207 research outputs found

    A generic multibody simulation

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    Described is a dynamic simulation package which can be configured for orbital test scenarios involving multiple bodies. The rotational and translational state integration methods are selectable for each individual body and may be changed during a run if necessary. Characteristics of the bodies are determined by assigning components consisting of mass properties, forces, and moments, which are the outputs of user-defined environmental models. Generic model implementation is facilitated by a transformation processor which performs coordinate frame inversions. Transformations are defined in the initialization file as part of the simulation configuration. The simulation package includes an initialization processor, which consists of a command line preprocessor, a general purpose grammar, and a syntax scanner. These permit specifications of the bodies, their interrelationships, and their initial states in a format that is not dependent on a particular test scenario

    In the Wake of a Veto: What Do Oregon Psychologists Think and Know about Prescription Privileges for Psychologists?

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    Clinical psychology continues to grapple with a contentious debate surrounding prescriptive authority. With over half of all states having considered legislating prescriptive authority, an immense amount of time and money has been invested. This study aims to assess knowledge and attitudes of licensed psychologists in Oregon following a veto that prevented it from becoming the third state with prescription privileges for psychologists. From a list of 1,318 licensed Oregon clinical psychologists, 60% were randomly selected to participate. Of the 130 participants invited thus far, 83 have completed the survey, yielding a respectable response rate (64%). Perceived familiarity with current training models revealed lacking awareness with 75.2% and 72% expressing they were not familiar with the DOD and APA models, respectively. Only 5% knew which three states/territories currently have prescriptive authority and 77% were unfamiliar with any of the three prerequisites for postdoctoral training in psychopharmacology. Arguments in favor of prescription privileges garnering the most support related to perceptions of improved access and treatment enhancement. In contrast, the strongest arguments against prescription privileges involved professional issues (e.g., altered identity). Reflecting division, 43.9% were in favor, 20.7% were undecided, and 36% were in opposition to broadening privileges for psychologists. However, only 15.9% expressed interest in completing training and only 7.2% plan to pursue training and become a prescriber. Overall, these findings suggest legislative efforts should be mindful of the controversy within the field and the low numbers of professionals interested in pursuing prescription privileges, which undercut arguments for improved access and care

    A Systematic Review of Participatory Scenario Planning to Envision Mountain Social-Ecological Systems Futures

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    Mountain social-ecological systems (MtSES) provide crucial ecosystem services to over half of humanity. However, populations living in these highly varied regions are now confronted by global change. It is critical that they are able to anticipate change to strategically manage resources and avoid potential conflict. Yet, planning for sustainable, equitable transitions for the future is a daunting task, considering the range of uncertainties and the unique character of MtSES. Participatory scenario planning (PSP) can help MtSES communities by critically reflecting on a wider array of innovative pathways for adaptive transformation. Although the design of effective approaches has been widely discussed, how PSP has been employed in MtSES has yet to be examined. Here, we present the first systematic global review of single- and multiscalar, multisectoral PSP undertaken in MtSES, in which we characterize the process, identify strengths and gaps, and suggest effective ways to apply PSP in MtSES. We used a nine-step process to help guide the analysis of 42 studies from 1989 screened articles. Our results indicate a steady increase in relevant studies since 2006, with 43% published between 2015 and 2017. These studies encompass 39 countries, with over 50% in Europe. PSP in MtSES is used predominantly to build cooperation, social learning, collaboration, and decision support, yet meeting these objectives is hindered by insufficient engagement with intended end users. MtSES PSP has focused largely on envisioning themes of governance, economy, land use change, and biodiversity, but has overlooked themes such as gender equality, public health, and sanitation. There are many avenues to expand and improve PSP in MtSES: to other regions, sectors, across a greater diversity of stakeholders, and with a specific focus on MtSES paradoxes. Communicating uncertainty, monitoring and evaluating impacts, and engendering more comparative approaches can further increase the utility of PSP for addressing MtSES challenges, with lessons for other complex social-ecological systems

    An evaluation of the NASA Tech House, including live-in test results, volume 1

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    The NASA Tech House was designed and constructed at the NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia, to demonstrate and evaluate new technology potentially applicable for conservation of energy and resources and for improvements in safety and security in a single-family residence. All technology items, including solar-energy systems and a waste-water-reuse system, were evaluated under actual living conditions for a 1 year period with a family of four living in the house in their normal lifestyle. Results are presented which show overall savings in energy and resources compared with requirements for a defined similar conventional house under the same conditions. General operational experience and performance data are also included for all the various items and systems of technology incorporated into the house design

    Local knowledge production, transmission, and the importance of village leaders in a network of Tibetan pastoralists coping with environmental change

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    Includes bibliographical references.Changing climate, social institutions, and natural resource management policies are reshaping the dynamics of social-ecological systems globally, with subsistence-based communities likely to be among the most vulnerable to the impacts of global change. These communities’ local ecological knowledge is increasingly recognized as a source of adaptive capacity for them as well as a crucial source of information to be incorporated into scientific understanding and policy making. We interviewed Tibetan pastoralists about their observations of environmental changes, their interpretations of the causes of these changes, and the ways in which they acquire and transmit this knowledge. We found that community members tended to agree that changing climate is driving undesirable trends in grassland and livestock health, and some also viewed changing management practices as compounding the impacts of climate change. However, those nominated by their peers as experts on traditional, pastoral knowledge observed fewer changes than did a more heterogeneous group of people who reported more ways in which the environment is changing. Herders mostly discussed these changes among themselves and particularly with village leaders, yet people who discussed environmental changes together did not necessarily hold the same knowledge of them. These results indicate that members of the community are transferring knowledge of environmental change primarily as a means for seeking adaptive solutions to it, rather than for learning from others, and that local leaders can serve as critical brokers of knowledge transfer within and beyond their communities. This highlights not only the interconnectedness of knowledge, practice, and power, but also points toward the important role that local governance can have in helping communities cope with the impacts of global change.Published with support from the Colorado State University Libraries Open Access Research and Scholarship Fund

    Development of rapidly deployable structures for military applications : a system based approach to command post facilities

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    Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2006.Vita.Includes bibliographical references (p. 91-94).Today's battlespace is the most dynamic in recorded history. Accompanying other military improvements, Command and Control (C2) technology has also been modernized. In spite of advances in technology, it currently takes six times as long to deploy a Command Post (CP) as it did eight years ago. This decline in performance results in poor communication with forward units due to an increased distance between the units and the CP. This performance decline also increases the danger posed to command centers by enemy elements in the rear. Although each component of a modern CP functions well, CP structures are slow to deploy because many of the components of the command structure are developed separately to fulfill specific functions. Separately, these components are quick and innovative. Combined, they are cumbersome and labor intensive to assemble. The command structure must be viewed as a system that requires an encompassing solution. This thesis presents a rapidly deployable CP structure developed using a system based approach.(cont.) The functional elements of a Command Post were analyzed and a comprehensive structure was designed to enhance the speed of CP establishment. Also, the appropriate background theory for structural and safety analysis was developed and applied to the resulting design. The proposed design, termed the Automated Command Post (ACP), is capable of establishing Command and Control in a mere fifteen minutes from start to finish; this is a 92% improvement over existing CP structures. In order to maximize the potential usefulness of the physical space within the ACP, the recommended ACP layout was constructed by modifying existing command post layouts using network theory. The ACP is an air-supported structure that requires a nominal pressure of only 0.036 psi to withstand up to 75 mph winds. Also, the ACP inflation system has an estimated fuel cost of only '/2 a gallon per day to maintain this pressure.by Jakob A. Hopping.S.B

    Biological Staining and Culturing in Infectious Keratitis: Controversy in Clinical Utility

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    Infectious keratitis causes significant, financial burden and is only increasing in frequency with contact lens use. Despite this, no retrospective studies, prospective studies, or clinical trials have evaluated the diagnostic validity of clinical guidelines in cases of infectious keratitis. Currently, standard of care recommends that corneal samples be obtained for staining and culturing in select patients showing evidence of corneal ulceration. Ideally, diagnostic information from corneal sampling is thought to help guide therapeutic interventions, prevent disease progression, reduce antibiotic resistance, and decrease overall expenditures for the management and treatment of infectious keratitis. However, current staining and culturing methods are limited by poor sensitivity in non-bacterial cases (i.e. fungal, viral) and lengthy turnaround times, and these methods do not frequently change clinical decision making. Newer fluoroquinolones and broad-spectrum antibiotics resolve the vast majority of cases of infectious keratitis, rendering cultures less essential for management. We studied the clinical utility of obtaining corneal samples for culturing and staining and the need for future research to establish superior diagnostic guidelines for their use in infectious keratitis

    A systematic review of participatory scenario planning to envision mountain social-ecological systems futures

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    Mountain social-ecological systems (MtSES) provide crucial ecosystem services to over half of humanity. However, populations living in these highly varied regions are now confronted by global change. It is critical that they are able to anticipate change to strategically manage resources and avoid potential conflict. Yet, planning for sustainable, equitable transitions for the future is a daunting task, considering the range of uncertainties and the unique character of MtSES. Participatory scenario planning (PSP) can help MtSES communities by critically reflecting on a wider array of innovative pathways for adaptive transformation. Although the design of effective approaches has been widely discussed, how PSP has been employed in MtSES has yet to be examined. Here, we present the first systematic global review of single- and multiscalar, multisectoral PSP undertaken in MtSES, in which we characterize the process, identify strengths and gaps, and suggest effective ways to apply PSP in MtSES. We used a nine-step process to help guide the analysis of 42 studies from 1989 screened articles. Our results indicate a steady increase in relevant studies since 2006, with 43% published between 2015 and 2017. These studies encompass 39 countries, with over 50% in Europe. PSP in MtSES is used predominantly to build cooperation, social learning, collaboration, and decision support, yet meeting these objectives is hindered by insufficient engagement with intended end users. MtSES PSP has focused largely on envisioning themes of governance, economy, land use change, and biodiversity, but has overlooked themes such as gender equality, public health, and sanitation. There are many avenues to expand and improve PSP in MtSES: to other regions, sectors, across a greater diversity of stakeholders, and with a specific focus on MtSES paradoxes. Communicating uncertainty, monitoring and evaluating impacts, and engendering more comparative approaches can further increase the utility of PSP for addressing MtSES challenges, with lessons for other complex social-ecological systems

    A systematic review of participatory scenario planning to envision mountain social-ecological systems futures

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    Mountain social-ecological systems (MtSES) provide crucial ecosystem services to over half of humanity. However, populations living in these highly varied regions are now confronted by global change. It is critical that they are able to anticipate change to strategically manage resources and avoid potential conflict. Yet, planning for sustainable, equitable transitions for the future is a daunting task, considering the range of uncertainties and the unique character of MtSES. Participatory scenario planning (PSP) can help MtSES communities by critically reflecting on a wider array of innovative pathways for adaptive transformation. Although the design of effective approaches has been widely discussed, how PSP has been employed in MtSES has yet to be examined. Here, we present the first systematic global review of single- and multiscalar, multisectoral PSP undertaken in MtSES, in which we characterize the process, identify strengths and gaps, and suggest effective ways to apply PSP in MtSES. We used a nine-step process to help guide the analysis of 42 studies from 1989 screened articles. Our results indicate a steady increase in relevant studies since 2006, with 43% published between 2015 and 2017. These studies encompass 39 countries, with over 50% in Europe. PSP in MtSES is used predominantly to build cooperation, social learning, collaboration, and decision support, yet meeting these objectives is hindered by insufficient engagement with intended end users. MtSES PSP has focused largely on envisioning themes of governance, economy, land use change, and biodiversity, but has overlooked themes such as gender equality, public health, and sanitation. There are many avenues to expand and improve PSP in MtSES: to other regions, sectors, across a greater diversity of stakeholders, and with a specific focus on MtSES paradoxes. Communicating uncertainty, monitoring and evaluating impacts, and engendering more comparative approaches can further increase the utility of PSP for addressing MtSES challenges, with lessons for other complex social-ecological systems. © 2020 by the author(s)

    Phenolic compounds in young developing kiwifruit in relation to light exposure: Implications for fruit calcium accumulation

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    The interaction between light availability and the biosynthesis of phenolic compounds in fruit of kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa var. deliciosa, C.F. Liang et A. R. Ferguson) was investigated. Fruits were exposed either to natural light or were artificially shaded while growing on mature vines and were analysed weekly during the first 11 weeks of development. Phenols were identified and quantified by using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Results showed that the predominant phenolic compounds were hydroxycinnamic acids (HCAs), flavonols and the flavan 3-ol epicatechin. Calcium (Ca2+), the main mineral nutrient involved in fruit quality was also determined. Light significantly increased the accumulation of both phenols and Ca2+ into the fruit. This work expands the list of known phenolics in kiwifruit and provides a possible explanation for the seasonal pattern of Ca2+ import into the fruit. Results on light–phenol interaction being apparently beneficial for fruit Ca2+ accumulation, suggest that accurate canopy management could enhance fruit quality
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