Evaluation of the Trajectory Operations Applications Software Task (TOAST). Volume 2: Interview transcripts

The Trajectory Operations Applications Software Task (TOAST) is a software development project whose purpose is to provide trajectory operation pre-mission and real-time support for the Space Shuttle. The purpose of the evaluation was to evaluate TOAST as an Application Manager - to assess current and planned capabilities, compare capabilities to commercially-available off the shelf (COTS) software, and analyze requirements of MCC and Flight Analysis Design System (FADS) for TOAST implementation. As a major part of the data gathering for the evaluation, interviews were conducted with NASA and contractor personnel. Real-time and flight design users, orbit navigation users, the TOAST developers, and management were interviewed. Code reviews and demonstrations were also held. Each of these interviews was videotaped and transcribed as appropriate. Transcripts were edited and are presented chronologically

Satellite Power System (SPS) mapping of exclusion areas for rectenna sites

The areas of the United States that were not available as potential sites for receiving antennas that are an integral part of the Satellite Power System concept are presented. Thirty-six variables with the potential to exclude the rectenna were mapped and coded in a computer. Some of these variables exclude a rectenna from locating within the area of its spatial influence, and other variables potentially exclude the rectenna. These maps of variables were assembled from existing data and were mapped on a grid system

Constructing a Geographic Information System for Watershed Management

Paper by Peter G. Rowe and Bill A. Bavinge

Effectiveness and safety of generic version of abacavir/lamivudine and efavirenz in treatment naive HIV-infected patients: a nonrandomized, open-label, phase IV study in Cali-Colombia, 2011-2012

Background: Generic drug policies are often associated with concerns about the quality and effectiveness of these products. Phase IV clinical trials may be a suitable design to assess the effectiveness and safety of generic drugs. The objective of this study was to describe the effectiveness and the safety of the generic abacavir/lamivudine and efavirenz in treatment-naïve HIV-infected patients. Methods: A monocentric, nonrandomized, open-label, phase IV study in treatment naïve HIV-infected patients 18 years or older with indication to receive abacavir/lamivudine and efavirenz were recruited from a program that provides comprehensive outpatient consultation and continuing care. The primary end-point was to achieve viral load <40 copies/mL at 12 months after baseline to assess effectiveness. Secondary end-point of the study were 1) to asses increasing in T-CD4 lymphocytes levels as accompaniment to asses effectiveness, and 2) to assess both gastrointestinal, skin, and central nervous system symptoms, and lipid profile, cardiovascular risk, renal, and hepatic function as safety profile. Data were determined at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months. Close clinical monitoring and pharmaceutical care were used for data collection. Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test was used to compare proportions or medians. Results: Sixty patients were invited to participate in the study; 42 were enrolled and 33 completed the follow-up. Of the nine patients excluded from the study, only one was withdrawn due to adverse events. At 12 months, 31 of 42 patients (73.8 % in intention-to-treat analysis) achieved a viral load of HIV1 RNA <40 copies/mL. There was a significant increase (172 cells/mm3) in the median for CD4 T lymphocyte count. The adverse events were mild and met the safety profile for this antiretroviral regimen, mainly of central nervous system symptoms, skin rash, lipid abnormalities, and an increase of 2 % in the median of the percentage of cardiovascular risk. Conclusions: The clinical outcomes of generic version of abacavir/lamivudine and efavirenz in HIV treatment naïve patients showed the expected safety and effectiveness profile of proprietary ARV drugs. Trial registration: Registro Público Cubano de Ensayos Clínicos (RPCEC) ID: RPCEC00000202. Registered 19 November 2015.This research was made possible by contribution from the Corporación de Lucha Contra el SIDA, Cali-Colombia, and Comité para el Desarrollo de la Investigación (CODI), Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. In addition, Humax Pharmaceutical S.A. provided the antiretroviral drugs

Information Processing as it applies to urban and natural environmental analysis

No page 24The nature of problem solving in the design professions is constantly increasing in its dependency on descriptive information. The design professions have developed, or borrowed from other professions, a number of specific techniques for dealing with information, but a generalized approach to the nature of information and its possible roles in the design process is just beginning. The need for a comprehensive understanding of this area becomes increasingly important as the scale of the design problem increases. By the time we get to city and regional scales the problem arena involves so much information that it is enormously complex. In fact, it becomes very difficult, and even illogical, to a priori determine either what or how much information is relevant to any given problem. A generalized approach to information processing proposed by this thesis provides a working alternative to the questions of what information, how much, and how it can be used. This thesis is a working investigation into the nature of descriptive information, how it can be coded and processed, and what it portends for the design professions. This investigation explores and develops a number of information processing capabilities which become an interactive working system for problem exploration at the urban and natural environmental scales. Two case studies are explored as a test of the working concepts. The first deals with descriptive information about natural environmental characteristics and their relationship to existing and future development for a large section of the Texas Gulf Coast south of Houston involving some 2,76 square miles of land and three counties. The second case study deals with urban descriptive information as it relates to a large section of Houston, Texas generally referred to as the Montrose Area. The case study section summarizes the thesis by providing working examples of the range of roles that a general information processing capability can have in decision making and design processes

The relationship between burden of childhood disease and foreign aid for child health

Abstract Background We sought to examine the relationship between child specific health aid (CHA) and burden of disease. Based on existing evidence, we hypothesized that foreign aid for child health would not be proportional to burden of disease. Methods In order to examine CHA and burden of disease, we obtained estimates of these parameters from established sources. Estimates of disability adjusted life years (DALYs) in children (0–5 years) were obtained from the World Health Organization for 2000 and 2012. The 10 most burdensome disease categories in each continent, excluding high-income countries, were identified for study. Descriptions of all foreign aid commitments between 1996 and 2009 were obtained from AidData, and an algorithm to designate the target diseases of the commitments was constructed. Data were examined in scatterplots for trends. Results The most burdensome childhood diseases varied by continent. In all continents, newborn diseases, vaccine-preventable diseases (lower respiratory diseases, measles, meningitis, tetanus, and pertussis), and diarrheal diseases ranked within the four most burdensome diseases. Infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV were also among the ten most burdensome diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, and non-communicable diseases were associated with much of the burden in the other continents. CHA grew from $7.4 billion in 1996 to$17.7 billion in 2009 for our study diseases. Diarrheal diseases and malnutrition received the most CHA as well as the most CHA per DALY. CHA directed at HIV increased dramatically over our study period, from $227,000 in 1996 to$3.4 billion in 2008. Little aid was directed at injuries such as drowning, car accidents, and fires, as well as complex medical diseases such as leukemia and endocrine disorders. Conclusion CHA has grown significantly over the last two decades. There is no clear relationship between CHA and burden of disease. This report provides a description of foreign aid for child health, and hopes to inform policy and decision-making regarding foreign aid