MQ-25A Manned/Unmanned Teaming

NPS NRP Executive SummaryManned aircraft coordinate with tankers locally through voice, hand signals and lighting. MQ-25A coordination is through a remote operator, typically through beyond line of sight communications. Degradation or loss of that communications link would inhibit refueling capability. Human machine teaming may be a key enabler for increased reliability and resilience in the unmanned tanking mission. Further, advanced human machine teaming capability may enable force multiplier missions, increasing war fighting capabilities of the carrier air wing. Co-Active Design and interdependence analysis are two proven methods for identifying human machine teaming requirements that enable resilience, reliability, and identify potential pitfalls. This year's research effort focuses on enhancing mission capabilities by exploring two key areas: enhanced ISR capabilities, and operations in non-permissive communications and position, navigation, and timing environments.ASN(RDA) - Research, Development, and AcquisitionThis research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrpChief of Naval Operations (CNO)Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

MQ-25A Manned/Unmanned Teaming

NPS NRP Project PosterManned aircraft coordinate with tankers locally through voice, hand signals and lighting. MQ-25A coordination is through a remote operator, typically through beyond line of sight communications. Degradation or loss of that communications link would inhibit refueling capability. Human machine teaming may be a key enabler for increased reliability and resilience in the unmanned tanking mission. Further, advanced human machine teaming capability may enable force multiplier missions, increasing war fighting capabilities of the carrier air wing. Co-Active Design and interdependence analysis are two proven methods for identifying human machine teaming requirements that enable resilience, reliability, and identify potential pitfalls. This year's research effort focuses on enhancing mission capabilities by exploring two key areas: enhanced ISR capabilities, and operations in non-permissive communications and position, navigation, and timing environments.ASN(RDA) - Research, Development, and AcquisitionThis research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrpChief of Naval Operations (CNO)Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

Comparison of Robot-Assisted Nephrectomy with Laparoscopic and Hand-Assisted Laparoscopic Nephrectomy

Early experience with robotic assistance for radical and simple nephrectomy offers no significant advantage over traditional laparoscopic or hand-assisted approaches

Urinary eicosanoid metabolites in HIV-infected women with central obesity switching to raltegravir: an analysis from the women, integrase, and fat accumulation trial.

Chronic inflammation is a hallmark of HIV infection. Eicosanoids reflect inflammation, oxidant stress, and vascular health and vary by sex and metabolic parameters. Raltegravir (RAL) is an HIV-1 integrase inhibitor that may have limited metabolic effects. We assessed urinary F2-isoprostanes (F2-IsoPs), prostaglandin E2 (PGE-M), prostacyclin (PGI-M), and thromboxane B2 (TxB2) in HIV-infected women switching to RAL-containing antiretroviral therapy (ART). Thirty-seven women (RAL = 17; PI/NNRTI = 20) with a median age of 43 years and BMI 32 kg/m(2) completed week 24. TxB2 increased in the RAL versus PI/NNRTI arm (+0.09 versus -0.02; P = 0.06). Baseline PGI-M was lower in the RAL arm (P = 0.005); no other between-arm cross-sectional differences were observed. In the PI/NNRTI arm, 24-week visceral adipose tissue change correlated with PGI-M (rho = 0.45; P = 0.04) and TxB2 (rho = 0.44; P = 0.005) changes, with a trend seen for PGE-M (rho = 0.41; P = 0.07). In an adjusted model, age ≥ 50 years (N = 8) was associated with increased PGE-M (P = 0.04). In this randomized trial, a switch to RAL did not significantly affect urinary eicosanoids over 24 weeks. In women continuing PI/NNRTI, increased visceral adipose tissue correlated with increased PGI-M and PGE-M. Older age (≥ 50) was associated with increased PGE-M. Relationships between aging, adiposity, ART, and eicosanoids during HIV-infection require further study

Local Entropy Characterization of Correlated Random Microstructures

A rigorous connection is established between the local porosity entropy introduced by Boger et al. (Physica A 187, 55 (1992)) and the configurational entropy of Andraud et al. (Physica A 207, 208 (1994)). These entropies were introduced as morphological descriptors derived from local volume fluctuations in arbitrary correlated microstructures occuring in porous media, composites or other heterogeneous systems. It is found that the entropy lengths at which the entropies assume an extremum become identical for high enough resolution of the underlying configurations. Several examples of porous and heterogeneous media are given which demonstrate the usefulness and importance of this morphological local entropy concept.Comment: 15 pages. please contact [email protected] and have a look at http://www.ica1.uni-stuttgart.de/ . To appear in Physica

A protocol for co-creating research project lay summaries with stakeholders:Guideline development for Canada's AGE-WELL Network

Background Funding bodies increasingly require researchers to write lay summaries to communicate projects’ real-world relevance to the public in an accessible way. However, research proposals and findings are generally not easily readable or understandable by non-specialist readers. Many researchers find writing lay summaries difficult because they typically write for fellow subject specialists or academics rather than the general public or a non-specialist audience. The primary objective of our project is to develop guidelines for researchers in Canada’s AGE-WELL Network of Centres of Excellence, and ultimately various other disciplines, sectors, and institutions, to co-create lay summaries of research projects with stakeholders. To begin, we produced a protocol for co-creating a lay summary based on workshops we organized and facilitated for an AGE-WELL researcher. This paper presents the lay summary co-creation protocol that AGE-WELL researchers will be invited to use. Methods Eligible participants in this project will be 24 AgeTech project researchers who are funded by the AGE-WELL network in its Core Research Program 2020. If they agree to participate in this project, we will invite them to use our protocol to co-produce a lay summary of their respective projects with stakeholders. The protocol comprises six steps: Investigate principles of writing a good lay summary, identify the target readership, identify stakeholders to collaborate with, recruit the identified stakeholders to work on a lay summary, prepare for workshop sessions, and execute the sessions. To help participants through the process, we will provide them with a guide to developing an accessible, readable research lay summary, help them make decisions, and host, and facilitate if needed, their lay summary co-creation workshops. Discussion Public-facing research outputs, including lay summaries, are increasingly important knowledge translation strategies to promote the impact of research on real-world issues. To produce lay summaries that include information that will interest a non-specialist readership and that are written in accessible language, stakeholder engagement is key. Furthermore, both researchers and stakeholders benefit by participating in the co-creation process. We hope the protocol helps researchers collaborate with stakeholders effectively to co-produce lay summaries that meet the needs of both the public and project funders

A Technical Roadmap for Autonomy for Marine Future Vertical Lift (FVL)

NPS NRP Executive SummaryThe Marines desire to leverage automation in their next Future Vertical Lift (FVL) platform, meaning they must define the human-FVL teaming interactions. The FVL will operate in a wide spectrum of flight regimes, from remotely piloted, to fully manned, to mostly automatic, and in combinations of the above. This broadened operating approach necessitates that understanding the various human machine teaming interdependent interactions across this diverse operating spectrum be completely delineated. NPS is well positioned to assist. Three approaches are considered: Use Co-active Design, since it is a rigorous engineering process that captures these interactions and interdependencies, develops workflows, and identifies resilient paths for human machine teaming using interdependence analysis (IA); define an FVL 'Living Lab' (LL) that the FVL program management office (PMO) could use to explore technical and concept tradeoffs; establish the cost/benefit relationships of these approaches; and design approaches to developing trust within this operating framework. The topic sponsor desires these techniques so as to create a PMO that decreases the speed at which technical tradeoffs can be identified and made.HQMC Aviation (AVN)This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrpChief of Naval Operations (CNO)Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

A Technical Roadmap for Autonomy for Marine Future Vertical Lift (FVL)

NPS NRP Project PosterThe Marines desire to leverage automation in their next Future Vertical Lift (FVL) platform, meaning they must define the human-FVL teaming interactions. The FVL will operate in a wide spectrum of flight regimes, from remotely piloted, to fully manned, to mostly automatic, and in combinations of the above. This broadened operating approach necessitates that understanding the various human machine teaming interdependent interactions across this diverse operating spectrum be completely delineated. NPS is well positioned to assist. Three approaches are considered: Use Co-active Design, since it is a rigorous engineering process that captures these interactions and interdependencies, develops workflows, and identifies resilient paths for human machine teaming using interdependence analysis (IA); define an FVL 'Living Lab' (LL) that the FVL program management office (PMO) could use to explore technical and concept tradeoffs; establish the cost/benefit relationships of these approaches; and design approaches to developing trust within this operating framework. The topic sponsor desires these techniques so as to create a PMO that decreases the speed at which technical tradeoffs can be identified and made.HQMC Aviation (AVN)This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrpChief of Naval Operations (CNO)Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

Switching the stereochemical outcome of 6-endo-trig cyclizations; Synthesis of 2,6-Cis-6-substituted 4-oxopipecolic acids

A base-mediated 6-endo-trig cyclization of readily accessible enone-derived α-amino acids has been developed for the direct synthesis of novel 2,6-cis-6- substituted-4-oxo-L-pipecolic acids. A range of aliphatic and aryl side chains were tolerated by this mild procedure to give the target compounds in good overall yields. Molecular modeling of the 6-endo-trig cyclization allowed some insight as to how these compounds were formed, with the enolate intermediate generated via an equilibrium process, followed by irreversible tautomerization/neutralization providing the driving force for product formation. Stereoselective reduction and deprotection of the resulting 2,6-cis-6-substituted 4-oxo-L-pipecolic acids to the corresponding 4-hydroxy-L-pipecolic acids was also performed

The Nylon Scintillator Containment Vessels for the Borexino Solar Neutrino Experiment

Borexino is a solar neutrino experiment designed to observe the 0.86 MeV Be-7 neutrinos emitted in the pp cycle of the sun. Neutrinos will be detected by their elastic scattering on electrons in 100 tons of liquid scintillator. The neutrino event rate in the scintillator is expected to be low (~0.35 events per day per ton), and the signals will be at energies below 1.5 MeV, where background from natural radioactivity is prominent. Scintillation light produced by the recoil electrons is observed by an array of 2240 photomultiplier tubes. Because of the intrinsic radioactive contaminants in these PMTs, the liquid scintillator is shielded from them by a thick barrier of buffer fluid. A spherical vessel made of thin nylon film contains the scintillator, separating it from the surrounding buffer. The buffer region itself is divided into two concentric shells by a second nylon vessel in order to prevent inward diffusion of radon atoms. The radioactive background requirements for Borexino are challenging to meet, especially for the scintillator and these nylon vessels. Besides meeting requirements for low radioactivity, the nylon vessels must also satisfy requirements for mechanical, optical, and chemical properties. The present paper describes the research and development, construction, and installation of the nylon vessels for the Borexino experiment