Astrometric telescope facility. Preliminary systems definition study. Volume 3: Cost estimate

The results of the Astrometric Telescope Facility (ATF) Preliminary System Definition Study conducted in the period between March and September 1986 are described. The main body of the report consists primarily of the charts presented at the study final review which was held at NASA Ames Research Center on July 30 and 31, 1986. The charts have been revised to reflect the results of that review. Explanations for the charts are provided on the adjoining pages where required. Note that charts which have been changed or added since the review are dated 10/1/86; unchanged charts carry the review date 7/30/86. In addition, a narrative summary is presented of the study results and two appendices. The first appendix is a copy of the ATF Characteristics and Requirements Document generated as part of the study. The second appendix shows the inputs to the Space Station Mission Requirements Data Base submitted in May 1986. The report is issued in three volumes. Volume 1 contains an executive summary of the ATF mission, strawman design, and study results. Volume 2 contains the detailed study information. Volume 3 has the ATF cost estimate, and will have limited distribution

Generic functional requirements for a NASA general-purpose data base management system

Generic functional requirements for a general-purpose, multi-mission data base management system (DBMS) for application to remotely sensed scientific data bases are detailed. The motivation for utilizing DBMS technology in this environment is explained. The major requirements include: (1) a DBMS for scientific observational data; (2) a multi-mission capability; (3) user-friendly; (4) extensive and integrated information about data; (5) robust languages for defining data structures and formats; (6) scientific data types and structures; (7) flexible physical access mechanisms; (8) ways of representing spatial relationships; (9) a high level nonprocedural interactive query and data manipulation language; (10) data base maintenance utilities; (11) high rate input/output and large data volume storage; and adaptability to a distributed data base and/or data base machine configuration. Detailed functions are specified in a top-down hierarchic fashion. Implementation, performance, and support requirements are also given

CAPRI: A Geometric Foundation for Computational Analysis and Design

CAPRI is a software building tool-kit that refers to two ideas; (1) A simplified, object-oriented, hierarchical view of a solid part integrating both geometry and topology definitions, and (2) programming access to this part or assembly and any attached data. A complete definition of the geometry and application programming interface can be found in the document CAPRI: Computational Analysis PRogramming Interface appended to this report. In summary the interface is subdivided into the following functional components: 1. Utility routines -- These routines include the initialization of CAPRI, loading CAD parts and querying the operational status as well as closing the system down. 2. Geometry data-base queries -- This group of functions allow all top level applications to figure out and get detailed information on any geometric component in the Volume definition. 3. Point queries -- These calls allow grid generators, or solvers doing node adaptation, to snap points directly onto geometric entities. 4. Calculated or geometrically derived queries -- These entry points calculate data from the geometry to aid in grid generation. 5. Boundary data routines -- This part of CAPRI allows general data to be attached to Boundaries so that the boundary conditions can be specified and stored within CAPRI s data-base. 6. Tag based routines -- This part of the API allows the specification of properties associated with either the Volume (material properties) or Boundary (surface properties) entities. 7. Geometry based interpolation routines -- This part of the API facilitates Multi-disciplinary coupling and allows zooming through Boundary Attachments. 8. Geometric creation and manipulation -- These calls facilitate constructing simple solid entities and perform the Boolean solid operations. Geometry constructed in this manner has the advantage that if the data is kept consistent with the CAD package, therefore a new design can be incorporated directly and is manufacturable. 9. Master Model access This addition to the API allows for the querying of the parameters and dimensions of the model. The feature tree is also exposed so it is easy to see where the parameters are applied. Calls exist to allow for the modification of the parameters and the suppression/unsuppression of nodes in the tree. Part regeneration is performed by a single API call and a new part becomes available within CAPRI (if the regeneration was successful). This is described in a separate document. Components 1-7 are considered the CAPRI base level reader

Evaluating the citywide Edinburgh 20mph speed limit intervention effects on traffic speed and volume: A pre-post observational evaluation.

OBJECTIVES: Traffic speed is important to public health as it is a major contributory factor to collision risk and casualty severity. 20mph (32km/h) speed limit interventions are an increasingly common approach to address this transport and health challenge, but a more developed evidence base is needed to understand their effects. This study describes the changes in traffic speed and traffic volume in the City of Edinburgh, pre- and 12 months post-implementation of phased city-wide 20mph speed limits from 2016-2018. METHODS: The City of Edinburgh Council collected speed and volume data across one full week (24 hours a day) pre- and post-20mph speed limits for 66 streets. The pre- and post-speed limit intervention data were compared using measures of central tendency, dispersion, and basic t-tests. The changes were assessed at different aggregations and evaluated for statistical significance (alpha = 0.05). A mixed effects model was used to model speed reduction, in the presence of key variables such as baseline traffic speed and time of day. RESULTS: City-wide, a statistically significant reduction in mean speed of 1.34mph (95% CI 0.95 to 1.72) was observed at 12 months post-implementation, representing a 5.7% reduction. Reductions in speed were observed throughout the day and across the week, and larger reductions in speed were observed on roads with higher initial speeds. Mean 7-day volume of traffic was found to be lower by 86 vehicles (95% CI: -112 to 286) representing a reduction of 2.4% across the city of Edinburgh (p = 0.39) but with the direction of effect uncertain. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of the city-wide 20mph speed limit intervention was associated with meaningful reductions in traffic speeds but not volume. The reduction observed in road traffic speed may act as a mechanism to lessen the frequency and severity of collisions and casualties, increase road safety, and improve liveability

Space and Earth Sciences, Computer Systems, and Scientific Data Analysis Support, Volume 1

This Final Progress Report covers the specific technical activities of Hughes STX Corporation for the last contract triannual period of 1 June through 30 Sep. 1993, in support of assigned task activities at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). It also provides a brief summary of work throughout the contract period of performance on each active task. Technical activity is presented in Volume 1, while financial and level-of-effort data is presented in Volume 2. Technical support was provided to all Division and Laboratories of Goddard's Space Sciences and Earth Sciences Directorates. Types of support include: scientific programming, systems programming, computer management, mission planning, scientific investigation, data analysis, data processing, data base creation and maintenance, instrumentation development, and management services. Mission and instruments supported include: ROSAT, Astro-D, BBXRT, XTE, AXAF, GRO, COBE, WIND, UIT, SMM, STIS, HEIDI, DE, URAP, CRRES, Voyagers, ISEE, San Marco, LAGEOS, TOPEX/Poseidon, Pioneer-Venus, Galileo, Cassini, Nimbus-7/TOMS, Meteor-3/TOMS, FIFE, BOREAS, TRMM, AVHRR, and Landsat. Accomplishments include: development of computing programs for mission science and data analysis, supercomputer applications support, computer network support, computational upgrades for data archival and analysis centers, end-to-end management for mission data flow, scientific modeling and results in the fields of space and Earth physics, planning and design of GSFC VO DAAC and VO IMS, fabrication, assembly, and testing of mission instrumentation, and design of mission operations center

Spirometric and anthropometric studies in normal children aged between 7 and 12 years

Spirometric data on 1183 healthy school children (551 boys and 632 girls) ranging in age from 7 to 12 years were analysed to derive predicted equations for (forced vital capacity, FEV 1 (forced expiratory volume in one second), FEF25-75% (maximal flow over the mid-portion of FVC), Vmax50% (flow rate after expiring 50% of FVC), and PEFR (peak expiratory flow rate). For all lung functions parameters, girls have lower values than boys. Using regression analysis, standing height appeared to be the most important predictor of pulmonary function across the age group. Regression equations constructed with logarithmically transfered dependent variables provided accurate predictions. Predicted FVC values derived from equation based on other population were higher than the observed mean in this study. This study therefore, reemphasises the need to be cautions when applying formulae derived from one population to another. Grossly erroneous conclusions may be reached unless predicted equations for lung parameters for a given are derived from studies base upon the same population group

Phosphatidic Acid Increases Lean Body Tissue And Strength In Resistance Trained Men

Phosphatidic Acid (PA) is a natural phospholipid compound derived from lecithin which is commonly found in egg yolk, grains, fish, soybeans, peanuts and yeast. It has been suggested that PA is involved in several intracellular processes associated with muscle hypertrophy. Specifically, PA has been reported to activate protein synthesis through the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway and thereby may enhance the anabolic effects of resistance training. To our knowledge, no one has examined the effect of PA supplementation in humans while undergoing a progressive resistance training program. To examine the effect of PA supplementation on lean soft tissue mass (LM) and strength after 8 weeks of resistance training. Fourteen resistance-trained men (mean ± SD; age 22.7 ± 3.3 yrs; height: 1.78 ± 0.10m; weight: 89.3 ± 16.3 kg) volunteered to participate in this randomized, double-blind, placebocontrolled, repeated measures study. The participants were assigned to a PA group (750mg/day; Mediator®, ChemiNutra, MN, n=7) or placebo group (PL; rice flower; n=7), delivered in capsule form that was identical in size, shape and color. Participants were tested for 1RM strength in the bench press (BP) and squat (SQ) exercise. LM was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. After base line testing, the participants began supplementing PA or PLfor 8 weeks during a progressive resistance training program intended for muscular hypertrophy. Data was analyzed using magnitude-based inferences on mean changes for BP, SQ and LM. Furthermore, the magnitudes of the interrelationships between changes in total training volume and LM were interpreted using Pearson correlation coefficients, which had uncertainty (90% confidence limits) of approximately +0.25. iv In the PA group, the relationship between changes in training volume and LM was large(r=0.69, +0.27; 90%CL), however, in the PL group the relationship was small (r=0.21, +0.44; 90%CL). PA supplementation was determined to be likely beneficial at improving SQ and LM over PL by 26% and 64%, respectively. The strong relationship between changes in total training volume and LM in the PA group suggest that greater training volume most likely lead to the greater changes in LM, however, no such relationship was found with PL group. For the BP data, the PA group resulted in a 42% greater increase in strength over PL, although the effect was considered unclear. While more research is needed to elucidate mechanism of action; the current findings suggest that in experienced resistance trained men supplementing 750mg PA per day for 8 weeks may likely benefit greater changes in muscle mass and strength compared with resistance training only

Stability and Kinetics of DNA Pseudoknots: Formation of T∗A•T Base-Triplets and Their Targeting Reactions

Pseudoknots have been found to play important roles in the biology of RNA. These stem-loop motifs are considered to be very compact and the targeting of their loops with complementary strands is accompanied with lower favorable free energy terms. We used a combination of spectroscopic (UV, CD and fluorescence), calorimetric (DSC, PPC and ITC) and kinetic (SPR) techniques to investigate: 1) Local base-triplet formation in pseudoknots; 2) energetic contributions for the association of pseudoknots with their complementary strands; and 3) the kinetic rates as a function of targeting strand length. We investigated a set of DNA pseudoknots with sequence: d(TCTCTTnAAAAAAAAGAGAT5TTTTTTT), where “Tn” is a thymine loop with n = 5, 7, 9, and 11. The favorable folding of each pseudoknot resulted in favorable enthalpy-entropy compensation, correlated to favorable base-pair stacking contributions and unfavorable uptakes of ions and water molecules. The increase in the length of the loop yielded higher TMs, 53°C to 59°C and folding enthalpies ranging from -60 to -110 kcal/mol, resulting in a significant stabilization, ΔG°(5) = -8.5 to -16.6 kcal/mol, which is consistent with the formation of 1-2 TAT/TAT base-triplet stacks. The PPC results yielded folding volume changes, ΔVs, ranging from 18 to 23 ml/mol, indicating the higher volume of the folded pseudoknots is due to the uptake of both water (ΔnW of -11 to -24 mol H2O/mol) and ions (Δnion of -2.5 to -4.1 mol Na+/mol). We use ITC and DSC to determine thermodynamic profiles for the reaction of pseudoknots with partially complementary strands. We obtained favorable reaction free energies terms. However, the targeting of compact pseudoknots containing local base-triplets is less favorable due to their larger folding free energy term. The SPR data indicated that the rate of association, kon, decreases while the rate of dissociation, koff, increases as the length of the targeting strand increases, which yielded increasing KD, app.. This indicates the affinity of the target strand to the pseudoknot decreases as the length of the target strand increases. A similar trend was obtained when dissociation constants, KD, DSC, were measured from DSC Hess cycles. However, the KD, DSC were much smaller. This apparent discrepancy between these techniques is that SPR is measuring both the initial association and initial dissociation rates of steady state equilibrium states, while DSC measures true equilibrium states of the entire molecules