Orbital debris research at NASA Johnson Space Center, 1986-1988

Research on orbital debris has intensified in recent years as the number of debris objects in orbit has grown. The population of small debris has now reached the level that orbital debris has become an important design factor for the Space Station. The most active center of research in this field has been the NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. Work is being done on the measurement of orbital debris, development of models of the debris population, and development of improved shielding against hypervelocity impacts. Significant advances have been made in these areas. The purpose of this document is to summarize these results and provide references for further study

Wearable proximity sensors for monitoring a mass casualty incident exercise: a feasibility study

Over the past several decades, naturally occurring and man-made mass casualty incidents (MCI) have increased in frequency and number, worldwide. To test the impact of such event on medical resources, simulations can provide a safe, controlled setting while replicating the chaotic environment typical of an actual disaster. A standardised method to collect and analyse data from mass casualty exercises is needed, in order to assess preparedness and performance of the healthcare staff involved. We report on the use of wearable proximity sensors to measure proximity events during a MCI simulation. We investigated the interactions between medical staff and patients, to evaluate the time dedicated by the medical staff with respect to the severity of the injury of the victims depending on the roles. We estimated the presence of the patients in the different spaces of the field hospital, in order to study the patients' flow. Data were obtained and collected through the deployment of wearable proximity sensors during a mass casualty incident functional exercise. The scenario included two areas: the accident site and the Advanced Medical Post (AMP), and the exercise lasted 3 hours. A total of 238 participants simulating medical staff and victims were involved. Each participant wore a proximity sensor and 30 fixed devices were placed in the field hospital. The contact networks show a heterogeneous distribution of the cumulative time spent in proximity by participants. We obtained contact matrices based on cumulative time spent in proximity between victims and the rescuers. Our results showed that the time spent in proximity by the healthcare teams with the victims is related to the severity of the patient's injury. The analysis of patients' flow showed that the presence of patients in the rooms of the hospital is consistent with triage code and diagnosis, and no obvious bottlenecks were found

Institute for Energy Annual Report 2006

Report on Activities, accomplishment and resources related to the JRC's Institute for Energy work carried out in 2006. An overview is given of the organisational changes, the mission and its implementation, the scientific activities and relations with customers and partners.JRC.C.7-Knowledge for the Energy Unio

A public health management model for acute chemical incidents in Wales

The price of industrial progress is the potential for exposure of an increasingly informed public to chemical hazards in the environment. Of particular concern are acute exposures to chemical incidents, where problematic health risk assessments have highlighted the lack of expertise and resources available to support public health professionals in Wales responsible for protecting the health of populations. A systematic literature review of chemical incident databases, public health surveillance systems and major chemical incidents worldwide was used to guide the development of the first active, multi-agency community-based public health surveillance system for acute chemical incidents to be undertaken in Europe. A total of 642 acute chemical incidents were reported in Wales from all sources over a three year period. Of the 270 incidents reported by the primary source, chemical spills were the most frequently reported type of incident (28%) and operational industrial sites the most common location (25%). Of the estimated 238,000 people exposed, 528 reported symptoms in a total of 57 incidents. A single chemical was implicated in 86% of the incidents. Shortfalls were identified in the current expertise and resources available to public health professionals in Wales, leading to the development of a public health management model for acute chemical incidents. Model development took place in the context of United Kingdom - wide initiatives and involved the conduct of structured interviews with 41 organisations with interests in the field. The model selected for Wales was implemented on 1 February 1997 and comprised three levels of operation: (a) accountability for the protection of public health vested in health authorities at the local level; (b) a subscription-based front-line advisory and support unit to those authorities; (c) and a centrally funded national co-ordinating centre to provide the necessary evidence-base through programmes of surveillance, training, and emergency planning

Transport And Formation Processes For Fine Airborne Ash From Three Recent Volcanic Eruptions In Alaska: Implications For Detection Methods And Tracking Models

Thesis (Ph.D.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2012Airborne fine volcanic ash was collected during the eruptions of Augustine Volcano in 2006, Pavlof Volcano in 2007, and Redoubt Volcano in 2009 using Davis Rotating Unit for Measurement (DRUM) cascade impactors to observe atmospheric processes acting on ash as an atmospheric particle. During the Redoubt eruption, samples were also collected by Beta Attenuation Mass (BAM-1020) and Environmental Beta Attenuation Mass (EBAM) monitors. BAM-1020s and EBAMs provided real-time mass concentration data; DRUM samplers provided samples for post-eruptive analysis. DRUM samples were retrospectively analyzed for time-resolved mass concentration and chemistry. EBAM and BAM-1020s reported near real-time, time-resolved mass concentrations. Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy was conducted to determine particle size, shape, and composition. Image processing methods were developed to determine particle size distributions and shape factors. Ash occurred as single grains, ash aggregates, and hybrid aggregates. Ash aggregates occurred in plumes from pyroclastic flows and were found in a discrete aerodynamic size range (2.5-1.15 microm). Hybrid ash was common in all samples and likely formed when downward mixing ash mingled with upward mixing sea salt and non-sea salt sulfate. The mass concentration of sulfate did not vary systematically with ash which indicated that the source of sulfate was not necessarily volcanic. Ash size distributions were log-normal. Size distribution plots of ash collected from the same plume at different transport distances showed that longer atmospheric residence times allowed for more aggregation to occur which led to larger but fewer particles in the plume the longer it was transported. Ash transport and dispersion models forecasted ash fall over a broad area, but ash fall was only observed in areas unaffected by topographic barriers. PM10 (particulates ≤ 10 microm in aerodynamic diameter or OA) ash was detected closer to the volcano when no PM2.5 (particulates ≤ 2.5 microm O A) ash was observed. Further downwind, PM2.5 ash was collected which indicated that the settling rates of PM10 and PM2.5 influenced their removal rates. Diurnal variations in ash mass concentrations were controlled by air masses rising due to solar heating which transported ash from the sampling site, or descending due to radiative cooling which brought ash to the sampling site. Respirable (PM2.5) ash was collected when there were no satellite ash detections which underscored the importance of ash transport and dispersion models for forecasting the presence of ash when mass concentrations are below satellite detection limits

Critical Infrastructures: Enhancing Preparedness & Resilience for the Security of Citizens and Services Supply Continuity: Proceedings of the 52nd ESReDA Seminar Hosted by the Lithuanian Energy Institute & Vytautas Magnus University

Critical Infrastructures Preparedness and Resilience is a major societal security issue in modern society. Critical Infrastructures (CIs) provide vital services to modern societies. Some CIs’ disruptions may endanger the security of the citizen, the safety of the strategic assets and even the governance continuity. The European Safety, Reliability and Data Association (ESReDA) as one of the most active EU networks in the field has initiated a project group on the “Critical Infrastructure/Modelling, Simulation and Analysis – Data”. The main focus of the project group is to report on the state of progress in MS&A of the CIs preparedness & resilience with a specific focus on the corresponding data availability and relevance. In order to report on the most recent developments in the field of the CIs preparedness & resilience MS&A and the availability of the relevant data, ESReDA held its 52nd Seminar on the following thematic: “Critical Infrastructures: Enhancing Preparedness & Resilience for the security of citizens and services supply continuity”. The 52nd ESReDA Seminar was a very successful event, which attracted about 50 participants from industry, authorities, operators, research centres, academia and consultancy companies.JRC.G.10-Knowledge for Nuclear Security and Safet