Teleoperators for remote operations in space

The primary objective of the remote nuclear teleoperator study program was to define in detail a program plan which would provide a qualified operational space teleoperator system by about 1980. The concept and philosophy presented provides a product considered to be an advanced teleoperator when compared to today's state-of-the-art. The teleoperator concept is formulated to meet NERVA requirements

Impaired limb shortening following stroke: what's in a name?

BackgroundDifficulty advancing the paretic limb during the swing phase of gait is a prominent manifestation of walking dysfunction following stroke. This clinically observable sign, frequently referred to as 'foot drop', ostensibly results from dorsiflexor weakness.ObjectiveHere we investigated the extent to which hip, knee, and ankle motions contribute to impaired paretic limb advancement. We hypothesized that neither: 1) minimal toe clearance and maximal limb shortening during swing nor, 2) the pattern of multiple joint contributions to toe clearance and limb shortening would differ between post-stroke and non-disabled control groups.MethodsWe studied 16 individuals post-stroke during overground walking at self-selected speed and nine non-disabled controls who walked at matched speeds using 3D motion analysis.ResultsNo differences were detected with respect to the ankle dorsiflexion contribution to toe clearance post-stroke. Rather, hip flexion had a greater relative influence, while the knee flexion influence on producing toe clearance was reduced.ConclusionsSimilarity in the ankle dorsiflexion, but differences in the hip and knee, contributions to toe clearance between groups argues strongly against dorsiflexion dysfunction as the fundamental impairment of limb advancement post-stroke. Marked reversal in the roles of hip and knee flexion indicates disruption of inter-joint coordination, which most likely results from impairment of the dynamic contribution to knee flexion by the gastrocnemius muscle in preparation for swing. These findings suggest the need to reconsider the notion of foot drop in persons post-stroke. Redirecting the focus of rehabilitation and restoration of hemiparetic walking dysfunction appropriately, towards contributory neuromechanical impairments, will improve outcomes and reduce disability

Preliminary design-lift/cruise fan research and technology airplane flight control system

This report presents the preliminary design of a stability augmentation system for a NASA V/STOL research and technology airplane. This stability augmentation system is postulated as the simplest system that meets handling qualities levels for research and technology missions flown by NASA test pilots. The airplane studied in this report is a T-39 fitted with tilting lift/cruise fan nacelles and a nose fan. The propulsion system features a shaft interconnecting the three variable pitch fans and three power plants. The mathematical modeling is based on pre-wind tunnel test estimated data. The selected stability augmentation system uses variable gains scheduled with airspeed. Failure analysis of the system illustrates the benign effect of engine failure. Airplane rate sensor failure must be solved with redundancy

Objective dysphonia quantification in vocal fold paralysis: comparing nonlinear with classical measures

Clinical acoustic voice recording analysis is usually performed using classical perturbation measures including jitter, shimmer and noise-to-harmonic ratios. However, restrictive mathematical limitations of these measures prevent analysis for severely dysphonic voices. Previous studies of alternative nonlinear random measures addressed wide varieties of vocal pathologies. Here, we analyze a single vocal pathology cohort, testing the performance of these alternative measures alongside classical measures.

We present voice analysis pre- and post-operatively in unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) patients and healthy controls, patients undergoing standard medialisation thyroplasty surgery, using jitter, shimmer and noise-to-harmonic ratio (NHR), and nonlinear recurrence period density entropy (RPDE), detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) and correlation dimension. Systematizing the preparative editing of the recordings, we found that the novel measures were more stable and hence reliable, than the classical measures, on healthy controls.

RPDE and jitter are sensitive to improvements pre- to post-operation. Shimmer, NHR and DFA showed no significant change (p > 0.05). All measures detect statistically significant and clinically important differences between controls and patients, both treated and untreated (p < 0.001, AUC > 0.7). Pre- to post-operation, GRBAS ratings show statistically significant and clinically important improvement in overall dysphonia grade (G) (AUC = 0.946, p < 0.001).

Re-calculating AUCs from other study data, we compare these results in terms of clinical importance. We conclude that, when preparative editing is systematized, nonlinear random measures may be useful UVFP treatment effectiveness monitoring tools, and there may be applications for other forms of dysphonia.
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Scoping a public health impact assessment of aquaculture with particular reference to tilapia in the UK

Background. The paper explores shaping public health impact assessment tools for tilapia, a novel emergent aquaculture sector in the UK. This Research Council’s UK Rural Economy and Land Use project embraces technical, public health, and marketing perspectives scoping tools to assess possible impacts of the activity. Globally, aquaculture produced over 65 million tonnes of food in 2008 and will grow significantly requiring apposite global public health impact assessment tools.<p></p> Methods. Quantitative and qualitative methods incorporated data from a tridisciplinary literature. Holistic tools scoped tilapia farming impact assessments. Laboratory-based tilapia production generated data on impacts in UK and Thailand along with 11 UK focus groups involving 90 consumers, 30 interviews and site visits, 9 visits to UK tilapia growers and 2 in The Netherlands.<p></p> Results. The feasibility, challenges, strengths, and weaknesses of creating a tilapia Public Health Impact Assessment are analysed. Occupational and environmental health benefits and risks attached to tilapia production were identified.<p></p> Conclusions. Scoping public health impacts of tilapia production is possible at different levels and forms for producers, retailers, consumers, civil society and governmental bodies that may contribute to complex and interrelated public health assessments of aquaculture projects. Our assessment framework constitutes an innovatory perspective in the field

Novel mutations in the anoctamin 5 gene ( ANO5 ) associated with limb‐girdle muscular dystrophy 2L

Introduction: We present a Jordanian man with the typical LGMD 2L phenotype of early, asymmetric quadriceps weakness and subsequent biceps brachii weakness. Methods: Case report. Results: Muscle biopsies document a progressive dystrophic pattern unrelated to known sarcolemmal defects associated with muscular dystrophy. Genetic testing revealed novel, heterozygote Anoctamin 5 gene mutations. Conclusions: This case report expands the known mutations resulting in LGMD 2L and supports the assertion that Anoctamin 5 mutations are more prevalent than previously recognized. Muscle Nerve, 2013Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/96310/1/23542_ftp.pd

Void Statistics in Large Galaxy Redshift Surveys: Does Halo Occupation of Field Galaxies Depend on Environment?

We use measurements of the projected galaxy correlation function w_p and galaxy void statistics to test whether the galaxy content of halos of fixed mass is systematically different in low density environments. We present new measurements of the void probability function (VPF) and underdensity probability function (UPF) from Data Release Four of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, as well as new measurements of the VPF from the full data release of the Two-Degree Field Galaxy Redshift Survey. We compare these measurements to predictions calculated from models of the Halo Occupation Distribution (HOD) that are constrained to match both w_p and the space density of galaxies. The standard implementation of the HOD assumes that galaxy occupation depends on halo mass only, and is independent of local environment. For luminosity-defined samples, we find that the standard HOD prediction is a good match to the observations, and the data exclude models in which galaxy formation efficiency is reduced in low-density environments. More remarkably, we find that the void statistics of red and blue galaxies (at L ~ 0.4L_*) are perfectly predicted by standard HOD models matched to the correlation function of these samples, ruling out "assembly bias" models in which galaxy color is correlated with large-scale environment at fixed halo mass. We conclude that the luminosity and color of field galaxies are determined predominantly by the mass of the halo in which they reside and have little direct dependence on the environment in which the host halo formed. In broader terms, our results show that the sizes and emptiness of voids found in the distribution of L > 0.2L_* galaxies are in excellent agreement with the predictions of a standard cosmological model with a simple connection between galaxies and dark matter halos. (abridged)Comment: 20 emulateapj pages, 9 figures. submitted to Ap

7-Li(p,n) Nuclear Data Library for Incident Proton Energies to 150 MeV

We describe evaluation methods that make use of experimental data, and nuclear model calculations, to develop an ENDF-formatted data library for the reaction p + Li7 for incident protons with energies up to 150 MeV. The important 7-Li(p,n_0) and 7-Li(p,n_1) reactions are evaluated from the experimental data, with their angular distributions represented using Lengendre polynomial expansions. The decay of the remaining reaction flux is estimated from GNASH nuclear model calculations. The evaluated ENDF-data are described in detail, and illustrated in numerous figures. We also illustrate the use of these data in a representative application by a radiation transport simulation with the code MCNPX.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures, LaTeX, submitted to Proc. 2000 ANS/ENS International Meeting, Nuclear Applications of Accelerator Technology (AccApp00), November 12-16, Washington, DC, US

Strong Enhancement of Superconducting Correlation in a Two-Component Fermion Gas

We study high-density electron-hole (e-h) systems with the electron density slightly larger than the hole density. We find a new superconducting phase, in which the excess electrons form Cooper pairs moving in an e-h BCS phase. The coexistence of the e-h and e-e orders is possible because e and h have opposite charges, whereas analogous phases are impossible in the case of two fermion species that have the same charge or are neutral. Most strikingly, the e-h order enhances the superconducting e-h order parameter by more than one order of magnitude as compared with that given by the BCS formula, for the same value of the effective e-e attractive potential \lambda^{ee}. This new phase should be observable in an e-h system created by photoexcitation in doped semiconductors at low temperatures.Comment: 5 pages including 5 PostScript figure

Advanced turboprop testbed systems study. Volume 1: Testbed program objectives and priorities, drive system and aircraft design studies, evaluation and recommendations and wind tunnel test plans

The establishment of propfan technology readiness was determined and candidate drive systems for propfan application were identified. Candidate testbed aircraft were investigated for testbed aircraft suitability and four aircraft selected as possible propfan testbed vehicles. An evaluation of the four candidates was performed and the Boeing KC-135A and the Gulfstream American Gulfstream II recommended as the most suitable aircraft for test application. Conceptual designs of the two recommended aircraft were performed and cost and schedule data for the entire testbed program were generated. The program total cost was estimated and a wind tunnel program cost and schedule is generated in support of the testbed program