Low encounter speed comet COMA sample return missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsou, P.; Yen, C. W.; Albee, A. L.

1994-01-01

Comets, being considered the most primitive bodies in the solar system, command the highest priority among solar-system objects for studying solar nebula evolution and the evolution of life through biogenic elements and compounds. The study of comets, and more especially, of material from them, provides an understanding of the physical, chemical, and mineralogical processes operative in the formation and earliest development of the solar systems. These return samples will provide valuable information on comets and serve as a rosetta stone for the analytical studies conducted on interplanetary dust particles over the past two decades, and will provide much needed extraterrestrial samples for the planetary materials community since the Apollo program. Lander sample return missions require rather complex spacecraft, intricate operations, and costly propulsion systems. By contrast, it is possible to take a highly simplified approach for sample capture and return in the case of a comet. In the past, we have considered Earth free-return trajectory to the comet, in which passive collectors intercept dust and volatiles from the cometary coma. However, standard short period cometary free-return trajectories results in the comet to the spacecraft encounter speeds in the range of 10 km/s. At these speeds the kinetic energy of the capture process can render significant modification of dust structure, change of solid phase as well as the lost of volatiles components. This paper presents a class of new missions with trajectories with significant reduction of encounter speeds by incorporating gravity assists and deep space maneuvering. Low encounter speed cometary flyby sample return will enable a marked increase in the value of the return science. Acquiring thousands of samples from a known comet and thousands of images of a comet nucleus would be space firsts. Applying new approach in flight mechanics to generate a new class of low encounter speed cometary sample return trajectories opens new possibilities in science. A systematic search of trajectories for the first decade of the twenty-first century will be made. The target encounter speed is for less than 7 km/s to short period comets.

Mars Sample Return: Mars Ascent Vehicle Mission and Technology Requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowles, Jeffrey V.; Huynh, Loc C.; Hawke, Veronica M.; Jiang, Xun J.

2013-01-01

A Mars Sample Return mission is the highest priority science mission for the next decade recommended by the recent Decadal Survey of Planetary Science, the key community input process that guides NASAs science missions. A feasibility study was conducted of a potentially simple and low cost approach to Mars Sample Return mission enabled by the use of developing commercial capabilities. Previous studies of MSR have shown that landing an all up sample return mission with a high mass capacity lander is a cost effective approach. The approach proposed is the use of an emerging commercially available capsule to land the launch vehicle system that would return samples to Earth. This paper describes the mission and technology requirements impact on the launch vehicle system design, referred to as the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV).

Mars Sample Return: Mars Ascent Vehicle Mission and Technology Requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowles, Jeffrey V.; Huynh, Loc C.; Hawke, Veronica M.

2013-01-01

A Mars Sample Return mission is the highest priority science mission for the next decade recommended by the recent Decadal Survey of Planetary Science, the key community input process that guides NASA's science missions. A feasibility study was conducted of a potentially simple and low cost approach to Mars Sample Return mission enabled by the use of new commercial capabilities. Previous studies of MSR have shown that landing an all up sample return mission with a high mass capacity lander is a cost effective approach. The approach proposed is the use of a SpaceX Dragon capsule to land the launch vehicle system that would return samples to Earth. This paper describes the mission and technology requirements impact on the launch vehicle system design, referred to as the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV).

Planetary Protection Provisions for the Mars 2020 Mission: Enabling Discovery by Constraining Contamination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rummel, J. D.; Conley, C. A.

2013-12-01

The 2013-2022 NRC Decadal Survey named its #1 Flagship priority as a large, capable Mars rover that would be the first of a three-mission, multi-decadal effort to return samples from Mars. More recently, NASA's Mars Program has stated that a Mars rover mission known as 'Mars 2020' would be flown to Mars (in 2020) to accomplish a subset of the goals specified by the NRC, and the recent report of the Mars 2020 Science Definition Team (SDT) has recommended that the mission accomplish broad and rigorous in situ science, including seeking biosignatures, acquiring a diverse set of samples intended to address a range of Mars science questions and storing them in a cache for potential return to Earth at a later time, and other engineering goals to constrain costs and support future human exploration. In some ways Mars 2020 will share planetary protection requirements with the Mars Science Laboratory mission that landed in 2012, which included landing site constraints based on the presence of a perennial heat source (the MMRTG) aboard the lander/rover. In a very significant way, however, the presence of a sample-cache and the potential that Mars 2020 will be the first mission in the chain that will return a sample from Mars to Earth. Thus Mars 2020 will face more stringent requirements aimed at keeping the mission from returning Earth contamination with the samples from Mars. Mars 2020 will be looking for biosignatures of ancient life, on Mars, but will also need to be concerned with the potential to detect extant biosignatures or life itself within the sample that is eventually returned. If returned samples are able to unlock wide-ranging questions about the geology, surface processes, and habitability of Mars that cannot be answered by study of meteorites or current mission data, then either the returned samples must be free enough of Earth organisms to be releasable from a quarantine facility or the planned work of sample scientists, including high- and low-T geochemistry, igneous and sedimentary petrology, mineral spectroscopy, and astrobiology, will have to be accomplished within a containment facility. The returned samples also need to be clean of Earth organisms to avoid the potential that Earth contamination will mask the potential for martian life to be detected, allowing only non-conclusive or false-negative results. The requirements placed on the Mars 2020 mission to address contamination control in a life-detection framework will be one of the many challenges faced in this potential first step in Mars sample return.

Importance of return flow as a component of water use

USGS Publications Warehouse

Trotta, L.C.; Horn, M.S.

1990-01-01

Understanding the relation between the hydrologjc cycle and water use is important for effective water-resources management. The hydrologic cycle is the natural pathway of water from evaporation to precipitation to infiltration or runoff and to storage from which evaporation can again occur. The science of water use is the study of human influences on the hydrologic cycle. Human activities affect the hydrologic cycle by changing the quantity, distribution, and quality of available water. Quantifying return flow is useful to water managers in evaluating such changes. Return flow is often thought of as what runs down the drain, or what is leftover after the water's purpose has been served. As innocuous as that may sound, return flow plays a significant part in the overall water-use picture.

Auroral Current and Electrodynamics Structure (ACES) Observations of Ionospheric Feedback in the Alfven Resonator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, Ian J.; Lessard, Marc; Lund, Eric J.; Bounds, Scott R.; Kletzing, Craig; Kaeppler, Stephen R.; Sigsbee, Kristine M.; Streltsov, Anatoly V.; Labelle, James W.; Dombrowski, Micah P.;

Essential Autonomous Science Inference on Rovers (EASIR)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roush, Ted L.; Shipman, Mark; Morris, Robert; Gazis, Paul; Pedersen, Liam

2003-01-01

Existing constraints on time, computational, and communication resources associated with Mars rover missions suggest on-board science evaluation of sensor data can contribute to decreasing human-directed operational planning, optimizing returned science data volumes, and recognition of unique or novel data. All of which act to increase the scientific return from a mission. Many different levels of science autonomy exist and each impacts the data collected and returned by, and activities of, rovers. Several computational algorithms, designed to recognize objects of interest to geologists and biologists, are discussed. The algorithms represent various functions that producing scientific opinions and several scenarios illustrate how the opinions can be used.

Three options for citation tracking: Google Scholar, Scopus and Web of Science.

PubMed

Bakkalbasi, Nisa; Bauer, Kathleen; Glover, Janis; Wang, Lei

2006-06-29

Researchers turn to citation tracking to find the most influential articles for a particular topic and to see how often their own published papers are cited. For years researchers looking for this type of information had only one resource to consult: the Web of Science from Thomson Scientific. In 2004 two competitors emerged--Scopus from Elsevier and Google Scholar from Google. The research reported here uses citation analysis in an observational study examining these three databases; comparing citation counts for articles from two disciplines (oncology and condensed matter physics) and two years (1993 and 2003) to test the hypothesis that the different scholarly publication coverage provided by the three search tools will lead to different citation counts from each. Eleven journal titles with varying impact factors were selected from each discipline (oncology and condensed matter physics) using the Journal Citation Reports (JCR). All articles published in the selected titles were retrieved for the years 1993 and 2003, and a stratified random sample of articles was chosen, resulting in four sets of articles. During the week of November 7-12, 2005, the citation counts for each research article were extracted from the three sources. The actual citing references for a subset of the articles published in 2003 were also gathered from each of the three sources. For oncology 1993 Web of Science returned the highest average number of citations, 45.3. Scopus returned the highest average number of citations (8.9) for oncology 2003. Web of Science returned the highest number of citations for condensed matter physics 1993 and 2003 (22.5 and 3.9 respectively). The data showed a significant difference in the mean citation rates between all pairs of resources except between Google Scholar and Scopus for condensed matter physics 2003. For articles published in 2003 Google Scholar returned the largest amount of unique citing material for oncology and Web of Science returned the most for condensed matter physics. This study did not identify any one of these three resources as the answer to all citation tracking needs. Scopus showed strength in providing citing literature for current (2003) oncology articles, while Web of Science produced more citing material for 2003 and 1993 condensed matter physics, and 1993 oncology articles. All three tools returned some unique material. Our data indicate that the question of which tool provides the most complete set of citing literature may depend on the subject and publication year of a given article.

Three options for citation tracking: Google Scholar, Scopus and Web of Science

PubMed Central

Bakkalbasi, Nisa; Bauer, Kathleen; Glover, Janis; Wang, Lei

2006-01-01

Background Researchers turn to citation tracking to find the most influential articles for a particular topic and to see how often their own published papers are cited. For years researchers looking for this type of information had only one resource to consult: the Web of Science from Thomson Scientific. In 2004 two competitors emerged – Scopus from Elsevier and Google Scholar from Google. The research reported here uses citation analysis in an observational study examining these three databases; comparing citation counts for articles from two disciplines (oncology and condensed matter physics) and two years (1993 and 2003) to test the hypothesis that the different scholarly publication coverage provided by the three search tools will lead to different citation counts from each. Methods Eleven journal titles with varying impact factors were selected from each discipline (oncology and condensed matter physics) using the Journal Citation Reports (JCR). All articles published in the selected titles were retrieved for the years 1993 and 2003, and a stratified random sample of articles was chosen, resulting in four sets of articles. During the week of November 7–12, 2005, the citation counts for each research article were extracted from the three sources. The actual citing references for a subset of the articles published in 2003 were also gathered from each of the three sources. Results For oncology 1993 Web of Science returned the highest average number of citations, 45.3. Scopus returned the highest average number of citations (8.9) for oncology 2003. Web of Science returned the highest number of citations for condensed matter physics 1993 and 2003 (22.5 and 3.9 respectively). The data showed a significant difference in the mean citation rates between all pairs of resources except between Google Scholar and Scopus for condensed matter physics 2003. For articles published in 2003 Google Scholar returned the largest amount of unique citing material for oncology and Web of Science returned the most for condensed matter physics. Conclusion This study did not identify any one of these three resources as the answer to all citation tracking needs. Scopus showed strength in providing citing literature for current (2003) oncology articles, while Web of Science produced more citing material for 2003 and 1993 condensed matter physics, and 1993 oncology articles. All three tools returned some unique material. Our data indicate that the question of which tool provides the most complete set of citing literature may depend on the subject and publication year of a given article. PMID:16805916

Chen Ning Yang’s New Contributions After He Returned to Where He Started

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Bang-Fen

2018-01-01

Chen Ning Yang returned to Tsinghua University as a full professor in 2003. Regarding the fact that very few people know what Professor Yang has contributed to science and to China after his return, in this article new contributions of Chen Ning Yang are introduced as far as the author knows, including his leading role in China’s sciences, the research in statistical physics, the role in cultivating gifted students, his research in history of science, and all other aspects relating to China’s developments.

NASA Space Life Sciences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hayes, Judith

2009-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the requirements that NASA has for the medical service of a crew returning to earth after long duration space flight. The scenarios predicate a water landing. Two scenarios are reviewed that outline the ship-board medical operations team and the ship board science reseach team. A schedule for the each crew upon landing is posited for each of scenarios. The requirement for a heliport on board the ship is reviewed and is on the requirement for a helicopter to return the Astronauts to the Baseline Data Collection Facility (BDCF). The ideal is to integrate the medical and science requirements, to minimize the risks and Inconveniences to the returning astronauts. The medical support that is required for all astronauts returning from long duration space flight (30 days or more) is reviewed. The personnel required to support the team is outlined. The recommendations for medical operations and science research for crew support are stated.

The Returns to Educational Training in Math and Science for American Women.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hills, Stephen M.; De Souza, Gita

The economic returns of taking math and science courses in high school are estimated for women who do not go on to college and for women entrepreneurs. A human capital model is used to estimate returns for respondents drawn from the National Longitudinal Survey's New Youth Cohort. Wage rates in 1990 of women who were ages 14-21 in 1979 were…

SOCCER: Comet Coma Sample Return Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Albee, A. L.; Uesugi, K. T.; Tsou, Peter

1994-01-01

Comets, being considered the most primitive bodies in the solar system, command the highest priority among solar system objects for studying solar nebula evolution and the evolution of life through biogenic elements and compounds. Sample Of Comet Coma Earth Return (SOCCER), a joint effort between NASA and the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) in Japan, has two primary science objectives: (1) the imaging of the comet nucleus and (2) the return to Earth of samples of volatile species and intact dust. This effort makes use of the unique strengths and capabilities of both countries in realizing this important quest for the return of samples from a comet. This paper presents an overview of SOCCER's science payloads, engineering flight system, and its mission operations.

Common In-Situ Consumable Production Plant for Robotic Mars Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sanders, G. B.; Trevathan, J. R.; Peters, T. A.; Baird, R. S.

2000-01-01

Utilization of extraterrestrial resources, or In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), is viewed by the Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) Enterprise as an enabling technology for the exploration and commercial development of space. A key subset of ISRU which has significant cost, mass, and risk reduction benefits for robotic and human exploration, and which requires a minimum of infrastructure, is In-Situ Consumable Production (ISCP). ISCP involves acquiring, manufacturing, and storing mission consumables from in situ resources, such as propellants, fuel cell reagents, and gases for crew and life support, inflation, science and pneumatic equipment. One of the four long-term goals for the Space Science Enterprise (SSE) is to 'pursue space science programs that enable and are enabled by future human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit - a goal exploiting the synergy with the human exploration of space'. Adequate power and propulsion capabilities are critical for both robotic and human exploration missions. Minimizing the mass and volume of these systems can reduce mission cost or enhance the mission by enabling the incorporation of new science or mission-relevant equipment. Studies have shown that in-situ production of oxygen and methane propellants can enhance sample return missions by enabling larger samples to be returned to Earth or by performing Direct Earth Return (DER) sample return missions instead of requiring a Mars Orbit Rendezvous (MOR). Recent NASA and Department of Energy (DOE) work on oxygen and hydrocarbon-based fuel cell power systems shows the potential of using fuel cell power systems instead of solar arrays and batteries for future rovers and science equipment. The development and use of a common oxygen/methane ISCP plant for propulsion and power generation can extend and enhance the scientific exploration of Mars while supporting the development and demonstration of critical technologies and systems for the human exploration of Mars.

Common In-Situ Consumable Production Plant for Robotic Mars Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanders, G. B.; Trevathan, J. R.; Peters, T. A.; Baird, R. S.

2000-07-01

Utilization of extraterrestrial resources, or In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), is viewed by the Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) Enterprise as an enabling technology for the exploration and commercial development of space. A key subset of ISRU which has significant cost, mass, and risk reduction benefits for robotic and human exploration, and which requires a minimum of infrastructure, is In-Situ Consumable Production (ISCP). ISCP involves acquiring, manufacturing, and storing mission consumables from in situ resources, such as propellants, fuel cell reagents, and gases for crew and life support, inflation, science and pneumatic equipment. One of the four long-term goals for the Space Science Enterprise (SSE) is to 'pursue space science programs that enable and are enabled by future human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit - a goal exploiting the synergy with the human exploration of space'. Adequate power and propulsion capabilities are critical for both robotic and human exploration missions. Minimizing the mass and volume of these systems can reduce mission cost or enhance the mission by enabling the incorporation of new science or mission-relevant equipment. Studies have shown that in-situ production of oxygen and methane propellants can enhance sample return missions by enabling larger samples to be returned to Earth or by performing Direct Earth Return (DER) sample return missions instead of requiring a Mars Orbit Rendezvous (MOR). Recent NASA and Department of Energy (DOE) work on oxygen and hydrocarbon-based fuel cell power systems shows the potential of using fuel cell power systems instead of solar arrays and batteries for future rovers and science equipment. The development and use of a common oxygen/methane ISCP plant for propulsion and power generation can extend and enhance the scientific exploration of Mars while supporting the development and demonstration of critical technologies and systems for the human exploration of Mars.

Science budget bills wind through U.S. Congress

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

With the U.S. economy booming and the science community pushing for across the board increases for federal research and development programs, science budgets are faring well in the House and Senate. When Congress returns to Washington in September following a summer recess, its priorities include finalizing four major, nondefense budget bills that affect science. These bills could provide significant funding increases for fiscal year 1998.How do these number compare to the new balanced budget agreement? According to analysts, the budget for the next fiscal year actually increases, with precipitous cuts delayed for several years. Although the outlook for long-term funding may be grim, science budgets look good for this year.

NASA's Microgravity Science Research Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1996-01-01

The ongoing challenge faced by NASA's Microgravity Science Research Program is to work with the scientific and engineering communities to secure the maximum return from our Nation's investments by: assuring that the best possible science emerges from the science community for microgravity investigations; ensuring the maximum scientific return from each investigation in the most timely and cost-effective manner; and enhancing the distribution of data and applications of results acquired through completed investigations to maximize their benefits.

NASA's Deep Space Telecommunications Roadmap

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edwards, C., Jr.; Stelzried, C.; Deutsch, L.; Swanson, L.

1998-01-01

This paper will present this roadmap, describe how it will support an increasing mission set while also providing significantly increased science data return, summarize the current state of key Ka-band and optical communications technologies, and identify critical path items in terms of technology developments, demonstrations, and mission users.

Sample Return in Preparation for Human Mission on the Surface of Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yun, P.

2018-04-01

Returned samples of martian regolith will help the science community make an informed decision in choosing the final human landing site and develop a better human mission plan to meet science criteria and IRSU and civil engineering criteria.

Cardiopulmonary discipline science plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

Life sciences research in the cardiopulmonary discipline must identify possible consequences of space flight on the cardiopulmonary system, understand the mechanisms of these effects, and develop effective and operationally practical countermeasures to protect crewmembers inflight and upon return to a gravitational environment. The long-range goal of the NASA Cardiopulmonary Discipline Research Program is to foster research to better understand the acute and long-term cardiovascular and pulmonary adaptation to space and to develop physiological countermeasures to ensure crew health in space and on return to Earth. The purpose of this Discipline Plan is to provide a conceptual strategy for NASA's Life Sciences Division research and development activities in the comprehensive area of cardiopulmonary sciences. It covers the significant research areas critical to NASA's programmatic requirements for the Extended-Duration Orbiter, Space Station Freedom, and exploration mission science activities. These science activities include ground-based and flight; basic, applied, and operational; and animal and human research and development. This document summarizes the current status of the program, outlines available knowledge, establishes goals and objectives, identifies science priorities, and defines critical questions in the subdiscipline areas of both cardiovascular and pulmonary function. It contains a general plan that will be used by both NASA Headquarters Program Offices and the field centers to review and plan basic, applied, and operational (intramural and extramural) research and development activities in this area.

Titan Science Return Quantification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weisbin, Charles R.; Lincoln, William

2014-01-01

Each proposal for a NASA mission concept includes a Science Traceability Matrix (STM), intended to show that what is being proposed would contribute to satisfying one or more of the agency's top-level science goals. But the information traditionally provided cannot be used directly to quantitatively compare anticipated science return. We added numerical elements to NASA's STM and developed a software tool to process the data. We then applied this methodology to evaluate a group of competing concepts for a proposed mission to Saturn's moon, Titan.

Pharmaceutical sciences' manpower supply and internal rate of return.

PubMed

Hartzema, A G; Perfetto, E

1991-06-01

A pharmacy student has many career options upon graduation. These options include graduate education in one of the pharmaceutical sciences and a retail pharmacy position. The attractive salaries offered by chain pharmacies play an important role in the recent graduate's career decision-making process. The purpose of this study is to provide a comparative assessment of the internal rate of return (IRR) for different pharmaceutical science career options as related to chain-store pharmacist earnings. Additionally, this study analyzes the effect of the IRR on the applicant pool size and composition for graduate study in pharmaceutical sciences. Income/age profiles were developed using public domain income data derived from salary surveys sponsored by professional associations. Based on these income/age profiles, IRRs were estimated for the pharmaceutical science disciplines, clinical pharmacy, pharmaceutics, medicinal chemistry, and pharmacy administration, and further differentiated for industry versus academic careers. The IRRs are the highest for Pharm.D.'s in academic careers (16.0%), followed by pharmaceutical scientists employed by pharmaceutical industry (8.13%). The IRR of pharmaceutical scientists in academia is lower than the return of other financial investment vehicles. Other authors have established a relationship between the IRR of a profession and a rise or decline in the applicant pool. The IRRs calculated here imply that this association can also be observed for the pharmaceutical scientist applicant pool. Low IRRs should result in a declining applicant pool. However, the last decade has shown an increase of 66% in the number of Ph.D.'s granted, while the percentage of Ph.D.'s granted to nonpharmacists or non-Americans has not increased significantly over the same time period.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Science Return from Alpha Centauri and Proxima B

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Belikov, Ruslan

2017-01-01

I will talk about the science that can be accomplished by observing the Alpha Centauri system with a variety of space telescope missions or a fly-by mission, including measurements of the planet properties such as size, temperature, rotation period, taking the spectrum of its atmosphere, imaging features like continents, and assessing its habitability. I will also talk about potential measurements of relativistic effects that would occur with a flyby that is a significant fraction of the speed of light.

Spacecraft Onboard Software Maintenance: An Effective Approach which Reduces Costs and Increases Science Return

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shell, Elaine M.; Lue, Yvonne; Chu, Martha I.

1999-01-01

Flight software (FSW) is a mission critical element of spacecraft functionality and performance. When ground operations personnel interface to a spacecraft, they are dealing almost entirely with onboard software. This software, even more than ground/flight communications systems, is expected to perform perfectly at all times during all phases of on-orbit mission life. Due to the fact that FSW can be reconfigured and reprogrammed to accommodate new spacecraft conditions, the on-orbit FSW maintenance team is usually significantly responsible for the long-term success of a science mission. Failure of FSW can result in very expensive operations work-around costs and lost science opportunities. There are three basic approaches to staffing on-orbit software maintenance, namely: (1) using the original developers, (2) using mission operations personnel, or (3) assembling a Center of Excellence for multi-spacecraft on-orbit FSW support. This paper explains a National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA/GSFC) experience related to the roles of on-orbit FSW maintenance personnel. It identifies the advantages and disadvantages of each of the three approaches to staffing the FSW roles, and demonstrates how a cost efficient on-orbit FSW Maintenance Center of Excellence can be established and maintained with significant return on the investment.

International Utilization at the Threshold of "Assembly Complete"- Science Returns from the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, Julie A.

2009-01-01

The European Columbus and Japanese Kibo laboratories are now fully operational on the International Space Station (ISS), bringing decades of international planning to fruition. NASA is now completing launch and activation of major research facilities that will be housed in the Destiny U.S. Laboratory, Columbus, and Kibo. These facilities include major physical sciences capabilities for combustion, fluid physics, and materials science, as well as additional multipurpose and supporting infrastructure. Expansion of the laboratory space and expansion to a 6-person crew (planned for May 2009), is already leading to significant increases in research throughput even before assembly is completed. International research on the ISS includes exchanges of results, sharing of facilities, collaboration on experiments, and joint publication and communication of accomplishments. Significant and ongoing increases in research activity on ISS have occurred over the past year. Although research results lag behind on-orbit operations by 2-5 years, the surge of early research activities following Space Shuttle return to flight in 2005 is now producing an accompanying surge in scientific publications. Evidence of scientific productivity from early utilization opportunities combined with the current pace of research activity in orbit are both important parts of the evidence base for evaluating the potential future achievements of a complete and active ISS.

Evaluating science return in space exploration initiative architectures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Budden, Nancy Ann; Spudis, Paul D.

1993-01-01

Science is an important aspect of the Space Exploration Initiative, a program to explore the Moon and Mars with people and machines. Different SEI mission architectures are evaluated on the basis of three variables: access (to the planet's surface), capability (including number of crew, equipment, and supporting infrastructure), and time (being the total number of man-hours available for scientific activities). This technique allows us to estimate the scientific return to be expected from different architectures and from different implementations of the same architecture. Our methodology allows us to maximize the scientific return from the initiative by illuminating the different emphases and returns that result from the alternative architectural decisions.

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, a Planning Tool for Missions to the Moon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2017-12-01

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission was conceived as a one year exploration mission to pave the way for a return to the lunar surface, both robotically and by humans. After a year in orbit LRO transitioned to a science mission but has operated in a duel role of science and exploration ever since. Over the years LRO has compiled a wealth of data that can and is being used for planning future missions to the Moon by NASA, other national agencies and by private enterprises. While collecting this unique and unprecedented data set, LRO's science investigations have uncovered new questions that motivate new missions and targets. Examples include: when did volcanism on the Moon cease, motivating a sample return mission from an irregular mare patch such as Ina-D; or, is there significant water ice sequestered near the poles outside of the permanently shaded regions? In this presentation we will review the data products, tools and maps that are available for mission planning, discuss how the operating LRO mission can further enhance future missions, and suggest new targets motivated by LRO's scientific investigations.

Chinese physicists educated in Germany and America: Their scientific contributions and their impact on China's higher education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qu, Jing Cheng

1998-11-01

This dissertation records the historical paths of Chinese physicists educated in Germany and America, explores their representative achievements in modern physics that have not been recognized by Chinese scholars, and provides sociological analyses of their contributions to China's higher education. We have found that Chinese students of physics in Germany and America were not passive recipients of Western science, but active contributors. They were also crucial contributors to science education and important scientific projects upon their return to China. Chapter One briefly describes physics knowledge in ancient China and introduces the transplantation of modern science and technology to China. Three distinct historical periods have been identified. In Chapter Two and Chapter Three, 30 Chinese physicists educated in Germany and 89 in America have been investigated. This research analyzes the significant achievements of these physicists. It also examines the political changes, the social background, and other factors impacting on their studies in the two countries. The selected cases in the two chapters are Li Fo-ki, Chinese physics students in Berlin, Werner Heisenberg and his Chinese students, Max Born and his Chinese students, Robert Millikan and Chinese physicists, the first two Chinese physicists from Harvard, and the Science Society of China. Chapter Four explores the geographical distribution, education and careers, return and expatriation, and the social influence exerted by these Chinese physicists. Statistical compilation and quantitative analyses comprise the basic methodology. In terms of two periods and two generations, this dissertation explores the physicists' contributions to the development of modern science in China and to education in China. Significant cases from Beijing University, Qinghua University, and Yanjing University are analyzed. The last chapter, Chapter Five, concludes that some of the achievements of these Chinese physicists were critical steps in modern physics even though China remained domestically rather weak in the development of modern science. Returning to China, most of them became pioneers and active contributors to modern science and to higher education in China. They comprised the majority of the physics community of China and played a leading role in the formation of modern science in China. After 1949, China continued to benefit from the contributions of these physicists. China independently constructed an atomic bomb in 1964 and a hydrogen bomb in 1967. In 1970, China successfully launched a man-made satellite. The Chinese physicists trained in Western countries constituted the main research force behind these projects.

Planning for Mars Sample Return: Results from the MEPAG Mars Sample Return End-to-End International Science Analysis Group (E2E-iSAG)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLennan, S. M.; Sephton, M.; Mepag E2E-Isag

2011-12-01

The National Research Council 2011 Planetary Decadal Survey (2013-2022) placed beginning a Mars sample return campaign (MSR) as the top priority for large Flagship missions in the coming decade. Recent developments in NASA-ESA collaborations and Decadal Survey recommendations indicate MSR likely will be an international effort. A joint ESA-NASA 2018 rover (combining the previously proposed ExoMars and MAX-C missions), designed, in part, to collect and cache samples, would thus represent the first of a 3-mission MSR campaign. The End-to-End International Science Analysis Group (E2E-iSAG) was chartered by MEPAG in August 2010 to develop and prioritize MSR science objectives and investigate implications of these objectives for defining the highest priority sample types, landing site selection criteria (and identification of reference landing sites to support engineering planning), requirements for in situ characterization on Mars to support sample selection, and priorities/strategies for returned sample analyses to determine sample sizes and numbers that would meet the objectives. MEPAG approved the E2E-iSAG report in June 2011. Science objectives, summarized in priority order, are: (1) critically assess any evidence for past life or its chemical precursors, and place constraints on past habitability and potential for preservation of signs of life, (2) quantitatively constrain age, context and processes of accretion, early differentiation and magmatic and magnetic history, (3) reconstruct history of surface and near-surface processes involving water, (4) constrain magnitude, nature, timing, and origin of past climate change, (5) assess potential environmental hazards to future human exploration, (6) assess history and significance of surface modifying processes, (7) constrain origin and evolution of the Martian atmosphere, (8) evaluate potential critical resources for future human explorers. All returned samples also would be fully evaluated for extant life as a fundamental science question and to meet planetary protection needs. Sample types most likely to achieve these objectives are, in priority order: (1A) subaqueous or hydrothermal sediments, (1B) hydrothermally altered rocks or low-T fluid-altered rocks, (2) unaltered igneous rocks, (3) regolith, including air fall dust, (4) present atmosphere and sedimentary-igneous rocks containing ancient trapped atmosphere. Among the 34 separate findings made by E2E-iSAG are (a) ~30-40 rock samples should be collected, each ~15-16g and mostly in suites, along with ≥1 regolith sample, appropriate blanks and standards, all totaling ~500g, (b) an ability to swap-out ≥25% of the samples as the mission proceeds, (c) a high priority for subsurface sample(s) obtained by the ExoMars 2m drill, (d) ≥40% of each sample be preserved for future research, (e) obtain 1-2 atmosphere samples, (f) incorporate appropriate sealing until Earth return, (g) fully characterize geological context of sampling sites with remote sensing and contact instruments, (h) landing sites exist that could achieve top science objectives.

Mars Sample Return Using Commercial Capabilities: Mission Architecture Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gonzales, Andrew A.; Stoker, Carol R.; Lemke, Lawrence G.; Bowles, Jeffery V.; Huynh, Loc C.; Faber, Nicholas T.; Race, Margaret S.

2014-01-01

Mars Sample Return (MSR) is the highest priority science mission for the next decade as recommended by the recent Decadal Survey of Planetary Science. This presentation provides an overview of a feasibility study for a MSR mission in which emerging commercial capabilities are used alongside other sources of mission elements. Goal is to reduce the number of mission systems and launches required to return the samples, with the goal of reducing mission cost.. Major elements required for the MSR mission are described. We report the feasibility of a complete and closed MSR mission design

Reflective Writing for a Better Understanding of Scientific Concepts in High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

El-Helou, Joseph; Kalman, Calvin S.

2018-01-01

Science teachers can always benefit from efficient tools that help students to engage with the subject and understand it better without significantly adding to the teacher's workload nor requiring too much of class time to manage. Reflective writing is such a low-impact, high-return tool. What follows is an introduction to reflective writing, and…

Finding the Return on Investment: A Framework for Monitoring Local Child Welfare Agencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wulczyn, Fred H.; Orlebeke, Britany; Haight, Jennifer

2009-01-01

From year to year, child welfare directors allocate resources in the hope that their efforts will improve children's outcomes. Recently, with the help of the federal government, states have invested significant resources in the sort of information technology needed to run a smarter, more accountable child welfare system. In addition, science has…

Evaluation of Human vs. Teleoperated Robotic Performance in Field Geology Tasks at a Mars Analog Site

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glass, B.; Briggs, G.

2003-01-01

Exploration mission designers and planners have costing models used to assess the affordability of given missions - but very little data exists on the relative science return produced by different ways of exploring a given region. Doing cost-benefit analyses for future missions requires a way to compare the relative field science productivity of spacesuited humans vs. virtual presence/teleoperation from a nearby habitat or orbital station, vs. traditional terrestrial-controlled rover operations. The goal of this study was to define science-return metrics for comparing human and robotic fieldwork, and then obtain quantifiable science-return performance comparisons between teleoperated rovers and spacesuited humans. Test runs with a simulated 2015-class rover and with spacesuited geologists were conducted at Haughton Crater in the Canadian Arctic in July 2002. Early results imply that humans will be 1-2 orders of magnitude more productive per unit time in exploration than future terrestrially-controlled robots.

Connecting Capital and Catastrophe in a Modeled World - How re/insurance and public science interact to manage risk for societal benefit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Douglas, R.

2010-12-01

Society, at local and global scales, seeks improved ways of managing the impact and sharing the costs of extreme natural events across populations via public and private mechanisms. Concerns over potential climate change and climate variability are amplifying the importance of these questions among public policy, business and regulatory communities. Through its financial obligations to exposed populations, the international insurance and reinsurance sector is directly affected by the frequency, severity and impact of extreme events. In many jurisdictions insurance contracts are regulated to tolerate the maximum probable loss events which are expected at 1 in 200 year return periods. This risk tolerance requirement renders re/insurers to undertake distinctive risk analysis among financial sector institutions. Natural catastrophe risk is a major component of re/insurer risk at the 1:200 year return period and a significant driver of the minimum capital requirements imposed on re/insurers. Historic claims records are insufficient on their own to evaluate potential losses at these return periods and over the last twenty years a significant sub-sector of the re/insurance industry has emerged known as catastrophe risk modelling. This has brought a progress and influential approach in applying science to gain a great handle of the expected losses to portfolios by developing increasingly robust analysis of hazards, exposures, vulnerabilities and impacts. As a result of these innovations the re/insurance sector has become more resilient to natural catastrophes. In recent years there has been an accelerated and deepening interaction between the re/insurance sector and public science across natural hazards risk research. The medium of modelling is providing a common vehicle for science and industry communities to collaborate and new supply chains are emerging from blue sky public science, through to applied research and operation modelling. Increasingly both sides are sharing a common philosophy on the need for openness and transparency on modeling methodologies and results. The opportunities for future research and collaboration are significant. The re/insurance sector provides a fertile environment for developing refined research avenues on natural hazards and their social and economic impact. Meanwhile the financial aspects of insurance modelling enable possibilities for improving the scientific analysis from hazard, to risk and ultimately financial loss. This often assists in highlighting the importance and impact of research to funding agencies. Meanwhile re/insurer benefit from the knowledge, resources and rigour of public science. This invited talk with unpack these themes and provide case studies and perspectives of how the re/insurance sector and geophysical science communities can build upon this growing relationship for mutual benefit.

Measuring Academic Performance for Healthcare Researchers with the H Index: Which Search Tool Should Be Used?

PubMed Central

Patel, Vanash M.; Ashrafian, Hutan; Almoudaris, Alex; Makanjuola, Jonathan; Bucciarelli-Ducci, Chiara; Darzi, Ara; Athanasiou, Thanos

2013-01-01

Objectives To compare H index scores for healthcare researchers returned by Google Scholar, Web of Science and Scopus databases, and to assess whether a researcher's age, country of institutional affiliation and physician status influences calculations. Subjects and Methods One hundred and ninety-five Nobel laureates in Physiology and Medicine from 1901 to 2009 were considered. Year of first and last publications, total publications and citation counts, and the H index for each laureate were calculated from each database. Cronbach's alpha statistics was used to measure the reliability of H index scores between the databases. Laureate characteristic influence on the H index was analysed using linear regression. Results There was no concordance between the databases when considering the number of publications and citations count per laureate. The H index was the most reliably calculated bibliometric across the three databases (Cronbach's alpha = 0.900). All databases returned significantly higher H index scores for younger laureates (p < 0.0001). Google Scholar and Web of Science returned significantly higher H index for physician laureates (p = 0.025 and p = 0.029, respectively). Country of institutional affiliation did not influence the H index in any database. Conclusion The H index appeared to be the most consistently calculated bibliometric between the databases for Nobel laureates in Physiology and Medicine. Researcher-specific characteristics constituted an important component of objective research assessment. The findings of this study call to question the choice of current and future academic performance databases. PMID:22964880

Quantitative Analysis of the Usage of the COSMOS Science Education Portal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sotiriou, Sofoklis; Bogner, Franz X.; Neofotistos, George

2011-08-01

A quantitative method of mapping the web usage of an innovative educational portal is applied to analyze the behaviour of users of the COSMOS Science Education Portal. The COSMOS Portal contains user-generated resources (that are uploaded by its users). It has been designed to support a science teacher's search, retrieval and access to both, scientific and educational resources. It also aims to introduce in and familiarize teachers with an innovative methodology for designing, expressing and representing educational practices in a commonly understandable way through the use of user-friendly authoring tools that are available through the portal. As a new science education portal that includes user-generated content, the COSMOS Portal encounters the well-known "new product/service challenge": to convince the users to use its tools, which facilitate quite fast lesson planning and lesson preparation activities. To respond to this challenge, the COSMOS Portal operators implemented a validation process by analyzing the usage data of the portal in a 10 month time-period. The data analyzed comprised: (a) the temporal evolution of the number of contributors and the amount of content uploaded to the COSMOS Portal; (b) the number of portal visitors (categorized as all-visitors, new-visitors, and returning-visitors) and (c) visitor loyalty parameters (such as page-views; pages/visit; average time on site; depth of visit; length of visit). The data is augmented with data associated with the usage context (e.g. the time of day when most of the activities in the portal take place). The quantitative results indicate that the exponential growth of the contributors to the COSMOS Portal is followed by an exponential growth of the uploaded content. Furthermore, the web usage statistics demonstrate significant changes in users' behaviour during the period under study, with returning visitors using the COSMOS Portal more frequently, mainly for lesson planning and preparation (in the afternoon hours). The findings demonstrate that the new COSMOS users follow the "law of surfing" behaviour, a common pattern of surfing behaviour in portals. However, users return to the COSMOS Portal: returning users comprise more than 50% of all COSMOS visits, stay longer on site and visit more pages. Returning visitors are benchmarked against the "law of surfing" and outperform it substantially. These quantitative results benchmark the web usage of a portal and provide its operators with maps of value-added patterns of the portal's offering to its users in the science education community.

OSIRIS-REx and mission sample science: The return of at least 60 g of pristine regolith from asteroid Bennu

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Connolly, H. C., Jr.; Lauretta, D. S.

2014-07-01

Introduction: The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) asteroid sample return mission was selected by NASA in May 2011 as the third New Frontiers mission. The target, (101955) Bennu, is a B-type near-Earth asteroid (NEA), hypothesized to be similar to CI or CM carbonaceous chondrites. The key science objectives of the mission are summarized in [1]. To meet these science objectives, the science team is coordinated and governed by the Science Executive Council (SEC): A group of six persons that run various elements of mission science. Mission Sample Science (MSS) is charged with analysis of the returned sample. Mission Sample Science: MSS is run by a Mission Scientist and composed of the following working groups: Carbonaceous Meteorite Working Group (CMWG), Dynamical Evolution Working Group (DEWG), Regolith Development Working Group (RDWG), Sample Analysis Working Group (SampleWG), Sample Site Science Working Group (SSSWG), and TAGSAM Working Group (TAGSAMWG). CMWG works to define and create well-characterized test samples, both natural and synthetic, for the development of spectral test data. These data are used to verify the depth and accuracy of spectral analysis techniques for processing data collected by the OSIRIS-REx spectrometers (OVIRS and OTES). The DEWG is charged with constraining the history of asteroid Bennu from main-belt asteroid to NEA. They also work closely with the SampleWG to define the hypotheses for the dynamical evolution of Bennu through the analysis of the returned sample. The RDWG is focused on developing constraints on the origin and evolution of regolith on Bennu through investigations of the surface geology and, working with the SampleWG, test these hypotheses through sample analysis. RDWG is also focused on the analysis of the sampling event and reconstructing what occurred during the event. SampleWG is focused on documenting Contamination Knowledge, which is distinct but related to mission Contamination Control. The main deliverable for this working group is the Sample Analysis Plan, due in 2019. Furthermore, it is this working group that is responsible for constituting the Preliminary Examination Team (PET) and performing the analyses of the returned sample during the first six months after return. SSSWG has the main deliverable of providing to the project the Science Value Maps (SVMs), which are part of the sample site selection process. If we can deliver the spacecraft to candidate sample sites, if it is safe to sample at them, and if there is material that can be ingested, SVMs will be a semi-quantitative aid in picking the optimum site to meet mission science goals. Finally, TAGSAM (Touch And Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism) is the sampler for the mission and this working group is concerned primarily with characterizing TAGSAM capabilities against a range of regolith types. Mission Sample Science provides an over-arching structure to reconstruct the pre- and post-accretion history of Bennu from the formation of pre-solar grains, chondrules, up to geological activity within the asteroid to its final dynamical evolution through analysis of the returned sample using a wide range of disciplines and expertise.

Supporting a Deep Space Gateway with Free-Return Earth-Moon Periodic Orbits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Genova, A. L.; Dunham, D. W.; Hardgrove, C.

2018-02-01

Earth-Moon periodic orbits travel between the Earth and Moon via free-return circumlunar segments and can host a station that can provide architecture support to other nodes near the Moon and Mars while enabling science return from cislunar space.

The needs of the science teachers of Shenyang area, Northeast China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Chao

Purpose of the study. The purpose of this research was to survey those individuals teaching science in the middle schools of the Shenyang area, Northeast China. Specifically, the study attempted to differentiate between rural and nonrural teachers with respect to demographic differences, problem areas, instructional activities, and perceived needs. Procedure. A 100-item survey was used to collect data for this study. The sample consisted of 224 science teachers (Rural 114, nonrural 110) who taught at least science class in 1996--97 academic year in a middle school of Shenyang area, Northeast China. Frequencies and percentages presented the needs of the teachers. The differences between rural and nonrural groups were analyzed by Chi Square statistics. Findings. Almost three quarters (74.9%) of returns were younger than 41, and 43.9% of returns held no degree. Significant differences were fond between rural and nonrural groups according to age, classroom experience, school enrollment, lab activities, motivating students to learn science, using science test data bank, peer tutoring and evaluating your own instructional effectiveness as a science teacher. Rural and nonrural teachers shared 10 of 14 greatest needs. Conclusions. Teacher in-service program designers need to establish academic training programs which lead to entry level degrees and certificates and improve young teacher's instructional skills. Increased efforts should be given to meet the perceived needs addressed in this study in order to improve teachers' teaching and students' learning. Lack of person energy or motivation and program fail to meet teachers' needs were considered as barriers of attending inservice programs.

MRSR: Rationale for a Mars Rover/Sample Return mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carr, Michael H.

1992-01-01

The Solar System Exploration Committee of the NASA Advisory Council has recommended that a Mars Rover/Sample Return mission be launched before the year 2000. The recommendation is consistent with the science objectives as outlined by the National Academy of Sciences committees on Planetary and Lunar Exploration, and Planetary Biology and Chemical Evolution. Interest has also focused on Mars Rover/Sample Return (MRSR) missions, because of their crucial role as precursors for human exploration. As a result of this consensus among the advisory groups, a study of an MRSR mission began early in 1987. The study has the following goals: (1) to assess the technical feasibility of the mission; (2) to converge on two or three options for the general architecture of the mission; (3) to determine what new technologies need to be developed in order to implement the mission; (4) to define the different options sufficiently well that preliminary cost estimates can be made; and (5) to better define the science requirements. This chapter briefly describes Mars Rover/Sample Return missions that were examined in the late 1980s. These missions generally include a large (1000 kg) rover and return of over 5 kg of sample.

Return of Individual Research Results & Incidental Findings: Facing the Challenges of Translational Science

PubMed Central

Wolf, Susan M.

2014-01-01

The debate over return of individual research results and incidental findings to research participants is a key frontier in research ethics and practice. Fundamentally, this is a problem of translational science, a question of when information about an individual that is generated in research should be communicated for clinical attention, as the technology itself is moving into clinical care. There is growing consensus that investigators should offer participants at least those individual findings of high clinical importance and actionability. Increasing attention to what information biobanks and secondary researchers owe people who provide data and samples offers an opportunity to treat these source individuals as research partners. Cutting-edge issues include return of results in pediatric populations and return to kin and family, including after death of the proband. Progress will require facing the continuum linking research and clinical care and developing standards and models for return. PMID:23875796

Return of the Lambkins: Practice Makes Perfect at Colorado Science Bowl |

Science.gov Websites

study and potential careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). "Science Bowl school students to explore math and science. Now, the competition attracts approximately 15,000 students

SpaceX Dragon returns on This Week @NASA- October 31, 2014

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-10-31

The SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule was recently detached from the International Space Station for its return to Earth, just over a month after delivering about 5,000 pounds of supplies and experiments to the ISS. Dragon safely returned to Earth with more than 3,200 pounds of NASA cargo and science samples – completing the company’s fourth resupply mission to the station. Also, Destination Station ISS Tech Forum, Orbital Sciences investigating accident, Russian supply ships to and from the ISS, Next ISS crew trains in Russia, Wind tunnel tests of SLS model and more!

A Martian Telecommunications Network: UHF Relay Support of the Mars Exploration Rovers by the Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, and Mars Express Orbiters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edwards, Charles D., Jr.; Barbieri, A.; Brower, E.; Estabrook, P.; Gibbs, R.; Horttor, R.; Ludwinski, J.; Mase, R.; McCarthy, C.; Schmidt, R.;

Apollo 17 Mission Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

Operational and engineering aspects of the Apollo 17 mission are outlined. The vehicle configuration was similar to those of Apollo 15 and 16. There were significant differences in the science payload for Apollo 17 and spacecraft hardware differences and experiment equipment are described. The mission achieved a landing in the Taurus-Littrow region of the moon and returned samples of the pre-Imbrium highlands and young craters.

Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS) 2010 science operations: Operational approaches and lessons learned for managing science during human planetary surface missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eppler, Dean; Adams, Byron; Archer, Doug; Baiden, Greg; Brown, Adrian; Carey, William; Cohen, Barbara; Condit, Chris; Evans, Cindy; Fortezzo, Corey; Garry, Brent; Graff, Trevor; Gruener, John; Heldmann, Jennifer; Hodges, Kip; Hörz, Friedrich; Hurtado, Jose; Hynek, Brian; Isaacson, Peter; Juranek, Catherine; Klaus, Kurt; Kring, David; Lanza, Nina; Lederer, Susan; Lofgren, Gary; Marinova, Margarita; May, Lisa; Meyer, Jonathan; Ming, Doug; Monteleone, Brian; Morisset, Caroline; Noble, Sarah; Rampe, Elizabeth; Rice, James; Schutt, John; Skinner, James; Tewksbury-Christle, Carolyn M.; Tewksbury, Barbara J.; Vaughan, Alicia; Yingst, Aileen; Young, Kelsey

2013-10-01

Desert Research and Technology Studies (Desert RATS) is a multi-year series of hardware and operations tests carried out annually in the high desert of Arizona on the San Francisco Volcanic Field. These activities are designed to exercise planetary surface hardware and operations in conditions where long-distance, multi-day roving is achievable, and they allow NASA to evaluate different mission concepts and approaches in an environment less costly and more forgiving than space. The results from the RATS tests allow selection of potential operational approaches to planetary surface exploration prior to making commitments to specific flight and mission hardware development. In previous RATS operations, the Science Support Room has operated largely in an advisory role, an approach that was driven by the need to provide a loose science mission framework that would underpin the engineering tests. However, the extensive nature of the traverse operations for 2010 expanded the role of the science operations and tested specific operational approaches. Science mission operations approaches from the Apollo and Mars-Phoenix missions were merged to become the baseline for this test. Six days of traverse operations were conducted during each week of the 2-week test, with three traverse days each week conducted with voice and data communications continuously available, and three traverse days conducted with only two 1-hour communications periods per day. Within this framework, the team evaluated integrated science operations management using real-time, tactical science operations to oversee daily crew activities, and strategic level evaluations of science data and daily traverse results during a post-traverse planning shift. During continuous communications, both tactical and strategic teams were employed. On days when communications were reduced to only two communications periods per day, only a strategic team was employed. The Science Operations Team found that, if communications are good and down-linking of science data is ensured, high quality science returns is possible regardless of communications. What is absent from reduced communications is the scientific interaction between the crew on the planet and the scientists on the ground. These scientific interactions were a critical part of the science process and significantly improved mission science return over reduced communications conditions. The test also showed that the quality of science return is not measurable by simple numerical quantities but is, in fact, based on strongly non-quantifiable factors, such as the interactions between the crew and the Science Operations Teams. Although the metric evaluation data suggested some trends, there was not sufficient granularity in the data or specificity in the metrics to allow those trends to be understood on numerical data alone.

Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS) 2010 Science Operations: Operational Approaches and Lessons Learned for Managing Science during Human Planetary Surface Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eppler, Dean; Adams, Byron; Archer, Doug; Baiden, Greg; Brown, Adrian; Carey, William; Cohen, Barbara; Condit, Chris; Evans, Cindy; Fortezzo, Corey;

The ExoMars Rover Science Archive: Status and Plans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heather, D.; Lim, T.; Metcalfe, L.

2017-09-01

The ExoMars program is a co-operation between ESA and Roscosmos comprising two missions: the first, launched on 14 March 2016, included the Trace Gas Orbiter and Schiaparelli lander; the second, due for launch in 2020, will be a Rover and Surface Platform (RSP). The ExoMars Rover and Surface Platform deliveries will be among the first data in the PSA to be formatted according to the new PDS4 Standards, and will be the first rover data to be hosted within the archive at all. The archiving and management of the science data to be returned from ExoMars will require a significant development effort for the new Planetary Science Archive (PSA). This presentation will outline the current plans for archiving of the ExoMars Rover and Surface Platform science data.

Enhanced science capability on the International Space Station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Felice, Ronald R.; Kienlen, Mike

2002-12-01

It is inevitable that the International Space Station (ISS) will play a significant role in the conduct of science in space. However, in order to provide this service to a wide and broad community and to perform it cost effectively, alternative concepts must be considered to complement NASA"s Institutional capability. Currently science payload forward and return data services must compete for higher priority ISS infrastructure support requirements. Furthermore, initial astronaut crews will be limited to a single shift. Much of their time and activities will be required to meet their physical needs (exercise, recreation, etc.), station maintenance, and station operations, leaving precious little time to actively conduct science payload operations. ISS construction plans include the provisioning of several truss mounted, space-hardened pallets, both zenith and nadir facing. The ISS pallets will provide a platform to conduct both earth and space sciences. Additionally, the same pallets can be used for life and material sciences, as astronauts could place and retrieve sealed canisters for long-term micro-gravity exposure. Thus the pallets provide great potential for enhancing ISS science return. This significant addition to ISS payload capacity has the potential to exacerbate priorities and service contention factors within the exiting institution. In order to have it all, i.e., more science and less contention, the pallets must be data smart and operate autonomously so that NASA institutional services are not additionally taxed. Specifically, the "Enhanced Science Capability on the International Space Station" concept involves placing data handling and spread spectrum X-band communications capabilities directly on ISS pallets. Spread spectrum techniques are considered as a means of discriminating between different pallets as well as to eliminate RFI. The data and RF systems, similar to that of "free flyers", include a fully functional command and data handling system, providing, in part, science solid state recorders and instrument command management sub-systems. This, together with just one direct-to-ground based X-Band station co-located with a science payload operations center provides for a direct data path to ground, bypassing NASA institutions. The science center exists to receive user service requests, perform required constraint checks necessary for safe instrument operations, and to disseminate user science data. Payload commands can be up-linked directly or, if required, relayed through the existing NASA institution. The concept is modular for the downlink Earth terminals; in that multiple downlink X-band ground stations can be utilized throughout the world. This has applications for Earth science data direct to regional centers similar to those services provided by the EOS Terra spacecraft. However, for the purposes of this concept, just one downlink site was selected in order to define the worst-case data acquisition scenario necessary to ascertain concept feasibility. The paper demonstrates that the concept is feasible and can lead to a design that significantly reduces operational dependency on the NASA institutions and astronauts while significantly increasing ISS science operational efficiency and access.

Voyager 2 Uranus and Neptune targeting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gray, D. L.; Cesarone, R. J.; Van Allen, R. E.

1982-01-01

Targeting strategies are developed for the Voyager 2 flybys of Uranus and Neptune/Triton. The need to maximize science return, conserve propellant, and maintain spacecraft safety presents a challenge, given the difficulty in estimating the spacecraft orbit relative to these outer planets. Expected propellant usage, science return, and targeting complexity are presented for each targeting strategy. For the dual encounter of Neptune and its satellite Triton, split targeting conditions are proposed to fix the most important conditions at each body, and thus minimize science losses resulting from Triton ephemeris uncertainties.

An Internationally Coordinated Science Management Plan for Samples Returned from Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haltigin, T.; Smith, C. L.

2015-12-01

Mars Sample Return (MSR) remains a high priority of the planetary exploration community. Such an effort will undoubtedly be too large for any individual agency to conduct itself, and thus will require extensive global cooperation. To help prepare for an eventual MSR campaign, the International Mars Exploration Working Group (IMEWG) chartered the international Mars Architecture for the Return of Samples (iMARS) Phase II working group in 2014, consisting of representatives from 17 countries and agencies. The overarching task of the team was to provide recommendations for progressing towards campaign implementation, including a proposed science management plan. Building upon the iMARS Phase I (2008) outcomes, the Phase II team proposed the development of an International MSR Science Institute as part of the campaign governance, centering its deliberations around four themes: Organization: including an organizational structure for the Institute that outlines roles and responsibilities of key members and describes sample return facility requirements; Management: presenting issues surrounding scientific leadership, defining guidelines and assumptions for Institute membership, and proposing a possible funding model; Operations & Data: outlining a science implementation plan that details the preliminary sample examination flow, sample allocation process, and data policies; and Curation: introducing a sample curation plan that comprises sample tracking and routing procedures, sample sterilization considerations, and long-term archiving recommendations. This work presents a summary of the group's activities, findings, and recommendations, highlighting the role of international coordination in managing the returned samples.

Russian Planetary Program: Phobos and the Moon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galimov, E. M.; Marov, M. Ya.; Politshuk, G. M.; Zeleniy, L. M.

2006-08-01

Planetary exploration is a cornerstone of space science and technology development. Russia has a great legacy of the world recognized former space missions to the Moon and planets. Strategy of the Russian Federal Space Agency and the Russian Academy of Sciences planetary program for the coming decade is focused on space vehicle of new generation. The basic concept of this spacecraft development is the modern technology utilization, significant cost reduction and meeting objectives of the important science return. The bottom line is the use of middle class Soyuz-type launcher, which places the principal constraint on mass of the vehicle and mission profile. Flexibility in the design of space vehicle, including a possibility of SEP technology utilization, facilitates its adaptability for extended program of the solar system exploration. As the first step, the project is optimized around sample return mission from satellite of Mars Phobos ("Phobos-Grunt" or PSR) which is in the list of the Russian Federal Space Program for 2006 to 2015. It is to be launched in 2009 and completed in 2012. The experience gained from the former Russian "Phobos 88" serves as a clue to provide an important basis for the mission concept enabling solution of many problems of the project design and its implementation. There is a challenge to return relic matter from such small body like Phobos for the ground labs comprehensive study. The payload is also targeted for in-flight and extended remote sensing and in situ measurements using the capable instrument packages. The project is addressed as a milestone in the Russian program of the solar system study, with a potential for future ambitious missions to asteroids and comets pooling international efforts. Also endorsed by the Russian Federal Space Program is "Luna-Glob" mission to the Moon tentatively scheduled for 2011. The goal is to advance lunar science with the well instrumented orbiter, lander, and the network of penetrators. Return back to the Moon with the new modern technology utilization is a great challenge in the current phase of the solar system exploration.

Wide Field Infra-Red Survey Telescope (WFIRST) 2.4-Meter Mission Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Content, D.; Aaron, K.; Alplanalp, L.; Anderson, K.; Capps, R.; Chang, Z.; Dooley, J.; Egerman, R.; Goullioud, R.; Klein, D.;

Prototype wash water renovation system integration with government-furnished wash fixture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

The requirements of a significant quantity of proposed life sciences experiments in Shuttle payloads for available wash water to support cleansing operations has provided the incentive to develop a technique for wash water renovation. A prototype wash water waste renovation system which has the capability to process the waste water and return it to a state adequate for reuse in a typical cleansing fixture designed to support life science experiments was investigated. The resulting technology is to support other developments efforts pertaining to water reclamation by serving as a pretreatment step for subsequent reclamation procedures.

Adaptive Management of Return Flows: Lessons from a Case Study in Environmental Water Delivery to a Floodplain River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolfenden, Benjamin J.; Wassens, Skye M.; Jenkins, Kim M.; Baldwin, Darren S.; Kobayashi, Tsuyoshi; Maguire, James

2018-03-01

For many floodplain rivers, reinstating wetland connectivity is necessary for ecosystems to recover from decades of regulation. Environmental return flows (the managed delivery of wetland water to an adjacent river) can be used strategically to facilitate natural ecosystem connectivity, enabling the transfer of nutrients, energy, and biota from wetland habitats to the river. Using an informal adaptive management framework, we delivered return flows from a forested wetland complex into a large lowland river in south-eastern Australia. We hypothesized that return flows would (a) increase river nutrient concentrations; (b) reduce wetland nutrient concentrations; (c) increase rates of ecosystem metabolism through the addition of potentially limiting nutrients, causing related increases in the concentration of water column chlorophyll-a; and (d) increase the density and species richness of microinvertebrates in riverine benthic habitats. Our monitoring results demonstrated a small increase in the concentrations of several key nutrients but no evidence for significant ecological responses was found. Although return flows can be delivered from forested floodplain areas without risking hypoxic blackwater events, returning nutrient and carbon-rich water to increase riverine productivity is limited by the achievable scale of return flows. Nevertheless, using return flows to flush carbon from floodplains may be a useful management tool to reduce carbon loads, preparing floodplains for subsequent releases (e.g., mitigating the risk of hypoxic blackwater events). In this example, adaptive management benefited from a semi-formal collaboration between science and management that allowed for prompt decision-making.

Yellow Balloon in a Briar Patch.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Frank; Fitzmaurice, Robert W.

1978-01-01

As part of a meteorology unit, sixth grade science students launched helium balloons with attached return postcards. This article describes Weather Service monitoring of the balloons and postcard return results. (MA)

Phase 1 research program overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Uri, J. J.; Lebedev, O. N.

2001-01-01

The Phase 1 research program was unprecedented in its scope and ambitious in its objectives. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration committed to conducting a multidisciplinary long-duration research program on a platform whose capabilities were not well known, not to mention belonging to another country. For the United States, it provided the first opportunity to conduct research in a long-duration space flight environment since the Skylab program in the 1970's. Multiple technical as well as cultural challenges were successfully overcome through the dedicated efforts of a relatively small cadre of individuals. The program developed processes to successfully plan, train for and execute research in a long-duration environment, with significant differences identified from short-duration space flight science operations. Between August 1994 and June 1998, thousands of kilograms of research hardware was prepared and launched to Mir, and thousands of kilograms of hardware and data products were returned to Earth. More than 150 Principal Investigators from eight countries were involved in the program in seven major research disciplines: Advanced Technology; Earth Sciences; Fundamental Biology; Human Life Sciences; International Space Station Risk Mitigation; Microgravity; and Space Sciences. Approximately 75 long-duration investigations were completed on Mir, with additional investigations performed on the Shuttle flights that docked with Mir. The flight phase included the participation of seven US astronauts and 20 Russian cosmonauts. The successful completion of the Phase 1 research program not only resulted in high quality science return but also in numerous lessons learned to make the ISS experience more productive. The cooperation developed during the program was instrumental in its success. c2001 AIAA. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.

Phase 1 research program overview.

PubMed

Uri, J J; Lebedev, O N

2001-01-01

The Phase 1 research program was unprecedented in its scope and ambitious in its objectives. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration committed to conducting a multidisciplinary long-duration research program on a platform whose capabilities were not well known, not to mention belonging to another country. For the United States, it provided the first opportunity to conduct research in a long-duration space flight environment since the Skylab program in the 1970's. Multiple technical as well as cultural challenges were successfully overcome through the dedicated efforts of a relatively small cadre of individuals. The program developed processes to successfully plan, train for and execute research in a long-duration environment, with significant differences identified from short-duration space flight science operations. Between August 1994 and June 1998, thousands of kilograms of research hardware was prepared and launched to Mir, and thousands of kilograms of hardware and data products were returned to Earth. More than 150 Principal Investigators from eight countries were involved in the program in seven major research disciplines: Advanced Technology; Earth Sciences; Fundamental Biology; Human Life Sciences; International Space Station Risk Mitigation; Microgravity; and Space Sciences. Approximately 75 long-duration investigations were completed on Mir, with additional investigations performed on the Shuttle flights that docked with Mir. The flight phase included the participation of seven US astronauts and 20 Russian cosmonauts. The successful completion of the Phase 1 research program not only resulted in high quality science return but also in numerous lessons learned to make the ISS experience more productive. The cooperation developed during the program was instrumental in its success. c2001 AIAA. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.

X-Ray Computed Tomography: The First Step in Mars Sample Return Processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Welzenbach, L. C.; Fries, M. D.; Grady, M. M.; Greenwood, R. C.; McCubbin, F. M.; Zeigler, R. A.; Smith, C. L.; Steele, A.

2017-01-01

The Mars 2020 rover mission will collect and cache samples from the martian surface for possible retrieval and subsequent return to Earth. If the samples are returned, that mission would likely present an opportunity to analyze returned Mars samples within a geologic context on Mars. In addition, it may provide definitive information about the existence of past or present life on Mars. Mars sample return presents unique challenges for the collection, containment, transport, curation and processing of samples [1] Foremost in the processing of returned samples are the closely paired considerations of life detection and Planetary Protection. In order to achieve Mars Sample Return (MSR) science goals, reliable analyses will depend on overcoming some challenging signal/noise-related issues where sparse martian organic compounds must be reliably analyzed against the contamination background. While reliable analyses will depend on initial clean acquisition and robust documentation of all aspects of developing and managing the cache [2], there needs to be a reliable sample handling and analysis procedure that accounts for a variety of materials which may or may not contain evidence of past or present martian life. A recent report [3] suggests that a defined set of measurements should be made to effectively inform both science and Planetary Protection, when applied in the context of the two competing null hypotheses: 1) that there is no detectable life in the samples; or 2) that there is martian life in the samples. The defined measurements would include a phased approach that would be accepted by the community to preserve the bulk of the material, but provide unambiguous science data that can be used and interpreted by various disciplines. Fore-most is the concern that the initial steps would ensure the pristine nature of the samples. Preliminary, non-invasive techniques such as computed X-ray tomography (XCT) have been suggested as the first method to interrogate and characterize the cached samples without altering the materials [1,2]. A recent report [4] indicates that XCT may minimally alter samples for some techniques, and work is needed to quantify these effects, maximizing science return from XCT initial analysis while minimizing effects.

Measuring science: An exploration

PubMed Central

Adams, James; Griliches, Zvi

1996-01-01

This paper examines the available United States data on academic research and development (R&D) expenditures and the number of papers published and the number of citations to these papers as possible measures of “output” of this enterprise. We look at these numbers for science and engineering as a whole, for five selected major fields, and at the individual university field level. The published data in Science and Engineering Indicators imply sharply diminishing returns to academic R&D using published papers as an “output” measure. These data are quite problematic. Using a newer set of data on papers and citations, based on an “expanding” set of journals and the newly released Bureau of Economic Analysis R&D deflators, changes the picture drastically, eliminating the appearance of diminishing returns but raising the question of why the input prices of academic R&D are rising so much faster than either the gross domestic product deflator or the implicit R&D deflator in industry. A production function analysis of such data at the individual field level follows. It indicates significant diminishing returns to “own” R&D, with the R&D coefficients hovering around 0.5 for estimates with paper numbers as the dependent variable and around 0.6 if total citations are used as the dependent variable. When we substitute scientists and engineers in place of R&D as the right-hand side variables, the coefficient on papers rises from 0.5 to 0.8, and the coefficient on citations rises from 0.6 to 0.9, indicating systematic measurement problems with R&D as the sole input into the production of scientific output. But allowing for individual university field effects drives these numbers down significantly below unity. Because in the aggregate both paper numbers and citations are growing as fast or faster than R&D, this finding can be interpreted as leaving a major, yet unmeasured, role for the contribution of spillovers from other fields, other universities, and other countries. PMID:8917477

A Draft Science Management Plan for Returned Samples from Mars: Recommendations from the International Mars Architecture for the Return of Samples (iMARS) Phase II Working Group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haltigin, T.; Lange, C.; Mugnuolo, R.; Smith, C.

2018-04-01

This paper summarizes the findings and recommendations of the International Mars Architecture for the Return of Samples (iMARS) Phase II Working Group, an international team comprising 38 members from 16 countries and agencies.

Is Mars Sample Return Required Prior to Sending Humans to Mars?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carr, Michael; Abell, Paul; Allwood, Abigail; Baker, John; Barnes, Jeff; Bass, Deborah; Beaty, David; Boston, Penny; Brinkerhoff, Will; Budney, Charles;

Art Concepts - Mars Sample (Robot)

NASA Image and Video Library

1987-06-09

S87-35313 (15 May 1987)--- This artist's rendering illustrates a Mars Sample Return mission under study at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC). As currently envisioned, the spacecraft would be launched in the mid to late 1990's into Earth-orbit by a space shuttle, released from the shuttle's cargo bay and propelled toward Mars by an upper-stage engine. A lander (left background) would separate from an orbiting vehicle (upper right) and descend to the planet's surface. The lander's payload would include a robotic rover (foreground), which would spend a year moving about the Martian terrain collecting scientifically significant rock and soil samples. The rover would then return to the lander and transfer its samples to a small rocket that would carry them into orbit and rendezvous with the orbiter for a return to Earth. As depicted here the rover consists of three two-wheeled cabs, and is fitted with a stereo camera vision system and tool-equipped arms for sample collection. The Mars Sample Return studies are funded by NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications.

[Effects of rice straw returning on the community structure and diversity of nitrogen-fixing gene (nifH) in paddy soil].

PubMed

Zhang, Miao-miao; Liu, Yi; Sheng, Rong; Qin, Hong-ling; Wu, Yan-zheng; Wei, Wen-xue

2013-08-01

Taking a long-term fertilization experiment in Taoyuan Agro-ecosystem Research Station under Chinese Academy of Sciences as the platform, and selecting four treatments (no fertilization, CK; rice straw returning, C; nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilization, NPK; and NPK+C) as the objects, soil samples were collected at the tillering, booting and maturing stages of rice, and the abundance, composition and diversity of nifH-containing bacterial community were measured by real-time quantitative PCR and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP), aimed to understand the effects of rice straw returning on the nifH-containing bacterial community in paddy soil. Compared with CK, treatments NPK+C and NPK increased the abundance of nifH-containing microorganisms significantly (except at tillering stage), and NPK+C had the highest abundance of nifH-containing microorganisms. Under the effects of long-term fertilization, the composition of nifH gene community in CK differed obviously from that in the other three treatments. The nifH composition had definite difference between C and NPK, but less difference between NPK and NPK+C. Long-term fertilization did not induce significant changes in nifH diversity. Therefore, long-term rice straw returning not only induced the changes of nifH gene community composition, but also resulted in a significant increase in the abundance of nifH-containing community, and hence, the increase of soil nitrogen fixing capacity.

Building Effective Scientist-Educator Communities of Practice: NASA's Science Education and Public Outreach Forums

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwerin, T. G.; Peticolas, L. M.; Shipp, S. S.; Smith, D. A.

2014-12-01

Since 1993, NASA has embedded education and public outreach (EPO) in its Earth and space science missions and research programs on the principle that science education is most effective when educators and scientists work hand-in-hand. Four Science EPO Forums organize the respective NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Astrophysics, Earth Science, Heliophysics, and Planetary Science EPO programs into a coordinated, efficient, and effective nationwide effort. The result is significant, evaluated EPO impacts that support NASA's policy of providing a direct return-on-investment for the American public, advance STEM education and literacy, and enable students and educators to participate in the practices of science and engineering as embodied in the 2013 Next Generation Science Standards. This presentation by the leads of the four NASA SMD Science EPO Forums provides big-picture perspectives on NASA's effort to incorporate authentic science into the nation's STEM education and scientific literacy, highlighting tools that were developed to foster a collaborative community and examples of program effectiveness and impact. The Forums are led by: Astrophysics - Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI); Earth Science - Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES); Heliophysics - University of California, Berkeley; and Planetary Science - Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI).

Building on the Cornerstone: Destinations for Nearside Sample Return

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawrence, S. J.; Jolliff, B. L.; Draper, D.; Stopar, J. D.; Petro, N. E.; Cohen, B. A.; Speyerer, E. J.; Gruener, J. E.

2016-01-01

Discoveries from LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) have transformed our knowledge of the Moon, but LRO's instruments were originally designed to collect the measurements required to enable future lunar surface exploration. Compelling science questions and critical resources make the Moon a key destination for future human and robotic exploration. Lunar surface exploration, including rovers and other landed missions, must be part of a balanced planetary science and exploration portfolio. Among the highest planetary exploration priorities is the collection of new samples and their return to Earth for more comprehensive analysis than can be done in-situ. The Moon is the closest and most accessible location to address key science questions through targeted sample return. The Moon is the only other planet from which we have contextualized samples, yet critical issues need to be addressed: we lack important details of the Moon's early and recent geologic history, the full compositional and age ranges of its crust, and its bulk composition.

On the cutting edge technology enabling the challenging missions to asteroids and comets, our primitive neighbors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawaguchi, J.

2014-07-01

The world's first sample-and-return mission from an object orbiting outside the sphere of influence of the Earth was successfully performed through Hayabusa in 2010, an engineering demonstration mission of JAXA. And it was followed by another technology demonstrator, Ikaros, the world's first solar-sail mission launched in 2010, the same year of the Hayabusa return. These two demonstrations represent the significance of the technology development that shall precede the real science missions that will follow. The space-exploration community focuses its attention on the use of asteroids and comets as one of the most immediate destinations. Humans will perform voyages to those objects sooner or later. And we will initiate a kind of research as scientific activity for those objects. The missions may include even sample-and-return missions to those bodies for assessing the chance of possible resource utilization in future. The first step for it is, needless to say, science. Combining the sample-and-return technology using the ultra-high-speed reentry for sample recovery with the new propulsion system using both electric and photon force will be the direct conclusion from Hayabusa and Ikaros. And key elements such as autonomy are also among the essential factors in making the sophisticated operation possible around asteroids and comets avoiding the communication difficulty. This presentation will comprehensively touch on what those technology skills are, and how they are applicable to the subsequent new missions, from the mission leader's point of view. They are probably real requisites for planning brand-new innovative challenges in the ACM community.

Exploration of Icy Moons in the Outer Solar System: Updated Planetary Protection Requirements for Missions to Enceladus and Europa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rummel, J. D.; Race, M. S.

2016-12-01

Enceladus and Europa are bodies with icy/watery environments and potential habitable conditions for life, making both of great interest in astrobiological studies of chemical evolution and /or origin of life. They are also of significant planetary protection concern for spacecraft missions because of the potential for harmful contamination during exploration. At a 2015 COSPAR colloquium in Bern Switzerland, international scientists identified an urgent need to establish planetary protection requirements for missions proposing to return samples to Earth from Saturn's moon Enceladus. Deliberations at the meeting resulted in recommended policy updates for both forward and back contamination requirements for missions to Europa and Enceladus, including missions sampling plumes originating from those bodies. These recently recommended COSPAR policy revisions and biological contamination requirements will be applied to future missions to Europa and Encealadus, particularly noticeable in those with plans for in situ life detection and sample return capabilities. Included in the COSPAR policy are requirementsto `break the chain of contact' with Europa or Enceladus, to keep pristine returned materials contained, and to complete required biohazard analyses, testing and/or sterilization upon return to Earth. Subsequent to the Bern meeting, additional discussions of Planetary Protection of Outer Solar System bodies (PPOSS) are underway in a 3-year study coordinated by the European Science Foundation and involving multiple international partners, including Japan, China and Russia, along with a US observer. This presentation will provide science and policy updates for those whose research or activities will involve icy moon missions and exploration.

A Multi-Decadal Sample Return Campaign Will Advance Lunar and Solar System Science and Exploration by 2050

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neal, C. R.; Lawrence, S. J.

2017-01-01

There have been 11 missions to the Moon this century, 10 of which have been orbital, from 5 different space agencies. China became the third country to successfully soft-land on the Moon in 2013, and the second to successfully remotely operate a rover on the lunar surface. We now have significant global datasets that, coupled with the 1990s Clementine and Lunar Prospector missions, show that the sample collection is not representative of the lithologies present on the Moon. The M3 data from the Indian Chandrayaan-1 mission have identified lithologies that are not present/under-represented in the sample collection. LRO datasets show that volcanism could be as young as 100 Ma and that significant felsic complexes exist within the lunar crust. A multi-decadal sample return campaign is the next logical step in advancing our understanding of lunar origin and evolution and Solar System processes.

Problems with Feminist Standpoint Theory in Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Landau, Iddo

2008-11-01

Feminist standpoint theory has important implications for science education. The paper focuses on difficulties in standpoint theory, mostly regarding the assumptions that different social positions produce different types of knowledge, and that epistemic advantages that women might enjoy are always effective and significant. I conclude that the difficulties in standpoint theory render it too problematic to accept. Various implications for science education are indicated: we should return to the kind of science education that instructs students to examine whether arguments, experiments, etc. are successful, rather than ask who presented them; when considering researchers and students for science education programs we should examine their scholarly achievements, rather than the group to which they belong; women should not be discouraged from engaging in “mainstream” science research and education (or other spheres of knowledge considered as “men’s topics”) and men should not be discouraged from engaging in what are considered “women’s topics” in science (or outside it); we should not assume that there are different types of science for women and for men, nor different ways for women and men to study science or conduct scientific research.

Coding, modulation, and relays for deep space communication Mars Rovers Case Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Statman, Joseph I.; Edwards, Charles D.

2004-01-01

This paper presents the communications challenges for the MER mission, the use of DSN and MER tools to maximize the science return, and the application of standards-based relays to the problem. To date, more than 90% of the data returned from MER has been returned via relays, not direct-to-Earath (DTE).

A Framework for Lunar Surface Science Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eppler, D.; Bleacher, J.; Bell, E.; Cohen, B.; Deans, M.; Evans, C.; Graff, T.; Head, J.; Helper, M.; Hodges, K.; Hurtado, J.; Klaus, K.; Kring, D.; Schmitt, H.; Skinner, J.; Spudis, P.; Tewksbury, B.; Young, K.; Yingst, A.

2017-05-01

Successful lunar science will be dependent on mission concept, mobility, robotic/human assets, crew training, field tools, and IT assets. To achieve good science return, element integration must be considered at the start of any exploration program.

Return to the Moon: Lunar robotic science missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, Lawrence A.

1992-01-01

There are two important aspects of the Moon and its materials which must be addressed in preparation for a manned return to the Moon and establishment of a lunar base. These involve its geologic science and resource utilization. Knowledge of the Moon forms the basis for interpretations of the planetary science of the terrestrial planets and their satellites; and there are numerous exciting explorations into the geologic science of the Moon to be conducted using orbiter and lander missions. In addition, the rocks and minerals and soils of the Moon will be the basic raw materials for a lunar outpost; and the In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) of lunar materials must be considered in detail before any manned return to the Moon. Both of these fields -- planetary science and resource assessment -- will necessitate the collection of considerable amounts of new data, only obtainable from lunar-orbit remote sensing and robotic landers. For over fifteen years, there have been a considerable number of workshops, meetings, etc. with their subsequent 'white papers' which have detailed plans for a return to the Moon. The Lunar Observer mission, although grandiose, seems to have been too expensive for the austere budgets of the last several years. However, the tens of thousands of man-hours that have gone into 'brainstorming' and production of plans and reports have provided the precursor material for today's missions. It has been only since last year (1991) that realistic optimism for lunar orbiters and soft landers has come forth. Plans are for 1995 and 1996 'Early Robotic Missions' to the Moon, with the collection of data necessary for answering several of the major problems in lunar science, as well as for resource and site evaluation, in preparation for soft landers and a manned-presence on the Moon.

A survey of rapid sample return needs from Space Station Freedom and potential return systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mccandless, Ronald S.; Siegel, Bette; Charlton, Kevin

1991-01-01

Results are presented of a survey conducted among potential users of the life sciences and material sciences facilities at the Space Station Freedom (SSF) to determine the need for a special rapid sample return (RSR) mission to bring the experimental samples from the Space Station Freedom (SSF) to earth between the Space Shuttle visits. The results of the survey show that, while some experimental objectives would benefit from the RSR capability, other available cost- and mission-effective means could be used instead of the RSR proposed. Potential vehicles for transporting samples from the SSF to earth are examined in the context of the survey results.

NASA needs a long-term sample return strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agee, C.

Sample return missions, as demonstrated by Apollo, can have a huge payoff for plan- etary science. Beyond NASAAfs current Discovery missions, Stardust and Genesis, there are no future U.S. sample return missions on the books. At this juncture, it would be desirable for NASA to develop a coherent, long-term strategy for sample return missions to prime targets such as Mars, Venus, and other solar system bodies. The roster of missions planned for this decade in NASAAfs Mars Program no longer includes a sample return. Arguments against an early Mars sample return (MSR) in- clude the high cost, high risk, and not knowing the Agright placeAh on the Martian surface to sample. On the other hand, answering many of the key scientific questions about Mars, including the search for life, may require sample return. In lieu of MSR, NASA plans, out to 2009, a mix of orbital and landed missions that will perform re- mote and in-situ science at Mars. One approach to MSR that may lead to success in the opportunities beyond 2009 is a series of simple missions where large rovers and complex instruments are replaced by robust Mars ascent vehicles and lander-based sampling techniques. AgMobilityAh and Agsample diversityAh in these early reconnaissance sample return missions are accomplished by sending each mission to a distinctly different location based on our understanding of Martian geology prior to launch. The expected wealth of knowledge from these simple sample return missions will help guide Mars exploration beyond 2020. Venus sample return (VSR) should also be a high priority in NASAAfs exploration of the solar system. Our understanding of the Venusian surface is fragmentary at best and the mineralogy in unknown. We have no verified meteorites from Venus and thus radiometric ages of the crust do not exist. Venusian science best done on Earth from a VSR would include (1) precise isotopic measurements of atmospheric gases, soil, and rock, (2) age dating of rock, (3) trace element chemistry of soil and rock, (4) charac- terization of very small phases, (5) characterization of complex weathering products, (6) detailed rock mineralogy and petrology.

Consideration of sample return and the exploration strategy for Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bogard, D. C.; Duke, M. B.; Gibson, E. K.; Minear, J. W.; Nyquist, L. E.; Phinney, W. C.

1979-01-01

The scientific rationale and requirements for a Mars surface sample return were examined and the experience gained from the analysis and study of the returned lunar samples were incorporated into the science requirements and engineering design for the Mars sample return mission. The necessary data sets for characterizing Mars are presented. If further analyses of surface samples are to be made, the best available method is for the analysis to be conducted in terrestrial laboratories.

Which stocks are profitable? A network method to investigate the effects of network structure on stock returns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Kun; Luo, Peng; Sun, Bianxia; Wang, Huaiqing

2015-10-01

According to asset pricing theory, a stock's expected returns are determined by its exposure to systematic risk. In this paper, we propose a new method for analyzing the interaction effects among industries and stocks on stock returns. We construct a complex network based on correlations of abnormal stock returns and use centrality and modularity, two popular measures in social science, to determine the effect of interconnections on industry and stock returns. Supported by previous studies, our findings indicate that a relationship exists between inter-industry closeness and industry returns and between stock centrality and stock returns. The theoretical and practical contributions of these findings are discussed.

High School Science Teachers' Receptivity to the Next Generation Science Standards: An Examination of Discipline Specific Factors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shapiro, Lesley Jacqueline

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), are the biggest change to American science education since the National Science Education Standards (NSES) were published. While inquiry was central to the NSES, science assessment largely addressed factual knowledge acquisition. The NGSS represent a significant practical change for teachers as they mark a return to the ideals specified in the National Science Education Standards (NSES) and Benchmarks for Science Literacy. The purpose of this explanatory sequential, mixed-methods study was to identify and compare the factors that influenced high school science teachers' receptivity to the curricular shifts necessitated by the adoption of the NGSS. The survey data identified three factors as significant predictors of teacher receptivity: teachers' non-monetary cost-benefit analysis, alignment between the NGSS and their current teaching style, and concerns about student readiness. To understand how these factors operate in the classroom, both receptive and non-receptive teachers were interviewed. In terms of cost-benefit analysis, all teachers agree that time is a significant cost. This includes the time it takes to adapt lessons to the NGSS, and the time it takes to teach in a way that integrates the three parts of the NGSS which are the practices of science and engineering, the crosscutting concepts, and the disciplinary core ideas. In terms of alignment between their teaching style and the NGSS, teachers talked about the lack of examples of what NGSS-aligned instruction looks like and the dearth of accessible high quality professional development. Finally, concerns about students' readiness focused on both inadequate preparation for college-level science coursework and deficits in science instruction in the lower grades.

Mars rover sample return: An exobiology science scenario

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosenthal, D. A.; Sims, M. H.; Schwartz, Deborah E.; Nedell, S. S.; Mckay, Christopher P.; Mancinelli, Rocco L.

1988-01-01

A mission designed to collect and return samples from Mars will provide information regarding its composition, history, and evolution. At the same time, a sample return mission generates a technical challenge. Sophisticated, semi-autonomous, robotic spacecraft systems must be developed in order to carry out complex operations at the surface of a very distant planet. An interdisciplinary effort was conducted to consider how much a Mars mission can be realistically structured to maximize the planetary science return. The focus was to concentrate on a particular set of scientific objectives (exobiology), to determine the instrumentation and analyses required to search for biological signatures, and to evaluate what analyses and decision making can be effectively performed by the rover in order to minimize the overhead of constant communication between Mars and the Earth. Investigations were also begun in the area of machine vision to determine whether layered sedimentary structures can be recognized autonomously, and preliminary results are encouraging.

NASA Curation Preparation for Ryugu Sample Returned by JAXA's Hayabusa2 Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nakamura-Messenger, Keiko; Righter, Kevin; Snead, Christopher J.; McCubbin, Francis M.; Pace, Lisa F.; Zeigler, Ryan A.; Evans, Cindy

2017-01-01

The NASA OSIRIS-REx and JAXA Hayabusa2 missions to near-Earth asteroids Bennu and Ryugu share similar mission goals of understanding the origins of primitive, organic-rich asteroids. Under an agreement between JAXA and NASA, there is an on-going and productive collaboration between science teams of Hayabusa2 and OSIRIS-REx missions. Under this agreement, a portion of each of the returned sample masses will be exchanged between the agencies and the scientific results of their study will be shared. NASA’s portion of the returned Hayabusa2 sample, consisting of 10% of the returned mass, will be jointly separated by NASA and JAXA. The sample will be legally and physically transferred to NASA’s dedicated Hayabusa2 curation facility at Johnson Space Center (JSC) no later than one year after the return of the Hayabusa2 sample to Earth (December 2020). The JSC Hayabusa2 curation cleanroom facility design has now been completed. In the same manner, JAXA will receive 0.5% of the total returned OSIRIS-REx sample (minimum required sample to return 60 g, maximum sample return capacity of 2 kg) from the rest of the specimen. No later than one year after the return of the OSIRIS-REx sample to Earth (September 2023), legal, physical, and permanent custody of this sample subset will be transferred to JAXA, and the sample subset will be brought to JAXA’s Extraterrestrial Sample Curation Center (ESCuC) at Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Sagamihara City Japan.

Evaluating the Generality and Limits of Blind Return-Oriented Programming Attacks

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

consider a recently proposed information disclosure vulnerability called blind return-oriented programming (BROP). Under certain conditions, this...implementation disclosure attacks 15. NUMBER OF PAGES 75 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF REPORT Unclassified 18. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF...Science iii THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK iv ABSTRACT We consider a recently proposed information disclosure vulnerability called blind return

Selecting and Certifying a Landing Site for Moonrise in South Pole-Aitken Basin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jolliff, B.; Watkins, R.; Petro, N.; Moriarty, D.; Lawrence, S.; Head, J.; Pieters, C.; Hagerty, J.; Fergason, R.; Hare, T.;

A Simple, Powerful Method for Optimal Guidance of Spacecraft Formations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughes, Steven P.

2005-01-01

One of the most interesting and challenging aspects of formation guidance law design is the coupling of the orbit design and the science return. The analyst s role is more complicated than simply to design the formation geometry and evolution. He or she is also involved in designing a significant portion of the science instrument itself. The effectiveness of the formation as a science instrument is intimately coupled with the relative geoniet,ry and evolution of the collection of spacecraft. Therefore, the science return can be maximized by optimizing the orbit design according to a performance metric relevant to the science mission goals. In this work, we present a simple method for optimal formation guidance that is applicable to missions whose performance metric, requirements, and constraints can be cast as functions that are explicitly dependent upon the orbit states and spacecraft relative positions and velocities. We present a general form for the cost and constraint functions, and derive their semi-analytic gradients with respect to the formation initial conditions. The gradients are broken down into two types. The first type are gradients of the mission specific performance metric with respect to formation geometry. The second type are derivatives of the formation geometry with respect to the orbit initial conditions. The fact that these two types of derivatives appear separately allows us to derive and implement a general framework that requires minimal modification to be applied to different missions or mission phases. To illustrate the applicability of the approach, we conclude with applications to twc missims: the Magnetospheric Mu!tiscale mission (MMS), a,nd the TJaser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA).

A Simple, Powerful Method for Optimal Guidance of Spacecraft Formations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughes, Steven P.

2006-01-01

One of the most interesting and challenging aspects of formation guidance law design is the coupling of the orbit design and the science return. The analyst's role is more complicated than simply to design the formation geometry and evolution. He or she is also involved in designing a significant portion of the science instrument itself. The effectiveness of the formation as a science instrument is intimately coupled with the relative geometry and evolution of the collection of spacecraft. Therefore, the science return can be maximized by optimizing the orbit design according to a performance metric relevant to the science mission goals. In this work, we present a simple method for optimal formation guidance that is applicable to missions whose performance metric, requirements, and constraints can be cast as functions that are explicitly dependent upon the orbit states and spacecraft relative positions and velocities. We present a general form for the cost and constraint functions, and derive their semi-analytic gradients with respect to the formation initial conditions. The gradients are broken down into two types. The first type are gradients of the mission specific performance metric with respect to formation geometry. The second type are derivatives of the formation geometry with respect to the orbit initial conditions. The fact that these two types of derivatives appear separately allows us to derive and implement a general framework that requires minimal modification to be applied to different missions or mission phases. To illustrate the applicability of the approach, we conclude with applications to two missions: the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission (MMS) , and the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA).

``Big Bang" for NASA's Buck: Nearly Three Years of EUVE Mission Operations at UCB

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stroozas, B. A.; Nevitt, R.; McDonald, K. E.; Cullison, J.; Malina, R. F.

1999-12-01

After over seven years in orbit, NASA's Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) satellite continues to perform flawlessly and with no significant loss of science capabilities. EUVE continues to produce important and exciting science results and, with reentry not expected until 2003-2004, many more such discoveries await. In the nearly three years since the outsourcing of EUVE from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, the small EUVE operations team at the University of California at Berkeley (UCB) has successfully conducted all aspects of the EUVE mission -- from satellite operations, science and mission planning, and data processing, delivery, and archival, to software support, systems administration, science management, and overall mission direction. This paper discusses UCB's continued focus on automation and streamlining, in all aspects of the Project, as the means to maximize EUVE's overall scientific productivity while minimizing costs. Multitasking, non-traditional work roles, and risk management have led to expanded observing capabilities while achieving significant cost reductions and maintaining the mission's historical 99 return. This work was funded under NASA Cooperative Agreement NCC5-138.

A two-hypothesis approach to establishing a life detection/biohazard protocol for planetary samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conley, Catharine; Steele, Andrew

2016-07-01

The COSPAR policy on performing a biohazard assessment on samples brought from Mars to Earth is framed in the context of a concern for false-positive results. However, as noted during the 2012 Workshop for Life Detection in Samples from Mars (ref. Kminek et al., 2014), a more significant concern for planetary samples brought to Earth is false-negative results, because an undetected biohazard could increase risk to the Earth. This is the reason that stringent contamination control must be a high priority for all Category V Restricted Earth Return missions. A useful conceptual framework for addressing these concerns involves two complementary 'null' hypotheses: testing both of them, together, would allow statistical and community confidence to be developed regarding one or the other conclusion. As noted above, false negatives are of primary concern for safety of the Earth, so the 'Earth Safety null hypothesis' -- that must be disproved to assure low risk to the Earth from samples introduced by Category V Restricted Earth Return missions -- is 'There is native life in these samples.' False positives are of primary concern for Astrobiology, so the 'Astrobiology null hypothesis' -- that must be disproved in order to demonstrate the existence of extraterrestrial life is 'There is no life in these samples.' The presence of Earth contamination would render both of these hypotheses more difficult to disprove. Both these hypotheses can be tested following a strict science protocol; analyse, interprete, test the hypotheses and repeat. The science measurements undertaken are then done in an iterative fashion that responds to discovery with both hypotheses testable from interpretation of the scientific data. This is a robust, community involved activity that ensures maximum science return with minimal sample use.

Return to sport following tibial plateau fractures: A systematic review

PubMed Central

Robertson, Greg A J; Wong, Seng J; Wood, Alexander M

2017-01-01

AIM To systemically review all studies reporting return to sport following tibial plateau fracture, in order to provide information on return rates and times to sport, and to assess variations in sporting outcome for different treatment methods. METHODS A systematic search of CINAHAL, Cochrane, EMBASE, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, PEDro, Scopus, SPORTDiscus and Web of Science was performed in January 2017 using the keywords “tibial”, “plateau”, “fractures”, “knee”, “athletes”, “sports”, “non-operative”, “conservative”, “operative”, “return to sport”. All studies which recorded return rates and times to sport following tibial plateau fractures were included. RESULTS Twenty-seven studies were included: 1 was a randomised controlled trial, 7 were prospective cohort studies, 16 were retrospective cohort studies, 3 were case series. One study reported on the outcome of conservative management (n = 3); 27 reported on the outcome of surgical management (n = 917). Nine studies reported on Open Reduction Internal Fixation (ORIF) (n = 193), 11 on Arthroscopic-Assisted Reduction Internal Fixation (ARIF) (n = 253) and 7 on Frame-Assisted Fixation (FRAME) (n = 262). All studies recorded “return to sport” rates. Only one study recorded a “return to sport” time. The return rate to sport for the total cohort was 70%. For the conservatively-managed fractures, the return rate was 100%. For the surgically-managed fractures, the return rate was 70%. For fractures managed with ORIF, the return rate was 60%. For fractures managed with ARIF, the return rate was 83%. For fractures managed with FRAME was 52%. The return rate for ARIF was found to be significantly greater than that for ORIF (OR 3.22, 95%CI: 2.09-4.97, P < 0.001) and for FRAME (OR 4.33, 95%CI: 2.89-6.50, P < 0.001). No difference was found between the return rates for ORIF and FRAME (OR 1.35, 95%CI: 0.92-1.96, P = 0.122). The recorded return time was 6.9 mo (median), from a study reporting on ORIF. CONCLUSION Return rates to sport for tibial plateau fractures remain limited compared to other fractures. ARIF provides the best return rates. There is limited data regarding return times to sport. Further research is required to determine return times to sport, and to improve return rates to sport, through treatment and rehabilitation optimisation. PMID:28808629

The Keys to Successful Extended Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seal, David A.; Manor-Chapman, Emily A.

2012-01-01

Many of NASA's successful missions of robotic exploration have gone on to highly productive mission extensions, from Voyager, Magellan, Ulysses, and Galileo, to the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity, a variety of Mars orbiters, Spitzer, Deep Impact / EPOXI, and Cassini. These missions delivered not only a high science return during their prime science phase, but a wealth of opportunities during their extensions at a low incremental cost to the program. The success of such mission extensions can be traced to demonstration of new and unique science achievable during the extension; reduction in cost without significant increase in risk to spacecraft health; close inclusion of the science community and approval authorities in planning; intelligent design during the development and prime operations phase; and well crafted and conveyed extension proposals. This paper discusses lessons learned collected from a variety of project leaders which can be applied by current and future missions to maximize their chances of approval and success.

Airborne Cloud Computing Environment (ACCE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hardman, Sean; Freeborn, Dana; Crichton, Dan; Law, Emily; Kay-Im, Liz

2011-01-01

Airborne Cloud Computing Environment (ACCE) is JPL's internal investment to improve the return on airborne missions. Improve development performance of the data system. Improve return on the captured science data. The investment is to develop a common science data system capability for airborne instruments that encompasses the end-to-end lifecycle covering planning, provisioning of data system capabilities, and support for scientific analysis in order to improve the quality, cost effectiveness, and capabilities to enable new scientific discovery and research in earth observation.

Building Upon the ISS and HST Experience. Science Enabled by Returning Humans to the Moon: An Architectural Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thronson, Harley A.

2008-01-01

This viewgraph presentation discusses the science that can be accomplished by returning humans to space, and to the moon. With modest modifications to the planned future Constellation vehicle (i.e., the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle), astronomers, and other scientist can anticipate major scientific accomplishments that would not otherwise be possible. Much of this can be attributed to the experience gained from the International Space Station Construction and the Hubble Space Telescope servicing missions.

Reflective Writing for a Better Understanding of Scientific Concepts in High School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Helou, Joseph; Kalman, Calvin S.

2018-02-01

Science teachers can always benefit from efficient tools that help students to engage with the subject and understand it better without significantly adding to the teacher's workload nor requiring too much of class time to manage. Reflective writing is such a low-impact, high-return tool. What follows is an introduction to reflective writing, and more on its usefulness for teachers is given in the last part of this article.

Challenges of archiving science data from long duration missions: the Rosetta case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heather, David

2016-07-01

Rosetta is the first mission designed to orbit and land on a comet. It consists of an orbiter, carrying 11 science experiments, and a lander, called 'Philae', carrying 10 additional instruments. Rosetta was launched on 2 March 2004, and arrived at the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on 6 August 2014. During its long journey, Rosetta has completed flybys of the Earth and Mars, and made two excursions to the main asteroid belt to observe (2867) Steins and (21) Lutetia. On 12 November 2014, the Philae probe soft landed on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the first time in history that such an extraordinary feat has been achieved. After the landing, the Rosetta orbiter followed the comet through its perihelion in August 2015, and will continue to accompany 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko as it recedes from the Sun until the end of the mission. There are significant challenges in managing the science archive of a mission such as Rosetta. The first data were returned from Rosetta more than 10 years ago, and there have been flybys of several planetary bodies, including two asteroids from which significant science data were returned by many of the instruments. The scientific applications for these flyby data can be very different to those taken during the main science phase at the comet, but there are severe limitations on the changes that can be applied to the data pipelines managed by the various science teams as resources are scarce. The priority is clearly on maximising the potential science from the comet phase, so data formats and pipelines have been designed with that in mind, and changes limited to managing issues found during official archiving authority and independent science reviews. In addition, in the time that Rosetta has been operating, the archiving standards themselves have evolved. All Rosetta data are archived following version 3 of NASA's Planetary Data System (PDS) Standards. Currently, new and upcoming planetary science missions are delivering data following the new 'PDS4' standards, which are using a very different format and require significant changes to the archive itself to manage. There are no plans at ESA to convert the data to PDS4 formats, but the community may need this to be completed in the long term if we are to realise the full scientific potential of the mission. There is a Memorandum of Understanding between ESA and NASA that commits to there being a full copy of the Rosetta science data holdings both within the Planetary Science Archive (PSA) at ESA and with NASA's Planetary Data System, at the Small Bodies Node (SBN) in Maryland. The requirements from each archiving authority place sometimes contradictory restrictions on the formatting and structure of the data content, and there has also been a significant evolution of the archives on both side of the Atlantic. The SBN have themselves expressed a desire to 'convert' the Rosetta data to PDS4 formats, so this will need to be carefully managed between the archiving authorities to ensure consistency in the Rosetta archive overall. Validation of the returned data to ensure full compliance with both the PSA and the PDS archives has required the development of a specific tool (DVal) that can be configured to manage the specificities of each instrument team's science data. Unlike the PDS, which comprises an affiliation of 'nodes', each specialising in a planetary science discipline, the PSA is a single archive designed to host data from all of ESA's planetary science missions. There have been significant challenges in evolving the archive to meet Rosetta's needs as a long-term project, without compromising the service provided to the other ongoing missions. Partly in response to this, the PSA is currently implementing a number of significant changes, both to its web-based interface to the scientific community, and to its database structure. The newly designed PSA will aim to provide easier and more direct access to the Rosetta data (and all of ESA's planetary science data holdings), and will help to soften the impact of some of the issues that have arisen with managing missions such as Rosetta in the existing framework. Conclusions: Development and management of the Rosetta science archive has been a significant challenge, due in part to the long duration of the mission and the corresponding need for development of the archive infrastructure and of the archiving process to manage these changes. The definition of a single set of conventions to manage the diverse suite of instruments, targets and indeed archiving authorities on Rosetta over this time has been a major issue, as has the need to evolve the validation processes that allow the data to be fully ingested and released to the community. This presentation will discuss the many issues faced by the PSA in the archiving of data from Rosetta, and the approach taken to resolve them. Lessons learned will be presented along with recommendations for other archiving authorities who will in future have the need to design and operate a science archive for long duration and international missions.

Risk-Return Relationship in a Complex Adaptive System

PubMed Central

Song, Kunyu; An, Kenan; Yang, Guang; Huang, Jiping

2012-01-01

For survival and development, autonomous agents in complex adaptive systems involving the human society must compete against or collaborate with others for sharing limited resources or wealth, by using different methods. One method is to invest, in order to obtain payoffs with risk. It is a common belief that investments with a positive risk-return relationship (namely, high risk high return and vice versa) are dominant over those with a negative risk-return relationship (i.e., high risk low return and vice versa) in the human society; the belief has a notable impact on daily investing activities of investors. Here we investigate the risk-return relationship in a model complex adaptive system, in order to study the effect of both market efficiency and closeness that exist in the human society and play an important role in helping to establish traditional finance/economics theories. We conduct a series of computer-aided human experiments, and also perform agent-based simulations and theoretical analysis to confirm the experimental observations and reveal the underlying mechanism. We report that investments with a negative risk-return relationship have dominance over those with a positive risk-return relationship instead in such a complex adaptive systems. We formulate the dynamical process for the system's evolution, which helps to discover the different role of identical and heterogeneous preferences. This work might be valuable not only to complexity science, but also to finance and economics, to management and social science, and to physics. PMID:22479416

Risk-return relationship in a complex adaptive system.

PubMed

Song, Kunyu; An, Kenan; Yang, Guang; Huang, Jiping

2012-01-01

For survival and development, autonomous agents in complex adaptive systems involving the human society must compete against or collaborate with others for sharing limited resources or wealth, by using different methods. One method is to invest, in order to obtain payoffs with risk. It is a common belief that investments with a positive risk-return relationship (namely, high risk high return and vice versa) are dominant over those with a negative risk-return relationship (i.e., high risk low return and vice versa) in the human society; the belief has a notable impact on daily investing activities of investors. Here we investigate the risk-return relationship in a model complex adaptive system, in order to study the effect of both market efficiency and closeness that exist in the human society and play an important role in helping to establish traditional finance/economics theories. We conduct a series of computer-aided human experiments, and also perform agent-based simulations and theoretical analysis to confirm the experimental observations and reveal the underlying mechanism. We report that investments with a negative risk-return relationship have dominance over those with a positive risk-return relationship instead in such a complex adaptive systems. We formulate the dynamical process for the system's evolution, which helps to discover the different role of identical and heterogeneous preferences. This work might be valuable not only to complexity science, but also to finance and economics, to management and social science, and to physics.

Impacts of Return-to-Work Type and Period on Job Retention in Workers with Occupational Injuries and Diseases.

PubMed

Jeong, Inchul; Park, Jae Bum; Kim, Hyoung Ryoul; Yoon, Jin Ha; Won, Jong Uk; Roh, Jaehoon

2018-01-01

Despite the necessity of job retention in achieving return-to-work (RTW) goals, many workers leave their jobs after returning to work. The objective of this study was to examine the impacts of RTW type and period on job retention in Korean workers with occupational injuries and diseases. Data were derived from the Panel Study of Worker's Compensation Insurance, including data from 2,000 systemically sampled workers who had finished recuperation in 2012; three waves of survey data were included in the analyses. Workers who returned to work (n = 1,610) were included in the analysis of the relationship between RTW type and job retention, and 664 workers who returned to their original workplaces were included in the analysis of the relationship between RTW period and job retention. The participants completed a questionnaire, and administrative data were provided by workers' compensation insurance. A Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis showed an increased hazard ratio (HR) for non-retention of 2.66 (95% confidence interval, 2.11-3.35) in reemployed workers compared to that in workers returning to their original workplaces. Among workers returning to their original workplaces, HRs for non-retention were increased in workers with a RTW period of 13-24 months (3.03 [1.52-6.04]) and > 24 months (5.33 [2.14-13.25]) compared to workers with a RTW period of ≤ 3 months. RTW type and period were significantly related to job retention, suggesting that policies for promoting job retention rate should be implemented. © 2018 The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences.

Return to the Poles of Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McCleese, D. J.

2000-01-01

The loss of the Mars Polar Lander (MPL) raises the question of when NASA might attempt a return mission to the Polar Regions. This paper describes future opportunities for recovering the science lost with MPL. Additional information can be found in the original extended abstract.

A Rover Mobility Platform with Autonomous Capability to Enable Mars Sample Return

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fulford, P.; Langley, C.; Shaw, A.

2018-04-01

The next step in understanding Mars is sample return. In Fall 2016, the CSA conducted an analogue deployment using the Mars Exploration Science Rover. An objective was to demonstrate the maturity of the rover's guidance, navigation, and control.

Enabling Global Lunar Sample Return and Life-Detection Studies Using a Deep-Space Gateway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen, B. A.; Eigenbrode, J. A.; Young, K. E.; Bleacher, J. E.; Trainer, M. E.

2018-02-01

The Deep Space Gateway could uniquely enable a lunar robotic sampling campaign that would provide incredible science return as well as feed forward to Mars and Europa by testing instrument sterility and ability to distinguish biogenic signals.

Quantum Opportunities and Challenges for Fundamental Sciences in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yu, Nan

2012-01-01

Space platforms offer unique environment for and measurements of quantum world and fundamental physics. Quantum technology and measurements enhance measurement capabilities in space and result in greater science returns.

Stardust Sample Collection at Wild 2 and Its Preliminary Examination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsou, P.; Brownlee, D. E.; Hoerz, F.; Newburn, R. L.; Sandford, S. A.; Sekanina, Z.; Zolensky, M. E.

2004-01-01

The primary objective of STARDUST is to collect coma samples from 81P/Wild 2. This was made on January 2, 2004. Before the encounter three significant model predictions existed for the number and size of samples to be captured. Three investigations during the Wild 2 encounter (Dust Flux Monitor, Comet and Interstellar Dust Analyzer and Dynamic Science) made in situ measurements of the dust. Spectacular images were captured of the Wild 2 nucleus and dust jets. This abstract compares the model predictions with the in situ measurements and Wild 2 images and assesses the likely samples to be returned for analysis on January 15, 2006. To give some lead time for sample analysts to prepare for the analyses of the returned samples, the organization of the Preliminary Examination is presented.

MEPAG Recommendations for a 2018 Mars Sample Return Caching Lander - Sample Types, Number, and Sizes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, Carlton C.

2011-01-01

The return to Earth of geological and atmospheric samples from the surface of Mars is among the highest priority objectives of planetary science. The MEPAG Mars Sample Return (MSR) End-to-End International Science Analysis Group (MEPAG E2E-iSAG) was chartered to propose scientific objectives and priorities for returned sample science, and to map out the implications of these priorities, including for the proposed joint ESA-NASA 2018 mission that would be tasked with the crucial job of collecting and caching the samples. The E2E-iSAG identified four overarching scientific aims that relate to understanding: (A) the potential for life and its pre-biotic context, (B) the geologic processes that have affected the martian surface, (C) planetary evolution of Mars and its atmosphere, (D) potential for future human exploration. The types of samples deemed most likely to achieve the science objectives are, in priority order: (1A). Subaqueous or hydrothermal sediments (1B). Hydrothermally altered rocks or low temperature fluid-altered rocks (equal priority) (2). Unaltered igneous rocks (3). Regolith, including airfall dust (4). Present-day atmosphere and samples of sedimentary-igneous rocks containing ancient trapped atmosphere Collection of geologically well-characterized sample suites would add considerable value to interpretations of all collected rocks. To achieve this, the total number of rock samples should be about 30-40. In order to evaluate the size of individual samples required to meet the science objectives, the E2E-iSAG reviewed the analytical methods that would likely be applied to the returned samples by preliminary examination teams, for planetary protection (i.e., life detection, biohazard assessment) and, after distribution, by individual investigators. It was concluded that sample size should be sufficient to perform all high-priority analyses in triplicate. In keeping with long-established curatorial practice of extraterrestrial material, at least 40% by mass of each sample should be preserved to support future scientific investigations. Samples of 15-16 grams are considered optimal. The total mass of returned rocks, soils, blanks and standards should be approximately 500 grams. Atmospheric gas samples should be the equivalent of 50 cubic cm at 20 times Mars ambient atmospheric pressure.

Planning Considerations Related to Collecting and Analyzing Samples of the Martian Soils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Yang; Mellon, Mike T.; Ming, Douglas W.; Morris, Richard V.; Noble, Sarah K.; Sullivan, Robert J.; Taylor, Lawrence A.; Beaty, David W.

2014-01-01

The Mars Sample Return (MSR) End-to-End International Science Analysis Group (E2E-iSAG [1]) established scientific objectives associ-ated with Mars returned-sample science that require the return and investigation of one or more soil samples. Soil is defined here as loose, unconsolidated materials with no implication for the presence or absence of or-ganic components. The proposed Mars 2020 (M-2020) rover is likely to collect and cache soil in addition to rock samples [2], which could be followed by future sample retrieval and return missions. Here we discuss key scientific consid-erations for sampling and caching soil samples on the proposed M-2020 rover, as well as the state in which samples would need to be preserved when received by analysts on Earth. We are seeking feedback on these draft plans as input to mission requirement formulation. A related planning exercise on rocks is reported in an accompanying abstract [3].

An Introduction to Science Education in Rural Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lyons, Terry

2008-01-01

Here's a challenge. Try searching "Google" for the phrase "rural science teachers" in Australian web content. Surprisingly, my attempts returned only two hits, neither of which actually referred to Australian teachers. Searches for "rural science education" fare little better. On this evidence one could be forgiven…

Exploring Societal Responses towards Managerial Prerogative in Entrepreneurial Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Callagher, Lisa; Horst, Maja; Husted, Kenneth

2015-01-01

Society's expectations for an increased role in science agenda setting and greater returns on public science investments shift university management practices. Entrepreneurial university, new public management, and sociology of science literature's inform the changing expectations about the roles and norms that govern university management and…

An Integrated Science Glovebox for the Gateway Habitat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calaway, M. J.; Evans, C. A.; Garrison, D. H.; Bell, M. S.

2018-02-01

A Deep Space Gateway astromaterials glovebox facility would enable science to return to Earth collected astromaterials from the Moon and ultimately Mars. Next generation habitats will benefit from on-board glovebox capability.

Core to Atmosphere Exploration of Ice Giants: A Uranus Mission Concept Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jensema, R. J.; Arias-Young, T. M.; Wilkins, A. N.; Ermakov, A.; Bennett, C.; Dietrich, A.; Hemingway, D.; Klein, V.; Mane, P.; Marr, K. D.; Masterson, J.; Siegel, V.; Stober, K. J.; Talpe, M.; Vines, S. K.; Wetteland, C. J.

2014-12-01

Ice giants remain largely unexplored, as their large distance from the Sun limits both Earth-based observations and spacecraft visits. The significant occurrence of ice giant-sized planets among detected exoplanets presents an impetus to study Uranus to understand planetary formation, dynamics, and evolution. In addition, Uranus is also uniquely interesting, given the large inclination of its rotation axis and magnetospheric configuration. In this work, we design a mission concept that aims to maximize scientific return by measuring Uranus' chemical composition, internal structure, and magnetosphere, the first two being primary indicators of ice giant formation mechanisms. For this study, we analyze the trade space for a Uranus mission constrained by a cost cap of $1B. We discuss the decision making processes behind our choices of the science priorities, instrument suite and orbital configuration. Trade space decisions include a strong onboard instrument suite in lieu of a descent probe, an orbiter instead of a flyby mission, and design constraints on the power and propulsion systems. The mission, CAELUS (Core and Atmospheric Evolution Laboratory for Uranus Science), is designed for an August 2023 launch. Following a 14-year cruise with multiple planetary gravity assists, the spacecraft would begin its science mission, which consists of a series of ten 30-day near-polar orbits around Uranus. The instrument suite would consist of a microwave radiometer, Doppler seismometer, magnetometer, and UV spectrometer. These four instruments, along with a high-gain antenna capable of gravity science, would provide a comprehensive science return that meets the bulk of the scientific objectives of the 2013 NRC Planetary Science Decadal Survey for ice giants, most notably those regarding the chemical composition, interior structure, and dynamo of Uranus. This mission concept was created as part of an educational exercise for the 2014 Planetary Science Summer School at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Outbreeding depression in hybrids between odd-and even-broodyear pink salmon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gharrett, A.J.; Smoker, W.W.; Reisenbichler, R.R.; Taylor, S.G.

1999-01-01

Fewer F2 hybrids between even- and odd-broodline pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha), which are lines that are genetically isolated by their strict two-year life cycle, survived than did F2 controls, indicating outbreeding depression. Cryopreserved sperm of 40 broodyear 1990 males and of 40 broodyear 1991 males fertilized equal subsamples of eggs from 40 broodyear 1992 females. Return rates of F1 hybrids (1.73%) and controls (1.63%) in 1994 did not differ significantly (P=0.30). F2 hybrid and control crosses were made from 40 males and 40 females selected at random from each return group. Offspring were differentially marked and released. In 1996, returns differed significantly (P=0.011) between hybrids (n=34, 0.34%) and controls (n=44, 0.42%). The low rate of return of the control fish was similar to the measured return of a much larger group of tagged Auke Creek pink salmon, and probably not an artifact of the experiment. Although no increase in fluctuating asymmetry of paired meristic counts was observed in either F1or F2 hybrids, size and some meristic counts of hybrids exceed measurements of controls, suggesting heterosis for those traits. The observations of decreased survival in F2 hybrids confirm previous work [Gharrett, A.J., Smoker, W.W., 1991. Two generations of hybrids between even- and odd-year pink salmon (O. gorbuscha). Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science 48(9) 1744–1749]. Although genetic divergence between pink salmon broodlines is large and outbreeding depression might be expected in such unlikely hybrids, the results document the occurrence of outbreeding depression in salmon and signal caution in making management and aquacultural decisions that may create the possibility of outbreeding depression in self-sustaining or cultured populations.

Croatian Medical Journal citation score in Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar.

PubMed

Sember, Marijan; Utrobicić, Ana; Petrak, Jelka

2010-04-01

To analyze the 2007 citation count of articles published by the Croatian Medical Journal in 2005-2006 based on data from the Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Web of Science and Scopus were searched for the articles published in 2005-2006. As all articles returned by Scopus were included in Web of Science, the latter list was the sample for further analysis. Total citation counts for each article on the list were retrieved from Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The overlap and unique citations were compared and analyzed. Proportions were compared using chi(2)-test. Google Scholar returned the greatest proportion of articles with citations (45%), followed by Scopus (42%), and Web of Science (38%). Almost a half (49%) of articles had no citations and 11% had an equal number of identical citations in all 3 databases. The greatest overlap was found between Web of Science and Scopus (54%), followed by Scopus and Google Scholar (51%), and Web of Science and Google Scholar (44%). The greatest number of unique citations was found by Google Scholar (n=86). The majority of these citations (64%) came from journals, followed by books and PhD theses. Approximately 55% of all citing documents were full-text resources in open access. The language of citing documents was mostly English, but as many as 25 citing documents (29%) were in Chinese. Google Scholar shares a total of 42% citations returned by two others, more influential, bibliographic resources. The list of unique citations in Google Scholar is predominantly journal based, but these journals are mainly of local character. Citations received by internationally recognized medical journals are crucial for increasing the visibility of small medical journals but Google Scholar may serve as an alternative bibliometric tool for an orientational citation insight.

How, precisely, can astronomy be of benefit to anyone?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Bernard J. T.

2011-06-01

Astronomy as an observational science is technology driven both from the point of view of data acquisition and of data processing and visualisation. Astronomy exploits a very wide base of technologies which are developed, enhanced and extended by users. Consequently, astronomy can return new and enhanced technologies to areas well outside of astronomy itself. My own hi-tech company, Astraguard, a video imaging company, is a small but significant example of that technology return. Astronomy can provide both know-how and people for a diverse variety of areas: security, industrial process control, medical and biological imaging, petrochemicals, databases, and the financial industries to name but a few. It is unfortunate that those who teach astronomy are generally not aware of these possibilities. In this lecture I hope to take a first step towards showing what is possible. I hope to convince the reader that astronomy education, at all levels, can play a significant role in career development outside of astronomy and in higher education in developing countries.

Mars Sample Return: The Critical Need for Planning a Meaningful and Participatory Public Engagement Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klug Boonstra, S.

2018-04-01

The Mars Sample Return campaign offers the prospect of an historical leap forward in the understanding of the science of Mars, and an unprecedented opportunity to engage our citizenry in one of the enduring questions of humanity, "Are we alone?".

Science education reforms in the UK.

PubMed

2012-10-01

As children return to school at the end of the summer in the UK, planned reforms aim to increase their science and maths literacy. A comprehensive foundation in these essential subjects is necessary to ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of science and technology for decades to come.

Underrepresentation of women in the senior levels of Brazilian science.

PubMed

Valentova, Jaroslava V; Otta, Emma; Silva, Maria Luisa; McElligott, Alan G

2017-01-01

Despite significant progress, there is still a gender gap in science all over the world, especially at senior levels. Some progressive countries are recognizing the need to address barriers to gender equality in order to retain their best scientists and innovators, and ensure research excellence and social and economic returns on the investment made by taxpayers each year on training women scientists. We investigated the gender distribution of: (i) the productivity scholarship (PS) holders of the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, CNPq, N = 13,625), (ii) the members of the Brazilian Academy of Science (Academia Brasileira de Ciências, ABC, N = 899), and (iii) the amount of funding awarded for top quality research ("Universal" Call of CNPq, N = 3,836), between the years of 2013 and 2014. Our findings show evidence for gender imbalances in all the studied indicators of Brazilian science. We found that female scientists were more often represented among PS holders at the lower levels of the research ranking system (2). By contrast, male scientists were more often found at higher levels (1A and 1B) of PS holders, indicating the top scientific achievement, both in "Engineering, Exact Sciences, Earth Sciences", and "Life Sciences". This imbalance was not found in Humanities and Social Sciences. Only 14% of the ABC members were women. Humanities and Applied Social Sciences had a relatively low representation of women in the Academy (3.7%) compared to Engineering, Exact and Earth Sciences: 54.9% and Life Sciences: 41.4%. Finally, female scientists obtained significantly more funding at the lower level of the research ranking system (2), whereas male scientists obtained significantly more funding at the higher levels (1A and 1B). Our results show strong evidence of a gender imbalance in Brazilian science. We hope that our findings will be used to stimulate reforms that will result in greater equality in Brazilian science, and elsewhere.

Health Coaching to Optimize Well-Being among Returning Veterans with Suicide Risk

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-01

AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-16-1-0630 TITLE: Health Coaching to Optimize Well-Being among Returning Veterans with Suicide Risk PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR...Lauren M. Denneson, PhD CONTRACTING ORGANIZATION: Oregon Health & Science University Portland, OR 97239 REPORT DATE: October 2017 TYPE OF...COVERED (From - To) 15 Sept 2016 - 14 Sept 2017 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Health Coaching to Optimize Well-Being among Returning Veterans with Suicide Risk

Burden of illness and research investments in translational sciences for pharmaceuticals in metastatic cancers.

PubMed

Wang, Wei-Jhih; Robertson, Justin C; Basu, Anirban

2017-01-01

To explore whether investments in translational sciences for six metastatic cancers follow idiosyncratic returns to those investments rather than levels of burden of illness (BI). Associate the number of translational clinical trials in the USA involving oncolytic drugs approved during 2008-2013 and the level (in 2008) and changes (2002-2008 and 2008-2014) in cancer-specific years of life lost. Investments in trials were positively associated only with contemporary changes in BI (2008-2014). The relationship was stronger for government-sponsored comparative-effectiveness trials than for industry. Translational research investments follow anticipated changes to BI levels. Systematic quantification of these expected returns from specific investments can help guide investment decisions in translational health sciences and generate productive dialogue across stakeholders.

Sample Curation at a Lunar Outpost

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, Carlton C.; Lofgren, Gary E.; Treiman, A. H.; Lindstrom, Marilyn L.

2007-01-01

The six Apollo surface missions returned 2,196 individual rock and soil samples, with a total mass of 381.6 kg. Samples were collected based on visual examination by the astronauts and consultation with geologists in the science back room in Houston. The samples were photographed during collection, packaged in uniquely-identified containers, and transported to the Lunar Module. All samples collected on the Moon were returned to Earth. NASA's upcoming return to the Moon will be different. Astronauts will have extended stays at an out-post and will collect more samples than they will return. They will need curation and analysis facilities on the Moon in order to carefully select samples for return to Earth.

Mission Design Evaluation Using Automated Planning for High Resolution Imaging of Dynamic Surface Processes from the ISS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knight, Russell; Donnellan, Andrea; Green, Joseph J.

2013-01-01

A challenge for any proposed mission is to demonstrate convincingly that the proposed systems will in fact deliver the science promised. Funding agencies and mission design personnel are becoming ever more skeptical of the abstractions that form the basis of the current state of the practice with respect to approximating science return. To address this, we have been using automated planning and scheduling technology to provide actual coverage campaigns that provide better predictive performance with respect to science return for a given mission design and set of mission objectives given implementation uncertainties. Specifically, we have applied an adaptation of ASPEN and SPICE to the Eagle-Eye domain that demonstrates the performance of the mission design with respect to coverage of science imaging targets that address climate change and disaster response. Eagle-Eye is an Earth-imaging telescope that has been proposed to fly aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Automating Stowage Operations for the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knight, Russell; Rabideau, Gregg; Mishkin, Andrew; Lee, Young

2013-01-01

A challenge for any proposed mission is to demonstrate convincingly that the proposed systems will in fact deliver the science promised. Funding agencies and mission design personnel are becoming ever more skeptical of the abstractions that form the basis of the current state of the practice with respect to approximating science return. To address this, we have been using automated planning and scheduling technology to provide actual coverage campaigns that provide better predictive performance with respect to science return for a given mission design and set of mission objectives given implementation uncertainties. Specifically, we have applied an adaptation of ASPEN and SPICE to the Eagle-Eye domain that demonstrates the performance of the mission design with respect to coverage of science imaging targets that address climate change and disaster response. Eagle-Eye is an Earth-imaging telescope that has been proposed to fly aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Increased Science Instrumentation Funding Strengthens Mars Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graham, Lee D.; Graff, T. G.

2012-01-01

As the strategic knowledge gaps mature for the exploration of Mars, Mars sample return (MSR), and Phobos/Deimos missions, one approach that becomes more probable involves smaller science instrumentation and integrated science suites. Recent technological advances provide the foundation for a significant evolution of instrumentation; however, the funding support is currently too small to fully utilize these advances. We propose that an increase in funding for instrumentation development occur in the near-term so that these foundational technologies can be applied. These instruments would directly address the significant knowledge gaps for humans to Mars orbit, humans to the Martian surface, and humans to Phobos/ Deimos. They would also address the topics covered by the Decadal Survey and the Mars scientific goals, objectives, investigations and priorities as stated by the MEPAG. We argue that an increase of science instrumentation funding would be of great benefit to the Mars program as well as the potential for human exploration of the Mars system. If the total non-Earth-related planetary science instrumentation budget were increased 100% it would not add an appreciable amount to the overall NASA budget and would provide the real potential for future breakthroughs. If such an approach were implemented in the near-term, NASA would benefit greatly in terms of science knowledge of the Mars, Phobos/Deimos system, exploration risk mitigation, technology development, and public interest.

The Clam Trail: Blending Science Education, Public Art, and Tourism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muscio, Cara; Flimlin, Gef; Bushnell, Rick

2011-01-01

The Barnegat Bay Shellfish Restoration's Clam Trail is an award-winning scavenger hunt that combines science education, public art, and tourism. This family adventure has participants seeking out giant painted fiberglass clams, upweller clam nurseries, and points of interest in search of science facts to record on their forms. Upon returning these…

Implementing Legacy-C Algorithms in FPGA Co-Processors for Performance Accelerated Smart Payloads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pingree, Paula J.; Scharenbroich, Lucas J.; Werne, Thomas A.; Hartzell, Christine

2008-01-01

Accurate, on-board classification of instrument data is used to increase science return by autonomously identifying regions of interest for priority transmission or generating summary products to conserve transmission bandwidth. Due to on-board processing constraints, such classification has been limited to using the simplest functions on a small subset of the full instrument data. FPGA co-processor designs for SVM1 classifiers will lead to significant improvement in on-board classification capability and accuracy.

Effect of organizational factors and work environments on newly graduated nurses' intention to leave.

PubMed

Ishihara, Itsuko; Ishibashi, Yukie; Takahashi, Kiyomi; Nakashima, Mitsuyo

2014-07-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate intention to leave in relation to organizational factors and work environments among newly graduated nurses (NGN). A questionnaire was delivered to NGN (n = 762) from baccalaureate programs as well as diploma schools from 19 R-hospitals (R-hospitals were designated as "public medical institutions" by the 1951 Medical Law) in 2010. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients and Mann-Whitney U-test were used to test statistical significance. Only 148 questionnaires were returned for a return rate of 19.4%. The authors found that 8.1% of respondents had a highly to extremely likely desire to leave nursing. Intention to leave was significantly associated with Nursing Work Index total (P < 0.01), social support (P < 0.001), work barriers (P < 0.001), commitment to workplace (P < 0.001), job satisfaction (P < 0.001), and burnout (P < 0.001). Those who graduated from R-schools run by the R-organization had significantly positive impressions of their organizations and significantly lower intentions to leave compared to other graduates. The study results suggest that NGN intention to leave the workplace and nursing predict actual early intention to leave. In order to reduce burnout and turnover, support from colleagues and supervisors appears to be essential in organizational and psychosocial work environments for NGN to experience job satisfaction and be committed to their workplace. The results of this study also suggest that a longitudinal study is needed to reveal the long-term effects of organizational factors and work environments on NGN and how they impact role transition and adaptation of the NGN to professional practice roles. © 2013 The Authors. Japan Journal of Nursing Science © 2013 Japan Academy of Nursing Science.

Workshop on Mars 2001: Integrated Science in Preparation for Sample Return and Human Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marshall, John (Editor); Weitz, Cathy (Editor)

1999-01-01

The Workshop on Mars 2001: Integrated Science in Preparation for Sample Return and Human Exploration was held on October 2-4, 1999, at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas. The workshop was sponsored by the Lunar and Planetary Institute, the Mars Program Office of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The three-day meeting was attended by 133 scientists whose purpose was to share results from recent missions, to share plans for the 2001 mission, and to come to an agreement on a landing site for this mission.

Scouts: Using Numbers to Explore Mars In Situ

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blaney, D. L.; Wilson, G. R.

2000-01-01

Mars is a planet with a complex geologic history involving fluvial, volcanic, aeolian, atmospheric, and impact processes. Many critical questions about Mars are still heatedly debated within the scientific community and we still have much to discover. The current Mars exploration philosophy involves remote observation of the planet from orbit and intensive in situ study of a few sites on the surface. Orbital data provides a global picture while in situ investigations provide detailed knowledge at a single location. Mars Scouts are proposed to provide access to multiple locations on Mars. They address the emerging program needs of exploring the diversity of the planet globally in ways that cannot be achieved from orbit. The goal of the Scout is to find a way to investigate many locations on the surface of Mars in an affordable and efficient manner. We have only visited three locations on the surface of Mars, which have very similar characteristics. Increased numbers allows more types of locations to be investigated. The hallmarks of Scouts are numbers and access. Thus the capability of a single Scout will be limited. The science return from a single Scout will be significantly less than from a large science lander or an orbiting spacecraft. Scouts rely on their numbers to collectively provide a substantial increase in our knowledge of Mars. Scouts potentially serve two purposes in the Mars exploration architecture. First, Scouts are a science exploration tool. They provide access to places on Mars we currently can't explore because program focus, surface roughness, elevation, or latitude that we know are scientifically interesting. Scouts can react to new discoveries and evolving ideas about Mars. They can be used to test theories which until proven would not warrant the investment of a large lander. Second, Scouts enable better large scale missions by providing ground truth of remote sensing data and allowing us to "know" sites in advance before sending large landers and sample return missions. This increases the probability of success for these expensive missions both from safety and science return stand-points.

The effect of learning styles and attitude on preservice elementary teachers' conceptual understanding of chemistry and the nature of matter in a simulation-based learning environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Jaroudi, Mo H.

This causal-comparative descriptive study investigated the achievement of pre-service elementary teachers taking an introductory physical science course that integrates inquiry-based instruction with computer simulations. The study was intended to explore if pre-service elementary teachers with different attitudes towards science as well as students with different learning styles would benefit differentially. Four research questions including four hypotheses were developed. The first major question consist of four specific hypothesis that addressed preservice elementary teachers' learning styles (Active/Reflective, Sensing/Intuitive, Visual/Verbal, and Sequential/Global) and their conceptual understanding of chemistry and the particulate nature of matter in a science class which use hands-on learning integrated with computer based simulated activities. The second major question pertained to the relationship between preservice teachers learning science and chemistry and their attitude towards science. The third major question related to preservice elementary teachers science and chemistry achievement gain scores and attitude average affected by their learning styles. Finally, the fourth question pertained to the dissipation or the minimization of preservice elementary teachers' science and chemistry misconceptions over the course of study. Three instruments were given to preservice elementary teachers in three different classes: pretest/posttest for the science conceptual understanding examination, and pretest-only for the science attitude and learning styles instruments. Total usable science attitude surveys returned was 67 out of 70. The overall average mean was 3.13 (SD = .51) on a five point scale. Total return of science achievement instrument was 65, with a total mean test score (quantitative and qualitative together) of 6.38 (SD = 3.05) on the pretest, with a post test mean of 9.06 (SD = 4.19). Results revealed no statistically significant achievement gain scores based on students' learning styles, entering in all 4-combined dimensions at the same time Visual/Verbal, Sensing/Intuitive, Sequential/Global, and Active/Reflective (p > .05), indicating the four learning styles dimensions cannot be used to predict students' achievement gain. Results also indicated that there was no significant relationship between achievement gain and students' attitude (p > .05). Attitude and learning style together were also not significantly related to achievement gain. Preservice elementary teachers' comprehension of chemical concepts in this study varied from no comprehension to fair comprehension, and included many misconceptions; no answer showed complete understanding of the concepts. Many of the preservice teachers held misconception related to evaporation. If not addressed in science content and methods courses, this could be a problem as this new generation of teachers goes out to teach. It is proposed that to fix preservice elementary teachers' conceptual problems, curriculum needs to specifically focus on misconceptions. The preservice elementary subjects of the study showed a variety of misconceptions on both pretest and posttest concerning the particulate and the kinetic nature of matter. Suggestions are made is that a science content course could more contribute to preservice students' conceptual change if curriculum designers incorporate a segment that specifically addresses misconceptions, especially those misconceptions that have been documented in the literature for decades. A robust cognitive model for science education is proposed to increase teachers' science knowledge and to decrease science misconceptions.

Underrepresentation of women in the senior levels of Brazilian science

PubMed Central

Otta, Emma; Silva, Maria Luisa

2017-01-01

Despite significant progress, there is still a gender gap in science all over the world, especially at senior levels. Some progressive countries are recognizing the need to address barriers to gender equality in order to retain their best scientists and innovators, and ensure research excellence and social and economic returns on the investment made by taxpayers each year on training women scientists. We investigated the gender distribution of: (i) the productivity scholarship (PS) holders of the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, CNPq, N = 13,625), (ii) the members of the Brazilian Academy of Science (Academia Brasileira de Ciências, ABC, N = 899), and (iii) the amount of funding awarded for top quality research (“Universal” Call of CNPq, N = 3,836), between the years of 2013 and 2014. Our findings show evidence for gender imbalances in all the studied indicators of Brazilian science. We found that female scientists were more often represented among PS holders at the lower levels of the research ranking system (2). By contrast, male scientists were more often found at higher levels (1A and 1B) of PS holders, indicating the top scientific achievement, both in “Engineering, Exact Sciences, Earth Sciences”, and “Life Sciences”. This imbalance was not found in Humanities and Social Sciences. Only 14% of the ABC members were women. Humanities and Applied Social Sciences had a relatively low representation of women in the Academy (3.7%) compared to Engineering, Exact and Earth Sciences: 54.9% and Life Sciences: 41.4%. Finally, female scientists obtained significantly more funding at the lower level of the research ranking system (2), whereas male scientists obtained significantly more funding at the higher levels (1A and 1B). Our results show strong evidence of a gender imbalance in Brazilian science. We hope that our findings will be used to stimulate reforms that will result in greater equality in Brazilian science, and elsewhere. PMID:29302384

Gamma-Ray Pulse Tube Cooler Development and Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, R.; Johnson, D.; Kotsubo, V.; Evtimov, B.; Olson, J.; Nast, T.; Rawlings, R.

2000-01-01

For a variety of space-science applications, such as gamma-ray spectroscopy, the introduction of cryogenic cooling via a cryocooler can greatly increase the potential science return by allowing the use of more sensitive and lower noise detectors.

Space science experimentation automation and support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frainier, Richard J.; Groleau, Nicolas; Shapiro, Jeff C.

1994-01-01

This paper outlines recent work done at the NASA Ames Artificial Intelligence Research Laboratory on automation and support of science experiments on the US Space Shuttle in low earth orbit. Three approaches to increasing the science return of these experiments using emerging automation technologies are described: remote control (telescience), science advisors for astronaut operators, and fully autonomous experiments. The capabilities and limitations of these approaches are reviewed.

Medical research funding may have over-expanded and be due for collapse.

PubMed

Charlton, B G; Andras, P

2005-01-01

The continual and uninterrupted expansion of medical research funding is generally assumed to be a permanent feature of modern societies, but this expectation may turn out to be mistaken. Sciences tend to go through boom and bust phases. Twentieth century physics is an example where huge increases in funding followed an era of scientific breakthroughs. Speculative over-expansion led to diminishing returns on investment, then a collapse in funding. We predict that medicine will follow the same trajectory. After prolonged over-funding of the 'basic-to-applied' model of clinical innovation, and a progressive shift towards Big Science organization, medical research has become increasingly inefficient and ineffective. Although incremental improvements to existing treatment strategies continue, the rate of significant therapeutic breakthroughs has been declining for three decades. Medical science now requires rationalization and modernization. From this perspective, the current level of medical research funding looks like a bubble due to burst.

Assessing the Benefits of NASA Category 3, Low Cost Class C/D Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bitten, Robert E.; Shinn, Steven A.; Mahr, Eric M.

2013-01-01

Category 3, Class C/D missions have the benefit of delivering worthwhile science at minimal cost which is increasingly important in NASA's constrained budget environment. Although higher cost Category 1 and 2 missions are necessary to achieve NASA's science objectives, Category 3 missions are shown to be an effective way to provide significant science return at a low cost. Category 3 missions, however, are often reviewed the same as the more risk averse Category 1 and 2 missions. Acknowledging that reviews are not the only aspect of a total engineering effort, reviews are still a significant concern for NASA programs. This can unnecessarily increase the cost and schedule of Category 3 missions. This paper quantifies the benefit and performance of Category 3 missions by looking at the cost vs. capability relative to Category 1 and 2 missions. Lessons learned from successful organizations that develop low cost Category 3, Class C/D missions are also investigated to help provide the basis for suggestions to streamline the review of NASA Category 3 missions.

Mars 2020 Science Rover: Science Goals and Mission Concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2013-10-01

The Mars 2020 Science Definition Team (SDT), chartered in January 2013 by NASA, formulated a spacecraft mission concept for a science-focused, highly mobile rover to explore and investigate in detail a site on Mars that likely was once habitable. The mission, based on the Mars Science Laboratory landing and rover systems, would address, within a cost- and time-constrained framework, four objectives: (A) Explore an astrobiologically relevant ancient environment on Mars to decipher its geological processes and history, including the assessment of past habitability; (B) Assess the biosignature preservation potential within the selected geological environment and search for potential biosignatures; (C) Demonstrate significant technical progress towards the future return of scientifically selected, well-documented samples to Earth; and (D) provide an opportunity for contributed instruments from Human Exploration or Space Technology Programs. The SDT addressed the four mission objectives and six additional charter-specified tasks independently while specifically looking for synergy among them. Objectives A and B are each ends unto themselves, while Objective A is also the means by which samples are selected for objective B, and together they motivate and inform Objective C. The SDT also found that Objective D goals are well aligned with A through C. Critically, Objectives A, B, and C as an ensemble brought the SDT to the conclusion that exploration oriented toward both astrobiology and the preparation of a returnable cache of scientifically selected, well documented surface samples is the only acceptable mission concept. Importantly the SDT concluded that the measurements needed to attain these objectives were essentially identical, consisting of six types of field measurements: 1) context imaging 2) context mineralogy, 3) fine-scale imaging, 4) fine-scale mineralogy, 5) fine-scale elemental chemistry, and 6) organic matter detection. The mission concept fully addresses the requirements specified by NASA in the SDT charter while also ensuring alignment with the recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences Decadal Survey for Planetary Exploration (Visions and Voyages, 2011).

Lower-Cost, Relocatable Lunar Polar Lander and Lunar Surface Sample Return Probes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amato, G. Michael; Garvin, James B.; Burt, I. Joseph; Karpati, Gabe

2011-01-01

Key science and exploration objectives of lunar robotic precursor missions can be achieved with the Lunar Explorer (LEx) low-cost, robotic surface mission concept described herein. Selected elements of the LEx concept can also be used to create a lunar surface sample return mission that we have called Boomerang

Trajectory Options for a Potential Mars Mission Combining Orbiting Science, Relay and a Sample Return Rendezvous Demonstration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guinn, Joseph R.; Kerridge, Stuart J.; Wilson, Roby S.

2012-01-01

Mars sample return is a major scientific goal of the 2011 US National Research Council Decadal Survey for Planetary Science. Toward achievement of this goal, recent architecture studies have focused on several mission concept options for the 2018/2020 Mars launch opportunities. Mars orbiters play multiple roles in these architectures such as: relay, landing site identification/selection/certification, collection of on-going or new measurements to fill knowledge gaps, and in-orbit collection and transportation of samples from Mars to Earth. This paper reviews orbiter concepts that combine these roles and describes a novel family of relay orbits optimized for surface operations support. Additionally, these roles provide an intersection of objectives for long term NASA science, human exploration, technology development and international collaboration.

New Insights into the Estimation of Extreme Geomagnetic Storm Occurrences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruffenach, Alexis; Winter, Hugo; Lavraud, Benoit; Bernardara, Pietro

2017-04-01

Space weather events such as intense geomagnetic storms are major disturbances of the near-Earth environment that may lead to serious impacts on our modern society. As such, it is of great importance to estimate their probability, and in particular that of extreme events. One approach largely used in statistical sciences for extreme events probability estimates is Extreme Value Analysis (EVA). Using this rigorous statistical framework, estimations of the occurrence of extreme geomagnetic storms are performed here based on the most relevant global parameters related to geomagnetic storms, such as ground parameters (e.g. geomagnetic Dst and aa indexes), and space parameters related to the characteristics of Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) (velocity, southward magnetic field component, electric field). Using our fitted model, we estimate the annual probability of a Carrington-type event (Dst = -850nT) to be on the order of 10-3, with a lower limit of the uncertainties on the return period of ˜500 years. Our estimate is significantly higher than that of most past studies, which typically had a return period of a few 100 years at maximum. Thus precautions are required when extrapolating intense values. Currently, the complexity of the processes and the length of available data inevitably leads to significant uncertainties in return period estimates for the occurrence of extreme geomagnetic storms. However, our application of extreme value models for extrapolating into the tail of the distribution provides a mathematically justified framework for the estimation of extreme return periods, thereby enabling the determination of more accurate estimates and reduced associated uncertainties.

Autonomous Science Analysis with the New Millennium Program-Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doggett, T.; Davies, A. G.; Castano, R. A.; Baker, V. R.; Dohm, J. M.; Greeley, R.; Williams, K. K.; Chien, S.; Sherwood, R.

2002-12-01

The NASA New Millennium Program (NMP) is a testbed for new, high-risk technologies, including new software and hardware. The Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment (ASE) will fly on the Air Force Research Laboratory TechSat-21 mission in 2006 is such a NMP mission, and is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. TechSat-21 consists of three satellites, each equipped with X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) that will occupy a 13-day repeat track Earth orbit. The main science objectives of ASE are to demonstrate that process-related change detection and feature identification can be conducted autonomously during space flight, leading to autonomous onboard retargeting of the spacecraft. This mission will observe transient geological and environmental processes using SAR. Examples of geologic processes that may be observed and investigated include active volcanism, the movement of sand dunes and transient features in desert environments, water flooding, and the formation and break-up of lake ice. Science software onboard the spacecraft will allow autonomous processing and formation of SAR images and extraction of scientific information. The subsequent analyses, performed on images formed onboard from the SAR data, will include feature identification using scalable feature "templates" for each target, change detection through comparison of current and archived images, and science discovery, a search for other features of interest in each image. This approach results in obtaining the same science return for a reduced amount of resource use (such as downlink) when compared to that from a mission operating without ASE technology. Redundant data is discarded. The science-driven goals of ASE will evolve during the ASE mission through onboard replanning software that can re-task satellite operations. If necessary, as a result of a discovery made autonomously by onboard science processing, existing observation sequences will be pre-empted to obtain data of potential high scientific content. Flight validation of this software will enable radically different missions with significant onboard decision-making and novel science concepts (onboard decision making and selective data return). This work has been carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory-California Institute of Technology, under contract to NASA.

Venture funding for science-based African health innovation.

PubMed

Masum, Hassan; Chakma, Justin; Simiyu, Ken; Ronoh, Wesley; Daar, Abdallah S; Singer, Peter A

2010-12-13

While venture funding has been applied to biotechnology and health in high-income countries, it is still nascent in these fields in developing countries, and particularly in Africa. Yet the need for implementing innovative solutions to health challenges is greatest in Africa, with its enormous burden of communicable disease. Issues such as risk, investment opportunities, return on investment requirements, and quantifying health impact are critical in assessing venture capital's potential for supporting health innovation. This paper uses lessons learned from five venture capital firms from Kenya, South Africa, China, India, and the US to suggest design principles for African health venture funds. The case study method was used to explore relevant funds, and lessons for the African context. The health venture funds in this study included publicly-owned organizations, corporations, social enterprises, and subsidiaries of foreign venture firms. The size and type of investments varied widely. The primary investor in four funds was the International Finance Corporation. Three of the funds aimed primarily for financial returns, one aimed primarily for social and health returns, and one had mixed aims. Lessons learned include the importance of measuring and supporting both social and financial returns; the need to engage both upstream capital such as government risk-funding and downstream capital from the private sector; and the existence of many challenges including difficulty of raising capital, low human resource capacity, regulatory barriers, and risky business environments. Based on these lessons, design principles for appropriate venture funding are suggested. Based on the cases studied and relevant experiences elsewhere, there is a case for venture funding as one support mechanism for science-based African health innovation, with opportunities for risk-tolerant investors to make financial as well as social returns. Such funds should be structured to overcome the challenges identified, be sustainable in the long run, attract for-profit private sector funds, and have measurable and significant health impact. If this is done, the proposed venture approach may have complementary benefits to existing initiatives and encourage local scientific and economic development while tapping new sources of funding.

Venture funding for science-based African health innovation

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background While venture funding has been applied to biotechnology and health in high-income countries, it is still nascent in these fields in developing countries, and particularly in Africa. Yet the need for implementing innovative solutions to health challenges is greatest in Africa, with its enormous burden of communicable disease. Issues such as risk, investment opportunities, return on investment requirements, and quantifying health impact are critical in assessing venture capital’s potential for supporting health innovation. This paper uses lessons learned from five venture capital firms from Kenya, South Africa, China, India, and the US to suggest design principles for African health venture funds. Discussion The case study method was used to explore relevant funds, and lessons for the African context. The health venture funds in this study included publicly-owned organizations, corporations, social enterprises, and subsidiaries of foreign venture firms. The size and type of investments varied widely. The primary investor in four funds was the International Finance Corporation. Three of the funds aimed primarily for financial returns, one aimed primarily for social and health returns, and one had mixed aims. Lessons learned include the importance of measuring and supporting both social and financial returns; the need to engage both upstream capital such as government risk-funding and downstream capital from the private sector; and the existence of many challenges including difficulty of raising capital, low human resource capacity, regulatory barriers, and risky business environments. Based on these lessons, design principles for appropriate venture funding are suggested. Summary Based on the cases studied and relevant experiences elsewhere, there is a case for venture funding as one support mechanism for science-based African health innovation, with opportunities for risk-tolerant investors to make financial as well as social returns. Such funds should be structured to overcome the challenges identified, be sustainable in the long run, attract for-profit private sector funds, and have measurable and significant health impact. If this is done, the proposed venture approach may have complementary benefits to existing initiatives and encourage local scientific and economic development while tapping new sources of funding. PMID:21144072

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2015-01-01

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

Horizons and opportunities in lunar sample science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

The Moon is the cornerstone of planetary science. Lunar sample studies were fundamental in developing an understanding of the early evolution and continued development of planetary bodies, and have led to major revisions in understanding of processes for the accumulation of planetesimals and the formation of planets. Studies of lunar samples have increased an understanding of impact cratering, meteoroid and micrometeoroid fluxes, the interaction of planetary surfaces with radiations and particles, and even the history of the Sun. The lunar sample research program was especially productive, but by no means have all the important answers been determined; continued study of lunar samples will further illuminate the shadows of our knowledge about the solar system. Further, the treasures returned through the Apollo program provide information that is required for a return to the Moon, beginning with new exploration (Lunar Geoscience Observer (LGO)), followed by intensive study (new sample return missions), and eventually culminating in a lunar base and lunar resource utilization.

Heat Shield for Extreme Entry Environment Technology (HEEET)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Venkatapathy, Ethiraj

2017-01-01

The Heat Shield for Extreme Entry Environment Technology (HEEET) project seeks to mature a game changing Woven Thermal Protection System (TPS) technology to enable in situ robotic science missions recommended by the NASA Research Council Planetary Science Decadal Survey committee. Recommended science missions include Venus probes and landers; Saturn and Uranus probes; and high-speed sample return missions.

The Proposed Mars Astrobiology Explorer - Cacher [MAX-C] Rover: First Step in a Potential Sample Return Campaign

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, Carlton C.; Beaty, David W.

2010-01-01

Sample return from Mars has been advocated by numerous scientific advisory panels for over 30 years, most prominently beginning with the National Research Council s [1] strategy for the exploration of the inner solar system, and most recently by the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG s) Next Decade Science Analysis Group [2]. Analysis of samples here on Earth would have enormous advantages over in situ analyses in producing the data quality needed to address many of the complex scientific questions the community has posed about Mars. Instead of a small, predetermined set of analytical techniques, state of the art preparative and instrumental resources of the entire scientific community could be applied to the samples. The analytical emphasis could shift as the meaning of each result becomes better appreciated. These arguments apply both to igneous rocks and to layered sedimentary materials, either of which could contain water and other volatile constituents. In 2009 MEPAG formed the Mid-Range Rover Science Analysis Group (MRR-SAG) to formulate a mission concept that would address two general objectives: (1) conduct high-priority in situ science and (2) make concrete steps towards the potential return of samples to Earth. This analysis resulted in a mission concept named the Mars Astrobiology Explorer-Cacher (MAX-C), which was envisioned for launch in the 2018 opportunity. After extensive discussion, this group concluded that by far the most definitive contribution to sample return by this mission would be to collect and cache, in an accessible location, a suite of compelling samples that could potentially be recovered and returned by a subsequent mission. This would have the effect of separating two of the essential functions of MSR, the acquisition of the sample collection and its delivery to martian orbit, into two missions.

Coordinating Information and Decisions of Hierarchical Distributed Decision Units in Crises

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-08-01

learning. Carley, K. (1988) Social stability and constructionism . Pittsburgh: Social and Decision Sciences Working Paper Series, Carnegie Mellon...Behavioral and Social Sciences Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. U.S. ARMY RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR THE BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES...it is no longer needed. Please do not return it to the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences. NOTE: The views, opinions

A preliminary study of Mars rover/sample return missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

The Solar System Exploration Committee (SSEC) of the NASA Advisory Council recommends that a Mars Sample Return mission be undertaken before the year 2000. Comprehensive studies of a Mars Sample Return mission have been ongoing since 1984. The initial focus of these studies was an integrated mission concept with the surface rover and sample return vehicle elements delivered to Mars on a single launch and landed together. This approach, to be carried out as a unilateral U.S. initiative, is still a high priority goal in an Augmented Program of exploration, as the SSEC recommendation clearly states. With this background of a well-understood mission concept, NASA decided to focus its 1986 study effort on a potential opportunity not previously examined; namely, a Mars Rover/Sample Return (MRSR) mission which would involve a significant aspect of international cooperation. As envisioned, responsibility for the various mission operations and hardware elements would be divided in a logical manner with clearly defined and acceptable interfaces. The U.S. and its international partner would carry out separately launched but coordinated missions with the overall goal of accomplishing in situ science and returning several kilograms of surface samples from Mars. Important considerations for implementation of such a plan are minimum technology transfer, maximum sharing of scientific results, and independent credibility of each mission role. Under the guidance and oversight of a Mars Exploration Strategy Advisory Group organized by NASA, a study team was formed in the fall of 1986 to develop a preliminary definition of a flight-separable, cooperative mission. The selected concept assumes that the U.S. would undertake the rover mission with its sample collection operations and our international partner would return the samples to Earth. Although the inverse of these roles is also possible, this study report focuses on the rover functions of MRSR because rover operations have not been studied in as much detail as the sample return functions of the mission.

Scientific analogs and the development of human mission architectures for the Moon, deep space and Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, D. S. S.; Abercromby, A.; Beaton, K.; Brady, A. L.; Cardman, Z.; Chappell, S.; Cockell, C. S.; Cohen, B. A.; Cohen, T.; Deans, M.; Deliz, I.; Downs, M.; Elphic, R. C.; Hamilton, J. C.; Heldmann, J.; Hillenius, S.; Hoffman, J.; Hughes, S. S.; Kobs-Nawotniak, S. E.; Lees, D. S.; Marquez, J.; Miller, M.; Milovsoroff, C.; Payler, S.; Sehlke, A.; Squyres, S. W.

2016-12-01

Analogs are destinations on Earth that allow researchers to approximate operational and/or physical conditions on other planetary bodies and within deep space. Over the past decade, our team has been conducting geobiological field science studies under simulated deep space and Mars mission conditions. Each of these missions integrate scientific and operational research with the goal to identify concepts of operations (ConOps) and capabilities that will enable and enhance scientific return during human and human-robotic missions to the Moon, into deep space and on Mars. Working under these simulated mission conditions presents a number of unique challenges that are not encountered during typical scientific field expeditions. However, there are significant benefits to this working model from the perspective of the human space flight and scientific operations research community. Specifically, by applying human (and human-robotic) mission architectures to real field science endeavors, we create a unique operational litmus test for those ConOps and capabilities that have otherwise been vetted under circumstances that did not necessarily demand scientific data return meeting the rigors of peer-review standards. The presentation will give an overview of our team's recent analog research, with a focus on the scientific operations research. The intent is to encourage collaborative dialog with a broader set of analog research community members with an eye towards future scientific field endeavors that will have a significant impact on how we design human and human-robotic missions to the Moon, into deep space and to Mars.

Relationships among sexual self-concept and sexual risk cognition toward sexual self-efficacy in adolescents: cause-and-effect model testing.

PubMed

Hsu, Hsiu-Yueh; Yu, Hsing-Yi; Lou, Jiunn-Horng; Eng, Cheng-Joo

2015-04-01

Sexual self-efficacy plays an important role in adolescents' sexual health. The aim of this study was to test a cause-and-effect model of sexual self-concept and sexual risk cognition toward sexual self-efficacy in adolescents. The study was a cross-sectional survey. Using a random sampling method, a total of 713 junior nursing students were invited to participate in the study, and 465 valid surveys were returned, resulting in a return rate of 65.2%. The data was collected using an anonymous mailed questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was used to test the relationships among sexual self-concept, sexual risk cognition, and sexual self-efficacy, as well as the mediating role of sexual risk cognition. The results revealed that the postulated model fits the data well. Sexual self-concept significantly predicted sexual risk cognition and sexual self-efficacy. Sexual risk cognition significantly predicted sexual self-efficacy and had a mediating effect on the relationship between sexual self-concept and sexual self-efficacy. Based on social cognitive theory and a structural equation model technique, this study confirmed the mediating role of sexual risk cognition in the relationship between sexual self-concept and sexual self-efficacy. Also, sexual self-concept's direct and indirect effects explaining adolescents' sexual self-efficacy were found in this study. © 2014 The Authors. Japan Journal of Nursing Science © 2014 Japan Academy of Nursing Science.

Research projects in the Surgeon-Scientist and Clinician-Investigator programs at the University of Toronto (1987-2016): a cohort study.

PubMed

Goldenberg, Neil M; Steinberg, Benjamin E; Rutka, James T; Chen, Robert; Cabral, Val; Rosenblum, Norman D; Kapus, Andras; Lee, Warren L

2016-01-01

Physicians have traditionally been at the forefront of medical research, bringing clinical questions to the laboratory and returning with ideas for treatment. However, we have anecdotally observed a decline in the popularity of basic science research among trainees. We hypothesized that fewer resident physicians have been pursuing basic science research training over time. We examined records from residents in the Surgeon-Scientist and Clinician-Investigator programs at the University of Toronto (1987-2016). Research by residents was categorized independently by 2 raters as basic science, clinical epidemiology or education-related based on the title of the project, the name of the supervisor and Pubmed searches. The study population was divided into quintiles of time, and the proportion pursuing basic science training in each quintile was calculated. Agreement between the raters was 100%; the categorization of the research topic remained unclear in 9 cases. The proportion of trainees pursuing basic science training dropped by 60% from 1987 to 2016 ( p = 0.005). Significantly fewer residents in the Surgeon-Scientist and Clinician-Investigator Programs at the University of Toronto are pursuing training in the basic sciences as compared with previous years.

Enhancing Return from Lunar Surface Missions via the Deep Space Gateway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chavers, D. G.; Whitley, R. J.; Percy, T. K.; Needham, D. H.; Polsgrove, T. T.

2018-02-01

The Deep Space Gateway (DSG) will facilitate access to and communication with lunar surface assets. With a science airlock, docking port, and refueling capability in an accessible orbit, the DSG will enable high priority science across the lunar surface.

Croatian Medical Journal Citation Score in Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar

PubMed Central

Šember, Marijan; Utrobičić, Ana; Petrak, Jelka

2010-01-01

Aim To analyze the 2007 citation count of articles published by the Croatian Medical Journal in 2005-2006 based on data from the Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Methods Web of Science and Scopus were searched for the articles published in 2005-2006. As all articles returned by Scopus were included in Web of Science, the latter list was the sample for further analysis. Total citation counts for each article on the list were retrieved from Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The overlap and unique citations were compared and analyzed. Proportions were compared using χ2-test. Results Google Scholar returned the greatest proportion of articles with citations (45%), followed by Scopus (42%), and Web of Science (38%). Almost a half (49%) of articles had no citations and 11% had an equal number of identical citations in all 3 databases. The greatest overlap was found between Web of Science and Scopus (54%), followed by Scopus and Google Scholar (51%), and Web of Science and Google Scholar (44%). The greatest number of unique citations was found by Google Scholar (n = 86). The majority of these citations (64%) came from journals, followed by books and PhD theses. Approximately 55% of all citing documents were full-text resources in open access. The language of citing documents was mostly English, but as many as 25 citing documents (29%) were in Chinese. Conclusion Google Scholar shares a total of 42% citations returned by two others, more influential, bibliographic resources. The list of unique citations in Google Scholar is predominantly journal based, but these journals are mainly of local character. Citations received by internationally recognized medical journals are crucial for increasing the visibility of small medical journals but Google Scholar may serve as an alternative bibliometric tool for an orientational citation insight. PMID:20401951

Spaced education activates students in a theoretical radiological science course: a pilot study.

PubMed

Nkenke, Emeka; Vairaktaris, Elefterios; Bauersachs, Anne; Eitner, Stephan; Budach, Alexander; Knipfer, Christian; Stelzle, Florian

2012-05-23

The present study aimed at determining if the addition of spaced education to traditional face-to-face lectures increased the time students kept busy with the learning content of a theoretical radiological science course. The study comprised two groups of 21 third-year dental students. The students were randomly assigned to a "traditional group" and a "spaced education group". Both groups followed a traditional face-to-face course. The intervention in the spaced education group was performed in way that these students received e-mails with a delay of 14 days to each face-to-face lecture. These e-mails contained multiple choice questions on the learning content of the lectures. The students returned their answers to the questions also by e-mail. On return they received an additional e-mail that included the correct answers and additional explanatory material.All students of both groups documented the time they worked on the learning content of the different lectures before a multiple choice exam was held after the completion of the course. All students of both groups completed the TRIL questionnaire (Trierer Inventar zur Lehrevaluation) for the evaluation of courses at university after the completion of the course. The results for the time invested in the learning content and the results of the questionnaire for the two groups were compared using the Mann-Whitney-U test. The spaced education group spent significantly more time (216.2 ± 123.9 min) on keeping busy with the learning content compared to the traditional group (58.4 ± 94.8 min, p < .0005). The spaced education group rated the didactics of the course significantly better than the traditional group (p = .034). The students of the spaced education group also felt that their needs were fulfilled significantly better compared to the traditional group as far as communication with the teacher was concerned (p = .022). Adding spaced education to a face-to-face theoretical radiological science course activates students in a way that they spend significantly more time on keeping busy with the learning content.

Comparison of three web-scale discovery services for health sciences research.

PubMed

Hanneke, Rosie; O'Brien, Kelly K

2016-04-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relative effectiveness of three web-scale discovery (WSD) tools in answering health sciences search queries. Simple keyword searches, based on topics from six health sciences disciplines, were run at multiple real-world implementations of EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS), Ex Libris's Primo, and ProQuest's Summon. Each WSD tool was evaluated in its ability to retrieve relevant results and in its coverage of MEDLINE content. All WSD tools returned between 50%-60% relevant results. Primo returned a higher number of duplicate results than the other 2 WSD products. Summon results were more relevant when search terms were automatically mapped to controlled vocabulary. EDS indexed the largest number of MEDLINE citations, followed closely by Summon. Additionally, keyword searches in all 3 WSD tools retrieved relevant material that was not found with precision (Medical Subject Headings) searches in MEDLINE. None of the 3 WSD products studied was overwhelmingly more effective in returning relevant results. While difficult to place the figure of 50%-60% relevance in context, it implies a strong likelihood that the average user would be able to find satisfactory sources on the first page of search results using a rudimentary keyword search. The discovery of additional relevant material beyond that retrieved from MEDLINE indicates WSD tools' value as a supplement to traditional resources for health sciences researchers.

Comparison of three web-scale discovery services for health sciences research*

PubMed Central

Hanneke, Rosie; O'Brien, Kelly K.

2016-01-01

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the relative effectiveness of three web-scale discovery (WSD) tools in answering health sciences search queries. Methods Simple keyword searches, based on topics from six health sciences disciplines, were run at multiple real-world implementations of EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS), Ex Libris's Primo, and ProQuest's Summon. Each WSD tool was evaluated in its ability to retrieve relevant results and in its coverage of MEDLINE content. Results All WSD tools returned between 50%–60% relevant results. Primo returned a higher number of duplicate results than the other 2 WSD products. Summon results were more relevant when search terms were automatically mapped to controlled vocabulary. EDS indexed the largest number of MEDLINE citations, followed closely by Summon. Additionally, keyword searches in all 3 WSD tools retrieved relevant material that was not found with precision (Medical Subject Headings) searches in MEDLINE. Conclusions None of the 3 WSD products studied was overwhelmingly more effective in returning relevant results. While difficult to place the figure of 50%–60% relevance in context, it implies a strong likelihood that the average user would be able to find satisfactory sources on the first page of search results using a rudimentary keyword search. The discovery of additional relevant material beyond that retrieved from MEDLINE indicates WSD tools' value as a supplement to traditional resources for health sciences researchers. PMID:27076797

Results of the JIMO Follow-on Destinations Parametric Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Noca, Muriel A.; Hack, Kurt J.

2005-01-01

NASA's proposed Jupiter Icy Moon Orbiter (JIMO) mission currently in conceptual development is to be the first one of a series of highly capable Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) science driven missions. To understand the implications of a multi-mission capability requirement on the JIMO vehicle and mission, the NASA Prometheus Program initiated a set of parametric high-level studies to be followed by a series of more in-depth studies. The JIMO potential follow-on destinations identified include a Saturn system tour, a Neptune system tour, a Kuiper Belt Objects rendezvous, an Interstellar Precursor mission, a Multiple Asteroid Sample Return and a Comet Sample Return. This paper shows that the baseline JIMO reactor and design envelop can satisfy five out of six of the follow-on destinations. Flight time to these destinations can significantly be reduced by increasing the launch energy or/and by inserting gravity assists to the heliocentric phase.

Mars 2005 Sample Return Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gulick, V. C. (Editor)

1997-01-01

Convened at the request of Dr. Jurgen Rahe of the NASA Office of Space Science, the purpose of this workshop was to reexamine the science issues that will determine how an optimum sample return mission would be carried out in 2005 given the new context that has emerged for Mars exploration since the last such workshop was held (in 1987). The results and summary of discussion that took place at the meeting are contained in this volume. The community was invited to participate in the preparation of the final written report by browsing through the agenda and reading the text and viewgraphs provided by workshop participants and submitting comments for that section.

Jovian system science issues and implications for a Mariner Jupiter Orbiter mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beckman, J. C.; Miner, E. D.

1975-01-01

Science goals for missions to Jupiter in the early 1980's are reviewed and a case is made for the science community to play the key role in assigning relative priorities for these goals. A reference set of measurement requirements and their priorities is established and those high priority goals that are most demanding on spacecraft and mission design are used to develop a reference mission concept. An orbiter mission is required to satisfy a majority of the measurements, and a spacecraft data handling capability as least equivalent to the Mariner Jupiter/Saturn spacecraft is the major system design driver. This reference Mission Concept is called Mariner Jupiter Orbiter. The remaining measurement requirements are reviewed in light of the potential science return of this mission, and certain options are developed to augment this science return. Two attractive options fulfill high priority objectives not achieved by the reference Mariner Jupiter Orbiter mission alone: an atmospheric entry probe, released prior to orbit insertion; and a daughter satellite dedicated to particle and fields measurements, ejected into an independent orbit about Jupiter.

Burden of illness and research investments in translational sciences for pharmaceuticals in metastatic cancers

PubMed Central

Wang, Wei-Jhih; Robertson, Justin C; Basu, Anirban

2017-01-01

Aim: To explore whether investments in translational sciences for six metastatic cancers follow idiosyncratic returns to those investments rather than levels of burden of illness (BI). Methods: Associate the number of translational clinical trials in the USA involving oncolytic drugs approved during 2008–2013 and the level (in 2008) and changes (2002–2008 and 2008–2014) in cancer-specific years of life lost. Results: Investments in trials were positively associated only with contemporary changes in BI (2008–2014). The relationship was stronger for government-sponsored comparative-effectiveness trials than for industry. Conclusion: Translational research investments follow anticipated changes to BI levels. Systematic quantification of these expected returns from specific investments can help guide investment decisions in translational health sciences and generate productive dialogue across stakeholders. PMID:27934549

Year 2000 Challenges for Marine Science Training and Education Worldwide. Unesco Reports in Marine Science No. 52.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris (France). Div. of Marine Sciences.

In a survey preparing for the workshop on the future of marine science training and education, prospective participants returned responses to six theme questions. These responses summarized the views of nearly 400 people worldwide. The synthesis of these summary responses, presented in the report, reflected, besides a great variety of views,…

Research and Teaching: Using Twitter in a Nonscience Major Science Class Increases Journal of College Science Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halpin, Patricia A.

2016-01-01

Nonscience majors often rely on general internet searches to locate science information. This practice can lead to misconceptions because the returned search information can be unreliable. In this article the authors describe how they used the social media site Twitter to address this problem in a general education course, BSCI 421 Diseases of the…

A Look Inside the Juno Mission to Jupiter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grammier, Richard S.

2008-01-01

Juno, the second mission within the New Frontiers Program, is a Jupiter polar orbiter mission designed to return high-priority science data that spans across multiple divisions within NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Juno's science objectives, coupled with the natural constraints of a cost-capped, PI-led mission and the harsh environment of Jupiter, have led to a very unique mission and spacecraft design.

[Variations of soil fertility level in red soil region under long-term fertilization].

PubMed

Yu, Han-qing; Xu, Ming-gang; Lü, Jia-long; Bao, Yao-xian; Sun, Nan; Gao, Ju-sheng

2010-07-01

Based on the long-term (1982-2007) field experiment of "anthropogenic mellowing of raw soil" at the Qiyang red soil experimental station under Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and by using numerical theory, this paper studied the variations of the fertility level of granite red soil, quaternary red soil, and purple sandy shale soil under six fertilization patterns. The fertilization patterns included non-fertilization (CK), straw-returning without fertilizers (CKR), chemical fertilization (NPK), NPK plus straw-return (NPKR), rice straw application (M), and M plus straw-return (MR). The soil integrated fertility index (IFI) was significantly positively correlated with relative crop yield, and could better indicate soil fertility level. The IFI values of the three soils all were in the order of NPK, NPKR > M, MR > CK, CKR, with the highest value in treatment NPKR (0.77, 0.71, and 0.71 for granite red soil, quaternary red soil, and purple sandy shale soil, respectively). Comparing with that in the treatments of no straw-return, the IFI value in the treatments of straw return was increased by 6.72%-18.83%. A turning point of the IFI for all the three soils was observed at about 7 years of anthropogenic mellowing, and the annual increasing rate of the IFI was in the sequence of purple sandy shale soil (0.016 a(-1)) > quaternary red clay soil (0.011 a(-1)) > granite red soil (0.006 a(-1)). It was suggested that a combined application of organic and chemical fertilizers and/or straw return could be an effective and fast measure to enhance the soil fertility level in red soil region.

An emerging new direction in remote sensing for Earth science: the technology of GPS occultations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mannucci, A. J.; Hajj, G. A.; Ao, C.; Dong, D.; Iijima, B. A.; Juarez, M. T.; Kuang, D.; Meehan, T. K.; Young, L. E.; Yunck, T. P.

2002-01-01

In this paper, we discuss recent technology developments that improve science return in the lowest 5 km of the atmosphere, an interesting region that is difficult to sound at high vertical resolution with other techniques from space.

Agile Science Operations: A New Approach for Primitive Exploration Bodies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chien, Steve A.; Thompson, David R.; Castillo-Rogez, Julie C.; Doyle, Richard; Estlin, Tara; Mclaren, David

2012-01-01

Primitive body exploration missions such as potential Comet Surface Sample Return or Trojan Tour and Rendezvous would challenge traditional operations practices. Earth-based observations would provide only basic understanding before arrival and many science goals would be defined during the initial rendezvous. It could be necessary to revise trajectories and observation plans to quickly characterize the target for safe, effective observations. Detection of outgassing activity and monitoring of comet surface activity are even more time constrained, with events occurring faster than round-trip light time. "Agile science operations" address these challenges with contingency plans that recognize the intrinsic uncertainty in the operating environment and science objectives. Planning for multiple alternatives can significantly improve the time required to repair and validate spacecraft command sequences. When appropriate, time-critical decisions can be automated and shifted to the spacecraft for immediate access to instrument data. Mirrored planning systems on both sides of the light-time gap permit transfer of authority back and forth as needed. We survey relevant science objectives, identifying time bottlenecks and the techniques that could be used to speed missions' reaction to new science data. Finally, we discuss the results of a trade study simulating agile observations during flyby and comet rendezvous scenarios. These experiments quantify instrument coverage of key surface features as a function of planning turnaround time. Careful application of agile operations techniques can play a significant role in realizing the Decadal Survey plan for primitive body exploration

Genesis Spacecraft Science Canister Preliminary Inspection and Cleaning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hittle, J. D.; Calaway, M. J.; Allton, J. H.; Warren, J. L.; Schwartz, C. M.; Stansbery, E. K.

2006-01-01

The Genesis science canister is an aluminum cylinder (75 cm diameter and 35 cm tall) hinged at the mid-line for opening. This canister was cleaned and assembled in an ISO level 4 (Class 10) clean room at Johnson Space Center (JSC) prior to launch. The clean solar collectors were installed and the canister closed in the cleanroom to preserve collector cleanliness. The canister remained closed until opened on station at Earth-Sun L1 for solar wind collection. At the conclusion of collection, the canister was again closed to preserve collector cleanliness during Earth return and re-entry. Upon impacting the dry Utah lakebed at 300 kph the science canister integrity was breached. The canister was returned to JSC. The canister shell was briefly examined, imaged, gently cleaned of dust and packaged for storage in anticipation of future detailed examination. The condition of the science canister shell noted during this brief examination is presented here. The canister interior components were packaged and stored without imaging due to time constraints.

Big questions, big science: meeting the challenges of global ecology.

PubMed

Schimel, David; Keller, Michael

2015-04-01

Ecologists are increasingly tackling questions that require significant infrastucture, large experiments, networks of observations, and complex data and computation. Key hypotheses in ecology increasingly require more investment, and larger data sets to be tested than can be collected by a single investigator's or s group of investigator's labs, sustained for longer than a typical grant. Large-scale projects are expensive, so their scientific return on the investment has to justify the opportunity cost-the science foregone because resources were expended on a large project rather than supporting a number of individual projects. In addition, their management must be accountable and efficient in the use of significant resources, requiring the use of formal systems engineering and project management to mitigate risk of failure. Mapping the scientific method into formal project management requires both scientists able to work in the context, and a project implementation team sensitive to the unique requirements of ecology. Sponsoring agencies, under pressure from external and internal forces, experience many pressures that push them towards counterproductive project management but a scientific community aware and experienced in large project science can mitigate these tendencies. For big ecology to result in great science, ecologists must become informed, aware and engaged in the advocacy and governance of large ecological projects.

An Efficient Approach for Mars Sample Return Using Emerging Commercial Capabilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gonzales, Andrew A.; Stoker, Carol R.

2016-01-01

Mars Sample Return is the highest priority science mission for the next decade as recommended by the 2011 Decadal Survey of Planetary Science. This article presents the results of a feasibility study for a Mars Sample Return mission that efficiently uses emerging commercial capabilities expected to be available in the near future. The motivation of our study was the recognition that emerging commercial capabilities might be used to perform Mars Sample Return with an Earth-direct architecture, and that this may offer a desirable simpler and lower cost approach. The objective of the study was to determine whether these capabilities can be used to optimize the number of mission systems and launches required to return the samples, with the goal of achieving the desired simplicity. All of the major element required for the Mars Sample Return mission are described. Mission system elements were analyzed with either direct techniques or by using parametric mass estimating relationships. The analysis shows the feasibility of a complete and closed Mars Sample Return mission design based on the following scenario: A SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch vehicle places a modified version of a SpaceX Dragon capsule, referred to as "Red Dragon", onto a Trans Mars Injection trajectory. The capsule carries all the hardware needed to return to Earth Orbit samples collected by a prior mission, such as the planned NASA Mars 2020 sample collection rover. The payload includes a fully fueled Mars Ascent Vehicle; a fueled Earth Return Vehicle, support equipment, and a mechanism to transfer samples from the sample cache system onboard the rover to the Earth Return Vehicle. The Red Dragon descends to land on the surface of Mars using Supersonic Retropropulsion. After collected samples are transferred to the Earth Return Vehicle, the single-stage Mars Ascent Vehicle launches the Earth Return Vehicle from the surface of Mars to a Mars phasing orbit. After a brief phasing period, the Earth Return Vehicle performs a Trans Earth Injection burn. Once near Earth, the Earth Return Vehicle performs Earth and lunar swing-bys and is placed into a Lunar Trailing Orbit - an Earth orbit, at lunar distance. A retrieval mission then performs a rendezvous with the Earth Return Vehicle, retrieves the sample container, and breaks the chain of contact with Mars by transferring the sample into a sterile and secure container. With the sample contained, the retrieving spacecraft makes a controlled Earth re-entry preventing any unintended release of Martian materials into the Earth's biosphere. The mission can start in any one of three Earth to Mars launch opportunities, beginning in 2022.

Radiation Analysis for the Human Lunar Return Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, J. W.; Simonsen, L. C.; Shinn, J. L.; Kim, M.; Dubey, R. R.; Jordan, W.

1997-01-01

An analysis of the radiation hazards that are anticipated on an early Human Lunar Return (HLR) mission in support of NASA deep space exploration activities is presented. The HLR mission study emphasized a low cost lunar return to expand human capabilities in exploration, to answer fundamental science questions, and to seek opportunities for commercial development. As such, the radiation issues are cost related because the parasitic shield mass is expensive due to high launch costs. The present analysis examines the shield requirements and their impact on shield design.

Processing of Mars Exploration Rover Imagery for Science and Operations Planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexander, Douglass A.; Deen, Robert G.; Andres, Paul M.; Zamani, Payam; Mortensen, Helen B.; Chen, Amy C.; Cayanan, Michael K.; Hall, Jeffrey R.; Klochko, Vadim S.; Pariser, Oleg;

Influence of partner support on an employed mother's intention to breastfeed after returning to work.

PubMed

Tsai, Su-Ying

2014-05-01

Despite the increasing number of large companies complying with the demands for a breastfeeding-friendly workplace, providing on-site lactation support, some mothers still find continuing to breastfeed a challenge. We postulated that greater support and encouragement from the partner would be independently predictive of whether the mother would take advantage of workplace milk expression breaks and lactation rooms and continue to breastfeed after returning to work. To evaluate this hypothesis, we conducted a survey at a female labor-intensive electronics manufacturer in Taiwan. Six hundred eight working mothers in an electronics manufacturing plant in Tainan Science Park in Southern Taiwan who had access to dedicated lactation rooms at the workplace were interviewed. Questionnaire content included female employee demographics, employment characteristics, partner-related characteristics, and breastfeeding behavior after returning to work following the birth of their most recently born child. The partner's initial support of the choice to breastfeed and encouragement to use the lactation room and milk expression breaks and the mother's perception of the partner's support for baby care were significant predictors of the intention to continue to breastfeed after returning to work, after adjusting for the employed mother's demographics and employment characteristics, supporting our hypothesis. These findings suggest that antenatal education or activities provided by the workplace should include the partner, which may improve workplace breastfeeding rates.

NASA's Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abell, Paul; Mazanek, Dan; Reeves, David; Naasz, Bo; Cichy, Benjamin

2015-11-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is developing a robotic mission to visit a large near-Earth asteroid (NEA), collect a multi-ton boulder from its surface, and redirect it into a stable orbit around the Moon. Once returned to cislunar space in the mid-2020s, astronauts will explore the boulder and return to Earth with samples. This Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) is part of NASA’s plan to advance the technologies, capabilities, and spaceflight experience needed for a human mission to the Martian system in the 2030s. Subsequent human and robotic missions to the asteroidal material would also be facilitated by its return to cislunar space. Although ARM is primarily a capability demonstration mission (i.e., technologies and associated operations), there exist significant opportunities to advance our knowledge of small bodies in the synergistic areas of science, planetary defense, asteroidal resources and in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), and capability and technology demonstrations. In order to maximize the knowledge return from the mission, NASA is organizing an ARM Investigation Team, which is being preceded by the Formulation Assessment and Support Team. These teams will be comprised of scientists, technologists, and other qualified and interested individuals to help plan the implementation and execution of ARM. An overview of robotic and crewed segments of ARM, including the mission requirements, NEA targets, and mission operations, will be provided along with a discussion of the potential opportunities associated with the mission.

The Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abell, Paul

2015-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is developing a robotic mission to visit a large near-Earth asteroid (NEA), collect a multi-ton boulder from its surface, and redirect it into a stable orbit around the Moon. Once returned to cislunar space in the mid-2020s, astronauts will explore the boulder and return to Earth with samples. This Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) is part of NASA's plan to advance the technologies, capabilities, and spaceflight experience needed for a human mission to the Martian system in the 2030s. Subsequent human and robotic missions to the asteroidal material would also be facilitated by its return to cislunar space. Although ARM is primarily a capability demonstration mission (i.e., technologies and associated operations), there exist significant opportunities to advance our knowledge of small bodies in the synergistic areas of science, planetary defense, asteroidal resources and in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), and capability and technology demonstrations. In order to maximize the knowledge return from the mission, NASA is organizing an ARM Investigation Team, which is being preceded by the Formulation Assessment and Support Team. These teams will be comprised of scientists, technologists, and other qualified and interested individuals to help plan the implementation and execution of ARM. An overview of robotic and crewed segments of ARM, including the mission requirements, NEA targets, and mission operations, will be provided along with a discussion of the potential opportunities associated with the mission.

Influence of Partner Support on an Employed Mother's Intention to Breastfeed After Returning to Work

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Abstract Background: Despite the increasing number of large companies complying with the demands for a breastfeeding-friendly workplace, providing on-site lactation support, some mothers still find continuing to breastfeed a challenge. We postulated that greater support and encouragement from the partner would be independently predictive of whether the mother would take advantage of workplace milk expression breaks and lactation rooms and continue to breastfeed after returning to work. To evaluate this hypothesis, we conducted a survey at a female labor-intensive electronics manufacturer in Taiwan. Subjects and Methods: Six hundred eight working mothers in an electronics manufacturing plant in Tainan Science Park in Southern Taiwan who had access to dedicated lactation rooms at the workplace were interviewed. Questionnaire content included female employee demographics, employment characteristics, partner-related characteristics, and breastfeeding behavior after returning to work following the birth of their most recently born child. Results: The partner's initial support of the choice to breastfeed and encouragement to use the lactation room and milk expression breaks and the mother's perception of the partner's support for baby care were significant predictors of the intention to continue to breastfeed after returning to work, after adjusting for the employed mother's demographics and employment characteristics, supporting our hypothesis. Conclusions: These findings suggest that antenatal education or activities provided by the workplace should include the partner, which may improve workplace breastfeeding rates. PMID:24650363

More Chinese Students Abroad Are Deciding Not To Return Home.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hertling, James

1997-01-01

In 18 years, over 260,000 Chinese students have left China to study abroad, and only about one-third have returned. Their flight is compounding the devastation of China's knowledge and talent pool that began with Mao Ze-dong. China is encouraging study abroad, to rectify the loss of a generation of academics, and is most interested in science and…

Lifelines and Life Lines: Re-training for Women Returning to Higher Level Occupations--Policy and Practice in the UK.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bird, Elizabeth

1999-01-01

A survey of 462 British women in science/engineering, law, accounting, and nursing demonstrated the need for, and effectiveness of, specialized professional retraining for women returning to higher-level occupations. Investment in their education, such as through the European Social Fund, benefits both the women and the economy. (SK)

Science Goals and Objectives for Canadian Robotic Exploration of the Moon Enabled by the Deep Space Gateway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourassa, M.; Osinski, G. R.; Cross, M.; Hill, P.; King, D.; Morse, Z.; Pilles, E.; Tolometti, G.; Tornabene, L. L.; Zanetti, M.

2018-02-01

Canadian contributions to the science goals and objectives of a lunar precursor rover for HERACLES, an international mission concept, are discussed. Enabled by the Deep Space Gateway, this rover is a technical demonstrator for robotic sample return.

Balancing nanotoxicity and returns in health applications: The Prisoner's Dilemma.

PubMed

Gkika, D A; Magafas, L; Cool, P; Braet, J

2018-01-15

Over the past 30 years, there have been significant advancements in the field of nanomaterials. The possibility to use them in applications such as cancer treatment is extremely promising; however, the toxicity of many nanomaterials as well as the high costs associated with their use is still a concern. This paper aims to study the connection between nanomaterial toxicity and cost. This synergy may be interpreted as a different version of the classic "Prisoner's Dilemma" game, which in this case attempts to explain the possible outcomes of cooperation versus conflict between science advocating for the use of high-risk, possibly toxic materials due to their high returns, and society that might be dubious about the use of high-risk materials. In an effort to create diverse evaluation methodologies, this work uses a forecast horizon to evaluate the current status and expected future of the nanomaterials market. The historical progress of each market, toxicity information, and possible returns stemming from their use is taken into account to analyze the predictions. Our results suggest various trends for the associated costs and nanotoxicity of the studied materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

XSEDE Value Added, Cost Avoidance, and Return on Investment

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

Stewart, Craig A; Roskies, Ralph; Knepper, Richard

It is difficult for large research facilities to quantify a return on the investments that fund their operations. This is because there can be a time lag of years or decades between an innovation or discovery and the realization of its value through practical application. This report presents a three-part methodology that attempts to assess the value of federal investment in XSEDE: 1) a qualitative examination of the areas where XSEDE adds value to the activities of the open research community, 2) a thought model examining the cost avoidance realized by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through the centralization andmore » coordination XSEDE provides, and 3) an assessment of the value XSEDE provides to Service Providers in the XD ecosystem. XSEDE adds significantly to the US research community because it functions as a unified interface to the XD ecosystem and because of its scale. A partly quantitative, partly qualitative analysis suggests the Return on Investment of NSF spending on XSEDE is greater than 1.0. indicating that the aggregate value received by the nation from XSEDE is greater than the cost of direct federal investment in XSEDE.« less

JPRS Report, Science & Technology, USSR: Science & Technology Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-12-07

technologies. —The restoration of the biosphere and its return to an ecologically clean, healthy state; the preservation and reproduction of soils and the...and Geochemistry of Combustible Materials Institute, Casting Problems Institute, Technical Thermal Physics Institute, Gas Insti- tute, Social and...academician, honorary director of the Institute of Geochemistry imeni A.P. Vinogradov of the Siberian Department of the USSR Academy of Sciences

NASA's plans for life sciences research facilities on a Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arno, R.; Heinrich, M.; Mascy, A.

1984-01-01

A Life Sciences Research Facility on a Space Station will contribute to the health and well-being of humans in space, as well as address many fundamental questions in gravitational and developmental biology. Scientific interests include bone and muscle attrition, fluid and electrolyte shifts, cardiovascular deconditioning, metabolism, neurophysiology, reproduction, behavior, drugs and immunology, radiation biology, and closed life-support system development. The life sciences module will include a laboratory and a vivarium. Trade-offs currently being evaluated include (1) the need for and size of a 1-g control centrifuge; (2) specimen quantities and species for research; (3) degree of on-board analysis versus sample return and ground analysis; (4) type and extent of equipment automation; (5) facility return versus on-orbit refurbishment; (6) facility modularity, isolation, and system independence; and (7) selection of experiments, design, autonomy, sharing, compatibility, and integration.

Returning to Vietnam – Building on Collaborations in Cancer Control and Research

Cancer.gov

Dr. Paul Pearlman presented at the 9th US-Vietnam Joint Committee Meeting on Science and Technology Cooperation, held in Ho Chi Minh City by the Ministry of Science and Technology, and at a national cancer stakeholder meeting in Hanoi, held by the Ministry of Health.

2018 USA Science and Engineering Festival

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-04-06

Attendees view a Moon rock that was returned by the Apollo 17 mission during Sneak Peek Friday at the USA Science and Engineering Festival, Friday, April 6, 2018 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. The festival is open to the public April 7-8. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

iss055e043245

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-04-30

iss055e043245 (April 30, 2018) --- NASA astronaut Ricky Arnold transfers frozen biological samples from science freezers aboard the International Space Station to science freezers inside the SpaceX Dragon resupply ship. The research samples were returned to Earth aboard Dragon for retrieval by SpaceX engineers and analysis by NASA scientists.

Maximizing Mission Science Return Through Use of Spacecraft Autonomy: Active Volcanism and the Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davies, A. G.; Chien, S.; Baker, V.; Castano, R.; Cichy, B.; Doggett, T.; Dohm, J. M.; Greeley, R.; Ip, F.; Rabideau, G.

2005-01-01

ASE has successfully demonstrated that a spacecraft can be driven by science analysis and autonomously controlled. ASE is available for flight on other missions. Mission hardware design should consider ASE requirements for available onboard data storage, onboard memory size and processor speed.

Visualization of Earth and Space Science Data at JPL's Science Data Processing Systems Section

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, William B.

1996-01-01

This presentation will provide an overview of systems in use at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory for processing data returned by space exploration and earth observations spacecraft. Graphical and visualization techniques used to query and retrieve data from large scientific data bases will be described.

Mars Sample Return Using Commercial Capabilities: Propulsive Entry, Descent and Landing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lemke, Lawrence G.; Gonzales, Andrew A.; Huynh, Loc C.

2014-01-01

Mars Sample Return (MSR) is the highest priority science mission for the next decade as recommended by the recent Decadal Survey of Planetary Science. The objective of the study was to determine whether emerging commercial capabilities can be integrated into to such a mission. The premise of the study is that commercial capabilities can be more efficient than previously described systems, and by using fewer systems and fewer or less extensive launches, overall mission cost can be reduced. This presentation describes an EDL technique using planned upgrades to the Dragon capsule to perform a Supersonic Retropulsion Entry - Red Dragon concept. Landed Payload capability meets mission requirements for a MSR Architecture that reduces complexity.

Financing translation: analysis of the NCATS rare-diseases portfolio.

PubMed

Fagnan, David E; Yang, N Nora; McKew, John C; Lo, Andrew W

2015-02-25

The portfolio of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) rare-diseases therapeutic development program comprises 28 research projects initiated at the preclinical stage. Historical data reveal substantially lower costs and higher success rates but longer preclinical timelines for the NCATS projects relative to the industry averages for early-stage translational medical research and development (R&D) typically cited in literature. Here, we evaluate the potential risks and rewards of investing in a portfolio of rare-disease therapeutics. Using a "megafund" financing structure, NCATS data, and valuation estimates from a panel of industry experts, we simulate a hypothetical megafund in which senior and junior debt yielded 5 and 8%, respectively. The simulated expected return to equity was 14.7%, corresponding to a modified internal rate of return of 21.6%. These returns and the likelihood of private-sector funding can be enhanced through third-party funding guarantees from philanthropies, patient advocacy groups, and government agencies. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Analysis of Molecular Contamination on Genesis Collectors Through Spectroscopic Ellipsometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McNamara, K. M.; Stansbery, Eileen K.

2005-01-01

Before the spacecraft returned to Earth in September, the Genesis mission had a preliminary assessment plan in place for the purpose of providing information on the condition and availability of collector materials to the science community as a basis for allocation requests. One important component of that plan was the evaluation of collector surfaces for molecular contamination. Sources of molecular contamination might be the on-orbit outgassing of spacecraft and science canister components, the condensation of thruster by-products during spacecraft maneuvers, or the condensation of volatile species associated with reentry. Although the non-nominal return of the Genesis spacecraft introduced particulate contamination to the collectors, such as dust and heatshield carbon-carbon, it is unlikely to have caused any molecular deposition. The contingency team's quick action in returning the damaged payload the UTTR cleanroom by 6 PM the evening of recovery help to ensure that exposure to weather conditions and the environment were kept to a minimum.

Sample Return Science by Hayabusa Near-Earth Asteroid Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fujiwara, A.; Abe, M.; Kato, M.; Kushiro, I.; Mukai, T.; Okada, T.; Saito, J.; Sasaki, S.; Yano, H.; Yeomans, D.

2004-01-01

Assigning the material species to each asteroid spectral type and finding out the corresponding meteorite category is crucial to make the global material map in the whole asteroid belt and to understand the evolution of the asteroid belt. Recent direct observations by spacecrafts are revealing new intriguing aspects of asteroids which cannot be obtained solely from ground-based observations or meteorite studies. However identification of the real material species constituting asteroids and their corresponding meteorite analogs are still ambiguous. Space weathering makes difficult to identify the true material, and there is still a great gap between the remote sensing data on the global surface and the local microscopic data from meteorites. Sample return from asteroids are inevitable to solve these problems. For this purpose sample return missions to asteroids belonging to various spectral classes are required. The HAYABUSA spacecraft (prelaunch name is MUSESC) launched last year is the first attempt on this concept. This report presents outline of the mission with special stress on its science.

M3 Status and Science Discussion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pieters, Carle

2007-01-01

Members of the M3 Science Team will attend the Chandrayaan-I Science Team Meeting in Bangalore, India to present a brief summary of instrument status and the near-term milestones (e.g., final I&T, pre-ship review). The principal purpose of the meeting is to interact with other members of the Chandrayaan-I Science Team to prepare for successful science return. The objectives are: 1) Characterize the diversity and extent of different types of basaltic volcanism; 2) Constrain evolution over time; and 3) Examine high priority regional sites.

Issues of geologically-focused situational awareness in robotic planetary missions: Lessons from an analogue mission at Mistastin Lake impact structure, Labrador, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antonenko, I.; Osinski, G. R.; Battler, M.; Beauchamp, M.; Cupelli, L.; Chanou, A.; Francis, R.; Mader, M. M.; Marion, C.; McCullough, E.; Pickersgill, A. E.; Preston, L. J.; Shankar, B.; Unrau, T.; Veillette, D.

2013-07-01

Remote robotic data provides different information than that obtained from immersion in the field. This significantly affects the geological situational awareness experienced by members of a mission control science team. In order to optimize science return from planetary robotic missions, these limitations must be understood and their effects mitigated to fully leverage the field experience of scientists at mission control.Results from a 13-day analogue deployment at the Mistastin Lake impact structure in Labrador, Canada suggest that scale, relief, geological detail, and time are intertwined issues that impact the mission control science team's effectiveness in interpreting the geology of an area. These issues are evaluated and several mitigation options are suggested. Scale was found to be difficult to interpret without the reference of known objects, even when numerical scale data were available. For this reason, embedding intuitive scale-indicating features into image data is recommended. Since relief is not conveyed in 2D images, both 3D data and observations from multiple angles are required. Furthermore, the 3D data must be observed in animation or as anaglyphs, since without such assistance much of the relief information in 3D data is not communicated. Geological detail may also be missed due to the time required to collect, analyze, and request data.We also suggest that these issues can be addressed, in part, by an improved understanding of the operational time costs and benefits of scientific data collection. Robotic activities operate on inherently slow time-scales. This fact needs to be embraced and accommodated. Instead of focusing too quickly on the details of a target of interest, thereby potentially minimizing science return, time should be allocated at first to more broad data collection at that target, including preliminary surveys, multiple observations from various vantage points, and progressively smaller scale of focus. This operational model more closely follows techniques employed by field geologists and is fundamental to the geologic interpretation of an area. Even so, an operational time cost/benefit analyses should be carefully considered in each situation, to determine when such comprehensive data collection would maximize the science return.Finally, it should be recognized that analogue deployments cannot faithfully model the time scales of robotic planetary missions. Analogue missions are limited by the difficulty and expense of fieldwork. Thus, analogue deployments should focus on smaller aspects of robotic missions and test components in a modular way (e.g., dropping communications constraints, limiting mission scope, focusing on a specific problem, spreading the mission over several field seasons, etc.).

Returning from Earning: UK Graduates Returning to Postgraduate Study, with Particular Respect to STEM Subjects, Gender and Ethnicity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

d'Aguiar, Steve; Harrison, Neil

2016-01-01

It has been argued by some (e.g. the Confederation of British Industry [CBI]) that graduates lack the skills that render them employable. In particular, graduates of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects are often portrayed as being unready for the world of work. This study uses three large-scale national data-sets from…

Astrobiobound! Search for Life in the Solar System: Scientists and Engineers Bringing their Challenges to K-12 Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klug Boonstra, S. L.; Swann, J.; Manfredi, L.; Zippay, A.; Boonstra, D.

2014-12-01

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) brought many dynamic opportunities and capabilities to the K-12 science classroom - especially with the inclusion of engineering. Using science as a context to help students engage in the engineering practices and engineering disciplinary core ideas is an essential step to students' understanding of how science drives engineering and how engineering enables science. Real world examples and applications are critical for students to see how these disciplines are integrated. Furthermore, the interface of science and engineering raise the level of science understanding, and facilitate higher order thinking skills through relevant experiences. Astrobiobound! is designed for the NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards) and CCSS (Common Core State Standards). Students also practice and build 21st Century Skills. Astrobiobound! help students see how science and systems engineering are integrated to achieve a focused scientific goal. Students engage in the engineering design process to design a space mission which requires them to balance the return of their science data with engineering limitations such as power, mass and budget. Risk factors also play a role during this simulation and adds to the excitement and authenticity. Astrobiobound! presents the authentic first stages of NASA mission design process. This simulation mirrors the NASA process in which the science goals, type of mission, and instruments to return required data to meet mission goals are proposed within mission budget before any of the construction part of engineering can begin. NASA scientists and engineers were consulted in the development of this activity as an authentic simulation of their mission proposal process.

Telescopes in Near Space: Balloon Exoplanet Nulling Interferometer (BigBENI)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyon, Richard G.; Clampin, Mark; Petrone, Peter; Mallik, Udayan; Mauk, Robin

2012-01-01

A significant and often overlooked path to advancing both science and technology for direct imaging and spectroscopic characterization of exosolar planets is to fly "near space" missions, i.e. balloon borne exosolar missions. A near space balloon mission with two or more telescopes, coherently combined, is capable of achieving a subset of the mission science goals of a single large space telescope at a small fraction of the cost. Additionally such an approach advances technologies toward flight readiness for space flight. Herein we discuss the feasibility of flying two 1.2 meter telescopes, with a baseline separation of 3.6 meters, operating in visible light, on a composite boom structure coupled to a modified visible nulling coronagraph operating to achieve an inner working angle of 60 milli-arcseconds. We discuss the potential science return, atmospheric residuals at 135,000 feet, pointing control and visible nulling and evaluate the state-or-art of these technologies with regards to balloon missions.

KSC-97PC863

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-05-25

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Members of the STS-84 crew pause at Patrick Air force Base just prior to their departure for Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. They are (from left) Mission Specialist Jean-Francois Clervoy; returning astronaut and Mir 23 crew member Jerry M. Linenger; Mission Commander Charles J. Precourt; Mission Specialist Edward Tsang Lu; and Mission Specialist Elena V. Kondakova. The seven-member crew returned aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis May 24 on KSC's Runway 33 after the completion of a successful nine-day mission. STS-84 was the sixth docking of the Space Shuttle with the Russian Space Station MIr. Atlantis was docked with the Mir for five days. STS-84 Mission Specialist C. Michael Foale replaced Linenger, who had been on the Russian space station since Jan. 15. Besides the docking and crew exchange, STS-84 included the transfer of more than 7,300 pounds of water, logistics and science experiments and hardware to and from the Mir. Scientific experiments conducted during the STS-84 mission, and scheduled for Foale's stay on the Mir, are in the fields of advanced technology, Earth sciences, fundamental biology, human life sciences, International Space Station risk mitigation, microgravity sciences and space sciences.

Political Ideology, Confidence in Science, and Participation in Alzheimer Disease Research Studies.

PubMed

Gabel, Matthew; Gooblar, Jonathan; Roe, Catherine M; Selsor, Natalie J; Morris, John C

2018-01-18

Americans' confidence in science varies based on their political ideology. This ideological divide has potentially important effects on citizens' engagement with and participation in clinical studies of Alzheimer disease (AD). A probability sample of 1583 Americans was surveyed about their willingness to participate in longitudinal AD research and about their political attitudes. These survey results were compared with a survey of 382 participants in a longitudinal AD study at the Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center. Among Americans, more conservative ideology decreases willingness to participate in a hypothetical longitudinal cohort study of AD both directly and through its negative effect on confidence in science. The Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center study participants expressed more liberal ideology and greater confidence in science than Americans in general. Of the survey respondents opposed to participation, over a quarter changed to neutral or positive if the study returned their research results to them. Clinical studies of AD are likely biased toward participants who are more liberal and have higher confidence in science than the general population. This recruitment bias may be reduced by lowering the trust demanded of participants through measures such as returning research results to participants.

The Western European Military Establishment: A Re-Assessment.

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-06-01

Advanced Concepts Office Michael Drillings, Chief June 1998 U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences Approved for public...release; distribution is unlimited. r>o LpncQDAury INSPECTED U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences A Directorate of...Please do not return it to the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences. NOTE: The views, opinions, and findings in this

Leader Identity, Individual Differences, and Leader Self-Development

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-01

and Social Sciences Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social ... Social Sciences, Attn: DAPC-ARI-MS, 6000 6th Street, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-5586. FINAL DISPOSITION: Destroy this Technical Report when it is no...longer needed. Do not return it to the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences. NOTE: The findings in this Technical

Inuit Legends, Oral Histories, Art, and Science in the Collaborative Development of Lessons That Foster Two-Way Learning: The Return of the Sun in Nunavut

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMillan, Barbara A.

2013-01-01

This paper reports on the development of a science unit for Nunavut students and my collaboration with Louise Uyarak, an early years teacher and a graduate of Arctic College's teacher education program. The unit addresses light outcomes in the "Canadian Common Framework of Science Learning Outcomes, K-12". More importantly, it…

Cumulative advantages and social capabilities in scientific mobility in the Health Sciences: The Spanish case.

PubMed

Aceituno-Aceituno, Pedro; Melchor, Lorenzo; Danvila-Del-Valle, Joaquín; Bousoño-Calzón, Carlos

2017-01-01

The big problem in global public health, arising from the international migration of physicians from less-developed to more-developed countries, increases if this migration also affects scientists dedicated to health areas. This article analyzes critical variables in the processes of Spanish scientific mobility in Health Sciences to articulate effective management policies for the benefit of national public health services and the balance between local and global science. This study develops a survey to measure and analyze the following crucial variables: research career, training, funding, working with a world-class team, institutional prestige, wages, facilities/infrastructure, working conditions in the organization of the destination country, fringe benefits in the organization of the destination country and social responsibility in the organization of the departure country. A total of 811 researchers have participated in the survey, of which 293 were from the health sector: Spanish scientists abroad (114), scientists that have returned to Spain (32) and young researchers in Spain (147). The most crucial variables for Spanish scientists and young researchers in Spain in Health Sciences moving abroad are the cumulative advantages (research career, training, funding and institutional prestige) plus wages. On the other hand, the return of Spanish scientists in the Health Sciences is influenced by cumulative variables (working with a world-class team, research career and institutional prestige) and also by other variables related to social factors, such as working conditions and fringe benefits in the destination country. Permanent positions are rare for these groups and their decisions regarding mobility depend to a large extent on job opportunities. Spanish health organizations can influence researchers to return, since these decisions mainly depend on job opportunities. These organizations can complement the cumulative advantages offered by the wealthier countries with the intensification of social factors.

The Recovery of TOMS-EP

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robertson, Brent; Sabelhaus, Phil; Mendenhall, Todd; Fesq, Lorraine

1998-01-01

On December 13th 1998, the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer - Earth Probe (TOMS-EP) spacecraft experienced a Single Event Upset which caused the system to reconfigure and enter a Safe Mode. This incident occurred two and a half years after the launch of the spacecraft which was designed for a two year life. A combination of factors, including changes in component behavior due to age and extended use, very unfortunate initial conditions and the safe mode processing logic prevented the spacecraft from entering its nominal long term storage mode. The spacecraft remained in a high fuel consumption mode designed for temporary use. By the time the onboard fuel was exhausted, the spacecraft was Sun pointing in a high rate flat spin. Although the uncontrolled spacecraft was initially in a power and thermal safe orientation, it would not stay in this state indefinitely due to a slow precession of its momentum vector. A recovery team was immediately assembled to determine if there was time to develop a method of despinning the vehicle and return it to normal science data collection. A three stage plan was developed that used the onboard magnetic torque rods as actuators. The first stage was designed to reduce the high spin rate to within the linear range of the gyros. The second stage transitioned the spacecraft from sun pointing to orbit reference pointing. The final stage returned the spacecraft to normal science operation. The entire recovery scenario was simulated with a wide range of initial conditions to establish the expected behavior. The recovery sequence was started on December 28th 1998 and completed by December 31st. TOMS-EP was successfully returned to science operations by the beginning of 1999. This paper describes the TOMS-EP Safe Mode design and the factors which led to the spacecraft anomaly and loss of fuel. The recovery and simulation efforts are described. Flight data are presented which show the performance of the spacecraft during its return to science. Finally, lessons learned are presented.

SeaRover: An Emerging Technology for Sea Surface Sensor Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fong, T.; Kudela, R.; Curcio, J.; Davidson, K.; Darling, D.; Kirkwood, B.

2005-12-01

Introduction - SeaRover is envisioned as an autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) for coastal operations. It is intended to lower the cost of existing marine survey applications while enabling new science missions. The current conceptual design is a small vehicle with hull and propulsion system optimized to eliminate cavitation and EM noise. SeaRover will make significant advances over existing platforms by providing longer duration science missions, better positioning and mission control, larger power budgets for instrumentation and significantly lower operational costs than existing vehicles. Science Enabled by SeaRover - SeaRover's unique design and autonomous capability provides several advantages compared to traditional autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV's) and crewed surface vessels: (1) Near surface sampling: SeaRover can sample within the top 1-2 meters. This is difficult to do with crewed vessels because of draft and perturbations from the hull. (2) Adaptive monitoring of dynamic events: SeaRover will be capable of intelligent decision making, as well as real-time remote control. This will enable highly-responsive autonomous tracking of moving phenomena (e.g., algal bloom). (3) Long term monitoring: SeaRover can be deployed for extended periods of time, allowing it to be used for longitudinal baseline studies. SeaRover will represent an advance over existing platforms in terms of: (1) Mobility: operational range from 10-1000 km, GPS accuracy, trajectory control with meter precision, and launch in hours. (2) Duration: from days up to months. (3) Payload and Power: accommodate approximately 100 kg for a 6m hull. Its surface design will allow access to wind and sun energy. (4) Communication: radio, wireless, satellite, direct data return. (5) Operational Cost: target costs are $2K/day (24 hour operation), with no onboard operator. (6) Recovery/Reusability: autonomous return to safe harbor provides sample return and on-base maintenance. Large science and power payload simplifies instrument design and integration. Enabling Technology for SeaRover - SeaRover's capabilities are made possible by advances in technologies developed during NASA planetary exploration missions: (1) Adaptive control (2) Automated data analysis (3) Communications management (4) Computer vision (5) Interactive 3D User Interfaces (6) Intelligent energy management (7) Long-duration operations planning (8) Multi-vehicle coordinated action As an example of what SeaRover could be used for, we envision augmenting existing monthly monitoring cruises in Monterey Bay with a SeaRover. Each month, the Center for Integrated Marine Technology (UC-Santa Cruz) conducts shipboard surveys of Monterey Bay. This requires 2-3 full days of ship time (weather dependent), 14 scientists, and 2 crew members. Operations are currently limited by sea-state, transit speed, and cost. SeaRover could provide all of the underway measurements and some of the hydrographic station measurements faster, more frequently, and for a fraction of the cost.

Europa Explorer: A Mission to Explore Europa and Investigate Its Habitability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, K. B.; Pappalardo, R. T.; Greeley, R.

2007-12-01

Europa is the astrobiological archetype for icy satellite habitability, with a warm, salty, water ocean with plausible chemical energy sources. It is also a geophysical wonderland of interrelated ice shell processes that are intimately related to the ocean and tides, and of complex interactions among its interior, surface, atmosphere, and particles and fields environments. In 2007, NASA commissioned a study of a flagship-class mission to Europa, with the aim of launching as early as 2015. The difficulty of this type of mission, primarily due to the propulsive requirements and Jupiter's trapped radiation, led to many previous studies which investigated various approaches to meeting the science objectives. The Europa Explorer is a mature orbiter concept to explore Europa and investigate its habitability, fulfilling objectives laid out by the National Research Council's Planetary Science Decadal Survey. The mission examines Europa's ocean, ice shell, chemistry, geology, external environment, and neighborhood. With a nominal launch in June 2015, the flight system arrives at Jupiter in 6 years using a Venus- Earth-Earth Gravity Assist trajectory. It would orbit Jupiter for 2 years using gravity assists of the icy Galilean satellites to lower its energy, providing the opportunity for significant Jupiter system science. It would then enter Europa orbit at an altitude of 100-200 km, where it would perform science investigations for 1 year. A campaign- based operations scenario has been developed which permits return of 5.4 Tbits of science data beginning in July 2021, and emphasizing the highest priority Europa science objectives early in the orbital phase of the mission. The baseline mission concept includes 11 instruments that address high-priority investigations while providing the flexibility to respond to discoveries. A less ambitious mission has also been evaluated which has 8 instruments and returns about a third of the data with 6 months of orbital operations at Europa. The radiation design approach has been independently reviewed and validated, and a statistical lifetime prediction method has been developed. Past technology investments have reduced mission risk, making the Europa Explorer mission ready to move forward in order to address the high-priority astrobiological and geophysical objectives outlined by the Decadal Survey.

An efficient approach for Mars Sample Return using emerging commercial capabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzales, Andrew A.; Stoker, Carol R.

2016-06-01

Mars Sample Return is the highest priority science mission for the next decade as recommended by the 2011 Decadal Survey of Planetary Science (Squyres, 2011 [1]). This article presents the results of a feasibility study for a Mars Sample Return mission that efficiently uses emerging commercial capabilities expected to be available in the near future. The motivation of our study was the recognition that emerging commercial capabilities might be used to perform Mars Sample Return with an Earth-direct architecture, and that this may offer a desirable simpler and lower cost approach. The objective of the study was to determine whether these capabilities can be used to optimize the number of mission systems and launches required to return the samples, with the goal of achieving the desired simplicity. All of the major element required for the Mars Sample Return mission are described. Mission system elements were analyzed with either direct techniques or by using parametric mass estimating relationships. The analysis shows the feasibility of a complete and closed Mars Sample Return mission design based on the following scenario: A SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch vehicle places a modified version of a SpaceX Dragon capsule, referred to as ;Red Dragon;, onto a Trans Mars Injection trajectory. The capsule carries all the hardware needed to return to Earth Orbit samples collected by a prior mission, such as the planned NASA Mars 2020 sample collection rover. The payload includes a fully fueled Mars Ascent Vehicle; a fueled Earth Return Vehicle, support equipment, and a mechanism to transfer samples from the sample cache system onboard the rover to the Earth Return Vehicle. The Red Dragon descends to land on the surface of Mars using Supersonic Retropropulsion. After collected samples are transferred to the Earth Return Vehicle, the single-stage Mars Ascent Vehicle launches the Earth Return Vehicle from the surface of Mars to a Mars phasing orbit. After a brief phasing period, the Earth Return Vehicle performs a Trans Earth Injection burn. Once near Earth, the Earth Return Vehicle performs Earth and lunar swing-bys and is placed into a Lunar Trailing Orbit-an Earth orbit, at lunar distance. A retrieval mission then performs a rendezvous with the Earth Return Vehicle, retrieves the sample container, and breaks the chain of contact with Mars by transferring the sample into a sterile and secure container. With the sample contained, the retrieving spacecraft makes a controlled Earth re-entry preventing any unintended release of Martian materials into the Earth's biosphere. The mission can start in any one of three Earth to Mars launch opportunities, beginning in 2022.

An Efficient Approach for Mars Sample Return Using Emerging Commercial Capabilities.

PubMed

Gonzales, Andrew A; Stoker, Carol R

2016-06-01

Mars Sample Return is the highest priority science mission for the next decade as recommended by the 2011 Decadal Survey of Planetary Science [1]. This article presents the results of a feasibility study for a Mars Sample Return mission that efficiently uses emerging commercial capabilities expected to be available in the near future. The motivation of our study was the recognition that emerging commercial capabilities might be used to perform Mars Sample Return with an Earth-direct architecture, and that this may offer a desirable simpler and lower cost approach. The objective of the study was to determine whether these capabilities can be used to optimize the number of mission systems and launches required to return the samples, with the goal of achieving the desired simplicity. All of the major element required for the Mars Sample Return mission are described. Mission system elements were analyzed with either direct techniques or by using parametric mass estimating relationships. The analysis shows the feasibility of a complete and closed Mars Sample Return mission design based on the following scenario: A SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch vehicle places a modified version of a SpaceX Dragon capsule, referred to as "Red Dragon", onto a Trans Mars Injection trajectory. The capsule carries all the hardware needed to return to Earth Orbit samples collected by a prior mission, such as the planned NASA Mars 2020 sample collection rover. The payload includes a fully fueled Mars Ascent Vehicle; a fueled Earth Return Vehicle, support equipment, and a mechanism to transfer samples from the sample cache system onboard the rover to the Earth Return Vehicle. The Red Dragon descends to land on the surface of Mars using Supersonic Retropropulsion. After collected samples are transferred to the Earth Return Vehicle, the single-stage Mars Ascent Vehicle launches the Earth Return Vehicle from the surface of Mars to a Mars phasing orbit. After a brief phasing period, the Earth Return Vehicle performs a Trans Earth Injection burn. Once near Earth, the Earth Return Vehicle performs Earth and lunar swing-bys and is placed into a Lunar Trailing Orbit - an Earth orbit, at lunar distance. A retrieval mission then performs a rendezvous with the Earth Return Vehicle, retrieves the sample container, and breaks the chain of contact with Mars by transferring the sample into a sterile and secure container. With the sample contained, the retrieving spacecraft makes a controlled Earth re-entry preventing any unintended release of Martian materials into the Earth's biosphere. The mission can start in any one of three Earth to Mars launch opportunities, beginning in 2022.

An Efficient Approach for Mars Sample Return Using Emerging Commercial Capabilities

PubMed Central

Gonzales, Andrew A.; Stoker, Carol R.

2016-01-01

Mars Sample Return is the highest priority science mission for the next decade as recommended by the 2011 Decadal Survey of Planetary Science [1]. This article presents the results of a feasibility study for a Mars Sample Return mission that efficiently uses emerging commercial capabilities expected to be available in the near future. The motivation of our study was the recognition that emerging commercial capabilities might be used to perform Mars Sample Return with an Earth-direct architecture, and that this may offer a desirable simpler and lower cost approach. The objective of the study was to determine whether these capabilities can be used to optimize the number of mission systems and launches required to return the samples, with the goal of achieving the desired simplicity. All of the major element required for the Mars Sample Return mission are described. Mission system elements were analyzed with either direct techniques or by using parametric mass estimating relationships. The analysis shows the feasibility of a complete and closed Mars Sample Return mission design based on the following scenario: A SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch vehicle places a modified version of a SpaceX Dragon capsule, referred to as “Red Dragon”, onto a Trans Mars Injection trajectory. The capsule carries all the hardware needed to return to Earth Orbit samples collected by a prior mission, such as the planned NASA Mars 2020 sample collection rover. The payload includes a fully fueled Mars Ascent Vehicle; a fueled Earth Return Vehicle, support equipment, and a mechanism to transfer samples from the sample cache system onboard the rover to the Earth Return Vehicle. The Red Dragon descends to land on the surface of Mars using Supersonic Retropropulsion. After collected samples are transferred to the Earth Return Vehicle, the single-stage Mars Ascent Vehicle launches the Earth Return Vehicle from the surface of Mars to a Mars phasing orbit. After a brief phasing period, the Earth Return Vehicle performs a Trans Earth Injection burn. Once near Earth, the Earth Return Vehicle performs Earth and lunar swing-bys and is placed into a Lunar Trailing Orbit - an Earth orbit, at lunar distance. A retrieval mission then performs a rendezvous with the Earth Return Vehicle, retrieves the sample container, and breaks the chain of contact with Mars by transferring the sample into a sterile and secure container. With the sample contained, the retrieving spacecraft makes a controlled Earth re-entry preventing any unintended release of Martian materials into the Earth’s biosphere. The mission can start in any one of three Earth to Mars launch opportunities, beginning in 2022. PMID:27642199

Science Education for Women: Situated Cognition, Feminist Standpoint Theory, and the Status of Women in Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinnick, Cassandra L.

2008-11-01

This paper examines the relation between situated cognition theory in science education, and feminist standpoint theory in philosophy of science. It shows that situated cognition is an idea borrowed from a long since discredited philosophy of science. It argues that feminist standpoint theory ought not be indulged as it is a failed challenge to traditional philosophy of science. Standpoint theory diverts attention away from the abiding educational and career needs of women in science. In the interest of women in science, and in the interest of science, science educators would do best for their constituencies by a return to feminist philosophy understood as the demand for equal access and a level playing field for women in science and society.

The OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return Mission Operations Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gal-Edd, Jonathan S.; Cheuvront, Allan

2015-01-01

OSIRIS-REx is an acronym that captures the scientific objectives: Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer. OSIRIS-REx will thoroughly characterize near-Earth asteroid Bennu (Previously known as 1019551999 RQ36). The OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return Mission delivers its science using five instruments and radio science along with the Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM). All of the instruments and data analysis techniques have direct heritage from flown planetary missions. The OSIRIS-REx mission employs a methodical, phased approach to ensure success in meeting the mission's science requirements. OSIRIS-REx launches in September 2016, with a backup launch period occurring one year later. Sampling occurs in 2019. The departure burn from Bennu occurs in March 2021. On September 24, 2023, the Sample Return Capsule (SRC) lands at the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR). Stardust heritage procedures are followed to transport the SRC to Johnson Space Center, where the samples are removed and delivered to the OSIRIS-REx curation facility. After a six-month preliminary examination period the mission will produce a catalog of the returned sample, allowing the worldwide community to request samples for detailed analysis. Traveling and returning a sample from an Asteroid that has not been explored before requires unique operations consideration. The Design Reference Mission (DRM) ties together spacecraft, instrument and operations scenarios. Asteroid Touch and Go (TAG) has various options varying from ground only to fully automated (natural feature tracking). Spacecraft constraints such as thermo and high gain antenna pointing impact the timeline. The mission is sensitive to navigation errors, so a late command update has been implemented. The project implemented lessons learned from other "small body" missions. The key lesson learned was 'expect the unexpected' and implement planning tools early in the lifecycle. This paper summarizes the ground and spacecraft design as presented at OSIRIS-REx Critical Design Review(CDR) held April 2014.

Kronos Observatory Operations Challenges in a Lean Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koratkar, Anuradha; Peterson, Bradley M.; Polidan, Ronald S.

2003-02-01

Kronos is a multiwavelength observatory designed to map the accretion disks and environments of supermassive black holes in various environments using the natural intrinsic variability of the accretion-driven sources. Kronos is envisaged as a Medium Explorer mission to NASA Office of Space Science under the Structure and Evolution of the Universe theme. We will achieve the Kronos science objectives by developing cost-effective techniques for obtaining and assimilating data from the research spacecraft and its subsequent work on the ground. The science operations assumptions for the mission are: (1 Need for flexible scheduling due to the variable nature of targets, (2) Large data volumes but minimal ground station contact, (3) Very small staff for operations. Our first assumption implies that we will have to consider an effective strategy to dynamically reprioritize the observing schedule to maximize science data acquisition. The flexibility we seek greatly increases the science return of the mission, because variability events can be properly captured. Our second assumption implies that we will have to develop some basic on-board analysis strategies to determine which data get downloaded. The small size of the operations staff implies that we need to "automate" as many routine processes of science operations as possible. In this paper we will discuss the various solutions that we are considering to optimize our operations and maximize science returns on the observatory.

An analysis of national collaboration with Spanish researchers abroad in the health sciences.

PubMed

Aceituno-Aceituno, Pedro; Romero-Martínez, Sonia Janeth; Victor-Ponce, Patricia; García-Núñez, José

2015-11-07

The establishment of scientific collaborations with researchers abroad can be considered a good practice to make appropriate use of their knowledge and to increase the possibilities of them returning to their country. This paper analyses the collaboration between Spanish researchers abroad devoted to health sciences and national science institutions. We used the Fontes' approach to perform a study on this collaboration with Spanish researchers abroad. We measured the level of national and international cooperation, the opportunity provided by the host country to collaborate, the promotion of collaboration by national science institutions, and the types of collaboration. A total of 88 biomedical researchers out of the 268 Spanish scientists who filled up the survey participated in the study. Different data analyses were performed to study the variables selected to measure the scientific collaboration and profile of Spanish researchers abroad. There is a high level of cooperation between Spanish health science researchers abroad and international institutions, which contrasts with the small-scale collaboration with national institutions. Host countries facilitate this collaboration with national and international scientific institutions to a larger extent than the level of collaboration promotion carried out by Spanish institutions. The national collaboration with Spanish researchers abroad in the health sciences is limited. Thus, the practice of making appropriate use of the potential of their expertise should be promoted and the opportunities for Spanish health science researchers to return home should be improved.

Giant Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Said, Magdi A; Schur, Willi W.; Gupta, Amit; Mock, Gary N.; Seyam, Abdelfattah M.; Theyson, Thomas

2004-01-01

Science and technology development from balloon-borne telescopes and experiments is a rich return on a relatively modest involvement of NASA resources. For the past three decades, the development of increasingly competitive and complex science payloads and observational programs from high altitude balloon-borne platforms has yielded significant scientific discoveries. The success and capabilities of scientific balloons are closely related to advancements in the textile and plastic industries. This paper will present an overview of scientific balloons as a viable and economical platform for transporting large telescopes and scientific instruments to the upper atmosphere to conduct scientific missions. Additionally, the paper sheds the light on the problems associated with UV degradation of high performance textile components that are used to support the payload of the balloon and proposes future research to reduce/eliminate Ultra Violet (UV) degradation in order to conduct long-term scientific missions.

Performance Evaluation of an Expanded Range XIPS Ion Thruster System for NASA Science Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oh, David Y.; Goebel, Dan M.

2006-01-01

This paper examines the benefit that a solar electric propulsion (SEP) system based on the 5 kW Xenon Ion Propulsion System (XIPS) could have for NASA's Discovery class deep space missions. The relative cost and performance of the commercial heritage XIPS system is compared to NSTAR ion thruster based systems on three Discovery class reference missions: 1) a Near Earth Asteroid Sample Return, 2) a Comet Rendezvous and 3) a Main Belt Asteroid Rendezvous. It is found that systems utilizing a single operating XIPS thruster provides significant performance advantages over a single operating NSTAR thruster. In fact, XIPS performs as well as systems utilizing two operating NSTAR thrusters, and still costs less than the NSTAR system with a single operating thruster. This makes XIPS based SEP a competitive and attractive candidate for Discovery class science missions.

Mars Science with Small Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calvin, W. M.; Miralles, C.; Clark, B. C.; Wilson, G. R.

2000-01-01

The Mars program has articulated a strategy to answer the question "Could Life have arisen on Mars?" by pursuing an in depth understanding of the location, persistence and expression of water in the surface and sub-surface environments. In addition to the need to understand the role of water in climate and climate history, detailed understanding of the surface and interior of the planet is required as well. Return of samples from the Martian surface is expected to provide key answers and site selection to maximize the science gleaned from samples becomes critical. Current and past orbital platforms have revealed a surface and planetary history of surprising complexity. While these remote views significantly advance our understanding of the planet it is clear that detailed regional surveys can both answer specific open questions as well as provide initial reconnaissance for subsequent landed operations.

A Few Steps toward a Science of Mental Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dehaene, Stanislas

2007-01-01

Under what conditions can a true "science of mental life" arise from psychological investigations? Can psychology formulate scientific laws of a general nature, comparable in soundness to the laws of physics? I argue that the search for such laws must return to the forefront of psychological and developmental research, an enterprise that requires…

Five Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Majors: A Portraiture of Their Lived Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torcivia, Patrice Prusko

2012-01-01

Numerous studies have addressed science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and their relation to education and gender ranging from elementary school pedagogy to career choices for traditional-aged college students. Little research has addressed nontraditional female students returning to the university to in the STEM fields. This…

Investing Wisely: Citation Rankings as a Measure of Quality in Library and Information Science Journals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Via, Barbara J.; Schmidle, Deborah J.

2007-01-01

The library and information science field is currently confronted with difficult decisions about how best to allocate acquisition expenditures among increasingly expensive journals. This article measures the return-on-investment of serial expenditures through the use of citation analysis, which is a widely used approach to ascertaining journal…

Creating a Curriculum that Fosters Scientific thought

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Langley, Tilan

2009-01-01

Despite the progress in technology since the time of Maria Montessori, the science curriculum has been pushed aside slowly as teachers' focus has shifted to literacy and mathematics. The Early Childhood classroom has grown complacent with miniature life cycle lessons and attractive puzzles; the time has come to return science to a critical…

Factors influencing donor return.

PubMed

Schlumpf, Karen S; Glynn, Simone A; Schreiber, George B; Wright, David J; Randolph Steele, Whitney; Tu, Yongling; Hermansen, Sigurd; Higgins, Martha J; Garratty, George; Murphy, Edward L

2008-02-01

To predict future blood donation behavior and improve donor retention, it is important to understand the determinants of donor return. A self-administered questionnaire was completed in 2003 by 7905 current donors. With data mining methods, all factors measured by the survey were ranked as possible predictors of actual return within 12 months. Significant factors were analyzed with logistic regression to determine predictors of intention and of actual return. Younger and minority donors were less likely to return in 12 months. Predictors of donor return were higher prior donation frequency, higher intention to return, a convenient place to donate, and having a good donation experience. Most factors associated with actual donor return were also associated with a high intention to return. Although not significant for actual return, feeling a responsibility to help others, higher empathetic concern, and a feeling that being a blood donor means more than just donating blood were related to high intention to return. Prior donation frequency, intention to return, donation experience, and having a convenient location appear to significantly predict donor return. Clearly, donor behavior is dependent on more than one factor alone. Altruistic behavior, empathy, and social responsibility items did not enter our model to predict actual return. A donor's stated intention to give again is positively related to actual return and, while not a perfect measure, might be a useful proxy when donor return cannot be determined.

Plans of Mice and Men: From Bench Science to Science Policy

PubMed Central

Simon, Ian D.

2011-01-01

The transition from bench science to science policy is not always a smooth one, and my journey stretched as far as the unemployment line to the hallowed halls of the U.S. Capitol. While earning my doctorate in microbiology, I found myself more interested in my political activities than my experiments. Thus, my science policy career aspirations were born from merging my love of science with my interest in policy and politics. After receiving my doctorate, I accepted the Henry Luce Scholarship, which allowed me to live in South Korea for 1 year and delve into the field of science policy research. This introduction into science policy occurred at the South Korean think tank called the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI). During that year, I used textbooks, colleagues, and hands-on research projects as my educational introduction into the social science of science and technology decision-making. However, upon returning to the United States during one of the worst job markets in nearly 80 years, securing a position in science policy proved to be very difficult, and I was unemployed for five months. Ultimately, it took more than a year from the end of the Luce Scholarship to obtain my next science policy position with the American Society for Microbiology Congressional Fellowship. This fellowship gave me the opportunity to work as the science and public health advisor to U.S. Senator Harry Reid. While there were significant challenges during my transition from the laboratory to science policy, those challenges made me tougher, more appreciative, and more prepared to move from working at the bench to working in the field of science policy. PMID:21966041

Plans of mice and men: from bench science to science policy.

PubMed

Simon, Ian D

2011-09-01

The transition from bench science to science policy is not always a smooth one, and my journey stretched as far as the unemployment line to the hallowed halls of the U.S. Capitol. While earning my doctorate in microbiology, I found myself more interested in my political activities than my experiments. Thus, my science policy career aspirations were born from merging my love of science with my interest in policy and politics. After receiving my doctorate, I accepted the Henry Luce Scholarship, which allowed me to live in South Korea for 1 year and delve into the field of science policy research. This introduction into science policy occurred at the South Korean think tank called the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI). During that year, I used textbooks, colleagues, and hands-on research projects as my educational introduction into the social science of science and technology decision-making. However, upon returning to the United States during one of the worst job markets in nearly 80 years, securing a position in science policy proved to be very difficult, and I was unemployed for five months. Ultimately, it took more than a year from the end of the Luce Scholarship to obtain my next science policy position with the American Society for Microbiology Congressional Fellowship. This fellowship gave me the opportunity to work as the science and public health advisor to U.S. Senator Harry Reid. While there were significant challenges during my transition from the laboratory to science policy, those challenges made me tougher, more appreciative, and more prepared to move from working at the bench to working in the field of science policy. Copyright © 2011.

Economic Returns to Education: What We Know, What We Don't Know, and Where We Are Going-Some Brief Pointers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickson, Matt; Harmon, Colm

2011-01-01

The estimation of the economic return to education has perhaps been one of the predominant areas of analysis in applied economics for over 50 years. In this short note we consider some of the recent directions taken by the literature, and also some of the blockages faced by both science and policymakers in pushing forward some key issues. This…

Exploration of the Impact of BSN Education on Current Nursing Practice as Perceived by RNs Who Have Returned to School to Obtain a BSN

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Long, Patricia R.

2017-01-01

This study is a descriptive survey incorporating two predictive questions of registered nurses (RN) who previously held a diploma (DI) or associate degree in nursing (ADN) and returned to school to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN); the attitude, or perception, of nursing practice was examined. This study investigated whether the…

Contamination Knowledge Strategy for the Mars 2020 Sample-Collecting Rover

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farley, K. A.; Williford, K.; Beaty, D W.; McSween, H. Y.; Czaja, A. D.; Goreva, Y. S.; Hausrath, E.; Herd, C. D. K.; Humayun, M.; McCubbin, F. M.;

Heatshield for Extreme Entry Environment Technology (HEEET)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Venkatapathy, E.; Ellerby, D.; Stackpoole, M..; Peterson, K.; Gage, P.; Beerman, A.; Blosser, M.; Chinnapongse, R.; Dillman, R.; Feldman, J.;

An evolving Mars telecommunications network to enable exploration and increase science data return

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edwards, Chad; Komarek, Tomas A.; Noreen, Gary K.; Wilson, Gregory R.

2003-01-01

The coming decade of Mars exploration involves a variety of unique telecommunications challenges. Increasing spatial and spectral resolution of in situ science instruments drive the need for increased bandwidth. At the same time, many innovative and low-cost in situ mission concepts are enabled by energy-efficient relay communications. In response to these needs, the Mars Exploration Program has established a plan for an evolving orbital infrastructure that can provide enhancing and enabling telecommunications services to future Mars missions. We will present the evolving capabilities of this network over the coming decade in terms of specific quantitative metrics such as data volume per sol and required lander energy per Gb of returned data for representative classes of Mars exploration spacecraft.

A High Efficiency System for Science Instrument Commanding for the Mars Global Surveyor Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jr., R. N. Brooks

1995-01-01

The Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) mission will return to Mars to re- cover most of the science lost when the ill fated Mars Observer space- craft suffered a catastrophic anomaly in its propulsion system and did not go into orbit. Described in detail are the methods employed by the MGS Sequence Team to accelerate science command processing by using standard command generation process and standard UNIX control scripts.

Space environmental effects observed on the Hubble Space Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edelman, Joel E.; Mason, James B.

1995-01-01

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Repair Mission of December, 1993, was first and foremost a mission to improve the performance of the observatory. But for a specialized segment of the aerospace industry, the primary interest is in the return to Earth of numerous pieces of the HST hardware, pieces which have been replaced, repaired, improved, or superseded. The returned hardware is of interest because of the information it potentially carries about the effects of exposure to the space environment for three and a half years. Like the LDEF retrieval mission four years ago, the HST repair mission is of interest to many engineering disciplines, including all of the disciplines represented by the LDEF Special Investigation Groups (SIG's). There is particular interest in the evaluation of specific materials and systems in the returned components. Some coated surfaces have been processed with materials which are newer and still in use by, or under consideration for, other spacecraft in a variety of stages of development. Several of the systems are being returned because a specific failure or anomaly has been observed and thus there is, at the outset, a specific investigative trail that needs to be followed. These systems are much more complex than those flown on LDEF and, in two instances, comprised state-of-the-art science instruments. Further, the parts used in these systems generally were characterized more rigorously prior to flight than were those in the LDEF systems, and thus post flight testing may yield more significant results.

The Stuff of Other Worlds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stansbery, EIleen K.; Latner, Alexis Glynn

2000-01-01

Extraterrestrial material eternally rains down on Earth. Meteorites flare in the night sky. Cosmic rays plow into Earth's atmosphere, creating invisible bursts of secondary particles. These processes began when the Earth formed in the primordial solar system and have continued ever since, indifferent to the exceedingly recent presence of human intelligence. For us to seek out stuff of other worlds, in contrast, takes a great deal of determined ingenuity. First we have to send a spacecraft somewhere else in the solar system. Indigenous material has to be collected and then brought back to Earth without exposure to conditions that might significantly alter it. The material must undergo meaningful scientific analysis. Most important, part of the material is preserved intact for future investigations. Beginning with bringing back Moon rocks, and now moving onward in the form of new missions to capture the hot thin solar wind and cold thin atmosphere of comets, extraterrestrial sample return takes place on the cutting edge of scientific technology. Sample return is also the fulcrum of an energetic debate about how to do planetary science missions. Scientists and engineers are debating whether to rely on remote sensing and in situ analysis, or to plan missions to undertake sample return. The latter is definitely more expensive on a per mission basis, and is usually technologically more challenging. But for an initially high investment of money and technology, bringing the stuff of other worlds back to Earth yields an incomparable return in scientific results.

Space environmental effects observed on the Hubble Space Telescope

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

Edelman, J.E.; Mason, J.B.

1995-02-01

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Repair Mission of December, 1993, was first and foremost a mission to improve the performance of the observatory. But for a specialized segment of the aerospace industry, the primary interest is in the return to Earth of numerous pieces of the HST hardware, pieces which have been replaced, repaired, improved, or superseded. The returned hardware is of interest because of the information it potentially carries about the effects of exposure to the space environment for three and a half years. Like the LDEF retrieval mission four years ago, the HST repair mission is of interestmore » to many engineering disciplines, including all of the disciplines represented by the LDEF Special Investigation Groups (SIG`s). There is particular interest in the evaluation of specific materials and systems in the returned components. Some coated surfaces have been processed with materials which are newer and still in use by, or under consideration for, other spacecraft in a variety of stages of development. Several of the systems are being returned because a specific failure or anomaly has been observed and thus there is, at the outset, a specific investigative trail that needs to be followed. These systems are much more complex than those flown on LDEF and, in two instances, comprised state-of-the-art science instruments. Further, the parts used in these systems generally were characterized more rigorously prior to flight than were those in the LDEF systems, and thus post flight testing may yield more significant results.« less

Impact of a breastfeeding-friendly workplace on an employed mother's intention to continue breastfeeding after returning to work.

PubMed

Tsai, Su-Ying

2013-04-01

Ever-increasing populations of women in their childbearing years are choosing to become employed. Breastfeeding provides unique health advantages to both the infant and mother. A breastfeeding-friendly workplace might be an important factor for predicting breastfeeding rates among working women. To explore the impact of breastfeeding-friendly support on the intention of working mothers to continue breastfeeding, we conducted a survey at a female labor-intensive electronics manufacturer in Taiwan. A structured questionnaire survey was administered to 715 working mothers employed in an electronics manufacturing plant in Tainan Science Park in Southern Taiwan. Questionnaire content included female employee demographics, employment characteristics, continued breastfeeding behavior after returning to work, access to lactation rooms, and employee perception of the breastfeeding policy and support when raising their most recently born child. A higher education level (odds ratio [OR]=2.66), lower work load (8 work hours/day) (OR=2.66), lactation room with dedicated space (OR=2.38), use of breast pumping breaks (OR=61.6), and encouragement from colleagues (OR=2.78) and supervisors (OR=2.44) to use breast pumping breaks were significant predictors of continued breastfeeding for more than 6 months after returning to work. The findings of the present study suggest that to encourage and increase the rate of continued breastfeeding, workplaces should establish dedicated breastfeeding rooms and maintain a comfortable and clean environment. Furthermore, employers should provide encouragement and support for working mothers to continue breastfeeding after returning to work.

The Martian sources of the SNC meteorites (two, not one), and what can and can't be learned from the SNC meteorites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Treiman, A. H.

1993-01-01

The SNC meteorites, which almost certainly originate in the Martian crust, have been inferred to come from a single impact crater site, but no known crater fits all criteria. Formation at two separate sites (S from one, NC from the other) is more consistent with the sum of petrologic, geochronologic, and cosmochronologic data. If the source craters for the SNC meteorites can be located, Mars science will advance considerably. However, many significant questions cannot be answered by the SNC meteorites. These questions await a returned sample.

Science questions for the Magellan continuing mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saunders, R. S.; Stofan, E. R.

1992-01-01

Magellan has completed two mapping cycles around the planet Venus, returning high resolution synthetic aperture images and altimetry data of over 95 percent of the planet's surface. Venus is dominated by low lying volcanic plains with an impact crater population indicating an average surface age of about 500 million years. Highland regions either tend to be characterized by volcanic shield complexes and rifting or by complex ridged terrain. Successful as the primary mission of Magellan has been, significant scientific questions remain to be addressed with imaging and gravity data that will be collected over the next several years.

Phootprint - A Phobos sample return mission study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koschny, Detlef; Svedhem, Håkan; Rebuffat, Denis

Introduction ESA is currently studying a mission to return a sample from Phobos, called Phootprint. This study is performed as part of ESA’s Mars Robotic Exploration Programme. Part of the mission goal is to prepare technology needed for a sample return mission from Mars itself; the mission should also have a strong scientific justification, which is described here. 1. Science goal The main science goal of this mission will be to Understand the formation of the Martian moons Phobos and put constraints on the evolution of the solar system. Currently, there are several possibilities for explaining the formation of the Martian moons: (a) co-formation with Mars (b) capture of objects coming close to Mars (c) Impact of a large body onto Mars and formation from the impact ejecta The main science goal of this mission is to find out which of the three scenarios is the most probable one. To do this, samples from Phobos would be returned to Earth and analyzed with extremely high precision in ground-based laboratories. An on-board payload is foreseen to provide information to put the sample into the necessary geological context. 2. Mission Spacecraft and payload will be based on experience gained from previous studies to Martian moons and asteroids. In particular the Marco Polo and MarcoPolo-R asteroid sample return mission studies performed at ESA were used as a starting point. Currently, industrial studies are ongoing. The initial starting assumption was to use a Soyuz launcher. Uunlike the initial Marco Polo and MarcoPolo-R studies to an asteroid, a transfer stage will be needed. Another main difference to an asteroid mission is the fact that the spacecraft actually orbits Mars, not Phobos or Deimos. It is possible to select a spacecraft orbit, which in a Phobos- or Deimos-centred reference system would give an ellipse around the moon. The following model payload is currently foreseen: - Wide Angle Camera, - Narrow Angle Camera, - Close-Up Camera, - Context camera for sampling context, - visible-IR spectrometer - thermal IR spectrometer - and a Radio Science investigation. It is expected that with these instruments the necessary context for the sample can be provided. The paper will focus on the current status of the mission study.

Employee perception of breastfeeding-friendly support and benefits of breastfeeding as a predictor of intention to use breast-pumping breaks after returning to work among employed mothers.

PubMed

Tsai, Su-Ying

2014-01-01

Although increasing numbers of large companies are complying with demands for a breastfeeding-friendly workplace by providing lactation rooms and breast-pumping breaks, the effectiveness for intention to use breast-pumping breaks to express breast milk among employed mothers is uncertain. To explore the impact of employees' perceived breastfeeding support from the workplace and the benefits of breastfeeding on a woman's intention to use breast-pumping breaks after returning to work, we conducted a survey at a female labor-intensive electronics manufacturer in Taiwan. A structured questionnaire survey was administered to 715 working mothers employed in an electronics manufacturing plant in Tainan Science Park in Southern Taiwan. Questionnaire content included female employee demographics, employment characteristics, and breastfeeding behavior after returning to work, as well as employees' perception of breastfeeding-friendly support and awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding when raising their most recently born child. Higher education (odds ratio [OR] 2.33), non-clean room worksite (OR 1.51), awareness of breast-pumping breaks (OR 4.70), encouragement by colleagues to use breast-pumping breaks (OR 1.76), and greater awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding (OR 1.08) were significant predictors of the use of breast-pumping breaks after returning to work, whereas the perception of inefficiency when using breast-pumping breaks reduced an employed mother's intention to use breast-pumping breaks (OR 0.55). This study finds an association between an appreciation of the benefits provided by the employer and the likelihood of increased usage of breastfeeding breaks. Workplaces and employers can help employed mothers to understand the benefits of breastfeeding, which may increase the intention of the mother to take breast-pumping breaks after returning to work.

Quarantine Controversy: Kaci Hickox v. Governor Chris Christie.

PubMed

Gatter, Robert

2016-05-01

Nurse Kaci Hickox is among the "Ebola Fighters" honored by Time magazine as its 2014 Person of the Year, having treated Ebola patients in Sierra Leone while volunteering with Médecins Sans Frontieres. When she returned to the United States in October 2014, she was quarantined in New Jersey for three days before returning home to Maine under the terms of a negotiated release. A year later, in October 2015, Hickox filed suit in federal court against Governor Chris Christie and New Jersey health officials, claiming that the quarantine violated her civil rights. Her complaint asserts that New Jersey officials lacked the authority to quarantine her because she did not pose a significant risk of transmission. The lawsuit raises important questions about disease-transmission risk, the inability of science to rule out certain theoretical risks, and the state's power to quarantine. It also demonstrates that population health depends on respecting individual liberty and using the best available epidemiological data to set public health policy. © 2016 The Hastings Center.

Detection of martian amino acids by chemical derivatization coupled to gas chromatography: in situ and laboratory analysis.

PubMed

Rodier, C; Vandenabeele-Trambouze, O; Sternberg, R; Coscia, D; Coll, P; Szopa, C; Raulin, F; Vidal-Madjar, C; Cabane, M; Israel, G; Grenier-Loustalot, M F; Dobrijevic, M; Despois, D

2001-01-01

If there is, or ever was, life in our solar system beyond the Earth, Mars is the most likely place to search for. Future space missions will have then to take into account the detection of prebiotic molecules or molecules of biological significance such as amino acids. Techniques of analysis used for returned samples have to be very sensitive and avoid any chemical or biological contamination whereas in situ techniques have to be automated, fast and low energy consuming. Several possible methods could be used for in situ amino acid analyses on Mars, but gas chromatography would likely be the most suitable. Returned samples could be analyzed by any method in routine laboratory use such as gas chromatography, already successfully performed for analyses of organic matter including amino acids from martian meteorites. The derivatization step, which volatilizes amino acids to perform both in situ and laboratory analysis by gas chromatography, is discussed here. c2001 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Miniature Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer for in Situ Analysis of Mars Surface Composition and Identification of Hazard in Advance of Future Manned Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Getty, S. A.; Brinckerhoff, W. B.; Arevalo, R. D.; Floyd, M. M.; Li, X.; Cornish, T.; Ecelberger, S. A.

2012-01-01

Future landed missions to Mars will be guided by two strategic directions: (1) sample return to Earth, for comprehensive compositional analyses, as recommended by the 2011 NRC Planetary Decadal Survey; and (2) preparation for human exploration in the 2030s and beyond, as laid out by US space policy. The resultant mission architecture will likely require high-fidelity in situ chemical/organic sample analyses within an extremely constrained resource envelope. Both science goals (e.g., MEPAG Goal 1, return sample selection, etc.) as well as identification of any potential toxic and biological hazards to humans, must be addressed. Over the past several years of instrument development, we have found that the adaptable, compact, and highly capable technique of laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LD-TOF-MS) has significant potential to contribute substantially to these dual objectives. This concept thus addresses Challenge Area 1: instrumentation and Investigation Approaches.

Science opportunities in the human exploration of moon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pilcher, Carl B.; O'Handley, Douglas A.; Nash, Douglas B.

1989-01-01

Human exploration of the moon will open up science opportunities not only in lunar science, but also in astronomy and astrophysics, life science, solar and space physics, earth science, and even evolutionary biology. These opportunities may be categorized as those involving study of the moon itself, those in which the moon is used as a platform for investigations, and those conducted in transit between earth and the moon. This paper describes some of these opportunities, and calls on the science community to continue and expand its efforts to define the opportunities, and to work toward their inclusion in plans to return humans permanently to the moon.

Science Operations on the Lunar Surface - Understanding the Past, Testing in the Present, Considering the Future

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eppler, Dean B.

2013-01-01

The scientific success of any future human lunar exploration mission will be strongly dependent on design of both the systems and operations practices that underpin crew operations on the lunar surface. Inept surface mission preparation and design will either ensure poor science return, or will make achieving quality science operation unacceptably difficult for the crew and the mission operations and science teams. In particular, ensuring a robust system for managing real-time science information flow during surface operations, and ensuring the crews receive extensive field training in geological sciences, are as critical to mission success as reliable spacecraft and a competent operations team.

Returns on investments in management sciences: six case studies

Treesearch

Ernst S. Valfer; Malcolm W. Kirby; Gideon Schwarzbart

1981-01-01

In 1962, the Management Sciences Staff was organized in Berkeley, Calif., as the internal consultant to the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. From then until 1979, the Staff conducted 41 major studies. Although the rate of implementing recommendations from these studies was high, a more formal self-assessment was considered advisable. The following six...

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1998-01-01

Biotechnology Refrigerator (BTR) holds fixed tissue culture bags at 4 degrees C to preserve them for return to Earth and postflight analysis. The cultures are used in research with the NASA Bioreactor cell science program. The work is sponsored by NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research. The bioreactor is managed by the Biotechnology Cell Science Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC).

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXI

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

This CD-ROM presents papers presented to the Thirty-first Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, March 13-17, 2000, Houston, Texas. Eighty-one conference sessions, and over one thousand extended abstracts are included. Abstracts cover topics such as Martian surface properties and geology, meteoritic composition, Martian landing sites and roving vehicles, planned Mars Sample Return Missions, and general astrobiology.

Issues in NASA program and project management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoban, Francis T. (Editor); Hoffman, Edward J. (Editor); Lawbaugh, William M. (Editor)

1995-01-01

This volume is the ninth in an ongoing series on aerospace project management at NASA. Articles in this volume cover evolution of NASA cost estimating; SAM 2; National Space Science Program: strategies to maximize science return; and human needs, motivation, and results of the NASA culture surveys. A section on resources for NASA managers rounds out the publication.

Issues in NASA program and project management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoban, Francis T. (Editor)

1993-01-01

This volume is the sixth in an ongoing series on aerospace project management at NASA. Articles in this volume cover evolution of NASA cost estimating; SAM 2; National Space Science Program: strategies to maximize science return; and human needs, motivation, and results of the NASA culture surveys. A section on resources for NASA managers rounds out the publication.

In science communication, why does the idea of the public deficit always return? Exploring key influences.

PubMed

Suldovsky, Brianne

2016-05-01

Despite mounting criticism, the deficit model remains an integral part of science communication research and practice. In this article, I advance three key factors that contribute to the idea of the public deficit in science communication, including the purpose of science communication, how communication processes and outcomes are conceptualized, and how science and scientific knowledge are defined. Affording science absolute epistemic privilege, I argue, is the most compelling factor contributing to the continued use of the deficit model. In addition, I contend that the deficit model plays a necessary, though not sufficient, role in science communication research and practice. Areas for future research are discussed. © The Author(s) 2016.

Analysis of stress levels among medical students, residents, and graduate students at four Canadian schools of medicine.

PubMed

Toews, J A; Lockyer, J M; Dobson, D J; Simpson, E; Brownell, A K; Brenneis, F; MacPherson, K M; Cohen, G S

1997-11-01

To assess stress in medical students, residents, and graduate science students at four Canadian schools of medicine. Four schools with different curricula in three different parts of Canada participated in the study: the University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine, the University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine, the Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine, and the McMaster University Faculty of Health Sciences. All the medical students, residents, and graduate science students at each school were surveyed in 1994-95. The three instruments used were the University of Calgary Stress Questionnaire, the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS), and the Symptom Checklist-90. Demographic data were compared across all four schools. Analysis of variance was calculated for all test-item scores, utilizing a four (school) by three (program) by two (gender) design, which were all between subject factors. Significant main effects were followed up by using planned comparisons (Newman-Keuls, with a probability level of p < .05). Significant interaction effects were followed up by using an analysis of simple effects. A total of 1,681 questionnaires were returned as follows: 621 of 1,304 (48%) from the medical students, 645 of 1,495 (43%) from the residents, and 415 of 829 (50%) from the graduate science students. There were significant differences between the three groups in the natures and degrees of stress, with the graduate students reporting higher levels of stress. There were significant gender differences as well, with the women reporting higher levels of stress. Overall, stress levels were found to be mild, based on the University of Calgary Stress Questionnaire and the SRRS. This study suggests that medical students and residents experience stress at levels that appear acceptable, but ongoing monitoring and the provision of appropriate support systems will continue to be important.

Sample Return Primer and Handbook

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barrow, Kirk; Cheuvront, Allan; Faris, Grant; Hirst, Edward; Mainland, Nora; McGee, Michael; Szalai, Christine; Vellinga, Joseph; Wahl, Thomas; Williams, Kenneth;

Building A Cloud Based Distributed Active Data Archive Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramachandran, Rahul; Baynes, Katie; Murphy, Kevin

2017-01-01

NASA's Earth Science Data System (ESDS) Program facilitates the implementation of NASA's Earth Science strategic plan, which is committed to the full and open sharing of Earth science data obtained from NASA instruments to all users. The Earth Science Data information System (ESDIS) project manages the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS). Data within EOSDIS are held at Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs). One of the key responsibilities of the ESDS Program is to continuously evolve the entire data and information system to maximize returns on the collected NASA data.

Planetary Remote Sensing Science Enabled by MIDAS (Multiple Instrument Distributed Aperture Sensor)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pitman, Joe; Duncan, Alan; Stubbs, David; Sigler, Robert; Kendrick, Rick; Chilese, John; Lipps, Jere; Manga, Mike; Graham, James; dePater, Imke

2004-01-01

The science capabilities and features of an innovative and revolutionary approach to remote sensing imaging systems, aimed at increasing the return on future space science missions many fold, are described. Our concept, called Multiple Instrument Distributed Aperture Sensor (MIDAS), provides a large-aperture, wide-field, diffraction-limited telescope at a fraction of the cost, mass and volume of conventional telescopes, by integrating optical interferometry technologies into a mature multiple aperture array concept that addresses one of the highest needs for advancing future planetary science remote sensing.

Study of the National Science Foundation's South Pole Station as an analogous data base for the logistical support of a Moon laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hickam, H. H., Jr.

1993-01-01

The day will come when the United States will want to return to the Earth's Moon. When that occurs, NASA may look to the Apollo program for technical and inspirational guidance. The Apollo program, however, was designed to be an end to itself--the landing of a man on the Moon and his return safely within the decade of the 1960's. When that was accomplished, the program folded because it was not self-sustaining. The next time we return to the Moon, we should base our planning on a program that is designed to be a sustained effort for an indefinite period. It is the thrust of this report that the South Pole Station of the National Science Foundation can be used to develop analogs for the construction, funding, and logistical support of a lunar base. Other analogs include transportation and national efforts versus international cooperation. A recommended lunar base using the South Pole Station as inspiration is provided, as well as details concerning economical construction of the base over a 22-year period.

Life sciences space biology project planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Primeaux, G.; Newkirk, K.; Miller, L.; Lewis, G.; Michaud, R.

1988-01-01

The Life Sciences Space Biology (LSSB) research will explore the effect of microgravity on humans, including the physiological, clinical, and sociological implications of space flight and the readaptations upon return to earth. Physiological anomalies from past U.S. space flights will be used in planning the LSSB project.The planning effort integrates science and engineering. Other goals of the LSSB project include the provision of macroscopic view of the earth's biosphere, and the development of spinoff technology for application on earth.

Open Science: tools, approaches, and implications.

PubMed

Neylon, Cameron; Wu, Shirley

2009-01-01

Open Science is gathering pace both as a grass roots effort amongst scientists to enable them to share the outputs of their research more effectively, and as a policy initiative for research funders to gain a greater return on their investment. In this workshop, we will discuss the current state of the art in collaborative research tools, the social challenges facing those adopting and advocating more openness, and the development of standards, policies and best practices for Open Science.

An Impacting Descent Probe for Europa and the Other Galilean Moons of Jupiter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wurz, P.; Lasi, D.; Thomas, N.; Piazza, D.; Galli, A.; Jutzi, M.; Barabash, S.; Wieser, M.; Magnes, W.; Lammer, H.; Auster, U.; Gurvits, L. I.; Hajdas, W.

2017-08-01

We present a study of an impacting descent probe that increases the science return of spacecraft orbiting or passing an atmosphere-less planetary bodies of the solar system, such as the Galilean moons of Jupiter. The descent probe is a carry-on small spacecraft (<100 kg), to be deployed by the mother spacecraft, that brings itself onto a collisional trajectory with the targeted planetary body in a simple manner. A possible science payload includes instruments for surface imaging, characterisation of the neutral exosphere, and magnetic field and plasma measurement near the target body down to very low-altitudes ( 1 km), during the probe's fast ( km/s) descent to the surface until impact. The science goals and the concept of operation are discussed with particular reference to Europa, including options for flying through water plumes and after-impact retrieval of very-low altitude science data. All in all, it is demonstrated how the descent probe has the potential to provide a high science return to a mission at a low extra level of complexity, engineering effort, and risk. This study builds upon earlier studies for a Callisto Descent Probe for the former Europa-Jupiter System Mission of ESA and NASA, and extends them with a detailed assessment of a descent probe designed to be an additional science payload for the NASA Europa Mission.

Salmon cycles: Influences of a science field study immersion experience with Native American young women

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ault, Phyllis Campbell

Native Americans, and particularly Native women, are not proportionally represented in higher education, or in science, mathematics, technology, and engineering fields. This study examined an out-of-school science education program which combined traditional Native American cultural and ecological knowledge with Western science in conducting authentic field studies. A qualitative, embedded case study approach was used to explore how young Native American women were influenced by an out-of-school program integrating a culturally responsive approach and experiential research projects. Within this context of combined cultures, three significant domains emerged: field study in science, sense of place, and networks of supportive relationships. These domains interacted with the aspirations of the eight Native women in the study. Using interview transcripts, reflective writings, and participant data, the study explored the blending of Indigenous and Western science in "communities of practice" (e.g., fisheries biology, restoration ecology, and forestry). The eight Native women in this study participated as young adolescents and later returned as counselors. Interviews focused on their postsecondary aspirations and choices. Findings validated previous research on the value of infusing Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Western science for Native students. The study found the combination of culturally responsive pedagogy and authentic experiences in "communities-of-practice" held a beneficial influence on postsecondary pathways. The importance of respect and friendships fostered through the program was associated with resilience and perseverance in educational aspirations. Immersion in field study with Native peers as well as Native and non-Native researchers was a catalyst for all the women, in a number of different ways, such as: deeper involvement with the Native community, strengthening cultural and academic identity, inspiration to learn more about their cultural heritage, and interest in pursuing science or science-related careers. Commitments to "giving back" to the community, stewardship, and activism emerged as significant outcomes. The experience created a safe, empowering place to be Native, "crazy, a scientist, and a fish geek"---all at once.

Planetary Entry Probes and Mass Spectroscopy: Tools and Science Results from In Situ Studies of Planetary Atmospheres and Surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Niemann, Hasso B.

2007-01-01

Probing the atmospheres and surfaces of the planets and their moons with fast moving entry probes has been a very useful and essential technique to obtain in situ or quasi in situ scientific data (ground truth) which could not otherwise be obtained from fly by or orbiter only missions and where balloon, aircraft or lander missions are too complex and costly. Planetary entry probe missions have been conducted successfully on Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Titan after having been first demonstrated in the Earth's atmosphere. Future missions will hopefully also include more entry probe missions back to Venus and to the outer planets. 1 he success of and science returns from past missions, the need for more and better data, and a continuously advancing technology generate confidence that future missions will be even more successful with respect to science return and technical performance. I'he pioneering and tireless work of Al Seiff and his collaborators at the NASA Ames Research Center had provided convincing evidence of the value of entry probe science and how to practically implement flight missions. Even in the most recent missions involving entry probes i.e. Galileo and Cassini/Huygens A1 contributed uniquely to the science results on atmospheric structure, turbulence and temperature on Jupiter and Titan.

Europa Explorer Operational Scenarios Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lock, Robert E.; Pappalardo, Robert T.; Clark, Karla B.

2008-01-01

In 2007, NASA conducted four advanced mission concept studies for outer planets targets: Europa, Ganymede, Titan and Enceladus. The studies were conducted in close cooperation with the planetary science community. Of the four, the Europa Explorer Concept Study focused on refining mission options, science trades and implementation details for a potential flagship mission to Europa in the 2015 timeframe. A science definition team (SDT) was appointed by NASA to guide the study. A JPL-led engineering team worked closely with the science team to address 3 major focus areas: 1) credible cost estimates, 2) rationale and logical discussion of radiation risk and mitigation approaches, and 3) better definition and exploration of science operational scenario trade space. This paper will address the methods and results of the collaborative process used to develop Europa Explorer operations scenarios. Working in concert with the SDT, and in parallel with the SDT's development of a science value matrix, key mission capabilities and constraints were challenged by the science and engineering members of the team. Science goals were advanced and options were considered for observation scenarios. Data collection and return strategies were tested via simulation, and mission performance was estimated and balanced with flight and ground system resources and science priorities. The key to this successful collaboration was a concurrent development environment in which all stakeholders could rapidly assess the feasibility of strategies for their success in the full system context. Issues of science and instrument compatibility, system constraints, and mission opportunities were treated analytically and objectively leading to complementary strategies for observation and data return. Current plans are that this approach, as part of the system engineering process, will continue as the Europa Explorer Concept Study moves toward becoming a development project.

Maximizing the science return of interplanetary missions using nuclear electric power

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zubrin, Robert M.

1995-01-01

In the past, most studies dealing with the benefits of space nuclear electric power systems for solar system exploration have focused on the potential of nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) to enhance missions by increasing delivered payload, decreasing LEO mass, or reducing trip time. While important, such mission enhancements have failed to go to the heart of the concerns of the scientific community supporting interplanetary exploration. To put the matter succintly, scientists don't buy delivered payload—they buy data returned. With nuclear power we can increase both the quantity of data returned, by enormously increasing data communication rates, and the quality of data by enabling a host of active sensing techniques otherwise impossible. These non-propulsive mission enhancement capabilities of space nuclear power have been known in principle for many years, but they have not been adequately documented. As a result, support for the development of space nuclear power by the interplanetary exploration community has been much less forceful than it might otherwise be. In this paper we shall present mission designs that take full advantage of the potential mission enhancements offered by space nuclear power systems in the 15 to 30 kWe range, not just for propulsion, but to radically improve, enrich, and expand the science return itself. Missions considered include orbiter missions to each of the outer planets. It will be shown that by using hybrid trajectories combining chemical propulsion with NEP and (in certain cases) gravity assists, that it is possible, using Proton, Tatan III or Titan IV-Centaur launch vehicles, for high-powered spacecraft to be placed in orbit around each of the outer planets with electric propulsion burn times of less than 4 years. Such hybrid trajectories therefore make the outer solar-system available to near-term nuclear electric power systems. Once in orbit, the spacecraft will utilize multi-kilowatt communication systems, similar to those now employed by the U.S. military, to increse data return far beyond that possible utilizing the 40 W rf traveling wave tube antennas that are the current NASA stadard. This higher data rate will make possible very high resolution multi-space imaging (with high resolutions both spatially and spectrally), a form of science hitherto impossible in the outer solar system. Larger numbers of such images could be returned, allowing the creation of motion pictures of atmospheric phenomenon on a small scale and greatly increasing the probability of capturing transient phenomena such as lighting or volcanic activity. The multi-kilowatt power sources on the spaecraft also enables active sensing, including radar, which could be used to do topographic and subsurface studies of clouded bodies such as Titan, ground pentrating sounding of Pluto, the major planet's moons, and planetoids, and topside sounding of the electrically conductive atmospheres of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune to produce profiles of fluid density, conductivity, and horizontal and vertical velocity as a function of depth and global location. Radio science investigations of planetary atmospheres and ring systems would be greatly enhanced by increased transmitter power. The scientific benefits of utilizing such techniques are discussed, and a comparison is made with the quantity and quality of science that a low-powered spacecraft employing RTGs could return. It is concluded that the non-propulsive benefits of nuclear power for spacecraft exploring the outer solar system are enormous, and taken together with the well documented mission enhancements enabled by electric propulsion fully justify the expanditures needed to bring a space qualified nuclear electric power source into being.

GeneLab: Multi-Omics Investigation of Rodent Research-1 Bio-Banked Tissues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lai, San-Huei; Boyko, Valery; Chakravarty, Kaushik; Chen, Rick; Dueck, Sandra; Berrios, Daniel C.; Fogle, Homer; Marcu, Oana; Timucin, Linda; Reinsch, Sigrid;

[Effects of cotton straw returning on soil organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and potas-sium contents in soil aggregates].

PubMed

Wang, Shuang Lei; Liu, Yan Hui; Song, Xian Liang; Wei, Shao Bin; Li, Jin Pu; Nie, Jun Jun; Qin, Du Lin; Sun, Xue Zhen

2016-12-01

To clarify the effects of cotton straw returning on the composition and contents of nu-trients in different particle sizes of aggregates, two treatments with or without cotton straw returning were tested in continuous three years. After three years straw treatments, we collected undisturbed soil within 0-5, 5-10, 10-20 and 20-30 cm soil layers, and to measure the composition, soil organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium contents in different particle sizes of aggregates classified using dry sieving. Returning cotton straw into the field significantly increased particle contents of 2-5 mm and >5 mm aggregates in 0-5 cm soil layer, while the content of <0.25 mm micro-aggregates was decreased. Cotton straw returning significantly improved soil organic carbon, nitrogen, and potassium contents by 19.2%, 14.2% and 17.3%, respectively, compared to no returning control. In 5-10 cm soil layer, cotton straw returning increased the contents of 2-5 mm and >5 mm aggregates, reduced the content of <0.25 mm micro-aggregate, but significantly increased contents of soil organic carbon, available nitrogen and potassium by 19.6%, 12.6% and 23.4%, compared to no straw returning control. In 10-20 cm soil layer, cotton straw returning significantly reduced the content of <0.25 mm micro-aggregates, and significantly enhanced soil organic carbon, nitrogen, and potassium contents by 8.4%, 10.9% and 11.5%, compared to the control. However, in 20-30 cm soil layer, cotton straw returning only increased soil available potassium content by 12.0%, while there were no significant changes in particle size, organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus contents. We concluded that cotton straw returning could significantly improve the structure of surface soil by increasing the number of macro-aggregates, contents of organic carbon, available nitrogen and potassium in aggregates, while decreasing micro-aggregate content. The enhancement of the contribution of macro-aggregates to soil fertility by returning cotton straw could improve soil physical structure, fertility and then increase cotton yield.

Dynamic Acquisition and Retrieval Tool (DART) for Comet Sample Return : Session: 2.06.Robotic Mobility and Sample Acquisition Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Badescu, Mircea; Bonitz, Robert; Kulczycki, Erick; Aisen, Norman; Dandino, Charles M.; Cantrell, Brett S.; Gallagher, William; Shevin, Jesse; Ganino, Anthony; Haddad, Nicolas;

Motivational decline and recovery in higher education STEM courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, Anna M.; Wendel, Paul J.; Esson, Joan M.; Plank, Kathryn M.

2018-06-01

Decline in student motivation is a concern for STEM education, especially for underrepresented groups in the sciences. Using the Science Motivation Questionnaire II, 41 foundational STEM courses were surveyed at the beginning and end of each semester in an academic year at a small primarily undergraduate university. Significant pre- to post-semester declines were observed in each of five measured motivational factors (Intrinsic motivation, Career motivation, Self determination, Self-efficacy, and Grade motivation), with effect sizes ranging from 0.21 to 0.41. However, in the second semester pre-survey, four motivational factors rebounded, including three returning to initial levels, suggesting that the observed motivational decline is not long-lasting. Analysis suggests that declines are not related to survey fatigue or student demographics, but rather to grades and, in the case of one motivational factor, to academic field. These findings suggest that a refocus on grading practices across STEM fields may influence student motivation and persistence in STEM.

SLS-1 flight experiments preliminary significant results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

Spacelab Life Sciences-1 (SLS-1) is the first of a series of dedicated life sciences Spacelab missions designed to investigate the mechanisms involved in the physiological adaptation to weightlessness and the subsequent readaptation to 1 gravity (1 G). Hypotheses generated from the physiological effects observed during earlier missions led to the formulation of several integrated experiments to determine the underlying mechanisms responsible for the observed phenomena. The 18 experiments selected for flight on SLS-1 investigated the cardiovascular, cardiopulmonary, regulatory physiology, musculoskeletal, and neuroscience disciplines in both human and rodent subjects. The SLS-1 preliminary results gave insight to the mechanisms involved in the adaptation to the microgravity environment and readaptation when returning to Earth. The experimental results will be used to promote health and safety for future long duration space flights and, as in the past, will be applied to many biomedical problems encountered here on Earth.

Expedition 10 Preflight

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-10-04

The prime and backup crew buses are escorted through the Baikonur Cosmodrome as the crew returns to the Cosmonaut Hotel. Expedition 10 Commander and NASA Science Officer Leroy Chiao, Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander Salizhan Sharipov and Russian Space Forces Cosmonaut Yuri Shargin donned their launch and entry suits and climbed aboard their Soyuz TMA-5 spacecraft October 5, 2004 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a dress rehearsal of launch day activities leading to their liftoff October 14 to the International Space Station. Chiao and Sharipov, the first crew of all-Asian extraction, will spend six months on the Station, while Shargin will return to Earth October 24 with the Station’s current residents, Expedition 9 Commander Gennady Padalka and NASA Flight Engineer and Science Officer Mike Fincke. Photo Credit: “NASA/Bill Ingalls”

GeoLab: A Geological Workstation for Future Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, Cynthia; Calaway, Michael; Bell, Mary Sue; Li, Zheng; Tong, Shuo; Zhong, Ye; Dahiwala, Ravi

2014-01-01

The GeoLab glovebox was, until November 2012, fully integrated into NASA's Deep Space Habitat (DSH) Analog Testbed. The conceptual design for GeoLab came from several sources, including current research instruments (Microgravity Science Glovebox) used on the International Space Station, existing Astromaterials Curation Laboratory hardware and clean room procedures, and mission scenarios developed for earlier programs. GeoLab allowed NASA scientists to test science operations related to contained sample examination during simulated exploration missions. The team demonstrated science operations that enhance theThe GeoLab glovebox was, until November 2012, fully integrated into NASA's Deep Space Habitat (DSH) Analog Testbed. The conceptual design for GeoLab came from several sources, including current research instruments (Microgravity Science Glovebox) used on the International Space Station, existing Astromaterials Curation Laboratory hardware and clean room procedures, and mission scenarios developed for earlier programs. GeoLab allowed NASA scientists to test science operations related to contained sample examination during simulated exploration missions. The team demonstrated science operations that enhance the early scientific returns from future missions and ensure that the best samples are selected for Earth return. The facility was also designed to foster the development of instrument technology. Since 2009, when GeoLab design and construction began, the GeoLab team [a group of scientists from the Astromaterials Acquisition and Curation Office within the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Directorate at JSC] has progressively developed and reconfigured the GeoLab hardware and software interfaces and developed test objectives, which were to 1) determine requirements and strategies for sample handling and prioritization for geological operations on other planetary surfaces, 2) assess the scientific contribution of selective in-situ sample characterization for mission planning, operations, and sample prioritization, 3) evaluate analytical instruments and tools for providing efficient and meaningful data in advance of sample return and 4) identify science operations that leverage human presence with robotic tools. In the first year of tests (2010), GeoLab examined basic glovebox operations performed by one and two crewmembers and science operations performed by a remote science team. The 2010 tests also examined the efficacy of basic sample characterization [descriptions, microscopic imagery, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyses] and feedback to the science team. In year 2 (2011), the GeoLab team tested enhanced software and interfaces for the crew and science team (including Web-based and mobile device displays) and demonstrated laboratory configurability with a new diagnostic instrument (the Multispectral Microscopic Imager from the JPL and Arizona State University). In year 3 (2012), the GeoLab team installed and tested a robotic sample manipulator and evaluated robotic-human interfaces for science operations.

A 'private adventure'? John Herschel's Cape voyage and the production of the 'Cape Results'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruskin, Steven William

2002-07-01

This dissertation considers the life of John Herschel (1792 1871) from the years 1833 to 1847. In 1833 Herschel sailed from London to Cape Town, southern Africa, to undertake (at his own expense) an astronomical exploration of the southern heavens, as well as a terrestrial exploration of the area around Cape Town. After his return to England in 1838, he was highly esteemed and became Britain's most recognized scientist. In 1847 his southern hemisphere astronomical observations were published as the Cape Results. The main argument of this dissertation is that Herschel's voyage, and the publication of the Cape Results, in addition to their contemporary scientific importance, were also significant for nineteenth-century politics and culture. This dissertation is a two-part dissertation. The first part is entitled “John Herschel's Cape Voyage: Private Science, Public Imagination, and the Ambitions of Empire”; and the second part, “The Production of the Cape Results.” In the first part it is demonstrated that the reason for Herschel's cultural renown was the popular notion that his voyage to the Cape was a project aligned with the imperial ambitions of the British government. By leaving England for one of its colonies, and pursuing there a significant scientific project, Herschel was seen in the same light as other British men of science who had also undertaken voyages of exploration and discovery. It is then demonstrated, in the second part of this work, that the production of the Cape Results, in part because of Herschel's status as Britain's scientific figurehead, was a significant political and cultural event. In addition to the narrow area of Herschel scholarship, this dissertation touches on other areas of research in the history of science as well: science and culture, science and empire, science and politics, and what has been called the “new” history of scientific books.

Return to sexual activity and modern family planning use in the extended postpartum period: an analysis of findings from seventeen countries.

PubMed

Borda, Maria R; Winfrey, William; McKaig, Catharine

2010-12-01

Unintended pregnancies can lead to poor maternal and child health outcomes. Family planning use during the first year postpartum has the potential to significantly reduce at least some of these unintended pregnancies. This paper examines the relationship of menses return, breastfeeding status, and postpartum duration on return to sexual activity and use of modern family planning among postpartum women. This paper presents results from a secondary data analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys from 17 countries. For postpartum women, the return of menses, breastfeeding status, and postpartum duration are significantly associated with return to sexual activity in at least 10 out of the 17 countries but not consistently associated with family planning use. Only menses return had a significant association with use of modern family planning in the majority of countries. These findings point to the importance of education about pregnancy risk prior to menses return.

Triple F - A Comet Nucleus Sample Return Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kueppers, Michael; Keller, Horst Uwe; Kuhrt, Ekkehard; A'Hearn, Michael; Altwegg, Kathrin; Betrand, Regis; Busemann, Henner; Capria, Maria Teresa; Colangeli, Luigi

2008-01-01

The Triple F (Fresh From the Fridge) mission, a Comet Nucleus Sample Return, has been proposed to ESA s Cosmic Vision program. A sample return from a comet enables us to reach the ultimate goal of cometary research. Since comets are the least processed bodies in the solar system, the proposal goes far beyond cometary science topics (like the explanation of cometary activity) and delivers invaluable information about the formation of the solar system and the interstellar molecular cloud from which it formed. The proposed mission would extract three samples of the upper 50 cm from three locations on a cometary nucleus and return them cooled to Earth for analysis in the laboratory. The simple mission concept with a touch-and-go sampling by a single spacecraft was proposed as an M-class mission in collaboration with the Russian space agency ROSCOSMOS.

Triple F - A Comet Nucleus Sample Return Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kueppers, Michael; Keller, H. U.; Kuehrt, E.; A'Hearn, M. F.; Altwegg, K.; Bertrand, R.; Busemann, H.; Capria, M. T.; Colangeli, L.; Davidsson, B.;

Venture capital on a shoestring: Bioventures' pioneering life sciences fund in South Africa.

PubMed

Masum, Hassan; Singer, Peter A

2010-12-13

Since 2000, R&D financing for global health has increased significantly, with innovative proposals for further increases. However, although venture capital (VC) funding has fostered life sciences businesses across the developed world, its application in the developing world and particularly in Africa is relatively new. Is VC feasible in the African context, to foster the development and application of local health innovation?As the most industrially advanced African nation, South Africa serves as a test case for life sciences venture funding. This paper analyzes Bioventures, the first VC company focused on life sciences investment in sub-Saharan Africa. The case study method was used to analyze the formation, operation, and investment support of Bioventures, and to suggest lessons for future health venture funds in Africa that aim to develop health-oriented innovations. The modest financial success of Bioventures in challenging circumstances has demonstrated a proof of concept that life sciences VC can work in the region. Beyond providing funds, support given to investees included board participation, contacts, and strategic services. Bioventures had to be proactive in finding and supporting good health R&D.Due to the fund's small size, overhead and management expenses were tightly constrained. Bioventures was at times unable to make follow-on investments, being forced instead to give up equity to raise additional capital, and to sell health investments earlier than might have been optimal. With the benefit of hindsight, the CFO of Bioventures felt that partnering with a larger fund might benefit similar future funds. Being better linked to market intelligence and other entrepreneurial investors was also seen as an unmet need. BioVentures has learned lessons about how the traditional VC model might evolve to tackle health challenges facing Africa, including how to raise funds and educate investors; how to select, value, and support investments; and how to understand the balance between financial and social returns. The experience of the fund suggests that future health funds targeting ailments of the poor might require investors that accept health benefits as part of their overall "return." Learning from Bioventures may help develop health innovation funding for sub-Saharan African that has combined health, financial, and economic development impacts.

Mexican Immigrant Transnational Social Capital and Class Transformation: Examining the Role of Peer Mediation in Insurgent Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruna, Katherine Richardson

2010-01-01

In this article, I return to the interactions of Augusto and his teacher in an "English Learner Science" classroom in a demographically-transitioning US Midwest community (Richardson Bruna and Vann in Cult Stud Sci Educ 2:19-59, "2007") and further engage a class-first perspective to achieve two main conceptual objectives.…

Public Policy, Introduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyce, Peter

1998-05-01

Congressman George Brown (D-CA) has agreed to speak. This should be a speech worth hearing. Known as one of the most thoughtful men in Congress, Representative Brown has been a longtime friend of science. He is currently the Ranking Minority Member of the House Science Committee. The meeting schedule has been rearranged to accommodate the Congressman's need to return to Washington for an important vote.

Astronaut Mike Hopkins Visit to Maryland Science Center

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-09

NASA Astronaut Mike Hopkins explains what it was like to live on the International Space Station for 6 months to visitors at the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore, MD on Monday, June 9, 2014. Hopkins served on Expeditions 37 and 38 with Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Sergey Ryazanskiy and returned home in March, 2014. (Photo Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Apollo Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biggar, G. M.

1973-01-01

Summarizes the scientific activities of the Apollo program, including findings from analyses of the returned lunar sample. Descriptions are made concerning the possible origin of the moon and the formation of the lunar surface. (CC)

Phobos Sample Return: Next Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zelenyi, Lev; Martynov, Maxim; Zakharov, Alexander; Korablev, Oleg; Ivanov, Alexey; Karabadzak, George

The Martian moons still remain a mystery after numerous studies by Mars orbiting spacecraft. Their study cover three major topics related to (1) Solar system in general (formation and evolution, origin of planetary satellites, origin and evolution of life); (2) small bodies (captured asteroid, or remnants of Mars formation, or reaccreted Mars ejecta); (3) Mars (formation and evolution of Mars; Mars ejecta at the satellites). As reviewed by Galimov [2010] most of the above questions require the sample return from the Martian moon, while some (e.g. the characterization of the organic matter) could be also answered by in situ experiments. There is the possibility to obtain the sample of Mars material by sampling Phobos: following to Chappaz et al. [2012] a 200-g sample could contain 10-7 g of Mars surface material launched during the past 1 mln years, or 5*10-5 g of Mars material launched during the past 10 mln years, or 5*1010 individual particles from Mars, quantities suitable for accurate laboratory analyses. The studies of Phobos have been of high priority in the Russian program on planetary research for many years. Phobos-88 mission consisted of two spacecraft (Phobos-1, Phobos-2) and aimed the approach to Phobos at 50 m and remote studies, and also the release of small landers (long-living stations DAS). This mission implemented the program incompletely. It was returned information about the Martian environment and atmosphere. The next profect Phobos Sample Return (Phobos-Grunt) initially planned in early 2000 has been delayed several times owing to budget difficulties; the spacecraft failed to leave NEO in 2011. The recovery of the science goals of this mission and the delivery of the samples of Phobos to Earth remain of highest priority for Russian scientific community. The next Phobos SR mission named Boomerang was postponed following the ExoMars cooperation, but is considered the next in the line of planetary exploration, suitable for launch around 2022. A possible scenario of the Boomerang mission includes the approach to Deimos prior to the landing of Phobos. The needed excess ΔV w.r.t. simple scenario (elliptical orbit à near-Phobos orbit) amounts to 0.67 km s-1 (1.6 vs 0.93 km s-1). The Boomerang mission basically repeats the Phobos-SR (2011) architecture, where the transfer-orbiting spacecraft lands on the Phobos surface and a small return vehicle launches the return capsule to Earth. We consider the Boomerang mission as an important step in Mars exploration and a direct precursor of Mars Sample Return. The following elements of the Boomerang mission might be directly employed, or serve as the prototypes for the Mars Sample return in future: Return vehicle, Earth descent module, Transfer-orbital spacecraft. We urge the development of this project for its high science value and recognize its elements as potential national contribution to an international Mars Sample Return project. Galimov E.M., Phobos sample return mission: scientific substantiation, Solar System Res., v.44, No.1, pp5-14, 2010. Chappaz L., H.J. Melosh, M. Vaguero, and K.C. Howell, Material transfer from the surface of Mars to Phobos and Deimos, 43rd Lunar and planetary Science Conference, paper 1422, 2012.

JPRS Report. Science & Technology: Japan.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-07-07

the mirror with this high reflectance is also provided with a function of cutting off return light. The method of cutting off return light which is...0.351 micron), far down from the planned level of 100 kJ, owing to a damage incurred in the laser glass by absorption and heating of a contaminant...a new project, is also underway, which involves a "two-laser method " wherein ions are produced by a carbon-dioxide laser and subseguently excited

Sample Return Missions Where Contamination Issues are Critical: Genesis Mission Approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allton, Judith H.; Stansbery E. K.

2011-01-01

The Genesis Mission, sought the challenging analytical goals of accurately and precisely measuring the elemental and isotopic composition of the Sun to levels useful for planetary science, requiring sensitivities of ppm to ppt in the outer 100 nm of collector materials. Analytical capabilities were further challenged when the hard landing in 2004 broke open the canister containing the super-clean collectors. Genesis illustrates that returned samples allow flexibility and creativity to recover from setbacks.

Effect of temperature shock and inventory surprises on natural gas and heating oil futures returns.

PubMed

Hu, John Wei-Shan; Hu, Yi-Chung; Lin, Chien-Yu

2014-01-01

The aim of this paper is to examine the impact of temperature shock on both near-month and far-month natural gas and heating oil futures returns by extending the weather and storage models of the previous study. Several notable findings from the empirical studies are presented. First, the expected temperature shock significantly and positively affects both the near-month and far-month natural gas and heating oil futures returns. Next, significant temperature shock has effect on both the conditional mean and volatility of natural gas and heating oil prices. The results indicate that expected inventory surprises significantly and negatively affects the far-month natural gas futures returns. Moreover, volatility of natural gas futures returns is higher on Thursdays and that of near-month heating oil futures returns is higher on Wednesdays than other days. Finally, it is found that storage announcement for natural gas significantly affects near-month and far-month natural gas futures returns. Furthermore, both natural gas and heating oil futures returns are affected more by the weighted average temperature reported by multiple weather reporting stations than that reported by a single weather reporting station.

Effect of Temperature Shock and Inventory Surprises on Natural Gas and Heating Oil Futures Returns

PubMed Central

Hu, John Wei-Shan; Lin, Chien-Yu

2014-01-01

The aim of this paper is to examine the impact of temperature shock on both near-month and far-month natural gas and heating oil futures returns by extending the weather and storage models of the previous study. Several notable findings from the empirical studies are presented. First, the expected temperature shock significantly and positively affects both the near-month and far-month natural gas and heating oil futures returns. Next, significant temperature shock has effect on both the conditional mean and volatility of natural gas and heating oil prices. The results indicate that expected inventory surprises significantly and negatively affects the far-month natural gas futures returns. Moreover, volatility of natural gas futures returns is higher on Thursdays and that of near-month heating oil futures returns is higher on Wednesdays than other days. Finally, it is found that storage announcement for natural gas significantly affects near-month and far-month natural gas futures returns. Furthermore, both natural gas and heating oil futures returns are affected more by the weighted average temperature reported by multiple weather reporting stations than that reported by a single weather reporting station. PMID:25133233

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nash, A. E., III

2017-12-01

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

Spacelab Life Sciences-1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dalton, Bonnie P.; Jahns, Gary; Meylor, John; Hawes, Nikki; Fast, Tom N.; Zarow, Greg

1995-01-01

This report provides an historical overview of the Spacelab Life Sciences-1 (SLS-1) mission along with the resultant biomaintenance data and investigators' findings. Only the nonhuman elements, developed by Ames Research Center (ARC) researchers, are addressed herein. The STS-40 flight of SLS-1, in June 1991, was the first spacelab flown after 'return to orbit', it was also the first spacelab mission specifically designated as a Life Sciences Spacelab. The experiments performed provided baseline data for both hardware and rodents used in succeeding missions.

Autonomous operations through onboard artificial intelligence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sherwood, R. L.; Chien, S.; Castano, R.; Rabideau, G.

2002-01-01

The Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment (ASE) will fly onboard the Air Force TechSat 21 constellation of three spacecraft scheduled for launch in 2006. ASE uses onboard continuous planning, robust task and goal-based execution, model-based mode identification and reconfiguration, and onboard machine learning and pattern recognition to radically increase science return by enabling intelligent downlink selection and autonomous retargeting. Demonstration of these capabilities in a flight environment will open up tremendous new opportunities in planetary science, space physics, and earth science that would be unreachable without this technology.

Experimental Methods to Evaluate Science Utility Relative to the Decadal Survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Widergren, Cynthia

2012-01-01

The driving factor for competed missions is the science that it plans on performing once it has reached its target body. These science goals are derived from the science recommended by the most current Decadal Survey. This work focuses on science goals in previous Venus mission proposals with respect to the 2013 Decadal Survey. By looking at how the goals compare to the survey and how much confidence NASA has in the mission's ability to accomplish these goals, a method was created to assess the science return utility of each mission. This method can be used as a tool for future Venus mission formulation and serves as a starting point for future development of create science utility assessment tools.

KSC-2012-5684

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-10-06

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Scott Smith, NASA nutritionist at NASA's Johnson Space Center, explains one method of urine collection on the space station during a mission science briefing in Kennedy Space Center's Press Site auditorium in Florida. The briefing provided media with an overview of the experiments and payloads scheduled for launch on NASA's first Commercial Resupply Services, or CRS-1, mission to the International Space Station. Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX, built both the mission's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule. Launch is scheduled for 8:35 p.m. EDT on Oct. 7 from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. SpaceX CRS-1 is an important step toward making America’s microgravity research program self-sufficient by providing a way to deliver and return significant amounts of cargo, including science experiments, to and from the orbiting laboratory. NASA has contracted for 12 commercial resupply flights from SpaceX and eight from the Orbital Sciences Corp. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/living/launch/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

ARC-1979-AC79-9114-70

NASA Image and Video Library

1979-08-02

Jules Bergman, ABC Science Newscaster stands by a NASA Ames press room for the continuing information being returned by the Pioneer spacecraft during it's encounter with the planet Saturn and it's rings.

77 FR 4370 - NASA Advisory Council; Science Committee; Astrophysics Subcommittee; Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-27

... persons, scientific and technical information relevant to program planning. DATES: Thursday, February 23... topics: --Astrophysics Division Update --Update on Balloons Return to Flight Changes --James Webb Space...

Integrated science and engineering for the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lauretta, D.

2014-07-01

Introduction: The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) asteroid sample return mission will survey near-Earth asteroid (101955) Bennu to understand its physical, mineralogical, and chemical properties, assess its resource potential, refine the impact hazard, and return a sample of this body to the Earth [1]. This mission is scheduled for launch in 2016 and will rendezvous with the asteroid in 2018. Sample return to the Earth follows in 2023. The OSIRIS-REx mission has the challenge of visiting asteroid Bennu, characterizing it at global and local scales, then selecting the best site on the asteroid surface to acquire a sample for return to the Earth. Minimizing the risk of exploring an unknown world requires a tight integration of science and engineering to inform flight system and mission design. Defining the Asteroid Environment: We have performed an extensive astronomical campaign in support of OSIRIS-REx. Lightcurve and phase function observations were obtained with UA Observatories telescopes located in southeastern Arizona during the 2005--2006 and 2011--2012 apparitions [2]. We observed Bennu using the 12.6-cm radar at the Arecibo Observatory in 1999, 2005, and 2011 and the 3.5-cm radar at the Goldstone tracking station in 1999 and 2005 [3]. We conducted near-infrared measurements using the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility at the Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii in September 2005 [4]. Additional spectral observations were obtained in July 2011 and May 2012 with the Magellan 6.5-m telescope [5]. We used the Spitzer space telescope to observe Bennu in May 2007 [6]. The extensive knowledge gained as a result of our telescopic characterization of Bennu was critical in the selection of this object as the OSIRIS-REx mission target. In addition, we use these data, combined with models of the asteroid, to constrain over 100 different asteroid parameters covering orbital, bulk, rotational, radar, photometric, spectroscopic, thermal, regolith, and asteroid environmental properties. We have captured this information in a mission configuration-controlled document called the Design Reference Asteroid. This information is used across the project to establish the environmental requirements for the flight system and for overall mission design. Maintaining a Pristine Sample: OSIRIS-REx is driven by the top-level science objective to return >60 g of pristine, carbonaceous regolith from asteroid Bennu. We define a "pristine sample" to mean that no foreign material introduced into the sample hampers our scientific analysis. Basically, we know that some contamination will take place --- we just have to document it so that we can subtract it from our analysis of the returned sample. Engineering contamination requirements specify cleanliness in terms of particle counts and thin- films residues --- scientists define it in terms of bulk elemental and organic abundances. After initial discussions with our Contamination Engineers, we agreed on known, albeit challenging, particle and thin-film contamination levels for the Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) and the Sample Return Capsule. These levels are achieved using established cleaning procedures while minimizing interferences for sample analysis. Selecting a Sample Site: The Sample Site Selection decision is based on four key data products: Deliverability, Safety, Sampleability, and Science Value Maps. Deliverability quantifies the probability that the Flight Dynamics team can deliver the spacecraft to the desired location on the asteroid surface. Safety maps assess candidate sites against the capabilities of the spacecraft. Sampleability requires an assessment of the asteroid surface properties vs. TAGSAM capabilities. Scientific value maximizes the probability that the collected sample contains organics and volatiles and can be placed in a geological context definitive enough to determine sample history. Science and engineering teams work collaboratively to produce these key decision-making maps.

Cumulative advantages and social capabilities in scientific mobility in the Health Sciences: The Spanish case

PubMed Central

Melchor, Lorenzo; Danvila-del-Valle, Joaquín; Bousoño-Calzón, Carlos

2017-01-01

Background The big problem in global public health, arising from the international migration of physicians from less-developed to more-developed countries, increases if this migration also affects scientists dedicated to health areas. This article analyzes critical variables in the processes of Spanish scientific mobility in Health Sciences to articulate effective management policies for the benefit of national public health services and the balance between local and global science. Methods This study develops a survey to measure and analyze the following crucial variables: research career, training, funding, working with a world-class team, institutional prestige, wages, facilities/infrastructure, working conditions in the organization of the destination country, fringe benefits in the organization of the destination country and social responsibility in the organization of the departure country. A total of 811 researchers have participated in the survey, of which 293 were from the health sector: Spanish scientists abroad (114), scientists that have returned to Spain (32) and young researchers in Spain (147). Results The most crucial variables for Spanish scientists and young researchers in Spain in Health Sciences moving abroad are the cumulative advantages (research career, training, funding and institutional prestige) plus wages. On the other hand, the return of Spanish scientists in the Health Sciences is influenced by cumulative variables (working with a world-class team, research career and institutional prestige) and also by other variables related to social factors, such as working conditions and fringe benefits in the destination country. Permanent positions are rare for these groups and their decisions regarding mobility depend to a large extent on job opportunities. Conclusions Spanish health organizations can influence researchers to return, since these decisions mainly depend on job opportunities. These organizations can complement the cumulative advantages offered by the wealthier countries with the intensification of social factors. PMID:28296901

Impact of a Breastfeeding-Friendly Workplace on an Employed Mother's Intention to Continue Breastfeeding After Returning to Work

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Abstract Background Ever-increasing populations of women in their childbearing years are choosing to become employed. Breastfeeding provides unique health advantages to both the infant and mother. A breastfeeding-friendly workplace might be an important factor for predicting breastfeeding rates among working women. To explore the impact of breastfeeding-friendly support on the intention of working mothers to continue breastfeeding, we conducted a survey at a female labor-intensive electronics manufacturer in Taiwan. Subjects and Methods A structured questionnaire survey was administered to 715 working mothers employed in an electronics manufacturing plant in Tainan Science Park in Southern Taiwan. Questionnaire content included female employee demographics, employment characteristics, continued breastfeeding behavior after returning to work, access to lactation rooms, and employee perception of the breastfeeding policy and support when raising their most recently born child. Results A higher education level (odds ratio [OR]=2.66), lower work load (8 work hours/day) (OR=2.66), lactation room with dedicated space (OR=2.38), use of breast pumping breaks (OR=61.6), and encouragement from colleagues (OR=2.78) and supervisors (OR=2.44) to use breast pumping breaks were significant predictors of continued breastfeeding for more than 6 months after returning to work. Conclusions The findings of the present study suggest that to encourage and increase the rate of continued breastfeeding, workplaces should establish dedicated breastfeeding rooms and maintain a comfortable and clean environment. Furthermore, employers should provide encouragement and support for working mothers to continue breastfeeding after returning to work. PMID:23390987

Peripheral Neuropathy and Agent Orange

MedlinePlus

... of Medicine) of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine concluded in its report Veterans and ... VA Plans, Budget, & Performance VA Claims Representation RESOURCES Careers at VA Employment Center Returning Service Members Vocational ...

AL Amyloidosis and Agent Orange

MedlinePlus

... of Medicine) of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine concluded in its report " Veterans and ... VA Plans, Budget, & Performance VA Claims Representation RESOURCES Careers at VA Employment Center Returning Service Members Vocational ...

Payload Instrument Design Rules for Safe and Efficient Flight Operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montagnon, E.; Ferri, P.

2004-04-01

Payload operations are often being neglected in favour of optimisation of scientific performance of the instrument design. This has major drawbacks in terms of cost, safety, efficiency of operations and finally science return. By taking operational aspects into account in the early phases of the instrument design, with a minimum more cultural than financial or technological additional effort, many problems can be avoided or minimized, with significant benefits to be gained in the mission execution phases. This paper presents possible improvements based on the use of the telemetry and telecommand packet standard, proper sharing of autonomy functions between instrument and platform, and enhanced interface documents.

ESNIB (European Science Notes Information Bulletin): Reports on Current European/Middle Eastern Science

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-11-01

tool for planning, programming , The TERMOS is a digital terrain modeling system and simulating, initiating, and surveying small-scale was developed ...workshop fea- (FRG) turing the European Strategic Program for Research and Conference Language: English Development in Information Technologies...self- * Research and Development in the Numerical addressed mailer and return it to ONREUR. Aerodynamic Systems Program , R. Bailey, NASA

Ninth Annual Student Science Jeopardy Tournament Set for July 22 | Poster

Cancer.gov

The Scientific Library staff is pleased to announce the return of the annual Student Science Jeopardy Tournament July 22, in the auditorium of Building 549. The contest will begin at 10 a.m. and will run continuously until its conclusion at approximately 12:45 p.m. A video of the tournament will be broadcast live at the Advanced Technology Research Facility.

Astronaut Mike Hopkins Visit to Maryland Science Center

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-09

NASA Astronaut Mike Hopkins explains what it was like to live on the International Space Station for 6 months to seventh graders from Clear Spring Middle School at the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore, MD on Monday, June 9, 2014. Hopkins served on Expeditions 37 and 38 with Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Sergey Ryazanskiy and returned home in March, 2014. (Photo Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

The return of the natural philosopher

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehner, Ed

2010-03-01

John R. Staver's article calling for a constructivist epistemology to maneuver between the disparate ways of knowing between science and religion prompts this response. This paper acknowledges Staver's scholarly analysis of the issue. Scientific and religious conflicts do present prominent challenges because these are profound but often-monolithic ways of constructing knowledge. However, my response withholds fully embracing Staver's call for a constructivist epistemology chiefly because his work goes beyond the confines of constructivism. Conversely, Staver's call for constructivist epistemology does not go far enough to advance a resolution between science and religion. Why? Because both science and religion often employ hyper-rationality in understanding the world, a process that does little to clarify the world's complexities. Philosophically, I refrain from accepting a complete schism between the two because such a framing does little to heal a conflict between those who praise the seen and those who praise the unseen. My response explores how hyper-rationality has triumphed over both science and religion, leaving the believer in one, or both, to navigate the journey alone. This article calls for the return of the natural philosopher. Utilizing this nineteenth-century term for scientist, this paper calls for an inquirer, one who can rise above the ideologies of science and religion to observe the current concerns of each field anew. Finally, taking a cue from Staver, this response introduces a potential discourse between science and religion in ways that each may, without embracing a variant ideology, make space for dialogue and mutual respect.

Re-Engineering the Mission Operations System (MOS) for the Prime and Extended Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunt, Joseph C., Jr.; Cheng, Leo Y.

2012-01-01

One of the most challenging tasks in a space science mission is designing the Mission Operations System (MOS). Whereas the focus of the project is getting the spacecraft built and tested for launch, the mission operations engineers must build a system to carry out the science objectives. The completed MOS design is then formally assessed in the many reviews. Once a mission has completed the reviews, the Mission Operation System (MOS) design has been validated to the Functional Requirements and is ready for operations. The design was built based on heritage processes, new technology, and lessons learned from past experience. Furthermore, our operational concepts must be properly mapped to the mission design and science objectives. However, during the course of implementing the science objective in the operations phase after launch, the MOS experiences an evolutional change to adapt for actual performance characteristics. This drives the re-engineering of the MOS, because the MOS includes the flight and ground segments. Using the Spitzer mission as an example we demonstrate how the MOS design evolved for both the prime and extended mission to enhance the overall efficiency for science return. In our re-engineering process, we ensured that no requirements were violated or mission objectives compromised. In most cases, optimized performance across the MOS, including gains in science return as well as savings in the budget profile was achieved. Finally, we suggest a need to better categorize the Operations Phase (Phase E) in the NASA Life-Cycle Phases of Formulation and Implementation

A Mission Control Architecture for robotic lunar sample return as field tested in an analogue deployment to the sudbury impact structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moores, John E.; Francis, Raymond; Mader, Marianne; Osinski, G. R.; Barfoot, T.; Barry, N.; Basic, G.; Battler, M.; Beauchamp, M.; Blain, S.; Bondy, M.; Capitan, R.-D.; Chanou, A.; Clayton, J.; Cloutis, E.; Daly, M.; Dickinson, C.; Dong, H.; Flemming, R.; Furgale, P.; Gammel, J.; Gharfoor, N.; Hussein, M.; Grieve, R.; Henrys, H.; Jaziobedski, P.; Lambert, A.; Leung, K.; Marion, C.; McCullough, E.; McManus, C.; Neish, C. D.; Ng, H. K.; Ozaruk, A.; Pickersgill, A.; Preston, L. J.; Redman, D.; Sapers, H.; Shankar, B.; Singleton, A.; Souders, K.; Stenning, B.; Stooke, P.; Sylvester, P.; Tornabene, L.

2012-12-01

A Mission Control Architecture is presented for a Robotic Lunar Sample Return Mission which builds upon the experience of the landed missions of the NASA Mars Exploration Program. This architecture consists of four separate processes working in parallel at Mission Control and achieving buy-in for plans sequentially instead of simultaneously from all members of the team. These four processes were: science processing, science interpretation, planning and mission evaluation. science processing was responsible for creating products from data downlinked from the field and is organized by instrument. Science Interpretation was responsible for determining whether or not science goals are being met and what measurements need to be taken to satisfy these goals. The Planning process, responsible for scheduling and sequencing observations, and the Evaluation process that fostered inter-process communications, reporting and documentation assisted these processes. This organization is advantageous for its flexibility as shown by the ability of the structure to produce plans for the rover every two hours, for the rapidity with which Mission Control team members may be trained and for the relatively small size of each individual team. This architecture was tested in an analogue mission to the Sudbury impact structure from June 6-17, 2011. A rover was used which was capable of developing a network of locations that could be revisited using a teach and repeat method. This allowed the science team to process several different outcrops in parallel, downselecting at each stage to ensure that the samples selected for caching were the most representative of the site. Over the course of 10 days, 18 rock samples were collected from 5 different outcrops, 182 individual field activities - such as roving or acquiring an image mosaic or other data product - were completed within 43 command cycles, and the rover travelled over 2200 m. Data transfer from communications passes were filled to 74%. Sample triage was simulated to allow down-selection to 1 kg of material for return to Earth.

Strategies for the return of science data from in situ vehicles at Titan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spilker, T. R.; Reh, K. R.; Erd, C.; Elliott, J. O.; Mohr, D.; Strange, N. J.

2009-04-01

Collaborative studies of the Titan Saturn System Mission (TSSM) in 2008 by ESA and NASA have included examination of strategies for optimizing the science return from that mission concept's proposed in situ elements. The current baselined mission concept calls for an orbiter provided and launched by NASA that would deliver to Titan and support two ESA-provided in situ elements, a lake lander whose science mission duration would be about nine hours, and a montgolfière (hot-air balloon) that would operate at ~10 km altitude in Titan's lower atmosphere for 6-12 months. This architecture has much in common with the highly successful Cassini-Huygens mission. The short-lived lake lander in particular would have a mission profile very similar to that of the Huygens probe, with all science data communications occurring while the NASA orbiter is relatively near Titan. Practical mission profile options for the montgolfière include extended periods when the NASA orbiter is farther from Titan, reducing data rates. Over long periods of time the montgolfière cannot be considered fixed over one location on Titan's surface, and in fact is expected to circumnavigate Titan in less than six months. Thus the schedule of communications windows between the in situ elements and the orbiter cannot be precisely determined far in advance, varying as the balloon literally "rides the wind". Other issues played critical roles in evaluating the many options available early in the studies. Some options for the timing of delivery of the in situ elements yielded more mass capability available for those elements, but their reduced data return due to orbit geometry outweighs the added mass capability. Another delivery option, delivery from Titan orbit, yields reduced delivery mass capability but was thought (before studies) to offer better data relay capability. Studies revealed that this strategy actually decreases the return from the lake lander as compared to options delivering the in situ elements from hyperbolic flybys. This presentation will describe options examined in the TSSM communications strategy studies. Particular attention is given to that chosen for the baseline strategy, with potential returned data volumes that provide generous margins over anticipated data requirements. Many of the results are not unique to Titan alone, but are applicable to in situ missions at any satellite of a giant planet. These collaborative studies were funded by, and performed under the cognizance of, NASA and ESA.

Chronic B-Cell Leukemias and Agent Orange

MedlinePlus

... of Medicine) of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine focused on chronic lymphocytic leukemia in ... VA Plans, Budget, & Performance VA Claims Representation RESOURCES Careers at VA Employment Center Returning Service Members Vocational ...

Soft Tissue Sarcomas and Agent Orange

MedlinePlus

... of Medicine) of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine concluded in its 1994 report " Veterans ... VA Plans, Budget, & Performance VA Claims Representation RESOURCES Careers at VA Employment Center Returning Service Members Vocational ...

Porphyria Cutanea Tarda and Agent Orange

MedlinePlus

... of Medicine) of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine concluded in its 1994 report on " ... VA Plans, Budget, & Performance VA Claims Representation RESOURCES Careers at VA Employment Center Returning Service Members Vocational ...

Potty Training: Learning to Use the Toilet

MedlinePlus

... All Early Learning Child Care Early Literacy Early Math and Science Language and Communication Play School Readiness ... right now. She will return to her previous level of potty training once things have gotten back ...

SpaceX_CRS14_Release_2018_125_1300_649273

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-05-07

U.S. COMMERCIAL CARGO SHIP DEPARTS THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION The upiloted SpaceX Dragon cargo craft departed the International Space Station May 5 after a four-week delivery run in which thousands of pounds of supplies and science experiments arrived at the orbiting laboratory. Robotic ground controllers sent commands to release Dragon from the grasp of the Canadarm2 robotic arm, after which several firings of the Dragon’s engine sent the vehicle to a safe distance from the station. Later in the day, SpaceX flight controllers conducted a deorbit burn for Dragon, enabling it to return to Earth for a splashdown in the Pacific some 400 miles southwest of Long Beach, California. Dragon returned some two tons of vital science experiments for researchers and other critical components from the station for refurbishment.

Value of Sample Return and High Precision Analyses: Need for A Resource of Compelling Stories, Metaphors and Examples for Public Speakers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allton, J. H.

2017-01-01

There is widespread agreement among planetary scientists that much of what we know about the workings of the solar system comes from accurate, high precision measurements on returned samples. Precision is a function of the number of atoms the instrumentation is able to count. Accuracy depends on the calibration or standardization technique. For Genesis, the solar wind sample return mission, acquiring enough atoms to ensure precise SW measurements and then accurately quantifying those measurements were steps known to be non-trivial pre-flight. The difficulty of precise and accurate measurements on returned samples, and why they cannot be made remotely, is not communicated well to the public. In part, this is be-cause "high precision" is abstract and error bars are not very exciting topics. This paper explores ideas for collecting and compiling compelling metaphors and colorful examples as a resource for planetary science public speakers.

Status and Mission Applicability of NASA's In-Space Propulsion Technology Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, David J.; Munk, Michelle M.; Dankanich, John; Pencil, Eric; Liou, Larry

2009-01-01

The In-Space Propulsion Technology (ISPT) project develops propulsion technologies that will enable or enhance NASA robotic science missions. Since 2001, the ISPT project developed and delivered products to assist technology infusion and quantify mission applicability and benefits through mission analysis and tools. These in-space propulsion technologies are applicable, and potentially enabling for flagship destinations currently under evaluation, as well as having broad applicability to future Discovery and New Frontiers mission solicitations. This paper provides status of the technology development, near-term mission benefits, applicability, and availability of in-space propulsion technologies in the areas of advanced chemical thrusters, electric propulsion, aerocapture, and systems analysis tools. The current chemical propulsion investment is on the high-temperature Advanced Material Bipropellant Rocket (AMBR) engine providing higher performance for lower cost. Investments in electric propulsion technologies focused on completing NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) ion propulsion system, a 0.6-7 kW throttle-able gridded ion system, and the High Voltage Hall Accelerator (HiVHAC) thruster, which is a mid-term product specifically designed for a low-cost electric propulsion option. Aerocapture investments developed a family of thermal protections system materials and structures; guidance, navigation, and control models of blunt-body rigid aeroshells; atmospheric models for Earth, Titan, Mars and Venus; and models for aerothermal effects. In 2009 ISPT started the development of propulsion technologies that would enable future sample return missions. The paper describes the ISPT project's future focus on propulsion for sample return missions. The future technology development areas for ISPT is: Planetary Ascent Vehicles (PAV), with a Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) being the initial development focus; multi-mission technologies for Earth Entry Vehicles (MMEEV) needed for sample return missions from many different destinations; propulsion for Earth Return Vehicles (ERV), transfer stages to the destination, and Electric Propulsion for sample return and low cost missions; and Systems/Mission Analysis focused on sample return propulsion. The ISPT project is funded by NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD).

Groundbreaking Mars Sample Return for Science and Human Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, Barbara; Draper, David; Eppler, Dean; Treiman, Allan

2012-01-01

Partnerships between science and human exploration have recent heritage for the Moon (Lunar Precursor Robotics Program, LPRP) and nearearth objects (Exploration Precursor Robotics Program, xPRP). Both programs spent appreciable time and effort determining measurements needed or desired before human missions to these destinations. These measurements may be crucial to human health or spacecraft design, or may be desired to better optimize systems designs such as spacesuits or operations. Both LPRP and xPRP recommended measurements from orbit, by landed missions and by sample return. LPRP conducted the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) missions, providing high-resolution visible imagery, surface and subsurface temperatures, global topography, mapping of possible water ice deposits, and the biological effects of radiation [1]. LPRP also initiated a landed mission to provide dust and regolith properties, local lighting conditions, assessment of resources, and demonstration of precision landing [2]. This mission was canceled in 2006 due to funding shortfalls. For the Moon, adequate samples of rocks and regolith were returned by the Apollo and Luna programs to conduct needed investigations. Many near-earth asteroids (NEAs) have been observed from the Earth and several have been more extensively characterized by close-flying missions and landings (NEAR, Hayabusa, Rosetta). The current Joint Robotic Precursor Activity program is considering activities such as partnering with the New Frontiers mission OSIRIS-Rex to visit a NEA and return a sample to the Earth. However, a strong consensus of the NEO User Team within xPRP was that a dedicated mission to the asteroid targeted by humans is required [3], ideally including regolith sample return for more extensive characterization and testing on the Earth.

Science Enabling Exploration: Using LRO to Prepare for Future Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawrence, S. J.; Jolliff, B. L.; Stopar, J. D.; Speyerer, E. J.; Petro, N. E.

2016-01-01

Discoveries from LRO have transformed our understanding of the Moon, but LRO's instruments were originally designed to collect the measurements required to enable future lunar surface exploration. A high lunar exploration priority is the collection of new samples and their return to Earth for comprehensive analysis. The importance of sample return from South Pole-Aitken is well-established [Jolliff et al., this conference], but there are numerous other locations where sample return will yield important advances in planetary science. Using new LRO data, we have defined an achievability envelope based on the physical characteristics of successful lunar landing sites. Those results were then used to define 1km x 1km regions of interest where sample return could be executed, including: the basalt flows in Oceanus Procellarum (22.1N, 53.9W), the Gruithuisen Domes (36.1N, 39.7W), the Dewar cryptomare (2.2S, 166.8E), the Aristarchus pyroclastic deposit (24.8N, 48.5W), the Sulpicius Gallus formation (19.9N, 10.3E), the Sinus Aestuum pyroclastic deposit (5.2N, 9.2W), the Compton-Belkovich volcanic complex (61.5N, 99.9E), the Ina Irregular Mare Patch (18.7N, 5.3E), and the Marius Hills volcanic complex (13.4N, 55.9W). All of these locations represent safe landing sites where sample returns are needed to advance our understanding of the evolution of the lunar interior and the timescales of lunar volcanism. If LRO is still active when any future mission reaches the surface, LRO's capability to rapidly place surface activities into broader geologic context will provide operational advantages. LRO remains a unique strategic asset that continues to address the needs of future missions.

NASA's Rodent Research Project: Validation of Capabilities for Conducting Long Duration Experiments in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choi, Sungshin Y.; Cole, Nicolas; Reyes, America; Lai, San-Huei; Klotz, Rebecca; Beegle, Janet E.; Wigley, Cecilia L.; Pletcher, David; Globus, Ruth K.

2015-01-01

Research using rodents is an essential tool for advancing biomedical research on Earth and in space. Prior rodent experiments on the Shuttle were limited by the short flight duration. The International Space Station (ISS) provides a new platform for conducting rodent experiments under long duration conditions. Rodent Research (RR)-1 was conducted to validate flight hardware, operations, and science capabilities that were developed at the NASA Ames Research Center. Twenty C57BL6J adult female mice were launched on Sept 21, 2014 in a Dragon Capsule (SpaceX-4), then transferred to the ISS for a total time of 21-22 days (10 commercial mice) or 37 days (10 validation mice). Tissues collected on-orbit were either rapidly frozen or preserved in RNAlater at -80C (n2group) until their return to Earth. Remaining carcasses on-orbit were rapidly frozen for dissection post-flight. The three controls groups at Kennedy Space Center consisted of: Basal mice euthanized at the time of launch, Vivarium controls housed in standard cages, and Ground Controls (GC) housed in flight hardware within an environmental chamber. Upon return to Earth, there were no differences in body weights between Flight (FLT) and GC at the end of the 37 days in space. Liver enzyme activity levels of FLT mice and all control mice were similar in magnitude to those of the samples that were processed under optimal conditions in the laboratory. Liver samples dissected on-orbit yielded high quality RNA (RIN8.99+-0.59, n7). Liver samples dissected post-flight from the intact, frozen FLT carcasses yielded RIN of 7.27 +- 0.52 (n6). Additionally, wet weights of various tissues were measured. Adrenal glands and spleen showed no significant differences in FLT compared to GC although thymus and livers weights were significantly greater in FLT compared to GC. Over 3,000 tissue aliquots collected post-flight from the four groups of mice were deposited into the Ames Life Science Data Archives for future Biospecimen Sharing Program. Together, the RR validation flight successfully demonstrates the capability to support long-duration experimentation on the ISS to achieve both basic science and biomedical objectives.

Implications of Wind-Assisted Aerial Navigation for Titan Mission Planning and Science Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elfes, A.; Reh, K.; Beauchamp, P.; Fathpour, N.; Blackmore, L.; Newman, C.; Kuwata, Y.; Wolf, M.; Assad, C.

2010-01-01

The recent Titan Saturn System Mission (TSSM) proposal incorporates a montgolfiere (hot air balloon) as part of its architecture. Standard montgolfiere balloons generate lift through heating of the atmospheric gases inside the envelope, and use a vent valve for altitude control. A Titan aerobot (robotic aerial vehicle) would have to use radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) for electric power, and the excess heat generated can be used to provide thermal lift for a montgolfiere. A hybrid montgolfiere design could have propellers mounted on the gondola to generate horizontal thrust; in spite of the unfavorable aerodynamic drag caused by the shape of the balloon, a limited amount of lateral controllability could be achieved. In planning an aerial mission at Titan, it is extremely important to assess how the moon-wide wind field can be used to extend the navigation capabilities of an aerobot and thereby enhance the scientific return of the mission. In this paper we explore what guidance, navigation and control capabilities can be achieved by a vehicle that uses the Titan wind field. The control planning approach is based on passive wind field riding. The aerobot would use vertical control to select wind layers that would lead it towards a predefined science target, adding horizontal propulsion if available. The work presented in this paper is based on aerodynamic models that characterize balloon performance at Titan, and on TitanWRF (Weather Research and Forecasting), a model that incorporates heat convection, circulation, radiation, Titan haze properties, Saturn's tidal forcing, and other planetary phenomena. Our results show that a simple unpropelled montgolfiere without horizontal actuation will be able to reach a broad array of science targets within the constraints of the wind field. The study also indicates that even a small amount of horizontal thrust allows the balloon to reach any area of interest on Titan, and to do so in a fraction of the time needed by the unpropelled balloon. The results show that using the Titan wind field allows an aerobot to significantly extend its scientific reach, and that a montgolfiere (unpropelled or propelled) is a highly desirable architecture that can very significantly enhance the scientific return of a future Titan mission.

Data science for mental health: a UK perspective on a global challenge.

PubMed

McIntosh, Andrew M; Stewart, Robert; John, Ann; Smith, Daniel J; Davis, Katrina; Sudlow, Cathie; Corvin, Aiden; Nicodemus, Kristin K; Kingdon, David; Hassan, Lamiece; Hotopf, Matthew; Lawrie, Stephen M; Russ, Tom C; Geddes, John R; Wolpert, Miranda; Wölbert, Eva; Porteous, David J

2016-10-01

Data science uses computer science and statistics to extract new knowledge from high-dimensional datasets (ie, those with many different variables and data types). Mental health research, diagnosis, and treatment could benefit from data science that uses cohort studies, genomics, and routine health-care and administrative data. The UK is well placed to trial these approaches through robust NHS-linked data science projects, such as the UK Biobank, Generation Scotland, and the Clinical Record Interactive Search (CRIS) programme. Data science has great potential as a low-cost, high-return catalyst for improved mental health recognition, understanding, support, and outcomes. Lessons learnt from such studies could have global implications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Integrating public perspectives in sample return planning.

PubMed

Race, M S; MacGregor, D G

2000-01-01

Planning for extraterrestrial sample returns--whether from Mars or other solar system bodies--must be done in a way that integrates planetary protection concerns with the usual mission technical and scientific considerations. Understanding and addressing legitimate societal concerns about the possible risks of sample return will be a critical part of the public decision making process ahead. This paper presents the results of two studies, one with lay audiences, the other with expert microbiologists designed to gather information on attitudes and concerns about sample return risks and planetary protection. Focus group interviews with lay subjects, using generic information about Mars sample return and a preliminary environmental impact assessment, were designed to obtain an indication of how the factual content is perceived and understood by the public. A research survey of microbiologists gathered information on experts' views and attitudes about sample return, risk management approaches and space exploration risks. These findings, combined with earlier research results on risk perception, will be useful in identifying levels of concern and potential conflicts in understanding between experts and the public about sample return risks. The information will be helpful in guiding development of the environmental impact statement and also has applicability to proposals for sample return from other solar system bodies where scientific uncertainty about extraterrestrial life may persist at the time of mission planning. c2001 COSPAR Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Motivational goals, group identifications, and psychosocial adjustment of returning migrants: The case of Jews returning to Russia.

PubMed

Tartakovsky, Eugene; Patrakov, Eduard; Nikulina, Marina

2017-12-01

The present study investigated the motivational goals, group identifications, and psychosocial adjustment of Jews who returned to Russia after emigrating from the republics of the Former Soviet Union to different countries (n = 151). To gain a deeper understanding of these returning migrants, their traits were compared with those of Jews living in Russia who did not emigrate (n = 935). Compared to locals, returnees reported a higher preference for the openness to change and self-enhancement values and a lower preference for the conservation values; there was no difference in the self-transcendence values. Returning migrants had a relatively weak affiliation with the home country: they had a weaker identification with the home country than with the country of emigration, their identification with Russians was weaker than that among Jews who did not emigrate from Russia, and their intention to emigrate (again) from Russia was greater than that among locals. However, the Jewish identification of returning migrants was similar to that of locals. The adjustment of returning migrants varied across different dimensions: their economic adjustment was better than that of locals; however, the interpersonal adjustment of returnees was less successful than among locals. © 2016 International Union of Psychological Science.

Looking through the lenses of science literacy and cultural diversity: learning from Helena's mistake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chinn, Pauline W. U.

2012-06-01

Maria Andrée focuses on an immigrant student whose error in a laboratory activity leads to a novel, colorful outcome that she excitedly shares with peers. After engaging in class activities for a few weeks she returns to her earlier dislike of science, saying: "I hate science, particularly Chemistry." The classroom activity system focused on reproduction of school knowledge did not expand to accommodate Helena's "new activity system with an object of learning science." This essay suggests teachers be prepared to teach diverse students in ways supporting multiple ways to engage in science. This becomes possible when teachers view their classrooms as dynamic, participatory activity systems that support content mastery as contributing to but not being identical to science identity and science literacy.

Smart Payload Development for High Data Rate Instrument Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pingree, Paula J.; Norton, Charles D.

2007-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the development of smart payloads instruments systems with high data rates. On-board computation has become a bottleneck for advanced science instrument and engineering capabilities. In order to improve the computation capability on board, smart payloads have been proposed. A smart payload is a Localized instrument, that can offload the flight processor of extensive computing cycles, simplify the interfaces, and minimize the dependency of the instrument on the flight system. This has been proposed for the Mars mission, Mars Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy (MATMOS). The design of this system is discussed; the features of the Virtex-4, are discussed, and the technical approach is reviewed. The proposed Hybrid Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology has been shown to deliver breakthrough performance by tightly coupling hardware and software. Smart Payload designs for instruments such as MATMOS can meet science data return requirements with more competitive use of available on-board resources and can provide algorithm acceleration in hardware leading to implementation of better (more advanced) algorithms in on-board systems for improved science data return

Telescience Operations on International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schubert, Kathleen E.

1999-01-01

This paper describes the concept of telescience operations for the International Space Station (ISS). The extended duration microgravity environment of the ISS will enable microgravity science research to enter into a new era of increased scientific and technological data return. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has a vision of distributed ground operations which enables the Principal Investigator direct interaction with his/her on-board experiment from his/her home location. This is the concept of telescience and is essential for maximizing the use of the long duration science environment that ISS provides. The goal of telescience is to provide the capability to fully tele-operate an experiment from any ground location in such a way as to increase the amount and quality of scientific and technological data return and decrease the operations cost of an individual experiment relative to the era of Space Shuttle experiments. This paper also describes the NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC) implementation approach for the LeRC Telescience Support Center (TSC) and Principal Investigator Science Operations Sites (SOS) which will fully meet the concept of telescience as prescribed by the Agency.

Project Hyreus: Mars Sample Return Mission Utilizing in Situ Propellant Production

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bruckner, A. P.; Thill, Brian; Abrego, Anita; Koch, Amber; Kruse, Ross; Nicholson, Heather; Nill, Laurie; Schubert, Heidi; Schug, Eric; Smith, Brian

1993-01-01

Project Hyreus is an unmanned Mars sample return mission that utilizes propellants manufactured in situ from the Martian atmosphere for the return voyage. A key goal of the mission is to demonstrate the considerable benefits of using indigenous resources and to test the viability of this approach as a precursor to manned Mars missions. The techniques, materials, and equipment used in Project Hyreus represent those that are currently available or that could be developed and readied in time for the proposed launch date in 2003. Project Hyreus includes such features as a Mars-orbiting satellite equipped with ground-penetrating radar, a large rover capable of sample gathering and detailed surface investigations, and a planetary science array to perform on-site research before samples are returned to Earth. Project Hyreus calls for the Mars Landing Vehicle to land in the Mangala Valles region of Mars, where it will remain for approximately 1.5 years. Methane and oxygen propellant for the Earth return voyage will be produced using carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere and a small supply of hydrogen brought from Earth. This process is key to returning a large Martian sample to Earth with a single Earth launch.

Project Hyreus: Mars sample return mission utilizing in situ propellant production

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abrego, Anita; Bair, Chris; Hink, Anthony; Kim, Jae; Koch, Amber; Kruse, Ross; Ngo, Dung; Nicholson, Heather; Nill, Laurie; Perras, Craig

1993-01-01

Project Hyreus is an unmanned Mars sample return mission that utilizes propellants manufactured in situ from the Martian atmosphere for the return voyage. A key goal of the mission is to demonstrate the considerable benefits of using indigenous resources and to test the viability of this approach as a precursor to manned Mars missions. The techniques, materials, and equipment used in Project Hyreus represent those that are currently available or that could be developed and readied in time for the proposed launch date in 2003. Project Hyreus includes such features as a Mars-orbiting satellite equipped with ground-penetrating radar, a large rover capable of sample gathering and detailed surface investigations, and a planetary science array to perform on-site research before samples are returned to Earth. Project Hyreus calls for the Mars Landing Vehicle to land in the Mangala Valles region of Mars, where it will remain for approximately 1.5 years. Methane and oxygen propellant for the Earth return voyage will be produced using carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere and a small supply of hydrogen brought from Earth. This process is key to returning a large Martian sample to Earth with a single Earth launch.

COMPASS Final Report: Near Earth Asteroids Rendezvous and Sample Earth Returns (NEARER)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oleson, Steven R.; McGuire, Melissa L.

2009-01-01

In this study, the Collaborative Modeling for Parametric Assessment of Space Systems (COMPASS) team completed a design for a multi-asteroid (Nereus and 1996 FG3) sample return capable spacecraft for the NASA In-Space Propulsion Office. The objective of the study was to support technology development and assess the relative benefits of different electric propulsion systems on asteroid sample return design. The design uses a single, heritage Orion solar array (SA) (approx.6.5 kW at 1 AU) to power a single NASA Evolutionary Xenon Thruster ((NEXT) a spare NEXT is carried) to propel a lander to two near Earth asteroids. After landing and gathering science samples, the Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) vehicle spirals back to Earth where it drops off the first sample s return capsule and performs an Earth flyby to assist the craft in rendezvousing with a second asteroid, which is then sampled. The second sample is returned in a similar fashion. The vehicle, dubbed Near Earth Asteroids Rendezvous and Sample Earth Returns (NEARER), easily fits in an Atlas 401 launcher and its cost estimates put the mission in the New Frontier s (NF's) class mission.

Human Mars Surface Science Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bobskill, Marianne R.; Lupisella, Mark L.

2014-01-01

Human missions to the surface of Mars will have challenging science operations. This paper will explore some of those challenges, based on science operations considerations as part of more general operational concepts being developed by NASA's Human Spaceflight Architecture (HAT) Mars Destination Operations Team (DOT). The HAT Mars DOT has been developing comprehensive surface operations concepts with an initial emphasis on a multi-phased mission that includes a 500-day surface stay. This paper will address crew science activities, operational details and potential architectural and system implications in the areas of (a) traverse planning and execution, (b) sample acquisition and sample handling, (c) in-situ science analysis, and (d) planetary protection. Three cross-cutting themes will also be explored in this paper: (a) contamination control, (b) low-latency telerobotic science, and (c) crew autonomy. The present traverses under consideration are based on the report, Planning for the Scientific Exploration of Mars by Humans1, by the Mars Exploration Planning and Analysis Group (MEPAG) Human Exploration of Mars-Science Analysis Group (HEM-SAG). The traverses are ambitious and the role of science in those traverses is a key component that will be discussed in this paper. The process of obtaining, handling, and analyzing samples will be an important part of ensuring acceptable science return. Meeting planetary protection protocols will be a key challenge and this paper will explore operational strategies and system designs to meet the challenges of planetary protection, particularly with respect to the exploration of "special regions." A significant challenge for Mars surface science operations with crew is preserving science sample integrity in what will likely be an uncertain environment. Crewed mission surface assets -- such as habitats, spacesuits, and pressurized rovers -- could be a significant source of contamination due to venting, out-gassing and cleanliness levels associated with crew presence. Low-latency telerobotic science operations has the potential to address a number of contamination control and planetary protection issues and will be explored in this paper. Crew autonomy is another key cross-cutting challenge regarding Mars surface science operations, because the communications delay between earth and Mars could as high as 20 minutes one way, likely requiring the crew to perform many science tasks without direct timely intervention from ground support on earth. Striking the operational balance between crew autonomy and earth support will be a key challenge that this paper will address.

Mars 2001 Lander Mission: Measurement Synergy through Coordinated Operations Planning and Implementation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arvidson, R.; Bell, J. F., III; Kaplan, D.; Marshall, J.; Mishkin, A.; Saunders, S.; Smith, P.; Squyres, S.

1999-03-01

The Science Operations Working Group, Mars 2001 Mission, has developed coordinated plans for scientific observations that treat the instruments as an integrated payload. This approach ensures maximum return of scientific information.

Recent Accomplishments in Mars Exploration: The Rover Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLennan, S. M.; McSween, H. Y.

2018-04-01

Mobile rovers have revolutionized our understanding of Mars geology by identifying habitable environments and addressing critical questions related to Mars science. Both the advances and limitations of rovers set the scene for Mars Sample Return.

Polarization and exchange effects in elastic scattering of electron with atoms and ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhang-Jin; Cui, Dan-Dan

2018-05-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11274219) and the Scientific Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars, State Education Ministry, China.

78 FR 31940 - Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-28

...: Examples that compliment qualitative research on evidence based interventions. 4. Demonstrating return on... Science, Office of the Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [FR Doc. 2013-12480 Filed 5...

Radioisotope Electric Propulsion (REP) for Selected Interplanetary Science Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oh, David; Bonfiglio, Eugene; Cupples, Mike; Belcher, Jeremy; Witzberger, Kevin; Fiehler, Douglas; Artis, Gwen

2005-01-01

This viewgraph presentation analyzes small body targets (Trojan Asteroids), Medium Outer Planet Class (Jupiter Polar Orbiter with Probes), and Main Belt Asteroids and Comets (Comet Surface Sample Return), for Radioisotope Electric Propulsion (REP).

Transnational science during the Cold War: the case of Chinese/American scientists.

PubMed

Wang, Zuoyue

2010-06-01

This essay examines the experiences of about five thousand Chinese students/scientists in the United States after the Communist takeover of mainland China in 1949. These experiences illustrate the often hidden transnational movements of people, instruments, and ideas in science and technology across the Iron Curtain during the Cold War. I argue that those hundreds who returned to China represented a partial "Americanization" of Chinese science and technology, while the rest of the group staying in the United States contributed to a transnationalization of the American scientific community.

Concept Study For A Near-term Mars Surface Sample Return Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, M. F.; Thatcher, J.; Sallaberger, C.; Reedman, T.; Pillinger, C. T.; Sims, M. R.

The return of samples from the surface of Mars is a challenging problem. Present mission planning is for complex missions to return large, focused samples sometime in the next decade. There is, however, much scientific merit in returning a small sample of Martian regolith before the end of this decade at a fraction of the cost of the more ambitious missions. This paper sets out the key elements of this concept that builds on the work of the Beagle 2 project and space robotics work in Canada. The paper will expand the science case for returning a regolith sample that is only in the range of 50-250g but would nevertheless include plenty of interesting mate- rial as the regolith comprises soil grains from a wide variety of locations i.e. nearby rocks, sedimentary formations and materials moved by fluids, winds and impacts. It is possible that a fine core sample could also be extracted and returned. The mission concept is to send a lander sized at around 130kg on the 2007 or 2009 opportunity, immediately collect the sample from the surface, launch it to Mars orbit, collect it by the lander parent craft and make an immediate Earth return. Return to Earth orbit is envisaged rather than direct Earth re-entry. The lander concept is essen- tially a twice-size Beagle 2 carrying the sample collection and return capsule loading equipment plus the ascent vehicle. The return capsule is envisaged as no more than 1kg. An overall description of the mission along with methods for sample acquisition, or- bital rendezvous and capsule return will be outlined and the overall systems budgets presented. To demonstrate the near term feasibility of the mission, the use of existing Canadian and European technologies will be highlighted.

Programmatic Efforts at the National Institutes of Health to Promote and Support the Careers of Women in Biomedical Science

PubMed Central

Bunker Whittington, Kjersten; Cassidy, Sara K.B.; Filart, Rosemarie; Cornelison, Terri L.; Begg, Lisa; Austin Clayton, Janine

2016-01-01

Although women have reached parity at the training level in the biological sciences and medicine, they are still significantly underrepresented in the professoriate and in mid- and senior-level life science positions. Considerable effort has been devoted by individuals and organizations across science sectors to understanding this disparity and to developing interventions in support of women’s career development. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) formed the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) in 1990 with the goals of supporting initiatives to improve women’s health and providing opportunities and support for the recruitment, retention, reentry, and sustained advancement of women in biomedical careers. Here, the authors review several accomplishments and flagship activities initiated by the NIH and ORWH in support of women’s career development during this time. These include programming to support researchers returning to the workforce after a period away (Research Supplements to Promote Reentry into Biomedical and Behavioral Research Careers), career development awards made through the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health program, and trans-NIH involvement and activities stemming from the NIH Working Group on Women in Biomedical Careers. These innovative programs have contributed to advancement of women by supporting the professional and personal needs of women in science. The authors discuss the unique opportunities that accompany NIH partnerships with the scientific community, and conclude with a summary of the impact of these programs on women in science. PMID:27191836

Programmatic Efforts at the National Institutes of Health to Promote and Support the Careers of Women in Biomedical Science.

PubMed

Plank-Bazinet, Jennifer L; Bunker Whittington, Kjersten; Cassidy, Sara K B; Filart, Rosemarie; Cornelison, Terri L; Begg, Lisa; Austin Clayton, Janine

2016-08-01

Although women have reached parity at the training level in the biological sciences and medicine, they are still significantly underrepresented in the professoriate and in mid- and senior-level life science positions. Considerable effort has been devoted by individuals and organizations across science sectors to understanding this disparity and to developing interventions in support of women's career development. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) formed the Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) in 1990 with the goals of supporting initiatives to improve women's health and providing opportunities and support for the recruitment, retention, reentry, and sustained advancement of women in biomedical careers. Here, the authors review several accomplishments and flagship activities initiated by the NIH and ORWH in support of women's career development during this time. These include programming to support researchers returning to the workforce after a period away (Research Supplements to Promote Reentry into Biomedical and Behavioral Research Careers), career development awards made through the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health program, and trans-NIH involvement and activities stemming from the NIH Working Group on Women in Biomedical Careers. These innovative programs have contributed to advancement of women by supporting the professional and personal needs of women in science. The authors discuss the unique opportunities that accompany NIH partnerships with the scientific community, and conclude with a summary of the impact of these programs on women in science.

Federal Support for Research and Development

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-01

Nonprofits State and Local Governments 0 B In recent years, the share of federal research funding allocated to the life sciences has expanded, an empha...sis supported by the high rates of returns to life sci- ences research that some studies have reported. But other studies indicate that researchers...changed over time, with the life sciences accounting for an increasing share of federal research spending since the 1990s (see Summary Figure 5

The Land of Opportunity: Human Return to Meridiani Planum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, Barbara A.; Seibert, Michael A.

2015-01-01

Meridiani Planum is a broad expanse of Martian real estate possessing extremely safe landing characteristics and extensive areas with high trafficability, with compelling science motivations to decipher the climatic and hydrologic evolution of Mars and potential for resource extraction. We propose southwestern Meridiani Planum as a potential landing site for human exploration of Mars. Figure 1 shows our proposed exploration zone (EZ) and several potential science regions of interest (ROIs)

The autonomous sciencecraft constellations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sherwood, R. L.; Chien, S.; Castano, R.; Rabideau, G.

2003-01-01

The Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment (ASE) will fly onboard the Air Force TechSat 21 constellation of three spacecraft scheduled for launch in 2006. ASE uses onboard continuous planning, robust task and goal-based execution, model-based mode identification and reconfiguration, and onboard machine learning and pattern recognition to radically increase science return by enabling intelligent downlink selection and autonomous retargeting. In this paper we discuss how these AI technologies are synergistically integrated in a hybrid multi-layer control architecture to enable a virtual spacecraft science agent. Demonstration of these capabilities in a flight environment will open up tremendous new opportunities in planetary science, space physics, and earth science that would be unreachable without this technology.

Effects of space flight on GLUT-4 content in rat plantaris muscle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tabata, I.; Kawanaka, Kentaro; Sekiguchi, Chiharu; Nagaoka, Shunji; Ohira, Yoshinobu

The effects of 14 days of space flight on the glucose transporter protein (GLUT-4) were studied in the plantaris muscle of growing 9-week-old, male Sprague Dawley rats. The rats were randomly separated into five groups: pre-flight vivarium ground controls (PF-VC) sacrificed approximately 2 h after launch; flight groups sacrificed either approximately 5 h (F-R0) or 9 days (F-R9) after the return from space; and synchronous ground controls (SC-R0 and SC-R9) sacrificed at the same time as the respective flight groups. The flight groups F-R0 and F-R9 were exposed to micro-gravity for 14 days in the Spacelab module located in the cargo bay of the shuttle transport system - 58 of the manned Space Shuttle for the NASA mission named ''Spacelab Life Sciences 2''. Body weight and plantaris weight of SC-R0 and F-R0 were significantly higher than those of PF-VC. Neither body weight nor plantaris muscle weight in either group had changed 9 days after the return from space. As a result, body weight and plantaris muscle weight did not differ between the flight and synchronous control groups at any of the time points investigated. The GLUT-4 content (cpm/µg membrane protein) in the plantaris muscle did not show any significant change in response to 14 days of space flight or 9 days after return. Similarly, citrate synthase activity did not change during the course of the space flight or the recovery period. These results suggest that 14 days of space flight does not affect muscle mass or GLUT-4 content of the fast-twitch plantaris muscle in the rat.

Communicating Science on YouTube and Beyond: OSIRIS-REx Presents 321Science!

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spitz, Anna H.; Dykhuis, Melissa; Platts, Symeon; Keane, James T.; Tanquary, Hannah E.; Zellem, Robert; Hawley, Tiffany; Lauretta, Dante; Beshore, Ed; Bottke, Bill; Hergenrother, Carl; Dworkin, Jason P.; Patchell, Rose; Spitz, Sarah E.; Bentley, Zoe

2014-11-01

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission launched OSIRIS-REx Presents 321Science!, a series of short videos, in December 2013 at youtube.com/osirisrex. A multi-disciplinary team of communicators, film and graphic arts students, teens, scientists, and engineers produces one video per month on a science and engineering topic related to the OSIRIS-REx mission. The format is designed to engage all members of the public, but especially younger audiences with the science and engineering of the mission. The videos serve as a resource for team members and others, complementing more traditional formats such as formal video interviews, mission animations, and hands-on activities. In creating this new form of OSIRIS-REx engagement, we developed 321Science! as an umbrella program to encourage expansion of the concept and topics beyond the OSIRIS-REx mission through partnerships. Such an expansion strengthens and magnifies the reach of the OSIRIS-REx efforts.321Science! has a detailed proposed schedule of video production through launch in 2016. Production plans are categorized to coincide with the course of the mission beginning with Learning the basics - about asteroids and the mission - and proceeding to Building the spacecraft, Run up to launch, Cruising to Bennu, Run up to rendezvous, Mapping Bennu, Sampling, Analyzing data, Cruising home and Returning and analyzing the sample. The video library will host a combination of videos on broad science topics and short specialized concepts with an average length of 2-3 minutes. Video production also takes into account external events, such as other missions’ milestones, to draw attention to our videos. Production will remain flexible and responsive to audience interests and needs and to developments in the mission, science, and external events. As of August 2014, 321Science! videos have over 22,000 views. We use YouTube analytics to evaluate our success and we are investigating additional and more rigorous evaluation methods for future analysis.

Optimal decision making and matching are tied through diminishing returns

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

How individuals make decisions has been a matter of long-standing debate among economists and researchers in the life sciences. In economics, subjects are viewed as optimal decision makers who maximize their overall reward income. This framework has been widely influential, but requires a complete knowledge of the reward contingencies associated with a given choice situation. Psychologists and ecologists have observed that individuals tend to use a simpler “matching” strategy, distributing their behavior in proportion to relative rewards associated with their options. This article demonstrates that the two dominant frameworks of choice behavior are linked through the law of diminishing returns. The relatively simple matching can in fact provide maximal reward when the rewards associated with decision makers’ options saturate with the invested effort. Such saturating relationships between reward and effort are hallmarks of the law of diminishing returns. Given the prevalence of diminishing returns in nature and social settings, this finding can explain why humans and animals so commonly behave according to the matching law. The article underscores the importance of the law of diminishing returns in choice behavior. PMID:28739920

Optimal decision making and matching are tied through diminishing returns.

PubMed

Kubanek, Jan

2017-08-08

How individuals make decisions has been a matter of long-standing debate among economists and researchers in the life sciences. In economics, subjects are viewed as optimal decision makers who maximize their overall reward income. This framework has been widely influential, but requires a complete knowledge of the reward contingencies associated with a given choice situation. Psychologists and ecologists have observed that individuals tend to use a simpler "matching" strategy, distributing their behavior in proportion to relative rewards associated with their options. This article demonstrates that the two dominant frameworks of choice behavior are linked through the law of diminishing returns. The relatively simple matching can in fact provide maximal reward when the rewards associated with decision makers' options saturate with the invested effort. Such saturating relationships between reward and effort are hallmarks of the law of diminishing returns. Given the prevalence of diminishing returns in nature and social settings, this finding can explain why humans and animals so commonly behave according to the matching law. The article underscores the importance of the law of diminishing returns in choice behavior.

Return to sport following clavicle fractures: a systematic review.

PubMed

Robertson, G A J; Wood, A M

2016-09-01

This review aims to provide information on the return rates and return times to sport following clavicle fractures. A systematic search of Medline, EMBASE, CINAHAL, Cochrane, Web of Science, PEDro, SPORTDiscus, Scopus and Google Scholar was performed using the keywords 'clavicle', 'clavicular', 'fractures', 'athletes', 'sports', 'non-operative', 'conservative', 'operative', 'return to sport'. Twenty-three studies were included: 10 reported on mid-shaft fractures, 14 on lateral fractures. The management principles for athletic patients were to attempt non-operative management for undisplaced fractures to undertake operative intervention for displaced lateral fractures and to recommend operative intervention for displaced mid-shaft fractures. The optimal surgical modality for mid-shaft and lateral clavicle fractures. Operative management of displaced mid-shaft fractures offers improved return rates and times to sport compared to non-operative management. Suture fixation and non-acromio-clavicular joint (ACJ)-spanning plate fixation of displaced lateral fractures show promising results. Future prospective studies should aim to establish the optimal treatment modalities for clavicle fractures. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Employee Perception of Breastfeeding-Friendly Support and Benefits of Breastfeeding as a Predictor of Intention to Use Breast-Pumping Breaks After Returning to Work Among Employed Mothers

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Abstract Background: Although increasing numbers of large companies are complying with demands for a breastfeeding-friendly workplace by providing lactation rooms and breast-pumping breaks, the effectiveness for intention to use breast-pumping breaks to express breast milk among employed mothers is uncertain. To explore the impact of employees' perceived breastfeeding support from the workplace and the benefits of breastfeeding on a woman's intention to use breast-pumping breaks after returning to work, we conducted a survey at a female labor-intensive electronics manufacturer in Taiwan. Subjects and Methods: A structured questionnaire survey was administered to 715 working mothers employed in an electronics manufacturing plant in Tainan Science Park in Southern Taiwan. Questionnaire content included female employee demographics, employment characteristics, and breastfeeding behavior after returning to work, as well as employees' perception of breastfeeding-friendly support and awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding when raising their most recently born child. Results: Higher education (odds ratio [OR] 2.33), non–clean room worksite (OR 1.51), awareness of breast-pumping breaks (OR 4.70), encouragement by colleagues to use breast-pumping breaks (OR 1.76), and greater awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding (OR 1.08) were significant predictors of the use of breast-pumping breaks after returning to work, whereas the perception of inefficiency when using breast-pumping breaks reduced an employed mother's intention to use breast-pumping breaks (OR 0.55). Conclusions: This study finds an association between an appreciation of the benefits provided by the employer and the likelihood of increased usage of breastfeeding breaks. Workplaces and employers can help employed mothers to understand the benefits of breastfeeding, which may increase the intention of the mother to take breast-pumping breaks after returning to work. PMID:24304034

Overview and Updated Status of the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abell, Paul; Mazanek, Daniel D.; Reeves, David M.; Chodas, Paul; Gates, Michele; Johnson, Lindley N.; Ticker, Ronald

2016-10-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is developing a mission to visit a large near-Earth asteroid (NEA), collect a multi-ton boulder and regolith samples from its surface, demonstrate a planetary defense technique known as the enhanced gravity tractor, and return the asteroidal material to a stable orbit around the Moon. Once returned to cislunar space in the mid-2020s, astronauts will explore the boulder and return to Earth with samples. This Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) is part of NASA's plan to advance the technologies, capabilities, and spaceflight experience needed for a human mission to the Martian system in the 2030s and other destinations, as well as provide other broader benefits. Subsequent human and robotic missions to the asteroidal material would also be facilitated by its return to cislunar space. Although ARM is primarily a capability demonstration mission (i.e., technologies and associated operations), there exist significant opportunities to advance our knowledge of small bodies in the synergistic areas of science, planetary defense, asteroidal resources and in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), and capability and technology demonstrations. Current plans are for the robotic mission to be launched in late 2021 with the crewed mission segment conducted using an Orion capsule via a Space Launch System rocket in 2026. In order to maximize the knowledge return from the mission, NASA is providing accommodations for payloads to be carried on the robotic segment of the mission and also organizing an ARM Investigation Team. The Investigation Team will be comprised of scientists, technologists, and other qualified and interested individuals from US industry, government, academia, and international institutions to help plan the implementation and execution of ARM. The presentation will provide a mission overview and the most recent update concerning the robotic and crewed segments of ARM, including the mission requirements, and potential NEA targets. Details about the mission operations for each segment will also be provided along with a discussion of the potential opportunities associated with the mission.

Returning to sport after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in amateur sports men: a retrospective study.

PubMed

Notarnicola, Angela; Maccagnano, Giuseppe; Barletta, Federico; Ascatigno, Leonardo; Astuto, Leopoldo; Panella, Antonio; Tafuri, Silvio; Moretti, Biagio

2016-01-01

According to the literature, 95% of professional athletes return to their sport after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery. The main objective of this study was to verify the return to sport after ACL reconstruction in a homogenous group of amateur sportsmen and sportswomen in a series of Italian patients. We designed a retrospective study in which we analyzed the amateur sports patients operated for ACL reconstruction. We verified whether they had returned to sporting activities by comparing the pre- and post-operative Tegner activity scores. We then analyzed the average time to restart the sporting activity and the Lysholm and International Knee Documenting Committee (IKDC) scores. We analyzed 80 subjects: 47.5% restarted a sports activity, on average after eight months, with a significant reduction of their competitive level or physical commitment, as expressed by the Tegner activity score (pre-operative: 6.9; post-operative: 3.9; p<0.01). The functional knee recovery was good, as expressed by the average score of the Lyshom Knee Scoring Scale (93.5) and the IKDC (74.7). In the literature, a return to sport for international case studies and amateur sports is higher than our data. In our population we found the lack of information provided by the medical staff at discharge and follow-up. The assessment at a short-term follow up allowed us to verify that at the end of the post-surgical rehabilitation program the patients were uninformed about the timing and the ability to resume a sporting activity. An efficacious relationship between orthopedic doctor, physiotherapist and a doctor in motorial science may ensure proper treatment the patient after ACL reconstruction. It is important to guarantee the restarting of the sports activity to have a better quality of life in amateur sports. Level of evidence: V.

Returning to sport after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in amateur sports men: a retrospective study

PubMed Central

Notarnicola, Angela; Maccagnano, Giuseppe; Barletta, Federico; Ascatigno, Leonardo; Astuto, Leopoldo; Panella, Antonio; Tafuri, Silvio; Moretti, Biagio

2016-01-01

Summary Background According to the literature, 95% of professional athletes return to their sport after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery. The main objective of this study was to verify the return to sport after ACL reconstruction in a homogenous group of amateur sportsmen and sportswomen in a series of Italian patients. Materials and methods We designed a retrospective study in which we analyzed the amateur sports patients operated for ACL reconstruction. We verified whether they had returned to sporting activities by comparing the pre- and post-operative Tegner activity scores. We then analyzed the average time to restart the sporting activity and the Lysholm and International Knee Documenting Committee (IKDC) scores. Results We analyzed 80 subjects: 47.5% restarted a sports activity, on average after eight months, with a significant reduction of their competitive level or physical commitment, as expressed by the Tegner activity score (pre-operative: 6.9; post-operative: 3.9; p<0.01). The functional knee recovery was good, as expressed by the average score of the Lyshom Knee Scoring Scale (93.5) and the IKDC (74.7). Conclusions In the literature, a return to sport for international case studies and amateur sports is higher than our data. In our population we found the lack of information provided by the medical staff at discharge and follow-up. The assessment at a short-term follow up allowed us to verify that at the end of the post-surgical rehabilitation program the patients were uninformed about the timing and the ability to resume a sporting activity. An efficacious relationship between orthopedic doctor, physiotherapist and a doctor in motorial science may ensure proper treatment the patient after ACL reconstruction. It is important to guarantee the restarting of the sports activity to have a better quality of life in amateur sports. Level of evidence: V. PMID:28217571

Space-to-Ground: Prepping for a Spacewalk: 01/19/2018

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-01-18

Some station science has successfully returned to Earth, and crewmembers are gearing up for a pair of spacewalks. NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station.

Science Drivers for Multiwavelength Investigations Using the New Gamma-Ray Observatories and Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, Dave

2007-01-01

This viewgraph presentation discusses the need for multiwavelength research in terms of types of observation facilities, advances in communication, astrophysics vs. astronomy, and maximizing the scientific return from new gamma-ray facilities.

Geolab Results from Three Years of Analog Mission Tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, Cindy A.; Bell, M. S.; Calaway, M. J.

2013-01-01

GeoLab is a prototype glovebox for geological sample examination that was, until November 2012, fully integrated into NASA's Deep Space Habitat Analog Testbed [1,2]. GeoLab allowed us to test science operations related to contained sample examination during simulated exploration missions. The facility, shown in Figure 1 and described elsewhere [1-4], was designed for fostering the development of both instrument technology and operational concepts for sample handling and examination during future missions [3-5]. Even though we recently deintegrated the glovebox from the Deep Space Habitat (Fig. 2), it continues to provide a high-fidelity workspace for testing instruments that could be used for sample characterization. As a testbed, GeoLab supports the development of future science operations that will enhance the early scientific returns from exploration missions, and will help ensure selection of the best samples for Earth return.

Returning Samples from Enceladus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsou, P.; Kanik, I.; Brownlee, D.; McKay, C.; Anbar, A.; Glavin, D.; Yano, H.

2012-12-01

From the first half century of space exploration, we have obtained samples only from the Moon, comet Wild 2, the Solar Wind and the asteroid Itokawa. The in-depth analyses of these samples in terrestrial laboratories have yielded profound knowledge that could not have been obtained without the returned samples. While obtaining samples from Solar System bodies is crucial science, it is rarely done due to cost and complexity. Cassini's discovery of geysers on Enceladus and organic materials, indicate that there is an exceptional opportunity and science rational to do a low-cost flyby sample return mission, similar to what was done by the Stardust. The earliest low cost possible flight opportunity is the next Discovery Mission [Tsou et al 2012]. Enceladus Plume Discovery - While Voyager provided evidence for young surfaces on Enceladus, the existence of Enceladus plumes was discovered by Cassini. Enceladus and comets are the only known solar system bodies that have jets enabling sample collection without landing or surface contact. Cassini in situ Findings -Cassini's made many discoveries at Saturn, including the break up of large organics in the plumes of Enceladus. Four prime criteria for habitability are liquid water, a heat source, organics and nitrogen [McKay et al. 2008, Waite et al. 2009, Postberg et al. 2011]. Out of all the NASA designated habitability targets, Enceladus is the single body that presents evidence for all four criteria. Significant advancement in the exploration of the biological potential of Enceladus can be made on returned samples in terrestrial laboratories where the full power of state-of-the-art laboratory instrumentation and procedures can be used. Without serious limits on power, mass or even cost, terrestrial laboratories provide the ultimate in analytical capability, adaptability, reproducibility and reliability. What Questions can Samples Address? - Samples collected from the Enceladus plume will enable a thorough and replicated search for chemical biosignatures to understand the habitability potential of the subsurface ocean of Enceladus [Glavin et al. 2011]. By assessing the chiral excess among different amino acids, identifying chains of amino acids, isolate distinct sequences of these chains and the same for nucleic acids, we can formulate a new set of hypotheses to address some of the key science questions required for investigating the stage of extraterrestrial life at Enceladus beyond the four factors of habitability. Criticality of Analyses - For extraterrestrial organic matter analyses such as chirality and compound-specific isotopes, the repeatable robustness of laboratory measurements is a necessity. These analyses require a series of chemical extraction and derivatization steps prior to analysis that is adapted to the sample and procedures results-driven. The Stardust mission is an excellent example of the challenges in the analysis of organics. Confirmation of the cometary origin of the amino acid glycine from comet Wild 2 was obtained 3 years after the samples were returned to Earth. This long period of laboratory development allowed several modifications to the extraction protocol, multiple analytical techniques and instrumentations. Reference: Tsou et al., Astrobiology, in press 2012. McKay et al. Astrobiology 2008. Waite et al. Nature V 460 I 7254, 2009. Postberg et al. EPSC 642P 2011. Glavin et al., LPSC, #5002, 2011.

Matrix evaluation of science objectives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wessen, Randii R.

1994-01-01

The most fundamental objective of all robotic planetary spacecraft is to return science data. To accomplish this, a spacecraft is fabricated and built, software is planned and coded, and a ground system is designed and implemented. However, the quantitative analysis required to determine how the collection of science data drives ground system capabilities has received very little attention. This paper defines a process by which science objectives can be quantitatively evaluated. By applying it to the Cassini Mission to Saturn, this paper further illustrates the power of this technique. The results show which science objectives drive specific ground system capabilities. In addition, this process can assist system engineers and scientists in the selection of the science payload during pre-project mission planning; ground system designers during ground system development and implementation; and operations personnel during mission operations.

A quantitative study of the summer slide in science of elementary school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donovan, Giovanna Guadagno

Concerned parents and educators agree children learn best when the rhythm of instruction is continuous with practice and application of skills. Long summer breaks may interrupt the flow of formal school learning leading some students to forget previous instruction. A review of the previous school work is generally required in the fall upon return from the summer vacation. Investigating summer vacation and equity issues, Jamar (1994) noted that more affluent students may "return to school in the fall with a considerable educational advantage over their less advantaged peers as a result of either additional school-related learning, or lower levels of forgetting, over the summer months (p. 1)". The population of 402 fifth grade students from a suburban New England school district participated in this study. The district administered the science subtest of the TerraNova 2 (TN2) assessment in late May 2007 (pre-test data) and in September 2007 (post-test data). These archived data, including gender and student socioeconomic status (SES) levels (as referenced by free or reduced lunch status), were analyzed for an ex-post facto causal comparison study to identify the phenomenon of summer slide in science of fifth graders enrolled in six elementary schools. The ANOVA statistical model was used calculating the repeated measures factor of time (pre/post summer vacation) on the science content area. Subsequent two-way ANOVAS, with one repeated-measures factor (time of testing) explored the existence of similar/different patterns by gender and by SES levels. Two questions guided this study. First, does the summer slide phenomenon exist in science education? Second, if the summer slide in science phenomenon exists in science education, then does SES impact it? Does the summer slide in science phenomenon differ between genders? Findings suggest that the summer slide phenomenon exists in science; SES and gender does not affect the overall science test scores. However, SES impacts the summer slide phenomenon in science but gender does not impact summer slide in science. Furthermore, the school does not statistically impact the summer slide phenomenon in science and the impact of school does not differ across SES and genders.

Rates and Determinants of Return to Play After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Soccer Athletes: A Study of the Southeastern Conference.

PubMed

Howard, Jennifer S; Lembach, Mark L; Metzler, Adam V; Johnson, Darren L

2016-02-01

Factors and details regarding return to play in elite, collegiate female soccer athletes after an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and reconstruction have not been well studied. To evaluate return to play among collegiate female soccer players, specifically examining the effect of surgical and individual athlete characteristics on the return-to-play rate. Descriptive epidemiology study. Sports medicine and athletic training staff at institutions from the National Collegiate Athletic Association Southeastern Conference (SEC) were contacted to request participation in the study. All institutions were sent a standardized spreadsheet with response choices and instructions regarding athlete inclusion criteria. Athlete, injury, surgical technique, and return-to-play data were requested for ACL reconstructions performed on female soccer athletes at the participating institutions over the previous 8 years. χ(2) analyses were used to compare the return-to-play rate by year in school, scholarship status, position, depth chart status, procedure, graft type, graft fixation, concomitant procedures, and previous ACL injuries. All 14 of the SEC institutions chose to participate and provided data. A total of 80 ACL injuries were reported, with 79 surgical reconstructions and return-to-play data for 78 collegiate soccer athletes. The overall return-to-play rate was 85%. There was a statistical significance in return-to-play rates favoring athletes in earlier years of eligibility versus later years (P < .001). Athletes in eligibility years 4 and 5 combined had a return-to-play rate of only 40%. Scholarship status likewise showed significance (P < .001), demonstrating a higher return-to-play rate for scholarship athletes (91%) versus nonscholarship athletes (46%). No significant differences in return-to-play rates were observed based on surgical factors, including concomitant knee procedures, graft type, and graft fixation method. Collegiate female soccer athletes have a high initial return-to-play rate. Undergoing ACL reconstruction earlier in the college career as well as the presence of a scholarship had a positive effect on return to play. Surgical factors including graft type, fixation method, tunnel placement technique, concomitant knee surgeries, and revision status demonstrated no significant effect on the return-to-play rate. © 2015 The Author(s).

Heliophysics Science and the Moon: Potential Solar and Space Physics Science for Lunar Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

This report addresses both these features new science enabled by NASAs exploration initiative and enabling science that is critical to ensuring a safe return to the Moon and onward to Mars. The areas of interest are structured into four main themes: Theme 1: Heliophysics Science of the Moon Studies of the Moons unique magnetodynamic plasma environment. Theme 2: Space Weather, Safeguarding the Journey Studies aimed at developing a predictive capability for space weather hazards. Theme 3: The Moon as a Historical Record Studies of the variation of the lunar regolith to uncover the history of the Sun, solar system, local interstellar medium, galaxy, and universe. Theme 4: The Moon as a Heliophysics Science Platform Using the unique environment of the lunar surface as a platform to provide observations beneficial to advancing heliophysics science.

New Development in NASA's Rodent Research Hardware for Conducting Long Duration Biomedical and Basic Research in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shirazi-Fard, Y.; Choi, S.; Harris, C.; Gong, C.; Beegle, J. E.; Stube, K. C.; Martin, K. J.; Nevitt, R. G.; Globus, R. G.

2017-01-01

Animal models, particularly rodents, are the foundation of pre-clinical research to understand human diseases and evaluate new therapeutics, and play a key role in advancing biomedical discoveries both on Earth and in space. The National Research Councils Decadal survey emphasized the importance of expanding NASAs life sciences research to perform long duration, rodent experiments on the International Space Station (ISS). To accomplish this objective, flight hardware, operations, and science capabilities were developed at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) to enhance science return for both commercial (CASIS) and government-sponsored rodent research. The Rodent Research program at NASA ARC has pioneered a new research capability on the International Space Station and has progressed toward translating research to the ISS utilizing commercial rockets, collaborating with academia and science industry, while training crewmembers to assist in performing research on orbit. Throughout phases of these missions, our practices, hardware and operations have evolved from tested to developed standards, and we are able to modify and customize our procedure and operations for mission specific requirements. The Rodent Research Habitat is capable of providing a living environment for animals on ISS according to standard animal welfare requirements. Using the cameras in the Habitat, the Rodent Research team has the ability to perform daily health checks on animals, and further analyze the collected videos for behavioral studies. A recent development of the Rodent Research hardware is inclusion of enrichment, to provide the animals the ability to rest and huddle. The Enrichment Hut is designed carefully for adult mice (up to 35 week old) within animal welfare, engineering, and operations constraints. The Hut is made out of the same stainless steel mesh as the cage interior, it has an ingress and an egress to allow animals move freely, and a hinge door to allow crewmembers remove the animals easily. The Rodent Research team has also developed Live Animal Return (LAR) capability, which will be implemented during Rodent Research-5 mission for the first time. The animals will be transported from the Habitat to a Transporter, which will return on the Dragon capsule and splashes down in the Pacific Ocean. Once SpaceX retrieves the Dragon, all powered payloads will be transferred to a SeaVan and transferred to the Long Beach pier. The NASA team then receives the transporter and delivers to a PI-designated laboratory within 120 mile radius of Long Beach. This is a significant improvement allowing researchers to examine animals within 72 hrs. of reentry or to conduct recovery experiments. Together, the hardware improvements and experience that the Rodent Research team has gained working with principal investigators and ISS crew to conduct complex experiments on orbit are expanding capabilities for long duration rodent research on the ISS to achieve both basic science and biomedical objectives.

The Lunar Transit Telescope (LTT) - An early lunar-based science and engineering mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcgraw, John T.

1992-01-01

The Sentinel, the soft-landed lunar telescope of the LTT project, is described. The Sentinel is a two-meter telescope with virtually no moving parts which accomplishes an imaging survey of the sky over almost five octaves of the electromagnetic spectrum from the ultraviolet into the infrared, with an angular resolution better than 0.1 arsec/pixel. The Sentinel will incorporate innovative techniques of interest for future lunar-based telescopes and will return significant engineering data which can be incorporated into future lunar missions. The discussion covers thermal mapping of the Sentinel, measurement of the cosmic ray flux, lunar dust, micrometeoroid flux, the lunar atmosphere, and lunar regolith stability and seismic activity.

Conducting On-orbit Gene Expression Analysis on ISS: WetLab-2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parra, Macarena; Almeida, Eduardo; Boone, Travis; Jung, Jimmy; Lera, Matthew P.; Ricco, Antonio; Souza, Kenneth; Wu, Diana; Richey, C. Scott

2013-01-01

WetLab-2 will enable expanded genomic research on orbit by developing tools that support in situ sample collection, processing, and analysis on ISS. This capability will reduce the time-to-results for investigators and define new pathways for discovery on the ISS National Lab. The primary objective is to develop a research platform on ISS that will facilitate real-time quantitative gene expression analysis of biological samples collected on orbit. WetLab-2 will be capable of processing multiple sample types ranging from microbial cultures to animal tissues dissected on orbit. WetLab-2 will significantly expand the analytical capabilities onboard ISS and enhance science return from ISS.

Risk of Behaviors Associated with Lethal Violence and Functional Outcomes for Abused Women Who Do and Do Not Return to the Abuser Following a Community-Based Intervention

PubMed Central

Nava, Angeles; Gilroy, Heidi; Maddoux, John

2015-01-01

Abstract Background: To determine the differential risk of behaviors associated with lethal violence and functioning outcomes for abused women with children who received an intervention of shelter or justice services and return to the abuser were compared with women who did not return. Methods: The study was carried out using a matched-pair analysis of 152 women. Measures of risk of behaviors associated with lethal violence, type, and severity of abuse, and poor mental health symptoms were measured every 4 months for 24 months. Results: Irrespective of service used, women returning to the abuser reported significantly (p<0.001) more risk of behaviors associated with lethal violence compared to women who did not return. Additionally, severity of physical abuse was significantly higher (p<0.01) for women returning to the abuser who had been in a shelter but not for women who received a protection order. Similarly, levels of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and anxiety were significantly higher (p<0.01) for sheltered women who returned to the abuser but not for women using a protection order who returned. Conclusions: Risk of behaviors associated with lethal violence increases when abused women return to live with the abuser. Abused women should be informed of the heightened risk and greater probability for poor mental health. PMID:25714332

Risk of behaviors associated with lethal violence and functional outcomes for abused women who do and do not return to the abuser following a community-based intervention.

PubMed

McFarlane, Judith; Nava, Angeles; Gilroy, Heidi; Maddoux, John

2015-04-01

To determine the differential risk of behaviors associated with lethal violence and functioning outcomes for abused women with children who received an intervention of shelter or justice services and return to the abuser were compared with women who did not return. The study was carried out using a matched-pair analysis of 152 women. Measures of risk of behaviors associated with lethal violence, type, and severity of abuse, and poor mental health symptoms were measured every 4 months for 24 months. Irrespective of service used, women returning to the abuser reported significantly (p<0.001) more risk of behaviors associated with lethal violence compared to women who did not return. Additionally, severity of physical abuse was significantly higher (p<0.01) for women returning to the abuser who had been in a shelter but not for women who received a protection order. Similarly, levels of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and anxiety were significantly higher (p<0.01) for sheltered women who returned to the abuser but not for women using a protection order who returned. Risk of behaviors associated with lethal violence increases when abused women return to live with the abuser. Abused women should be informed of the heightened risk and greater probability for poor mental health.

Sampling Mars: Analytical requirements and work to do in advance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koeberl, Christian

1988-01-01

Sending a mission to Mars to collect samples and return them to the Earth for analysis is without doubt one of the most exciting and important tasks for planetary science in the near future. Many scientifically important questions are associated with the knowledge of the composition and structure of Martian samples. Amongst the most exciting questions is the clarification of the SNC problem- to prove or disprove a possible Martian origin of these meteorites. Since SNC meteorites have been used to infer the chemistry of the planet Mars, and its evolution (including the accretion history), it would be important to know if the whole story is true. But before addressing possible scientific results, we have to deal with the analytical requirements, and with possible pre-return work. It is unlikely to expect that a possible Mars sample return mission will bring back anything close to the amount returned by the Apollo missions. It will be more like the amount returned by the Luna missions, or at least in that order of magnitude. This requires very careful sample selection, and very precise analytical techniques. These techniques should be able to use minimal sample sizes and on the other hand optimize the scientific output. The possibility to work with extremely small samples should not obstruct another problem: possible sampling errors. As we know from terrestrial geochemical studies, sampling procedures are quite complicated and elaborate to ensure avoiding sampling errors. The significance of analyzing a milligram or submilligram sized sample and putting that in relationship with the genesis of whole planetary crusts has to be viewed with care. This leaves a dilemma on one hand, to minimize the sample size as far as possible in order to have the possibility of returning as many different samples as possible, and on the other hand to take a sample large enough to be representative. Whole rock samples are very useful, but should not exceed the 20 to 50 g range, except in cases of extreme inhomogeneity, because for larger samples the information tends to become redundant. Soil samples should be in the 2 to 10 g range, permitting the splitting of the returned samples for studies in different laboratories with variety of techniques.

Notes on a Return to the Genuine Study of the Issues of Political Life or: Steps Toward Overcoming Instructor Apathy and the Malaise of the Listless Colleges.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reeb, Richard H., Jr.

An emphasis in college level social sciences on the principles of the Declaration of Independence can provide a foundation for interdisciplinary study as well as illuminate political issues, institutions, and ends. For example, in terms of the Declaration, political science is the study of the ends of political life (security of human rights) and…

From bench to bar: careers in patent law for molecular biologists

PubMed Central

Machin, Nathan A.

2013-01-01

Leaving science to pursue a career in patent law requires a considerable investment of time and energy, and possibly money, with no guarantee of finding a job or of returning to science should the decision prove infelicitous. Yet the large number of former scientists now practicing patent law shows that it can be done. I provide suggestions for investigating the potential opportunities, costs, risks, and rewards of this career path. PMID:23813843

The Whole is Greater than the Sum of the Parts: Optimizing the Joint Science Return from LSST, Euclid and WFIRST

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

Jain, B.; Spergel, D.; Connolly, A.

2015-02-02

The scientific opportunity offered by the combination of data from LSST, WFIRST and Euclid goes well beyond the science enabled by any one of the data sets alone. The range in wavelength, angular resolution and redshift coverage that these missions jointly span is remarkable. With major investments in LSST and WFIRST, and partnership with ESA in Euclid, the US has an outstanding scientific opportunity to carry out a combined analysis of these data sets. It is imperative for us to seize it and, together with our European colleagues, prepare for the defining cosmological pursuit of the 21st century. The mainmore » argument for conducting a single, high-quality reference co-analysis exercise and carefully documenting the results is the complexity and subtlety of systematics that define this co-analysis. Falling back on many small efforts by different teams in selected fields and for narrow goals will be inefficient, leading to significant duplication of effort.« less

Influence of toroidal rotation on tearing modes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Huishan; Cao, Jintao; Li, Ding

2017-10-01

Tearing modes stability analysis including toroidal rotation is studied. It is found that rotation affects the stability of tearing modes mainly through the interaction with resistive inner region of tearing mode. The coupling of magnetic curvature with centrifugal force and Coriolis force provides a perturbed perpendicular current, and a return parallel current is induced to affect the stability of tearing modes. Toroidal rotation plays a stable role, which depends on the magnitude of Mach number and adiabatic index Γ, and is independent on the direction of toroidal rotation. For Γ >1, the scaling of growth rate is changed for typical Mach number in present tokamaks. For Γ = 1 , the scaling keeps unchanged, and the effect of toroidal rotation is much less significant, compared with that for Γ >1. National Magnetic Confinement Fusion Science Program and National Science Foundation of China under Grants No. 2014GB106004, No. 2013GB111000, No. 11375189, No. 11075161 and No. 11275260, and Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS.

KSC-2012-5717

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-10-07

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden addresses news and social media representatives at the Press Site at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida following the successful launch of NASA's first Commercial Resupply Services, or CRS-1, mission to the International Space Station. Beside him on the podium is Gwynne Shotwell, president of Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX. SpaceX built both the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule that launched at 8:35 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. SpaceX CRS-1 is an important step toward making America’s microgravity research program self-sufficient by providing a way to deliver and return significant amounts of cargo, including science experiments, to and from the orbiting laboratory. NASA has contracted for 12 commercial resupply flights from SpaceX and eight from the Orbital Sciences Corp. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/living/launch/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-5718

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-10-07

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden addresses news and social media representatives at the Press Site at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida following the successful launch of NASA's first Commercial Resupply Services, or CRS-1, mission to the International Space Station. Beside him on the podium is Gwynne Shotwell, president of Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX. SpaceX built both the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule that launched at 8:35 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. SpaceX CRS-1 is an important step toward making America’s microgravity research program self-sufficient by providing a way to deliver and return significant amounts of cargo, including science experiments, to and from the orbiting laboratory. NASA has contracted for 12 commercial resupply flights from SpaceX and eight from the Orbital Sciences Corp. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/living/launch/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-5719

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-10-07

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden addresses news and social media representatives at the Press Site at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida following the successful launch of NASA's first Commercial Resupply Services, or CRS-1, mission to the International Space Station. Beside him on the podium is Gwynne Shotwell, president of Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX. SpaceX built both the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule that launched at 8:35 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. SpaceX CRS-1 is an important step toward making America’s microgravity research program self-sufficient by providing a way to deliver and return significant amounts of cargo, including science experiments, to and from the orbiting laboratory. NASA has contracted for 12 commercial resupply flights from SpaceX and eight from the Orbital Sciences Corp. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/living/launch/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-5720

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-10-07

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Gwynne Shotwell, president of Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX, takes her turn at the podium from NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, at right. Bolden and Shotwell are addressing news and social media representatives at the Press Site at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida following the successful launch of NASA's first Commercial Resupply Services, or CRS-1, mission to the International Space Station. SpaceX built both the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule that launched at 8:35 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. SpaceX CRS-1 is an important step toward making America’s microgravity research program self-sufficient by providing a way to deliver and return significant amounts of cargo, including science experiments, to and from the orbiting laboratory. NASA has contracted for 12 commercial resupply flights from SpaceX and eight from the Orbital Sciences Corp. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/living/launch/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

A starry message from the Starry Messenger

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Francis, Michael

2011-05-01

To many the Universe is a closed book of secrets never to be read. Four hundred years ago, an unknown court mathematician in Italy opened that book and laid the foundation for modern science. Galileo Galilei turned his telescope to the heavens to discover mountains and craters on the moon, four moons of Jupiter, and countless stars never before seen. Even more significant was his method of observation and mathematical analysis. He taught future scientists the way to discover the laws of nature. In this session the professor will return to discuss some of his most recent discoveries. Using the gifts of a storyteller and actively involving the audience, Galileo will take his audience through discoveries that changed the very nature of science. First person living history programs have become a staple of informal educational institutions like museums, planetariums and libraries as well as scholastic settings. We will be examining how to use this theatrical technique to educate, entertain and bring Astronomy to life.

Designing the future: NBIC technologies and human performance enhancement.

PubMed

Canton, James

2004-05-01

Never before has any civilization had the unique opportunity to enhance human performance on the scale that we will face in the near future. The convergence of nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, and cognitive science (NBIC) is creating a set of powerful tools that have the potential to significantly enhance human performance as well as transform society, science, economics, and human evolution. As the NBIC convergence becomes more understood, the possibility that we may be able to enhance human performance in the three domains of therapy, augmentation, and designed evolution will become anticipated and even expected. In addition, NBIC convergence represents entirely new challenges for scientists, policymakers, and business leaders who will have, for the first time, vast new and powerful tools to shape markets, societies, and lifestyles. The emergence of NBIC convergence will challenge us in new ways to balance risk and return, threat and opportunity, and social responsibility and competitive advantage as we step into the 21st century.

STS-114 Flight Day 6 Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

Day 6 is a relatively quiet day for the STS-114 crew. The main responsibility for crew members of Space Shuttle Discovery (Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot James Kelly, Mission Specialists Soichi Noguchi, Stephen Robinson, Andrew Thomas, Wendy Lawrence, and Charles Camarda) and the Expedition 11 crew of the International Space Station (ISS) (Commander Sergei Krikalev and NASA ISS Science Officer and Flight Engineer John Phillips) is to unload supplies from the shuttle payload bay and from the Raffaello Multipurpose Logistics Module onto the ISS. Several of the astronauts answer interview questions from the news media, with an emphasis on the significance of their mission for the Return to Flight, shuttle damage and repair, and the future of the shuttle program. Thomas announces the winners of an essay contest for Australian students about the importance of science and mathematics education. The video includes the installation of a stowage rack for the Human Research Facility onboard the ISS, a brief description of the ISS modules, and an inverted view of the Nile Delta.

Lunar Science: Using the Moon as a Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, G. J.

1993-01-01

The Moon is an excellent test bed for innovative instruments and spacecraft. Excellent science can be done, the Moon has a convenient location, and previous measurements have calibrated many parts of it. I summarize these attributes and give some suggestions for the types of future measurements. The Lunar Scout missions planned by NASA's Office of Exploration will not make all the measurements needed. Thus, test missions to the Moon can also return significant scientific results, making them more than technology demonstrations. The Moon is close to Earth, so cruise time is insignificant, tracking is precise, and some operations can be controlled from Earth, but it is in the deep space environment, allowing full tests of instruments and spacecraft components. The existing database on the Moon allows tests of new instruments against known information. The most precise data come from lunar samples, where detailed analyses of samples from a few places on the Moon provide data on chemical and mineralogical composition and physical properties.

Seeking innovation: incentive funding for biodefense biotechs.

PubMed

Nolan, John M; Samad, Emad U; Jindra, Lawrence F; Brozak, Stephen G

2010-12-01

In the current venture capital climate, it is easier to secure funding for late-stage, next-in-class therapeutic agents than for early-stage opportunities that have the potential to advance basic science and translational medicine. This funding paradigm is particularly problematic for the development of "dual-use" biothreat countermeasures such as antibiotics, vaccines, and antitoxins that target pathogens in novel ways and that have broad public health and biodefense applications. To address this issue, we propose the creation of the Drug Development Incentive Fund (DDIF), a novel funding mechanism that can stimulate the development of first-in-class agents that also possess the capability to guard against potential biothreats. This program would also support greater synergies between public funding and private venture investment. In a single act, this organization would secure science of national importance from disappearing, invest in projects that yield significant public health returns, advance the promises of preclinical and early phase research, revitalize biopharmaceutical investment, and create valuable innovation-economy jobs.

Preliminary Surface Thermal Design of the Mars 2020 Rover

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Novak, Keith S.; Kempenaar, Jason G.; Redmond, Matthew J.; Bhandari, Pradeep

2015-01-01

The Mars 2020 rover, scheduled for launch in July 2020, is currently being designed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The Mars 2020 rover design is derived from the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover, Curiosity, which has been exploring the surface of Mars in Gale Crater for over 2.5 years. The Mars 2020 rover will carry a new science payload made up of 7 instruments. In addition, the Mars 2020 rover is responsible for collecting a sample cache of Mars regolith and rock core samples that could be returned to Earth in a future mission. Accommodation of the new payload and the Sampling Caching System (SCS) has driven significant thermal design changes from the original MSL rover design. This paper describes the similarities and differences between the heritage MSL rover thermal design and the new Mars 2020 thermal design. Modifications to the MSL rover thermal design that were made to accommodate the new payload and SCS are discussed. Conclusions about thermal design flexibility are derived from the Mars 2020 preliminary thermal design experience.

Onboard Detection of Active Canadian Sulfur Springs: A Europa Analogue

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Castano, Rebecca; Wagstaff, Kiri; Gleeson, Damhnait; Pappalardo, Robert; Chien, Steve; Tran, Daniel; Scharenbroich, Lucas; Moghaddam, Baback; Tang, Benyang; Bue, Brian;

WORK RELATED INJURY AND ILLNESS: EXPLORING THE RETURN-TO-WORK PROGRAM IN MALAYSIA.

PubMed

Awang, Halimah; Mansor, Norma; Rodrigo, Shamsulbahriah K A

2015-11-01

Illness and injury have a significant impact on employees, their families and employers. The consequences faced by an injured worker could lead to disability, which could then lead to inability to work. This study examined the patterns of the Return to Work (RTW) using data from The Social Security Organisation (SOCSO) of Malaysia RTW database from 2010 to 2013. Factors of successful return to work, employees' salary upon returning to formal employment were also investigated. Gender, age, year of injury, industry, and job hierarchy were found to be significant predictors of employees' salary upon returning to work. Although there are other costs involved on the part of employers and employees, themselves, in the long term the financial returns that can be brought back by injured workers who have successfully returned to work combined with the qualitative benefits substantially outweighs the costs of RTW program.

The effect of sterilization on biological, organic geochemical and morphological information in natural samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hochstein, L. I.; Kvenvolden, K. A.; Philpott, D. E.

1974-01-01

The loss of biological, organic geochemical, and morphological science information that may occur should a Mars surface sample be sterilized prior to return to earth is examined. Results of experimental studies are summarized.

CIRS-lite: A Fourier Transform Spectrometer for a Future Mission to Titan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brasunas, John C.; Flasar, F. Michael; Jennings, Donald E.

2009-01-01

The CIRS FTS, aboard the NASA/ESA Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn, has been returning exciting science since 2004. CIRS-lire, a lightweight CIRS successor, is being designed for a follow-up Titan mission.

Fermilab Friends for Science Education Store

Science.gov Websites

Refunds Fermilab Refund Policy: Refunds are allowed for 30 days after you purchase your product. Please send an email to ffse-store@fnal.gov with your name, item(s), and the date of purchase, and return

ILEWG report and discussion on Lunar Science and Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foing, Bernard

2015-04-01

The EGU PS2.2 session "Lunar Science and Exploration" will include oral papers and posters, and a series of discussions. Members of ILEWG International Lunar Exploration Working Group will debate: - Recent lunar results: geochemistry, geophysics in the context of open - Celebrating the lunar legacy of pioneers Gerhard Neukum, Colin Pillinger and Manfred Fuchs planetary science and exploration - Latest results from LADEE and Chang'e 3/4 - Synthesis of results from SMART-1, Kaguya, Chang-E1 and Chang-E2, Chandrayaan-1, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and LCROSS impactor, Artemis and GRAIL - Goals and Status of missions under preparation: orbiters, Luna-Glob, Google Lunar X Prize, Luna Resurs, Chang'E 5, Future landers, Lunar sample return - Precursor missions, instruments and investigations for landers, rovers, sample return, and human cis-lunar activities and human lunar sorties - Preparation: databases, instruments, terrestrial field campaigns - The future international lunar exploration programme towards ILEWG roadmap of a global robotic village and permanent international lunar base - The proposals for an International Lunar Decade and International Lunar Research Parks - Strategic Knowledge Gaps, and key science Goals relevant to Human Lunar Global Exploration Lunar science and exploration are developing further with new and exciting missions being developed by China, the US, Japan, India, Russia, Korea and Europe, and with the perspective of robotic and human exploration. The session will include invited and contributed talks as well as a panel discussion and interactive posters with short oral introduction.

A Dual Launch Robotic and Human Lunar Mission Architecture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, David L.; Mulqueen, Jack; Percy, Tom; Griffin, Brand; Smitherman, David

2010-01-01

This paper describes a comprehensive lunar exploration architecture developed by Marshall Space Flight Center's Advanced Concepts Office that features a science-based surface exploration strategy and a transportation architecture that uses two launches of a heavy lift launch vehicle to deliver human and robotic mission systems to the moon. The principal advantage of the dual launch lunar mission strategy is the reduced cost and risk resulting from the development of just one launch vehicle system. The dual launch lunar mission architecture may also enhance opportunities for commercial and international partnerships by using expendable launch vehicle services for robotic missions or development of surface exploration elements. Furthermore, this architecture is particularly suited to the integration of robotic and human exploration to maximize science return. For surface operations, an innovative dual-mode rover is presented that is capable of performing robotic science exploration as well as transporting human crew conducting surface exploration. The dual-mode rover can be deployed to the lunar surface to perform precursor science activities, collect samples, scout potential crew landing sites, and meet the crew at a designated landing site. With this approach, the crew is able to evaluate the robotically collected samples to select the best samples for return to Earth to maximize the scientific value. The rovers can continue robotic exploration after the crew leaves the lunar surface. The transportation system for the dual launch mission architecture uses a lunar-orbit-rendezvous strategy. Two heavy lift launch vehicles depart from Earth within a six hour period to transport the lunar lander and crew elements separately to lunar orbit. In lunar orbit, the crew transfer vehicle docks with the lander and the crew boards the lander for descent to the surface. After the surface mission, the crew returns to the orbiting transfer vehicle for the return to the Earth. This paper describes a complete transportation architecture including the analysis of transportation element options and sensitivities including: transportation element mass to surface landed mass; lander propellant options; and mission crew size. Based on this analysis, initial design concepts for the launch vehicle, crew module and lunar lander are presented. The paper also describes how the dual launch lunar mission architecture would fit into a more general overarching human space exploration philosophy that would allow expanded application of mission transportation elements for missions beyond the Earth-moon realm.

Maximizing Science Return from Future Rodent Experiments on the International Space Station (ISS): Tissue Preservation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choi, S. Y.; Lai, S.; Klotz, R.; Popova, Y.; Chakravarty, K.; Beegle, J. E.; Wigley, C. L.; Globus, R. K.

2014-01-01

To better understand how mammals adapt to long duration habitation in space, a system for performing rodent experiments on the ISS is under development. Rodent Research-1 is the first flight and will include validation of both on-orbit animal support and tissue preservation. To evaluate plans for on-orbit sample dissection and preservation, we simulated conditions for euthanasia, tissue dissection, and prolonged sample storage on the ISS, and we also developed methods for post-flight dissection and recovery of high quality RNA from multiple tissues following prolonged storage in situ for future science return. Livers and spleens from mice were harvested under conditions that simulated nominal, on-orbit euthanasia and dissection procedures including storage at minus 80 degrees Centigrade for 4 months. The RNA recovered was of high quality (RNA Integrity Number, RNA Integrity Number (RIN) greater than 8) and quantity, and the liver enzyme contents and activities (catalase, glutathione reductase, GAPDH) were similar to positive controls, which were collected under standard laboratory conditions. We also assessed the impact of possible delayed on-orbit dissection scenarios (off-nominal) by dissecting and preserving the spleen (RNA, later) and liver (fast-freezing) at various time points post-euthanasia (from 5 minutes up to 105 minutes). The RNA recovered was of high quality (spleen, RIN greater than 8; liver, RIN greater than 6) and liver enzyme activities were similar to positive controls at all time points, although an apparent decline in select enzyme activities was evident at 105 minutes. Additionally, various tissues were harvested from either intact or partially dissected, frozen carcasses after storage for approximately 2 months; most of the tissues (brain, heart, kidney, eye, adrenal glands and muscle) were of acceptable RNA quality for science return, whereas some tissues (small intestine, bone marrow and bones) were not. These data demonstrate: 1) The protocols developed for future flight experiments will support science return despite delayed preservation post-euthanasia or prolonged storage, and 2) High-quality RNA samples from many different tissues can be recovered by dissection following prolonged storage of the tissue in situ at minus 80 degrees Centigrade. These findings have relevance both to high-value, ground-based experiments when sample collection capability is severely constrained, and to future spaceflight experiments that entail on-orbit sample recovery by the ISS crew.

Genesis: Removing Contamination from Sample Collectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lauer, H. V.; McNamara, K. M.; Westphal, Andrew; Butterworth, A. L.; Burnett, D. S.; Jurewicz, A.; Woolum, D.; Allton, J. H.

2005-01-01

The Genesis mission returned to Earth on September 8, 2004, experiencing a non-nominal reentry. The parachutes which were supposed to slow and stabilize the capsule throughout the return failed to deploy, causing the capsule to impact the desert floor at a speed of nearly 200 MPH. Both the science canister and the major components of the SRC were returned before nightfall on September 8 to the prestaged cleanroom at UTTR , avoiding prolonged exposure or pending weather changes which might further contaminate the samples. The majority of the contaminants introduced as a result of the anomalous landing were in the form of particulates, including UTTR dust and soil, carbon-carbon heat shield material, and shattered collector dust (primarily silicon and germanium). Additional information is included in the original extended abstract.

Selecting a landing site of astrobiological interest for Mars landers and sample return missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wills, D.; Monaghan, E.; Foing, B. H.

2008-09-01

Abstract The landscape of Mars, despite its apparent hostility to life, is riddled with geological and mineralogical signs of past or present hydrological activity. As such, it is a key target for astrobiological exploration. There are, however, many factors that will need to be considered when planning in-situ and sample return missions, if these missions are indeed to adequately exploit the science potential of this intriguing world. These will not only take into account the environment of the landing site in terms of topography and ambient atmosphere etc., but also the geochemical make up of the surface regolith, evidence of hydrological processes and various other considerations. The knowledge base in all aspects of Martian science is being added to on an almost daily basis, and the aim of this work is to combine data and studies to nominate top priority landing locations for the search for evidence of life on Mars. We report in particular on science and technical criteria and our data analysis for sites of astrobiological interest. This includes information from previous missions (such as Mars Express, MGS, Odyssey, MRO and MER rovers) on mineralogical composition, geomorphology, evidence from past water history from imaging and spectroscopic data, and existence of in-situ prior information from landers and rovers (concerning evidences for volatiles, organics and habitability conditions). We discuss key mission objectives, and assess what sort of sites should be targeted in the light of these. We consider the accessibility of chosen locations, taking into account difficulties presented in accessing the polar regions and other regions of high altitude. We describe what additional measurements are needed, and outline the technical and scientific operations requirements of such in-situ landers and sample return missions. Approach In the first step of this study we focus on the science objectives of in-situ and sample return missions to Mars. We investigate the evidence for extinct or extant life, propose a criteria for astrobiological interest, and characterise landing sites in the light of this criteria. This first step thus focuses on the question of where such missions should land, and why. In the second step, we extend this analysis into utilising real data to design mission scenarios for each of the proposed sites. This further step takes into account the safety, instruments and payloads, as well as the technological and engineering constraints of such missions. In this way, the second step addresses the question of what could be done, and how, once the landing sites have been chosen. In the final step we conduct a comparative study of in-situ and sample return missions with reference to the candidate sites.

Venture capital on a shoestring: Bioventures’ pioneering life sciences fund in South Africa

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Since 2000, R&D financing for global health has increased significantly, with innovative proposals for further increases. However, although venture capital (VC) funding has fostered life sciences businesses across the developed world, its application in the developing world and particularly in Africa is relatively new. Is VC feasible in the African context, to foster the development and application of local health innovation? As the most industrially advanced African nation, South Africa serves as a test case for life sciences venture funding. This paper analyzes Bioventures, the first VC company focused on life sciences investment in sub-Saharan Africa. The case study method was used to analyze the formation, operation, and investment support of Bioventures, and to suggest lessons for future health venture funds in Africa that aim to develop health-oriented innovations. Discussion The modest financial success of Bioventures in challenging circumstances has demonstrated a proof of concept that life sciences VC can work in the region. Beyond providing funds, support given to investees included board participation, contacts, and strategic services. Bioventures had to be proactive in finding and supporting good health R&D. Due to the fund’s small size, overhead and management expenses were tightly constrained. Bioventures was at times unable to make follow-on investments, being forced instead to give up equity to raise additional capital, and to sell health investments earlier than might have been optimal. With the benefit of hindsight, the CFO of Bioventures felt that partnering with a larger fund might benefit similar future funds. Being better linked to market intelligence and other entrepreneurial investors was also seen as an unmet need. Summary BioVentures has learned lessons about how the traditional VC model might evolve to tackle health challenges facing Africa, including how to raise funds and educate investors; how to select, value, and support investments; and how to understand the balance between financial and social returns. The experience of the fund suggests that future health funds targeting ailments of the poor might require investors that accept health benefits as part of their overall “return.” Learning from Bioventures may help develop health innovation funding for sub-Saharan African that has combined health, financial, and economic development impacts. PMID:21144079

Comet nucleus sample return mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

A comet nucleus sample return mission in terms of its relevant science objectives, candidate mission concepts, key design/technology requirements, and programmatic issues is discussed. The primary objective was to collect a sample of undisturbed comet material from beneath the surface of an active comet and to preserve its chemical and, if possible, its physical integrity and return it to Earth in a minimally altered state. The secondary objectives are to: (1) characterize the comet to a level consistent with a rendezvous mission; (2) monitor the comet dynamics through perihelion and aphelion with a long lived lander; and (3) determine the subsurface properties of the nucleus in an area local to the sampled core. A set of candidate comets is discussed. The hazards which the spacecraft would encounter in the vicinity of the comet are also discussed. The encounter strategy, the sampling hardware, the thermal control of the pristine comet material during the return to Earth, and the flight performance of various spacecraft systems and the cost estimates of such a mission are presented.

Earth Studies Using L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosen, Paul A.

1999-01-01

L-band SAR has played an important role in studies of the Earth by revealing the nature of the larger-scale (decimeter) surface features. JERS-1, by supplying multi-seasonal coverage of the much of the earth, has demonstrated the importance of L-band SARs. Future L-band SARs such as ALOS and LightSAR will pave the way for science missions that use SAR instruments. As technology develops to enable lower cost SAR instruments, missions will evolve to each have a unique science focus. International coordination of multi-parameter constellations and campaigns will maximize science return.

The SPICE concept - An approach to providing geometric and other ancillary information needed for interpretation of data returned from space science instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Acton, Charles H., Jr.

1990-01-01

The Navigation Ancillary Information Facility (NAIF), acting under the direction of NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications, and with substantial participation of the planetary science community, is designing and implementing an ancillary data system - called SPICE - to assist scientists in planning and interpreting scientific observations taken from spaceborne instruments. The principal objective of the implemented SPICE system is that it will hold the essential geometric and related ancillary information needed to recover the full value of science instrument data, and that it will facilitate correlations of individual instrument datasets with data obtained from other instruments on the same or other spacecraft.

Cold Stowage: An ISS Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hartley, Garen

2018-01-01

NASA's vision for humans pursuing deep space flight involves the collection of science in low earth orbit aboard the International Space Station (ISS). As a service to the science community, Johnson Space Center (JSC) has developed hardware and processes to preserve collected science on the ISS and transfer it safely back to the Principal Investigators. This hardware includes an array of freezers, refrigerators, and incubators. The Cold Stowage team is part of the International Space Station (ISS) program. JSC manages the operation, support and integration tasks provided by Jacobs Technology and the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB). Cold Stowage provides controlled environments to meet temperature requirements during ascent, on-orbit operations and return, in relation to International Space Station Payload Science.

Bringing Home a Piece of Mars from the Utah Desert: A Canadian Robotic Deployment in Support of Mars Sample Return

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haltigin, T.; Hipkin, V.; Picard, M.

2016-12-01

Mars Sample Return (MSR) remains one of the highest priorities of the international planetary science community. While the overall mission architecture required for MSR is relatively well defined, there remain a number of open questions regarding its implementation. In preparing for an eventual MSR campaign, simulating portions of the sample collection mission can provide important insight to address existing knowledge gaps. In 2015 and 2016, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) led robotic deployments to address a variety of technical, scientific, operational, and educational objectives. Here we report on the results. The deployments were conducted at a field site near Hanskville, UT, USA, chosen to satisfy scientific, technical, and logistical considerations. The geology of the region is dominated by Jurassic-aged sandstones and mudstones, indicative of an ancient sedimentary environment. Moreover, a series of linear topographically inverted features are present, similar to morphologies observed in particular Martian landscapes. On both Earth and Mars, these features are interpreted as lithified and exhumed river channels. A science operations center was established in London, ON, Canada, at Western University. Here, a science team of > 30 students and professionals - unaware of the rover's actual location - were responsible for generating daily science plans, requesting observations, and interpreting downloaded data, all while respecting Mars-realistic flight rules and constraints for power, scheduling, and data. Rover commanding was performed by an engineering team at CSA headquarters in St. Hubert, QC, Canada, while a small out-of-simulation field team was present on-site to ensure safe operations of the rover and to provide data transfers. Between the 2015 and 2016 campaigns, nearly five weeks of operations were conducted. The team successfully collected scientifically-selected samples to address the group objectives, and the rover demonstrated system integration and a variety of navigational techniques. Forward work involves laboratory-based validation of the returned samples to evaluate the efficiency of the in-simulation operational decision-making.

2003 Mars Exploration Rover Mission: Robotic Field Geologists for a Mars Sample Return Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ming, Douglas W.

2008-01-01

The Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Spirit landed in Gusev crater on Jan. 4, 2004 and the rover Opportunity arrived on the plains of Meridiani Planum on Jan. 25, 2004. The rovers continue to return new discoveries after 4 continuous Earth years of operations on the surface of the red planet. Spirit has successfully traversed 7.5 km over the Gusev crater plains, ascended to the top of Husband Hill, and entered into the Inner Basin of the Columbia Hills. Opportunity has traveled nearly 12 km over flat plains of Meridiani and descended into several impact craters. Spirit and Opportunity carry an integrated suite of scientific instruments and tools called the Athena science payload. The Athena science payload consists of the 1) Panoramic Camera (Pancam) that provides high-resolution, color stereo imaging, 2) Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer (Mini-TES) that provides spectral cubes at mid-infrared wavelengths, 3) Microscopic Imager (MI) for close-up imaging, 4) Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) for elemental chemistry, 5) Moessbauer Spectrometer (MB) for the mineralogy of Fe-bearing materials, 6) Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) for removing dusty and weathered surfaces and exposing fresh rock underneath, and 7) Magnetic Properties Experiment that allow the instruments to study the composition of magnetic martian materials [1]. The primary objective of the Athena science investigation is to explore two sites on the martian surface where water may once have been present, and to assess past environmental conditions at those sites and their suitability for life. The Athena science instruments have made numerous scientific discoveries over the 4 plus years of operations. The objectives of this paper are to 1) describe the major scientific discoveries of the MER robotic field geologists and 2) briefly summarize what major outstanding questions were not answered by MER that might be addressed by returning samples to our laboratories on Earth.

Puerto Rican Return Migrant Youth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carrasquillo, Angela; Carrasquillo, Ceferino

Among Puerto Ricans who have migrated to the United States, a significant number have returned to Puerto Rico, while others shuttle between Puerto Rico and the United States. These groups of people are identified as return migrants. Studies suggest that return migrant youth in Puerto Rico have had to make environmental and cultural adjustments…

Autonomous Image Analysis for Future Mars Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gulick, V. C.; Morris, R. L.; Ruzon, M. A.; Bandari, E.; Roush, T. L.

1999-01-01

To explore high priority landing sites and to prepare for eventual human exploration, future Mars missions will involve rovers capable of traversing tens of kilometers. However, the current process by which scientists interact with a rover does not scale to such distances. Specifically, numerous command cycles are required to complete even simple tasks, such as, pointing the spectrometer at a variety of nearby rocks. In addition, the time required by scientists to interpret image data before new commands can be given and the limited amount of data that can be downlinked during a given command cycle constrain rover mobility and achievement of science goals. Experience with rover tests on Earth supports these concerns. As a result, traverses to science sites as identified in orbital images would require numerous science command cycles over a period of many weeks, months or even years, perhaps exceeding rover design life and other constraints. Autonomous onboard science analysis can address these problems in two ways. First, it will allow the rover to preferentially transmit "interesting" images, defined as those likely to have higher science content. Second, the rover will be able to anticipate future commands. For example, a rover might autonomously acquire and return spectra of "interesting" rocks along with a high-resolution image of those rocks in addition to returning the context images in which they were detected. Such approaches, coupled with appropriate navigational software, help to address both the data volume and command cycle bottlenecks that limit both rover mobility and science yield. We are developing fast, autonomous algorithms to enable such intelligent on-board decision making by spacecraft. Autonomous algorithms developed to date have the ability to identify rocks and layers in a scene, locate the horizon, and compress multi-spectral image data. We are currently investigating the possibility of reconstructing a 3D surface from a sequence of images acquired by a robotic arm camera. This would then allow the return of a single completely in focus image constructed only from those portions of individual images that lie within the camera's depth of field. Output from these algorithms could be used to autonomously obtain rock spectra, determine which images should be transmitted to the ground, or to aid in image compression. We will discuss these algorithms and their performance during a recent rover field test.

Returning to work after laparoscopic myomectomy: a prospective observational study.

PubMed

Huff, Keren O; Aref-Adib, Mehrnoosh; Magama, Zwelihle; Vlachodimitropoulou, Evangelia K; Oliver, Reeba; Odejinmi, Funlayo

2018-01-01

Laparoscopic myomectomy offers women many benefits over conventional open surgery, including an expedited recovery and return to employment. Our study evaluates the time taken for women to return to work after laparoscopic myomectomy and identifies factors prolonging recovery to > 8 weeks. We prospectively evaluated 94 women undergoing laparoscopic myomectomy by a single surgeon between January 2012 and March 2015. Women had standardized preoperative counseling and completed a validated return to work questionnaire 3 months postoperatively via telephone, post or in clinic. In all, 71/94 (75.5%) women completed the questionnaire. Results were analyzed comparing women who returned to work in ≤ 8 weeks [43/71 (60.6%)] with those who returned > 8 weeks postoperatively [28/71 (39.4%)]. A higher proportion of Asian and Caucasian women returned to work in ≤ 8 weeks (24/29) compared with black African and Caribbean women (19/42) (p = 0.003). Mean number of fibroids removed (2.59 and 5.75, respectively) was the only significantly differing factor between the two groups (p = 0.004). There was a significant difference in body mass index (BMI) and time to return to normal activity between the ≤ 8-week and > 8-week groups (p = 0.027, p = 0.011, respectively). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that BMI and time to return to normal activity were the only factors prolonging recovery to > 8 weeks (p = 0.039, p = 0.015, respectively). Time to return to normal activity and BMI significantly influenced the time taken for women to work after laparoscopic myomectomy. Further data would support clinicians in counseling women appropriately and optimizing their postoperative return to employment. © 2017 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Five biomedical experiments flown in an Earth orbiting laboratory: Lessons learned from developing these experiments on the first international microgravity mission from concept to landing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winget, C. M.; Lashbrook, J. J.; Callahan, P. X.; Schaefer, R. L.

1993-01-01

There are numerous problems associated with accommodating complex biological systems in microgravity in the flexible laboratory systems installed in the Orbiter cargo bay. This presentation will focus upon some of the lessons learned along the way from the University laboratory to the IML-1 Microgravity Laboratory. The First International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-1) mission contained a large number of specimens, including: 72 million nematodes, US-1; 3 billion yeast cells, US-2; 32 million mouse limb-bud cells, US-3; and 540 oat seeds (96 planted), FOTRAN. All five of the experiments had to undergo significant redevelopment effort in order to allow the investigator's ideas and objectives to be accommodated within the constraints of the IML-1 mission. Each of these experiments were proposed as unique entities rather than part of the mission, and many procedures had to be modified from the laboratory practice to meet IML-1 constraints. After a proposal is accepted by NASA for definition, an interactive process is begun between the Principal Investigator and the developer to ensure a maximum science return. The success of the five SLSPO-managed experiments was the result of successful completion of all preflight biological testing and hardware verification finalized at the KSC Life Sciences Support Facility housed in Hangar L. The ESTEC Biorack facility housed three U.S. experiments (US-1, US-2, and US-3). The U.S. Gravitational Plant Physiology Facility housed GTHRES and FOTRAN. The IML-1 mission (launched from KSC on 22 Jan. 1992, and landed at Dryden Flight Research Facility on 30 Jan. 1992) was an outstanding success--close to 100 percent of the prelaunch anticipated science return was achieved and, in some cases, greater than 100 percent was achieved (because of an extra mission day).

Nutrient management

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Nutrient management has been defined as “the science and art directed to link soil, crop, weather and hydrologic factors with cultural, irrigation and soil and water conservation practices to achieve the goals of optimizing nutrient use efficiency, yields, crop quality, and economic returns, while r...

14 CFR 1266.104 - Cross-waiver of liability for launch agreements for science or space exploration activities...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... activities related to ground support, test, training, simulation, or guidance and control equipment and... are conducted on return from space to develop further a payload's product or process for use other...

Dual Mode Green Propulsion for Revolutionary Performance Gains with Minimal Recurring Investments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dankanich, J. W.; Lozano, P. C.

2017-02-01

Dual mode green propulsion has potential to supplant state of the art alternatives. Mission potential includes doubling science payloads for reference missions, increasing targets for a Trojan tour, and enabling missions such as Ceres Sample Return.

Relay Support for the Mars Science Laboratory and the Coming Decade of Mars Relay Network Evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edwards, Charles D., Jr.; Arnold, Bradford W.; Bell, David J.; Bruvold, Kristoffer N.; Gladden, Roy E.; Ilott, Peter A.; Lee, Charles H.

2012-01-01

In the past decade, an evolving network of Mars relay orbiters has provided telecommunication relay services to the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, and to the Mars Phoenix Lander, enabling high-bandwidth, energy-efficient data transfer and greatly increasing the volume of science data that can be returned from the Martian surface, compared to conventional direct-to-Earth links. The current relay network, consisting of NASA's Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and augmented by ESA's Mars Express Orbiter, stands ready to support the Mars Science Laboratory, scheduled to arrive at Mars on Aug 6, 2012, with new capabilities enabled by the Electra and Electra-Lite transceivers carried by MRO and MSL, respectively. The MAVEN orbiter, planned for launch in 2013, and the ExoMars/Trace Gas Orbiter, planned for launch in 2016, will replenish the on-orbit relay network as the current orbiter approach their end of life. Currently planned support scenarios for this future relay network include an ESA EDL Demonstrator Module deployed by the 2016 ExoMars/TGO orbiter, and the 2018 NASA/ESA Joint Rover, representing the first step in a multimission Mars Sample Return campaign.

STS-40 Spacelab Life Sciences 1 (SLS-1): The first dedicated spacelab life sciences mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

Successful exploration of space depends on the health and well-being of people who travel and work there. For this reason, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has dedicated several Space Shuttle missions to examine how living and working in space affects the human body. Spacelab Life Sciences 1 (SLS-1) is the first of these missions. The main purpose of the SLS-1 mission is to study the mechanisms, magnitudes, and time courses of certain physiological changes that occur during space flight and to investigate the consequences of the body's adaptation to microgravity and readjustment to gravity upon return to Earth. How does space flight influence the heart and circulatory system, metabolic processes, the muscles and bones, and the cells? If responses to weightlessness are undesirable, how can they be prevented or controlled? Will the human body maintain its physical and chemical equilibrium during months aboard a space station and years-long missions to Mars? When crews return to Earth, what can they expect to experience as their bodies readjust to Earth's gravity? With the SLS-1 experiments, NASA is addressing some of these questions. Various aspects of the SLS-1 are discussed.

A Correlational Study of Graphic Organizers and Science Achievement of English Language Learners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clarke, William Gordon

English language learners (ELLs) demonstrate lower academic performance and have lower graduation and higher dropout rates than their non-ELL peers. The primary purpose of this correlational quantitative study was to investigate the relationship between the use of graphic organizer-infused science instruction and science learning of high school ELLs. Another objective was to determine if the method of instruction, socioeconomic status (SES), gender, and English language proficiency (ELP) were predictors of academic achievement of high school ELLs. Data were gathered from a New York City (NYC) high school fall 2012-2013 archival records of 145 ninth-grade ELLs who had received biology instruction in freestanding English as a second language (ESL) classes, followed by a test of their learning of the material. Fifty-four (37.2%) of these records were of students who had learned science by the conventional textbook method, and 91 (62.8%) by using graphic organizers. Data analysis employed the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software for multiple regression analysis, which found graphic organizer use to be a significant predictor of New York State Regents Living Environment (NYSRLE) test scores (p < .01). One significant regression model was returned whereby, when combined, the four predictor variables (method of instruction, SES, gender, and ELP) explained 36% of the variance of the NYSRLE score. Implications of the study findings noted graphic organizer use as advantageous for ELL science achievement. Recommendations made for practice were for (a) the adoption of graphic organizer infused-instruction, (b) establishment of a protocol for the implementation of graphic organizer-infused instruction, and (c) increased length of graphic organizer instructional time. Recommendations made for future research were (a) a replication quantitative correlational study in two or more high schools, (b) a quantitative quasi-experimental quantitative study to determine the influence of graphic organizer instructional intervention and ELL science achievement, (c) a quantitative quasi-experimental study to determine the effect of teacher-based factors on graphic organizer-infused instruction, and (c) a causal comparative study to determine the efficacy of graphic organizer use in testing modifications for high school ELL science.

Extensions of the lost letter technique to divisive issues of creationism, darwinism, sex education, and gay and lesbian affiliations.

PubMed

Bridges, F Stephen; Anzalone, Debra A; Ryan, Stuart W; Anzalone, Fanancy L

2002-04-01

Two field studies using 1,004 "lost letters" were designed to test the hypotheses that returned responses would be greater in small towns than from a city, that addressees' affiliation with a group either (1) opposed to physical education in schools, (2) supporting gay and lesbian teachers, or (3) advocating Creationism or Darwinism would reduce the return rate. Of 504 letters "lost" in Study A, 163 (32.3%) were returned in the mail from residents of southeast Louisiana and indicated across 3 addressees and 2 sizes of community, addressees' affiLiations were not associated with returned responses. Community size and addressees' affiliations were associated with significantly different rates of return in the city. Return rates from sites within a city were lower when letters were addressed to an organization which opposed (teaching) health education in the schools than to one supporting daily health education. Of 500 letters "lost" in Study B, 95 (19.0%) were returned from residents of northwest Florida and indicated across 5 addressees and 2 sizes of community, addressees' affiliations were significantly associated with returned responses overall (5 addressees) and in small towns (control, Creationism, Darwinism addressees), but not with community size. Community size and addressees' affiliations were associated with significantly different rates of return in small towns, with returns greater than or equal to those in the city (except for the addressee advocating teaching Darwinism in public schools). The present findings appear to show that applications of the lost letter technique to other divisive social issues are useful in assessing public opinion.

Fault-Tolerant, Radiation-Hard DSP

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Czajkowski, David

2011-01-01

Commercial digital signal processors (DSPs) for use in high-speed satellite computers are challenged by the damaging effects of space radiation, mainly single event upsets (SEUs) and single event functional interrupts (SEFIs). Innovations have been developed for mitigating the effects of SEUs and SEFIs, enabling the use of very-highspeed commercial DSPs with improved SEU tolerances. Time-triple modular redundancy (TTMR) is a method of applying traditional triple modular redundancy on a single processor, exploiting the VLIW (very long instruction word) class of parallel processors. TTMR improves SEU rates substantially. SEFIs are solved by a SEFI-hardened core circuit, external to the microprocessor. It monitors the health of the processor, and if a SEFI occurs, forces the processor to return to performance through a series of escalating events. TTMR and hardened-core solutions were developed for both DSPs and reconfigurable field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). This includes advancement of TTMR algorithms for DSPs and reconfigurable FPGAs, plus a rad-hard, hardened-core integrated circuit that services both the DSP and FPGA. Additionally, a combined DSP and FPGA board architecture was fully developed into a rad-hard engineering product. This technology enables use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) DSPs in computers for satellite and other space applications, allowing rapid deployment at a much lower cost. Traditional rad-hard space computers are very expensive and typically have long lead times. These computers are either based on traditional rad-hard processors, which have extremely low computational performance, or triple modular redundant (TMR) FPGA arrays, which suffer from power and complexity issues. Even more frustrating is that the TMR arrays of FPGAs require a fixed, external rad-hard voting element, thereby causing them to lose much of their reconfiguration capability and in some cases significant speed reduction. The benefits of COTS high-performance signal processing include significant increase in onboard science data processing, enabling orders of magnitude reduction in required communication bandwidth for science data return, orders of magnitude improvement in onboard mission planning and critical decision making, and the ability to rapidly respond to changing mission environments, thus enabling opportunistic science and orders of magnitude reduction in the cost of mission operations through reduction of required staff. Additional benefits of COTS-based, high-performance signal processing include the ability to leverage considerable commercial and academic investments in advanced computing tools, techniques, and infra structure, and the familiarity of the science and IT community with these computing environments.

Planning for the Paleomagnetic Investigations of Returned Samples from Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiss, B. P.; Beaty, D. W.; McSween, H. Y., Jr.; Czaja, A. D.; Goreva, Y.; Hausrath, E.; Herd, C. D. K.; Humayun, M.; McCubbin, F. M.; McLennan, S. M.; Pratt, L. M.; Sephton, M. A.; Steele, A.; Hays, L. E.; Meyer, M. A.

2016-12-01

The red planet is a magnetic planet. Mars' iron-rich surface is strongly magnetized, likely dating back to the Noachian period when the surface may have been habitable. Paleomagnetic measurements of returned samples could transform our understanding of the Martian dynamo and its connection to climatic and planetary thermal evolution. Because the original orientations of Martian meteorites are unknown, all Mars paleomagnetic studies to date have only been able to measure the paleointensity of the Martian field. Paleomagnetic studies from returned Martian bedrock samples would provide unprecedented geologic context and the first paleodirectional information on Martian fields. The Mars 2020 rover mission seeks to accomplish the first leg by preparing for the potential return of 31 1 cm-diameter cores of Martian rocks. The Returned Sample Science Board (RSSB) has been tasked to advise the Mars 2020 mission in how to best select and preserve samples optimized for paleomagnetic measurements. A recent community-based study (Weiss et al., 2014) produced a ranked list of key paleomagnetism science objectives, which included: 1) Determine the intensity of the Martian dynamo 2) Characterize the dynamo reversal frequency with magnetostratigraphy 3) Constrain the effects of heating and aqueous alteration on the samples 4) Constrain the history of Martian tectonics Guided by these objectives, the RSSB has proposed four key sample quality criteria to the Mars 2020 mission: (a) no exposure to fields >200 mT, (b) no exposure to temperatures >100 °C, (c) no exposure to pressures >0.1 GPa, and (d) acquisition of samples that are absolutely oriented with respect to bedrock with a half-cone uncertainty of <5°. Our measurements of a Mars 2020 prototype drill have found that criteria (a-c) should be met by the drilling process. Furthermore, the core plate strike and dip will be measured to better than 5° for intact drill cores; we are working with the mission to establish ways to determine the core's angular orientation with respect to rotation around the drill hole axis. The next stage of our work is to establish whether and how these sample criteria would be maintained throughout the potential downstream missions that would return the samples to Earth.

Potential Science and Technology Game Changers for the Ground Warfare of 2050: Selected Projections Made in 2017

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-02-01

ARL-TR-8283 ● FEB 2018 US Army Research Laboratory Potential Science and Technology Game Changers for the Ground Warfare of 2050...report when it is no longer needed. Do not return it to the originator. ARL-TR-8283 ● FEB 2018 US Army Research Laboratory Potential...ARL Kwong Choi and Joseph Mait Sensors and Electron Devices Directorate, ARL Brad Forch and Shashi Karna Weapons and Materials Research

Space Weathering Perspectives on Europa Amidst the Tempest of the Jupiter Magnetospheric System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, J. F.; Hartle, R. E.; Lipatov, A. S.; Sittler, E. C.; Cassidy, T. A.; Ip. W.-H.

2010-01-01

Europa resides within a "perfect storm" tempest of extreme external field, plasma, and energetic particle interactions with the magnetospheric system of Jupiter. Missions to Europa must survive, functionally operate, make useful measurements, and return critical science data, while also providing full context on this ocean moon's response to the extreme environment. Related general perspectives on space weathering in the solar system are applied to mission and instrument science requirements for Europa.

Science Results and Lessons Learned from CubeSat: Colorado Space Weather Experiment (CSSWE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xinlin

The Relativistic Electron and Proton Telescope integrated little experiment (REPTile) is a loaded-disc collimated solid-state particle telescope, designed, built, tested, and operated by a team of students at the University of Colorado. It is the only science payload onboard the Colorado Student Space Weather Experiment (CSSWE), a 3U CubeSat (10cm x 10cm x 30cm) launched into a low-Earth, 480km x 780km, and highly inclined (65 deg) orbit on 13 September 2012. REPTile measures differential fluxes of 0.58 to >3.8 MeV electrons and 9-40 MeV protons. These measurements, by themselves and in conjunction with other larger missions, are critical to understand the dynamics of these energetic particles. Miniaturizing a power- and mass-hungry particle telescope to return clean measurements from a CubeSat platform is challenging. To overcome these challenges, REPTile underwent a rigorous design and testing phase. Despite the limitations inherent with CubeSats, REPTile to date (still in operation) has returned more than 300 days of valuable science data, more than tripling its nominal mission lifetime of 90 days. The data are clean, as REPTile is able to clearly distinguish between particle species. Important science results using REPTile data, some of which have been published in peer-reviewed journals, will be presented in this presentation.

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

PubMed

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

2004-07-01

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

Timing of Return to Work and Breastfeeding in Australia.

PubMed

Xiang, Ning; Zadoroznyj, Maria; Tomaszewski, Wojtek; Martin, Bill

2016-06-01

To examine the effects of timing of return to work, number of hours worked, and their interaction, on the likelihood of breastfeeding at 6 months and predominant breastfeeding at 16 weeks. A nationally representative sample of Australian mothers in paid employment in the 13 months before giving birth (n = 2300) were surveyed by telephone. Four multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze the effects of timing of return to work and work hours, independently and in interaction, on any breastfeeding at 6 months and on predominant breastfeeding at 16 weeks, controlling for maternal sociodemographics, employment patterns, and health measures. Mothers who returned to work within 6 months and who worked for ≥20 hours per week were significantly less likely than mothers who had not returned to work to be breastfeeding at 6 months. However, returning to work for ≤19 hours per week had no significant impact on the likelihood of breastfeeding regardless of when mothers returned to work. Older maternal age, higher educational attainment, better physical or mental health, managerial or professional maternal occupation, and being self-employed all significantly contributed to the increased likelihood of any breastfeeding at 6 months. Similar patterns exist for predominant breastfeeding at 16 weeks. The effects of timing of return to work are secondary to the hours of employment. Working ≤19 hours per week is associated with higher likelihood of maintaining breastfeeding, regardless of timing of return to work. Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Advanced Technologies for Space Life Science Payloads on the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hines, John W.; Connolly, John P. (Technical Monitor)

1997-01-01

SENSORS 2000! (S2K!) is a specialized, high-performance work group organized to provide advanced engineering and technology support for NASA's Life Sciences spaceflight and ground-based research and development programs. In support of these objectives, S2K! manages NASA's Advanced Technology Development Program for Biosensor and Biotelemetry Systems (ATD-B), with particular emphasis on technologies suitable for Gravitational Biology, Human Health and Performance, and Information Technology and Systems Management. A concurrent objective is to apply and transition ATD-B developed technologies to external, non-NASA humanitarian (medical, clinical, surgical, and emergency) situations and to stimulate partnering and leveraging with other government agencies, academia, and the commercial/industrial sectors. A phased long-term program has been implemented to support science disciplines and programs requiring specific biosensor (i.e., biopotential, biophysical, biochemical, and biological) measurements from humans, animals (mainly primates and rodents), and cells under controlled laboratory and simulated microgravity situations. In addition to the technology programs described above, NASA's Life and Microgravity Sciences and Applications Office has initiated a Technology Infusion process to identify and coordinate the utilization and integration of advanced technologies into its International Space Station Facilities. This project has recently identified a series of technologies, tasks, and products which, if implemented, would significantly increase the science return, decrease costs, and provide improved technological capability. This presentation will review the programs described above and discuss opportunities for collaboration, leveraging, and partnering with NASA.

Advanced Concepts. Chapter 21

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Les; Mulqueen, Jack

2013-01-01

Before there is a funded space mission, there must be a present need for the mission. Space science and exploration are expensive, and without a well-defined and justifiable need, no one is going to commit significant funding for any space endeavor. However, as discussed in Chapter 1, applications of space technology and many and broad, hence there are many ways to determine and establish a mission need. Robotic science missions are justified by their science return. To be selected for flight, questions like these must be addressed: What is the science question that needs answering, and will the proposed mission be the most cost-effective way to answer it? Why does answering the question require an expensive space flight, instead of some ground-based alternative? If the question can only be answered by flying in space, then why is this approach better than other potential approaches? How much will it cost? And is the technology required to answer the question in hand and ready to use? If not, then how much will it cost and how long will it take to mature the technology to a usable level? There are also many ways to justify human exploration missions, including science return, technology advancement, as well as intangible reasons, such as national pride. Nonetheless, many of the questions that need answering, are similar to those for robotic science missions: Where are the people going, why, and will the proposed mission be the most cost-effective way to get there? What is the safest method to achieve the goal? How much will it cost? And is the technology required to get there and keep the crew alive in hand and ready to use? If not, then how much will it cost and how long will it take to mature the technology to a usable level? Another reason for some groups sending spacecraft into space is for profit. Telecommunications, geospatial imaging, and tourism are examples of proven, market-driven space missions and applications. For this specific set of users, the outstanding questions include: What is the product or service? Who will buy it? How can it be profitable? What is the most cost-effective solution to fielding the product or service? And, of course, is the technology in-hand or is there advanced development required? In order to answer these questions, the responsibility falls to a specially-skilled set of engineers and scientists who understand how to assess the readiness of new technologies.

International Space Station External Contamination Environment for Space Science Utilization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soares, Carlos E.; Mikatarian, Ronald R.; Steagall, Courtney A.; Huang, Alvin Y.; Koontz, Steven; Worthy, Erica

2014-01-01

The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest and most complex on-orbit platform for space science utilization in low Earth orbit. Multiple sites for external payloads, with exposure to the associated natural and induced environments, are available to support a variety of space science utilization objectives. Contamination is one of the induced environments that can impact performance, mission success and science utilization on the vehicle. The ISS has been designed, built and integrated with strict contamination requirements to provide low levels of induced contamination on external payload assets. This paper addresses the ISS induced contamination environment at attached payload sites, both at the requirements level as well as measurements made on returned hardware, and contamination forecasting maps being generated to support external payload topology studies and science utilization.

Current Status of a NASA High-Altitude Balloon-Based Observatory for Planetary Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Varga, Denise M.; Dischner, Zach

2015-01-01

Recent studies have shown that progress can be made on over 20% of the key questions called out in the current Planetary Science Decadal Survey by a high-altitude balloon-borne observatory. Therefore, NASA has been assessing concepts for a gondola-based observatory that would achieve the greatest possible science return in a low-risk and cost-effective manner. This paper addresses results from the 2014 Balloon Observation Platform for Planetary Science (BOPPS) mission, namely successes in the design and performance of the Fine Pointing System. The paper also addresses technical challenges facing the new Gondola for High Altitude Planetary Science (GHAPS) reusable platform, including thermal control for the Optical Telescope Assembly, power generation and management, and weight-saving considerations that the team will be assessing in 2015 and beyond.

Academic Specialisation and Returns to Education: Evidence from India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saha, Bibhas; Sensarma, Rudra

2011-01-01

We study returns to academic specialisation for Indian corporate sector workers by analysing cross-sectional data on male employees randomly selected from six large firms. Our analysis shows that going to college pays off, as it brings significant incremental returns over and above school education. However, the increase in returns is more…

Analyzing traffic source impact on returning visitors ratio in information provider website

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasetio, A.; Sari, P. K.; Sharif, O. O.; Sofyan, E.

2016-04-01

Web site performance, especially returning visitor is an important metric for an information provider web site. Since high returning visitor is a good indication of a web site’s visitor loyalty, it is important to find a way to improve this metric. This research investigated if there is any difference on returning visitor metric among three web traffic sources namely direct, referral and search. Monthly returning visitor and total visitor from each source is retrieved from Google Analytics tools and then calculated to measure returning visitor ratio. The period of data observation is from July 2012 to June 2015 resulting in a total of 108 samples. These data then analysed using One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to address our research question. The results showed that different traffic source has significantly different returning visitor ratio especially between referral traffic source and the other two traffic sources. On the other hand, this research did not find any significant difference between returning visitor ratio from direct and search traffic sources. The owner of the web site can focus to multiply referral links from other relevant sites.

Practices and promises of Facebook for science outreach: Becoming a "Nerd of Trust".

PubMed

McClain, Craig R

2017-06-01

Arguably, the dissemination of science communication has recently entered a new age in which science must compete for public attention with fake news, alternate facts, and pseudoscience. This clash is particularly evident on social media. Facebook has taken a prime role in disseminating fake news, alternate facts, and pseudoscience, but is often ignored in the context of science outreach, especially among individual scientists. Based on new survey data, scientists appear in large Facebook networks but seldom post information about general science, their own scientific research, or culturally controversial topics in science. The typical individual scientist's audience is large and personally connected, potentially leading to both a broad and deep engagement in science. Moreover, this media values individual expertise, allowing scientists to serve as a "Nerd of Trust" for their online friend and family networks. Science outreach via social media demands a renewed interest, and Facebook may be an overlooked high-return, low-risk science outreach tool in which scientists can play a valuable role to combat disinformation.

The Importance of the International Space Station for Life Sciences Research: Past and Future

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, Julie A.; Evans, C. A.; Tate, Judy

2008-01-01

The International Space Station (ISS) celebrates ten years of operations in 2008. While the station did not support permanent human crews during the first two years of operations, it hosted a few early science experiments months before the first international crew took up residence in November 2000. Since that time, science returns from the ISS have been growing at a steady pace. To date, early utilization of the U.S. Operating Segment of ISS has fielded nearly 200 experiments for hundreds of ground-based investigators supporting U.S. and international partner research. This paper will summarize the life science accomplishments of early research aboard the ISS both applied human research for exploration, and research on the effects of microgravity on life. At the 10-year point, the scientific returns from ISS should increase at a rapid pace. During the 2008 calendar year, the laboratory space and research facilities (both pressurized and external) will be tripled, with multiple scientific modules that support a wide variety of research racks and science and technology experiments conducted by all of the International Partners. A milestone was reached in February 2008 with the launch and commissioning of ESA s Columbus module and in March of 2008 with the first of three components of the Japanese Kibo laboratory. Although challenges lie ahead, the realization of the international scientific partnership provides new opportunities for scientific collaboration and broadens the research disciplines engaged on ISS. As the ISS nears completion of assembly in 2010, we come to full international utilization of the facilities for research. Using the past as an indicator, we are now able to envision the multidisciplinary contributions to improving life on Earth that the ISS can make as a platform for life sciences research.

Treated domestic sewage irrigation significantly decreased the CH4, N2O and NH3 emissions from paddy fields with straw incorporation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Shanshan; Hou, Pengfu; Xue, Lihong; Wang, Shaohua; Yang, Linzhang

2017-11-01

Straw incorporation and domestic sewage irrigation have been recommended as an environmentally friendly agricultural practice and are widely used not only in China but also in other countries. The individual effects on yield and environmental impacts have been studied extensively, but the comprehensive effect when straw returning and domestic sewage irrigation are combined together has seldom been reported. This study was conducted to examine the effects of straw returning and domestic sewage irrigation on rice yields, greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and ammonia (NH3) volatilization from paddy fields from 2015 to 2016. The results showed that the rice yield was not affected by the irrigation water sources and straw returning under the same total N input, which was similar in both years. Due to the rich N in the domestic sewage, domestic sewage irrigation could reduce approximately 45.2% of chemical nitrogen fertilizer input without yield loss. Compared to straw removal treatments, straw returning significantly increased the CH4 emissions by approximately 7-9-fold under domestic sewage irrigation and 13-14-fold under tap water irrigation. Straw returning also increased the N2O emissions under the two irrigation water types. In addition, the seasonal NH3 volatilization loss was significantly increased by 88.8% and 61.2% under straw returning compared to straw removal in 2015 and 2016, respectively. However, domestic sewage irrigation could decrease CH4 emissions by 24.5-26.6%, N2O emissions by 37.0-39.0% and seasonal NH3 volatilization loss by 27.2-28.3% under straw returning compared to tap water irrigation treatments. Global warming potentials (GWP) and greenhouse gas intensities (GHGI) were significantly increased with straw returning compared with those of straw removal, while they were decreased by domestic sewage irrigation under straw returning compared to tap water irrigation. Significant interactions between straw returning and domestic sewage irrigation on NH3 volatilization loss, CH4 and N2O emissions were observed. The results indicate that domestic sewage irrigation combined with straw returning could be an environmentally friendly and resource-saving agricultural management measure for paddy fields with which to reduce the chemical N input, GHG emissions, and NH3 volatilization loss while maintaining high rice productivity.

45 CFR 680.11 - Staff involvement with NSF proposals and awards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... teaching careers to spend a year or two at NSF and then return to research and teaching, usually at the... investigator and his or her laboratory or group (if any) in the same general field of science, engineering, or...

CALIPSO Instrument OFF

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2013-12-05

... the 100MeV levels are above the 1 pfu, which requires the computer to be powered down.   Recovery planning has begun and will be ... Payload was returned to Data Acquisition and regular nightly science data downlinks following the Inclination Maneuver on April 16th at ...

Riding the Hype Wave: Evaluating new AI Techniques for their Applicability in Earth Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramachandran, R.; Zhang, J.; Maskey, M.; Lee, T. J.

2016-12-01

Every few years a new technology rides the hype wave generated by the computer science community. Converts to this new technology who surface from both the science community and the informatics community promulgate that it can radically improve or even change the existing scientific process. Recent examples of new technology following in the footsteps of "big data" now include deep learning algorithms and knowledge graphs. Deep learning algorithms mimic the human brain and process information through multiple stages of transformation and representation. These algorithms are able to learn complex functions that map pixels directly to outputs without relying on human-crafted features and solve some of the complex classification problems that exist in science. Similarly, knowledge graphs aggregate information around defined topics that enable users to resolve their query without having to navigate and assemble information manually. Knowledge graphs could potentially be used in scientific research to assist in hypothesis formulation, testing, and review. The challenge for the Earth science research community is to evaluate these new technologies by asking the right questions and considering what-if scenarios. What is this new technology enabling/providing that is innovative and different? Can one justify the adoption costs with respect to the research returns? Since nothing comes for free, utilizing a new technology entails adoption costs that may outweigh the benefits. Furthermore, these technologies may require significant computing infrastructure in order to be utilized effectively. Results from two different projects will be presented along with lessons learned from testing these technologies. The first project primarily evaluates deep learning techniques for different applications of image retrieval within Earth science while the second project builds a prototype knowledge graph constructed for Hurricane science.

Maximizing the return on taxpayers' investments in fundamental biomedical research.

PubMed

Lorsch, Jon R

2015-05-01

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) at the U.S. National Institutes of Health has an annual budget of more than $2.3 billion. The institute uses these funds to support fundamental biomedical research and training at universities, medical schools, and other institutions across the country. My job as director of NIGMS is to work to maximize the scientific returns on the taxpayers' investments. I describe how we are optimizing our investment strategies and funding mechanisms, and how, in the process, we hope to create a more efficient and sustainable biomedical research enterprise.

U.S. draws blueprints for first lunar base

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asker, James R.

1992-08-01

NASA's space exploration office has charted a detailed program to return astronauts to the moon to establish a permanent base that would allow humans and machines to perform a wide range of science activities. The base would serve as a test site for the hardware and techniques that would be used by the first explorers on Mars. The primary mission, named the First Lunar Outpost, starts with unmanned precursor missions of small, lunar orbiting spacecraft, followed by robotic and teleoperating missions on the lunar surface, with astronauts then returning to the moon before the end of the decade.

Maximizing the return on taxpayers' investments in fundamental biomedical research

PubMed Central

Lorsch, Jon R.

2015-01-01

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) at the U.S. National Institutes of Health has an annual budget of more than $2.3 billion. The institute uses these funds to support fundamental biomedical research and training at universities, medical schools, and other institutions across the country. My job as director of NIGMS is to work to maximize the scientific returns on the taxpayers' investments. I describe how we are optimizing our investment strategies and funding mechanisms, and how, in the process, we hope to create a more efficient and sustainable biomedical research enterprise. PMID:25926703

Methodology for back-contamination risk assessment for a Mars sample return mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merkhofer, M. W.; Quinn, D. J.

1977-01-01

The risk of back-contamination from Mars Surface Sample Return (MSSR) missions is assessed. The methodology is designed to provide an assessment of the probability that a given mission design and strategy will result in accidental release of Martian organisms acquired as a result of MSSR. This is accomplished through the construction of risk models describing the mission risk elements and their impact on back-contamination probability. A conceptual framework is presented for using the risk model to evaluate mission design decisions that require a trade-off between science and planetary protection considerations.

KSC-2012-5686

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-10-06

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- News and social media representatives participate in a space station and mission science briefing in NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site auditorium in Florida. On the dais from left are Michael Curie, NASA Public Affairs, Julie Robinson, program scientist for International Space Station at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Timothy Yeatman, interim chief scientist at the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Sheila Nielsen-Preiss, cell biologist at Montana State University, and Scott Smith, NASA nutritionist at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The briefing provided media with an overview of the experiments and payloads scheduled for launch on NASA's first Commercial Resupply Services, or CRS-1, mission to the International Space Station. Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX, built both the mission's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule. Launch is scheduled for 8:35 p.m. EDT on Oct. 7 from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. SpaceX CRS-1 is an important step toward making America’s microgravity research program self-sufficient by providing a way to deliver and return significant amounts of cargo, including science experiments, to and from the orbiting laboratory. NASA has contracted for 12 commercial resupply flights from SpaceX and eight from the Orbital Sciences Corp. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/living/launch/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

NASA astronaut and Mir 24 crew member David Wolf after landing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

NASA astronaut and Mir 24 crew member David Wolf, M.D., who was on the Russian Space Station Mir since late September 1997, greets his friend, Tammy Kruse, shortly after his return to Earth on Jan. 31. Dr. Wolf returned aboard the orbiter Endeavour with the rest of the STS-89 crew, including Commander Terrence Wilcutt; Pilot Joe Edwards Jr.; and Mission Specialists James Reilly, Ph.D.; Michael Anderson; Bonnie Dunbar, Ph.D.; and Salizhan Sharipov with the Russian Space Agency. STS-89 Mission Specialist Andrew Thomas, Ph.D., succeeded Dr. Wolf on Mir and is scheduled to remain on the Russian space station until the STS-91 Shuttle mission returns in June 1998. In addition to the docking and crew exchange, STS-89 included the transfer of science, logistical equipment and supplies between the two orbiting spacecrafts.

The pricing effect of the common pattern in firm-level idiosyncratic volatility: Evidence from A-Share stocks of China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Zhi; Shu, Tengjia; Yin, Libo

2018-05-01

Inspired by Herskovic et al. (2016), we investigate the pricing effect of the firm-level common idiosyncratic volatility (CIV) in China's A-Share market. Return tests indicate that lower CIV risk loadings bring higher returns significantly, while the pricing function of market volatility (MV) is inconsistent. Strategy that goes long the highest CIV-beta quintile and short the lowest CIV-beta quintile brings an annualized average return of 5%-7%. Our findings supplement Herskovic et al. (2016) by confirming a significantly negative relationship between CIV and stock returns in a developing market.

Organizational commitment, work environment conditions, and life satisfaction among Iranian nurses.

PubMed

Vanaki, Zohreh; Vagharseyyedin, Seyyed Abolfazl

2009-12-01

Employee commitment to the organization is a crucial issue in today's health-care market. In Iran, few studies have sought to evaluate the factors that contribute to forms of commitment. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between nurses' organizational commitment, work environment conditions, and life satisfaction. A cross-sectional design was utilized. Questionnaires were distributed to all the staff nurses who had permanent employment (with at least 2 years of experience in nursing) in the five hospitals affiliated to Birjand Medical Sciences University. Two hundred and fifty participants returned completed questionnaires. Most were female and married. The correlation of the total scores of nurses' affective organizational commitment and work environment conditions indicated a significant and positive relationship. Also, a statistically significant relationship was found between affective organizational commitment and life satisfaction. The implementation of a comprehensive program to improve the work conditions and life satisfaction of nurses could enhance their organizational commitment.

Theory-based metrological traceability in education: A reading measurement network.

PubMed

Fisher, William P; Stenner, A Jackson

2016-10-01

Huge resources are invested in metrology and standards in the natural sciences, engineering, and across a wide range of commercial technologies. Significant positive returns of human, social, environmental, and economic value on these investments have been sustained for decades. Proven methods for calibrating test and survey instruments in linear units are readily available, as are data- and theory-based methods for equating those instruments to a shared unit. Using these methods, metrological traceability is obtained in a variety of commercially available elementary and secondary English and Spanish language reading education programs in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Australia. Given established historical patterns, widespread routine reproduction of predicted text-based and instructional effects expressed in a common language and shared frame of reference may lead to significant developments in theory and practice. Opportunities for systematic implementations of teacher-driven lean thinking and continuous quality improvement methods may be of particular interest and value.

Emergence of scaling in human-interest dynamics.

PubMed

Zhao, Zhi-Dan; Yang, Zimo; Zhang, Zike; Zhou, Tao; Huang, Zi-Gang; Lai, Ying-Cheng

2013-12-11

Human behaviors are often driven by human interests. Despite intense recent efforts in exploring the dynamics of human behaviors, little is known about human-interest dynamics, partly due to the extreme difficulty in accessing the human mind from observations. However, the availability of large-scale data, such as those from e-commerce and smart-phone communications, makes it possible to probe into and quantify the dynamics of human interest. Using three prototypical "Big Data" sets, we investigate the scaling behaviors associated with human-interest dynamics. In particular, from the data sets we uncover fat-tailed (possibly power-law) distributions associated with the three basic quantities: (1) the length of continuous interest, (2) the return time of visiting certain interest, and (3) interest ranking and transition. We argue that there are three basic ingredients underlying human-interest dynamics: preferential return to previously visited interests, inertial effect, and exploration of new interests. We develop a biased random-walk model, incorporating the three ingredients, to account for the observed fat-tailed distributions. Our study represents the first attempt to understand the dynamical processes underlying human interest, which has significant applications in science and engineering, commerce, as well as defense, in terms of specific tasks such as recommendation and human-behavior prediction.

A review of advances in lightning observations during the past decade in Guangdong, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yijun; Lü, Weitao; Chen, Shaodong; Zheng, Dong; Zhang, Yang; Yan, Xu; Chen, Lüwen; Dong, Wansheng; Dan, Jianru; Pan, Hanbo

2016-08-01

This paper reviews recent advances in understanding the physical processes of artificially triggered lightning and natural lightning as well as the progress in testing lightning protection technologies, based on a series of lightning field campaigns jointly conducted by the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences and Guangdong Meteorological Bureau since 2006. During the decade-long series of lightning field experiments, the technology of rocket-wire artificially triggered lightning has been improved, and has successfully triggered 94 lightning flashes. Through direct lightning current waveform measurements, an average return stroke peak current of 16 kA was obtained. The phenomenon that the downward leader connects to the lateral surface of the upward leader in the attachment process was discovered, and the speed of the upward leader during the connection process being significantly greater than that of the downward leader was revealed. The characteristics of several return strokes in cloud-to-ground lighting have also been unveiled, and the mechanism causing damage to lightning protection devices (i.e., ground potential rise within the rated current) was established. The performance of three lightning monitoring systems in Guangdong Province has also been quantitatively assessed.

Emergence of scaling in human-interest dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Zhi-Dan; Yang, Zimo; Zhang, Zike; Zhou, Tao; Huang, Zi-Gang; Lai, Ying-Cheng

2013-12-01

Human behaviors are often driven by human interests. Despite intense recent efforts in exploring the dynamics of human behaviors, little is known about human-interest dynamics, partly due to the extreme difficulty in accessing the human mind from observations. However, the availability of large-scale data, such as those from e-commerce and smart-phone communications, makes it possible to probe into and quantify the dynamics of human interest. Using three prototypical ``Big Data'' sets, we investigate the scaling behaviors associated with human-interest dynamics. In particular, from the data sets we uncover fat-tailed (possibly power-law) distributions associated with the three basic quantities: (1) the length of continuous interest, (2) the return time of visiting certain interest, and (3) interest ranking and transition. We argue that there are three basic ingredients underlying human-interest dynamics: preferential return to previously visited interests, inertial effect, and exploration of new interests. We develop a biased random-walk model, incorporating the three ingredients, to account for the observed fat-tailed distributions. Our study represents the first attempt to understand the dynamical processes underlying human interest, which has significant applications in science and engineering, commerce, as well as defense, in terms of specific tasks such as recommendation and human-behavior prediction.

Field geology on the Moon: Some lessons learned from the exploration of the Haughton impact structure, Devon Island, Canadian High Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osinski, Gordon R.; Lee, Pascal; Cockell, Charles S.; Snook, Kelly; Lim, Darlene S. S.; Braham, Stephen

2010-03-01

With the prospect of humans returning to Moon by the end of the next decade, considerable attention is being paid to technologies required to transport astronauts to the lunar surface and then to be able to carry out surface science. Recent and ongoing initiatives have focused on scientific questions to be asked. In contrast, few studies have addressed how these scientific priorities will be achieved. In this contribution, we provide some of the lessons learned from the exploration of the Haughton impact structure, an ideal lunar analogue site in the Canadian Arctic. Essentially, by studying how geologists carry out field science, we can provide guidelines for lunar surface operations. Our goal in this contribution is to inform the engineers and managers involved in mission planning, rather than the field geology community. Our results show that the exploration of the Haughton impact structure can be broken down into 3 distinct phases: (1) reconnaissance; (2) systematic regional-scale mapping and sampling; and (3) detailed local-scale mapping and sampling. This break down is similar to the classic scientific method practiced by field geologists of regional exploratory mapping followed by directed mapping at a local scale, except that we distinguish between two different phases of exploratory mapping. Our data show that the number of stops versus the number of samples collected versus the amount of data collected varied depending on the mission phase, as does the total distance covered per EVA. Thus, operational scenarios could take these differences into account, depending on the goals and duration of the mission. Important lessons learned include the need for flexibility in mission planning in order to account for serendipitous discoveries, the highlighting of key "science supersites" that may require return visits, the need for a rugged but simple human-operated rover, laboratory space in the habitat, and adequate room for returned samples, both in the habitat and in the return vehicle. The proposed set of recommendations ideally should be tried and tested in future analogue missions at terrestrial impact sites prior to planetary missions.

Science Case for Planetary Exploration with Planetary CubeSats and SmallSats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castillo-Rogez, Julie; Raymond, Carol; Jaumann, Ralf; Vane, Gregg; Baker, John

2016-07-01

Nano-spacecraft and especially CubeSats are emerging as viable low cost platforms for planetary exploration. Increasing miniaturization of instruments and processing performance enable smart and small packages capable of performing full investigations. While these platforms are limited in terms of payload and lifetime, their form factor and agility enable novel mission architectures and a refreshed relationship to risk. Leveraging a ride with a mothership to access far away destinations can significantly augment the mission science return at relatively low cost. Depending on resources, the mothership may carry several platforms and act as telecom relay for a distributed network or other forms of fractionated architectures. In Summer 2014 an international group of scientists, engineers, and technologists started a study to define investigations to be carried out by nano-spacecrafts. These applications flow down from key science priorities of interest across space agencies: understanding the origin and organization of the Solar system; characterization of planetary processes; assessment of the astrobiological significance of planetary bodies across the Solar system; and retirement of strategic knowledge gaps (SKGs) for Human exploration. This presentation will highlight applications that make the most of the novel architectures introduced by nano-spacecraft. Examples include the low cost reconnaissance of NEOs for science, planetary defense, resource assessment, and SKGs; in situ chemistry measurements (e.g., airless bodies and planetary atmospheres), geophysical network (e.g., magnetic field measurements), coordinated physical and chemical characterization of multiple icy satellites in a giant planet system; and scouting, i.e., risk assessment and site reconnaissance to prepare for close proximity observations of a mothership (e.g., prior to sampling). Acknowledgements: This study is sponsored by the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA). Part of this work is being carried out at the Jet Propulsion Lab, California Institute of Technology, under contract to NASA.

Planetary Balloon-Based Science Platform Evaluation and Program Implementation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dankanich, John W.; Kremic, Tibor; Hibbitts, Karl; Young, Eliot F.; Landis, Rob

2016-01-01

This report describes a study evaluating the potential for a balloon-based optical telescope as a planetary science asset to achieve decadal class science. The study considered potential science achievable and science traceability relative to the most recent planetary science decadal survey, potential platform features, and demonstration flights in the evaluation process. Science Potential and Benefits: This study confirms the cost the-benefit value for planetary science purposes. Forty-four (44) important questions of the decadal survey are at least partially addressable through balloon based capabilities. Planetary science through balloon observations can provide significant science through observations in the 300 nm to 5 m range and at longer wavelengths as well. Additionally, balloon missions have demonstrated the ability to progress from concept to observation to publication much faster than a space mission increasing the speed of science return. Planetary science from a balloon-borne platform is a relatively low-cost approach to new science measurements. This is particularly relevant within a cost-constrained planetary science budget. Repeated flights further reduce the cost of the per unit science data. Such flights offer observing time at a very competitive cost. Another advantage for planetary scientists is that a dedicated asset could provide significant new viewing opportunities not possible from the ground and allow unprecedented access to observations that cannot be realized with the time allocation pressures faced by current observing assets. In addition, flight systems that have a relatively short life cycle and where hardware is generally recovered, are excellent opportunities to train early career scientists, engineers, and project managers. The fact that balloon-borne payloads, unlike space missions, are generally recovered offers an excellent tool to test and mature instruments and other space craft systems. Desired Gondola Features: Potential gondola characteristics are assessed in this study and a concept is recommended, the Gondola for High-Altitude Planetary Science (GHAPS). This first generation platform is designed around a 1 m or larger aperture, narrow-field telescope with pointing accuracies better than one arc-second. A classical Cassegrain, or variant like Ritchey-Chretien, telescope is recommended for the primary telescope. The gondola should be designed for multiple flights so it must be robust and readily processed at recovery. It must be light-weighted to the extent possible to allow for long-duration flights on super-pressure balloons. Demonstration Flights: Recent demonstration flights achieved several significant accomplishments that can feed forward to a GHAPS gondola project. Science results included the first ever Earth-based measurements for CO2 in a comet, first measurements for CO2 and H2O in an Oort cloud comet, and the first measurement of 1 Ceres at 2.73 m to refine the shape of the infrared water absorption feature. The performance of the Fine Steering Mirror (FSM) was also demonstrated. The BOPPS platform can continue to be leveraged on future flights even as GHAPS is being developed. The study affirms the planetary decadal recommendations, and shows that a number of Top Priority science questions can be achieved. A combination GHAPS and BOPPS would provide the best value for PSD for realizing that science.

SPICE: A Geometry Information System Supporting Planetary Mapping, Remote Sensing and Data Mining

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Acton, C.; Bachman, N.; Semenov, B.; Wright, E.

2013-01-01

SPICE is an information system providing space scientists ready access to a wide assortment of space geometry useful in planning science observations and analyzing the instrument data returned therefrom. The system includes software used to compute many derived parameters such as altitude, LAT/LON and lighting angles, and software able to find when user-specified geometric conditions are obtained. While not a formal standard, it has achieved widespread use in the worldwide planetary science community

SpaceX Dragon before Departure

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-05-11

ISS047e109559 (05/11/2016) --- The SpaceX Dragon is seen berthed to the Earth-facing side of the station’s Harmony module shortly before departure. The vehicle was ultimately released by Expedition 47 robotic arm operator Tim Peake of ESA (European Space Agency) at 9:18 a.m. EDT. Dragon returned to Earth carrying more than 3,700 pounds of NASA cargo and science samples from human research, biology and biotechnology studies, physical science investigations and education activities sponsored by NASA and the U.S. national laboratory.

iss047e114046

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-05-11

ISS047e114046 (05/11/2016) --- The SpaceX Dragon is seen ready to be released from the International Space Station for its journey back to the Earth. The vehicle was ultimately released by Expedition 47 robotic arm operator Tim Peake of ESA (European Space Agency) on May 11, 2016. Dragon returned to Earth carrying more than 3,700 pounds of NASA cargo and science samples from human research, biology and biotechnology studies, physical science investigations and education activities sponsored by NASA and the U.S. national laboratory.

Carbon Observatory’s First Data on This Week @NASA - August 15, 2014

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-08-15

A month after its launch, the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, NASA’s first spacecraft dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide – has reached its final operating orbit and returned its first science data. “First light” test data were collected on August 6 as OCO-2 flew over central New Guinea, confirming the health of the spacecraft’s science instrument’s. Also, ATV-5 Delivers Cargo, Cygnus Departs Station, Super Celestial Show, Black Hole Blurs X-ray Light, Million Pound Move and more!

McArthur in Destiny laboratory

NASA Image and Video Library

2005-10-05

ISS011-E-14120 (5 October 2005) --- Astronaut William S. McArthur, Jr., Expedition 12 commander and NASA science officer, works with Space Station Remote Manipulator System or Canadarm2 controls located in the Destiny lab, while sharing duty time with the Expedition 11 crewmembers on the international space station. The Expedition 11 crew of cosmonaut Sergei K. Krikalev of Russia's Federal Space Agency, commander, and astronaut John L. Phillips, flight engineer and NASA science officer, along with spaceflight participant Greg Olsen, will be returning to Earth early next week.

International Symposium on 21st Century Challenges in Computational Engineering and Science

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-26

REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 ...it does not display a currently valid OMB control number. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR FORM TO THE ABOVE ORGANIZATION. 1 . REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY) 26...CHALLENGES IN COMPUTATIONAL ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER FA9550-09- 1 -0648 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S

Curiosity: How to Boldly Go...

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pyrzak, Guy

2013-01-01

Operating a one-ton rover on the surface of Mars requires more than just a joystick and an experiment. With 10 science instruments, 17 cameras, a radioisotope thermoelectric generator and lasers, Curiosity is the largest and most complex rover NASA has sent to Mars. Combined with a 1 way light time of 4 to 20 minutes and a distributed international science and engineering team, it takes a lot of work to operate this mega-rover. The Mars Science Lab's operations team has developed an organization and process that maximizes science return and safety of the spacecraft. These are the voyages of the rover Curiosity, its 2 year mission, to determine the habitability of Gale Crater, to understand the role of water, to study the climate and geology of Mars.

Revolutionary Deep Space Science Missions Enabled by Onboard Autonomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chien, Steve; Debban, Theresa; Yen, Chen wan; Sherwood, Robert; Castano, Rebecca; Cichy, Benjamin; Davies, Ashley; Brul, Michael; Fukunaga, Alex; Fukunaga, Alex;

NASA's Astrophysics Data Archives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasan, H.; Hanisch, R.; Bredekamp, J.

2000-09-01

The NASA Office of Space Science has established a series of archival centers where science data acquired through its space science missions is deposited. The availability of high quality data to the general public through these open archives enables the maximization of science return of the flight missions. The Astrophysics Data Centers Coordinating Council, an informal collaboration of archival centers, coordinates data from five archival centers distiguished primarily by the wavelength range of the data deposited there. Data are available in FITS format. An overview of NASA's data centers and services is presented in this paper. A standard front-end modifyer called `Astrowbrowse' is described. Other catalog browsers and tools include WISARD and AMASE supported by the National Space Scince Data Center, as well as ISAIA, a follow on to Astrobrowse.

Lead-Testing Service to Elementary and Secondary Schools Using Anodic Stripping Voltammetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goebel, Amanda; Vos, Tracy; Louwagie, Anne; Lundbohm, Laura; Brown, Jay H.

2004-02-01

This article outlines a successful community service project that involved members of our undergraduate chemistry club and area elementary schools. Elementary school students from various science classes throughout the region collected drinking water samples and mailed them to the university for analysis. Chemistry club members analyzed the water samples for possible lead contamination using anodic stripping voltammetry. The results and experimental data were returned to the science teachers for use in a variety of class projects. Chemistry club members presented their work during our annual Environmental Chemistry Conference. All participating science classes were invited to the conference. Over the years, participation in this project has steadily increased to its current enrollment of 28 science classes throughout the region.

Analysis of factors influencing return to work after total hip arthroplasty.

PubMed

Truszczyńska, Aleksandra; Rąpała, Kazimierz; Tarnowski, Adam; Kucharczyk, Wojciech

2013-10-31

BACKGROUND. Patients who undergo total hip arthroplasty (THA) find it difficult to return to work. OBJECTIVES. Analysis of factors influencing return to work after THA. Assessment of patients' quality of life and its impact on their attitude to work. MATERIAL AND METHODS. We studied patients operated on for degenerative hip disease at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery of Medical Centre of Postgraduate Education in Otwock between 2007 and 2012. The total number of the patients was 400; however, we chose only those patients who were younger than 65 and still in employment. The study population consisted of 54 of these patients. The mean patient age was 55.89 (±7.424). There were 29 men (57.3%) and 25 women (46.3%). RESULTS. 32 patients (59.3%) returned to work. There was a statistically significant difference regarding the attitude to work and return to work. An overwhelming majority of the patients who returned to work--31 out of 32 (96.6%)--liked their jobs. The 12 patients (22.22%) who did not return to work declared their intention to apply for a disability pension. The patients who returned to work assessed their physical health as better than the patients who did not return to work. CONCLUSIONS. 1. 40.7% of patients after THA did not return to preoperative employment. The reasons for not returning were not medical, because elimination of pain and an increased range of motion made return to work possible. 2. The perception of the quality of physical and psychological health among patients with THA who returned to work was significantly better than among those who did not return.

Reconsidering Return-to-Play Times: A Broader Perspective on Concussion Recovery

PubMed Central

D’Lauro, Christopher; Johnson, Brian R.; McGinty, Gerald; Allred, C. Dain; Campbell, Darren E.; Jackson, Jonathan C.

2018-01-01

Background: Return-to-play protocols describe stepwise, graduated recoveries for safe return from concussion; however, studies that comprehensively track return-to-play time are expensive to administer and heavily sampled from elite male contact-sport athletes. Purpose: To retrospectively assess probable recovery time for collegiate patients to return to play after concussion, especially for understudied populations, such as women and nonelite athletes. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Medical staff at a military academy logged a total of 512 concussion medical records over 38 months. Of these, 414 records included complete return-to-play protocols with return-to-play time, sex, athletic status, cause, and other data. Results: Overall mean return to play was 29.4 days. Sex and athletic status both affected return-to-play time. Men showed significantly shorter return to play than women, taking 24.7 days (SEM, 1.5 days) versus 35.5 days (SEM, 2.7 days) (P < .001). Intercollegiate athletes also reported quicker return-to-play times than nonintercollegiate athletes: 25.4 days (SEM, 2.6 days) versus 34.7 days (SEM, 1.6 days) (P = .002). These variables did not significantly interact. Conclusion: Mean recovery time across all groups (29.4 days) showed considerably longer return to play than the most commonly cited concussion recovery time window (7-10 days) for collegiate athletes. Understudied groups, such as women and nonelite athletes, demonstrated notably longer recovery times. The diversity of this sample population was associated with longer return-to-play times; it is unclear how other population-specific factors may have contributed. These inclusive return-to-play windows may indicate longer recovery times outside the population of elite athletes. PMID:29568786

Relative benefits of potential autonomy technology investments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lincoln, W. P.; Elfes, A.; Hutsberger, T.; Rodriguez, G.; Weisbin, C. R.

2003-01-01

We developed a framework that looks at both cost and risk early in the design process in order to determine the investment strategy in new technology development that will lead to the lowest risk mission possible which enables desired science return within a given budget.

Mars Exploration Rover: surface operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erickson, J. K.; Adler, M.; Crisp, J.; Mishkin, A.; Welch, R.

2002-01-01

This paper will provide an overview of the planned mission, and also focus on the different operations challenges inherent in operating these two very off road vehicles, and the solutions adopted to enable the best utilization of their capabilities for high science return and responsiveness to scientific discovery.

French Latin Association Demands Full Restoration of Secondary Classics Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Denegri, Raymond

1978-01-01

Discusses the demands of the Association pour la Defense du Latin that Latin be returned to the French secondary school curriculum and that the Classics-Science baccalaureat be restored as one of the French secondary programs. Benefits of studying Latin are enumerated. (KM)

Computing, Information, and Communications Technology (CICT) Program Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

VanDalsem, William R.

2003-01-01

The Computing, Information and Communications Technology (CICT) Program's goal is to enable NASA's Scientific Research, Space Exploration, and Aerospace Technology Missions with greater mission assurance, for less cost, with increased science return through the development and use of advanced computing, information and communication technologies

Autonomy enables new science missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doyle, Richard J.; Gor, Victoria; Man, Guy K.; Stolorz, Paul E.; Chapman, Clark; Merline, William J.; Stern, Alan

1997-01-01

The challenge of space flight in NASA's future is to enable smaller, more frequent and intensive space exploration at much lower total cost without substantially decreasing mission reliability, capability, or the scientific return on investment. The most effective way to achieve this goal is to build intelligent capabilities into the spacecraft themselves. Our technological vision for meeting the challenge of returning quality science through limited communication bandwidth will actually put scientists in a more direct link with the spacecraft than they have enjoyed to date. Technologies such as pattern recognition and machine learning can place a part of the scientist's awareness onboard the spacecraft to prioritize downlink or to autonomously trigger time-critical follow-up observations-particularly important in flyby missions-without ground interaction. Onboard knowledge discovery methods can be used to include candidate discoveries in each downlink for scientists' scrutiny. Such capabilities will allow scientists to quickly reprioritize missions in a much more intimate and efficient manner than is possible today. Ultimately, new classes of exploration missions will be enabled.

EarthCube's Assessment Framework: Ensuring Return on Investment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehnert, K.

2016-12-01

EarthCube is a community-governed, NSF-funded initiative to transform geoscience research by developing cyberinfrastructure that improves access, sharing, visualization, and analysis of all forms of geosciences data and related resources. EarthCube's goal is to enable geoscientists to tackle the challenges of understanding and predicting a complex and evolving solid Earth, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and space environment systems. EarthCube's infrastructure needs capabilities around data, software, and systems. It is essential for EarthCube to determine the value of new capabilities for the community and the progress of the overall effort to demonstrate its value to the science community and Return on Investment for the NSF. EarthCube is therefore developing an assessment framework for research proposals, projects funded by EarthCube, and the overall EarthCube program. As a first step, a software assessment framework has been developed that addresses the EarthCube Strategic Vision by promoting best practices in software development, complete and useful documentation, interoperability, standards adherence, open science, and education and training opportunities for research developers.

Non-Cooled Power System for Venus Lander

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salazar, Denise; Landis, Geoffrey A.; Colozza, Anthony J.

2014-01-01

The Planetary Science Decadal Survey of 2013-2022 stated that the exploration of Venus is of significant interest. Studying the seismic activity of the planet is of particular importance because the findings can be compared to the seismic activity of Earth. Further, the geological and atmospheric properties of Venus will shed light into the past and future of Earth. This paper presents a radioisotope power system (RPS) design for a small low-power Venus lander. The feasibility of the new power system is then compared to that of primary batteries. A requirement for the power source system is to avoid moving parts in order to not interfere with the primary objective of the mission - to collect data about the seismic activity of Venus using a seismometer. The target mission duration of the lander is 117 days, a significant leap from Venera 13, the longest-lived lander on the surface of Venus, which survived for 2 hours. One major assumption for this mission design is that the power source system will not provide cooling to the other components of the lander. This assumption is based on high-temperature electronics technology that will enable the electronics and components of the lander to operate at Venus surface temperature. For the proposed RPS, a customized General Purpose Heat Source Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (GPHSRTG) is designed and analyzed. The GPHS-RTG is chosen primarily because it has no moving parts and it is capable of operating for long duration missions on the order of years. This power system is modeled as a spherical structure for a fundamental thermal analysis. The total mass and electrical output of the system are calculated to be 24 kilograms and 26 Watts, respectively. An alternative design for a battery-based power system uses Sodium Sulfur batteries. To deliver a similar electrical output for 117 days, the battery mass is calculated to be 234 kilograms. Reducing mission duration or power required will reduce the required battery mass. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of both power systems with regard to science return, risk, and cost are briefly compared. The design of the radioisotope power system is considerably riskier because it is novel and would require additional years of further refinement, manufacturing, safety analysis, and testing that the primary batteries do not need. However, the lifetime of the radioisotope power system makes its science return more promising.

NASA's Rodent Research Project: Validation of Flight Hardware, Operations and Science Capabilities for Conducting Long Duration Experiments in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choi, S. Y.; Beegle, J. E.; Wigley, C. L.; Pletcher, D.; Globus, R. K.

2015-01-01

Research using rodents is an essential tool for advancing biomedical research on Earth and in space. Rodent Research (RR)-1 was conducted to validate flight hardware, operations, and science capabilities that were developed at the NASA Ames Research Center. Twenty C57BL/6J adult female mice were launched on Sept 21, 2014 in a Dragon Capsule (SpaceX-4), then transferred to the ISS for a total time of 21-22 days (10 commercial mice) or 37 (10 validation mice). Tissues collected on-orbit were either rapidly frozen or preserved in RNA later at less than or equal to -80 C (n=2/group) until their return to Earth. Remaining carcasses were rapidly frozen for dissection post-flight. The three controls groups at Kennedy Space Center consisted of: Basal mice euthanized at the time of launch, Vivarium controls, housed in standard cages, and Ground Controls (GC), housed in flight hardware within an environmental chamber. FLT mice appeared more physically active on-orbit than GC, and behavior analysis are in progress. Upon return to Earth, there were no differences in body weights between FLT and GC at the end of the 37 days in space. RNA was of high quality (RIN greater than 8.5). Liver enzyme activity levels of FLT mice and all control mice were similar in magnitude to those of the samples that were optimally processed in the laboratory. Liver samples collected from the intact frozen FLT carcasses had RNA RIN of 7.27 +/- 0.52, which was lower than that of the samples processed on-orbit, but similar to those obtained from the control group intact carcasses. Nonetheless, the RNA samples from the intact carcasses were acceptable for the most demanding transcriptomic analyses. Adrenal glands, thymus and spleen (organs associated with stress response) showed no significant difference in weights between FLT and GC. Enzymatic activity was also not significantly different. Over 3,000 tissues collected from the four groups of mice have become available for the Biospecimen Sharing Program. Together, these validation flight findings demonstrate the capability to support long-duration RR on the ISS to achieve both basic science and biomedical objectives.

The ASP Sensor Network: Infrastructure for the Next Generation of NASA Airborne Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myers, J. S.; Sorenson, C. E.; Van Gilst, D. P.; Duley, A.

2012-12-01

A state-of-the-art real-time data communications network is being implemented across the NASA Airborne Science Program core platforms. Utilizing onboard Ethernet networks and satellite communications systems, it is intended to maximize the science return from both single-platform missions and complex multi-aircraft Earth science campaigns. It also provides an open platform for data visualization and synthesis software tools, for use by the science instrument community. This paper will describe the prototype implementations currently deployed on the NASA DC-8 and Global Hawk aircraft, and the ongoing effort to expand the capability to other science platforms. Emphasis will be on the basic network architecture, the enabling hardware, and new standardized instrument interfaces. The new Mission Tools Suite, which provides an web-based user interface, will be also described; together with several example use-cases of this evolving technology.

The effects of experience and attrition for novice high-school science and mathematics teachers.

PubMed

Henry, Gary T; Fortner, C Kevin; Bastian, Kevin C

2012-03-02

Because of the current high proportion of novice high-school teachers, many students' mastery of science and mathematics depends on the effectiveness of early-career teachers. In this study, which used value-added models to analyze high-school teachers' effectiveness in raising test scores on 1.05 million end-of-course exams, we found that the effectiveness of high-school science and mathematics teachers increased substantially with experience but exhibited diminishing rates of return by their fourth year; that teachers of algebra 1, algebra 2, biology, and physical science who continued to teach for at least 5 years were more effective as novice teachers than those who left the profession earlier; and that novice teachers of physics, chemistry, physical science, geometry, and biology exhibited steeper growth in effectiveness than did novice non-science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teachers.

Optimizing the Galileo space communication link

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Statman, J. I.

1994-01-01

The Galileo mission was originally designed to investigate Jupiter and its moons utilizing a high-rate, X-band (8415 MHz) communication downlink with a maximum rate of 134.4 kb/sec. However, following the failure of the high-gain antenna (HGA) to fully deploy, a completely new communication link design was established that is based on Galileo's S-band (2295 MHz), low-gain antenna (LGA). The new link relies on data compression, local and intercontinental arraying of antennas, a (14,1/4) convolutional code, a (255,M) variable-redundancy Reed-Solomon code, decoding feedback, and techniques to reprocess recorded data to greatly reduce data losses during signal acquisition. The combination of these techniques will enable return of significant science data from the mission.

Near-Earth Asteroid Scout

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walden, Amy; Clardy, Dennon; Johnson, Les

2015-01-01

Near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) are easily accessible objects in Earth's vicinity. As NASA continues to refine its plans to possibly explore NEAs with humans, initial reconnaissance with comparatively inexpensive robotic precursors is necessary. Obtaining and analyzing relevant data about these bodies via robotic precursors before committing a crew to visit an NEA will significantly minimize crew and mission risk, as well as maximize exploration return potential. The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory are jointly developing the Near-Earth Asteroid Scout (NEAS) utilizing a low-cost CubeSat platform in response to the current needs for affordable missions with exploration science value. The mission is enabled by the use of an 85-sq m solar sail being developed by MSFC (figs. 1 and 2).

Practicing What We Teach: A Self-Study in Implementing an Inquiry-Based Curriculum in a Middle Grades Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dias, Michael; Eick, Charles J.; Brantley-Dias, Laurie

2011-02-01

A science teacher educator returned to teaching adolescents after more than 10 years in the professoriate. We studied his beliefs, practice and daily use of inquiry pedagogy while implementing a reform-based curriculum. Reflection on practice was evidenced by a weekly journal, classroom observations and debriefings, and extensive interviews. Newly developed practical knowledge from this experience shifted the science teacher educator's beliefs away from the Piagetian structuralism espoused in prescribed curricula towards a more culturally responsive, student-driven approach to teaching science to middle grades students. The merits and limitations of curricula attempting to follow traditional scientific practices are discussed.

Create your own science planning tool in 3 days with SOA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Streiffert, Barbara A.; Polanskey, Carol A.; O'Reilly, Taifun

2003-01-01

Scientific discovery and advancement of knowledge has been, and continues to be, the goal for space missions at Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Scientist must plan their observation/experiments to get the maximum data return in order to make those discoveries. However, each mission has different science objectives, a different spacecraft and different instrument payloads, as well as, different routes to different destinations with different spacecraft restrictions and characteristics. In the current reduced cost environment, manageable cost for mission planning software is a must. Science Opportunity Analyzer (SOA), a planning tool for scientists and mission planners, utilizes a simple approach to reduce cost and promote reusability.

The Use of Confocal Photoluminescence Microscopy for Determination of Defect Densities in Various 2-6 Semiconductors

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-11

optical configuration that significantly enhances both lateral and depth resolution and returns crisp PL images 1. REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY) 4. TITLE AND...that significantly enhances both lateral and depth resolution and returns crisp PL images with high contrast. This technique revolutionized fluorescent...resolution and returns crisp PL images with high contrast. This technique revolutionized fluorescent imaging in biology, and has the potential to

Recommended Maximum Temperature For Mars Returned Samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beaty, D. W.; McSween, H. Y.; Czaja, A. D.; Goreva, Y. S.; Hausrath, E.; Herd, C. D. K.; Humayun, M.; McCubbin, F. M.; McLennan, S. M.; Hays, L. E.

2016-01-01

The Returned Sample Science Board (RSSB) was established in 2015 by NASA to provide expertise from the planetary sample community to the Mars 2020 Project. The RSSB's first task was to address the effect of heating during acquisition and storage of samples on scientific investigations that could be expected to be conducted if the samples are returned to Earth. Sample heating may cause changes that could ad-versely affect scientific investigations. Previous studies of temperature requirements for returned mar-tian samples fall within a wide range (-73 to 50 degrees Centigrade) and, for mission concepts that have a life detection component, the recommended threshold was less than or equal to -20 degrees Centigrade. The RSSB was asked by the Mars 2020 project to determine whether or not a temperature requirement was needed within the range of 30 to 70 degrees Centigrade. There are eight expected temperature regimes to which the samples could be exposed, from the moment that they are drilled until they are placed into a temperature-controlled environment on Earth. Two of those - heating during sample acquisition (drilling) and heating while cached on the Martian surface - potentially subject samples to the highest temperatures. The RSSB focused on the upper temperature limit that Mars samples should be allowed to reach. We considered 11 scientific investigations where thermal excursions may have an adverse effect on the science outcome. Those are: (T-1) organic geochemistry, (T-2) stable isotope geochemistry, (T-3) prevention of mineral hydration/dehydration and phase transformation, (T-4) retention of water, (T-5) characterization of amorphous materials, (T-6) putative Martian organisms, (T-7) oxidation/reduction reactions, (T-8) (sup 4) He thermochronometry, (T-9) radiometric dating using fission, cosmic-ray or solar-flare tracks, (T-10) analyses of trapped gasses, and (T-11) magnetic studies.

Factors associated with return to work of breast cancer survivors: a systematic review

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The breast cancer survival rate is the highest among all types of cancers, and survivors returning to work after completing treatment is extremely important in regards to economy and rehabilitation. The aim of this systematic review study is to identify the prevalence of breast cancer survivors who return to work (RTW) and the factors associated to RTW. Methods A computer based literature search was carried out. "PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, and Science Direct" databases were searched systematically. Our search strategy identified a total of 12,116 papers of which 26 studies met the inclusion criteria and quality assessment. These were original papers published between January 2003 and January 2013. Results The trends in RTW differ among countries for the breast cancer survivors. The time to RTW after successful cancer treatment also varies among the countries and by ethnicity. The prevalence of the RTW varies from 43% to 93% within one year of diagnosis. The prevalence of the RTW for the Netherland is the lowest in the world (43%). The United States survivors showed the highest RTW (93%) within 12 months of the diagnosis. Numerous barriers and facilitators were identified as factors that affect RTW. For instance, socio-demographic factors such as education and ethnicity; treatment oriented factors such as chemotherapy; work related factors such as heavy physical work; disease related factors such as poor health condition and fatigue; and psychological factors such as depression and emotional distress, act as barriers of RTW. In contrast, social, family, employer support, and financial independency emerge as key facilitators in enabling breast cancer survivors to return and continue work. Conclusion Minimising these identified barriers and strengthening these facilitators could further improve the work condition and increase the percentage of RTW among the breast cancer survivors. PMID:25437351

Effects of Different Tillage and Straw Return on Soil Organic Carbon in a Rice-Wheat Rotation System

PubMed Central

Zhu, Liqun; Hu, Naijuan; Yang, Minfang; Zhan, Xinhua; Zhang, Zhengwen

2014-01-01

Soil management practices, such as tillage method or straw return, could alter soil organic carbon (C) contents. However, the effects of tillage method or straw return on soil organic C (SOC) have showed inconsistent results in different soil/climate/cropping systems. The Yangtze River Delta of China is the main production region of rice and wheat, and rice-wheat rotation is the most important cropping system in this region. However, few studies in this region have been conducted to assess the effects of different tillage methods combined with straw return on soil labile C fractions in the rice-wheat rotation system. In this study, a field experiment was used to evaluate the effects of different tillage methods, straw return and their interaction on soil total organic C (TOC) and labile organic C fractions at three soil depths (0–7, 7–14 and 14–21 cm) for a rice-wheat rotation in Yangzhong of the Yangtze River Delta of China. Soil TOC, easily oxidizable C (EOC), dissolved organic C (DOC) and microbial biomass C (MBC) contents were measured in this study. Soil TOC and labile organic C fractions contents were significantly affected by straw returns, and were higher under straw return treatments than non-straw return at three depths. At 0–7 cm depth, soil MBC was significantly higher under plowing tillage than rotary tillage, but EOC was just opposite. Rotary tillage had significantly higher soil TOC than plowing tillage at 7–14 cm depth. However, at 14–21 cm depth, TOC, DOC and MBC were significantly higher under plowing tillage than rotary tillage except for EOC. Consequently, under short-term condition, rice and wheat straw both return in rice-wheat rotation system could increase SOC content and improve soil quality in the Yangtze River Delta. PMID:24586434

The TWINS Science Data System after the launch of TWINS 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldstein, J.; Valek, P.; Skoug, R.; Delapp, D.; Redfern, J.; Carruth, B.; McComas, D.

2007-05-01

The Two Wide-angle Imaging Neutral-atom Spectrometers (TWINS) 1 satellite is in orbit and science data are expected to commence in the near future. TWINS-1 comprises half of the TWINS stereoscopic neutral atom imaging system that will advance our knowledge of the Earth's ring current. To support the expected data return, we have developed a Science Data System (SDS) for the TWINS mission. The TWINS SDS is an IDL- and Java- driven data interface that operates primarily via a web browser, and has as its spine an SQL-queryable database. Through this interface, TWINS science data will be provided to the TWINS team, the space science community, and the public. In this paper we present the current and future capabilities of the TWINS SDS, as well as how the SDS fits into virtual observatory infrastructure.

Science Missions Enabled by the Ares V

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Worden, Simon Peter; Weiler, Edward J.

2008-01-01

NASA's planned heavy-lift Ares V rocket is a centerpiece of U.S. Space Exploration Policy. With approximately 30% more capacity to Trans-Lunar Injection (TLI) than the Saturn V, Ares V could also enable additional science and exploration missions currently unachievable or extremely unworkable under current launch vehicle architectures. During the spring and summer of 2008, NASA held two workshops dedicated to the discussion of these new mission concepts for the Ares V rocket. The first workshop dealt with astronomy and astrophysics, and the second dealt primarily with planetary science and exploration, but did touch on Earth science and heliophysics. We present here the summary results and outcomes of these meetings, including a discussion of specific mission concepts and ideas, as well as suggestions on design for the Ares V fairing and flight configurations that improve science return.

Resolving multiple propagation paths in time of flight range cameras using direct and global separation methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whyte, Refael; Streeter, Lee; Cree, Michael J.; Dorrington, Adrian A.

2015-11-01

Time of flight (ToF) range cameras illuminate the scene with an amplitude-modulated continuous wave light source and measure the returning modulation envelopes: phase and amplitude. The phase change of the modulation envelope encodes the distance travelled. This technology suffers from measurement errors caused by multiple propagation paths from the light source to the receiving pixel. The multiple paths can be represented as the summation of a direct return, which is the return from the shortest path length, and a global return, which includes all other returns. We develop the use of a sinusoidal pattern from which a closed form solution for the direct and global returns can be computed in nine frames with the constraint that the global return is a spatially lower frequency than the illuminated pattern. In a demonstration on a scene constructed to have strong multipath interference, we find the direct return is not significantly different from the ground truth in 33/136 pixels tested; where for the full-field measurement, it is significantly different for every pixel tested. The variance in the estimated direct phase and amplitude increases by a factor of eight compared with the standard time of flight range camera technique.

Penetrator role in Mars sample strategy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boynton, William; Dwornik, Steve; Eckstrom, William; Roalstad, David A.

1988-01-01

The application of the penetrator to a Mars Return Sample Mission (MRSM) has direct advantages to meet science objectives and mission safety. Based on engineering data and work currently conducted at Ball Aerospace Systems Division, the concept of penetrators as scientific instruments is entirely practical. The primary utilization of a penetrator for MRSM would be to optimize the selection of the sample site location and to help in selection of the actual sample to be returned to Earth. It is recognized that the amount of sample to be returned is very limited, therefore the selection of the sample site is critical to the success of the mission. The following mission scenario is proposed. The site selection of a sample to be acquired will be performed by science working groups. A decision will be reached and a set of target priorities established based on data to give geochemical, geophysical and geological information. The first task of a penetrator will be to collect data at up to 4 to 6 possible landing sites. The penetrator can include geophysical, geochemical, geological and engineering instruments to confirm that scientific data requirements at that site will be met. This in situ near real-time data, collected prior to final targeting of the lander, will insure that the sample site is both scientifically valuable and also that it is reachable within limits of the capability of the lander.

Return to Play and Decreased Performance After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in National Football League Defensive Players.

PubMed

Read, Connor R; Aune, Kyle T; Cain, E Lyle; Fleisig, Glenn S

2017-07-01

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries occur commonly in football. Recent work has reported ACL reconstruction (ACLR) as one of several orthopaedic procedures with unfavorable outcomes for professional athletes. The performance impact to defensive players after surgery has not been quantified. To quantify the effect of ACLR on the performance of defensive players by comparing them to a cohort of matched controls as well as to measure the effect of ACLR on athletes' career length in the National Football League (NFL). Case-control and cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Thirty-eight NFL defensive players with a history of ACLR from 2006 to 2012 were identified. For each injured player, a matched control player was identified. Demographic and performance statistics were collected from the online NFL player database. Players who returned after ACLR (n = 23) were compared with players who did not return (n = 15) using t tests and chi-squared analyses. Similarly, players who returned after ACLR (n = 23) were compared with their matched controls with t tests and chi-squared analyses. Two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance was utilized to test for significant differences between performance before and after the season of the injury for the players in the ACLR group who returned (n = 23) and for their matched controls. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to test for differences in the rate of retirement between the groups. For all analyses, P values <.05 were considered significant. Approximately 74% (28/38) of athletes who underwent ACLR returned to play at least 1 NFL game, and 61% (23/38) successfully returned to play at least half a season (ie, 8 games). Athletes in the ACLR group who returned retired from the NFL significantly sooner and more often after surgery than their matched controls. In the seasons leading up to their injury, athletes who successfully returned to play started a greater percentage of their games (81%) and made more solo tackles per game (3.44 ± 1.47) compared with athletes in the ACLR group who did not return to play (54% and 1.82 ± 1.17, respectively) and compared with healthy control players (52% and 1.77 ± 1.19, respectively). After the season of surgery, athletes in the ACLR group who returned to play decreased to 57% games started and 2.38 ± 1.24 solo tackles per game, while their matched controls suffered no significant decreases. Players who successfully returned were above-average NFL players before their injury but comparatively average after their return.

Replication of a Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial of Resource Facilitation to Improve Return to Work and School After Brain Injury.

PubMed

Trexler, Lance E; Parrott, Devan R; Malec, James F

2016-02-01

To determine the extent to which previous findings on the effectiveness of resource facilitation to impact return to work and school could be replicated. Randomized controlled trial. Outpatient rehabilitation clinic. Outpatients with acquired brain injury (N=44). Fifteen months of resource facilitation services. A revised version of the Vocational Independence Scale and the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory-4 Participation Index. Participants randomized to the resource facilitation group demonstrated a significant advantage in terms of rate and timing of return to productive community-based work relative to control participants. When examining only return to competitive work (and not return to school), 69% of the resource facilitation group was able to return compared with 50% of the control participants. Analyses of measures of participation in household and community activities revealed that both groups improved significantly over the 15-month study period, but no significant advantage for either group was demonstrated. This study replicates the positive impact of resource facilitation in improving productive community-based activity, including competitive employment and volunteering in the community. Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mars Orbiter Study. Volume 2: Mission Design, Science Instrument Accommodation, Spacecraft Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drean, R.; Macpherson, D.; Steffy, D.; Vargas, T.; Shuman, B.; Anderson, K.; Richards, B.

1982-01-01

Spacecraft system and subsystem designs were developed at the conceptual level to perform either of two Mars Orbiter Missions, a Climatology Mission and an Aeronomy Mission. The objectives of these missions are to obtain and return data to increase knowledge of Mars.

Enticing New Growth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raby, June

2014-01-01

As an artist, designer and cultural historian, my work is concerned with integrating thought with material creativity. By relating science to methodology and learning strategies, somatic, experiential awareness comes to the fore. New scientific evidence about our neural network enables us to return to the body of experience we already have;…

SOLAR SYSTEM EXPLORATION: A More Cautious NASA Sets Plans for Mars.

PubMed

Lawler, A

2000-11-03

Twice burned by mission failures last year, NASA managers last week unveiled a new 15-year blueprint for Mars exploration. The revamped strategy allows for doing more science, but at a slower pace, while delaying a sample return until well into the next decade.

Science and Society Test VI: Energy Economics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hafemeister, David W.

1982-01-01

Develops simple numerical estimates to quantify a variety of energy economics issues, including among others, a modified Verhulst equation (considers effect of finite resources on petroleum) for supply/demand economics and a phenomenological model for market penetration also presents an analysis of economic returns of an energy conservation…

A State Policymaker's STEM Playbook. Promising Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zinth, Jennifer; Goetz, Tami

2016-01-01

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) has captured the attention of state policymakers who are concerned about equitable access to high-quality educational experiences and preparing and inspiring students to pursue STEM careers. Yet in many states, STEM policymaking efforts have not achieved their intended return on investment…

ed12-0346-18

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-10-30

SpaceX’s Dragon capsule is seen shortly after arriving at a port near Los Angeles, Calif on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012. Dragon had just completed its first commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station and returned 1,673 pounds of science and supplies back to Earth. Photo credit: NASA

Discrete event simulation of NASA's Remote Exploration and Experimentation Project (REE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunphy, J.; Rogstad, S.

2001-01-01

The Remote Exploration and Experimentation Project (REE) is a new initiative at JPL to be able to place a supercomputer on board a spacecraft and allow large amounts of data reduction and compression to be done before science results are returned to Earth.

46 CFR 310.65 - Graduation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... following requirements: (i) Completion of the required course of study; (ii) Fulfillment of the requirements... midshipman disciplinary and honor systems. (2) Graduates receive the degree of Bachelor of Science and a U.S... Navy. (3) In return for the education received at Government expense, each applicant shall sign an...

46 CFR 310.65 - Graduation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... following requirements: (i) Completion of the required course of study; (ii) Fulfillment of the requirements... midshipman disciplinary and honor systems. (2) Graduates receive the degree of Bachelor of Science and a U.S... Navy. (3) In return for the education received at Government expense, each applicant shall sign an...

It's Time to Develop a New "Draft Test Protocol" for a Mars Sample Return Mission (or Two…).

PubMed

Rummel, John D; Kminek, Gerhard

2018-04-01

The last time NASA envisioned a sample return mission from Mars, the development of a protocol to support the analysis of the samples in a containment facility resulted in a "Draft Test Protocol" that outlined required preparations "for the safe receiving, handling, testing, distributing, and archiving of martian materials here on Earth" (Rummel et al., 2002 ). This document comprised a specific protocol to be used to conduct a biohazard test for a returned martian sample, following the recommendations of the Space Studies Board of the US National Academy of Sciences. Given the planned launch of a sample-collecting and sample-caching rover (Mars 2020) in 2 years' time, and with a sample return planned for the end of the next decade, it is time to revisit the Draft Test Protocol to develop a sample analysis and biohazard test plan to meet the needs of these future missions. Key Words: Biohazard detection-Mars sample analysis-Sample receiving facility-Protocol-New analytical techniques-Robotic sample handling. Astrobiology 18, 377-380.

Return to sports after stress fractures of the tibial diaphysis: a systematic review.

PubMed

Robertson, G A J; Wood, A M

2015-06-01

This review aims to provide information on the time taken to resume sport following tibial diaphyseal stress fractures (TDSFs). A systematic search of Medline, EMBASE, CINHAL, Cochrane, Web of Science, PEDro, Sports Discus, Scopus and Google Scholar was performed using the keywords 'tibial', 'tibia', 'stress', 'fractures', 'athletes', 'sports', 'non-operative', 'conservative', 'operative' and 'return to sport'. Twenty-seven studies were included: 16 reported specifically on anterior TDSFs and 5 on posterior TDSFs. The general principles were to primarily attempt non-operative management for all TDSFs and to consider operative intervention for anterior TDSFs that remained symptomatic after 3-6 months. Anterior TDSFs showed a prolonged return to sport. The best time to return to sport and the optimal management modalities for TDSFs remain undefined. Management of TDSFs should include a full assessment of training methods, equipment and diet to modify pre-disposing factors. Future prospective studies should aim to establish the optimal treatment modalities for TDSFs. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The ISIS Story - Science Return from Rescuing, Archiving and Analyzing a Unique Dataset

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bilitza, D.; Benson, R. F.; Reinisch, B. W.; Huang, X.

2009-12-01

The Alouette and ISIS topside sounder satellites recorded a great wealth of information about the topside ionosphere during their long periods of operation (from 1962 to 1990). Even though more than 700 publications resulted from this project, only a small percentage of the dataset was analyzed during the mission life time. The soundings were stored on more than 100,000 seven-track analog telemetry tapes. In the mid-nineties space limitations and storage costs threatened an imminent loss of these tapes. Only a last minute intervention spear-headed by NASA’s Ionosphere, Thermosphere, Mesosphere (ITM) Data Evaluation Panel saved a significant portion of these tapes and with funding from the AISRP program these data were first digitized and then converted into electron density profiles. This data restoration effort more than tripled the Alouette/ISIS topside sounder data base and has led to significant improvements of models for the topside ionosphere, e.g., about a factor of 2 improvement in the case of the IRI-2007 topside electron density profile. We will present a brief history of this successful data restoration effort and will highlight the science dividends this investment has produced. The homepage for the ISIS project is at http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/space/isis/isis-status.html.

[Effect of straw-returning on the storage and distribution of different active fractions of soil organic carbon].

PubMed

Wang, Hul; Wang, Xu-dong; Tian, Xiao-hong

2014-12-01

The impacts of straw mulching and returning on the storage of soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC), particulate organic carbon (POC) and mineral associated organic carbon (MOC), and their proportions to the total organic carbon (TOC) were studied based on a field experiment. The results showed that compared to the treatment of wheat straw soil-returning (WR), the storage of TOC and MOC decreased by 4.1% and 9.7% respectively in 0-20 cm soil in the treatment with wheat straw mulching (WM), but the storage of DOC and POC increased by 207.7% and 11.9%, and TOC and POC increased significantly in 20-40 cm soil. Compared to the treatment with maize straw soil-returning (MR), the storage of TOC and MOC in the plough pan soil of the treatment with maize straw mulching (MM) increased by 13.6% and 14.6% , respectively. Compared to the WR-MR treatment, the storage of TOC and MOC in top soil (0-20 icm) significantly decreased by 8.5% and 10.3% respectively in WM-MM treatment. The storage of TOC, and POC in top soil was significantly higher in the treatments with maize straw soil-returning or mulching than that with wheat straw. Compared to the treatment without straw (CK), the storage of TOC in top soil increased by 5.2% to 18.0% in the treatments with straw returning or mulching in the six modes (WM, WR, MM, MR, WM-MM,WR-MR) (P<0.05), but the storage of TOC in the plough pan soil decreased by 8.0% to 11.5% (P<0.05) except for the treatments of WM and MM. The storage of DOC and DOC/TOC ratio decreased significantly in top soil in the treatments with straw mulching or returning in six modes. The storage of POC and POC/TOC ratio in WM and WM-MM treatments, MOC and MOC/TOC ratio in WR treatment, increased significantly in top soil. In the other three treatments with straw mulching and returning (MM, MR, WR-MR), the storage of POC and MOC increased significantly in top soil. These results suggested that straw mulching had the potential to accumulate active organic carbon fraction in soil, straw soil-returning had the potential to accumulate stable organic carbon fraction. Considering organic carbon sequestration in cropland in the region of Guanzhong plain, maize straw mulching or soil-returning was better than wheat straw, and wheat straw and maize straw soil-returning (WR-MR) were better than wheat and maize straw mulching (WM-MM).

A pair-matched comparison of return to pivoting sports at 1 year in ACL-injured patients after a nonoperative versus operative treatment course

PubMed Central

Grindem, Hege; Eitzen, Ingrid; Moksnes, Håvard; Snyder-Mackler, Lynn; Risberg, May Arna

2013-01-01

Background The wish to return to level I pivoting sports is a major indication of ACL-reconstruction. Patients usually return to pivoting sports between 6 months and 1 year postoperatively, but no matched study has so far examined 1-year return to sport rates in nonoperatively and operatively treated ACL-injured patients. Hypothesis ACL-injured patients following a nonoperative treatment course, including recommendation of activity modification, will have lower return to pivoting sport rates than operatively treated patients 1 year after baseline testing/surgery, when matched by preinjury sports activity, age and sex. Study Design Pair-matched cohort study Methods Sixty-nine nonoperatively treated ACL-injured patients were pair-matched with 69 operatively treated patients (n=138), based on specific preinjury sport, age and sex. Nonoperatively treated patients were recommended not to return to level I sports. Patients were defined as nonoperatively or operatively treated according to their status at follow-up. The baseline and follow-up testing included registration of sports participation, KT-1000 measurements, 4 hop tests, and patient-reported outcome measures. McNemar’s test and paired t-tests or Wilcoxon’s test were used to compare outcomes of nonoperatively and operatively treated patients. Results No significant baseline differences were found. At 12.9±1.2 months (mean ± standard deviation) after baseline testing (nonoperative) and 12.7±1.2 months after surgery (operative), there was no significant difference in overall return to sport rates (nonoperative: 68.1 %, operative: 68.1 %, p=1.000), or in return to level I sport rates (nonoperative: 54.8 %, operative: 61.9 %, p=0.664). Nonoperatively treated patients who participated in level I sports prior to injury had a significantly lower return to sport rate (54.8 %) than nonoperatively treated patients who participated in level II sports (88.9 %, p=0.003). The nonoperatively treated patients had significantly higher knee joint laxity, but significantly better hop test limb symmetry indexes, KOS-ADLS scores, and IKDC 2000 scores. None of the functional differences were larger than the smallest detectable difference. Conclusion ACL-injured patients following a nonoperative treatment course, including recommendations of activity modifications, and operatively treated patients did not have significantly different rates of returning to pivoting sports after 1 year in this pair-matched cohort study. Clinicians should be aware of a potentially high level of noncompliance to recommendations of activity modifications. While these results show that it is possible for nonoperatively treated patients to return to sport after rehabilitation, future follow-ups are needed to examine whether these patients maintain sports participation over time, and what long-term consequences they may suffer regarding subsequent injuries and knee osteoarthritis. PMID:22962290

Probability modeling of high flow extremes in Yingluoxia watershed, the upper reaches of Heihe River basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zhanling; Li, Zhanjie; Li, Chengcheng

2014-05-01

Probability modeling of hydrological extremes is one of the major research areas in hydrological science. Most basins in humid and semi-humid south and east of China are concerned for probability modeling analysis of high flow extremes. While, for the inland river basin which occupies about 35% of the country area, there is a limited presence of such studies partly due to the limited data availability and a relatively low mean annual flow. The objective of this study is to carry out probability modeling of high flow extremes in the upper reach of Heihe River basin, the second largest inland river basin in China, by using the peak over threshold (POT) method and Generalized Pareto Distribution (GPD), in which the selection of threshold and inherent assumptions for POT series are elaborated in details. For comparison, other widely used probability distributions including generalized extreme value (GEV), Lognormal, Log-logistic and Gamma are employed as well. Maximum likelihood estimate is used for parameter estimations. Daily flow data at Yingluoxia station from 1978 to 2008 are used. Results show that, synthesizing the approaches of mean excess plot, stability features of model parameters, return level plot and the inherent independence assumption of POT series, an optimum threshold of 340m3/s is finally determined for high flow extremes in Yingluoxia watershed. The resulting POT series is proved to be stationary and independent based on Mann-Kendall test, Pettitt test and autocorrelation test. In terms of Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Anderson-Darling test and several graphical diagnostics such as quantile and cumulative density function plots, GPD provides the best fit to high flow extremes in the study area. The estimated high flows for long return periods demonstrate that, as the return period increasing, the return level estimates are probably more uncertain. The frequency of high flow extremes exhibits a very slight but not significant decreasing trend from 1978 to 2008, while the intensity of such flow extremes is comparatively increasing especially for the higher return levels.

Operation of MRO's High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE): Maximizing Science Participation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eliason, E.; Hansen, C. J.; McEwen, A.; Delamere, W. A.; Bridges, N.; Grant, J.; Gulich, V.; Herkenhoff, K.; Keszthelyi, L.; Kirk, R.

2003-01-01

Science return from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) will be optimized by maximizing science participation in the experiment. MRO is expected to arrive at Mars in March 2006, and the primary science phase begins near the end of 2006 after aerobraking (6 months) and a transition phase. The primary science phase lasts for almost 2 Earth years, followed by a 2-year relay phase in which science observations by MRO are expected to continue. We expect to acquire approx. 10,000 images with HiRISE over the course of MRO's two earth-year mission. HiRISE can acquire images with a ground sampling dimension of as little as 30 cm (from a typical altitude of 300 km), in up to 3 colors, and many targets will be re-imaged for stereo. With such high spatial resolution, the percent coverage of Mars will be very limited in spite of the relatively high data rate of MRO (approx. 10x greater than MGS or Odyssey). We expect to cover approx. 1% of Mars at approx. 1m/pixel or better, approx. 0.1% at full resolution, and approx. 0.05% in color or in stereo. Therefore, the placement of each HiRISE image must be carefully considered in order to maximize the scientific return from MRO. We believe that every observation should be the result of a mini research project based on pre-existing datasets. During operations, we will need a large database of carefully researched 'suggested' observations to select from. The HiRISE team is dedicated to involving the broad Mars community in creating this database, to the fullest degree that is both practical and legal. The philosophy of the team and the design of the ground data system are geared to enabling community involvement. A key aspect of this is that image data will be made available to the planetary community for science analysis as quickly as possible to encourage feedback and new ideas for targets.

Measuring the returns to NASA life sciences research and development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hertzfeld, Henry R.

1998-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has invested in R&D in the life sciences for forty years. The thrust of this investment has been directed toward the support of human beings in space flight and in space activities. There are many documented examples of beneficial services and products now used in everyday life and medical practice that can be traced to origins in the R&D of the space program. However, a framework for quantitatively documenting, characterizing, and analyzing these public benefits has eluded researchers. This paper will present the results of a pilot project that includes the development of a methodology for assessing the economic benefits from NASA life sciences R&D and for realistically evaluating the financial leverage that private companies which are either involved in NASA R&D or which have ``bootstrapped'' NASA R&D into commercial products have realized. The results will show that the NASA life sciences investments are more engineering oriented, and more typically show results in the fields of instrumentation and medical devices. This is substantially different in nature from the focus of the National Institutes of Health, which is organized around the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. The appropriate measures of benefits for engineering-oriented products are economic parameters that focus on capital equipment. NIH benefits are more typically measured by human labor parameters, including the much more difficult to quantify measures of the quality and delivery of medical services. Although there is tremendous overlap in the goals and outputs of NASA life sciences and NIH investments, and NASA R&D is also very concerned with human beings and the quality of life, NIH is the overwhelming large source of life sciences R&D funds in the US. NASA has a special niche in life sciences R&D that supports the NASA mission as well as overall research issues in the life sciences. This paper evaluates the economic benefits of NASA's life sciences from the perspective of its special role, and presents evidence of the types of returns to the economy that have occurred from a sample of successful research efforts.

Report of the NASA Science Definition Team for the Mars Science Orbiter (MSO)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Michael

2007-01-01

NASA is considering that its Mars Exploration Program (MEP) will launch an orbiter to Mars in the 2013 launch opportunity. To further explore this opportunity, NASA has formed a Science Definition Team (SDT) for this orbiter mission, provisionally called the Mars Science Orbiter (MSO). Membership and leadership of the SDT are given in Appendix 1. Dr. Michael D. Smith chaired the SDT. The purpose of the SDT was to define the: 1) Scientific objectives of an MSO mission to be launched to Mars no earlier than the 2013 launch opportunity, building on the findings for Plan A [Atmospheric Signatures and Near-Surface Change] of the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) Second Science Analysis Group (SAG-2); 2) Science requirements of instruments that are most likely to make high priority measurements from the MSO platform, giving due consideration to the likely mission, spacecraft and programmatic constraints. The possibilities and opportunities for international partners to provide the needed instrumentation should be considered; 3) Desired orbits and mission profile for optimal scientific return in support of the scientific objectives, and the likely practical capabilities and the potential constraints defined by the science requirements; and 4) Potential science synergies with, or support for, future missions, such as a Mars Sample Return. This shall include imaging for evaluation and certification of future landing sites. As a starting point, the SDT was charged to assume spacecraft capabilities similar to those of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). The SDT was further charged to assume that MSO would be scoped to support telecommunications relay of data from, and commands to, landed assets, over a 10 Earth year period following orbit insertion. Missions supported by MSO may include planned international missions such as EXOMARS. The MSO SDT study was conducted during October - December 2007. The SDT was directed to complete its work by December 15, 2007. This rapid turn-around was required in order to allow time to prepare an Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for science investigations, to be released in early 2008.