consortium and introduces the position of the consortium regarding good practice, priorities, challenges and opportunities in TCM research. Serving as the introductory paper for the GP-TCM Journal of Ethnopharmacology special issue, this paper describes the roadmap of this special issue and reports how the main outputs of the ten GP-TCM work packages are integrated, and have led to consortium-wide conclusions. Literature studies, opinion polls and discussions among consortium members and stakeholders. By January 2012, through 3 years of team building, the GP-TCM consortium had grown into a large collaborative network involving ∼200 scientists from 24 countries and 107 institutions. Consortium members had worked closely to address good practice issues related to various aspects of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) and acupuncture research, the focus of this Journal of Ethnopharmacology special issue, leading to state-of-the-art reports, guidelines and consensus on the application of omics technologies in TCM research. In addition, through an online survey open to GP-TCM members and non-members, we polled opinions on grand priorities, challenges and opportunities in TCM research. Based on the poll, although consortium members and non-members had diverse opinions on the major challenges in the field, both groups agreed that high-quality efficacy/effectiveness and mechanistic studies are grand priorities and that the TCM legacy in general and its management of chronic diseases in particular represent grand opportunities. Consortium members cast their votes of confidence in omics and systems biology approaches to TCM research and believed that quality and pharmacovigilance of TCM products are not only grand priorities, but also grand challenges. Non-members, however, gave priority to integrative medicine, concerned on the impact of regulation of TCM practitioners and emphasised intersectoral collaborations in funding TCM research, especially clinical trials. The GP-TCM consortium made great efforts to address some fundamental issues in TCM research, including developing guidelines, as well as identifying priorities, challenges and opportunities. These consortium guidelines and consensus will need dissemination, validation and further development through continued interregional, interdisciplinary and intersectoral collaborations. To promote this, a new consortium, known as the GP-TCM Research Association, is being established to succeed the 3-year fixed term FP7 GP-TCM consortium and will be officially launched at the Final GP-TCM Congress in Leiden, the Netherlands, in April 2012. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program: An experiment in science-based resource management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

kaplinski, m

2001-12-01

In 1996, Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management (GCDAMP) program was established to provide input on Glen Canyon Dam operations and their affect on the Colorado Ecosystem in Grand Canyon. The GCDAMP is a bold experiment in federal resource management that features a governing partnership with all relevant stakeholders sitting at the same table. It is a complicated, difficult process where stakeholder-derived management actions must balance resource protection with water and power delivery compacts, the Endangered Species Act, the National Historical Preservation Act, the Grand Canyon Protection Act, National Park Service Policy, and other stakeholder concerns. The program consists of four entities: the Adaptive Management Workgroup (AMWG), the Technical Workgroup (TWG), the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (GCMRC), and independent review panels. The AMWG and TWG are federal advisory committees that consists of federal and state resource managers, Native American tribes, power, environmental and recreation interests. The AMWG is develops, evaluates and recommends alternative dam operations to the Secretary. The TWG translates AMWG policy and goals into management objectives and information needs, provides questions that serve as the basis for long-term monitoring and research activities, interprets research results from the GCMRC, and prepares reports as required for the AMWG. The GCMRC is an independent science center that is responsible for all GCDAMP monitoring and research activities. The GCMRC utilizes proposal requests with external peer review and an in-house staff that directs and synthesizes monitoring and research results. The GCMRC meets regularly with the TWG and AMWG and provides scientific information on the consequences of GCDAMP actions. Independent review panels consist of external peer review panels that provide reviews of scientific activities and the program in general, technical advice to the GCMRC, TWG and AMWG, and play a critical balancing role to ensure overall scientific credibility to the program. Many lessons have been learned and many challenges remain. Incorporation of social issues such as recreation experience and non-use economic valuation has been especially difficult and not entirely satisfactory to many stakeholders. Adaptive management can be frustrating and a fragile spirit of cooperation exists between stakeholders with opposing interests. Communication and flexibility is the key to program success. Scientific results need to be clearly stated to keep results relevant to managers, and managers must embrace the uncertainty of scientific endeavors. Managers must remain flexible in creating and revising program goals and objectives to incorporate new scientific results into meaningful management strategies.

KSC-2013-2211

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-04-26

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The winning students of the 2013 DuPont Challenge Science Essay Competition show off their awards after a ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. From left are Junior Division first runner-up Gaurav Garg of Beckendorff Junior High in Katy, Texas Senior Division grand prize winner Jacob Yoshitake of Marshall Middle School in San Diego, Calif. Senior Division first runner-up Laura Herman of Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and Senior Division grand prize awardee Hugo Yen of Troy High in Fullerton, Calif. and Marc Doyle, Dupont's global marketing and product director. The challenge, now in its 27th year, reaches out to students from grades seven through 12 from all 50 states and Canada. More than 200,000 students entered the competition. The DuPont Challenge aims to inspire students to excel and achieve in scientific writing and pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics STEM. The challenge honors space shuttle Challenger's STS-51L crew members who gave their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery. For more information on the challenge, go to http://thechallenge.dupont.com/sponsors/nasa.php.

Workshop on The Rio Grande Rift: Crustal Modeling and Applications of Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blanchard, D. P. (Editor)

1980-01-01

The elements of a program that could address significant earth science problems by combining remote sensing and traditional geological, geophysical, and geochemical approaches were addressed. Specific areas and tasks related to the Rio Grande Rift are discussed.

Endeavour Grand Opening Ceremony

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-10-30

Vocalist James Ingram sings "I Believe I Can Fly" from underneath the space shuttle Endeavour during the grand opening ceremony for the California Science center's Samuel Oschin Space Shuttle Endeavour Display Pavilion, Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, in Los Angeles. Endeavour, built as a replacement for space shuttle Challenger, completed 25 missions, spent 299 days in orbit, and orbited Earth 4,671 times while traveling 122,883,151 miles. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Coupling of Hydrologic/Hydraulic Models and Aerial Photographs Through Time, Rio Grande Near Albuquerque, New Mexico: Report Documentary 2007 Work

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-08-01

Regions (UFDP); Southwest Urban Flood Damage Program (SWDP) Coupling of Hydrologic/Hydraulic Models and Aerial Photographs Through Time , Rio Grande...Through Time , Rio Grande Near Albuquerque, New Mexico: Report Documentary 2007 Benjamin Swanson, Grant Meyer, and Julie Coonrod University of New...errors. Erosion rates appear to be generally decreasing over time , but accelerated during the 2005 high flows. Initial testing of a method for

Diversity of amphibians and reptiles associated with grasslands of Janos-Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico (La diversidad de anfibios y reptiles asociada a los pastizales de Janos-Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico)

Treesearch

Georgina Santos-Barrera; Jesus Pacheco-Rodriguez

2006-01-01

Prairie-dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies in northwest Chihuahua, Mexico, have been of great significance not only in initiating protection programs for the species but also in learning about the biological diversity (flora and fauna) of the natural grasslands of Janos-Casas Grandes, Chihuahua. Therefore a study of the herpetological fauna within the prairie-dog...

The State of the Colorado River Ecosystem in Grand Canyon: A Report of the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center 1991-2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gloss, Steven P.; Lovich, Jeffrey E.; Melis, Theodore S.

2005-01-01

This report is an important milestone in the effort by the Secretary of the Interior to implement the Grand Canyon Protection Act of 1992 (GCPA; title XVIII, secs. 1801-1809, of Public Law 102-575), the most recent authorizing legislation for Federal efforts to protect resources downstream from Glen Canyon Dam. The chapters that follow are intended to provide decision makers and the American public with relevant scientific information about the status and recent trends of the natural, cultural, and recreational resources of those portions of Grand Canyon National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area affected by Glen Canyon Dam operations. Glen Canyon Dam is one of the last major dams that was built on the Colorado River and is located just south of the Arizona-Utah border in the lower reaches of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, approximately 15 mi (24 km) upriver from Grand Canyon National Park (fig. 1). The information presented here is a product of the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (GCDAMP), a federally authorized initiative to ensure that the primary mandate of the GCPA is met through advances in information and resource management. The U.S. Geological Survey`s (USGS) Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (GCMRC) has responsibility for the scientific monitoring and research efforts for the program, including the preparation of reports such as this one.

An Interdisciplinary Module on Regulating Carbon Emissions to Mitigate Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Penny, S.; Sethi, G.; Smyth, R.; Leibensperger, E. M.; Gervich, C.; Batur, P.

2016-12-01

The dynamics of the unfolding carbon regulatory process presents a unique and timely opportunity to teach students about the grand challenge brought by climate change and the importance of systems thinking and interdisciplinary problem solving. In this poster, we summarize our recently developed 4-week activity-based class module "Regulating Carbon Emissions to Mitigate Climate Change," which we have developed as part of the InTeGrate ("Interdisciplinary Teaching about Earth for a Sustainable Future") program. These materials are suitable for introductory non-majors, environmental sciences majors, and political science majors, and we have formally piloted in each of these settings. This module is truly interdisciplinary and spans topics such as the Supreme Court ruling in Massachusetts v. EPA, costs and benefits of carbon abatement, and climate sensitivity. We discuss the unique challenges (and rewards!) that we experienced teaching materials entirely outside one's expertise.

A Nurse-Led Innovation in Education: Implementing a Collaborative Multidisciplinary Grand Rounds.

PubMed

Matamoros, Lisa; Cook, Michelle

2017-08-01

Multidisciplinary grand rounds provides an opportunity to promote excellence in patient care through scholarly presentations and interdisciplinary collaboration with an innovative approach. In addition, multidisciplinary grand rounds serves to recognize expertise of staff, mentor and support professional development, and provide a collaborative environment across all clinical disciplines and support services. This article describes a process model developed by nurse educators for implementing a multidisciplinary grand rounds program. The components of the process model include topic submissions, coaching presenters, presentations, evaluations, and spreading the work. This model can be easily implemented at any organization. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2017;48(8):353-357. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

Molecular docking performance evaluated on the D3R Grand Challenge 2015 drug-like ligand datasets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selwa, Edithe; Martiny, Virginie Y.; Iorga, Bogdan I.

2016-09-01

The D3R Grand Challenge 2015 was focused on two protein targets: Heat Shock Protein 90 (HSP90) and Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinase Kinase Kinase 4 (MAP4K4). We used a protocol involving a preliminary analysis of the available data in PDB and PubChem BioAssay, and then a docking/scoring step using more computationally demanding parameters that were required to provide more reliable predictions. We could evidence that different docking software and scoring functions can behave differently on individual ligand datasets, and that the flexibility of specific binding site residues is a crucial element to provide good predictions.

Social Software: A Powerful Paradigm for Building Technology for Global Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wooding, Amy; Wooding, Kjell

2018-01-01

It is not difficult to imagine a world where internet-connected mobile devices are accessible to everyone. Can these technologies be used to help solve the challenges of global education? This was the challenge posed by the Global Learning XPRIZE--a $15 million grand challenge competition aimed at addressing this global teaching shortfall. In…

Solutions for North American Water Security Challenge: Colorado and Bravo transboundary basins cases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

López Pérez, M.

2013-12-01

The transboundary basins of Colorado (Baja California) and Rio Bravo (Grande) have low water availability figures and water will be appreciated as a highly valued good. In the Rio Grande basin, the strategies and actions have been developed with the River Basin Council: a new surface water management, new water allocation rules for different rainfall and runoff scenarios (climate change included), new sources of water and establishment of water reserves for human consumption and for environmental purposes. In the Colorado River, with an integrated watershed management vision, Mexican and US federal, state and non-governmental organizations representatives signed Minute 319 for 5 years without changing the 1944 Water Treaty. Concepts and rules for surplus, shortage, Intentionally Created Mexican Water (ICMA), salinity, water for the environment and international projects were included and are been implemented. Parallel drinking water and sanitation services in both sides of the border through the Joint Investment Program, EPA-CONAGUA invested 979.2 million dollars from grants to improve the quality of the environment and the inhabitants. Accomplishments are high and the reduction in river health is a good indicator. The implementation of this binational cooperation actions under the framework of the 1944 Water Treaty are considered global solutions in the field of integrated water management in transboundary basins and for creating water security in highly pressured basins. Keywords: Colorado River, Rio Grande or Bravo River, water security, Transboundary basins, environmental water reserves

Successes and Challenges in the SAGE (Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience) REU Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braile, L. W.; Baldridge, W. S.; Pellerin, L.; Ferguson, J. F.; Bedrosian, P.; Biehler, S.; Jiracek, G. R.; Snelson, C. M.; Kelley, S.; McPhee, D.

2014-12-01

The SAGE program was initiated in 1983 to provide an applied geophysics research and education experience for students. Since 1983, 820 students have completed the SAGE summer program. Beginning in 1992, with funding from the NSF, SAGE has included an REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) experience for selected undergraduate students from U.S. colleges and universities. Since 1992, 380 undergraduate REU students have completed the SAGE program. The four week, intensive, summer program is based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and involves students in learning geophysical theory and applications; collection of geophysical field data in the northern Rio Grande Rift area; data processing, modeling and interpretation; and presentation (oral and written) of results of each student's research results. Students (undergraduates, graduates and professionals) and faculty are together on a school campus for the summer program. Successful strategies (developed over the years) of the program include teamwork experience, mentoring of REUs (by faculty and more senior students), cultural interchange due to students from many campuses across the U.S. and international graduate students, including industry visitors who work with the students and provide networking, a capstone experience of the summer program that includes all students making a "professional-meeting" style presentation of their research and submitting a written report, a follow-up workshop for the REU students to enhance and broaden their experience, and providing professional development for the REUs through oral or poster presentations and attendance at a professional meeting. Program challenges include obtaining funding from multiple sources; significant time investment in program management, reporting, and maintaining contact with our many funding sources and industry affiliates; and, despite significant efforts, limited success in recruiting racial and ethnic minority students to the program.

Grand challenge commentary: Transforming biosynthesis into an information science.

PubMed

Bayer, Travis S

2010-12-01

Engineering biosynthetic pathways to natural products is a challenging endeavor that promises to provide new therapeutics and tools to manipulate biology. Information-guided design strategies and tools could unlock the creativity of a wide spectrum of scientists and engineers by decoupling expertise from implementation.

Leveraging Strength: The Pillars of American Grand Strategy in World War II

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

Leveraging Strength: The Pillars of American Grand Strategy in World War II by Tami Davis Biddle Tami Davis Biddle is the Hoyt S. Vandenberg Chair of... world . The war was a transforming event for American society: the course of the war , and the consequences of it, set the conditions for the powerful...Pillars of American Grand Strategy in World War II 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER

An Overview of the NASA Energy and Water cycle Study (NEWS) and the North American Water Program (NAWP)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houser, P. R.

2014-12-01

NEWS: 10 years ago, NASA established the NASA Energy and Water-cycle Study (NEWS), whose long-term grand challenge is to document and enable improved, observationally based, predictions of water and energy cycle consequences of Earth system variability and change. The NEWS program builds upon existing NASA-supported basic research in atmospheric physics and dynamics, radiation, climate modeling, and terrestrial hydrology. While these NASA programs fund research activities that address individual aspects of the global energy and water cycles, they are not specifically designed to generate a coordinated result. NEWS developed the first coordinated attempt to describe the complete global energy and water cycle using existing and forthcoming satellite and ground based observations, and laying the foundation for essential NEWS developments in model representations of atmospheric energy and water exchange processes. This comprehensive energy and water data analysis program exploited crucial datasets, some requiring complete re-processing, and new satellite measurements. NAWP: Dramatically changing climates has had an indelible impact on North America's water crisis. To decisively address these challenges, we recommend that NAWP coalesce an interdisciplinary, international and interagency effort to make significant contributions to continental- to decision-scale hydroclimate science and solutions. By entraining, integrating and coordinating the vast array of interdisciplinary observational and prediction resources available, NAWP will significantly advance skill in predicting, assessing and managing variability and changes in North American water resources. We adopt three challenges to organize NAWP efforts. The first deals with developing a scientific basis and tools for mitigating and adapting to changes in the water supply-demand balance. The second challenge is benchmarking; to use incomplete and uncertain observations to assess water storage and quality dynamics, and to characterize the information content of water cycle predictions in a way that allows for model improvement. The final challenge is to establish clear pathways to inform water managers, practitioners and decision makers about newly developed tools, observations and research results.

Designing the Climate Observing System of the Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weatherhead, Elizabeth C.; Wielicki, Bruce A.; Ramaswamy, V.; Abbott, Mark; Ackerman, Thomas P.; Atlas, Robert; Brasseur, Guy; Bruhwiler, Lori; Busalacchi, Antonio J.; Butler, James H.; Clack, Christopher T. M.; Cooke, Roger; Cucurull, Lidia; Davis, Sean M.; English, Jason M.; Fahey, David W.; Fine, Steven S.; Lazo, Jeffrey K.; Liang, Shunlin; Loeb, Norman G.; Rignot, Eric; Soden, Brian; Stanitski, Diane; Stephens, Graeme; Tapley, Byron D.; Thompson, Anne M.; Trenberth, Kevin E.; Wuebbles, Donald

2018-01-01

Climate observations are needed to address a large range of important societal issues including sea level rise, droughts, floods, extreme heat events, food security, and freshwater availability in the coming decades. Past, targeted investments in specific climate questions have resulted in tremendous improvements in issues important to human health, security, and infrastructure. However, the current climate observing system was not planned in a comprehensive, focused manner required to adequately address the full range of climate needs. A potential approach to planning the observing system of the future is presented in this article. First, this article proposes that priority be given to the most critical needs as identified within the World Climate Research Program as Grand Challenges. These currently include seven important topics: melting ice and global consequences; clouds, circulation and climate sensitivity; carbon feedbacks in the climate system; understanding and predicting weather and climate extremes; water for the food baskets of the world; regional sea-level change and coastal impacts; and near-term climate prediction. For each Grand Challenge, observations are needed for long-term monitoring, process studies and forecasting capabilities. Second, objective evaluations of proposed observing systems, including satellites, ground-based and in situ observations as well as potentially new, unidentified observational approaches, can quantify the ability to address these climate priorities. And third, investments in effective climate observations will be economically important as they will offer a magnified return on investment that justifies a far greater development of observations to serve society's needs.

Endeavour Grand Opening Ceremony

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-10-30

David D. McBride, director of NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, speaks from a podium underneath the space shuttle Endeavour during the grand opening ceremony for the California Science center's Samuel Oschin Space Shuttle Endeavour Display Pavilion, Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, in Los Angeles. Endeavour, built as a replacement for space shuttle Challenger, completed 25 missions, spent 299 days in orbit, and orbited Earth 4,671 times while traveling 122,883,151 miles. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Endeavour Grand Opening Ceremony

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-10-30

President and CEO of the California Science Center Jeffrey N. Rudolph speaks from a podium underneath the space shuttle Endeavour during the grand opening ceremony for the center's Samuel Oschin Space Shuttle Endeavour Display Pavilion, Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, in Los Angeles. Endeavour, built as a replacement for space shuttle Challenger, completed 25 missions, spent 299 days in orbit, and orbited Earth 4,671 times while traveling 122,883,151 miles. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Endeavour Grand Opening Ceremony

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-10-30

Members of the Debbie Allen Dance Academy perform “Men in Black” choreographed by the legendary Debbie Allen during the grand opening ceremony for the California Science center's Samuel Oschin Space Shuttle Endeavour Display Pavilion, Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, in Los Angeles. Endeavour, built as a replacement for space shuttle Challenger, completed 25 missions, spent 299 days in orbit, and orbited Earth 4,671 times while traveling 122,883,151 miles. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Endeavour Grand Opening Ceremony

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-10-30

Chief Executive Officer of the Planetary Society, Bill Nye "The Science Guy", acts as emcee from a podium underneath the space shuttle Endeavour during the grand opening ceremony for the center's Samuel Oschin Space Shuttle Endeavour Display Pavilion, Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, in Los Angeles. Endeavour, built as a replacement for space shuttle Challenger, completed 25 missions, spent 299 days in orbit, and orbited Earth 4,671 times while traveling 122,883,151 miles. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Sharing Perspectives and Learning from One Another: Southern Paiutes, Scientists, and Policymakers in the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Austin, D. E.; Bulletts, K.; Bulletts, C.

2017-12-01

The traditional lands of the Southern Paiute people in the United States are bounded by more than 600 miles of the Colorado River from the Kaiparowits Plateau in the north to Blythe, California in the south. According to Southern Paiute traditional knowledge, Southern Paiutes were the first inhabitants of this region and are responsible for protecting and managing this land along with the water and all that is upon and within it. In 1963, the Bureau of Reclamation completed construction of Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River, and in 1972, the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area was established, encompassing Lake Mead above the Dam and a world class trout fishery on the Colorado River between the Dam and Lees Ferry. Below Lees Ferry on its way to Lake Mead and Hoover Dam, the Colorado River flows through Grand Canyon National Park and the Navajo and Hualapai reservations. U.S. federal law requires that Glen Canyon Dam be operated with minimal impact to the natural, recreational, and cultural resources of the region of the Colorado River that is potentially impacted by flows from the Dam. The Grand Canyon Protection Act and the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Operation of the Glen Canyon Dam established a program of long-term research and monitoring of the effects of the Dam on these resources. In 1991, three Southern Paiute tribes - the Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians, the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, and the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe - agreed to participate in studies to identify cultural resources impacted by Glen Canyon Dam and to recommend strategies for their protection, In 1995, the EIS was completed and transition to the Adaptive Management Program (AMP) called for in the Grand Canyon Protection Act was begun. At that time, Southern Paiute activities expanded to include assessing potential environmental and cultural impacts of the dam, developing monitoring procedures, and interacting with scientists, other tribal representatives, and policymakers in the AMP. This presentation summarizes an analysis of two decades of Southern Paiute participation in the AMP, highlighting key interactions and learning experiences as well as ongoing challenges for Southern Paiute participants.

Performance of multiple docking and refinement methods in the pose prediction D3R prospective Grand Challenge 2016

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fradera, Xavier; Verras, Andreas; Hu, Yuan; Wang, Deping; Wang, Hongwu; Fells, James I.; Armacost, Kira A.; Crespo, Alejandro; Sherborne, Brad; Wang, Huijun; Peng, Zhengwei; Gao, Ying-Duo

2018-01-01

We describe the performance of multiple pose prediction methods for the D3R 2016 Grand Challenge. The pose prediction challenge includes 36 ligands, which represent 4 chemotypes and some miscellaneous structures against the FXR ligand binding domain. In this study we use a mix of fully automated methods as well as human-guided methods with considerations of both the challenge data and publicly available data. The methods include ensemble docking, colony entropy pose prediction, target selection by molecular similarity, molecular dynamics guided pose refinement, and pose selection by visual inspection. We evaluated the success of our predictions by method, chemotype, and relevance of publicly available data. For the overall data set, ensemble docking, visual inspection, and molecular dynamics guided pose prediction performed the best with overall mean RMSDs of 2.4, 2.2, and 2.2 Å respectively. For several individual challenge molecules, the best performing method is evaluated in light of that particular ligand. We also describe the protein, ligand, and public information data preparations that are typical of our binding mode prediction workflow.

ASSESSING TRANSBOUNDARY INFLUENCES IN THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY

EPA Science Inventory

The Lower Rio Grande Valley Transboundary Air Pollution Project (TAPP) was a U.S.-Mexico Border XXI Program project to assess transboundary air pollution in and near Brownsville, Texas. The study used a three-site air monitoring network very close to the border to capture the d...

40 CFR 81.239 - Upper Rio Grande Valley Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

.... The Upper Rio Grande Valley Intrastate Air Quality Control Region (New Mexico) consists of the... Quality Control Region. 81.239 Section 81.239 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) DESIGNATION OF AREAS FOR AIR QUALITY PLANNING PURPOSES Designation of...

40 CFR 81.239 - Upper Rio Grande Valley Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

.... The Upper Rio Grande Valley Intrastate Air Quality Control Region (New Mexico) consists of the... Quality Control Region. 81.239 Section 81.239 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) DESIGNATION OF AREAS FOR AIR QUALITY PLANNING PURPOSES Designation of...

40 CFR 81.83 - Albuquerque-Mid Rio Grande Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Region. The Albuquerque-Mid Rio Grande Intrastate Air Quality Control Region (New Mexico) is revised to... Air Quality Control Region. 81.83 Section 81.83 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) DESIGNATION OF AREAS FOR AIR QUALITY PLANNING PURPOSES...

40 CFR 81.83 - Albuquerque-Mid Rio Grande Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Region. The Albuquerque-Mid Rio Grande Intrastate Air Quality Control Region (New Mexico) is revised to... Air Quality Control Region. 81.83 Section 81.83 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) DESIGNATION OF AREAS FOR AIR QUALITY PLANNING PURPOSES...

A Microbial Perspective on the Grand Challenges in Comparative Animal Physiology

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Interactions with microbial communities can have profound influences on animal physiology, thereby impacting animal performance and fitness. Therefore, it is important to understand the diversity and nature of host-microbe interactions in various animal groups (invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals). In this perspective, I discuss how the field of host-microbe interactions can be used to address topics that have been identified as grand challenges in comparative animal physiology: (i) horizontal integration of physiological processes across organisms, (ii) vertical integration of physiological processes across organizational levels within organisms, and (iii) temporal integration of physiological processes during evolutionary change. Addressing these challenges will require the use of a variety of animal models and the development of systems approaches that can integrate large, multiomic data sets from both microbial communities and animal hosts. Integrating host-microbe interactions into the established field of comparative physiology represents an exciting frontier for both fields. PMID:29556549

Age and diet of fossil california condors in grand canyon, Arizona.

PubMed

Emslie, S D

1987-08-14

A dozen new radiocarbon dates, together with a thorough review of its fossil distribution, shed new light on the time and probable cause of extinction of the California condor, Gymnogyps californianus, in Grand Canyon, Arizona. The radiocarbon data indicate that this species became extinct in Grand Canyon, and other parts of the inland West, more than 10,000 years ago in coincidence with the extinction of megafauna (proboscidians, edentates, perissodactyls). That condors relied on the megafauna for food is suggested by the recovery of food bones from a late Pleistocene nest cave in Grand Canyon. These fossil data have relevance to proposed release and recovery programs of the present endangered population of California condors.

KSC-2013-2212

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-04-26

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The winning students and their teachers of the 2013 DuPont Challenge Science Essay Competition show off their awards after a ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. From left are sponsoring teacher Angela Weeks and Junior Division first runner-up Gaurav Garg of Beckendorff Junior High in Katy, Texas sponsoring teacher Elaine Gillum and Senior Division grand prize winner Jacob Yoshitake of Marshall Middle School in San Diego, Calif. Senior Division first runner-up Laura Herman and sponsoring teacher Jennifer Gordinier of Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and Senior Division grand prize awardee Hugo Yen and sponsoring teacher Nga Ngo of Troy High in Fullerton, Calif. The challenge, now in its 27th year, reaches out to students from grades seven through 12 from all 50 states and Canada. More than 200,000 students entered the competition. The DuPont Challenge aims to inspire students to excel and achieve in scientific writing and pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics STEM. The challenge honors space shuttle Challenger's STS-51L crew members who gave their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery. For more information on the challenge, go to http://thechallenge.dupont.com/sponsors/nasa.php.

A report upon the Grand Coulee Fish Maintenance Project 1939-1947

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fish, F.F.; Hanavan, Mitchell G.

1948-01-01

The construction or Grand Coulee Dam, on the upper Columbia River, involved the loss of 1,140 lineal miles of spawning and rearing stream to the production of anadromous fishes. The fact that the annual value of these fish runs to the nation was estimated at $250,000 justified reasonable expenditures to assure their perpetuation. It was found economically infeasible to safely collect and pass adult fish upstream and fingerling fish downstream at the dam because of the tremendous flow of the river and the 320 foot vertical difference in elevation between forebay and tailrace.The Grand Coulee Fish-Maintenance Project, undertaken by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in 1939, consisted in relocating the anadroumous runs of the upper Columbia River to four major tributaries entering below the Grand Coulee damsite. These streams were believed capable of supporting several times their existing, badly depleted, run. The plan was predicated upon the assumption that the relocated runs, in conformity with their "homing tendency", would return to the lower tributaries rather than attempt to reach their ancestral spawning grounds above Grand Coulee Dam. This interim report covers the history and accomplishments of the Grand Coulee Fish-Maintenance Project through the initial period of relocating the rune as well as the first four years of the permanent program. Results obtained to date indicate conclusive success in diverting the upper Columbia fish runs into the accessible lower tributaries. The results also indicate, less conclusively, that - in spite of many existing handicaps - the upper Columbia salmon and steelhead runs may be rehabilitated through the integrated program of natural and artificial propagation incorporated in the Grand Coulee Fish-Maintenance Project.

The Effect of Interchanging the Polarity of the Dense Plasma Focus on Neutron Yield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Sheng; Higginson, Drew; Link, Anthony; Schmidt, Andrea

2017-10-01

The dense plasma focus (DPF) Z-pinch devices can serve as portable neutron sources when deuterium is used as the filling gas. DPF devices are normally operated with the inner electrode as the anode. It has been found that interchanging the polarity of the electrodes can cause orders of magnitude decrease in the neutron yield. Here we use the particle-in-cell (PIC) code LSP to model a DPF with both polarities. We have found the difference in the shape of the sheath, the voltage and current traces, and the electric and magnetic fields in the pinch region due to different polarities. A detailed comparison will be presented. Prepared by LLNL under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344 and supported by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program (15-ERD-034) at LLNL. Computing support for this work came from the LLNL Institutional Computing Grand Challenge program.

Endeavour Grand Opening Ceremony

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-10-30

Tires from space shuttle Endeavour's final flight are on display at the California Science Center's, California Experience gallery, Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, in Los Angeles. The grand opening ceremony for the California Science center's Samuel Oschin Space Shuttle Endeavour Display Pavilion took place on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012. Endeavour, built as a replacement for space shuttle Challenger, completed 25 missions, spent 299 days in orbit, and orbited Earth 4,671 times while traveling 122,883,151 miles. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Frontiers in Neuromorphics Workshop

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-04-14

Policy:  Nanotechnology ‐ Inspired  Grand  Challenge  for  Future  Computing.    Our  goal  is  to  bring  together  scientific  disciplines  and...Dr. Helen Li – Pittsburgh University Title: Embrace the BRAIN Century: Challenges in Nanotechnology Enabled Neuromorphic Computing Design 3

EV Everywhere Grand Challenge Road to Success

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

None, None

2014-01-31

Initial progress report for EV Everywhere. The report highlights the significant cost reduction in batteries in 2014, which will enable increased PEV affordability for consumers. Also, the efforts on increasing the convenience of PEVs through the Workplace Charging Challenge, which called on U.S. employers to help develop the nation's charging infrastructure.

The cost of brain diseases: a burden or a challenge?

PubMed

DiLuca, Monica; Olesen, Jes

2014-06-18

Brain diseases represent a considerable social and economic burden in Europe. With yearly costs of about 800 billion euros and an estimated 179 million people afflicted in 2010, brain diseases are an unquestionable emergency and a grand challenge for neuroscientists. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multicultural Grand Rounds: Competency-Based Training Model for Clinical Psychology Graduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stites, Shana D.; Warholic, Christina L.

2014-01-01

Preparing students to enter the field of psychology as competent professionals requires that multicultural practices be infused into all areas of training. This article describes how the Grand Rounds model was adapted to a graduate clinical psychology training program to foster applied learning in multicultural competence. This extension of Grand…

An Energy Management Programme for Grande Prairie Public School District. Energy Conservation: Energy Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calgary Univ. (Alberta).

This report describes a pilot energy conservation project in Grande Prairie (Alberta) School District No. 2357. Extensive data collection and analysis were undertaken to provide a sound, quantitative basis for evaluation of the program. Energy conserving measures requiring capital outlays were not considered. During the project, electric demand…

Knaves or Knights, Pawns or Queens?: An Evaluation of Australian Higher Education Reform Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dollery, Brian; Murray, David; Crase, Lin

2006-01-01

Purpose: To invoke Julian Le Grand's conceptual model of the interaction between human motivation and policy formulation in order to explain how motivational endogeneity in the university environment has distorted policy outcomes in the Australian higher education reform program. Design/methodology/approach: Le Grand contends that changes in the…

Grand Coulee Dam Wildlife Mitigation Program : Pygmy Rabbit Programmatic Management Plan, Douglas County, Washington.

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

Ashley, Paul

1992-06-01

The Northwest Power Planning Council and the Bonneville Power Administration approved the pygmy rabbit project as partial mitigation for impacts caused by the construction of Grand Coulee Dam. The focus of this project is the protection and enhancement of shrub-steppe/pygmy rabbit habitat in northeastern Washington.

Non-Linear Stability of Magnetically Focused Particle Beams

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-04-01

Grande do Sul, P.O.Box 15051,91501-970 Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil N/A 9. SPONSORING / MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSOR...Grande do Sul, Brasil www.if.ufrgs.br/~rizzato Grant: FA9550-09-1-0283 Final Performance Report April/2012 • Objectives Our main program involves the

Final report of the decontamination and decommissioning of Building 34 at the Grand Junction Projects Office Facility

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

Widdop, M.R.

1996-08-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Grand Junction Projects Office (GJPO) occupies a 61.7 acre facility along the Gunnison River near Grand Junction, Colorado. This site was contaminated with uranium ore and mill tailings during uranium refining activities of the Manhattan Engineer District and during pilot milling experiments conducted for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission`s domestic uranium procurement program. The DOE Defense Decontamination and Decommissioning Program established the Grand Junction Projects Office Remedial Action Project to clean up and restore the facility lands, improvements, and the underlying aquifer. The site contractor for the facility, Rust Geotech, was also the remedialmore » action contractor. Building 34 was radiologically contaminated and the building was demolished in 1996. The soil area within the footprint of the building was analyzed and found to be not contaminated. The area can be released for unlimited exposure and unrestricted use. This document was prepared in response to a DOE request for an individual closeout report for each contaminated GJPO building.« less

US Department of Energy Grand Junction Projects Office Remedial Action Project, final report of the decontamination and decommissioning of Building 36 at the Grand Junction Projects Office Facility

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

Widdop, M.R.

1996-08-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Grand Junction Projects Office (GJPO) occupies a 61.7-acre facility along the Gunnison River near Grand Junction, Colorado. This site was contaminated with uranium ore and mill tailings during uranium refining activities of the Manhattan Engineer District and during pilot milling experiments conducted for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission`s domestic uranium procurement program. The DOE Defense Decontamination and Decommissioning Program established the GJPO Remedial Action Project to clean up and restore the facility lands, improvements, and the underlying aquifer. The site contractor for the facility, Rust Geotech, also is the remedial action contractor. Building 36more » was found to be radiologically contaminated and was demolished in 1996. The soil beneath the building was remediated in accordance with identified standards and can be released for unlimited exposure and unrestricted use. This document was prepared in response to a DOE request for an individual final report for each contaminated GJPO building.« less

Summary of U.S. Geological Survey and City of Albuquerque hydrologic investigations program

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

McAda, D.

1995-12-31

The US Geological Survey and Albuquerque have been cooperating in data collection programs and interpretive studies since 1982. The paper presents summaries on recently completed and ongoing projects, detailing the objectives, principal investigator, period of the project, and reports released or reports in progress on each study. Project names are: Ground-water-level monitoring network in the Albuquerque Basin; Water budget of the Rio Grande flood plain in the Albuquerque area; Modeling of groundwater flow in the Albuquerque Basin; Continuation of ground water flow modeling in the Albuquerque Basin; Evaluation of methods to quantify the hydrologic relations between the Rio Grande andmore » the Santa Fe Group aquifer system, near Albuquerque; Aquifer compaction and land subsidence in the Albuquerque, NM area; Aquifer test at the Griegos Well Field, Albuquerque, NM; Quality of urban stormwater runoff; Rio Grande water quality; Determining accurate concentrations and loads of trace elements and other selected chemical constituents in the Rio Grande, Albuquerque, NM; Digital geophysical-log data base; and Water quality data for the Albuquerque Basin.« less

Grande Ronde Basin Spring Chinook Salmon Captive Broodstock Program, 2008 Annual Report.

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

Hoffnagle, Timothy L.; Hair, Donald; Gee, Sally

2009-03-31

The Grande Ronde Basin Spring Chinook Salmon Captive Broodstock Program is designed to rapidly increase numbers of Chinook salmon in stocks that are in imminent danger of extirpation in Catherine Creek (CC), Lostine River (LR) and upper Grande Ronde River (GR). Natural parr are captured and reared to adulthood in captivity, spawned (within stocks) and their progeny reared to smoltification before being released into the natal stream of their parents. This program is co-managed by ODFW, National Marine Fisheries Service, Nez Perce Tribe and Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Presmolt rearing was initially conducted at Lookingglass Fish Hatcherymore » (LFH) but parr collected in 2003 and later were reared at Wallowa Fish Hatchery (WFH). Post-smolt rearing is conducted at Bonneville Fish Hatchery (BOH - freshwater) and at Manchester Research Station (MRS - saltwater). The CC and LR programs are being terminated, as these populations have achieved the goal of a consistent return of 150 naturally spawning adults, so the 2005 brood year was the last brood year collected for theses populations. The Grande Ronde River program continued with 300 fish collected each year. Currently, we are attempting to collect 150 natural parr and incorporate 150 parr collected as eggs from females with low ELISA levels from the upper Grande Ronde River Conventional Hatchery Program. This is part of a comparison of two methods of obtaining fish for a captive broodstock program: natural fish vs. those spawned in captivity. In August 2007, we collected 152 parr (BY 2006) from the upper Grande Ronde River and also have 155 Grande Ronde River parr (BY 2006) that were hatched from eyed eggs at LFH. During 2008, we were unable to collect natural parr from the upper Grande Ronde River. Therefore, we obtained 300 fish from low ELISA females from the upper Grande Ronde River Conventional Program. In October 2008 we obtained 170 eyed eggs from the upper Grande Ronde river Conventional Hatchery Program. We will attempt to collect natural parr in August 2009. This year 752 fish were removed from the captive population: 629 fish survived to gamete production and 123 fish died from various causes prior to spawning. Growth of the Captive Broodstock fish was similar to previous years. The saltwater fish have grown more slowly than those reared in freshwater. A total of 720 fish were sorted as maturing and 629 (87.4%) of them survived to spawn. We collected gametes from 273 females and 350 males from the 2002-2006 brood years in 2008, using 111 spawning matrices and collected 474,187 green eggs (1,737 eggs/female). All ripe males were spawned and no semen was collected for cryo-preservation. Of the 474,187 eggs collected for the BY 2008 F1 generation, 448,373 (94.6%) survived to the eyed stage. 68,612 (15.3%) were culled from females with high ELISA OD values for BKD prevention. For BY 2007, we collected a total of 477,048 eggs from all three populations and 407,369 (85.4%) reached the eyed stage, while 95,024 eyed eggs (23.3%) were culled for BKD prevention. Eyed eggs were hatched at Lookingglass Fish Hatchery, producing 267,131 fry. As parr, 153,371 fish were coded-wire tagged (CWT). For the 2006 F1 brood year, we collected 177,890 eggs and 149,073 (83.8%) reached the eyed stage. 83,826 eyed eggs (56.2%) were culled at the eyed stage for BKD prevention. 61,044 fry were produced (93.6%), 53,688 (88 %) survived to smolt. There were 54 bacterial kidney disease (BKD) mortalities at BOH and MRS, combined in this reporting period. Overall, there were fewer BKD mortalities in 2008 due to a reduced number of fish coming into the Captive Broodstock Program and a shift away from collecting wild parr to using eyed eggs from low ELISA females from the Conventional Hatchery Program. Unknown causes of death accounted for 32 deaths at MRS and BOH, combined in 2008. We continually examine and modify the operations of the Captive Broodstock Program to make improvements wherever possible. We continue to have difficulty with prevention and treatment of BKD outbreaks and continue to use erythromycin and azithromycin to treat this disease. We are also continuing to investigate other possible treatments and prophylactic measures. To reduce the incidence of BKD in offspring of the Captive Broodstock Program, we continue to allow culling of eyed eggs from females with high BKD ELISA values (generally >0.800 OD units but the cull level varies annually, depending on the distribution of ELISA values, number of eggs collected, and management considerations). We are also using ultrasound to determine maturity and sex of fish early in the maturation process and are now able to determine maturity and sex of most maturing fish in early April. This allows us to transfer maturing fish from saltwater to freshwater at a more natural time, which should improve fecundity and egg quality of saltwater-reared fish.« less

NASA Contributions to Improve Understanding of Extreme Events in the Global Energy and Water Cycle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lapenta, William M.

2008-01-01

The U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) has established the water cycle goals of the Nation's climate change program. Accomplishing these goals will require, in part, an accurate accounting of the key reservoirs and fluxes associated with the global water and energy cycle, including their spatial and temporal variability. through integration of all necessary observations and research tools, To this end, in conjunction with NASA's Earth science research strategy, the overarching long-term NASA Energy and Water Cycle Study (NEWS) grand challenge can he summarized as documenting and enabling improved, observationally based, predictions of water and energy cycle consequences of Earth system variability and change. This challenge requires documenting and predicting trends in the rate of the Earth's water and energy cycling that corresponds to climate change and changes in the frequency and intensity of naturally occurring related meteorological and hydrologic events, which may vary as climate may vary in the future. The cycling of water and energy has obvious and significant implications for the health and prosperity of our society. The importance of documenting and predicting water and energy cycle variations and extremes is necessary to accomplish this benefit to society.

The Giant Radio Array for Neutrino Detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotera, K.; GRAND Collaboration

2017-12-01

The Giant Radio Array for Neutrino Detection (GRAND) project aims at detecting ultrahigh-energy neutrinos and cosmic rays with a ˜10^5 radio antenna array over 200'000 km^2 in mountainous regions in China, in order to solve the mystery of the origin of these two linked particles. Its strategy is to detect extensive air showers of the highest energies, above 10^{17} eV, that are triggered by the interaction of high-energy particles in the atmosphere or underground. In its first stages, GRAND will be competitive to detect the first cosmogenic neutrinos for favorable source scenarios. Ultimately, GRAND aims at reaching a sensitivity and angular resolution that should launch neutrino astronomy, and that will ensure the detection of these neutrinos, even in the most pessimistic cases. We present preliminary results of our simulations, plans for the ongoing, staged approach to the construction of GRAND, and the rich research program made possible by the design of GRAND.

Determination of Shear Wave Velocity Structure in the Rio Grande Rift Through Receiver Function and Surface Wave Analysis. Appendix B

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-08-01

source and receiver responses for constant ray parameter, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 67, 1029-1050, 1977. Langston, C. A., Structure under Mount Rainier ...the 106 petrologic processes taking place within the rift. APPENDIX LIST OF COMPUTER PROGRAMS USED IN THESIS. 107 I 108 PROGRAM: RAY3D AUTHOR: Dr. T.J...Lab. Rep., LA-8676-T, 218 pp., 1981. Baldridge, W. S., Petrology an,3 petrogenesis of Plio- Pleistocene basaltic rocks from the central Rio Grand

Endeavour Grand Opening Ceremony

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-10-30

A government Transfer Order for Excess Personal Property is seen framed outside the office of President and CEO, California Science Center, Jeffrey N. Rudolph, on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, in Los Angeles. The grand opening ceremony for the California Science center's Samuel Oschin Space Shuttle Endeavour Display Pavilion took place on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012. Endeavour, built as a replacement for space shuttle Challenger, completed 25 missions, spent 299 days in orbit, and orbited Earth 4,671 times while traveling 122,883,151 miles. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Grande Ronde Basin Chinook Salmon Captive Brood and Conventional Supplementation Programs, 1998 Annual Report.

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

Carmichael, Richard W.

2003-03-01

Permit Number 1011 (formerly Permit No. 973) authorized ODFW to take listed spring chinook salmon juveniles from Catherine Creek and the Lostine and Grande Ronde rivers for scientific research and enhancement purposes. Special condition 2a specified the need for an annual report prior to initiation of next years work.

Grande Ronde Basin Chinook Salmon Captive Brood and Conventional Supplementation Programs, 1999 Annual Report.

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

Carmichael, Richard W.

2003-03-01

Permit Number 1011 (formerly Permit No. 973) authorized ODFW to take listed spring chinook salmon juveniles from Catherine Creek and the Lostine and Grande Ronde rivers for scientific research and enhancement purposes. Special condition 2a specified the need for an annual report prior to initiation of next year's work.

Regional drought early warning, impacts, and assessment for water and agriculture in the lower Rio Grande basin, 2016-2017

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

USDA’s Southern Plains Climate Hub (SPCH) and the University of Oklahoma’s Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program (SCIPP) contributed to a broad, multi-partnered effort to provide drought early warning information to water and agriculture management interests in the middle and lower Rio Grande ba...

NASA high performance computing and communications program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holcomb, Lee; Smith, Paul; Hunter, Paul

1993-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's HPCC program is part of a new Presidential initiative aimed at producing a 1000-fold increase in supercomputing speed and a 100-fold improvement in available communications capability by 1997. As more advanced technologies are developed under the HPCC program, they will be used to solve NASA's 'Grand Challenge' problems, which include improving the design and simulation of advanced aerospace vehicles, allowing people at remote locations to communicate more effectively and share information, increasing scientist's abilities to model the Earth's climate and forecast global environmental trends, and improving the development of advanced spacecraft. NASA's HPCC program is organized into three projects which are unique to the agency's mission: the Computational Aerosciences (CAS) project, the Earth and Space Sciences (ESS) project, and the Remote Exploration and Experimentation (REE) project. An additional project, the Basic Research and Human Resources (BRHR) project exists to promote long term research in computer science and engineering and to increase the pool of trained personnel in a variety of scientific disciplines. This document presents an overview of the objectives and organization of these projects as well as summaries of individual research and development programs within each project.

Electronic and Ionic Conductors from Ordered Microporous Materials

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

Dincă, Mircea

The proposed work aimed to establish metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as new classes of high-surface area microporous electronic and ionic conductors. MOFs are crystalline materials with pore sizes ranging from 0.2 to ~ 2 nm (or larger for the latter) defined by inorganic or organic building blocks connected by rigid organic linkers. Myriad applications have been found or proposed for these materials, yet those that require electron transport or conductivity in combination with permanent porosity still lag behind because the vast majority of known frameworks are electrical insulators. Prior to our proposal and subsequent work, there were virtually no studies exploringmore » the possibility of electronic delocalization in these materials. Therefore, our primary goal was to understand and control, at a fundamental level, the electron and ion transport properties of this class of materials, with no specific application proposed, although myriad applications could be envisioned for high surface area conductors. Our goals directly addressed one of the DOE-identified Grand Challenges for Basic Energy Sciences: designing perfect atom- and energy-efficient syntheses of revolutionary new forms of matter with tailored properties. Indeed, the proposed work is entirely synthetic in nature; owing to the molecular nature of the building blocks in MOFs, there is the possibility of unprecedented control over the structure and properties of solid crystalline matter. The goals also tangentially addressed the Grand Challenge of controlling materials processes at the level of electrons: the scope of our program is to create new materials where charges (electrons and/or ions) move according to predefined pathways.« less

High-speed polarization-encoded quantum key distribution based on silicon photonic integrated devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bunandar, Darius; Urayama, Junji; Boynton, Nicholas; Martinez, Nicholas; Derose, Christopher; Lentine, Anthony; Davids, Paul; Camacho, Ryan; Wong, Franco; Englund, Dirk

We present a compact polarization-encoded quantum key distribution (QKD) transmitter near a 1550-nm wavelength implemented on a CMOS-compatible silicon-on-insulator photonics platform. The transmitter generates arbitrary polarization qubits at gigahertz bandwidth with an extinction ratio better than 30 dB using high-speed carrier-depletion phase modulators. We demonstrate the performance of this device by generating secret keys at a rate of 1 Mbps in a complete QKD field test. Our work shows the potential of using advanced photonic integrated circuits to enable high-speed quantum-secure communications. This work was supported by the SECANT QKD Grand Challenge, the Samsung Global Research Outreach Program, and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

Biological Invasions: A Challenge In Ecological Forecasting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schnase, J. L.; Smith, J. A.; Stohlgren, T. J.; Graves, S.; Trees, C.; Rood, Richard (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The spread of invasive species is one of the most daunting environmental, economic, and human-health problems facing the United States and the World today. It is one of several grand challenge environmental problems being considered by NASA's Earth Science Vision for 2025. The invasive species problem is complex and presents many challenges. Developing an invasive species predictive capability could significantly advance the science and technology of ecological forecasting.

KSC-2013-2213

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-04-26

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The winning students and their teachers of the 2013 DuPont Challenge Science Essay Competition show off their awards after a ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. From left are, Kelvin Manning, the center's associate deputy director sponsoring teacher Angela Weeks and Junior Division first runner-up Gaurav Garg of Beckendorff Junior High in Katy, Texas sponsoring teacher Elaine Gillum and Senior Division grand prize winner Jacob Yoshitake of Marshall Middle School in San Diego, Calif. Senior Division first runner-up Laura Herman and sponsoring teacher Jennifer Gordinier of Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and Senior Division grand prize awardee Hugo Yen and sponsoring teacher Nga Ngo of Troy High in Fullerton, Calif. The challenge, now in its 27th year, reaches out to students from grades seven through 12 from all 50 states and Canada. More than 200,000 students entered the competition. The DuPont Challenge aims to inspire students to excel and achieve in scientific writing and pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics STEM. The challenge honors space shuttle Challenger's STS-51L crew members who gave their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery. For more information on the challenge, go to http://thechallenge.dupont.com/sponsors/nasa.php.

Bringing Seismology's Grand Challenges to the Undergraduate Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benoit, M. H.; Hubenthal, M.; Taber, J.

2012-12-01

The "Seismological Grand Challenges in Understanding Earth's Dynamic Systems," a community-written long-range science plan for the next decade, poses 10 questions to guide fundamental seismological research. Written in an approachable fashion suitable for policymakers, the broad questions and supporting discussion contained in this document offer an ideal framework for the development of undergraduate curricular materials. Leveraging this document, we have created a collection of inquiry-based classroom modules that utilize authentic data to modernize seismological instruction in 100 and 200 level undergraduate courses. The modules not only introduce undergraduates to the broad questions that the seismological community seeks to answer in the future but also showcase the numerous areas where modern seismological research is actively contributing to our understanding of fundamental Earth processes. To date 6 in-depth explorations that correspond to the Grand Challenges document have been developed. The specific topics for each exploration were selected to showcase modern seismological research while also covering topics commonly included in the curriculum of these introductory classes. The activities that have been created and their corresponding Grand Challenge are: -A guided inquiry that introduces students to episodic tremor and slip and compares the GPS and seismic signatures of ETS with those produced from standard tectonic earthquakes (Grand Challenge "How do faults slip?"). - A laboratory exercise where students engage in b-value mapping of volcanic earthquakes to assess potential eruption hazards (How do magmas ascend and erupt?). - A module that introduces students to glacial earthquakes in Greenland and compares their frequency and spatial distribution to tectonic earthquakes (How do processes in the ocean and atmosphere interact with the solid Earth?). -A suite of activities that introduce students to oil and gas exploration, including an activity that introduces the concept of shale gas exploration (Where are water and hydrocarbons hidden beneath the surface?) -A guided inquiry module that leads students to understand the differences between lithosphere and asthenosphere (What is the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary?) - A module where students explore earthquake hazards and probability of ground shaking in southern California, New Madrid, and their own location. (How does the near-surface environment affect natural hazards and resources?). To enhance the usefulness of these resources, all have been developed in a modular fashion that allows instructors to pick and choose some (or all) of these resources for integration in to the scope and sequence of their course. Each module will include an instructor's guide containing instructions for implementing the activity, assessment strategies, and other resources. Formative pilot testing at 2- and 4- year colleges will take place fall 2012. Ultimately, the modules will be disseminated online through IRIS's InClass web portal and through small training workshops. Current drafts of some of the activities can be obtained by emailing M. Benoit (benoit@tcnj.edu).

UNM in the Community.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quantum: Research & Scholarship, 1998

1998-01-01

Profiles 10 University of New Mexico community programs: University Art Museum, Rio Grande and Four Corners Writing Projects, Blacks in the Southwest (exhibit), New Mexico Engineering Research Institute's Environmental Finance Center, Adolescent Social Action Program, Minority Engineering Programs, Rural Community College Initiative, Valencia…

The Grand Challenges of WCRP and the Climate Observing System of the Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brasseur, G. P.

2017-12-01

The successful implementation the Paris agreement on climate change (COP21) calls for a well-designed global monitoring system of essential climate variables, climate processes and Earth system budgets. The Grand Challenges implemented by the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) provide an opportunity to investigate issues of high societal relevance, directly related to sea level rise, droughts, floods, extreme heat events, food security, and fresh water availability. These challenges would directly benefit from a well-designed suite of systematic climate observations. Quantification of the evolution of the global energy, water and carbon budgets as well as the development and the production of near-term and regional climate predictions require that a comprehensive, focused, multi-platform observing system (satellites, ground-based and in situ observations) be established in an international context. This system must be accompanied by the development of climate services that should translate and disseminate scientific outcomes as actionable information for users and stakeholders.

US Department of Energy Grand Junction Projects Office Remedial Action Project. Final report of the decontamination and decommissioning of Building 52 at the Grand Junction Projects Office Facility

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

Krabacher, J.E.

1996-08-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Grand Junction Projects Office (GJPO) occupies a 61.7-acre facility along the Gunnison River near Grand Junction, Colorado. This site was contaminated with uranium ore and mill tailings during uranium refining activities of the Manhattan Engineer District and during pilot milling experiments conducted for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission`s domestic uranium procurement program. The DOE Defense Decontamination and Decommissioning Program established the GJPO Remedial Action Project to clean up and restore the facility lands, improvements, and the underlying aquifer. The site contractor for the facility, Rust Geotech, also was the remedial action contractor. Building 52more » was found to be radiologically contaminated and was demolished in 1994. The soil area within the footprint of the building has been remediated in accordance with the identified standards and the area can be released for unlimited exposure and unrestricted use. This document was prepared in response to a DOE request for an individual final report for each contaminated GJPO building.« less

Ocean Modeling and Visualization on Massively Parallel Computer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chao, Yi; Li, P. Peggy; Wang, Ping; Katz, Daniel S.; Cheng, Benny N.

1997-01-01

Climate modeling is one of the grand challenges of computational science, and ocean modeling plays an important role in both understanding the current climatic conditions and predicting future climate change.

[Positivism and medical science in Rio Grande do Sul: the Faculdade de Medicina de Porto Alegre].

PubMed

Weber, B T

1998-01-01

The article analyzes conflicts and interests at one of Rio Grande de Sul's main centers for medical science, the Faculdade de Medicina de Porto Alegre. It explores the meaning and impact of the emergence of this specific, exclusive field of knowledge in a state where positivist principles of professional freedom were adopted by successive administrations during the early period of the Republic. Physicians there launched an entrenched war to uphold the principles of science over faith and politics, challenging the positivism of the party which held power in Rio Grande do Sul throughout the years. This perspective grew and developed in a climate of conflict and doubts among physicians, within a political context that differed from the rest of Brazil.

Psychological Science's Contributions to a Sustainable Environment: Extending Our Reach to a Grand Challenge of Society

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kazdin, Alan E.

2009-01-01

Climate change and degradation of the environment are global problems associated with many other challenges (e.g., population increases, reduction of glaciers, and loss of critical habitats). Psychological science can play a critical role in addressing these problems by fostering a sustainable environment. Multiple strategies for fostering a…

New STEM Schools Target Underrepresented Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robelen, Erik W.

2011-01-01

Few Americans may know about the Grand Challenges for Engineering--from making solar energy affordable to ensuring access to clean water--but the students at a new school on the campus of North Carolina State University are getting to know them firsthand. The set of 21st-century challenges, devised by the National Academy of Engineering, serves as…

MaRIE: A facility for time-dependent materials science at the mesoscale

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

Barnes, Cris William; Kippen, Karen Elizabeth

To meet new and emerging national security issues the Laboratory is stepping up to meet another grand challenge—transitioning from observing to controlling a material’s performance. This challenge requires the best of experiment, modeling, simulation, and computational tools. MaRIE is the Laboratory’s proposed flagship experimental facility intended to meet the challenge.

Grand Canyon Trekkers: school-based lunchtime walking program.

PubMed

Hawthorne, Alisa; Shaibi, Gabriel; Gance-Cleveland, Bonnie; McFall, Sarah

2011-02-01

The incidence of childhood overweight is especially troubling among low income Latino youth. Grand Canyon Trekkers (GCT) was implemented as a quasi-experimental study in 10 Title 1 elementary schools with a large Latino population to examine the effects of a 16-week structured walking program on components of health-related physical fitness: Body Mass Index (BMI), waist circumference, and cardio-respiratory. Data on 1,074 research participants revealed no significance changes in BMI or waist circumference (p > .05); however, cardio-respiratory fitness increased by 37.1% over baseline. Cardiovascular fitness is an independent determinant of long-term health; therefore, the GCT program may have significantly improved the future health profile of the participants and decreased their risk of metabolic diseases.

Grande Ronde Endemic Spring Chinook Project - ODFW, 2008 Annual Report.

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

Patterson, Scott

2009-04-10

Core activities of the Grande Ronde Endemic Spring Chinook Supplementation Program (GRESCSP) are funded through the authority of the Lower Snake River Fish and Wildlife Compensation Plan (LSRCP). The LSRCP program was approved by the Water Resources Development Act of 1976, PL 94-587, Section 102, 94th Congress substantially in accordance with the Special Report, LSRCP, June 1975 on file with the Chief of Engineers. The LSRCP was prepared and submitted in compliance with the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1958, PL 85-624, 85th Congress, August 12, 1958 to mitigate for the losses of fish and wildlife caused by themore » construction of dams on lower Snake River. The GRESCSP is an artificial propagation program that was initiated by Bonneville Power Administrations Fish and Wildlife program in the mid 1990's. The intent of this program was to change the mitigation aspect of the LSRCP program (harvest mitigation) to an integrated supplementation program; inasmuch as, hatchery produced fish could be experimentally used as a recovery tool and fish surplus to mitigation would be available for in-place and in-kind harvest. Fish production is still authorized by the LSRCP with the original mitigation return goal of 5,860 adult spring Chinook to the project area. The GRESCSP was developed with two primary components: (1) conventional broodstock (projects 199800702; 199800703; 199800704) and (2) captive brood (projects 199801001; 199801006). The GRESCSP relies on cooperative M&E efforts from the LSRCP including setting aside the Wenaha and Minam tributaries as natural production reserves components used for reference streams. The GRESCSP, coordinated with federal and tribal partners, identifies production levels for both propagation components and weir management strategies for each of the three supplemented tributary areas within the Grande Ronde Sub-basin. The three supplemented areas are Catherine Creek, Lostine River, and upper Grande Ronde River. Lookingglass Creek, an extirpated area, will be stocked (smolts and adults) with Catherine Creek origin salmon to initiate natural production in unseeded habitat, and to initiate future harvest opportunities. The current production levels have been incorporated into the U.S. v. Oregon Interim Management Agreement. The purpose of this contract is to integrate Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) efforts with the Lower Snake River Compensation Plan (LSRCP) program utilizing Lookingglass Hatchery as the primary rearing facility. BPA constructed an adult holding and spawning structure on the hatchery grounds; however, maintenance of this infrastructure was discontinued due to funding limitation and transferred to the LSRCP program in 2007. These integrated efforts focus on holding and spawning adults, rearing juveniles, fish health, and monitoring natural production (Redd counts) for Catherine Creek, Lostine River, and Upper Grande Ronde stocks.« less

On the nature of cross-disciplinary integration: A philosophical framework.

PubMed

O'Rourke, Michael; Crowley, Stephen; Gonnerman, Chad

2016-04-01

Meeting grand challenges requires responses that constructively combine multiple forms of expertise, both academic and non-academic; that is, it requires cross-disciplinary integration. But just what is cross-disciplinary integration? In this paper, we supply a preliminary answer by reviewing prominent accounts of cross-disciplinary integration from two literatures that are rarely brought together: cross-disciplinarity and philosophy of biology. Reflecting on similarities and differences in these accounts, we develop a framework that integrates their insights-integration as a generic combination process the details of which are determined by the specific contexts in which particular integrations occur. One such context is cross-disciplinary research, which yields cross-disciplinary integration. We close by reflecting on the potential applicability of this framework to research efforts aimed at meeting grand challenges. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Twenty years of change on campsites in the backcountry of Grand Canyon National Park

Treesearch

David N. Cole; Pam Foti; Mathieu Brown

2008-01-01

This article draws on three separate research and monitoring studies to describe 20-year trends in the number and condition of campsites in the backcountry of Grand Canyon National Park. Results are used to assess the effectiveness of a complex and innovative management program, adopted in 1983, that sought to concentrate use on designated campsites in popular places...

Hydraulic modeling analysis of the Middle Rio Grande River from Cochiti Dam to Galisteo Creek, New Mexico

Treesearch

Susan J. Novak

2006-01-01

Sedimentation problems with the Middle Rio Grande have made it a subject of study for several decades for many government agencies involved in its management and maintenance. Since severe bed aggradation in the river began in the late 1800's, causing severe flooding and destroying farmland, several programs have been developed to restore the river while...

Ecological potential of the Grand Calumet River basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Whitman, Richard L.; Nevers, Meredith Becker; Hammann, Shira; Moy, Philip B.

2002-01-01

The Grand Calumet River and watershed have been severely degraded by industrialization and urbanization, and yet several high-quality natural areas remain intact. The degraded condition presents numerous opportunities for pollution mitigation and ecosystem restoration. In many areas of the river and watershed, biological communities are characterized by low diversity and pollution-tolerant organisms. By establishing programs of nonnative species control, prescribed burning, sediment removal, wetland establishment and extirpated species re-introduction, the Grand Calumet can be improved to reflect some of its natural history. The dredging plan for the river presents an opportunity to coordinate simultaneous improvement and restoration plans. Possibilities for each section of the river are discussed.

Multidisciplinary approaches to climate change questions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Middleton, Beth A.; LePage, Ben A.

2011-01-01

Multidisciplinary approaches are required to address the complex environmental problems of our time. Solutions to climate change problems are good examples of situations requiring complex syntheses of ideas from a vast set of disciplines including science, engineering, social science, and the humanities. Unfortunately, most ecologists have narrow training, and are not equipped to bring their environmental skills to the table with interdisciplinary teams to help solve multidisciplinary problems. To address this problem, new graduate training programs and workshops sponsored by various organizations are providing opportunities for scientists and others to learn to work together in multidisciplinary teams. Two examples of training in multidisciplinary thinking include those organized by the Santa Fe Institute and Dahlem Workshops. In addition, many interdisciplinary programs have had successes in providing insight into climate change problems including the International Panel on Climate Change, the Joint North American Carbon Program, the National Academy of Science Research Grand Challenges Initiatives, and the National Academy of Science. These programs and initiatives have had some notable success in outlining some of the problems and solutions to climate change. Scientists who can offer their specialized expertise to interdisciplinary teams will be more successful in helping to solve the complex problems related to climate change.

Grand Challenges in School Social Work: Collaboration and Constraint in School Social Workers' Sexuality Support for Children with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolin, Sharon J.; Rueda, Heidi Adams; Linton, Kristen F.

2018-01-01

Children with disabilities (CWD) face challenges to the development of their sexuality, in part due to a lack of appropriate, tailored sexual education in schools, role ambiguity regarding provision of sexual health services, and widespread discomfort with the topic. However, CWD have unique sexual health needs, an increased vulnerability to…

Collaborating on Global Priorities: Science Education for Everyone--Any Time and Everywhere

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tobin, Kenneth

2016-01-01

Building on the key ideas from Dana Zeidler's paper I expand the conversation from the standpoint that the challenges facing humanity and the capacity of Earth to support life suggest that changes in human lifestyles are a priority. Accordingly, there is an urgent need to educate all humans about some of the science-related grand challenges, such…

Grand Challenges in Clinical Decision Support v10

PubMed Central

Sittig, Dean F.; Wright, Adam; Osheroff, Jerome A.; Middleton, Blackford; Teich, Jonathan M.; Ash, Joan S.; Campbell, Emily; Bates, David W.

2008-01-01

There is a pressing need for high-quality, effective means of designing, developing, presenting, implementing, evaluating, and maintaining all types of clinical decision support capabilities for clinicians, patients and consumers. Using an iterative, consensus-building process we identified a rank-ordered list of the top 10 grand challenges in clinical decision support. This list was created to educate and inspire researchers, developers, funders, and policy-makers. The list of challenges in order of importance that they be solved if patients and organizations are to begin realizing the fullest benefits possible of these systems consists of: Improve the human-computer interface; Disseminate best practices in CDS design, development, and implementation; Summarize patient-level information; Prioritize and filter recommendations to the user; Create an architecture for sharing executable CDS modules and services; Combine recommendations for patients with co-morbidities; Prioritize CDS content development and implementation; Create internet-accessible clinical decision support repositories; Use freetext information to drive clinical decision support; Mine large clinical databases to create new CDS. Identification of solutions to these challenges is critical if clinical decision support is to achieve its potential and improve the quality, safety and efficiency of healthcare. PMID:18029232

Relative binding affinity prediction of farnesoid X receptor in the D3R Grand Challenge 2 using FEP.

PubMed

Schindler, Christina; Rippmann, Friedrich; Kuhn, Daniel

2018-01-01

Physics-based free energy simulations have increasingly become an important tool for predicting binding affinity and the recent introduction of automated protocols has also paved the way towards a more widespread use in the pharmaceutical industry. The D3R 2016 Grand Challenge 2 provided an opportunity to blindly test the commercial free energy calculation protocol FEP+ and assess its performance relative to other affinity prediction methods. The present D3R free energy prediction challenge was built around two experimental data sets involving inhibitors of farnesoid X receptor (FXR) which is a promising anticancer drug target. The FXR binding site is predominantly hydrophobic with few conserved interaction motifs and strong induced fit effects making it a challenging target for molecular modeling and drug design. For both data sets, we achieved reasonable prediction accuracy (RMSD ≈ 1.4 kcal/mol, rank 3-4 according to RMSD out of 20 submissions) comparable to that of state-of-the-art methods in the field. Our D3R results boosted our confidence in the method and strengthen our desire to expand its applications in future in-house drug design projects.

Relative binding affinity prediction of farnesoid X receptor in the D3R Grand Challenge 2 using FEP+

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schindler, Christina; Rippmann, Friedrich; Kuhn, Daniel

2018-01-01

Physics-based free energy simulations have increasingly become an important tool for predicting binding affinity and the recent introduction of automated protocols has also paved the way towards a more widespread use in the pharmaceutical industry. The D3R 2016 Grand Challenge 2 provided an opportunity to blindly test the commercial free energy calculation protocol FEP+ and assess its performance relative to other affinity prediction methods. The present D3R free energy prediction challenge was built around two experimental data sets involving inhibitors of farnesoid X receptor (FXR) which is a promising anticancer drug target. The FXR binding site is predominantly hydrophobic with few conserved interaction motifs and strong induced fit effects making it a challenging target for molecular modeling and drug design. For both data sets, we achieved reasonable prediction accuracy (RMSD ≈ 1.4 kcal/mol, rank 3-4 according to RMSD out of 20 submissions) comparable to that of state-of-the-art methods in the field. Our D3R results boosted our confidence in the method and strengthen our desire to expand its applications in future in-house drug design projects.

Recognizing Faces Like Humans

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-01

1995. 3. B. Kamgar-Parsi and B. Kamgar-Parsi, Methods of facial recognition , US Patent pending, 2007. 4. www.frvt.org/FRGC/ Homepage of the Facial Recognition Grand Challenge project. Last accessed 4 February 2010. c 2010 SPIE

Impact Challenges in Community Science-with-Practice: Lessons from PROSPER on Transformative Practitioner-Scientist Partnerships and Prevention Infrastructure Development

PubMed Central

Greenberg, Mark

2011-01-01

At present, evidence-based programs (EBPs) to reduce youth violence are failing to translate into widespread community practice, despite their potential for impact on this pervasive public health problem. In this paper we address two types of challenges in the achievement of such impact, drawing upon lessons from the implementation of a partnership model called PROSPER. First, we address five key challenges in the achievement of community-level impact through effective community planning and action: readiness and mobilization of community teams; maintaining EBP implementation quality; sustaining community teams and EBPs; demonstrating community-level impact; and continuous, proactive technical assistance. Second, we consider grand challenges in the large-scale translation of EBPs: (1) building, linking and expanding existing infrastructures to support effective EBP delivery systems, and (2) organizing networks of practitioner-scientist partnerships—networks designed to integrate diffusion of EBPs with research that examines effective strategies to do so. The PROSPER partnership model is an evidence-based delivery system for community-based prevention and has evolved through two decades of NIH-funded research, assisted by land grant universities' Cooperative Extension Systems. Findings and lessons of relevance to each of the challenges are summarized. In this context, we outline how practitioner-scientist partnerships can serve to transform EBP delivery systems, particularly in conjunction with supportive federal policy. PMID:21222151

Impact challenges in community science-with-practice: lessons from PROSPER on transformative practitioner-scientist partnerships and prevention infrastructure development.

PubMed

Spoth, Richard; Greenberg, Mark

2011-09-01

At present, evidence-based programs (EBPs) to reduce youth violence are failing to translate into widespread community practice, despite their potential for impact on this pervasive public health problem. In this paper we address two types of challenges in the achievement of such impact, drawing upon lessons from the implementation of a partnership model called PROSPER. First, we address five key challenges in the achievement of community-level impact through effective community planning and action: readiness and mobilization of community teams; maintaining EBP implementation quality; sustaining community teams and EBPs; demonstrating community-level impact; and continuous, proactive technical assistance. Second, we consider grand challenges in the large-scale translation of EBPs: (1) building, linking and expanding existing infrastructures to support effective EBP delivery systems, and (2) organizing networks of practitioner-scientist partnerships-networks designed to integrate diffusion of EBPs with research that examines effective strategies to do so. The PROSPER partnership model is an evidence-based delivery system for community-based prevention and has evolved through two decades of NIH-funded research, assisted by land grant universities' Cooperative Extension Systems. Findings and lessons of relevance to each of the challenges are summarized. In this context, we outline how practitioner-scientist partnerships can serve to transform EBP delivery systems, particularly in conjunction with supportive federal policy.

A primary care-public health partnership addressing homelessness, serious mental illness, and health disparities.

PubMed

Weinstein, Lara Carson; Lanoue, Marianna D; Plumb, James D; King, Hannah; Stein, Brianna; Tsemberis, Sam

2013-01-01

People with histories of homelessness and serious mental illness experience profound health disparities. Housing First is an evidenced-based practice that is working to end homelessness for these individuals through a combination of permanent housing and community-based supports. The Jefferson Department of Family and Community Medicine and a Housing First agency, Pathways to Housing-PA, has formed a partnership to address multiple levels of health care needs for this group. We present a preliminary program evaluation of this partnership using the framework of the patient-centered medical home and the "10 Essential Public Health Services." Preliminary program evaluation results suggest that this partnership is evolving to function as an integrated person-centered health home and an effective local public health monitoring system. The Pathways to Housing-PA/Jefferson Department of Family and Community Medicine partnership represents a community of solution, and multiple measures provide preliminary evidence that this model is feasible and can address the "grand challenges" of integrated community health services.

Counterproliferation: The emperor has no clothes. Strategy research project

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

Newing, E.W.

1995-04-03

The proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and their means of delivery is a National Emergency. The National Security Strategy and National Military Strategy admirably highlight counterproliferation as urgent national priorities. Despite these well intentioned efforts, counterproliferation initiatives, begun in 1993, have to date only yielded grand policies and little progress. Lack of national leadership, multiplicitous and overlapping programs, interagency friction, and misplaced priorities could doom the laudable efforts to failure. As the National Command Authority seeks to dress themselves in a cloak of protection against the threats of weapons of mass destruction, who is brave enough to tell themmore » the Emperor has no clothes. This assessment covers counterproliferation strategies via an ends, ways, and means methodology, analyzes the complexity of current initiatives, and provides benefits and challenges to the eight areas of the Counterproliferation Support Program. After conclusions about the illusionary success of these efforts, the assessment offers recommendations to enhance meaningful progress.« less

Experimental Evaluation and Workload Characterization for High-Performance Computer Architectures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

El-Ghazawi, Tarek A.

1995-01-01

This research is conducted in the context of the Joint NSF/NASA Initiative on Evaluation (JNNIE). JNNIE is an inter-agency research program that goes beyond typical.bencbking to provide and in-depth evaluations and understanding of the factors that limit the scalability of high-performance computing systems. Many NSF and NASA centers have participated in the effort. Our research effort was an integral part of implementing JNNIE in the NASA ESS grand challenge applications context. Our research work under this program was composed of three distinct, but related activities. They include the evaluation of NASA ESS high- performance computing testbeds using the wavelet decomposition application; evaluation of NASA ESS testbeds using astrophysical simulation applications; and developing an experimental model for workload characterization for understanding workload requirements. In this report, we provide a summary of findings that covers all three parts, a list of the publications that resulted from this effort, and three appendices with the details of each of the studies using a key publication developed under the respective work.

Sediment erosion and transport at the Rio Grande mouth : report for the National Border Technology Program and International Boundary and Water Commission.

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

Chapin, D. Michael, Jr.; Langford, Richard; Neu, Roene

2003-11-01

The mouth of the Rio Grande has become silted up, obstructing its flow into the Gulf of Mexico. This is problematic in that it has created extensive flooding. The purpose of this study was to determine the erosion and transport potential of the sediments obstructing the flow of the Rio Grande by employing a unique Mobile High Shear Stress flume developed by Sandia's Carlsbad Programs Group for the US Army Corps of Engineers. The flume measures in-situ sediment erosion properties at shear stresses ranging from normal flow to flood conditions for a variable depth sediment core. The flume is inmore » a self-contained trailer that can be placed on site in the field. Erosion rates and sediment grain size distributions were determined from sediment samples collected in and around the obstruction and were subsequently used to characterize the erosion potential of the sediments under investigation.« less

ISMIP6: Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project for CMIP6

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nowicki, S.

2015-01-01

ISMIP6 (Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project for CMIP6) targets the Cryosphere in a Changing Climate and the Future Sea Level Grand Challenges of the WCRP (World Climate Research Program). Primary goal is to provide future sea level contribution from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, along with associated uncertainty. Secondary goal is to investigate feedback due to dynamic ice sheet models. Experiment design uses and augment the existing CMIP6 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6) DECK (Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Characterization of Klima) experiments. Additonal MIP (Model Intercomparison Project)- specific experiments will be designed for ISM (Ice Sheet Model). Effort builds on the Ice2sea, SeaRISE (Sea-level Response to Ice Sheet Evolution) and COMBINE (Comprehensive Modelling of the Earth System for Better Climate Prediction and Projection) efforts.

Characteristics of pinyon-juniper woodlands in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument: Changes since Monument establishment and prospects for future monitoring

Treesearch

Christopher Witt; John D. Shaw

2010-01-01

Recent data from the USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program have documented spatial and temporal patterns of drought-related mortality across woodlands of the Southwest (Shaw et al. 2005). In the early 1990s, FIA collected data on forested land now included in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM or the Monument) as part of a...

Final report of the decontamination and decommissioning of the exterior land areas at the Grand Junction Projects Office facility

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

Widdop, M.R.

1995-09-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Grand Junction Projects Office (GJPO) facility occupies approximately 56.4 acres (22.8 hectares) along the Gunnison River near Grand Junction, Colorado. The site was contaminated with uranium ore and mill tailings during uranium-refining activities conducted by the Manhattan Engineer District and during pilot-milling experiments conducted for the US Atomic Energy Commission`s (AEC`s) domestic uranium procurement program. The GJPO facility was the collection and assay point for AEC uranium and vanadium oxide purchases until the early 1970s. The DOE Decontamination and Decommissioning Program sponsored the Grand Junction Projects Office Remedial Action Project (GJPORAP) to remediate themore » facility lands, site improvements, and the underlying aquifer. The site contractor, Rust Geotech, was the Remedial Action Contractor for GJPORAP. The exterior land areas of the facility assessed as contaminated have been remediated in accordance with identified standards and can be released for unrestricted use. Restoration of the aquifer will be accomplished through the natural flushing action of the aquifer during the next 50 to 80 years. The remediation of the DOE-GJPO facility buildings is ongoing and will be described in a separate report.« less

The Effects of Water Markets: Evidence from the Rio Grande.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Debaere, P.; Li, T.

2016-12-01

The Effects of Water Markets: Evidence from the Rio GrandePeter Debaere, University of Virginia Tianshu Li, University of Virginia The Rio Grande water market is one of the oldest water markets in the United States. Employing techniques from the social sciences, we present the first difference-in-difference analysis of the actual impact of water markets on production. We compare from 1954 to 2012 the crop composition in counties in the Rio Grande water market with those in their neighboring control counties before and after the water market was established in 1971. We provide evidence that water markets can facilitate a shift from crops that are on average more to ones that are less water intensive, or, alternatively, from crops that are on average less to ones that are more productive in terms of $ generated per unit of water. In addition, we find that such reallocations are especially prevalent in times of drought. Our findings supports water markets as a tool to manage water more effectively, which is one of the main challenges of an increasingly water-strapped world.

A Grand Canonical Monte Carlo simulation program for computing ion distributions around biomolecules in hard sphere solvents

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

The GIBS software program is a Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulation program (written in C++) that can be used for 1) computing the excess chemical potential of ions and the mean activity coefficients of salts in homogeneous electrolyte solutions; and, 2) for computing the distribution of ions around fixed macromolecules such as, nucleic acids and proteins. The solvent can be represented as neutral hard spheres or as a dielectric continuum. The ions are represented as charged hard spheres that can interact via Coulomb, hard-sphere, or Lennard-Jones potentials. In addition to hard-sphere repulsions, the ions can also be made tomore » interact with the solvent hard spheres via short-ranged attractive square-well potentials.« less

Air Traffic Control: Remote Radar For Grand Junction

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-11-01

In 1983, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began a nationwide program : of consolidating air traffic control facilities to gain the benefits of : automation and any attendant cost savings. As part of this program, FAA : conducted several stud...

A DHS Skunkworks Project: Defining and Addressing Homeland Security Grand Challenges

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

Peter Diamandis, Ansari XPRIZE, market failure, technology, stealth technologies, Pasteur’s quadrant, Heilmeier Catechism, Homeland Security Advanced...Judging and Scoring ....................................................................27 D. OPTIMIZING FOR AN EMERGING MARKET ...37 Figure 3. Market /Technology Chart

Combining self- and cross-docking as benchmark tools: the performance of DockBench in the D3R Grand Challenge 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salmaso, Veronica; Sturlese, Mattia; Cuzzolin, Alberto; Moro, Stefano

2018-01-01

Molecular docking is a powerful tool in the field of computer-aided molecular design. In particular, it is the technique of choice for the prediction of a ligand pose within its target binding site. A multitude of docking methods is available nowadays, whose performance may vary depending on the data set. Therefore, some non-trivial choices should be made before starting a docking simulation. In the same framework, the selection of the target structure to use could be challenging, since the number of available experimental structures is increasing. Both issues have been explored within this work. The pose prediction of a pool of 36 compounds provided by D3R Grand Challenge 2 organizers was preceded by a pipeline to choose the best protein/docking-method couple for each blind ligand. An integrated benchmark approach including ligand shape comparison and cross-docking evaluations was implemented inside our DockBench software. The results are encouraging and show that bringing attention to the choice of the docking simulation fundamental components improves the results of the binding mode predictions.

Mass storage: The key to success in high performance computing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Richard R.

1993-01-01

There are numerous High Performance Computing & Communications Initiatives in the world today. All are determined to help solve some 'Grand Challenges' type of problem, but each appears to be dominated by the pursuit of higher and higher levels of CPU performance and interconnection bandwidth as the approach to success, without any regard to the impact of Mass Storage. My colleagues and I at Data Storage Technologies believe that all will have their performance against their goals ultimately measured by their ability to efficiently store and retrieve the 'deluge of data' created by end-users who will be using these systems to solve Scientific Grand Challenges problems, and that the issue of Mass Storage will become then the determinant of success or failure in achieving each projects goals. In today's world of High Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC), the critical path to success in solving problems can only be traveled by designing and implementing Mass Storage Systems capable of storing and manipulating the truly 'massive' amounts of data associated with solving these challenges. Within my presentation I will explore this critical issue and hypothesize solutions to this problem.

NASA High Performance Computing and Communications program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holcomb, Lee; Smith, Paul; Hunter, Paul

1994-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's HPCC program is part of a new Presidential initiative aimed at producing a 1000-fold increase in supercomputing speed and a 1(X)-fold improvement in available communications capability by 1997. As more advanced technologies are developed under the HPCC program, they will be used to solve NASA's 'Grand Challenge' problems, which include improving the design and simulation of advanced aerospace vehicles, allowing people at remote locations to communicate more effectively and share information, increasing scientists' abilities to model the Earth's climate and forecast global environmental trends, and improving the development of advanced spacecraft. NASA's HPCC program is organized into three projects which are unique to the agency's mission: the Computational Aerosciences (CAS) project, the Earth and Space Sciences (ESS) project, and the Remote Exploration and Experimentation (REE) project. An additional project, the Basic Research and Human Resources (BRHR) project, exists to promote long term research in computer science and engineering and to increase the pool of trained personnel in a variety of scientific disciplines. This document presents an overview of the objectives and organization of these projects, as well as summaries of early accomplishments and the significance, status, and plans for individual research and development programs within each project. Areas of emphasis include benchmarking, testbeds, software and simulation methods.

Hospitalizations for primary care-sensitive conditions in Pelotas, Brazil: 1998 to 2012.

PubMed

Costa, Juvenal Soares Dias da; Teixeira, Ana Maria Ferreira Borges; Moraes, Mauricio; Strauch, Eliane Schneider; Silveira, Denise Silva da; Carret, Maria Laura Vidal; Fantinel, Everton

2017-01-01

To verify the hospitalization trend for primary care sensitive-conditions in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil from 1998 to 2012. An ecological study compared hospitalizations rates of the city of Pelotas with the rest of state of Rio Grande do Sul. Analysis was conducted using direct standardization of rates, coefficients were stratified by sex and the Poisson regression was used. Hospitalizations for sensitive conditions decreased in Pelotas and Rio Grande do Sul. In Pelotas, a 63.8% decrease was detected in the period observed, and there was a 43.1% decrease in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Poisson regression coefficients showed a decrease of 7% in Pelotas and of 4% in the rest of Rio Grande do Sul each year. During the study period, several changes were introduced in the Brazilian Unified Health System ("Sistema Único de Saúde") that may have influenced the results, including changes in administration, health funding, and a complete reworking of primary care through the creation of the Family Health Strategy program ("Estratégia Saúde da Família").

Saturn's Internal Magnetic Field Revealed by Cassini Grand Finale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, H.; Dougherty, M. K.; Khurana, K. K.; Hunt, G. J.; Provan, G.; Kellock, S.; Burton, M. E.; Burk, T. A.

2017-12-01

Saturn's internal magnetic field has been puzzling since the first in-situ measurements during the Pioneer 11 Saturn flyby. Cassini magnetometer measurements prior to the Grand Finale phase established 1) the highly axisymmetric nature of Saturn's internal magnetic field with a dipole tilt smaller than 0.06 degrees, 2) at least an order of magnitude slower secular variation rate compared to that of the current geomagnetic field, and 3) expulsion of magnetic fluxes from the equatorial region towards high latitude. The highly axisymmetric nature of Saturn's intrinsic magnetic field not only challenges dynamo theory but also makes an accurate determination of the interior rotation rate of Saturn extremely difficult. The Cassini spacecraft entered the Grand Finale phase in April 2017, during which time the spacecraft dived through the gap between Saturn's atmosphere and the inner edge of the D-ring 22 times before descending into the deep atmosphere of Saturn. The unprecedented proximity to Saturn (reaching 2500 km above the cloud deck) and the highly inclined nature of the Grand Finale orbits provided an ideal opportunity to decode Saturn's internal magnetic field. The fluxgate magnetometer onboard Cassini made precise vector measurements during the Grand Finale phase. Magnetic signals from the interior of the planet, the magnetospheric ring current, the high-latitude field-aligned current (FAC) modulated by the 10.7 hour planetary period oscillation, and low-latitude FACs were observed during the Grand Finale phase. Here we report the magnetometer measurements during the Cassini Grand Finale phase, new features of Saturn's internal magnetic field revealed by these measurements (e.g., the high degree magnetic moments of Saturn, the level of axisymmetry beyond dipole), and implications for the deep interior of Saturn.

The Care and Feeding of Embryonic Trainers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Rob

1975-01-01

The purpose of the article is threefold: (1) to briefly introduce the first students in the Training and Development Program at Grand Canyon College, (2) to look at the content and methodology of the program, and (3) to mention some of the local and national supporters of the program. (Author/BP)

Distributive Distillation Enabled by Microchannel Process Technology

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

Arora, Ravi

The application of microchannel technology for distributive distillation was studied to achieve the Grand Challenge goals of 25% energy savings and 10% return on investment. In Task 1, a detailed study was conducted and two distillation systems were identified that would meet the Grand Challenge goals if the microchannel distillation technology was used. Material and heat balance calculations were performed to develop process flow sheet designs for the two distillation systems in Task 2. The process designs were focused on two methods of integrating the microchannel technology 1) Integrating microchannel distillation to an existing conventional column, 2) Microchannel distillation formore » new plants. A design concept for a modular microchannel distillation unit was developed in Task 3. In Task 4, Ultrasonic Additive Machining (UAM) was evaluated as a manufacturing method for microchannel distillation units. However, it was found that a significant development work would be required to develop process parameters to use UAM for commercial distillation manufacturing. Two alternate manufacturing methods were explored. Both manufacturing approaches were experimentally tested to confirm their validity. The conceptual design of the microchannel distillation unit (Task 3) was combined with the manufacturing methods developed in Task 4 and flowsheet designs in Task 2 to estimate the cost of the microchannel distillation unit and this was compared to a conventional distillation column. The best results were for a methanol-water separation unit for the use in a biodiesel facility. For this application microchannel distillation was found to be more cost effective than conventional system and capable of meeting the DOE Grand Challenge performance requirements.« less

A Survey of the Invasive Aquatic and Riparian Plants of the Lower Rio Grande

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-04-01

monocultures in many areas. In 2001 and 2003, surveys were conducted starting below Amistad Reservoir to immediately below Falcon Reservoir to assess...management programs to inhibit further new infestations locally and downstream. In 2001, 20 sites on the Rio Grande River were surveyed from Amistad Reservoir...the 2001 survey, hydrilla was found in Amistad Reservoir and below Falcon Reservoir. In August 2002, hydrilla fragments were observed in plant

The Grand Strategy of Charles de Gaulle

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-09-08

4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE The Grand Startegy of Charles de Gaulle 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S...dependent on French influence within NATO and the Common Market . De Gaulle frequently used these fora to veto British and American initiatives. As Cook...the reserve currency. Gold would be the basis of international finance and a French-dominated European Common Market would provide the framework

Grand Forks - East Grand Forks Urban Water Resources Study. Social and Environmental Inventory.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-01-01

61 Introduction 57IPrehistoric 58 Historic 58-61 Social Organization 62-72 Introduction 62 Demography 62-63 Population Distribution by Age 64-65 Urban...programs, native timber is decreasing due to agricultural clearing operatings and urban growth. Native tree species are important because of their longevity ... Demography 62-63 Population Distribution by Age 64-65 Urban-Rural Distribution 66 Population Projections 67-68 Racial Distribution 69 Ethnic Groups 70

A new corps of trained Grand-Aides has the potential to extend reach of primary care workforce and save money.

PubMed

Garson, Arthur; Green, Donna M; Rodriguez, Lia; Beech, Richard; Nye, Christopher

2012-05-01

Because the Affordable Care Act will expand health insurance to cover an estimated thirty-two million additional people, new approaches are needed to expand the primary care workforce. One possible solution is Grand-Aides®, who are health care professionals operating under the direct supervision of nurses, and who are trained and equipped to conduct telephone consultations or make primary care home visits to patients who might otherwise be seen in emergency departments and clinics. We conducted pilot tests with Grand-Aides in two pediatric Medicaid settings: an urban federally qualified health center in Houston, Texas, and a semi-rural emergency department in Harrisonburg, Virginia. We estimated that Grand-Aides and their supervisors averted 62 percent of drop-in visits at the Houston clinic and would have eliminated 74 percent of emergency department visits at the Virginia test site. We calculated the cost of the Grand-Aides program to be $16.88 per encounter. That compares with current Medicaid payments of $200 per clinic visit in Houston and $175 per emergency department visit in Harrisonburg. In addition to reducing health care costs, Grand-Aides have the potential to make a substantial impact in reducing congestion in primary care practices and emergency departments.

Science on Sequoia

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

Bertsch, Adam; Draeger, Erik; Richards, David

2017-01-12

With Sequoia at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, researchers explore grand challenging problems and are generating results at scales never before achieved. Sequoia is the first computer to have more than one million processors and is one of the fastest supercomputers in the world.

M2ACS | M2ACS Web Space

Science.gov Websites

University of Wisconsin-Madison logo The University of Chicago logo Skip to content Home Concept Math at a Glance Math for a DOE Grand Challenge Connections Interactions with other DOE Projects DOE INCITE Award

G-2008-0821-024

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-10-06

Young Scientist Challenge YSC was held at Goddard on October 5-6, 2008 sponsored by 3M. It gave students the opportunity to demonstrate their scientific and engineering skills by participating in live demonstrations. Melissa Rey (Center) was the grand prize winner.

Humans to Mars: Fifty Years of Mission Planning, 1950-2000

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Portree, David S. F.

2001-01-01

Contents of this document include: On the Grand Scale; Earliest NASA Concepts; EMPIRE and After; A Hostile Environment; Apogee; Viking and the Resources of Mars; The Case for Mars; Challengers; Space Exploration Initiative; and Design Reference Mission.

Design and performance verification of UHPC piles for deep foundations.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-11-01

The strategic plan for bridge engineering issued by AASHTO in 2005 identified extending the service life and optimizing structural : systems of bridges in the United States as two grand challenges in bridge engineering, with the objective of producin...

Grand challenges for crop science

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Crop science is a highly integrative science using the disciplines of conventional plant breeding, transgenic crop improvement, plant physiology, and cropping system sciences to develop improved varieties of agronomic, turf, and forage crops to produce feed, food, fuel, and fiber for our world's gro...

Open problems in artificial life.

PubMed

Bedau, M A; McCaskill, J S; Packard, N H; Rasmussen, S; Adami, C; Green, D G; Ikegami, T; Kaneko, K; Ray, T S

2000-01-01

This article lists fourteen open problems in artificial life, each of which is a grand challenge requiring a major advance on a fundamental issue for its solution. Each problem is briefly explained, and, where deemed helpful, some promising paths to its solution are indicated.

Team science and the physician-scientist in the age of grand health challenges.

PubMed

Steer, Clifford J; Jackson, Peter R; Hornbeak, Hortencia; McKay, Catherine K; Sriramarao, P; Murtaugh, Michael P

2017-09-01

Despite remarkable advances in medical research, clinicians face daunting challenges from new diseases, variations in patient responses to interventions, and increasing numbers of people with chronic health problems. The gap between biomedical research and unmet clinical needs can be addressed by highly talented interdisciplinary investigators focused on translational bench-to-bedside medicine. The training of talented physician-scientists comfortable with forming and participating in multidisciplinary teams that address complex health problems is a top national priority. Challenges, methods, and experiences associated with physician-scientist training and team building were explored at a workshop held at the Second International Conference on One Medicine One Science (iCOMOS 2016), April 24-27, 2016, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A broad range of scientists, regulatory authorities, and health care experts determined that critical investments in interdisciplinary training are essential for the future of medicine and healthcare delivery. Physician-scientists trained in a broad, nonlinear, cross-disciplinary manner are and will be essential members of science teams in the new age of grand health challenges and the birth of precision medicine. Team science approaches have accomplished biomedical breakthroughs once considered impossible, and dedicated physician-scientists have been critical to these achievements. Together, they translate into the pillars of academic growth and success. © 2017 New York Academy of Sciences.

Case Studies of Selected Cooperative Adult Education Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Allen B., Ed.; And Others

Third in a series of five, the document presents case study reports of site visits to cooperative adult education programs. The five locations visited included programs between: (1) Wharton County Junior College and Johnson Testers, Inc. (Texas); (2) Louisiana State Department of Education and B. F. Trappey and Sons (Louisiana); (3) Grand Rapids…

Supplement Analysis for the Grande Ronde Basin Endemic Spring Chinook Salmon Supplementation Program EA (DOE/EA-1173/SA-01)

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

N /A

2003-12-18

The CTUIR and ODFW propose to expand their monitoring and evaluation for the Grande Ronde spring chinook supplementation program to take additional data on summer steelhead that are trapped at the existing adult collection weirs on the upper Grande Ronde River and Catherine Creek. The weirs are a movable design and are operated seasonally during the adult chinook migration. Bull trout and summer steelhead have been trapped at the weirs since 1997 incidental to the spring chinook broodstock collection activities. Minimal data is recorded on both species as a requirement of the ESA permits, and reported to USFWS and NOAAmore » Fisheries. This supplement analysis covers a minor expansion of the program to collect more extensive life history data on summer steelhead. The weir and trap will be installed 2-3 weeks earlier (early to mid-March) than was previously needed for the spring chinook broodstock collection in order to monitor the summer steelhead migration period. The adult steelhead will be captured in the traps, anesthetized, and measured. Data will be recorded on the date of capture, fork length, sex, markings, and maturity of the fish, and scale and punch tissue samples will be taken for genetic analyses.« less

Grand Valley State University Checks Out Energy Savings at New Mary Idema Pew Library

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

none,

Grand Valley State University (GVSU) partnered with the Department of Energy (DOE) to develop and implement solutions to build new, low-energy buildings that are at least 50% below Standard 90.1-2007 of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) as part of DOE’s Commercial Building Partnerships (CBP) Program.

INMED Prepares American Indians for the Health Professions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sweney, Kathryn

1990-01-01

Describes the INMED (Indians into Medicine) program, which helps American Indian secondary students prepare for medical and health careers. Focuses on the INMED summer institute, an intensive five-week science and math enrichment program at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks. (SV)

Lessons learned in induced fit docking and metadynamics in the Drug Design Data Resource Grand Challenge 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baumgartner, Matthew P.; Evans, David A.

2018-01-01

Two of the major ongoing challenges in computational drug discovery are predicting the binding pose and affinity of a compound to a protein. The Drug Design Data Resource Grand Challenge 2 was developed to address these problems and to drive development of new methods. The challenge provided the 2D structures of compounds for which the organizers help blinded data in the form of 35 X-ray crystal structures and 102 binding affinity measurements and challenged participants to predict the binding pose and affinity of the compounds. We tested a number of pose prediction methods as part of the challenge; we found that docking methods that incorporate protein flexibility (Induced Fit Docking) outperformed methods that treated the protein as rigid. We also found that using binding pose metadynamics, a molecular dynamics based method, to score docked poses provided the best predictions of our methods with an average RMSD of 2.01 Å. We tested both structure-based (e.g. docking) and ligand-based methods (e.g. QSAR) in the affinity prediction portion of the competition. We found that our structure-based methods based on docking with Smina (Spearman ρ = 0.614), performed slightly better than our ligand-based methods (ρ = 0.543), and had equivalent performance with the other top methods in the competition. Despite the overall good performance of our methods in comparison to other participants in the challenge, there exists significant room for improvement especially in cases such as these where protein flexibility plays such a large role.

Evaluation of potential severe accidents during low power and shutdown operations at Grand Gulf, Unit 1. Volume 5: Analysis of core damage frequency from seismic events for plant operational state 5 during a refueling outage

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

Budnitz, R.J.; Davis, P.R.; Ravindra, M.K.

In 1989 the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) initiated an extensive program to examine carefully the potential risks during low-power and shutdown operations. The program included two parallel projects, one at Sandia National Laboratories studying a boiling water reactor (Grand Gulf), and the other at Brookhaven National Laboratory studying a pressurized water reactor (Surry Unit 1). Both the Sandia and Brookhaven projects have examined only accidents initiated by internal plant faults---so-called ``internal initiators.`` This project, which has explored the likelihood of seismic-initiated core damage accidents during refueling outage conditions, is complementary to the internal-initiator analyses at Brookhaven and Sandia. Thismore » report covers the seismic analysis at Grand Gulf. All of the many systems modeling assumptions, component non-seismic failure rates, and human effort rates that were used in the internal-initiator study at Grand Gulf have been adopted here, so that the results of the study can be as comparable as possible. Both the Sandia study and this study examine only one shutdown plant operating state (POS) at Grand Gulf, namely POS 5 representing cold shutdown during a refueling outage. This analysis has been limited to work analogous to a level-1 seismic PRA, in which estimates have been developed for the core-damage frequency from seismic events during POS 5. The results of the analysis are that the core-damage frequency for earthquake-initiated accidents during refueling outages in POS 5 is found to be quite low in absolute terms, less than 10{sup {minus}7}/year.« less

Final report of the decontamination and decommissioning of Building 6 at the Grand Junction Projects Office Facility

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

Widdop, M.R.

1996-07-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Grand Junction Projects Office (GJPO) occupies a 61.7-acre facility along the Gunnison River near Grand Junction, Colorado. This site was contaminated with uranium ore and mill tailings during uranium refining activities of the Manhattan Engineer District and during pilot milling experiments conducted for the domestic uranium procurement program funded by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. The DOE Defense Decontamination and Decommissioning Program established the GJPO Remedial Action Project to clean up and restore the facility lands, improvements, and the underlying aquifer. The site contractor for the facility, Rust Geotech, is also the remedial actionmore » contractor. Radiological contamination was identified in Building 6, and the building was demolished in 1992. The soil area within the footprint of the building has been remediated in accordance with the identified standards and the area can be released for unlimited exposure and unrestricted use. This document was prepared in response to a DOE request for an individual final report for each contaminated GJPO building.« less

Final report of the decontamination and decommissioning of Building 39 at the Grand Junction Projects Office Facility

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

Widdop, M.R.

1996-07-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Grand Junction Projects Office (GJPO) occupies a 61.7-acre facility along the Gunnison River near Grand Junction, Colorado. This site was contaminated with uranium ore and mill tailings during uranium refining activities of the Manhattan Engineer District and during pilot milling experiments conducted for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission`s domestic uranium procurement program. The DOE Defense Decontamination and Decommissioning Program established the GJPO Remedial Action Project to clean up and restore the facility lands, improvements, and the underlying aquifer. The site contractor for the facility, Rust Geotech, is also the remedial action contractor. The soilmore » beneath Building 39 was radiologically contaminated and the building was demolished in 1992. The soil area within the footprint of the building has been remediated in accordance with the identified standards and the area can be released for unlimited exposure and unrestricted use. This document was prepared in response to a DOE request for an individual final report for each contaminated GJPO building.« less

Final report of the decontamination and decommissioning of Building 44 at the Grand Junction Projects Office Facility

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

Widdop, M.R.

1996-07-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Junction Projects Office (GJPO) occupies a 61.7 acre facility along the Gunnison River near Grand Junction, Colorado. This site was contaminated with uranium ore and mill tailings during uranium refining activities of the Manhattan Engineer District and during pilot milling experiments conducted for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission`s domestic uranium procurement program. The DOE Defense Decontamination and Decommissioning Program established the Grand Junction Projects Office Remedial Action Project to clean up and restore the facility lands, improvements, and the underlying aquifer. The site contractor for the facility, Rust Geotech, is also the remedial actionmore » contractor. Building 44 was radiologically contaminated and the building was demolished in 1994. The soil area within the footprint of the building was not contaminated; it complies with the identified standards and the area can be released for unlimited exposure and unrestricted use. This document was prepared in response to a DOE request for an individual final report for each contaminated GJPO building.« less

Final report of the decontamination and decommissioning of Building 18 at the Grand Junction Projects Office Facility

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

Widdop, M.R.

1996-08-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Grand Junction Projects Office (GJPO) occupies a 61.7-acre facility along the Gunnison River near Grand Junction, Colorado. This site was contaminated with uranium ore and mill tailings during uranium refining activities of the Manhattan Engineer District and during pilot milling experiments conducted for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission`s domestic uranium procurement program. The DOE Defense Decontamination and Decommissioning Program established the GJPO Remedial Action Project to clean up and restore the facility lands, improvements, and the underlying aquifer. The site contractor for the facility, Rust Geotech, also is the remedial action contractor. The soilmore » beneath Building 18 was found to be radiologically contaminated; the building was not contaminated. The soil was remediated in accordance with identified standards. Building 18 and the underlying soil can be released for unlimited exposure and unrestricted use. This document was prepared in response to a DOE request for an individual final report for each contaminated GJPO building.« less

Final report of the decontamination and decommissioning of Building 1 at the Grand Junction Projects Office Facility

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

Widdop, M.R.

1996-08-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Grand Junction Projects Office (GJPO) occupies a 61.7-acre facility along the Gunnison River near Grand Junction, Colorado. This site was contaminated with uranium ore and mill tailings during uranium refining activities of the Manhattan Engineer District and during pilot milling experiments conducted for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission`s domestic uranium procurement program. The DOE Defense Decontamination and Decommissioning Program established the GJPO Remedial Action Project to clean up and restore the facility lands, improvements, and the underlying aquifer. The site contractor for the facility, Rust Geotech, also is the remedial action contractor. Building 1more » was found to be radiologically contaminated and was demolished in 1996. The soil beneath and adjacent to the building was remediated in accordance with identified standards and can be released for unlimited exposure and unrestricted use. This document was prepared in response to a DOE request for an individual final report for each contaminated GJPO building.« less

Governance Challenges in Joint Inter-Jurisdictional Management: The Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, Elk Case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, Susan G.; Vernon, Marian E.

2015-08-01

The controversial elk reduction program (elk hunt) in Grand Teton National Park, WY, has been a source of conflict since it was legislated in 1950. The hunt is jointly managed by the National Park Service and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. This forced organizational partnership and the conflicting mandates of these two agencies have led to persistent conflict that seems irresolvable under the current decision-making process. To better understand the decision-making process and participant perspectives, we reviewed management documents, technical literature, and newspaper articles, and interviewed 35 key participants in this case. We used these data to analyze and appraise the adequacy of the decision-making process for the park elk hunt and to ask whether it reflects the common interest. We found deficiencies in all functions of the decision-making process. Neither the decisions made nor the process itself include diverse perspectives, nor do they attend to valid and appropriate participant concerns. Agency officials focus their attention on technical rather than procedural concerns, which largely obfuscates the underlying tension in the joint inter-jurisdictional management arrangement and ultimately contributes to the hunt's annual implementation to the detriment of the common interest. We offer specific yet widely applicable recommendations to better approximate an inclusive and democratic decision-making process that serves the community's common interests.

Enabling grand-canonical Monte Carlo: extending the flexibility of GROMACS through the GromPy python interface module.

PubMed

Pool, René; Heringa, Jaap; Hoefling, Martin; Schulz, Roland; Smith, Jeremy C; Feenstra, K Anton

2012-05-05

We report on a python interface to the GROMACS molecular simulation package, GromPy (available at https://github.com/GromPy). This application programming interface (API) uses the ctypes python module that allows function calls to shared libraries, for example, written in C. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported interface to the GROMACS library that uses direct library calls. GromPy can be used for extending the current GROMACS simulation and analysis modes. In this work, we demonstrate that the interface enables hybrid Monte-Carlo/molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in the grand-canonical ensemble, a simulation mode that is currently not implemented in GROMACS. For this application, the interplay between GromPy and GROMACS requires only minor modifications of the GROMACS source code, not affecting the operation, efficiency, and performance of the GROMACS applications. We validate the grand-canonical application against MD in the canonical ensemble by comparison of equations of state. The results of the grand-canonical simulations are in complete agreement with MD in the canonical ensemble. The python overhead of the grand-canonical scheme is only minimal. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hamill, John F.

2009-01-01

The Grand Canyon of the Colorado River, one of the world's most spectacular gorges, is a premier U.S. National Park and a World Heritage Site. The canyon supports a diverse array of distinctive plants and animals and contains cultural resources significant to the region's Native Americans. About 15 miles upstream of Grand Canyon National Park sits Glen Canyon Dam, completed in 1963, which created Lake Powell. The dam provides hydroelectric power for 200 wholesale customers in six western States, but it has also altered the Colorado River's flow, temperature, and sediment-carrying capacity. Over time this has resulted in beach erosion, invasion and expansion of nonnative species, and losses of native fish. Public concern about the effects of Glen Canyon Dam operations prompted the passage of the Grand Canyon Protection Act of 1992, which directs the Secretary of the Interior to operate the dam 'to protect, mitigate adverse impacts to, and improve values for which Grand Canyon National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area were established...' This legislation also required the creation of a long-term monitoring and research program to provide information that could inform decisions related to dam operations and protection of downstream resources.

Microcantilevers track single-cell mass

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Determining the mass of objects by weighing them has been an everyday practice that informs all manner of decisions. However, direct measurement of the mass of sub-microgram objects, especially in fluid, is still a technological grand challenge. Recent advances in microscale cantilever sensors have ...

Nanoscience Research for Energy Needs. Report of the National Nanotechnology Initiative Grand Challenge Workshop, March 16-18, 2004

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

Alivisatos, P.; Cummings, P.; De Yoreo, J.

2004-03-18

This document is the report of a workshop held under NSET auspices in March 2004 aimed at identifying and articulating the relationship of nanoscale science and technology to the Nation's energy future.

Orbital Debris and Future Environment Remediation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liou, Jer-Chyi

2011-01-01

This slide presentation is an overview of the historical and current orbital debris environment. Included is information about: Projected growth of the future debris population, The need for active debris removal (ADR), A grand challenge for the 21st century and The forward path

Adaptive Flow Management in Regulated Rivers: Successes and Challenges (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, C. T.; Melis, T. S.; Kennedy, T.; Korman, J.; Ortlepp, J.

2013-12-01

Experimental high flows are becoming common management actions in rivers affected by large dams. When implemented under clear objectives and goals, experimental flows provide opportunities for long-term ecological successes but also impose various ecological challenges as systems shift under environmental change or from human-related actions. We present case studies from long-term adaptive flow management programs on the River Spöl, Switzerland and the Colorado River, USA, both of which are regulated by high dams and flow through National Parks. The management goals in each system differ thus reflecting the different high flow practices implemented over time. Regulated flows in the Spöl reflect a compromise between hydropower needs and ecology (native brown trout fishery), whereas Glen Canyon Dam flows have mainly been directed towards maintenance of river beaches in Grand Canyon National Park with co-management of both nonnative rainbow trout in the tailwater immediately below the dam and downstream endangered native fish of Grand Canyon also an objective. Some 24 experimental floods have occurred on the Spöl over the last 13 years, resulting in a positive effect on the trout fishery and a zoobenthic assemblage having a more typical alpine stream composition. The system has experienced various shifts in assemblage composition over time with the last shift occurring 7 years after the initial floods. A major challenge occurred in spring 2013 with an accidental release of fine sediments from the reservoir behind Punt dal Gall Dam, causing high fish mortality and smothering of the river bottom. Results showed that the effect was pronounced near the dam and gradually lessened downriver to the lower reservoir. Zoobenthic assemblages displayed relatively high resistance to the event and some fish found refugia in the lower reservoir and larger side tributaries, thus projecting a faster recovery than initially thought. Below Glen Canyon dam, benefits to sandbars have been marginal since experimental constrained hydropower releases began in 1991 and controlled floods began in 1996 (7 have been released through 2012), while native fish populations have increased, although apparently not in response to flows. However, nonnative rainbow trout have been shown to increase in abundance repeatedly below Glen Canyon Dam in response to both controlled floods and more stable flows, both of which were originally proposed to benefit Grand Canyon beaches. Survival of trout fry following the 2008 spring flood was apparently tied to increased abundance of benthic invertebrates in the tailwater. Expansion of nonnative trout in response to high flows pose a potential threat to native fish downstream through competition for limited food and habitat, and through predation of juvenile native fish. Challenges are presented for each system in terms of flow implementation under hydropower needs (Spöl) and environmental change (Colorado). We close with perspectives on improving adaptive flow management actions in regulated rivers as learning-based, long-term ecological experiments.

Directing Matter and Energy: Five Challenges for Science and the Imagination

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

Hemminger, J.; Fleming, G.; Ratner, M.

2007-12-20

The twin aspects of energy and control (or direction) are the underlying concepts. Matter and energy are closely linked, and their understanding and control will have overwhelming importance for our civilization, our planet, our science, and our technology. This importance ranges even beyond the large portfolio of BES, both because these truly significant Grand Challenges confront many other realms of science and because even partial solutions to these challenges will enrich scientists’ collective imagination and ability to solve problems with new ideas and new methods.

Mantle Convection on Modern Supercomputers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weismüller, J.; Gmeiner, B.; Huber, M.; John, L.; Mohr, M.; Rüde, U.; Wohlmuth, B.; Bunge, H. P.

2015-12-01

Mantle convection is the cause for plate tectonics, the formation of mountains and oceans, and the main driving mechanism behind earthquakes. The convection process is modeled by a system of partial differential equations describing the conservation of mass, momentum and energy. Characteristic to mantle flow is the vast disparity of length scales from global to microscopic, turning mantle convection simulations into a challenging application for high-performance computing. As system size and technical complexity of the simulations continue to increase, design and implementation of simulation models for next generation large-scale architectures is handled successfully only in an interdisciplinary context. A new priority program - named SPPEXA - by the German Research Foundation (DFG) addresses this issue, and brings together computer scientists, mathematicians and application scientists around grand challenges in HPC. Here we report from the TERRA-NEO project, which is part of the high visibility SPPEXA program, and a joint effort of four research groups. TERRA-NEO develops algorithms for future HPC infrastructures, focusing on high computational efficiency and resilience in next generation mantle convection models. We present software that can resolve the Earth's mantle with up to 1012 grid points and scales efficiently to massively parallel hardware with more than 50,000 processors. We use our simulations to explore the dynamic regime of mantle convection and assess the impact of small scale processes on global mantle flow.

Installation Restoration Program. Phase I: Records Search Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-12-01

MAFB and Grand Forks AFB. This move localized command along with •. •• insuring that assigned units would be capable of conducting aerial...were realigned !•;>•’ to become members of the 57th AD. Also on May 1, Grand Forks AFB was \\.•/ assigned to the 4th AD at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming...potential for vertical - - stratification of possible ground water contaminants. During drilling, Shelby tube samples should be taken to provide soils

Fiche pratique: Anaphores et enchainements; B. d. de Grand Vent; FDM Frequence plus: Une minute sur la mode; Chimie pour non-chimistes (Practical Ideas: Anaphors and Linking; The Comic Strip "Grand Vent"; One Minute on Fashion; Chemistry for Non-Chemists).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baldovi, Josep Ramon Torres

1994-01-01

Ideas for French instruction are offered, including a grammar exercise on pronouns; exploration of a comic strip's language and culture; use of a taped program on fashion; and an activity to help French language teachers cope with unfamiliar discipline-specific texts, whose topics (but not language) are familiar to their students. (MSE)

Magnetometer instrument team studies for the definition phase of the outer planets grand tour

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coleman, P. J., Jr.

1972-01-01

The objectives of magnetic field investigations on missions to the outer planets were defined as well as an instrumentation system, a program of studies and instrument development tasks was proposed for the mission definition phase of the Outer Planets Grand Tour project. A report on the status of this program is given. Requirements were also established for the spacecraft and the mission which would insure their compatibility with the magnetic field investigation proposed for the outer planets missions and developed figures of merit for encounter trajectories. The spacecraft-instrumentation interface and the on-board data handling system were defined in various reports by the Project Team and in the reports by the Science Steering Group. The defining program for exploring the outer planets within the more restrictive constraints of the Mariner Jupiter-Saturn project included defining a limited magnetic field investigation.

Spokane Tribal Hatchery, 2002 Annual Report.

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

Peone, Tim L.

2003-03-01

The Spokane Tribal Hatchery (Galbraith Springs) project originated from the Northwest Power Planning Council (NPPC) 1987 Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Program. The goal of this project is to aid in the restoration and enhancement of the Lake Roosevelt and Banks Lake fisheries adversely affected by the construction and operation of Grand Coulee Dam. The objective is to produce kokanee salmon and rainbow trout for release into Lake Roosevelt for maintaining a viable fishery. The goal and objective of this project adheres to the NPPC Resident Fish Substitution Policy and specifically to the biological objectives addressed in the NPPC Columbiamore » River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program to mitigate for hydropower related fish losses in the blocked area above Chief Joseph/Grand Coulee Dams.« less

Cernan, Stafford, and Young talk at ASVC prior to grand opening

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

Some of the former Apollo program astronauts tour the new Apollo/Saturn V Center (ASVC) at KSC prior to the gala grand opening ceremony for the facility that was held Jan. 8, 1997. The astronauts were invited to participate in the event, which also featured NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and KSC Director Jay Honeycutt. Discussing old times are (from left) Apollo 10 Lunar Module Pilot and Apollo 17 Commander Eugene A. Cernan; Apollo 10 Commander Thomas P. Stafford and Apollo 16 Commander John W. Young. The ASVC also features several other Apollo program spacecraft components, multimedia presentations and a simulated Apollo/ Saturn V liftoff. The facility will be a part of the KSC bus tour that embarks from the KSC Visitor Center.

New capabilities in the HENP grand challenge storage access systemand its application at RHIC

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

Bernardo, L.; Gibbard, B.; Malon, D.

2000-04-25

The High Energy and Nuclear Physics Data Access GrandChallenge project has developed an optimizing storage access softwaresystem that was prototyped at RHIC. It is currently undergoingintegration with the STAR experiment in preparation for data taking thatstarts in mid-2000. The behavior and lessons learned in the RHIC MockData Challenge exercises are described as well as the observedperformance under conditions designed to characterize scalability. Up to250 simultaneous queries were tested and up to 10 million events across 7event components were involved in these queries. The system coordinatesthe staging of "bundles" of files from the HPSS tape system, so that allthe needed componentsmore » of each event are in disk cache when accessed bythe application software. The caching policy algorithm for thecoordinated bundle staging is described in the paper. The initialprototype implementation interfaced to the Objectivity/DB. In this latestversion, it evolved to work with arbitrary files and use CORBA interfacesto the tag database and file catalog services. The interface to the tagdatabase and the MySQL-based file catalog services used by STAR aredescribed along with the planned usage scenarios.« less

Lessons learned from participating in D3R 2016 Grand Challenge 2: compounds targeting the farnesoid X receptor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duan, Rui; Xu, Xianjin; Zou, Xiaoqin

2018-01-01

D3R 2016 Grand Challenge 2 focused on predictions of binding modes and affinities for 102 compounds against the farnesoid X receptor (FXR). In this challenge, two distinct methods, a docking-based method and a template-based method, were employed by our team for the binding mode prediction. For the new template-based method, 3D ligand similarities were calculated for each query compound against the ligands in the co-crystal structures of FXR available in Protein Data Bank. The binding mode was predicted based on the co-crystal protein structure containing the ligand with the best ligand similarity score against the query compound. For the FXR dataset, the template-based method achieved a better performance than the docking-based method on the binding mode prediction. For the binding affinity prediction, an in-house knowledge-based scoring function ITScore2 and MM/PBSA approach were employed. Good performance was achieved for MM/PBSA, whereas the performance of ITScore2 was sensitive to ligand composition, e.g. the percentage of carbon atoms in the compounds. The sensitivity to ligand composition could be a clue for the further improvement of our knowledge-based scoring function.

Binding free energy predictions of farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonists using a linear interaction energy (LIE) approach with reliability estimation: application to the D3R Grand Challenge 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rifai, Eko Aditya; van Dijk, Marc; Vermeulen, Nico P. E.; Geerke, Daan P.

2018-01-01

Computational protein binding affinity prediction can play an important role in drug research but performing efficient and accurate binding free energy calculations is still challenging. In the context of phase 2 of the Drug Design Data Resource (D3R) Grand Challenge 2 we used our automated eTOX ALLIES approach to apply the (iterative) linear interaction energy (LIE) method and we evaluated its performance in predicting binding affinities for farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonists. Efficiency was obtained by our pre-calibrated LIE models and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations at the nanosecond scale, while predictive accuracy was obtained for a small subset of compounds. Using our recently introduced reliability estimation metrics, we could classify predictions with higher confidence by featuring an applicability domain (AD) analysis in combination with protein-ligand interaction profiling. The outcomes of and agreement between our AD and interaction-profile analyses to distinguish and rationalize the performance of our predictions highlighted the relevance of sufficiently exploring protein-ligand interactions during training and it demonstrated the possibility to quantitatively and efficiently evaluate if this is achieved by using simulation data only.

Behavioral Ecology of Deep Diving Odontocetes in The Bahamas

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-19

was prepared under contract to the Department of Defense Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP). The publication of this...stratum SD – standard deviation SERDP – Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program SGBA – South Grand Bahama stratum SIs – Stable... Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) and we are grateful to Dr. John Hall, Program Manager for the Resource Conservation and Climate

U.S. Geological Survey Middle Rio Grande Basin Study; Proceedings of the first annual workshop, Denver, Colorado, November 12-14, 1996

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bartolino, James R.

1997-01-01

Approximately 40 percent (about 600,000 people) of the total population of New Mexico lives within the Middle Rio Grande Basin, which includes the City of Albuquerque. Ongoing analyses of the central portion of the Middle Rio Grande Basin by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the City of Albuquerque and other cooperators have shown that ground water in the basin is not as readily accessible as earlier studies indicated. A more complete characterization of the ground-water resources of the entire Middle Rio Grande Basin is hampered by a scarcity of data in the northern and southern areas of the basin. The USGS Middle Rio Grande Basin Study is a 5-year effort by the USGS and other agencies to improve the understanding of the hydrology, geology, and land-surface characteristics of the Middle Rio Grande Basin. The primary objective of this study is to improve the understanding of the water resources of the basin. Of particular interest is to determine the extent of hydrologic connection between the Rio Grande and the Santa Fe Group aquifer. Additionally, ground-water quality affects the availability of water supplies in the basin. Improving the existing USGS- constructed ground-water flow model of the Middle Rio Grande Basin will integrate all the various tasks that improve our knowledge of the various components of the Middle Rio Grande water budget. Part of this improvement will be accompanied by extended knowledge of the aquifer system beyond the Albuquerque area into the northern and southern reaches of the basin. Other improvements will be based on understanding gained through process-oriented research and improved geologic characterization of the deposits. The USGS will study the hydrology, geology, and land-surface characteristics of the basin to provide the scientific information needed for water- resources management and for managers to plan for water supplies needed for a growing population. To facilitate exchange of information among the many USGS scientists working in the Middle Rio Grande Basin, yearly technical meetings are planned for the anticipated 5-year study. These meetings provide an opportunity to present research results and plan new field efforts. This report documents the results of research presented at the first technical workshop held in Denver, Colorado, in November 1996. The report is organized into this introduction, five chapters that focus on USGS investigations in progress in the Middle Rio Grande Basin, and three appendixes with supplemental information. The first chapter provides an overview of the USGS program in the basin. The second chapter describes geographic data and analysis efforts in the basin. The third chapter details work being done on the hydrogeologic framework of the basin. The fourth chapter describes studies on ground-water availability in the basin and is divided into three areas of research: ground-water/surface-water interaction, ground-water flow and aquifer properties, and recharge. The fifth chapter is devoted to an overview of New Mexico District Cooperative Program studies in the basin. Finally, the appendixes list publications and presentations made during the first year of the study and 1996 workshop attendees. The report concludes with a list of selected references relevant to the study. The information in this report presents preliminary results of an evolving study. As the study progresses and individual projects publish their results in more detail, the USGS hopes to expand the scientific basis needed for management decisions regarding the Middle Rio Grande Basin.

EnviroTech: Enhancing Environmental Literacy and Technology Assessment Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rose, Mary Annette

2010-01-01

It is no coincidence that many of the "Grand Challenges for Engineering" (National Academy of Engineering, 2007-2010)--such as carbon sequestration--address environmental problems that were precipitated by human inventiveness and engineering achievements. Although people recognize their dependence upon environmental processes to provide…

Grand Challenges and Opportunities in Mathematics Education Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephan, Michelle L.; Chval, Kathryn B.; Wanko, Jeffrey J.; Civil, Marta; Fish, Michael C.; Herbel-Eisenmann, Beth; Konold, Clifford; Wilkerson, Trena L.

2015-01-01

Mathematics education researchers seek answers to important questions that will ultimately result in the enhancement of mathematics teaching, learning, curriculum, and assessment, working toward ensuring that all students attain mathematics proficiency and increasing the numbers of students from all racial, ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic groups…

Think first job! Preferences and expectations of engineering students in a French `Grande Ecole'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerwel Proches, Cecile N.; Chelin, Nathalie; Rouvrais, Siegfried

2018-03-01

A career in engineering may be appealing owing to the prospect of a good salary and a dynamic work environment. There may, however, be challenges for students wishing to enter their first job. In engineering education, career preparation courses may be included so as to prepare students adequately for their first job, future careers, and to reinforce career decision-making skills. This study explored the first-job preferences and expectations of engineering students at a generalist French 'Grande Ecole' before their compulsory internship. The study ultimately provided insight into ways in which future engineers may best be equipped for their first jobs. A qualitative research study was employed, using four focus groups to collect data, which was analysed thematically. Key findings indicate the resolute importance that engineering students place on having a challenging job, teamwork, independence, opportunities for development, and a participative style of being managed. The research findings may be of value in order to renew an engineering curriculum with better alignment between students' expectations and industry needs.

Alternative Watson-Crick Synthetic Genetic Systems.

PubMed

Benner, Steven A; Karalkar, Nilesh B; Hoshika, Shuichi; Laos, Roberto; Shaw, Ryan W; Matsuura, Mariko; Fajardo, Diego; Moussatche, Patricia

2016-11-01

In its "grand challenge" format in chemistry, "synthesis" as an activity sets out a goal that is substantially beyond current theoretical and technological capabilities. In pursuit of this goal, scientists are forced across uncharted territory, where they must answer unscripted questions and solve unscripted problems, creating new theories and new technologies in ways that would not be created by hypothesis-directed research. Thus, synthesis drives discovery and paradigm changes in ways that analysis cannot. Described here are the products that have arisen so far through the pursuit of one grand challenge in synthetic biology: Recreate the genetics, catalysis, evolution, and adaptation that we value in life, but using genetic and catalytic biopolymers different from those that have been delivered to us by natural history on Earth. The outcomes in technology include new diagnostic tools that have helped personalize the care of hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide. In science, the effort has generated a fundamentally different view of DNA, RNA, and how they work. Copyright © 2016 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved.

An Innovative Solution to NASA's NEO Impact Threat Mitigation Grand Challenge and Flight Validation Mission Architecture Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wie, Bong; Barbee, Brent W.

2015-01-01

This paper presents the results of a NASA Innovative Advanced Concept (NIAC) Phase 2 study entitled "An Innovative Solution to NASA's Near-Earth Object (NEO) Impact Threat Mitigation Grand Challenge and Flight Validation Mission Architecture Development." This NIAC Phase 2 study was conducted at the Asteroid Deflection Research Center (ADRC) of Iowa State University in 2012-2014. The study objective was to develop an innovative yet practically implementable mitigation strategy for the most probable impact threat of an asteroid or comet with short warning time (< 5 years). The mitigation strategy described in this paper is intended to optimally reduce the severity and catastrophic damage of the NEO impact event, especially when we don't have sufficient warning times for non-disruptive deflection of a hazardous NEO. This paper provides an executive summary of the NIAC Phase 2 study results. Detailed technical descriptions of the study results are provided in a separate final technical report, which can be downloaded from the ADRC website (www.adrc.iastate.edu).

An international borderland of concern: Conservation of biodiversity in the Lower Rio Grande Valley

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leslie,, David M.

2016-07-20

The Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) of southern Texas is located on the United States-Mexico borderland and represents a 240-kilometer (150-mile) linear stretch that ends at the Gulf of Mexico. The LRGV represents a unique transition between temperate and tropical conditions and, as such, sustains an exceptionally high diversity of plants and animals—some of them found in few, or no other, places in the United States. Examples include Leopardus pardalis albescens (northern ocelot) and Falco femoralis septentrionalis (northern aplomado falcon)—both endangered in the United States and emblematic of the LRGV. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) manages three national wildlife refuges (Santa Ana, Lower Rio Grande Valley, and Laguna Atascosa) that together make up the South Texas Refuge Complex, which actively conserves biodiversity in about 76,006 hectares (187,815.5 acres) of native riparian and upland habitats in the LRGV. These diminished habitats harbor many rare, threatened, and endangered species. This report updates the widely used 1988 USFWS biological report titled “Tamaulipan Brushland of the Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas: Description, Human Impacts, and Management Options” by synthesizing nearly 400 peer-reviewed scientific publications that have resulted from biological and sociological research conducted specifically in the four Texas counties of the LRGV in the past nearly 30 years. This report has three goals: (1) synthesize scientific insights gained since 1988 related to the biology and management of the LRGV and its unique biota, focusing on flora and fauna of greatest conservation concern; (2) update ongoing challenges facing Federal and State agencies and organizations that focus on conservation or key natural resources in the LRGV; and (3) redefine conservation opportunities and land-acquisition strategies that are feasible and appropriate today, given the many new and expanding constraints that challenge conservation activities in the LRGV. The LRGV faces every contemporary conservation challenge of the 21st century, but ongoing human population growth and its associated demands, international border issues, and oil, gas, and alternative energy development dominate impacts that affect conservation in the LRGV. Continued careful syntheses of existing and future information collected in the LRGV are needed on many biological and sociological topics to guide conservation activities. Quick response will no doubt be necessary to face contemporary and difficult-to-predict challenges such as climate change, diminished water availability and quality, spread of invasive species, and habitat loss and fragmentation. Complexities of a guarded international borderland add pressure to small patches of native habitat that remain in many places of the LRGV, particularly along the Rio Grande. Large connected corridors of restored native habitat could be the best option to maintain, and even enhance, the exceptional biodiversity of the LRGV in the face of exceptional human demand.

76 FR 77504 - Notice of Submission for OMB Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-13

... of Review: Extension. Title of Collection: Charter Schools Program Grand Award Database. OMB Control... collect data necessary for the Charter Schools Program (CSP) Grant Award Database. The CSP is authorized... award information from grantees (State agencies and some schools) for a database of current CSP-funded...

Turbulence modeling of free shear layers for high-performance aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sondak, Douglas L.

1993-01-01

The High Performance Aircraft (HPA) Grand Challenge of the High Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC) program involves the computation of the flow over a high performance aircraft. A variety of free shear layers, including mixing layers over cavities, impinging jets, blown flaps, and exhaust plumes, may be encountered in such flowfields. Since these free shear layers are usually turbulent, appropriate turbulence models must be utilized in computations in order to accurately simulate these flow features. The HPCC program is relying heavily on parallel computers. A Navier-Stokes solver (POVERFLOW) utilizing the Baldwin-Lomax algebraic turbulence model was developed and tested on a 128-node Intel iPSC/860. Algebraic turbulence models run very fast, and give good results for many flowfields. For complex flowfields such as those mentioned above, however, they are often inadequate. It was therefore deemed that a two-equation turbulence model will be required for the HPA computations. The k-epsilon two-equation turbulence model was implemented on the Intel iPSC/860. Both the Chien low-Reynolds-number model and a generalized wall-function formulation were included.

Fungal Genomics Program

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

Grigoriev, Igor

The JGI Fungal Genomics Program aims to scale up sequencing and analysis of fungal genomes to explore the diversity of fungi important for energy and the environment, and to promote functional studies on a system level. Combining new sequencing technologies and comparative genomics tools, JGI is now leading the world in fungal genome sequencing and analysis. Over 120 sequenced fungal genomes with analytical tools are available via MycoCosm (www.jgi.doe.gov/fungi), a web-portal for fungal biologists. Our model of interacting with user communities, unique among other sequencing centers, helps organize these communities, improves genome annotation and analysis work, and facilitates new larger-scalemore » genomic projects. This resulted in 20 high-profile papers published in 2011 alone and contributing to the Genomics Encyclopedia of Fungi, which targets fungi related to plant health (symbionts, pathogens, and biocontrol agents) and biorefinery processes (cellulose degradation, sugar fermentation, industrial hosts). Our next grand challenges include larger scale exploration of fungal diversity (1000 fungal genomes), developing molecular tools for DOE-relevant model organisms, and analysis of complex systems and metagenomes.« less

Be Explicit: Geoscience Program Design to Prepare the Next Generation of Geoscientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mogk, D. W.

2015-12-01

The work of geoscientists is to engage inquiry, discovery and exploration of Earth history and processes, and increasingly, to apply this knowledge to the "grand challenges" that face humanity. Geoscience as a discipline is confronted with an incomplete geologic record, observations or data that are often ambiguous or uncertain, and a need to grasp abstract concepts such as temporal reasoning ('deep time'), spatial reasoning over many orders of magnitude, and complex system behavior. These factors provide challenges, and also opportunities, for training future geoscientists. Beyond disciplinary knowledge, it is also important to provide opportunities for students to engage the community of practice and demonstrate how to "be" a geoscientist. Inculcation of geoscience "ways of knowing" is a collective responsibility for geoscientists (teaching faculty and other professionals), at all instructional levels, in all geoscience disciplines, and for all students. A whole-student approach is recommended. Geoscience programs can be designed to focus on student success by explictly: 1) defining programmatic student learning outcomes , 2) embedding assessments throughout the program to demonstrate mastery, 3) aligning course sequences to reinforce and anticipate essential concepts/skills, 4) preparing students to be life-long learners; 5) assigning responsibilities to courses/faculty to ensure these goals have been met; 6) providing opportunities for students to "do" geoscience (research experiences), and 7) modeling professional behaviors in class, field, labs, and informal settings. Extracurricular departmental activities also contribute to student development such as journal clubs, colloquia, field trips, and internships. Successful design of geoscience department programs is informed by: the AGI Workforce program and Summit on the Future of Geoscience Education that define pathways for becoming a successful geoscientist; training in Geoethics; Geoscience Education Research; and the NAGT Building Strong Departments program that has developed extensive web-based resources using the "matrix approach" http://nagt.org/nagt/profdev/twp/trav_departments.html. Geoscience departments should commit to producing great Science and great Scientists.

Virtual nursing grand rounds and shared governance: how innovation and empowerment are transforming nursing practice at Thanh Nhan Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam.

PubMed

Crow, Gregory L; Nguyen, Thanh; DeBourgh, Gregory A

2014-01-01

The Vietnam Nurse Project has been operating in Hanoi since 2007. Its primary purpose is to improve nursing education through curriculum development, faculty development, and the introduction of a more student-centric teaching and learning environment. The Virtual Nursing Grand Rounds component of the project is an academic-practice partnership between the Vietnam Nurse Project at the University of San Francisco School of Nursing and Health Professions and the Thanh Nhan Hospital intensive care unit. Its goal is to improve nursing practice in the Thanh Nhan Hospital intensive care unit. The Virtual Nursing Grand Rounds is a fully interactive real-time synchronous computer technology-assisted point-to-point program that provides ongoing evidence-based staff development and consultative services.

IT Tools for Teachers and Scientists, Created by Undergraduate Researchers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Millar, A. Z.; Perry, S.

2007-12-01

Interns in the Southern California Earthquake Center/Undergraduate Studies in Earthquake Information Technology (SCEC/UseIT) program conduct computer science research for the benefit of earthquake scientists and have created products in growing use within the SCEC education and research communities. SCEC/UseIT comprises some twenty undergraduates who combine their varied talents and academic backgrounds to achieve a Grand Challenge that is formulated around needs of SCEC scientists and educators and that reflects the value SCEC places on the integration of computer science and the geosciences. In meeting the challenge, students learn to work on multidisciplinary teams and to tackle complex problems with no guaranteed solutions. Meantime, their efforts bring fresh perspectives and insight to the professionals with whom they collaborate, and consistently produces innovative, useful tools for research and education. The 2007 Grand Challenge was to design and prototype serious games to communicate important earthquake science concepts. Interns broke themselves into four game teams, the Educational Game, the Training Game, the Mitigation Game and the Decision-Making Game, and created four diverse games with topics from elementary plate tectonics to earthquake risk mitigation, with intended players ranging from elementary students to city planners. The games were designed to be versatile, to accommodate variation in the knowledge base of the player; and extensible, to accommodate future additions. The games are played on a web browser or from within SCEC-VDO (Virtual Display of Objects). SCEC-VDO, also engineered by UseIT interns, is a 4D, interactive, visualization software that enables integration and exploration of datasets and models such as faults, earthquake hypocenters and ruptures, digital elevation models, satellite imagery, global isochrons, and earthquake prediction schemes. SCEC-VDO enables the user to create animated movies during a session, and is now part of a multi-media, general education curriculum at University of Southern California. Throughout this meeting, at the SCEC booth, UseIT interns will be demonstrating both the serious games and SCEC-VDO. SCEC/UseIT is a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates site.

From grand-canonical density functional theory towards rational compound design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Lilienfeld, Anatole

2008-03-01

The fundamental challenge of rational compound design, ie the reverse engineering of chemical compounds with predefined specific properties, originates in the high-dimensional combinatorial nature of chemical space. Chemical space is the hyper-space of a given set of molecular observables that is spanned by the grand-canonical variables (particle densities of electrons and nuclei) which define chemical composition. A brief but rigorous description of chemical space within the molecular grand-canonical ensemble multi-component density functional theory framework will be given [1]. Numerical results will be presented for intermolecular energies as a continuous function of alchemical variations within a neutral and isoelectronic 10 proton system, including CH4, NH3, H2O, and HF, interacting with formic acid [2]. Furthermore, engineering the Fermi level through alchemical generation of boron-nitrogen doped mutants of benzene shall be discussed [3].[1] von Lilienfeld and Tuckerman JCP 125 154104 (2006)[2] von Lilienfeld and Tuckerman JCTC 3 1083 (2007)[3] Marcon et al. JCP 127 064305 (2007)

Developing Leaders for the 21st Century

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillips, John L.

2005-01-01

This article describes the Leadership Development for the 21st Century: Linking Research, Academics and Extension program that began in June 2005. This 12-month program, designed to explore different models of leadership, develop peer networks, and enhance skills and knowledge in leadership competencies, is specifically for land grand educators…

An Evaluation of Performance Contracting for HEW.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carpenter, Polly

This speech provides a summary of the Rand/HEW study of eight performance contract programs in the five cities of Gilroy, California; Texarkana, Arkansas; Gary, Indiana; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Norfolk, Virginia. The effects of performance contracting on instruction and on student learning, the program costs and management, the contractors,…

A decade of precision agriculture impacts on grain yield and yield variation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Targeting management practices and inputs with precision agriculture has high potential to meet some of the grand challenges of sustainability in the coming century, including simultaneously improving crop yields and reducing environmental impacts. Although the potential is high, few studies have do...

National Strategic Computing Initiative Strategic Plan

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-01

23 A.6 National Nanotechnology Initiative...Initiative: https://www.nitrd.gov/nitrdgroups/index.php?title=Big_Data_(BD_SSG)  National Nanotechnology Initiative: http://www.nano.gov  Precision...computing. While not limited to neuromorphic technologies, the National Nanotechnology Initiative’s first Grand Challenge seeks to achieve brain

An Innovative Solution to NASA's NEO Impact Threat Mitigation Grand Challenge and Flight Validation Mission Architecture Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wie, Bong; Barbee, Brent; Pitz, Alan; Kaplinger, Brian; Hawkins, Matt; Winkler, Tim; Premaratne, Pavithra; Vardaxis, George; Lyzhoft, Joshua; Zimmerman, Ben

2015-01-01

To develop an innovative yet practically implementable mitigation technique for the most probable impact threat of an asteroid or comet with short warning time(i.e., when we don't have sufficient warning times for a deflection mission)

Long-term impact of precision agriculture on a farmer’s field

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Targeting management practices and inputs with precision agriculture has high potential to meet some of the grand challenges of sustainability in the coming century. Although potential is high, few studies have documented long-term effects of precision agriculture on crop production and environmenta...

Prurigo Nodularis

MedlinePlus

... Programs Residency Training Resident Calendar Board Certification Grand Rounds Resident Awards AOCD Residency Leadership Award A.P. ... a light brush of clothing sets off a round of severe itch. For many, itching only ends ...

High speed civil transport aerodynamic optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryan, James S.

1994-01-01

This is a report of work in support of the Computational Aerosciences (CAS) element of the Federal HPCC program. Specifically, CFD and aerodynamic optimization are being performed on parallel computers. The long-range goal of this work is to facilitate teraflops-rate multidisciplinary optimization of aerospace vehicles. This year's work is targeted for application to the High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT), one of four CAS grand challenges identified in the HPCC FY 1995 Blue Book. This vehicle is to be a passenger aircraft, with the promise of cutting overseas flight time by more than half. To meet fuel economy, operational costs, environmental impact, noise production, and range requirements, improved design tools are required, and these tools must eventually integrate optimization, external aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, heat transfer, controls, and perhaps other disciplines. The fundamental goal of this project is to contribute to improved design tools for U.S. industry, and thus to the nation's economic competitiveness.

Human Exploration and Avionic Technology Challenges

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benjamin, Andrew L.

2005-01-01

For this workshop, I will identify critical avionic gaps, enabling technologies, high-pay off investment opportunities, promising capabilities, and space applications for human lunar and Mars exploration. Key technology disciplines encompass fault tolerance, miniaturized instrumentation sensors, MEMS-based guidance, navigation, and controls, surface communication networks, and rendezvous and docking. Furthermore, I will share bottom-up strategic planning relevant to manned mission -driven needs. Blending research expertise, facilities, and personnel with internal NASA is vital to stimulating collaborative technology solutions that achieve NASA grand vision. Retaining JSC expertise in unique and critical areas is paramount to our long-term success. Civil servants will maintain key roles in setting technology agenda, ensuring quality results, and integrating technologies into avionic systems and manned missions. Finally, I will present to NASA, academia, and the aerospace community some on -going and future advanced avionic technology programs and activities that are relevant to our mission goals and objectives.

Cernan, Stafford, and Young talk at ASVC prior to grand opening

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

Some of the former Apollo program astronauts tour the new Apollo/Saturn V Center (ASVC) at KSC prior to the gala grand opening ceremony for the facility that was held Jan. 8, 1997. The astronauts were invited to participate in the event, which also featured NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and KSC Director Jay Honeycutt. Discussing old times beneath the KSC Apollo/Saturn V rocket inside the building are (from left) Apollo 10 Lunar Module Pilot and Apollo 17 Commander Eugene A. Cernan; Apollo 10 Commander Thomas P. Stafford and Apollo 16 Commander John W. Young. The ASVC also features several other Apollo program spacecraft components, multimedia presentations and a simulated Apollo/ Saturn V liftoff. The facility will be a part of the KSC bus tour that embarks from the KSC Visitor Center.

Grand Canyon Humpback Chub Population Improving

USGS Publications Warehouse

Andersen, Matthew E.

2007-01-01

The humpback chub (Gila cypha) is a long-lived, freshwater fish found only in the Colorado River Basin. Physical adaptations-large adult body size, large predorsal hump, and small eyes-appear to have helped humpback chub evolve in the historically turbulent Colorado River. A variety of factors, including habitat alterations and the introduction of nonnative fishes, likely prompted the decline of native Colorado River fishes. Declining numbers propelled the humpback chub onto the Federal list of endangered species in 1967, and the species is today protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Only six populations of humpback chub are currently known to exist, five in the Colorado River Basin above Lees Ferry, Ariz., and one in Grand Canyon, Ariz. The U.S. Geological Survey's Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center oversees monitoring and research activities for the Grand Canyon population under the auspices of the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (GCDAMP). Analysis of data collected through 2006 suggests that the number of adult (age 4+ years) humpback chub in Grand Canyon increased to approximately 6,000 fish in 2006, following an approximate 40-50 percent decline between 1989 and 2001. Increasing numbers of adult fish appear to be the result of steadily increasing numbers of juvenile fish reaching adulthood beginning in the mid- to late-1990s and continuing through at least 2002.

Genetic progress in sunflower crop in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil.

PubMed

Follmann, D N; Cargnelutti Filho, A; Lorentz, L H; Boligon, A A; Caraffa, M; Wartha, C A

2017-04-13

The sunflower has adaptability to growing regions with different climatic and soil characteristics, showing drought tolerance and high-quality oil production. The State of Rio Grande do Sul is the third largest sunflower producer in Brazil, with research related to the sunflower breeding initiated after the decade of 1950. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic progress for grain yield, oil content, and oil yield of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) in the State of Rio Grande do Sul. Data of grain yield, oil content, and oil yield obtained from 58 sunflower cultivar yield trials in 19 municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul during the period from 2005 to 2014 were used. Genetic progress was studied according to the methodology proposed by Vencovsky and data from sunflower cultivar yield trials were used. Annual genetic progress of sunflower during the period of 10 years (2005-2014) was 132.46 kg⋅ha -1 ⋅year -1 for grain yield, -0.17%/year for oil content, and 48.11 kg⋅ha -1 ⋅year -1 for oil yield. The sunflower-breeding programs in the State of Rio Grande do Sul were efficient for the traits grain yield and oil yield and presented no efficiency for oil content.

Colorado River fish monitoring in Grand Canyon, Arizona; 2000 to 2009 summary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Makinster, Andrew S.; Persons, William R.; Avery, Luke A.; Bunch, Aaron J.

2010-01-01

Long-term fish monitoring in the Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam is an essential component of the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (GCDAMP). The GCDAMP is a federally authorized initiative to ensure that the primary mandate of the Grand Canyon Protection Act of 1992 to protect resources downstream from Glen Canyon Dam is met. The U.S. Geological Survey's Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center is responsible for the program's long-term fish monitoring, which is implemented in cooperation with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, SWCA Environmental Consultants, and others. Electrofishing and tagging protocols have been developed and implemented for standardized annual monitoring of Colorado River fishes since 2000. In 2009, sampling occurred throughout the river between Lees Ferry and Lake Mead for 38 nights over two trips. During the two trips, scientists captured 6,826 fish representing 11 species. Based on catch-per-unit-effort, salmonids (for example, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and brown trout (Salmo trutta)) increased eightfold between 2006 and 2009. Flannelmouth sucker (Catostomus latipinnis) catch rates were twice as high in 2009 as in 2006. Humpback chub (Gila cypha) catches were low throughout the 10-year sampling period.

Final report of the decontamination and decommission of Building 31 at the Grand Junction Projects Office Facility

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

Krabacher, J.E.

1996-07-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Grand Junction Projects Office (GJPO) occupies a 61.7-acre facility along the Gunnison River near Grand Junction, Colorado. This site was contaminated with uranium ore and mill tailings during uranium refining activities of the Manhattan Engineer District and during pilot milling experiments conducted for the domestic uranium procurement program funded by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. The DOE Defense Decontamination and Decommissioning Program established the GJPO Remedial Action Project to clean up and restore the facility lands, improvements, and the underlying aquifer. The site contractor for the facility, Rust Geotech, also was the remedial actionmore » contractor. Radiological contamination was identified in Building 31 and the building was demolished in 1992. The soil area within the footprint of the building has been remediated in accordance with the identified standards and the area can be released for unlimited exposure and unrestricted use. This area was addressed in the summary final report of the remediation of the exterior areas of the GJPO facility. This document was prepared in response to a DOE request for an individual final report for each contaminated GJPO building.« less

Imaging mass spectrometry tackles interfacial challenges in electrochemistry

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

Yu, Xiao-Ying

Electrochemistry has played a significant role in many research fields. Owing to its sensitivity and selectivity, in situ electroanalysis has been widely used as a fast and economical means for achieving outstanding results. Although many spectroscopic techniques have been used in electrochemistry, the challenges to capture short-lived intermediate species as a result of electron transfer in the buried solid electrode and electrolyte solution interface remains a grand challenge. In situ imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) recently has been extended to capture transient species in electrochemistry. This review intends to summarize newest development of IMS and its applications in advancing fundamental electrochemistry.

On the writing of programming systems for spacecraft computers.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mathur, F. P.; Rohr, J. A.

1972-01-01

Consideration of the systems designed to generate programs for the increasingly complex digital computers being used on board unmanned deep-space probes. Such programming systems must accommodate the special-purpose features incorporated in the hardware. The use of higher-level language facilities in the programming system can significantly simplify the task. Computers for Mariner and for the Outer Planets Grand Tour are briefly described, as well as their programming systems. Aspects of the higher level languages are considered.

Grand Challenges: Nanotechnology and the Social Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manfra, Meghan McGlinn

2013-01-01

This article explores a multidisciplinary lesson on nanotechnology that can provide an effective means for teaching about both STEM and social studies topics. This approach encourages students to consider the "role that science and technology play in our lives and in our cultures." The extraordinary promise of nanotechnology, however, is…

Facing the Grand Challenges through Heuristics and Mindfulness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powietrzynska, Malgorzata; Tobin, Kenneth; Alexakos, Konstantinos

2015-01-01

We address the nature of mindfulness and its salience to education generally and to science education specifically. In a context of the historical embeddedness of mindfulness in Buddhism we discuss research in social neuroscience, presenting evidence for neuronal plasticity of the brain and six emotional styles, which are not biologically…

Valuation Challenges of Riparian Restoration in a Dynamic Decision Support Context: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

EPA Science Inventory

A dynamic simulation model is constructed to compare benefit-cost ratios of riparian restoration options for the Middle Rio Grande riparian corridor in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. The model is built from original choice experiment valuation data, regional benefit-transfer studi...

75 FR 38079 - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Science Advisory Board (SAB)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-01

... Board (SAB) AGENCY: Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), National Oceanic and Atmospheric... Atmosphere on strategies for research, education, and application of science to operations and information... Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico; (2) Grand Scientific Challenges: Results From the...

New Educational Horizons in Contemporary Ireland: Trends and Challenges. Rethinking Education. Volume 9

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grenham, Thomas G., Ed.; Kieran, Patricia, Ed.

2012-01-01

Ireland is in the grip of a postmodern cultural deconstruction on many levels. The traditional "grand narratives" are increasingly viewed with suspicion and disenchantment as Ireland struggles to understand its evolving identity. There is a growing need for comprehensive interdisciplinary research that will facilitate teaching and…

Preventing Schizophrenia and Severe Mental Illness: A Grand Challenge for Social Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeVylder, Jordan E.

2016-01-01

Schizophrenia is a leading cause of disability and health expenditure worldwide and is associated with homelessness, substance use, familial and social isolation, unemployment, involvement with the criminal justice system, stigma, and excess mortality. Prevention may be feasible through intervention with help-seeking "clinical high-risk"…

Mapping a Semester: Using Cultural Mapping in an Honors Humanities Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Robyn S.

2013-01-01

Grand Canyon Semesters (GCS) at Northern Arizona University are integrated learning experiences in the humanities and sciences. Students study the environmental and social challenges confronting us in the twenty-first century using an interdisciplinary approach to the curriculum. During previous semesters, participants have tackled complex issues…

Teen Court-School Partnerships: Reducing Disproportionality in School Discipline

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stalker, Katie Cotter

2018-01-01

Reducing disproportionality in school discipline is a grand challenge for school social work. Although the causes of disproportionality in exclusionary school discipline are interrelated and complex, one solution is to introduce alternatives to suspensions and expulsions that discipline students while keeping them engaged in school. The teen court…

78 FR 79411 - Announcement of Competition Under the America COMPETES Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-30

... announces the Cyber Grand Challenge (CGC), a prize competition under 15 U.S.C. 3719, the America COMPETES... cyber defense systems. The CGC seeks to engender a new generation of autonomous cyber defense... experts. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: All questions regarding the competition may be sent to Cyber...

Linking Research, Education and Public Engagement in Geoscience: Leadership and Strategic Partnerships.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moosavi, S. C.

2017-12-01

By their very nature, the geosciences address societal challenges requiring a complex interplay between the research community, geoscience educators and public engagement with the general population to build their knowledge base and convince them to act appropriately to implement policies guided by scientific understanding. The most effective responses to geoscience challenges arise when strong collaborative structures connecting research, education and the public are in place to afford rapid communication and trust at all stages of the investigative and policy implementation processes. Educational programs that involve students and scientists via service learning exploring high profile issues of community interest and outreach to teachers through professional development build the network of relationships with geoscientists to respond rapidly to solve societal problems. These pre-existing personal connections simultaneously hold wider credibility with the public than unfamiliar scientific experts less accustomed to speaking to general audiences. The Geological Society of America is leveraging the research and educational experience of its members to build a self-sustaining state/regional network of K-12 professional development workshops designed to link the academic, research, governmental and industrial communities. The goal is not only to improve the content knowledge and pedagogical skills which teachers bring to their students, but also to build a diverse community of trust capable of responding to geoscience challenges in a fashion relevant to local communities. Dr. Moosavi is building this program by drawing on his background as a biogeochemistry researcher with 20 years experience focused on use of place-based approaches in general education and pre- and in-service teacher preparation in Research 1 and comprehensive universities, liberal arts and community colleges and high school. Experience with K-12 professional development working with the Minnesota Mineral Education Workshop and an undergraduate service learning research program related to beach erosion and the BP Oil Spill on Grand Isle, Louisiana are of particular value to this effort.

Facing Our Energy Challenges in a New Era of Science (2011 EFRC Forum)

ScienceCinema

Dehmer, Patricia M.

2018-04-26

Patricia Dehmer, Deputy Director for Science Programs at DOE, opened the May 26, 2011 EFRC Forum session, 'Global Perspectives on Frontiers in Energy Research,' with the talk, 'Facing Our Energy Challenges in a New Era of Science.' In her presentation, Dr. Dehmer gave a tutorial on the energy challenges facing our Nation and showed how the DOE research portfolio addresses those issues. The 2011 EFRC Summit and Forum brought together the EFRC community and science and policy leaders from universities, national laboratories, industry and government to discuss 'Science for our Nation's Energy Future.' In August 2009, the Office of Science established 46 Energy Frontier Research Centers. The EFRCs are collaborative research efforts intended to accelerate high-risk, high-reward fundamental research, the scientific basis for transformative energy technologies of the future. These Centers involve universities, national laboratories, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit firms, singly or in partnerships, selected by scientific peer review. They are funded at $2 to $5 million per year for a total planned DOE commitment of $777 million over the initial five-year award period, pending Congressional appropriations. These integrated, multi-investigator Centers are conducting fundamental research focusing on one or more of several 'grand challenges' and use-inspired 'basic research needs' recently identified in major strategic planning efforts by the scientific community. The purpose of the EFRCs is to integrate the talents and expertise of leading scientists in a setting designed to accelerate research that transforms the future of energy and the environment.

Early lessons and challenges from the healthy Mendocino community of solution.

PubMed

Baird Kanaan, Susan

2013-01-01

Northern California's Mendocino County is joining the national movement to upgrade the quantity and quality of local data available for assessing and improving local health. A broad-based coalition in the county has successfully engaged 20 community partners in funding a web-based tool for this purpose. HealthyMendocino.org, launched in January 2013, is designed to support setting local priorities, planning and evaluating the program, and building community by giving easy access to timely data on 90 indicators of local health and its determinants compiled from a range of state and federal sources. This article, written before the site's launch by the Chair of the Healthy Mendocino Steering Committee, describes the community of solution that came together to envision, publicize, raise support for, and bring to fruition this new resource. Mendocino is a rural county with limited financial capacity but rich social assets, including a strong collaborative tradition and an infrastructure of dynamic coalitions. This article outlines the anticipated benefits, early lessons, and challenges of the initiative and explains how the organizers leveraged connections with other communities of solution that already are working to improve the quality of life in the area. The article also notes ways in which this local initiative illustrates and aligns with several of the grand challenges outlined in the modern Folsom Report-specifically, challenges 7, 8, 11, 12, and above all 13, which concerns the use of health information technology to enable the flow of knowledge to the community of solution.

Mesa County Public Library District, Final Performance Report for Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) Title VI, Library Literacy Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LaDuke, Caryl

The Adult Reading Program, a project of the Mesa County Public Library District (Grand Junction, Colorado), involved recruitment, retention, coalition building, public awareness, training, rural oriented, basic literacy, collection development, tutoring, employment oriented, intergenerational/family, and English as a Second Language (ESL)…

Rural Sociology in Brazil: Institutional Growth (1965-1977).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, David O.; And Others

Growth and present status of graduate programs, major research interests, and potential for US-Brazilian collaboration indicate the present state of rural sociology in Brazil. In contrast to US rural sociology's identity crisis of the past decade, the field in Brazil has blossomed. Graduate programs are underway at universities of Rio Grande do…

Software Engineering Support of the Third Round of Scientific Grand Challenge Investigations: Earth System Modeling Software Framework Survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Talbot, Bryan; Zhou, Shu-Jia; Higgins, Glenn; Zukor, Dorothy (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

One of the most significant challenges in large-scale climate modeling, as well as in high-performance computing in other scientific fields, is that of effectively integrating many software models from multiple contributors. A software framework facilitates the integration task, both in the development and runtime stages of the simulation. Effective software frameworks reduce the programming burden for the investigators, freeing them to focus more on the science and less on the parallel communication implementation. while maintaining high performance across numerous supercomputer and workstation architectures. This document surveys numerous software frameworks for potential use in Earth science modeling. Several frameworks are evaluated in depth, including Parallel Object-Oriented Methods and Applications (POOMA), Cactus (from (he relativistic physics community), Overture, Goddard Earth Modeling System (GEMS), the National Center for Atmospheric Research Flux Coupler, and UCLA/UCB Distributed Data Broker (DDB). Frameworks evaluated in less detail include ROOT, Parallel Application Workspace (PAWS), and Advanced Large-Scale Integrated Computational Environment (ALICE). A host of other frameworks and related tools are referenced in this context. The frameworks are evaluated individually and also compared with each other.

Weibel instability mediated collisionless shocks using intense laser-driven plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palaniyappan, Sasikumar; Fiuza, Federico; Huang, Chengkun; Gautier, Donald; Ma, Wenjun; Schreiber, Jorg; Raymer, Abel; Fernandez, Juan; Shimada, Tom; Johnson, Randall

2017-10-01

The origin of cosmic rays remains a long-standing challenge in astrophysics and continues to fascinate physicists. It is believed that ``collisionless shocks'' - where the particle Coulomb mean free path is much larger that the shock transition - are a dominant source of energetic cosmic rays. These shocks are ubiquitous in astrophysical environments such as gamma-ray bursts, supernova remnants, pulsar wind nebula and coronal mass ejections from the sun. A particular type of electromagnetic plasma instability known as Weibel instability is believed to be the dominant mechanism behind the formation of these collisionless shocks in the cosmos. The understanding of the microphysics behind collisionless shocks and their particle acceleration is tightly related with nonlinear basic plasma processes and remains a grand challenge. In this poster, we will present results from recent experiments at the LANL Trident laser facility studying collisionless shocks using intense ps laser (80J, 650 fs - peak intensity of 1020 W/cm2) driven near-critical plasmas using carbon nanotube foam targets. A second short pulse laser driven protons from few microns thick gold foil is used to radiograph the main laser-driven plasma. Work supported by the LDRD program at LANL.

Municipal solid waste characterizations and management strategies for the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas.

PubMed

Chang, Ni-Bin; Davila, Eric

2008-01-01

The Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV or Valley) in Texas, facing the big waste management challenge along the US-Mexico border today, is at the crossroads as a result of the rapid population growth, the scarcity of landfill space, the bi-nation's trade impacts, and the illusive goal of environmental sustainability. This paper offers a unique municipal solid waste investigation with regard to both physical and chemical characteristics leading to illuminate the necessary management policies with greater regional relevancy. With multiple sampling campaigns conducted during the spring of 2005, this study holistically summarizes the composition of solid waste, the statistical distribution patterns of key recyclable items, and the heating value in an uncertain environment. Research findings indicate that high fractions of plastics and paper in the waste stream imply a strong potential for energy recovery. Incineration options are thus bolstered by mildly high heating values across 10 cities in this region, which may lead to save land resources required for final disposal and increase electricity generation in the long run. Additional regression analyses further identify the correlation between recyclable items and heating value, which show that current recycling programs permit no obvious negative impacts on the incineration option. Final statistical hypothesis tests for both the Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito and the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission metropolitan regions help foster consistent management strategies across the Valley regardless of the trivial differences of waste characteristics in between.

Sustainable Ammonia Synthesis – Exploring the scientific challenges associated with discovering alternative, sustainable processes for ammonia production

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

Nørskov, Jens; Chen, Jingguang; Miranda, Raul

Ammonia (NH 3) is essential to all life on our planet. Until about 100 years ago, NH 3 produced by reduction of dinitrogen (N 2) in air came almost exclusively from bacteria containing the enzyme nitrogenase.. DOE convened a roundtable of experts on February 18, 2016. Participants in the Roundtable discussions concluded that the scientific basis for sustainable processes for ammonia synthesis is currently lacking, and it needs to be enhanced substantially before it can form the foundation for alternative processes. The Roundtable Panel identified an overarching grand challenge and several additional scientific grand challenges and research opportunities: -Discovery ofmore » active, selective, scalable, long-lived catalysts for sustainable ammonia synthesis. -Development of relatively low pressure (<10 atm) and relatively low temperature (<200 C) thermal processes. -Integration of knowledge from nature (enzyme catalysis), molecular/homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. -Development of electrochemical and photochemical routes for N 2 reduction based on proton and electron transfer -Development of biochemical routes to N 2 reduction -Development of chemical looping (solar thermochemical) approaches -Identification of descriptors of catalytic activity using a combination of theory and experiments -Characterization of surface adsorbates and catalyst structures (chemical, physical and electronic) under conditions relevant to ammonia synthesis.« less

Addressing China's grand challenge of achieving food security while ensuring environmental sustainability.

PubMed

Lu, Yonglong; Jenkins, Alan; Ferrier, Robert C; Bailey, Mark; Gordon, Iain J; Song, Shuai; Huang, Jikun; Jia, Shaofeng; Zhang, Fusuo; Liu, Xuejun; Feng, Zhaozhong; Zhang, Zhibin

2015-02-01

China's increasingly urbanized and wealthy population is driving a growing and changing demand for food, which might not be met without significant increase in agricultural productivity and sustainable use of natural resources. Given the past relationship between lack of access to affordable food and political instability, food security has to be given a high priority on national political agendas in the context of globalization. The drive for increased food production has had a significant impact on the environment, and the deterioration in ecosystem quality due to historic and current levels of pollution will potentially compromise the food production system in China. We discuss the grand challenges of not only producing more food but also producing it sustainably and without environmental degradation. In addressing these challenges, food production should be considered as part of an environmental system (soil, air, water, and biodiversity) and not independent from it. It is imperative that new ways of meeting the demand for food are developed while safeguarding the natural resources upon which food production is based. We present a holistic approach to both science and policy to ensure future food security while embracing the ambition of achieving environmental sustainability in China. It is a unique opportunity for China to be a role model as a new global player, especially for other emerging economies.

In Brief: Revitalizing Earth science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

2008-12-01

A 5-year, $3.9-million U.S. National Science Foundation Math Science Partnership grant to Michigan Technological University (MTU), in Houghton, aims to improve instruction in middle-school Earth and space science courses. The program will enable geoscience and education researchers to work with middle-school science teachers to test strategies designed to reform science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. Project lead researcher Bill Rose said the project could be a template for improvement in STEM throughout the United States. Rose, one of seven MTU faculty members involved with the Michigan Institute for Teaching Excellence Program (MITEP), said the project is ``trying to do something constructive to attract more talented young people to advanced science, math, and technology.'' The project includes data collection and analysis overseen by an evaluation team from the Colorado School of Mines. Also participating in the project are scientists from Grand Valley State University, Allendale, Mich.; the Grand Rapids (Mich.) Area Pre-College Engineering Program; the American Geological Institute; and the U.S. National Park Service.

Grande Ronde Subbasin Gauging Station Operations, 2007-2008 Reporting Period.

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

Menton, R. Coby

2008-11-10

The Grande Ronde Basin (GRB) in Northeast Oregon is a moderately dry climate receiving between 10 and 20 inches of precipitation per year with surrounding mountains accumulating up to 100 inches. Irrigated agriculture is a major part of the economy with water being diverted or pumped from surface and ground sources from April through October. Several ESA listed species exist in the basin including Chinook, steelhead, and bulltrout. Agriculture and ESA (Endangered Species Act) listed aquatic species combined with a dry climate demonstrate the need for a network of stream gauges. The GRB covers over 5,000 square miles and includesmore » several thousand miles of perennial flowing streams. This project is in place to operate 12 existing stream gauges in combination with USGS (4 gauges) and OWRD (one gauge) who, independent of this project, operate five additional gauges (Grande Ronde at Troy, Imnaha R. at Imnaha, Minam R. at Minam, Lookingglass Creek, and Upper Catherine Cr.) to characterizes flow in both the Grande Ronde and Imnaha subbasins. These gauges are intended to assist in irrigation water management, fisheries management, long term flow and trend analysis, TMDL and SB1010 water quality management plan effectiveness, subbasin plan implementation, and provide essential information regarding cumulative effects response to conservation in the GRB. Headwater characteristics, land management influence, and basin outlet data are all selectively collected in this network of 17 flow gauges. Prior to the 2007 water year there were three separate stream gauging programs with similar objectives, protocol, and funding sources in the GRB. Each of these programs for the past ten years has operated under separate administration consuming more time and administrative money than is necessary to accomplish stated objectives. By combining all programs into one project costs have been reduced, each funding source has one contract instead of three, and the same amount of work has been done accomplishing the same objectives. This objective has been continued and realized in the 2008 water year.« less

RIACS/USRA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oliger, Joseph

1993-01-01

The Research Institute for Advanced Computer Science (RIACS) was established by the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) at the NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) on 6 June 1983. RIACS is privately operated by USRA, a consortium of universities with research programs in the aerospace sciences, under contract with NASA. The primary mission of RIACS is to provide research and expertise in computer science and scientific computing to support the scientific missions of NASA ARC. The research carried out at RIACS must change its emphasis from year to year in response to NASA ARC's changing needs and technological opportunities. A flexible scientific staff is provided through a university faculty visitor program, a post doctoral program, and a student visitor program. Not only does this provide appropriate expertise but it also introduces scientists outside of NASA to NASA problems. A small group of core RIACS staff provides continuity and interacts with an ARC technical monitor and scientific advisory group to determine the RIACS mission. RIACS activities are reviewed and monitored by a USRA advisory council and ARC technical monitor. Research at RIACS is currently being done in the following areas: Parallel Computing, Advanced Methods for Scientific Computing, High Performance Networks and Technology, and Learning Systems. Parallel compiler techniques, adaptive numerical methods for flows in complicated geometries, and optimization were identified as important problems to investigate for ARC's involvement in the Computational Grand Challenges of the next decade.

Does Self-Assessment Improve the Effectiveness of Grand Rounds Lectures in a Community-Based Teaching Hospital?

PubMed

Winton, Lisa M; Ferguson, Elizabeth M N; Hsu, Chiu-Hsieh; Agee, Neal; Eubanks, Ryan D; O'Neill, Patrick J; Goldberg, Ross F; Kopelman, Tammy R; Nodora, Jesse N; Caruso, Daniel M; Komenaka, Ian K

To determine whether use of self-assessment (SA) questions affects the effectiveness of weekly didactic grand rounds presentations. From 26 consecutive grand rounds presentations from August 2013 to April 2014, a 52-question multiple-choice test was administered based on 2 questions from each presentation. Community teaching institution. General surgery residents, students, and attending physicians. The test was administered to 66 participants. The mean score was 41.8%. There was no difference in test score based on experience with similar scores for junior residents, senior residents, and attending surgeons (43%, 46%, and 44%; p = 0.13). Most participants felt they would be most interested in presentations directly related to their surgical specialty. Participants, however, did not score differently on topics which were the focus of the program (40% vs. 42%; p = 0.85). Journal club presentations (39% vs. others 42%; p = 0.33) also did not affect the score. The Pearson correlation coefficient for attendance was 0.49 (p < 0.0001) demonstrated that attendance was very important. Participation in the weekly SA was significantly associated with improved score as those who participated in SA scored over 20% higher than those who did not (59% vs. 38%; p < 0.0001). Based on multiple linear regression for mean score, SA explained the variation in score more than attendance. The current study found that without preparation approximately 40% of material presented is retained after 10 months. Participation in weekly SA significantly improved retention of information from grand rounds presentations. Copyright © 2016 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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.

The Grand Banks ERS-1 SAR wave spectra validation experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vachon, P. W.; Dobson, F. W.; Smith, S. D.; Anderson, R. J.; Buckley, J. R.; Allingham, M.; Vandemark, D.; Walsh, E. J.; Khandekar, M.; Lalbeharry, R.

1993-01-01

As part of the ERS-1 validation program, the ERS-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) wave spectra validation experiment was carried out over the Grand Banks of Newfoundland (Canada) in Nov. 1991. The principal objective of the experiment was to obtain complete sets of wind and wave data from a variety of calibrated instruments to validate SAR measurements of ocean wave spectra. The field program activities are described and the rather complex wind and wave conditions which were observed are summarized. Spectral comparisons with ERS-1 SAR image spectra are provided. The ERS-1 SAR is shown to have measured swell and range traveling wind seas, but did not measure azimuth traveling wind seas at any time during the experiment. Results of velocity bunching forward mapping and new measurements of the relationship between wind stress and sea state are also shown.

Economic impacts of federal policy responses to drought in the Rio Grande Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, Frank A.; Hurd, Brian H.; Rahmani, Tarik; Gollehon, Noel

2006-03-01

Significant growth in the Rio Grande Basin's demand for water has stressed the region's scarce water supply. This paper presents an analysis of the impacts of severe and sustained drought and of minimum in-stream flow requirements to support endangered species in the Rio Grande watershed. These impacts are investigated by modeling the physical and institutional constraints within the Rio Grande Basin and by identifying the hydrologic and economic responses of all major water users. Water supplies, which include all major tributaries, interbasin transfers, and hydrologically connected groundwater, are represented in a yearly time step. A nonlinear programming model is developed to maximize economic benefits subject to hydrologic and institutional constraints. Results indicate that drought produces considerable impacts on both agriculture and municipal and industrial (MI) uses in the Rio Grande watershed. In-stream flow requirements to support endangered species' habitat produce the largest impacts on agricultural water users in New Mexico and Texas. Hydrologic and economic impacts are more pronounced when in-stream flow requirements dictate larger quantities of water for endangered species' habitat. Higher in-stream flow requirements for endangered species in central New Mexico cause considerable losses to New Mexico agriculture above Elephant Butte Reservoir and to MI users in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Those same in-stream flow requirements reduce drought damages to New Mexico agriculture below Elephant Butte Reservoir and reduce the severity of drought damages to MI users in El Paso, Texas. Results provide a framework for formulating federal policy responses to drought in the Rio Grande Basin.

Camphor: an herbal medicine causing grand mal seizures

PubMed Central

MacKinney, Theodore G; Soti, Kamal Raj; Shrestha, Poojan; Basnyat, Buddha

2015-01-01

Camphor is usually used in the USA to repel insects, but it is widely used in other countries as an herb. We report the case of a 52-year-old previously healthy Nepali man who ingested approximately 10 g of pure camphor with therapeutic intention. He developed grand mal seizures, and was evaluated in an emergency room. He failed to recall the camphor ingestion initially, and was treated with phenytoin for new-onset idiopathic seizures. Examining physicians only later found out about his camphor ingestion. Finding the cause of new-onset seizures is often challenging for emergency room physicians, internists and neurologists. In addition to other well-reported causes of secondary seizures, herbal medications and supplements must also be explored. PMID:26065546

The spectrum of high-energy cosmic rays measured with KASCADE-Grande

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Apel, W. D.; Arteaga-Velázquez, J. C.; Bekk, K.; Bertaina, M.; Blümer, J.; Bozdog, H.; Brancus, I. M.; Buchholz, P.; Cantoni, E.; Chiavassa, A.; Cossavella, F.; Daumiller, K.; de Souza, V.; Di Pierro, F.; Doll, P.; Engel, R.; Engler, J.; Finger, M.; Fuhrmann, D.; Ghia, P. L.; Gils, H. J.; Glasstetter, R.; Grupen, C.; Haungs, A.; Heck, D.; Hörandel, J. R.; Huber, D.; Huege, T.; Kampert, K.-H.; Kang, D.; Kickelbick, D.; Klages, H. O.; Link, K.; Łuczak, P.; Ludwig, M.; Mathes, H. J.; Mayer, H. J.; Melissas, M.; Milke, J.; Mitrica, B.; Morello, C.; Navarra, G.; Oehlschläger, J.; Ostapchenko, S.; Over, S.; Palmieri, N.; Petcu, M.; Pierog, T.; Rebel, H.; Roth, M.; Schieler, H.; Schröder, F. G.; Sima, O.; Toma, G.; Trinchero, G. C.; Ulrich, H.; Weindl, A.; Wochele, J.; Wommer, M.; Zabierowski, J.

2012-08-01

The energy spectrum of cosmic rays between 1016 eV and 1018 eV, derived from measurements of the shower size (total number of charged particles) and the total muon number of extensive air showers by the KASCADE-Grande experiment, is described. The resulting all-particle energy spectrum exhibits strong hints for a hardening of the spectrum at approximately 2 · 1016 eV and a significant steepening at ≈8 · 1016 eV. These observations challenge the view that the spectrum is a single power law between knee and ankle. Possible scenarios generating such features are discussed in terms of astrophysical processes that may explain the transition region from galactic to extragalactic origin of cosmic rays.

Populating a Control Point Database: A cooperative effort between the USGS, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center and the Grand Canyon Youth Organization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, K. M.; Fritzinger, C.; Wharton, E.

2004-12-01

The Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center measures the effects of Glen Canyon Dam operations on the resources along the Colorado River from Glen Canyon Dam to Lake Mead in support of the Grand Canyon Adaptive Management Program. Control points are integral for geo-referencing the myriad of data collected in the Grand Canyon including aerial photography, topographic and bathymetric data used for classification and change-detection analysis of physical, biologic and cultural resources. The survey department has compiled a list of 870 control points installed by various organizations needing to establish a consistent reference for data collected at field sites along the 240 mile stretch of Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. This list is the foundation for the Control Point Database established primarily for researchers, to locate control points and independently geo-reference collected field data. The database has the potential to be a valuable mapping tool for assisting researchers to easily locate a control point and reduce the occurrance of unknowingly installing new control points within close proximity of an existing control point. The database is missing photographs and accurate site description information. Current site descriptions do not accurately define the location of the point but refer to the project that used the point, or some other interesting fact associated with the point. The Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (GCMRC) resolved this problem by turning the data collection effort into an educational exercise for the participants of the Grand Canyon Youth organization. Grand Canyon Youth is a non-profit organization providing experiential education for middle and high school aged youth. GCMRC and the Grand Canyon Youth formed a partnership where GCMRC provided the logistical support, equipment, and training to conduct the field work, and the Grand Canyon Youth provided the time and personnel to complete the field work. Two data collection efforts were conducted during the 2004 summer allowing 40 youth the opportunity to contribute valuable information to the Control Point Database. This information included: verification of point existence, photographs, accurate site descriptions concisely describing the location of the point, how to reach the point, the specific point location and detailed bearings to visible and obvious land marks. The youth learned to locate themselves and find the points using 1:1000 airphotos, write detailed site descriptions, take bearings with a compass, measure vertical and horizontal distances, and use a digital camera. The youth found information for 252 control points (29% of the total points).

Design or "Design"--Envisioning a Future Design Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sless, David

2012-01-01

Challenging the common grand vision of Design, this article considers "design" as a humble re-forming process based on evidence to substantiate its results. The designer is likened to a tinker who respects previous iterations of a design and seeks to retain what is useful while improving its performance. A design process is offered,…

A comparative gradient approach as a tool for understanding and managing urban ecosystems

Treesearch

Christopher G. Boone; Elizabeth Cook; Sharon J. Hall; Marcia L. Nation; Nancy B. Grimm; Carol B. Raish; Deborah M. Finch; Abigail M. York

2012-01-01

To meet the grand challenges of the urban century - such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and persistent poverty - urban and ecological theory must contribute to integrated frameworks that treat social and ecological dynamics as interdependent. A socioecological framework that encapsulates theory from the social and ecological sciences will improve understanding...

The American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare: History and Grand Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barth, Richard P.; Gilmore, Grover C.; Flynn, Marilyn S.; Fraser, Mark W.; Brekke, John S.

2014-01-01

Conceptualized by social work deans and actualized with the support of major social work organizations, the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare was established in 2009. This article describes the historical context and creation of the Academy, whose objectives include recognizing outstanding social work scholars and practitioners;…

Electrokinetic Enrichment and Detection of Neuropeptide for Performance Monitor

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-14

conditions for key neurological biomarkers of interest, by using nanoparticles and aptamers to enhance specificity. Additionally, biomarker...conditions for key neurological biomarkers of interest, by using nanoparticles and aptamers to enhance specificity. Additionally, biomarker...nanoparticle immunoassays and aptamer -based approaches for enhancing detection specificity. Experiment: Towards addressing AFRL’s grand challenge of

Electrokinetic enrichment and detection of neuropeptide for performance monitoring

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-14

conditions for key neurological biomarkers of interest, by using nanoparticles and aptamers to enhance specificity. Additionally, biomarker...conditions for key neurological biomarkers of interest, by using nanoparticles and aptamers to enhance specificity. Additionally, biomarker...nanoparticle immunoassays and aptamer -based approaches for enhancing detection specificity. Experiment: Towards addressing AFRL’s grand challenge of

One Smithsonian: Greater Reach, Greater Relevance, Profound Impact. Annual Performance Plan, Fiscal Year 2018

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smithsonian Institution, 2018

2018-01-01

In December 2017, the Smithsonian unveiled a new Strategic Plan. It expands on the "Grand Challenges"--Unlocking the Mysteries of the Universe, Understanding and Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet, Valuing World Cultures, Understanding the American Experience, and Magnifying the Transformative Power of Arts and Design--by setting goals to…

Grand challenges in understanding the interplay of climate and land changes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Half of the Earth’s land surface has been altered by human activities, creating various consequences on the climate and weather systems at local to global scales, which in turn affects a myriad of land surface processes and our adaptation behaviors. After reviewing the status and major knowledge gap...

Strategic Aggression: Conditions that Could Trigger Aggressive Military Action by the People’s Republic of China

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-05-23

growth, its plans for defense spending and force posture are not so lucid . The government publishes defense white papers, which outline vague...is Unhappy: The Great Era, the Grand Goal, and Our Internal Anxieties and External Challenges (2009) and China Dream : Great Power Thinking and

A Grand Bargain on Quality Assurance?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Teresa

2017-01-01

The higher education community faces a wave of challenges. Concerns about affordability and costs have led to questions about the value of higher education to students and society. State and federal funding has been cut or has failed to grow as need has ballooned. Pressures to innovate clash with calls for preserving tradition. Values of academic…

RTT Goals Challenge Recipients

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNeil, Michele

2011-01-01

Ambitious student-achievement targets turn up the heat, as winners of the $4 billion federal grant effort push to deliver. Winners of the $4 billion Race to the Top jackpot committed to grand goals in using the federal grants to raise student achievement, as measured by higher test scores, narrowed achievement gaps, and increased graduation and…

Grand mission versus small OPS team: Can we have both?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garcia-Perez, Raul

1994-01-01

Space Missions are growing more ambitious, but resources are getting smaller. Is this is a contradiction in terms, or is it a healthy challenge? This paper offers the author's point of view as a member of a small Mission Operations Team that carries out an ambitious international mission (Ulysses ESA/NASA).

Applying Structural Systems Thinking to Frame Perspectives on Social Work Innovation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stringfellow, Erin J.

2017-01-01

Objective: Innovation will be key to the success of the Grand Challenges Initiative in social work. A structural systems framework based in system dynamics could be useful for considering how to advance innovation. Method: Diagrams using system dynamics conventions were developed to link common themes across concept papers written by social work…

2016 Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan: Smithsonian Facilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smithsonian Institution, 2016

2016-01-01

As a trust instrumentality of the United States, the Smithsonian is committed to the goals which Executive Order 13693 set for federal agencies, and is focused on making improvements in environmental, energy, and economic performance. As stated in the current Smithsonian Strategic Plan, one of the four grand challenges we have undertaken is…

Mitigation in riparian areas: Questions, concerns and recommendations

Treesearch

Tony Barron

1996-01-01

The management of seven thousand acres in the Rio Grande Valley State Park presents a unique management challenge and opportunity. The Open Space Division defines a riparian area as "any area of land influenced directly by permanent water". The influence of permanent water or water flows produces visible vegetation and visible vegetative characteristics on...

Collective Approach to Complex Food System Issues, the Case of the Ohio State University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Julie

2017-01-01

Urban universities are uniquely positioned to make powerful and lasting contributions to the grand challenge of food security. To better understand the various dimensions related to the university's role in food systems, this case study explores intentional linkages, significant developments, natural tensions, and emerging impacts at the Ohio…

Undergraduate Climate Education: Motivations, Strategies, Successes, and Support

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirk, Karin B.; Gold, Anne U.; Ledley, Tamara Shapiro; Sullivan, Susan Buhr; Manduca, Cathryn A.; Mogk, David W.; Wiese, Katryn

2014-01-01

Climate literacy is an essential component of a strategy to comprehend and confront the grand challenge of global climate change. However, scientific complexity, societal implications, and political associations make climate change a difficult but important topic to teach. In this paper we report on the results of a survey of undergraduate faculty…

TrackTable Trajectory Analysis

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

Wilson, Andrew T.

Tracktable is designed for analysis and rendering of the trajectories of moving objects such as planes, trains, automobiles and ships. Its purpose is to operate on large sets of trajectories (millions) to help a user detect, analyze and display patterns. It will also be used to disseminate trajectory research results from Sandia's PANTHER Grand Challenge LDRD.

Rapid forest change in the interior west presents analysis opportunities and challenges

Treesearch

John D. Shaw

2007-01-01

A recent drought has caused compositional and structural changes in Interior West forests. Recent periodic and annual inventory data provide an opportunity to analyze forest changes on a grand scale. This "natural experiment" also provides opportunities to test the effectiveness of Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) methodologies. It also presents some...

The Amazing Potential of Technology to Level the Playing Field in Global Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leege, Rebecca

2017-01-01

For the past six years, All Children Reading: A Grand Challenge for Development (ACR GCD; https://allchildrenreading.org) a partnership of the United States Agency for International Development, World Vision, and the Australian Government, has fostered the development of innovations that can increase reading outcomes for children in developing…

The future of the ogallala aquifer: We can measure it, but can we manage it?

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ensuring the availability of fresh water resources in sufficient quantity and quality to support human populations and surrounding ecosystems represents one of the grand challenges of our time. The Ogallala Aquifer, one of the largest freshwater aquifers in the world, is a prime example of the chall...

The NASA Neutron Star Grand Challenge: The coalescences of Neutron Star Binary System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suen, Wai-Mo

1998-04-01

NASA funded a Grand Challenge Project (9/1996-1999) for the development of a multi-purpose numerical treatment for relativistic astrophysics and gravitational wave astronomy. The coalescence of binary neutron stars is chosen as the model problem for the code development. The institutes involved in it are the Argonne Lab, Livermore lab, Max-Planck Institute at Potsdam, StonyBrook, U of Illinois and Washington U. We have recently succeeded in constructing a highly optimized parallel code which is capable of solving the full Einstein equations coupled with relativistic hydrodynamics, running at over 50 GFLOPS on a T3E (the second milestone point of the project). We are presently working on the head-on collisions of two neutron stars, and the inclusion of realistic equations of state into the code. The code will be released to the relativity and astrophysics community in April of 1998. With the full dynamics of the spacetime, relativistic hydro and microphysics all combined into a unified 3D code for the first time, many interesting large scale calculations in general relativistic astrophysics can now be carried out on massively parallel computers.

Building Partnerships to Address Community Geoscience Priorities: A Brief History of the Thriving Earth Exchange (TEX) Model and its Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finn, C.; Udu-gama, N.; Pandya, R.; Leshin, L. A.; McEntee, C.; Williams, B. M.; Goodwin, M.

2016-12-01

Increasingly, communities around the world are being challenged by extremes in climatic change and natural hazards and a lack of key natural resources. In many cases, such communities do not have access to the experts and resources they need to address these changes. While partnerships are being developed to address these challenges, there is a need to bring communities and scientists together equitably. Thriving Earth Exchange (TEX), a program powered by the American Geophysical Union (AGU), seeks to connect communities by offering them scientists that can work with them on developing effective solutions for their real-life climate change, natural hazards and/or natural resources challenges. TEX advocates community science - the notion that scientists and communities equitably work together to identify how science can advance local priorities such that it produces local impact, guides future research and generates solutions that can be shared. The concept for TEX evolved from 2011 AGU Council discussions on potential options for impacting AGU's upcoming Centennial. The concept started as a single "Grand Challenge" concept, but evolved through several trails and iterations to today's vibrant TEX program and model. The TEX process is not for every community or scientist. In order to ensure that a community can proceed through a project with a scientist, TEX has found that they often must have a mandate to work on the issue at hand. For instance, if a planning department is tasked with doing a climate vulnerability assessment, a project looking at how heat extremes affect the elderly could probably proceed without interruption from other internal community processes. In some cases, available funds acts as an impetus for a community to seek action. Yet at other times, an individual's passion to address a community challenge may be the spark required to turn ideas into action. This presentation will provide an overview of the TEX genesis within AGU, and its growth and evolution as an "internal start-up" to today's TEX program—a program with partnerships supporting over 35 US-based and international TEX projects. Finally, it will also discuss preliminary lessons learned about what it means for both community and scientists to be ready to work with one another.

Quantification and Characterization of Chloride Sources in the Rio Grande, Southwestern United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lacey, H. F.; Phillips, F. M.; Tidwell, V.; Hogan, J.; Bastien, E.; Oelsner, G.

2005-12-01

Salinization of rivers is a problem in the southwestern United States as well as in other semiarid and arid regions of the world. Arid and semiarid rivers including the Rio Grande often exhibit increasing salinity with distance downstream, which is commonly attributed to irrigated agriculture. Increased river salinity causes economic losses by reducing crop productivity, rendering the water unsuitable for many municipal and industrial uses, and corroding or plugging pipes. Although most salinization of the Rio Grande takes place in the United States, many of the effects are felt in Mexico. Recent studies have found that salinization of the Rio Grande is geologically controlled by the addition of deep saline brines at several distinct locations. However, these additions of deep brine have not been well quantified. We have designed a model using a system dynamics software program to analyze Rio Grande chloride data. The model uses historical chloride and gaging station data and high-resolution synoptic chloride samples collected between 2000 and 2005 to characterize and quantify additions of deep brine to the river. The model has also been used to evaluate the effect of the construction of Elephant Butte Reservoir on the chloride balance of the river using chloride concentration data from 1905-1907. The model can also be used to evaluate future climatic and management scenarios in order to plan for the future water needs of the basin.

Standardized methods for Grand Canyon fisheries research 2015

USGS Publications Warehouse

Persons, William R.; Ward, David L.; Avery, Luke A.

2013-01-01

This document presents protocols and guidelines to persons sampling fishes in the Grand Canyon, to help ensure consistency in fish handling, fish tagging, and data collection among different projects and organizations. Most such research and monitoring projects are conducted under the general umbrella of the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program and include studies by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), National Park Service (NPS), the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD), various universities, and private contractors. This document is intended to provide guidance to fieldworkers regarding protocols that may vary from year to year depending on specific projects and objectives. We also provide herein documentation of standard methods used in the Grand Canyon that can be cited in scientific publications, as well as a summary of changes in protocols since the document was first created in 2002.

Learning Outside the Lines: Six Innovative Programs That Reach Youth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jobs for the Future, Boston, MA.

Six programs are profiled that garner both deep engagement and high achievement from young people. All build upon fundamental needs of adolescent life: to register positive impact upon the world, to feel respected and connected, and to construct one's own narrative. A community action initiative at a high school in Texas' Rio Grande Valley is…

The Better Early Childhood Development Program: An Innovative Brazilian Public Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schneider, Alessandra; Ramires, Vera Regina; Paiva, Maria da Graca Gomes; Almeida, Leila

2009-01-01

This paper presents the pioneering experience of the Programa Primeira Infancia Melhor (the Better Early Childhood Development Program), also known as "PIM" that has been developed since 2003 in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. PIM's goal is to "provide guidance to families, based on their own culture and experiences, to…

76 FR 49381 - Oranges and Grapefruit Grown in Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas; Increased Assessment Rate

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-10

... promotion law should fund an independent evaluation of the effectiveness of their generic promotion program..., trapping, and bait spray programs; $425,000 for promotion; and $250,737 for management, administration, and... production area, few have sufficient acreage to generate sales in excess of $750,000. Thus, half of the...

76 FR 61249 - Oranges and Grapefruit Grown in Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas; Increased Assessment Rate

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-04

... under the oversight of the Secretary of Agriculture pursuant to a commodity promotion law should fund an independent evaluation of the effectiveness of their generic promotion program, which is now commonly known as..., trapping, and bait spray programs; $425,000 for promotion; and $250,737 for management, administration, and...

Showcasing the InTeGrate STEP Center principles and implementation programs through interactive webinars and websites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orr, C. H.; McFadden, R.; Manduca, C. A.; Newman, A.

2016-12-01

Teaching sustainability curriculum provides an opportunity for building connections between academic learning and examples, experiences, and issues from beyond academia. Done well, this can increase students interest in a topic that feels relevant to their lives and help them transfer this learning to real life situations in their professional and personal lives. To support this approach to teaching, the NSF STEP Center InTeGrate developed a set of five core principles to guide development of teaching materials and programs that draw content from grand challenges to society and work to improve students' ability to understand the nature of science and think like a scientist. These principles include both effective pedagogical approaches and an interdisciplinary framework and are reflected in example curriculum modules, and implementation programs supported by InTeGrate. In order to promote adoption of teaching aligned with the InTeGrate philosophy and to use the InTeGrate-developed materials as tools, we organized a public webinar series led by materials developers and program leaders in the InTeGrate community. The webinars highlight programs that have addressed bigger-scale challenges such as increasing diversity of our majors and creating pathways to the workforce, as well as the materials used by these programs. They provide detailed examples designed to help other groups implement similar programs including showcase teaching activities and examples of their use in a wide range of settings. The webinars are interactive, with built-in activities and reflections that promote discussion among participants and speakers. Topics include natural hazards and risks, water resources and sustainability, energy and atmosphere, integrating sustainability into your course, and tracing environmental contaminants. These have clear components of geoscience, but promote an interdisciplinary perspective, that provides a deeper and more thorough discussion. Each webinar is archived on the InTeGrate website. We invite people to learn about InTeGrate teaching strategies, activities, and interdisciplinary approaches, and models for implementing the principles highlighted through the STEP Center work.

Exosomes Enter Vaccine Development: Strategies Meeting Global Challenges of Emerging Infections.

PubMed

Jungbauer, Alois

2018-04-01

New approaches for vaccination must be developed in order to meet the grand challenges for emerging infectious diseases. Exosomes now enter vaccine development and these are strategies are meeting these global challenges, as demonstrated by Anticoli et al., in this issue of Biotechnology Journal. Using exosome vaccines has been now been demonstrated in vivo for several viruses such as Ebola Virus VP24, VP40, and NP, Influenza Virus NP, Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever NP, West Nile Virus NS3, and Hepatitis C Virus NS3. Now this technology must be tested in clinics. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Water-quality assessment of the Rio Grande Valley, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas; fish communities at selected sites, 1993-95

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carter, L.F.

1997-01-01

Fish communities at 10 sites in the Rio Grande Basin were sampled during low-flow periods between 1993 and 1995 as part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Program. The ecology of fish communities is one of several lines of evidence used to characterize water-quality conditions. This report describes the fish communities at selected sites in the Rio Grande Basin and relates the structure of these fish communities to the physical and chemical characteristics of the streams. Twenty-nine species of fish representing 10 families were identified in 25 samples collected during this study. Species richness ranged from 1 to 13. Cluster analysis of the 25 samples collected during this study delineated four groups of sites that were based on the similarity of the fish communities. The first two groups were individual sites with low species richness. The third group contained the most samples, and the fourth group consisted of samples from the Rio Grande at Isleta, New Mexico, and the Rio Grande at El Paso, Texas. The shift in community structure of samples from group 3 to group 4 reflects changes from predominantly coldwater fishes to warmwater fishes. Four metrics of biotic integrity (percentages of introduced individuals, omnivores, tolerant individuals, and anomalies) were used in this study to provide a broad overview of the community structure. The relative percentages of introduced species at the Rio Grande near Del Norte, Colorado; Saguache Creek near Saguache, Colorado; Rio Grande below Taos Junction Bridge, near Taos, New Mexico; and Rio Grande at Isleta are indicative of biological stress on the communities at these sites. The dominance of omnivores in samples from the Rio Grande below Taos Junction Bridge, near Taos; Rio Chama near Chamita, New Mexico; Rio Grande at Isleta; and Rio Grande at El Paso is an indication of environmental stress at these sites. In 1995, tolerant species accounted for the entire fish community at the Rio Grande at Isleta. In all samples the occurrence of anomalies was less than 2 percent of the individuals, with the exception of the sample from the Rio Grande at Isleta. On the basis of the relative percentages of introduced individuals, omnivores, tolerant individuals, and anomalies, the biotic integrity at the Rio Grande at Isleta appears to be the most impaired of all sites and shows indications of potential chemical and physical perturbations. Fish communities from three reaches at the Santa Fe River above Cochiti Lake, New Mexico, and the Rio Grande at Isleta were sampled in 1995 to assess small-scale spatial patterns in the structure of fish communities. The spatial pattern at these sites might be associated with natural variability of the fish communities or with the presence of habitat features such as pools. The total number of individuals and relative abundance in a sample varied at sites sampled yearly during this study. All sites, with the exception of the Rio Grande near Del Norte, had a decline in total number of individuals in a sample. The temporal decline in the total number of individuals at these site might be associated with the natural variability within the fish communities.

CDOCKER and lambda λ -dynamics for prospective prediction in D3R Grand Challenge 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Xinqiang; Hayes, Ryan L.; Vilseck, Jonah Z.; Charles, Murchtricia K.; Brooks, Charles L.

2018-01-01

The opportunity to prospectively predict ligand bound poses and free energies of binding to the Farnesoid X Receptor in the D3R Grand Challenge 2 provided a useful exercise to evaluate CHARMM based docking (CDOCKER) and λ-dynamics methodologies for use in "real-world" applications in computer aided drug design. In addition to measuring their current performance, several recent methodological developments have been analyzed retrospectively to highlight best procedural practices in future applications. For pose prediction with CDOCKER, when the protein structure used for rigid receptor docking was close to the crystallographic holo structure, reliable poses were obtained. Benzimidazoles, with a known holo receptor structure, were successfully docked with an average RMSD of 0.97 Å. Other non-benzimidazole ligands displayed less accuracy largely because the receptor structures we chose for docking were too different from the experimental holo structures. However, retrospective analysis has shown that when these ligands were re-docked into their holo structures, the average RMSD dropped to 1.18 Å for all ligands. When sulfonamides and spiros were docked with the apo structure, which agrees more with their holo structure than the structures we chose, five out of six ligands were correctly docked. These docking results emphasize the need for flexible receptor docking approaches. For λ-dynamics techniques, including multisite λ-dynamics (MSλD), reasonable agreement with experiment was observed for the 33 ligands investigated; root mean square errors of 2.08 and 1.67 kcal/mol were obtained for free energy sets 1 and 2, respectively. Retrospectively, soft-core potentials, adaptive landscape flattening, and biasing potential replica exchange (BP-REX) algorithms were critical to model large substituent perturbations with sufficient precision and within restrictive timeframes, such as was required with participation in Grand Challenge 2. These developments, their associated benefits, and proposed procedures for their use in future applications are discussed.

CDOCKER and λ-dynamics for prospective prediction in D₃R Grand Challenge 2.

PubMed

Ding, Xinqiang; Hayes, Ryan L; Vilseck, Jonah Z; Charles, Murchtricia K; Brooks, Charles L

2018-01-01

The opportunity to prospectively predict ligand bound poses and free energies of binding to the Farnesoid X Receptor in the D3R Grand Challenge 2 provided a useful exercise to evaluate CHARMM based docking (CDOCKER) and [Formula: see text]-dynamics methodologies for use in "real-world" applications in computer aided drug design. In addition to measuring their current performance, several recent methodological developments have been analyzed retrospectively to highlight best procedural practices in future applications. For pose prediction with CDOCKER, when the protein structure used for rigid receptor docking was close to the crystallographic holo structure, reliable poses were obtained. Benzimidazoles, with a known holo receptor structure, were successfully docked with an average RMSD of 0.97 [Formula: see text]. Other non-benzimidazole ligands displayed less accuracy largely because the receptor structures we chose for docking were too different from the experimental holo structures. However, retrospective analysis has shown that when these ligands were re-docked into their holo structures, the average RMSD dropped to 1.18 [Formula: see text] for all ligands. When sulfonamides and spiros were docked with the apo structure, which agrees more with their holo structure than the structures we chose, five out of six ligands were correctly docked. These docking results emphasize the need for flexible receptor docking approaches. For [Formula: see text]-dynamics techniques, including multisite [Formula: see text]-dynamics (MS[Formula: see text]D), reasonable agreement with experiment was observed for the 33 ligands investigated; root mean square errors of 2.08 and 1.67 kcal/mol were obtained for free energy sets 1 and 2, respectively. Retrospectively, soft-core potentials, adaptive landscape flattening, and biasing potential replica exchange (BP-REX) algorithms were critical to model large substituent perturbations with sufficient precision and within restrictive timeframes, such as was required with participation in Grand Challenge 2. These developments, their associated benefits, and proposed procedures for their use in future applications are discussed.

Google Earth Grand Tour Themes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Paor, D. G.; Whitmeyer, S. J.; Bentley, C.; Dordevic, M. M.

2014-12-01

As part of an NSF TUES Type 3 project entitled "Google Earth for Onsite and Distance Education (GEODE)," we are assembling a "Grand Tour" of locations on Earth and other terrestrial bodies that every geoscience student should know about and visit at least in virtual reality. Based on feedback from colleagues at previous meetings, we have identified nine Grand Tour themes: "Plates and Plumes," "Rocks and Regions," "Geology Through Time," "The Mapping Challenge*," "U.S. National Parks*," "The Magical Mystery Tour*," "Resources and Hazards," "Planets and Moons," and "Top of the Pops." Themes marked with an asterisk are most developed at this stage and will be demonstrated in real time. The Mapping Challenge invites students to trace geological contacts, measure bedding strike and dip and the plunge, trend, and facing of a fold. There is an advanced tool for modeling periclinal folds. The challenge is presented in a game-like format with an emphasis on puzzle-solving that will appeal to students regardless of gender. For the tour of U.S. national parks, we divided the most geologically important parks into four groups—Western Pacific, West Coast, Rockies, and East Coast. We are combining our own team's GigaPan imagery with imagery already available on the Internet. There is a great deal of imagery just waiting to be annotated for geological education purposes. The Magical Mystery Tour takes students to Google Streetview locations selected by instructors. Students are presented with questions or tasks and are given automatic feedback. Other themes are under development. Within each theme, we are crowd-sourcing contributions from colleagues and inviting colleagues to vote for or against proposed locations and student interactions. The GEODE team includes the authors and: Heather Almquist, Stephen Burgin, Cinzia Cervato, Gene Cooper, Paul Karabinos, Terry Pavlis, Jen Piatek, Bill Richards, Jeff Ryan, Ron Schott, Kristen St. John, and Barb Tewksbury.

Prospective evaluation of shape similarity based pose prediction method in D3R Grand Challenge 2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Ashutosh; Zhang, Kam Y. J.

2016-09-01

Evaluation of ligand three-dimensional (3D) shape similarity is one of the commonly used approaches to identify ligands similar to one or more known active compounds from a library of small molecules. Apart from using ligand shape similarity as a virtual screening tool, its role in pose prediction and pose scoring has also been reported. We have recently developed a method that utilizes ligand 3D shape similarity with known crystallographic ligands to predict binding poses of query ligands. Here, we report the prospective evaluation of our pose prediction method through the participation in drug design data resource (D3R) Grand Challenge 2015. Our pose prediction method was used to predict binding poses of heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) and mitogen activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinase (MAP4K4) ligands and it was able to predict the pose within 2 Å root mean square deviation (RMSD) either as the top pose or among the best of five poses in a majority of cases. Specifically for HSP90 protein, a median RMSD of 0.73 and 0.68 Å was obtained for the top and the best of five predictions respectively. For MAP4K4 target, although the median RMSD for our top prediction was only 2.87 Å but the median RMSD of 1.67 Å for the best of five predictions was well within the limit for successful prediction. Furthermore, the performance of our pose prediction method for HSP90 and MAP4K4 ligands was always among the top five groups. Particularly, for MAP4K4 protein our pose prediction method was ranked number one both in terms of mean and median RMSD when the best of five predictions were considered. Overall, our D3R Grand Challenge 2015 results demonstrated that ligand 3D shape similarity with the crystal ligand is sufficient to predict binding poses of new ligands with acceptable accuracy.

Conflicts between sandhill cranes and farmers in the western United States: evolving issues and solutions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Austin, Jane E.

2012-01-01

The main conflicts between Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) and farmers in western United States occur in the Rocky Mountain region during migration and wintering periods. Most crop damage by cranes occurs in mature wheat (Triticum aestivum) and barley (Hordeum vulgare), young shoots of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and cereal grains, chilies (Capsicum annuum), and silage corn (Zea mays). Damage is related to proximity of crop fields to roost sites and timing of crane concentrations relative to crop maturity or vulnerability. The evolution of conflicts between farmers and cranes and current solutions are described for two areas of the Rocky Mountains used by staging, migrating, or wintering cranes: Grays Lake, Idaho, and the Middle Rio Grande Valley, New Mexico. In both areas, conflicts with growing crane populations were aggravated by losses of wetlands and cropland, proximity of crops to roosts and other wetland areas, changing crop types and practices, and increasing urbanization. At Grays Lake, fall-staging cranes damaged barley fields near an important breeding refuge as well as fields 15-50 km away. In the Middle Rio Grande Valley, migrating and wintering cranes damaged young alfalfa fields, chilies, and silage corn. Solutions in both areas have been addressed through cooperative efforts among federal and state agencies, that manage wetlands and croplands to increase food availability and carrying capacity on public lands, provide hazing programs for private landowners, and strategically target crane hunting to problem areas. Sustaining the success of these programs will be challenging. Areas important to Sandhill Cranes in the western United Sates experience continued loss of habitat and food resources due to urbanization, changes in agricultural crops and practices, and water-use conflicts, which threaten the abilities of both public and private landowners to manage wetlands and croplands for cranes. Conservation of habitats and water resources are important to support crane populations and minimize future conflicts with agriculture.

Grande Ronde Basin Fish Habitat Enhancement Project : 2007 Annual Report.

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

McGowan, Vance R.; Morton, Winston H.

2008-12-30

On July 1, 1984 the Bonneville Power Administration and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife entered into an intergovernmental contract to initiate fish habitat enhancement work in the Joseph Creek subbasin of the Grande Ronde River Basin in northeast Oregon. In 1985 the Upper and Middle Grande Ronde River, and Catherine Creek subbasins were included in the contract, and in 1996 the Wallowa River subbasin was added. The primary goal of 'The Grande Ronde Basin Fish Habitat Enhancement Project' is to create, protect, and restore riparian and instream habitat for anadromous salmonids, thereby maximizing opportunities for natural fish productionmore » within the basin. This project provided for implementation of Program Measure 703 (C)(1), Action Item 4.2 of the Northwest Power Planning Council's Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program (NPPC, 1987), and continues to be implemented as offsite mitigation for mainstem fishery losses caused by the Columbia River hydro-electric system. All work conducted by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and partners is on private lands and therefore requires that considerable time be spent developing rapport with landowners to gain acceptance of, and continued cooperation with this program throughout 10-15 year lease periods. Both passive and active restoration treatment techniques are used. Passive regeneration of habitat, using riparian exclosure fencing and alternate water sources are the primary method to restore degraded streams when restoration can be achieved primarily through changes in management. Active restoration techniques using plantings, bioengineering, site-specific instream structures, or whole stream channel alterations are utilized when streams are more severely degraded and not likely to recover in a reasonable timeframe. Individual projects contribute to and complement ecosystem and basin-wide watershed restoration efforts that are underway by state, federal, and tribal agencies, and coordinated by the Grande Ronde Model Watershed Program (Project. No.199202601). Work undertaken during 2007 included: (1) Starting 1 new fencing project in the NFJD subbasin that will protect an additional 1.82 miles of stream and 216.2 acres of habitat; (2) Constructing 0.47 miles of new channel on the Wallowa River to enhance habitat, restore natural channel dimensions, pattern and profile and reconnect approximately 18 acres of floodplain and wetland habitat; (3) Planting 22,100 plants along 3 streams totaling 3.6 stream miles; (4) Establishing 34 new photopoints on 5 projects and retaking 295 existing photopoint pictures; (5) Monitoring stream temperatures at 10 locations on 5 streams and conducting other monitoring activities; (6) Completing riparian fence, water gap and other maintenance on 116.8 miles of project fences; (7) Initiated writing of a comprehensive project summary report that will present a summary of conclusions of the benefits to focal species and management recommendations for the future. Since initiation of this program 56 individual projects have been implemented, monitored and maintained along 84.8 miles of anadromous fish bearing streams that protect and enhance 3,501 acres of riparian and instream habitat.« less

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

Pesaran, Ahmad; Ban, Chunmei; Cao, Lei

The Energy Storage research and development (R&D) subprogram within the DOE Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) provides support and guidance for projects focusing on batteries for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) in support of the EV Everywhere Grand Challenge. PEVs could have a significant impact on the nation's goal of reducing dependence on imported oil and gaseous pollutant emissions. The Energy Storage program targets overcoming technical barriers to enable market success, including: (1) significantly reducing battery cost; (2) increasing battery performance (power, energy, durability); (3) reducing battery weight and volume; and (4) increasing battery tolerance to abusive conditions such as short circuit,more » overcharge, and crush. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) supports the VTO's Energy Storage program by evaluating the thermal performance of cells and packs, developing electrochemical-thermal models to accelerate the design cycle for developing batteries, investigating the behavior of lithium-ion batteries under abuse conditions such as crush, enhancing the durability of electrodes by coatings such as atomic layer deposition, synthesis of materials for higher energy density batteries, and conducting techno-economic analysis of batteries in various electric-drive vehicles. This report describes the progress made by NREL on the research and development projects funded by the DOE VTO Energy Storage subprogram in FY15.« less

Neuromorphic Computing, Architectures, Models, and Applications. A Beyond-CMOS Approach to Future Computing, June 29-July 1, 2016, Oak Ridge, TN

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

Potok, Thomas; Schuman, Catherine; Patton, Robert

The White House and Department of Energy have been instrumental in driving the development of a neuromorphic computing program to help the United States continue its lead in basic research into (1) Beyond Exascale—high performance computing beyond Moore’s Law and von Neumann architectures, (2) Scientific Discovery—new paradigms for understanding increasingly large and complex scientific data, and (3) Emerging Architectures—assessing the potential of neuromorphic and quantum architectures. Neuromorphic computing spans a broad range of scientific disciplines from materials science to devices, to computer science, to neuroscience, all of which are required to solve the neuromorphic computing grand challenge. In our workshopmore » we focus on the computer science aspects, specifically from a neuromorphic device through an application. Neuromorphic devices present a very different paradigm to the computer science community from traditional von Neumann architectures, which raises six major questions about building a neuromorphic application from the device level. We used these fundamental questions to organize the workshop program and to direct the workshop panels and discussions. From the white papers, presentations, panels, and discussions, there emerged several recommendations on how to proceed.« less

Four Apollo astronauts with Command and Service Module at ASVC prior to grand opening

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

Some of the former Apollo program astronauts admire an Apollo Command and Service Module during a tour the new Apollo/Saturn V Center (ASVC) at KSC prior to the gala grand opening ceremony for the facility that was held Jan. 8, 1997. The astronauts were invited to participate in the event, which also featured NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and KSC Director Jay Honeycutt. The astronauts are (from left): Apollo 10 Command Module Pilot and Apollo 16 Commander John W. Young;. Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot Edwin E. 'Buzz' Aldrin, Jr.; Apollo 17 Commander Eugene A. Cernan; and Apollo 10 Commander Thomas P. Stafford. The ASVC also features several other Apollo program spacecraft components, multimedia presentations and a simulated Apollo/Saturn V liftoff. The facility will be a part of the KSC bus tour that embarks from the KSC Visitor Center.

Engle, Cernan, Young, and Stafford under Saturn V at ASVC prior to grand opening

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

Some of the former Apollo program astronauts recall the past as they tour the new Apollo/Saturn V Center (ASVC) at KSC prior to the gala grand opening ceremony for the facility that was held Jan. 8, 1997. The astronauts were invited to participate in the event, which also featured NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and KSC Director Jay Honeycutt. Standing underneath the KSC Apollo/Saturn V inside the building are (from left): Apollo 14 Back-up Lunar Module Pilot Joe H. Engle; Apollo 10 Lunar Module Pilot and Apollo 17 Commander Eugene A. Cernan; Apollo 10 Command Module Pilot and Apollo 16 Commander John W. Young; and Apollo 10 Commander Thomas P. Stafford. The ASVC also features several other Apollo program spacecraft components, multimedia presentations and a simulated Apollo/Saturn V liftoff. The facility will be a part of the KSC bus tour that embarks from the KSC Visitor Center.

Development and Early Piloting of a CanMEDS Competency-Based Feedback Tool for Surgical Grand Rounds.

PubMed

Fahim, Christine; Bhandari, Mohit; Yang, Ilun; Sonnadara, Ranil

2016-01-01

Grand rounds offer an excellent opportunity for the evaluation of medical expertise, and other competencies, such as communication and professionalism. The purpose of this study was to develop a tool that would facilitate the provision of formative feedback for grand rounds to improve learning. The resulting CanMEDS-based evaluation tool was piloted in an academic surgical department. This study employed the use of a 3-phase, qualitatively-focused, embedded mixed methods approach. In Phase 1, an intrinsic case study was conducted to identify preliminary themes. These findings were crystallized using a quantitative survey. Following interpretation of these data, a grand rounds evaluation tool was developed in Phase 2. The tool was piloted in the Phase 3 focus group. This study was piloted at an academic surgical center among members of the Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada. Purposive sampling was used for this study. A total of n = 7 individuals participated in the Phase 1 interviews, and n = 24 participants completed the Phase 1 survey. Participants included a representative sample of medical students, residents, fellows, and staff. The tool was piloted among n = 19 participants. The proposed evaluation tool contains 13 Likert-scale questions and 2 open-ended questions. The tool outlines specific questions to assess grand rounds presenters within the structure of the 7 CanMEDS competency domains. "Evaluation fatigue" was identified as a major barrier in the willingness to provide effective feedback. Further, a number of factors regarding the preferred content, structure, and format of surgical grand rounds were identified. This pilot study presents a CanMEDS-specific evaluation tool that can be applied to surgical grand rounds. With the increasing adoption of competency-based medical education, comprehensive evaluation of surgical activities is required. This form provides a template for the development of competency-based evaluation tools for medical and surgical learning activities. Copyright © 2016 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Using Evaluation Research as a Means for Policy Analysis in a "New" Mission-Oriented Policy Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amanatidou, Effie; Cunningham, Paul; Gök, Abdullah; Garefi, Ioanna

2014-01-01

Grand challenges stress the importance of multi-disciplinary research, a multi-actor approach in examining the current state of affairs and exploring possible solutions, multi-level governance and policy coordination across geographical boundaries and policy areas, and a policy environment for enabling change both in science and technology and in…

SEURAT: Safety Evaluation Ultimately Replacing Animal Testing – Recommendations for future research in the field of predictive toxicology

EPA Science Inventory

The development of non-animal methodology to evaluate the potential for a chemical to cause systemic toxicity is one of the grand challenges of modern science. The European research programme SEURAT is active in this field and will conclude its first phase, SEURAT-1, in December ...

Science and society: the role of long-term studies in environmental stewardship

Treesearch

Charles T. Driscoll; Kathleen F. Lambert; F. Stuart Chapin; David J. Nowak; Thomas A. Spies; Frederick J. Swanson; David B. Kittredge; Clarisse M. Hart

2012-01-01

Long-term research should play a crucial role in addressing grand challenges in environmental stewardship. We examine the efforts of five Long Term Ecological Research Network sites to enhance policy, management, and conservation decisions for forest ecosystems. In these case studies, we explore the approaches used to inform policy on atmospheric deposition, public...

The scientific grand challenges of the 21st century for the Crop Science Society of America

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Crop science is a highly integrative science field employing expertise from multiple disciplines to broaden our understanding of agronomic, turf, and forage crops. A major goal of crop science is to ensure an adequate and sustainable production of food, feed, fuel, and fiber for our world’s growing ...

National Synchrotron Light Source II

ScienceCinema

Hill, John; Dooryhee, Eric; Wilkins, Stuart; Miller, Lisa; Chu, Yong

2018-01-16

NSLS-II is a synchrotron light source helping researchers explore solutions to the grand energy challenges faced by the nation, and open up new regimes of scientific discovery that will pave the way to discoveries in physics, chemistry, and biology — advances that will ultimately enhance national security and help drive the development of abundant, safe, and clean energy technologies.

75 FR 5634 - Grand Challenges of the 21st Century; Request for Information

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-03

... sustainable growth and the creation of high-quality jobs. One of the goals of the President's strategy is to..., etc.) that are interested in collaborating with each other and the Administration to achieve one or.... Some define important problems in a particular field of science and engineering. For example, in 1900...

Development of ecological restoration experiments in fire adapted forests at Grand Canyon National Park

Treesearch

Thomas A. Heinlein; W. Wallace Covington; Peter Z. Fule; Margaret H. Moore; Hiram B. Smith

2000-01-01

The management of national park and wilderness areas dominated by forest ecosystems adapted to frequent, low-intensity fires, continues to be a tremendous challenge. Throughout the inland West and particularly in the Southwest, ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and mixed conifer forests have become dense and structurally homogeneous after periods of...

Using physics-based pose predictions and free energy perturbation calculations to predict binding poses and relative binding affinities for FXR ligands in the D3R Grand Challenge 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Athanasiou, Christina; Vasilakaki, Sofia; Dellis, Dimitris; Cournia, Zoe

2018-01-01

Computer-aided drug design has become an integral part of drug discovery and development in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, and is nowadays extensively used in the lead identification and lead optimization phases. The drug design data resource (D3R) organizes challenges against blinded experimental data to prospectively test computational methodologies as an opportunity for improved methods and algorithms to emerge. We participated in Grand Challenge 2 to predict the crystallographic poses of 36 Farnesoid X Receptor (FXR)-bound ligands and the relative binding affinities for two designated subsets of 18 and 15 FXR-bound ligands. Here, we present our methodology for pose and affinity predictions and its evaluation after the release of the experimental data. For predicting the crystallographic poses, we used docking and physics-based pose prediction methods guided by the binding poses of native ligands. For FXR ligands with known chemotypes in the PDB, we accurately predicted their binding modes, while for those with unknown chemotypes the predictions were more challenging. Our group ranked #1st (based on the median RMSD) out of 46 groups, which submitted complete entries for the binding pose prediction challenge. For the relative binding affinity prediction challenge, we performed free energy perturbation (FEP) calculations coupled with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. FEP/MD calculations displayed a high success rate in identifying compounds with better or worse binding affinity than the reference (parent) compound. Our studies suggest that when ligands with chemical precedent are available in the literature, binding pose predictions using docking and physics-based methods are reliable; however, predictions are challenging for ligands with completely unknown chemotypes. We also show that FEP/MD calculations hold predictive value and can nowadays be used in a high throughput mode in a lead optimization project provided that crystal structures of sufficiently high quality are available.

Advancing Capabilities for Understanding the Earth System Through Intelligent Systems, the NSF Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gil, Y.; Zanzerkia, E. E.; Munoz-Avila, H.

2015-12-01

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) and Directorate for Computer and Information Science (CISE) acknowledge the significant scientific challenges required to understand the fundamental processes of the Earth system, within the atmospheric and geospace, Earth, ocean and polar sciences, and across those boundaries. A broad view of the opportunities and directions for GEO are described in the report "Dynamic Earth: GEO imperative and Frontiers 2015-2020." Many of the aspects of geosciences research, highlighted both in this document and other community grand challenges, pose novel problems for researchers in intelligent systems. Geosciences research will require solutions for data-intensive science, advanced computational capabilities, and transformative concepts for visualizing, using, analyzing and understanding geo phenomena and data. Opportunities for the scientific community to engage in addressing these challenges are available and being developed through NSF's portfolio of investments and activities. The NSF-wide initiative, Cyberinfrastructure Framework for 21st Century Science and Engineering (CIF21), looks to accelerate research and education through new capabilities in data, computation, software and other aspects of cyberinfrastructure. EarthCube, a joint program between GEO and the Advanced Cyberinfrastructure Division, aims to create a well-connected and facile environment to share data and knowledge in an open, transparent, and inclusive manner, thus accelerating our ability to understand and predict the Earth system. EarthCube's mission opens an opportunity for collaborative research on novel information systems enhancing and supporting geosciences research efforts. NSF encourages true, collaborative partnerships between scientists in computer sciences and the geosciences to meet these challenges.

Grand unification of neutron stars

PubMed Central

Kaspi, Victoria M.

2010-01-01

The last decade has shown us that the observational properties of neutron stars are remarkably diverse. From magnetars to rotating radio transients, from radio pulsars to isolated neutron stars, from central compact objects to millisecond pulsars, observational manifestations of neutron stars are surprisingly varied, with most properties totally unpredicted. The challenge is to establish an overarching physical theory of neutron stars and their birth properties that can explain this great diversity. Here I survey the disparate neutron stars classes, describe their properties, and highlight results made possible by the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, in celebration of its 10th anniversary. Finally, I describe the current status of efforts at physical “grand unification” of this wealth of observational phenomena, and comment on possibilities for Chandra’s next decade in this field. PMID:20404205

Docking of small molecules to farnesoid X receptors using AutoDock Vina with the Convex-PL potential: lessons learned from D3R Grand Challenge 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kadukova, Maria; Grudinin, Sergei

2018-01-01

The 2016 D3R Grand Challenge 2 provided an opportunity to test multiple protein-ligand docking protocols on a set of ligands bound to farnesoid X receptor that has many available experimental structures. We participated in the Stage 1 of the Challenge devoted to the docking pose predictions, with the mean RMSD value of our submission poses of 2.9 Å. Here we present a thorough analysis of our docking predictions made with AutoDock Vina and the Convex-PL rescoring potential by reproducing our submission protocol and running a series of additional molecular docking experiments. We conclude that a correct receptor structure, or more precisely, the structure of the binding pocket, plays the crucial role in the success of our docking studies. We have also noticed the important role of a local ligand geometry, which seems to be not well discussed in literature. We succeed to improve our results up to the mean RMSD value of 2.15-2.33 Å dependent on the models of the ligands, if docking these to all available homologous receptors. Overall, for docking of ligands of diverse chemical series we suggest to perform docking of each of the ligands to a set of multiple receptors that are homologous to the target.

Challenges in responding to the ebola epidemic - four rural counties, Liberia, August-November 2014.

PubMed

Summers, Aimee; Nyenswah, Tolbert G; Montgomery, Joel M; Neatherlin, John; Tappero, Jordan W; T, Nyenswah; M, Fahnbulleh; M, Massaquoi

2014-12-19

The first cases of Ebola virus disease (Ebola) in West Africa were identified in Guinea on March 22, 2014. On March 30, the first Liberian case was identified in Foya Town, Lofa County, near the Guinean border. Because the majority of early cases occurred in Lofa and Montserrado counties, resources were concentrated in these counties during the first several months of the response, and these counties have seen signs of successful disease control. By October 2014, the epidemic had reached all 15 counties of Liberia. During August 27-September 10, 2014, CDC in collaboration with the Liberian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare assessed county Ebola response plans in four rural counties (Grand Cape Mount, Grand Bassa, Rivercess, and Sinoe, to identify county-specific challenges in executing their Ebola response plans, and to provide recommendations and training to enhance control efforts. Assessments were conducted through interviews with county health teams and health care providers and visits to health care facilities. At the time of assessment, county health teams reported lacking adequate training in core Ebola response strategies and reported facing many challenges because of poor transportation and communication networks. Development of communication and transportation network strategies for communities with limited access to roads and limited means of communication in addition to adequate training in Ebola response strategies is critical for successful management of Ebola in remote areas.

Addressing China’s grand challenge of achieving food security while ensuring environmental sustainability

PubMed Central

Lu, Yonglong; Jenkins, Alan; Ferrier, Robert C.; Bailey, Mark; Gordon, Iain J.; Song, Shuai; Huang, Jikun; Jia, Shaofeng; Zhang, Fusuo; Liu, Xuejun; Feng, Zhaozhong; Zhang, Zhibin

2015-01-01

China’s increasingly urbanized and wealthy population is driving a growing and changing demand for food, which might not be met without significant increase in agricultural productivity and sustainable use of natural resources. Given the past relationship between lack of access to affordable food and political instability, food security has to be given a high priority on national political agendas in the context of globalization. The drive for increased food production has had a significant impact on the environment, and the deterioration in ecosystem quality due to historic and current levels of pollution will potentially compromise the food production system in China. We discuss the grand challenges of not only producing more food but also producing it sustainably and without environmental degradation. In addressing these challenges, food production should be considered as part of an environmental system (soil, air, water, and biodiversity) and not independent from it. It is imperative that new ways of meeting the demand for food are developed while safeguarding the natural resources upon which food production is based. We present a holistic approach to both science and policy to ensure future food security while embracing the ambition of achieving environmental sustainability in China. It is a unique opportunity for China to be a role model as a new global player, especially for other emerging economies. PMID:26601127

Optometric Grand Rounds.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Townsend, John C.; Selvin, Gerald J.

1988-01-01

A clinical program developed for Veterans Administration optometry residents and rotating Southern California College of Optometry interns consisted of clinical patient examination followed by case discussion, a formal lecture corresponding to the ocular and systemic diseases presented in the examination, and student testing. (MSE)

76 FR 21042 - Request for Certification of Compliance-Rural Industrialization Loan and Grant Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-14

... the headquarters facility and long-term working capital for the new expansion in the Casa Grande, Eloy, and Queen Creek facilities. The company's headquarters are located in Queen Creek, Arizona. The NAICS...

Schweickart and guest at ASVC prior to grand opening

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

Apollo 9 Lunar Module Pilot Russell L. Schweikart poses in front of an Apollo Command and Service Module in the the new Apollo/Saturn V Center (ASVC) at KSC prior to the gala grand opening ceremony for the facility that was held Jan. 8, 1997. Several Apollo astronauts were invited to participate in the event, which also featured NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and KSC Director Jay Honeycutt. The ASVC also features several other Apollo program spacecraft components, multimedia presentations and a simulated Apollo/Saturn V liftoff. The facility will be a part of the KSC bus tour that embarks from the KSC Visitor Center.

Heroes & Legends Grand Opening Ceremony

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-14

On November 11, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex held the grand opening of its Heroes & Legends attraction. The interactive exhibit not only brings to life the enthralling stories of America’s pioneering astronauts, but also enables visitors to vicariously experience the thrills and dangers of America’s earliest missions through engaging storytelling and high-tech special effects. Heroes & Legends, located just inside the entrance to the visitor complex featuring the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, presented by Boeing, introduces visitors to heroes of the American space program through a 360-degree visual presentation, a 4-D multisensory theater experience, and other interactive features including holograms and astronaut memorabilia.

Workflows and performances in the ranking prediction of 2016 D3R Grand Challenge 2: lessons learned from a collaborative effort.

PubMed

Gao, Ying-Duo; Hu, Yuan; Crespo, Alejandro; Wang, Deping; Armacost, Kira A; Fells, James I; Fradera, Xavier; Wang, Hongwu; Wang, Huijun; Sherborne, Brad; Verras, Andreas; Peng, Zhengwei

2018-01-01

The 2016 D3R Grand Challenge 2 includes both pose and affinity or ranking predictions. This article is focused exclusively on affinity predictions submitted to the D3R challenge from a collaborative effort of the modeling and informatics group. Our submissions include ranking of 102 ligands covering 4 different chemotypes against the FXR ligand binding domain structure, and the relative binding affinity predictions of the two designated free energy subsets of 15 and 18 compounds. Using all the complex structures prepared in the same way allowed us to cover many types of workflows and compare their performances effectively. We evaluated typical workflows used in our daily structure-based design modeling support, which include docking scores, force field-based scores, QM/MM, MMGBSA, MD-MMGBSA, and MacroModel interaction energy estimations. The best performing methods for the two free energy subsets are discussed. Our results suggest that affinity ranking still remains very challenging; that the knowledge of more structural information does not necessarily yield more accurate predictions; and that visual inspection and human intervention are considerably important for ranking. Knowledge of the mode of action and protein flexibility along with visualization tools that depict polar and hydrophobic maps are very useful for visual inspection. QM/MM-based workflows were found to be powerful in affinity ranking and are encouraged to be applied more often. The standardized input and output enable systematic analysis and support methodology development and improvement for high level blinded predictions.

Workflows and performances in the ranking prediction of 2016 D3R Grand Challenge 2: lessons learned from a collaborative effort

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Ying-Duo; Hu, Yuan; Crespo, Alejandro; Wang, Deping; Armacost, Kira A.; Fells, James I.; Fradera, Xavier; Wang, Hongwu; Wang, Huijun; Sherborne, Brad; Verras, Andreas; Peng, Zhengwei

2018-01-01

The 2016 D3R Grand Challenge 2 includes both pose and affinity or ranking predictions. This article is focused exclusively on affinity predictions submitted to the D3R challenge from a collaborative effort of the modeling and informatics group. Our submissions include ranking of 102 ligands covering 4 different chemotypes against the FXR ligand binding domain structure, and the relative binding affinity predictions of the two designated free energy subsets of 15 and 18 compounds. Using all the complex structures prepared in the same way allowed us to cover many types of workflows and compare their performances effectively. We evaluated typical workflows used in our daily structure-based design modeling support, which include docking scores, force field-based scores, QM/MM, MMGBSA, MD-MMGBSA, and MacroModel interaction energy estimations. The best performing methods for the two free energy subsets are discussed. Our results suggest that affinity ranking still remains very challenging; that the knowledge of more structural information does not necessarily yield more accurate predictions; and that visual inspection and human intervention are considerably important for ranking. Knowledge of the mode of action and protein flexibility along with visualization tools that depict polar and hydrophobic maps are very useful for visual inspection. QM/MM-based workflows were found to be powerful in affinity ranking and are encouraged to be applied more often. The standardized input and output enable systematic analysis and support methodology development and improvement for high level blinded predictions.

Final Natural Resource Actions Environmental Assessment

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-06-22

populations through use of insecticides and rodenticides would be accomplished under the supervision of the Base Pest Management Office and coordinated... Insecticide , Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act; DoD Directive 4150.7, DoD Pest Management Program; AFI 32-1053, Pest Management Program; and the North... insecticide and herbicide. Grand Forks AFB constructed a 2,400-square-foot pest management facility in 1996 in accor- dance with the guidelines

Science-based stockpile stewardship at Los Alamos National Laboratory

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

Immele, J.

1995-10-01

I would like to start by working from Vic Reis`s total quality management diagram in which he began with the strategy and then worked through the customer requirements-what the Department of Defense (DoD) is hoping for from the science-based stockpile stewardship program. Maybe our customer`s requirements will help guide some of the issues that we should be working on. ONe quick answer to {open_quotes}why have we adopted a science-based strategy{close_quotes} is that nuclear weapons are a 50-year responsibility, not just a 5-year responsibility, and stewardship without testing is a grand challenge. While we can do engineering maintenance and turn overmore » and remake a few things on the short time scale, without nuclear testing, without new weapons development, and without much of the manufacturing base that we had in the past, we need to learn better just how these weapons are actually working.« less

Software Engineering Support of the Third Round of Scientific Grand Challenge Investigations: An Earth Modeling System Software Framework Strawman Design that Integrates Cactus and UCLA/UCB Distributed Data Broker

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Talbot, Bryan; Zhou, Shu-Jia; Higgins, Glenn

2002-01-01

One of the most significant challenges in large-scale climate modeling, as well as in high-performance computing in other scientific fields, is that of effectively integrating many software models from multiple contributors. A software framework facilitates the integration task. both in the development and runtime stages of the simulation. Effective software frameworks reduce the programming burden for the investigators, freeing them to focus more on the science and less on the parallel communication implementation, while maintaining high performance across numerous supercomputer and workstation architectures. This document proposes a strawman framework design for the climate community based on the integration of Cactus, from the relativistic physics community, and UCLA/UCB Distributed Data Broker (DDB) from the climate community. This design is the result of an extensive survey of climate models and frameworks in the climate community as well as frameworks from many other scientific communities. The design addresses fundamental development and runtime needs using Cactus, a framework with interfaces for FORTRAN and C-based languages, and high-performance model communication needs using DDB. This document also specifically explores object-oriented design issues in the context of climate modeling as well as climate modeling issues in terms of object-oriented design.

Enhancing Systems Engineering Education Through Case Study Writing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stevens, Jennifer Stenger

2016-01-01

Developing and refining methods for teaching systems engineering is part of Systems Engineering grand challenges and agenda for research in the SE research community. Retention of systems engineering knowledge is a growing concern in the United States as the baby boom generation continues to retire and the faster pace of technology development does not allow for younger generations to gain experiential knowledge through years of practice. Government agencies, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), develop their own curricula and SE leadership development programs to "grow their own" systems engineers. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) conducts its own Center-focused Marshall Systems Engineering Leadership Development Program (MSELDP), a competitive program consisting of coursework, a guest lecture series, and a rotational assignment into an unfamiliar organization engaged in systems engineering. Independently, MSFC developed two courses to address knowledge retention and sharing concerns: Real World Marshall Mission Success course and its Case Study Writers Workshop and Writers Experience. Teaching case study writing and leading students through a hands-on experience at writing a case study on an SE topic can enhance SE training and has the potential to accelerate the transfer of experiential knowledge. This paper is an overview of the pilot experiences with teaching case study writing, its application in case study-based learning, and identifies potential areas of research and application for case study writing in systems engineering education.

Arc4nix: A cross-platform geospatial analytical library for cluster and cloud computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Jingyin; Matyas, Corene J.

2018-02-01

Big Data in geospatial technology is a grand challenge for processing capacity. The ability to use a GIS for geospatial analysis on Cloud Computing and High Performance Computing (HPC) clusters has emerged as a new approach to provide feasible solutions. However, users lack the ability to migrate existing research tools to a Cloud Computing or HPC-based environment because of the incompatibility of the market-dominating ArcGIS software stack and Linux operating system. This manuscript details a cross-platform geospatial library "arc4nix" to bridge this gap. Arc4nix provides an application programming interface compatible with ArcGIS and its Python library "arcpy". Arc4nix uses a decoupled client-server architecture that permits geospatial analytical functions to run on the remote server and other functions to run on the native Python environment. It uses functional programming and meta-programming language to dynamically construct Python codes containing actual geospatial calculations, send them to a server and retrieve results. Arc4nix allows users to employ their arcpy-based script in a Cloud Computing and HPC environment with minimal or no modification. It also supports parallelizing tasks using multiple CPU cores and nodes for large-scale analyses. A case study of geospatial processing of a numerical weather model's output shows that arcpy scales linearly in a distributed environment. Arc4nix is open-source software.

Estimating occupancy in large landscapes: Evaluation of amphibian monitoring in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Treesearch

William R. Gould; Debra A. Patla; Rob Daley; Paul Stephen Corn; Blake R. Hossack; Robert Bennetts; Charles R. Peterson

2012-01-01

Monitoring of natural resources is crucial to ecosystem conservation, and yet it can pose many challenges. Annual surveys for amphibian breeding occupancy were conducted in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks over a 4-year period (2006-2009) at two scales: catchments (portions of watersheds) and individual wetland sites. Catchments were selected in a stratified...

A Federal Vision for Future Computing: A Nanotechnology-Inspired Grand Challenge

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-29

Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Defense (DOD), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Intelligence Community (IC) Introduction...multiple Federal agencies: • Intelligent big data sensors that act autonomously and are programmable via the network for increased flexibility, and... intelligence for scientific discovery enabled by rapid extreme-scale data analysis, capable of understanding and making sense of results and thereby

Colleges Look to "Big-Screen Research" to Stay Relevant and Collaborative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Jeffrey R.

2012-01-01

When VCRs became affordable, the film industry worried that people would stop going to the movies. Theaters have not gone away, but they have changed, with many now focused on delivering spectacles that can be seen only in a grand setting, with a big screen and booming sound. Traditional colleges now face a similar challenge, thanks to free or…

Using Digital Technologies in Mathematics Teaching: Developing an Understanding of the Landscape Using Three "Grand Challenge" Themes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joubert, Marie

2013-01-01

This paper develops an understanding of the issues, interests and concerns within the mathematics education community related to the use of computers and other digital technologies in the teaching and learning of mathematics. It begins by arguing for the importance of understanding this landscape of interests and concerns, and then turns to the…

The Grand Challenge: Helping Teachers Learn/Teach Cutting-Edge Science via a PBL Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ertmer, Peggy A.; Schlosser, Sarah; Clase, Kari; Adedokun, Omolola

2014-01-01

A mixed-methods research study was designed to examine teachers' knowledge and confidence for implementing a STEM-based problem-based learning (PBL) unit in their 6-12 grade science and math classrooms. Twenty-one teachers (7 in-service and 13 pre-service) participated in an intensive two-week summer workshop during which they engaged in, and then…

Grand challenges in evolutionary and population genetics: The importance of integrating epigenetics, genomics, modeling, and experimentation

Treesearch

Samuel A. Cushman

2014-01-01

This is a time of explosive growth in the fields of evolutionary and population genetics, with whole genome sequencing and bioinformatics driving a transformative paradigm shift (Morozova and Marra, 2008). At the same time, advances in epigenetics are thoroughly transforming our understanding of evolutionary processes and their implications for populations, species and...

The Grand Strategy of the United States

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-01

as a new American ideology, based on notions of personal liberty, egalitarianism, individualism, republicanism, populism, and laissez - faire ...the global challenges of the moment in a larger framework of diplomacy, economic strength, military power, and global leadership . Presidents do...Nye, Soft Power: The Means to Succeed in World Politics (New York: PublicAf- fairs , 2004). 56 Christopher M. Schnaubelt, “The Illusions and Delusions

Successful NEES Grand Challenge Tests on Non-Ductile Beam-Column Joints

Science.gov Websites

potential of existing gravity load designed RC buildings is a great concern during intense seismic events evaluate unreinforced corner joints shear strength and axial residual capacity under high axial load axial load is 0.20f ’c Ag , while the overturning axial loads vary with displacement reversals to range

Endeavour Grand Opening Ceremony

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-10-30

A space shuttle main engine (SSME) is on display near the space shuttle Endeavour at the California Science center's Samuel Oschin Space Shuttle Endeavour Display Pavilion, Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, in Los Angeles. Endeavour, built as a replacement for space shuttle Challenger, completed 25 missions, spent 299 days in orbit, and orbited Earth 4,671 times while traveling 122,883,151 miles. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Concept for Determining the Life of Ceramic Matrix Composites Using Nondestructive Characterization Techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Effinger, M.; Ellingson, B.; Spohnholtz, T.; Koenig, J.

2001-01-01

An idea is put forth for a nondestructive characterization (NDC) generated algorithm-N curve to replace a S-N curve. A scenario for NDC life determination has been proposed. There are many challenges for the NDC life determination and prediction, but it could yield a grand payoff. The justification for NDC life determination and prediction is documented.

Translating ecology, physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology research to meet grand challenge of tick and tick-borne diseases in North America

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Emerging and re-emerging tick-borne diseases threaten public health and the wellbeing of domestic animals and wildlife globally. The use of science-based technology to diminish the impact of tick-borne diseases should be an active research effort aimed to protect human and animal populations. Here, ...

Extensible Adaptive System for STEM Learning

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-07-16

Copyright 2013 Raytheon BBN Technologies Corp. All Rights Reserved ONR STEM Grand Challenge Extensible Adaptive System for STEM Learning ...Contract # N00014-12-C-0535 Raytheon BBN Technologies Corp. (BBN) Reference # 14217 In partial fulfillment of contract deliverable item # A001...Quarterly Progress Report #2 April 7, 2013 –July 6, 2013 Submitted July 16, 2013 BBN Technical POC: John Makhoul Raytheon BBN Technologies

Optimal affinity ranking for automated virtual screening validated in prospective D3R grand challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wingert, Bentley M.; Oerlemans, Rick; Camacho, Carlos J.

2018-01-01

The goal of virtual screening is to generate a substantially reduced and enriched subset of compounds from a large virtual chemistry space. Critical in these efforts are methods to properly rank the binding affinity of compounds. Prospective evaluations of ranking strategies in the D3R grand challenges show that for targets with deep pockets the best correlations (Spearman ρ 0.5) were obtained by our submissions that docked compounds to the holo-receptors with the most chemically similar ligand. On the other hand, for targets with open pockets using multiple receptor structures is not a good strategy. Instead, docking to a single optimal receptor led to the best correlations (Spearman ρ 0.5), and overall performs better than any other method. Yet, choosing a suboptimal receptor for crossdocking can significantly undermine the affinity rankings. Our submissions that evaluated the free energy of congeneric compounds were also among the best in the community experiment. Error bars of around 1 kcal/mol are still too large to significantly improve the overall rankings. Collectively, our top of the line predictions show that automated virtual screening with rigid receptors perform better than flexible docking and other more complex methods.

New measurements of cosmic ray air showers with the digital radio interferometer LOPES

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schröder, F. G.; Apel, W. D.; Arteaga, J. C.; Asch, T.; Bähren, L.; Bekk, K.; Bertaina, M.; Biermann, P. L.; Blümer, J.; Bozdog, H.; Brancus, I. M.; Buchholz, P.; Buitink, S.; Cantoni, E.; Chiavassa, A.; Daumiller, K.; de Souza, V.; Doll, P.; Engel, R.; Falcke, H.; Finger, M.; Fuhrmann, D.; Gemmeke, H.; Grupen, C.; Haungs, A.; Heck, D.; Hörandel, J. R.; Horneffer, A.; Huber, D.; Huege, T.; Isar, P. G.; Kampert, K.-H.; Kang, D.; Krömer, O.; Kuijpers, J.; Lafebre, S.; Link, K.; Łuczak, P.; Ludwig, M.; Mathes, H. J.; Melissas, M.; Morello, C.; Nehls, S.; Oehlschläger, J.; Palmieri, N.; Pierog, T.; Rautenberg, J.; Rebel, H.; Roth, M.; Rühle, C.; Saftoiu, A.; Schieler, H.; Schmidt, A.; Sima, O.; Toma, G.; Trinchero, G. C.; Weindl, A.; Wochele, J.; Wommer, M.; Zabierowski, J.; Zensus, J. A.

2011-08-01

LOPES is a digital radio interferometer which measures the radio emission of extensive cosmic ray air showers. It mainly consists of 30 dipole antennas installed in co-location with KASCADE-Grande at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany. KASCADE-Grande measures the secondary air shower particles at ground. Whenever KASCADE-Grande detects a high-energy cosmic ray event (≳1016 eV), it triggers LOPES which then digitally records the radio signal in the frequency band from 40 to 80 MHz. Using interferometric methods, LOPES is able to successfully detect air shower induced radio pulses, even in the noisy environment at the KIT. In the present studies, a considerable progress in understanding the radio emission mechanism is shown: The latest version of the "radio emission in air shower" simulation program, REAS3, seems to be the first Monte Carlo tool which is able to reproduce the magnitude and slope of most of the measured lateral distributions.

Collaborating on global priorities: science education for everyone—any time and everywhere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tobin, Kenneth

2016-03-01

Building on the key ideas from Dana Zeidler's paper I expand the conversation from the standpoint that the challenges facing humanity and the capacity of Earth to support life suggest that changes in human lifestyles are a priority. Accordingly, there is an urgent need to educate all humans about some of the science-related grand challenges, such as global warming and wellness. The key is to enact programs that have relevance to all citizens, irrespective of: age, location, language proficiency, economic resources, religion, gender, sexual preference, and level of prior education. Since significant changes are needed in human lifestyles the current emphasis on preK-12 science education needs to be expanded to cover all humans and the places in which education occurs should be everywhere. I explore the use of a multilogical framework to conceptualize science and thereby transform science education in ways that better relate to priorities of wellness and harmony in the ecosystems that sustain life on Earth. I illustrate the potential of multilogicality in a context of complementary medicine, using three frameworks: Jin Shin Jyutsu, an ancient system of medicine; a diet to reduce inflammation; and iridology. Use of a multilogical framework to conceptualize science provides opportunities for science education to focus on education for literate citizenry (birth-death) and responsible action, connect to the massive challenges of the present, and select content that has high relevance to sustainability, wellness, and well-being at local, national, and global levels.

Knights, knaves, pawns and queens: attitudes to behaviour in postwar Britain

PubMed Central

Welshman, John

2007-01-01

The choice agenda is currently one of the most prominent in public policy. One of its main architects, Julian Le Grand, has used the metaphors of knights, knaves, pawns and queens to characterise changing attitudes to questions of motivation and behaviour among public servants and service users. He has said, for example, that, in the immediate postwar period, public servants were perceived as public‐spirited altruists (or knights), whereas service users were seen as passive (or pawns). It was only in the mid‐1980s that public servants came to be seen as essentially self‐interested (knaves) and service users came to be regarded as consumers (queens). However, this highly influential model has undergone remarkably little critical scrutiny to date. This article explores the debate over transmitted deprivation in the 1970s to provide a historically grounded piece of analysis to explore the accuracy and utility of these metaphors. It challenges Le Grand's arguments in three respects. Firstly, a concern with behaviour and agency went much broader than social security fraud. Secondly, the metaphor of pawns is inadequate for characterising attitudes towards the poor and service users. Finally, Le Grand's periodisation of the postwar era also has serious flaws. PMID:17234865

Relative susceptibility and effects on performance of Rio Grande cutthroat trout and rainbow trout challenged with Myxobolus cerebralis

USGS Publications Warehouse

DuBey, R.J.; Caldwell, C.A.; Gould, W.R.

2007-01-01

We evaluated the susceptibility of Rio Grande cutthroat trout (RGCT) Oncorhynchus clarkii virginalis to infection by Myxobolus cerebralis in a laboratory experiment. In the same experiment, rainbow trout (RBT) O. mykiss were similarly exposed to M. cerebralis as a reference of known sensitivity to the parasite. Treatments consisting of six parasite concentrations (0, 50, 100, 250, 500, and 1,000 triactinomyxons [TAMS] per fish) were randomized within a complete block design using RGCT and RBT fry beginning at 60 d posthatch (600 degree-days at 10??C). The laboratory experiment was terminated at 130 d postexposure (1,900 degree-days at 10??C). Diagnostic metrics included clinical signs (behavioral and black tail), survival, myxospore counts, histology, and a swimming performance challenge. Clinical signs of whirling disease were observed within both species at 500 and 1,000 TAMs/fish by 66 d postexposure to the disease. Rio Grande cutthroat trout exhibited significantly lower survival (50% cumulative mortality at 1,000 TAMs/fish) and a significant concentration response compared with RBT (8% cumulative mortality at 1,000 TAMs/fish). Histological scoring of cranial sections using a 0-5 scale of increasing pathogenic effect revealed greater disease severity in RGCT (3.20) than in RBT (2.43) at 100 TAMs/fish but no difference at 1,000 TAMs/fish (4.15 and 4.12, respectively). Swimming performance revealed detectably lower critical swimming speed in both RGCT and RBT in relation to increased parasite concentrations, the RGCT exhibiting detectably lower critical swimming speeds than the RBT at increased parasite concentration. If M. cerebralis were to spread to areas supporting RGCT, population-level effects may occur. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2007.

Spatial geologic data model for the Gunnison, Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre National Forests mineral assessment area, southwestern Colorado and digital data for the Leadville, Montrose, Durango, and Colorado parts of the Grand Junction, Moab, and Cortez 1 degree x 2 degrees geologic maps

USGS Publications Warehouse

Day, W.C.; Green, G.N.; Knepper, D.H.; Phillips, R.C.

1999-01-01

The digital geologic and geographic information system (GIS) data presented here were prepared to aid in Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, Gunnison National Forest (GMUG) mineral resource assessment Project studies by the U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Resource Program. The goals of the GMUG Project is to provide mineral resource data and an assessment for undiscovered mineral resources in U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands in southwestern Colorado. The Project area covers a large region in southwestern Colorado that is bounded by latitudes 37o 45’ to 39o 30’ north and longitudes 106o to 109o west. The study area is covered by all or parts of six 1o x2o topographic and quadrangle geologic maps, which include geologic maps for the Leadville (Tweto and others, 1978), Montrose (Tweto and others, 1976), Durango (Steven and others, 1974), Grand Junction (Cashion, 1973), Moab (Williams, 1976), and Cortez (Haynes and others, 1972) quadrangles. These geologic maps were used inasmuch as a complete remapping and compilation effort for this study area was beyond the scope of the Project.

Mass, Mobility, and the Red Army’s Road to Operational Art, 1918-1936

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-07-01

Combined Arms Center CAC 8c. ADDRESS (City, State, and ZIP Code) 10. SOURCE OF FUNDING NUMBERS C AC PROGRAM IPROJECT ITASK WORK UNIT -~ Ft. Leavenworth...tsarist government’s adoption of the Grand Program for rearmament in 1912 thus threatened to change the military balance on the continent.’ Those forces...for which the "Great Program of 1912" provided did create a window of vulnerability which German officers assumed would open around 1917. This in its

Grand Ronde Basin Fish Habitat Enhancement Project, 2008 Annual Report.

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

McGowan, Vance R.; Morton, Winston H.

2009-07-01

On July 1, 1984 the Bonneville Power Administration and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife entered into an intergovernmental contract to initiate fish habitat enhancement work in the Joseph Creek subbasin of the Grande Ronde River Basin in northeast Oregon. In 1985 the Upper and Middle Grande Ronde River, and Catherine Creek subbasins were included in the contract, and in 1996 the Wallowa River subbasin was added. The primary goal of 'The Grande Ronde Basin Fish Habitat Enhancement Project' is to create, protect, and restore riparian and instream habitat for anadromous salmonids, thereby maximizing the opportunities for natural fishmore » production within the basin. This project originally provided for implementation of Program Measure 703 (C)(1), Action Item 4.2 of the Northwest Power Planning Council's Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program (NPPC, 1987), and continues to be implemented under revisions of the Fish and Wild Program as offsite mitigation for mainstem fishery losses caused by the Columbia River hydro-electric system. All work conducted by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and partners is on private lands and therefore requires considerable time be spent developing rapport with landowners to gain acceptance, and continued cooperation with this program throughout 10-15 year lease periods. Both passive and active restoration treatment techniques are used. Passive regeneration of habitat, using riparian exclosure fencing and alternate water sources, is the primary method to restore degraded streams when restoration can be achieved primarily through changes in management. Active restoration techniques using plantings, bioengineering, site-specific instream structures, or whole stream channel alterations are utilized when streams are more severely degraded and not likely to recover in a reasonable timeframe. Individual projects contribute to and complement ecosystem and basin-wide watershed restoration efforts that are underway by state, federal, and tribal agencies, and coordinated by the Grande Ronde Model Watershed Program (Project. No. 199202601). Work undertaken during 2008 included: (1) completing 1 new fencing project in the North Fork John Day subbasin that protects 1.82 miles of stream and 216.2 acres of habitat, and 1 fencing project in the Wallowa subbasin that protects an additional 0.59 miles of stream and 42.5 acres of habitat; (2) constructing 0.47 miles of new channel on the Wallowa river to enhance habitat, restore natural channel dimensions, pattern and profile and reconnect approximately 18 acres of floodplain and wetland habitat; (3) planting 10,084 plants along 0.5 miles of the Wallowa Riverproject; (4) establishing 34 new photopoints on 5 projects and retaking 295 existing photopoint pictures; (5) monitoring stream temperatures at 10 locations on 5 streams and conducting other monitoring activities; (6) completing riparian fence, water gap and other maintenance on 116.8 miles of project fences; and (7) completed a comprehensive project summary report to the Independent Scientific Review panel (ISRP) that provided our conclusions regarding benefits to focal species, along with management recommendations for the future. Since initiation of this program 57 individual projects have been implemented, monitoring and maintained along 84.9 miles of anadromous fish bearing streams, that protect and enhance 3,564 acres of riparian and instream habitat.« less

Grand challenges in space synthetic biology

PubMed Central

Montague, Michael G.; Cumbers, John; Hogan, John A.

2015-01-01

Space synthetic biology is a branch of biotechnology dedicated to engineering biological systems for space exploration, industry and science. There is significant public and private interest in designing robust and reliable organisms that can assist on long-duration astronaut missions. Recent work has also demonstrated that such synthetic biology is a feasible payload minimization and life support approach as well. This article identifies the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in the field of space synthetic biology, while highlighting relevant progress. It also outlines anticipated broader benefits from this field, because space engineering advances will drive technological innovation on Earth. PMID:26631337

Coupling of Mechanical Behavior of Cell Components to Electrochemical-Thermal Models for Computer-Aided Engineering of Batteries under Abuse (Presentation)

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

Pesaran, A.; Wierzbicki, T.; Sahraei, E.

The EV Everywhere Grand Challenge aims to produce plug-in electric vehicles as affordable and convenient for the American family as gasoline-powered vehicles by 2022. Among the requirements set by the challenge, electric vehicles must be as safe as conventional vehicles, and EV batteries must not lead to unsafe situations under abuse conditions. NREL's project started in October 2013, based on a proposal in response to the January 2013 DOE VTO FOA, with the goal of developing computer aided engineering tools to accelerate the development of safer lithium ion batteries.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam: Source of cooperation or contention?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Teferi Taye, Meron; Tadesse, Tsegaye; Senay, Gabriel; Block, Paul

2016-01-01

This paper discusses the challenges and benefits of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which is under construction and expected to be operational on the Blue Nile River in Ethiopia in a few years. Like many large-scale projects on transboundary rivers, the GERD has been criticized for potentially jeopardizing downstream water security and livelihoods through upstream unilateral decision making. In spite of the contentious nature of the project, the authors argue that this project can provide substantial benefits for regional development. The GERD, like any major river infrastructure project, will undeniably bring about social, environmental, and economic change, and in this unique case has, on balance, the potential to achieve success on all fronts. It must be stressed, however, that strong partnerships between riparian countries are essential. National success is contingent on regional cooperation.

The Arctic Grand Challenge: Abrupt Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilkniss, P. E.

2003-12-01

Trouble in polar paradise (Science, 08/30/02), significant changes in the Arctic environment are scientifically documented (R.E. Moritz et al. ibid.). More trouble, lots more, "abrupt climate change," (R. B. Alley, et al. Science 03/28/03). R. Corell, Arctic Climate Impact Assessment team (ACIA), "If you want to see what will happen in the rest of the world 25 years from now just look what's happening in the Arctic," (Arctic Council meeting, Iceland, 08/03). What to do? Make abrupt Arctic climate change a grand challenge for the IPY-4 and beyond! Scientifically:Describe the "state" of the Arctic climate system as succinctly as possible and accept it as the point of departure.Develop a hypothesis and criteria what constitutes "abrupt climate change," in the Arctic that can be tested with observations. Observations: Bring to bear existing observations and coordinate new investments in observations through an IPY-4 scientific management committee. Make the new Barrow, Alaska, Global Climate Change Research Facility a major U.S. contribution and focal point for the IPY-4 in the U.S Arctic. Arctic populations, Native peoples: The people of the North are living already, daily, with wrenching change, encroaching on their habitats and cultures. For them "the earth is faster now," (I. Krupnik and D. Jolly, ARCUS, 2002). From a political, economic, social and entirely realistic perspective, an Arctic grand challenge without the total integration of the Native peoples in this effort cannot succeed. Therefore: Communications must be established, and the respective Native entities must be approached with the determination to create well founded, well functioning, enduring partnerships. In the U.S. Arctic, Barrow with its long history of involvement and active support of science and with the new global climate change research facility should be the focal point of choice Private industry: Resource extraction in the Arctic followed by oil and gas consumption, return the combustion products as greenhouse gases to their regions of origin. Thus multinational company operations are affected by their own activities. There is a strong, convincing case, that these industrial giants must be involved in Arctic partnerships of the grand challenge. A most instructive, very successful example is the collaboration by the chemical companies after the discovery of the polar ozone holes, followed by the replacement of the culprit chlorofluorocarbon compounds. Public relations and involvement/education: The IPY offers a unique opportunity to showcase and drive home, into homes, the seriousness of the issue, Hollywood/Madison Avenue/ NASA style, nothing else will do. Ultimately we need to be mindful that "civilizations are ephemeral compared to species. -What we need is a primer on science, clearly written and unambiguous in its meaning-a primer for anyone interested in the state of the Earth and how to survive and live well on it." (James Lovelock, Science, 08/05/98). - Let's start in the Arctic-NOW.

Assessment of the Housing Improvement Program for Chagas Disease Control in the Northwestern municipalities of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

PubMed

Santos, Cibele Velleda Dos; Bedin, Clenonara; Wilhelms, Tania Stasiak; Villela, Marcos Marreiro

2016-01-01

The Housing Improvement Program for Chagas Disease Control (HIPCDC) was established in 2001 in Northwestern Rio Grande do Sul State, aiming to improve the conditions of the domiciliary and peridomiciliary environments to make them resistant to triatomine colonization. This study aimed to assess the impact of the HIPCDC on triatomine control by developing local population and authority awareness on the issue. The study was conducted by means of questionnaires applied to local authorities and the program beneficiaries. Three municipalities - Ajuricaba, Coronel Barros, and Crissiumal - were visited. A program coordinator from each municipality and 62 individuals from selected households were interviewed. The authorities reported difficulties in the implementation of the program due to differences between the project development period and financial resource availability, in addition to a lack of understanding by the community not included in the program. As for the houses, most improvements were made in the peridomiciliary environments; moreover, construction of 4 new residences, as well as the renovation of others, was also reported. Regarding suggestions to the program, requests for better planning (44.9%) and renovation quality (36.7%) were highlighted. With reference to the presence of triatomine bugs, prior to the HIPCDC adaptations, 12.9% of the respondents reported coming across at least one specimen at home, as compared to 22.6% who found these insects in peridomiciliary areas. Despite reports of difficulties in carrying out the HIPCDC, there was an improvement in the housing conditions, with no triatomine occurrence reports after the program implementation.

U.S. Geological Survey middle Rio Grande basin study; proceedings of the third annual workshop, Albuquerque, New Mexico, February 24-25, 1999

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bartolino, James R.

1999-01-01

Approximately 40 percent (about 600,000 people) of the total population of New Mexico lives within the Middle Rio Grande Basin, which includes the City of Albuquerque. Ongoing analyses of the central portion of the Middle Rio Grande Basin by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the City of Albuquerque and other agencies have shown that ground water in the basin is not as readily accessible as earlier studies indicated. A more complete characterization of the ground-water resources of the entire Middle Rio Grande Basin is hampered by a scarcity of data in the northern and southern areas of the basin. The USGS Middle Rio Grande Basin study is a 5-year effort by the USGS and other agencies to improve the understanding of the hydrology, geology, and land-surface characteristics of the Middle Rio Grande Basin. The primary objective of this study is to improve the understanding of the water resources of the basin. Of particular interest is to determine the extent of hydrologic connection between the Rio Grande and the Santa Fe Group aquifer. Additionally, ground-water quality affects the availability of water supplies in the basin. Improving the existing USGS-constructed ground-water flow model of the Middle Rio Grande Basin will integrate all the various tasks that improve our knowledge of the various components of the Middle Rio Grande water budget. Part of this improvement will be accompanied by extended knowledge of the aquifer system beyond the Albuquerque area into the northern and southern reaches of the basin. Other improvements will be based on understanding gained through process-oriented research and improved geologic characterization of the deposits. The USGS and cooperating agencies will study the hydrology, geology, and land-surface characteristics of the basin to provide the scientific information needed for water-resources management and for managers to plan for water supplies needed for a growing population. To facilitate exchange of information among the scientists working on the Middle Rio Grande Basin study, yearly technical meetings have been held for each of the first 3 years of the anticipated 5-year study. These meetings provide an opportunity to present research results and plan new field efforts. This report documents the results of research presented at the third annual technical workshop held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, February 24-25, 1999. The report is organized into this introduction and five chapters that focus on Middle Rio Grande Basin study investigations in progress in the Middle Rio Grande Basin. The first chapter describes geographic data and analysis efforts in the basin. The second chapter details work being done on the hydrogeologic and geologic framework of the basin. The third chapter describes studies on ground-water recharge in the basin. The fourth chapter provides details on the research on the ground-water flow system in the basin, including modeling efforts. The fifth chapter is devoted to an overview of New Mexico District Cooperative Program studies in the basin. The information in this report presents preliminary results of an evolving study. As the study progresses and individual projects publish their results in more detail, the USGS hopes to expand the scientific basis needed for management decisions regarding the Middle Rio Grande Basin.

Think First Job! Preferences and Expectations of Engineering Students in a French 'Grande Ecole'

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerwel Proches, Cecile N.; Chelin, Nathalie; Rouvrais, Siegfried

2018-01-01

A career in engineering may be appealing owing to the prospect of a good salary and a dynamic work environment. There may, however, be challenges for students wishing to enter their first job. In engineering education, career preparation courses may be included so as to prepare students adequately for their first job, future careers, and to…

Peaceful Twilight: Grand Strategy for a Power in Relative Decline

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-01

virtually every issue. The Republican Party has become progressively more conservative favoring a strong military, smaller government, laissez - faire ...international order, still wields a significant amount of influence on the world stage. Yet as other powers rise, new challenges to US leadership and...corrupting effects of affluence. External factors include the rise of new rivals, the growing costs of protection, loss of economic leadership , and

Delineating an Educational Policy Framework for the Developing Nations in Meeting the Emerging Global Challenges by Year 2050

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sedere, Upali M.

2008-01-01

School based general education aught to be a future oriented subject. However, over the years, due to parental and grand-parental generations setting policies of education for the younger generation, education is always more past oriented than future oriented. This trend did not cause much of a problem when the change over time was moderate. As…

Asteroid Initiative Industry and Partner Day

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-06-18

NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver discusses the progress being made on NASA's mission to capture, redirect, and explore an asteroid during the Asteroid Initiative Industry and Partner Day at NASA Headquarters on Tuesday, June 18, 2013 in Washington. NASA also announced an Asteroid Grand Challenge focused on finding all asteroid threats to human populations and knowing what to do about them. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Development of Component Mechanisms and Novel Actuation for Origami Inspired Designs

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-11-17

soft robot for the competition ‘RoboSoft Grand Challenge 2016’, and contributed greatly to SNUMAX’s winning performance. Table 1 summarizes the...gliding multimodal robot . Self-Depolyable Glider DISTRIBUTION A. Approved for public release: distribution unlimited. II. Research Performances...proposed a novel variable-diameter wheel using an origami-based soft robotics design approach. Using soft materials for a variable-diameter wheel

Defense AT&L (Volume 35, Number 6, November-December 2006)

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-12-01

our view of reality is inherently unstable. That is, when we realize our current cultural preferences, frame- works, mental models , doctrines...manufacturing rules and procedures (con- trols). IDEF0 function modeling has since been adopted for other applications such as business process... negotiating busy intersections, and avoiding obstacles. The DARPA Grand Challenge Web site <http://www.darpa.mil/grandchallenge>is the primary resource for

Resources and Recommendations for Using Transcriptomics to Address Grand Challenges in Comparative Biology

PubMed Central

Mykles, Donald L.; Burnett, Karen G.; Durica, David S.; Joyce, Blake L.; McCarthy, Fiona M.; Schmidt, Carl J.; Stillman, Jonathon H.

2016-01-01

High-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) technology has become an important tool for studying physiological responses of organisms to changes in their environment. De novo assembly of RNA-seq data has allowed researchers to create a comprehensive catalog of genes expressed in a tissue and to quantify their expression without a complete genome sequence. The contributions from the “Tapping the Power of Crustacean Transcriptomics to Address Grand Challenges in Comparative Biology” symposium in this issue show the successes and limitations of using RNA-seq in the study of crustaceans. In conjunction with the symposium, the Animal Genome to Phenome Research Coordination Network collated comments from participants at the meeting regarding the challenges encountered when using transcriptomics in their research. Input came from novices and experts ranging from graduate students to principal investigators. Many were unaware of the bioinformatics analysis resources currently available on the CyVerse platform. Our analysis of community responses led to three recommendations for advancing the field: (1) integration of genomic and RNA-seq sequence assemblies for crustacean gene annotation and comparative expression; (2) development of methodologies for the functional analysis of genes; and (3) information and training exchange among laboratories for transmission of best practices. The field lacks the methods for manipulating tissue-specific gene expression. The decapod crustacean research community should consider the cherry shrimp, Neocaridina denticulata, as a decapod model for the application of transgenic tools for functional genomics. This would require a multi-investigator effort. PMID:27639274

Addressing Physics Grand Challenges Using the Jefferson Lab FEL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Gwyn P.

2006-11-01

The Jefferson Lab Free Electron Laser[1] is the first of the so-called 4^th generation light sources to go operational. Capable of delivering extraordinarily bright, tunable light in ultrafast pulses from THz[2] through infrared to UV, the facility extends the experimental reach of accelerator-based light-sources by many orders of magnitude. This allows new opportunities to study many of the ``Grand Challenges'' recently defined by the Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences Division, most of which are concerned with understandings of equilibrium and non-equilibrium behavior of materials in physics, chemistry and biology using precise pump and probe techniques. Specifically, in condensed matter physics, the JLab FEL permits new studies which go beyond earlier studies of reductionist behavior to those which examine emergent behavior. Thus, the understanding of high Tc superconductivity, colossal magneto-resistance, and observations of the breakdown of the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, are examples of collective behavior which is now treated theoretically via the concept of quasiparticles. In this presentation we will describe the dual pathways of light source development and physics challenges, and then show how they are combined in experiments that allow new insights to be developed to understand material function. We will illustrate this with details of the evolution of accelerator-based light sources, and with examples of work performed to date. References: [1] Neil et al. Phys. Rev.Letts 84, 662 (2000). [2] Carr, Martin, McKinney, Neil, Jordan & Williams, Nature 420, 153 (2002).

The Grand Challenge of Basin-Scale Groundwater Quality Management Modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fogg, G. E.

2017-12-01

The last 50+ years of agricultural, urban and industrial land and water use practices have accelerated the degradation of groundwater quality in the upper portions of many major aquifer systems upon which much of the world relies for water supply. In the deepest and most extensive systems (e.g., sedimentary basins) that typically have the largest groundwater production rates and hold fresh groundwaters on decadal to millennial time scales, most of the groundwater is not yet contaminated. Predicting the long-term future groundwater quality in such basins is a grand scientific challenge. Moreover, determining what changes in land and water use practices would avert future, irreversible degradation of these massive freshwater stores is a grand challenge both scientifically and societally. It is naïve to think that the problem can be solved by eliminating or reducing enough of the contaminant sources, for human exploitation of land and water resources will likely always result in some contamination. The key lies in both reducing the contaminant sources and more proactively managing recharge in terms of both quantity and quality, such that the net influx of contaminants is sufficiently moderate and appropriately distributed in space and time to reverse ongoing groundwater quality degradation. Just as sustainable groundwater quantity management is greatly facilitated with groundwater flow management models, sustainable groundwater quality management will require the use of groundwater quality management models. This is a new genre of hydrologic models do not yet exist, partly because of the lack of modeling tools and the supporting research to model non-reactive as well as reactive transport on large space and time scales. It is essential that the contaminant hydrogeology community, which has heretofore focused almost entirely on point-source plume-scale problems, direct it's efforts toward the development of process-based transport modeling tools and analyses capable of appropriately upscaling advection-dispersion and reactions at the basin scale (10^2 km). A road map for research and development in groundwater quality management modeling and its application toward securing future groundwater resources will be discussed.

Advancing Climate Change and Impacts Science Through Climate Informatics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lenhardt, W.; Pouchard, L. C.; King, A. W.; Branstetter, M. L.; Kao, S.; Wang, D.

2010-12-01

This poster will outline the work to date on developing a climate informatics capability at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The central proposition of this effort is that the application of informatics and information science to the domain of climate change science is an essential means to bridge the realm of high performance computing (HPC) and domain science. The goal is to facilitate knowledge capture and the creation of new scientific insights. For example, a climate informatics capability will help with the understanding and use of model results in domain sciences that were not originally in the scope. From there, HPC can also benefit from feedback as the new approaches may lead to better parameterization in the models. In this poster we will summarize the challenges associated with climate change science that can benefit from the systematic application of informatics and we will highlight our work to date in creating the climate informatics capability to address these types of challenges. We have identified three areas that are particularly challenging in the context of climate change science: 1) integrating model and observational data across different spatial and temporal scales, 2) model linkages, i.e. climate models linked to other models such as hydrologic models, and 3) model diagnostics. Each of these has a methodological component and an informatics component. Our project under way at ORNL seeks to develop new approaches and tools in the context of linking climate change and water issues. We are basing our work on the following four use cases: 1) Evaluation/test of CCSM4 biases in hydrology (precipitation, soil water, runoff, river discharge) over the Rio Grande Basin. User: climate modeler. 2) Investigation of projected changes in hydrology of Rio Grande Basin using the VIC (Variable Infiltration Capacity Macroscale) Hydrologic Model. User: watershed hydrologist/modeler. 3) Impact of climate change on agricultural productivity of the Rio Grande Basin. User: climate impact scientist, agricultural economist. 4) Renegotiation of the 1944 “Treaty for the Utilization of Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande”. User: A US State Department analyst or their counterpart in Mexico.

An Exponential Teaching Model for Educational Cablevision with Implications for an Advanced Degree Program in Applied Learning Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zink, J.

1976-01-01

The design and implementation of a cablevision delivered course on Grand Opera is described. The unique aspect of this project is that both the viewers and the production teams experienced active learning situations. (Author)

STREAM TEMPERATURE SIMULATION OF FORESTED RIPARIAN AREAS: II. MODEL APPLICATION

EPA Science Inventory

The SHADE-HSPF modeling system described in a companion paper has been tested and applied to the Upper Grande Ronde (UGR) watershed in northeast Oregon. Sensitivities of stream temperature to the heat balance parameters in Hydrologic Simulation Program-FORTRAN (HSPF) and the ripa...

Six Apollo astronauts in front of Saturn V at ASVC prior to grand opening

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

Some of the former Apollo program astronauts pose in front of an Apollo Command and Service Module during a tour the new Apollo/Saturn V Center (ASVC) at KSC prior to the gala grand opening ceremony for the facility that was held Jan. 8, 1997. The astronauts were invited to participate in the event, which also featured NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and KSC Director Jay Honeycutt. The astronauts are (from left): Apollo 14 Lunar Module Pilot Edgar D. Mitchell; Apollo 10 Command Module Pilot and Apollo 16 Commander John W. Young; Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot Edwin E. 'Buzz' Aldrin, Jr.; Apollo 10 Commander Thomas P. Stafford; Apollo 10 Lunar Module Pilot and Apollo 17 Commander Eugene A. Cernan; and Apollo 9 Lunar Module Pilot Russell L. Schweikart. The ASVC also features several other Apollo program spacecraft components, multimedia presentations and a simulated Apollo/Saturn V liftoff. The facility will be a part of the KSC bus tour that embarks from the KSC Visitor Center.

Five Apollo astronauts with Lunar Module at ASVC prior to grand opening

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

Some of the former Apollo program astronauts observe a Lunar Module and Moon mockup during a tour the new Apollo/Saturn V Center (ASVC) at KSC prior to the gala grand opening ceremony for the facility that was held Jan. 8, 1997. The astronauts were invited to participate in the event, which also featured NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and KSC Director Jay Honeycutt. Some of the visiting astonauts were (from left): Apollo 10 Lunar Module Pilot and Apollo 17 Commander Eugene A. Cernan; Apollo 9 Lunar Module Pilot Russell L. Schweikart; Apollo 10 Command Module Pilot and Apollo 16 Commander John W. Young; Apollo 10 Commander Thomas P. Stafford; and Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot Edwin E. 'Buzz' Aldrin, Jr. The ASVC also features several other Apollo program spacecraft components, multimedia presentations and a simulated Apollo/Saturn V liftoff. The facility will be a part of the KSC bus tour that embarks from the KSC Visitor Center.

The ClearEarth Project: Preliminary Findings from Experiments in Applying the CLEARTK NLP Pipeline and Annotation Tools Developed for Biomedicine to the Earth Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duerr, R.; Thessen, A.; Jenkins, C. J.; Palmer, M.; Myers, S.; Ramdeen, S.

2016-12-01

The ability to quickly find, easily use and effortlessly integrate data from a variety of sources is a grand challenge in Earth sciences, one around which entire research programs have been built. A myriad of approaches to tackling components of this challenge have been demonstrated, often with some success. Yet finding, assessing, accessing, using and integrating data remains a major challenge for many researchers. A technology that has shown promise in nearly every aspect of the challenge is semantics. Semantics has been shown to improve data discovery, facilitate assessment of a data set, and through adoption of the W3C's Linked Data Platform to have improved data integration and use at least for data amenable to that paradigm. Yet the creation of semantic resources has been slow. Why? Amongst a plethora of other reasons, it is because semantic expertise is rare in the Earth and Space sciences; the creation of semantic resources for even a single discipline is labor intensive and requires agreement within the discipline; best practices, methods and tools for supporting the creation and maintenance of the resources generated are in flux; and the human and financial capital needed are rarely available in the Earth sciences. However, other fields, such as biomedicine, have made considerable progress in these areas. The NSF-funded ClearEarth project is adapting the methods and tools from these communities for the Earth sciences in the expectation that doing so will enhance progress and the rate at which the needed semantic resources are created. We discuss progress and results to date, lessons learned from this adaptation process, and describe our upcoming efforts to extend this knowledge to the next generation of Earth and data scientists.

Binding pose and affinity prediction in the 2016 D3R Grand Challenge 2 using the Wilma-SIE method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hogues, Hervé; Sulea, Traian; Gaudreault, Francis; Corbeil, Christopher R.; Purisima, Enrico O.

2018-01-01

The Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) exhibits significant backbone movement in response to the binding of various ligands and can be a challenge for pose prediction algorithms. As part of the D3R Grand Challenge 2, we tested Wilma-SIE, a rigid-protein docking method, on a set of 36 FXR ligands for which the crystal structures had originally been blinded. These ligands covered several classes of compounds. To overcome the rigid protein limitations of the method, we used an ensemble of publicly available structures for FXR from the PDB. The use of the ensemble allowed Wilma-SIE to predict poses with average and median RMSDs of 2.3 and 1.4 Å, respectively. It was quite clear, however, that had we used a single structure for the receptor the success rate would have been much lower. The most successful predictions were obtained on chemical classes for which one or more crystal structures of the receptor bound to a molecule of the same class was available. In the absence of a crystal structure for the class, observing a consensus binding mode for the ligands of the class using one or more receptor structures of other classes seemed to be indicative of a reasonable pose prediction. Affinity prediction proved to be more challenging with generally poor correlation with experimental IC50s (Kendall tau 0.3). Even when the 36 crystal structures were used the accuracy of the predicted affinities was not appreciably improved. A possible cause of difficulty is the internal energy strain arising from conformational differences in the receptor across complexes, which may need to be properly estimated and incorporated into the SIE scoring function.

Assessing recent declines in Upper Rio Grande runoff efficiency from a paleoclimate perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehner, Flavio; Wahl, Eugene R.; Wood, Andrew W.; Blatchford, Douglas B.; Llewellyn, Dagmar

2017-05-01

Recent decades have seen strong trends in hydroclimate over the American Southwest, with major river basins such as the Rio Grande exhibiting intermittent drought and declining runoff efficiencies. The extent to which these observed trends are exceptional has implications for current water management and seasonal streamflow forecasting practices. We present a new reconstruction of runoff ratio for the Upper Rio Grande basin back to 1571 C.E., which provides evidence that the declining trend in runoff ratio from the 1980s to present day is unprecedented in context of the last 445 years. Though runoff ratio is found to vary primarily in proportion to precipitation, the reconstructions suggest a secondary influence of temperature. In years of low precipitation, very low runoff ratios are made 2.5-3 times more likely by high temperatures. This temperature sensitivity appears to have strengthened in recent decades, implying future water management vulnerability should recent warming trends in the region continue.