Laser pulse analysis

Methods are presented for locating threshold points by using laser pulse analysis. It was found that there are errors involved in the determination of each of these quantities, and an attempt was made to separate their effects on the overall range correction. Several series of corrected range measurements for fixed reflectors and satellites were obtained. Residuals were computed by fitting the range measurements to either fixed-reflector distances or short arcs of satellite orbits. Root mean square values of these residuals are presented

New mode tracking methods in aeroelastic analysis

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/77312/1/AIAA-12552-803.pd

Improvement of normalization methods for eigenvector derivatives

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/76868/1/AIAA-11108-459.pd

Increased neuronal nitric oxide synthase activity in retinal neurons in early diabetic retinopathy

PURPOSE. There are increased levels of nitric oxide (NO) in diabetic retinas. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent that neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) contributes to the increased levels of retinal NO in early diabetic retinopathy by examining the expression and activity of nNOS in retinal neurons after 5 weeks of diabetes. METHODS. Changes in NO levels were measured using NO imaging of retinal neurons in mice with streptozotocin-induced diabetes for five weeks. NO imaging was compared to nNOS localization using immunocytochemistry, and nNOS message and protein levels were measured using quantitative real-time PCR and western blots. RESULTS. There was a close anatomic correlation between the localization of the increased NO production and the nNOS immunoreactivity in the retinal plexiform layers of diabetic retinas. There was no change in nNOS message, but nNOS protein was decreased and its subcellular localization was altered. Treatment with insulin or aminoguanidine partially ameliorated the increase in NO in diabetic retinas. CONCLUSIONS. These results suggest that increased nNOS activity is responsible for the majority of increased NO in retinal neurons in early diabetic retinopathy. This supports a role for increased nNOS activity in the early neuronal dysfunction in the diabetic retina.National Institutes of Health (NEI EY04785 to WDE

Higher order eigenpair perturbations

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/76914/1/AIAA-11149-583.pd

Flexible structure control laboratory development and technology demonstration

An experimental structure is described which was constructed to demonstrate and validate recent emerging technologies in the active control and identification of large flexible space structures. The configuration consists of a large, 20 foot diameter antenna-like flexible structure in the horizontal plane with a gimballed central hub, a flexible feed-boom assembly hanging from the hub, and 12 flexible ribs radiating outward. Fourteen electrodynamic force actuators mounted to the hub and to the individual ribs provide the means to excite the structure and exert control forces. Thirty permanently mounted sensors, including optical encoders and analog induction devices provide measurements of structural response at widely distributed points. An experimental remote optical sensor provides sixteen additional sensing channels. A computer samples the sensors, computes the control updates and sends commands to the actuators in real time, while simultaneously displaying selected outputs on a graphics terminal and saving them in memory. Several control experiments were conducted thus far and are documented. These include implementation of distributed parameter system control, model reference adaptive control, and static shape control. These experiments have demonstrated the successful implementation of state-of-the-art control approaches using actual hardware

Mode tracking issues in structural optimization

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/76633/1/AIAA-12747-342.pd

The effects of participation level on recidivism: a study of drug treatment courts using propensity score matching

Abstract Background: Empirical evidence has suggested that drug treatment courts (DTCs) reduce re-arrest rates. However, DTC program completion rates are low and little is known about the effectiveness of lower levels of program participation. Objectives: We examined how DTC program referral, enrollment without completion, and completion, affected re-arrest rates during a two-year follow-up. Research design: We used statewide North Carolina data from criminal courts merged with DTC data. Propensity score matching was used to select comparison groups based on demographic characteristics, criminal histories, and drug of choice (when available). Average treatment effects on the treated were computed. Measures: DTC participation levels included referral without enrollment, (n = 2,174), enrollment without completion (n = 954), and completion (n = 747). Recidivism measured as re-arrest on a substance-related charge, on a violent offense charge not involving an allegation of substance abuse, and on any charge (excluding infractions) was examined by felony and misdemeanor status during a two-year follow-up period

Multivalued SK-contractions with respect to b-generalized pseudodistances

A new class of multivalued non-self-mappings, called SK-contractions with respect to b-generalized pseudodistances, is introduced and used to investigate the existence of best proximity points by using an appropriate geometric property. Some new fixed point results in b-metric spaces are also obtained. Examples are given to support the usability of our main result