Guidelines of the Design of Electropyrotechnic Firing Circuit for Unmanned Flight and Ground Test Projects

The NASA Langley Research Center, Engineering Directorate, Electronic System Branch, is responsible for providing pyrotechnic support capabilities to Langley Research Center unmanned flight and ground test projects. These capabilities include device selection, procurement, testing, problem solving, firing system design, fabrication and testing; ground support equipment design, fabrication and testing; checkout procedures and procedure?s training to pyro technicians. This technical memorandum will serve as a guideline for the design, fabrication and testing of electropyrotechnic firing systems. The guidelines will discuss the entire process beginning with requirements definition and ending with development and execution

MIPAS detection of cloud and aerosol particle occurrence in the UTLS with comparison to HIRDLS and CALIOP

Satellite infrared emission instruments require efficient systems that can separate and flag observations which are affected by clouds and aerosols. This paper investigates the identification of cloud and aerosols from infrared, limb sounding spectra that were recorded by the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS), a high spectral resolution Fourier transform spectrometer on the European Space Agency's (ESA) ENVISAT (Now inoperative since April 2012 due to loss of contact). Specifically, the performance of an existing cloud and aerosol particle detection method is simulated with a radiative transfer model in order to establish, for the first time, confident detection limits for particle presence in the atmosphere from MIPAS data. The newly established thresholds improve confidence in the ability to detect particle injection events, plume transport in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) and better characterise cloud distributions utilising MIPAS spectra. The method also provides a fast front-end detection system for the MIPClouds processor; a processor designed for the retrieval of macro- and microphysical cloud properties from the MIPAS data. <br><br> It is shown that across much of the stratosphere, the threshold for the standard cloud index in band A is 5.0 although threshold values of over 6.0 occur in restricted regimes. Polar regions show a surprising degree of uncertainty at altitudes above 20 km, potentially due to changing stratospheric trace gas concentrations in polar vortex conditions and poor signal-to-noise due to cold atmospheric temperatures. The optimised thresholds of this study can be used for much of the time, but time/composition-dependent thresholds are recommended for MIPAS data for the strongly perturbed polar stratosphere. In the UT, a threshold of 5.0 applies at 12 km and above but decreases rapidly at lower altitudes. The new thresholds are shown to allow much more sensitive detection of particle distributions in the UTLS, with extinction detection limits above 13 km often better than 10<sup>−4</sup> km<sup>−1</sup>, with values approaching 10<sup>−5</sup> km<sup>−1</sup> in some cases. <br><br> Comparisons of the new MIPAS results with cloud data from HIRDLS and CALIOP, outside of the poles, establish a good agreement in distributions (cloud and aerosol top heights and occurrence frequencies) with an offset between MIPAS and the other instruments of 0.5 km to 1 km between 12 km and 20 km, consistent with vertical oversampling of extended cloud layers within the MIPAS field of view. We conclude that infrared limb sounders provide a very consistent picture of particles in the UTLS, allowing detection limits which are consistent with the lidar observations. Investigations of MIPAS data for the Mount Kasatochi volcanic eruption on the Aleutian Islands and the Black Saturday fires in Australia are used to exemplify how useful MIPAS limb sounding data were for monitoring aerosol injections into the UTLS. It is shown that the new thresholds allowed such events to be much more effectively derived from MIPAS with detection limits for these case studies of 1 × 10<sup>−5</sup> km<sup>−1</sup> at a wavelength of 12 μm

Absence of system xc⁻ on immune cells invading the central nervous system alleviates experimental autoimmune encephalitis

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune demyelinating disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS), leading to neurodegeneration and chronic disability. Accumulating evidence points to a key role for neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and excitotoxicity in this degenerative process. System x(c)- or the cystine/glutamate antiporter could tie these pathological mechanisms together: its activity is enhanced by reactive oxygen species and inflammatory stimuli, and its enhancement might lead to the release of toxic amounts of glutamate, thereby triggering excitotoxicity and neurodegeneration. Methods: Semi-quantitative Western blotting served to study protein expression of xCT, the specific subunit of system x(c)-, as well as of regulators of xCT transcription, in the normal appearing white matter (NAWM) of MS patients and in the CNS and spleen of mice exposed to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an accepted mouse model of MS. We next compared the clinical course of the EAE disease, the extent of demyelination, the infiltration of immune cells and microglial activation in xCT-knockout (xCT(-/-)) mice and irradiated mice reconstituted in xCT(-/-) bone marrow (BM), to their proper wild type (xCT(+/+)) controls. Results: xCT protein expression levels were upregulated in the NAWM of MS patients and in the brain, spinal cord, and spleen of EAE mice. The pathways involved in this upregulation in NAWM of MS patients remain unresolved. Compared to xCT(+/+) mice, xCT(-/-) mice were equally susceptible to EAE, whereas mice transplanted with xCT(-/-) BM, and as such only exhibiting loss of xCT in their immune cells, were less susceptible to EAE. In none of the above-described conditions, demyelination, microglial activation, or infiltration of immune cells were affected. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate enhancement of xCT protein expression in MS pathology and suggest that system x(c)- on immune cells invading the CNS participates to EAE. Since a total loss of system x(c)- had no net beneficial effects, these results have important implications for targeting system x(c)- for treatment of MS

Influence of Convection and Aerosol Pollution on Ice Cloud Particle Effective Radius

Satellite observations show that ice cloud effective radius (r(sub e)) increases with ice water content (IWC) but decreases with aerosol optical thickness (AOT). Using least-squares fitting to the observed data, we obtain an analytical formula to describe the variations of r(sub e) with IWC and AOT for several regions with distinct characteristics of r(sub e) -IWC-AOT relationships. As IWC directly relates to convective strength and AOT represents aerosol loading, our empirical formula provides a means to quantify the relative roles of dynamics and aerosols in controlling r(sub e) in different geographical regions, and to establish a framework for parameterization of aerosol effects on r(sub e) in climate models

Relationship between psychological and biological factors and physical activity and exercise behaviour in Filipino students

The aim of the present study was threefold. Firstly, it investigated whether a general measure or specific measure of motivational orientation was better in describing the relationship between motivation and exercise behaviour. Secondly, it examined the relationship between the four most popular indirect methods of body composition assessment and physical activity and exercise patterns. Thirdly, the interaction between motivation and body composition on physical activity and exercise behaviour was explored in a sample of 275 Filipino male and female students. Males were found to have higher levels of exercise whereas females had higher levels of physical activity. Furthermore, general self-motivation together with body weight and percentage body fat were found to be the best predictor of exercise behaviour whereas the tension/pressure subscale of the ‘Intrinsic Motivation Inventory’ (IMI) was the best predictor of levels of physical activity. However, significant gender differences were observed. That is, for the males only self-motivation and for the females only body weight and BMI predicted exercise behaviour. Also, tension/pressure predicted physical activity levels for the females but not the males. No inverse relationship was found between the four body composition measures and exercise and physical activity behaviour. The results support the notion that the psychobiological approach might be particularly relevant for high intensity exercise situations but also highlights some important gender differences. Finally, the results of this study emphasise the need for more cross-cultural research

Efficacy and patient satisfaction with autoadjusting CPAP with variable expiratory pressure vs standard CPAP: a two-night randomized crossover trial

Expiratory pressure relief (C-Flex) technology monitors the patient’s airflow during expiration and reduces the pressure in response to the patient. Increased comfort levels associated with C-Flex therapy have potential to improve patient adherence to therapy. The purpose of this study was to assess the combination of autoadjusting CPAP (APAP) and C-Flex in terms of (1) treatment efficacy, and (2) patient preference when compared to standard CPAP. Fifteen patients who had previously undergone formal CPAP titration polysomnography were treated with either one night of the APAP with C-Flex or one night of conventional CPAP, in a crossover trial. Patient satisfaction levels were recorded using visual analog scales (VAS) on the morning after the study. Mean patient age was 50 ± 12 years, body mass index (BMI) was 36 ± 6 kg/m(2), baseline AHI was 53 ± 31 events/h, and CPAP Pressure was 11 ± 2 cm/H(2)O. APAP with C-Flex was as effective as CPAP, with no differences detected in sleep latency (17 ± 5 vs 12.3 ± 3 min, p = 0.4), or respiratory indices (AHI of 4.2 ± 2 vs 2.4 ± 0.7 events/h, p = 0.1). VAS scores (scale 0–10) indicated a trend towards increased patient satisfaction while using APAP with C-Flex (7.9 vs 7.2, p = 0.07). 10 patients expressed a preference for APAP with C-Flex (VAS, 0 to10) over standard CPAP (total positive score of 68, mean score of 4.8 ± 4.3). One patient expressed no preference. Four patients expressed a preference for CPAP (total positive score of 13, mean score of 0.9 ± 1.9) (APAP with C-Flex vs standard CPAP, p < 0.01 paired t test). APAP with C-Flex eliminates sleep disordered breathing as effectively as standard CPAP. Patients indicated a preference for APAP with C-Flex suggesting a possible advantage in terms of patient adherence for this mode of treatment

Guidelines for implementation of cystic fibrosis newborn screening programs: Cystic Fibrosis Foundation workshop report

Newborn screening for cystic fibrosis offers the opportunity for early intervention and improved outcomes. This summary, resulting from a workshop sponsored by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to facilitate implementation of widespread high quality cystic fibrosis newborn screening, outlines the steps necessary for success based on the experience of existing programs. Planning should begin with a workgroup composed of those who will be responsible for the success of the local program, typically including the state newborn screening program director and cystic fibrosis care center directors. The workgroup must develop a screening algorithm based on program resources and goals including mechanisms available for sample collection, regional demographics, the spectrum of cystic fibrosis disease to be detected, and acceptable failure rates of the screen. The workgroup must also ensure that all necessary guidelines and resources for screening, diagnosis, and care be in place prior to cystic fibrosis newborn screening implementation. These include educational materials for parents and primary care providers; systems for screening and for providing diagnostic testing and counseling for screen-positive infants and their families; and protocols for care of this unique population. This summary explores the benefits and risks of various screening algorithms, including complex situations that can occur involving unclear diagnostic results, and provides guidelines and sample materials for state newborn screening programs to develop and implement high quality screening for cystic fibrosis