103 research outputs found

    Remote Infrared Imaging of the Space Shuttle During Hypersonic Flight: HYTHIRM Mission Operations and Coordination

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    The Hypersonic Thermodynamic Infrared Measurements (HYTHIRM) project has been responsible for obtaining spatially resolved, scientifically calibrated in-flight thermal imagery of the Space Shuttle Orbiter during reentry. Starting with STS-119 in March of 2009 and continuing through to the majority of final flights of the Space Shuttle, the HYTHIRM team has to date deployed during seven Shuttle missions with a mix of airborne and ground based imaging platforms. Each deployment of the HYTHIRM team has resulted in obtaining imagery suitable for processing and comparison with computational models and wind tunnel data at Mach numbers ranging from over 18 to under Mach 5. This paper will discuss the detailed mission planning and coordination with the NASA Johnson Space Center Mission Control Center that the HYTHIRM team undergoes to prepare for and execute each mission

    A Review of River Herring Science in Support of Species Conservation and Ecosystem Restoration

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    River herring—a collective name for the Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus and Blueback Herring A. aestivalis—play a crucial role in freshwater and marine ecosystems along the Eastern Seaboard of North America. River herring are anadromous and return to freshwater habitats in the tens to hundreds of millions to spawn, supplying food to many species and providing nutrients to freshwater ecosystems. After two and a half centuries of habitat loss, habitat degradation, and overfishing, river herring are at historic lows. In 2013, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries established the Technical Expert Working Group (TEWG) to synthesize information about river herring and to provide recommendations to advance the science related to their restoration. This paper was composed largely by the chairs of the TEWG subgroups and represents a review of the current state of knowledge of river herring, with an emphasis on identification of threats and discussion of recent research and management actions related to understanding and reducing these threats. Important research needs are then identified and discussed. Finally, current knowledge is synthesized, considering the relative importance of different threats. This synthesis identifies dam removal and increased stream connectivity as critical to river herring restoration. Better understanding and accounting for predation, climate change, and fisheries are also important for restoration. Finally, there is recent evidence that the effects of human development and contamination on habitat quality may be more important threats than previously recognized. Given the range of threats, an ecosystem approach is needed to be successful with river herring restoration. To facilitate this ecosystem approach, collaborative forums such as the TEWG (renamed the Atlantic Coast River Herring Collaborative Forum in 2020) are needed to share and synthesize information among river herring managers, researchers, and community groups from across the species’ range

    Pest population dynamics are related to a continental overwintering gradient

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    Overwintering success is an important determinant of arthropod populations that must be considered as climate change continues to influence the spatiotemporal population dynamics of agricultural pests. Using a long-term monitoring database and biologically relevant overwintering zones, we modeled the annual and seasonal population dynamics of a common pest, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), based on three overwintering suitability zones throughout North America using four decades of soil temperatures: the southern range (able to persist through winter), transitional zone (uncertain overwintering survivorship), and northern limits (unable to survive winter). Our model indicates H. zea population dynamics are hierarchically structured with continental-level effects that are partitioned into three geographic zones. Seasonal populations were initially detected in the southern range, where they experienced multiple large population peaks. All three zones experienced a final peak between late July (southern range) and mid-August to mid-September (transitional zone and northern limits). The southern range expanded by 3% since 1981 and is projected to increase by twofold by 2099 but the areas of other zones are expected to decrease in the future. These changes suggest larger populations may persist at higher latitudes in the future due to reduced low-temperature lethal events during winter. Because H. zea is a highly migratory pest, predicting when populations accumulate in one region can inform synchronous or lagged population development in other regions. We show the value of combining long-term datasets, remotely sensed data, and laboratory findings to inform forecasting of insect pests

    Measurement of flavor asymmetry of light-quark sea in the proton with Drell-Yan dimuon production in p+pp+p and p+dp+d collisions at 120 GeV

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    Evidence for a flavor asymmetry between the uˉ\bar u and dˉ\bar d quark distributions in the proton has been found in deep-inelastic scattering and Drell-Yan experiments. The pronounced dependence of this flavor asymmetry on xx (fraction of nucleon momentum carried by partons) observed in the Fermilab E866 Drell-Yan experiment suggested a drop of the dˉ(x)/uˉ(x)\bar d\left(x\right) / \bar u\left(x\right) ratio in the x>0.15x > 0.15 region. We report results from the SeaQuest Fermilab E906 experiment with improved statistical precision for dˉ(x)/uˉ(x)\bar d\left(x\right) / \bar u\left(x\right) in the large xx region up to x=0.45x=0.45 using the 120 GeV proton beam. Two different methods for extracting the Drell-Yan cross section ratios, σpd/2σpp\sigma^{pd} /2 \sigma^{pp}, from the SeaQuest data give consistent results. The dˉ(x)/uˉ(x)\bar{d}\left(x\right) / \bar{u}\left(x\right) ratios and the dˉ(x)uˉ(x)\bar d\left(x\right) - \bar u\left(x\right) differences are deduced from these cross section ratios for 0.13<x<0.450.13 < x < 0.45. The SeaQuest and E866/NuSea dˉ(x)/uˉ(x)\bar{d}\left(x\right) / \bar{u}\left(x\right) ratios are in good agreement for the x0.25x\lesssim 0.25 region. The new SeaQuest data, however, show that dˉ(x)\bar d\left(x\right) continues to be greater than uˉ(x)\bar u\left(x\right) up to the highest xx value (x=0.45x = 0.45). The new results on dˉ(x)/uˉ(x)\bar{d}\left(x\right) / \bar{u}\left(x\right) and dˉ(x)uˉ(x)\bar{d}\left(x\right) - \bar{u}\left(x\right) are compared with various parton distribution functions and theoretical calculations

    Defining the effect and mediators of two knowledge translation strategies designed to alter knowledge, intent and clinical utilization of rehabilitation outcome measures: a study protocol [NCT00298727]

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    BACKGROUND: A substantial number of valid outcome measures have been developed to measure health in adult musculoskeletal and childhood disability. Regrettably, national initiatives have merely resulted in changes in attitude, while utilization remains unacceptably low. This study will compare the effectiveness and mediators of two different knowledge transfer (KT) interventions in terms of their impact on changing knowledge and behavior (utilization and clinical reasoning) related to health outcome measures. METHOD/DESIGN: Physical and occupational therapists (n = 144) will be recruited in partnership with the national professional associations to evaluate two different KT interventions with the same curriculum: 1) Stakeholder-Hosted Interactive Problem-Based Seminar (SHIPS), and 2) Online Problem-Based course (e-PBL). SHIPS will consist of face-to-face problem-based learning (PBL) for 2 1/2 days with outcome measure developers as facilitators, using six problems generated in consultation with participants. The e-PBL will consist of a 6-week web-based course with six generic problems developed by content experts. SHIPS will be conducted in three urban centers in Canada. Participants will be block-allocated by a minimization procedure to either of the two interventions to minimize any prognostic differences. Trained evaluators at each site will conduct chart audits and chart-stimulated recall. Trained interviewers will conduct semi-structured interviews focused on identifying critical elements in KT and implementing practice changes. Interviews will be transcribed verbatim. Baseline predictors including demographics, knowledge, attitudes/barriers regarding outcome measures, and Readiness to Change will be assessed by self-report. Immediately post-intervention and 6 months later, these will be re-administered. Primary qualitative and quantitative evaluations will be conducted 6-months post-intervention to assess the relative effectiveness of KT interventions and to identify elements that contribute to changing clinical behavior. Chart audits will determine the utilization of outcome measures (counts). Incorporation of outcome measures into clinical reasoning will be assessed using an innovative technique: chart-stimulated recall. DISCUSSION: A strategy for optimal transfer of health outcome measures into practice will be developed and shared with multiple disciplines involved in primary and specialty management of musculoskeletal and childhood disability

    Genetic Dissection of Acute Ethanol Responsive Gene Networks in Prefrontal Cortex: Functional and Mechanistic Implications

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    Background Individual differences in initial sensitivity to ethanol are strongly related to the heritable risk of alcoholism in humans. To elucidate key molecular networks that modulate ethanol sensitivity we performed the first systems genetics analysis of ethanol-responsive gene expression in brain regions of the mesocorticolimbic reward circuit (prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, and ventral midbrain) across a highly diverse family of 27 isogenic mouse strains (BXD panel) before and after treatment with ethanol. Results Acute ethanol altered the expression of ~2,750 genes in one or more regions and 400 transcripts were jointly modulated in all three. Ethanol-responsive gene networks were extracted with a powerful graph theoretical method that efficiently summarized ethanol\u27s effects. These networks correlated with acute behavioral responses to ethanol and other drugs of abuse. As predicted, networks were heavily populated by genes controlling synaptic transmission and neuroplasticity. Several of the most densely interconnected network hubs, including Kcnma1 and Gsk3β, are known to influence behavioral or physiological responses to ethanol, validating our overall approach. Other major hub genes like Grm3, Pten and Nrg3 represent novel targets of ethanol effects. Networks were under strong genetic control by variants that we mapped to a small number of chromosomal loci. Using a novel combination of genetic, bioinformatic and network-based approaches, we identified high priority cis-regulatory candidate genes, including Scn1b,Gria1, Sncb and Nell2. Conclusions The ethanol-responsive gene networks identified here represent a previously uncharacterized intermediate phenotype between DNA variation and ethanol sensitivity in mice. Networks involved in synaptic transmission were strongly regulated by ethanol and could contribute to behavioral plasticity seen with chronic ethanol. Our novel finding that hub genes and a small number of loci exert major influence over the ethanol response of gene networks could have important implications for future studies regarding the mechanisms and treatment of alcohol use disorders
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