Venus mapping

Semicontrolled image mosaics of Venus, based on Magellan data, are being compiled at 1:50,000,000, 1:10,000,000, 1:5,000,000, and 1:1,000,000 scales to support the Magellan Radar Investigator (RADIG) team. The mosaics are semicontrolled in the sense that data gaps were not filled and significant cosmetic inconsistencies exist. Contours are based on preliminary radar altimetry data that is subjected to revision and improvement. Final maps to support geologic mapping and other scientific investigations, to be compiled as the dataset becomes complete, will be sponsored by the Planetary Geology and Geophysics Program and/or the Venus Data Analysis Program. All maps, both semicontrolled and final, will be published as I-maps by the United States Geological Survey. All of the mapping is based on existing knowledge of the spacecraft orbit; photogrammetric triangulation, a traditional basis for geodetic control on planets where framing cameras were used, is not feasible with the radar images of Venus, although an eventual shift of coordinate system to a revised spin-axis location is anticipated. This is expected to be small enough that it will affect only large-scale maps

Reversal of aging-induced increases in aortic stiffness by targeting cytoskeletal protein-protein interfaces

BACKGROUND: The proximal aorta normally functions as a critical shock absorber that protects small downstream vessels from damage by pressure and flow pulsatility generated by the heart during systole. This shock absorber function is impaired with age because of aortic stiffening. METHODS AND RESULTS: We examined the contribution of common genetic variation to aortic stiffness in humans by interrogating results from the AortaGen Consortium genome‐wide association study of carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity. Common genetic variation in the N‐WASP (WASL) locus is associated with carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity (rs600420, P=0.0051). Thus, we tested the hypothesis that decoy proteins designed to disrupt the interaction of cytoskeletal proteins such as N‐WASP with its binding partners in the vascular smooth muscle cytoskeleton could decrease ex vivo stiffness of aortas from a mouse model of aging. A synthetic decoy peptide construct of N‐WASP significantly reduced activated stiffness in ex vivo aortas of aged mice. Two other cytoskeletal constructs targeted to VASP and talin‐vinculin interfaces similarly decreased aging‐induced ex vivo active stiffness by on‐target specific actions. Furthermore, packaging these decoy peptides into microbubbles enables the peptides to be ultrasound‐targeted to the wall of the proximal aorta to attenuate ex vivo active stiffness. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that decoy peptides targeted to vascular smooth muscle cytoskeletal protein‐protein interfaces and microbubble packaged can decrease aortic stiffness ex vivo. Our results provide proof of concept at the ex vivo level that decoy peptides targeted to cytoskeletal protein‐protein interfaces may lead to substantive dynamic modulation of aortic stiffness.Published versio

Automobile Accident Costs and Payments: Studies in the Economics of Injury Reparation

The report is presented as a pool of data which will serve many purposes. First of all, the report furnishes a perspective on the largeness and the smallness of the reparation process, and of its many parts. Second, the report supplies much more specific information than has ever before been available on many points, such as the high or low level of reparation in relation to losses; the number of people who get paid, and those who receive nothing; the levels of legal expense, including attorneys\u27 fees. Third, it will furnish a guide for future research directed to narrower questions, by disclosing what are the kinds and approximate dimensions of the phenomena which call for further examination. In order to suggest what sorts of information the report contains, and what conclusions may be drawn from it, a few of its findings are sketched in the following paragraphs. These findings have been selected from among many others as the ones most likely to be meaningful in the eyes of readers of many different kinds. Most of this summary relates to the survey of Michigan automobile accidents, which forms the major portion of this study.https://repository.law.umich.edu/michigan_legal_studies/1004/thumbnail.jp

An improved user-based beach climate index

Questionnaire surveys were carried out in Wales, Malta and Turkey to establish the preferences of north European beach users for thermal sensation and bathing water temperature, plus priority levels for other climatic attributes. A user-based beach climate index based on these preferences and priorities was formulated. Linkage was made between the user-generated ratings for various climatic conditions and published climate data to evaluate most major Euro-Mediterranean/Black Sea and a range of other beach tourism areas on a month-by-month basis. Results showed excessively hot thermal sensation in many southern and eastern Mediterranean coastal destinations during July and August, the present peak of the beach tourism season. Highest preference was given to water temperatures rather lower than those found in these areas during late summer. Many long haul coastal destinations popular with north European visitors had similar unpleasant thermal sensations over several months. Uncertainties and deficiencies still exist with the system, but from the point of view of north European beach users the final scores generated in this study may be regarded as good approximations of the quality of resort area climates for sedentary beach use.peer-reviewe

Cone Identification in Choroideremia: Repeatability, Reliability, and Automation Through Use of a Convolutional Neural Network

Purpose: Adaptive optics imaging has enabled the visualization of photoreceptors both in health and disease. However, there remains a need for automated accurate cone photoreceptor identification in images of disease. Here, we apply an open-source convolutional neural network (CNN) to automatically identify cones in images of choroideremia (CHM). We further compare the results to the repeatability and reliability of manual cone identifications in CHM. Methods: We used split-detection adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy to image the inner segment cone mosaic of 17 patients with CHM. Cones were manually identified twice by one experienced grader and once by two additional experienced graders in 204 regions of interest (ROIs). An open-source CNN either pre-trained on normal images or trained on CHM images automatically identified cones in the ROIs. True and false positive rates and Dice\u27s coefficient were used to determine the agreement in cone locations between data sets. Interclass correlation coefficient was used to assess agreement in bound cone density. Results: Intra- and intergrader agreement for cone density is high in CHM. CNN performance increased when it was trained on CHM images in comparison to normal, but had lower agreement than manual grading. Conclusions: Manual cone identifications and cone density measurements are repeatable and reliable for images of CHM. CNNs show promise for automated cone selections, although additional improvements are needed to equal the accuracy of manual measurements. Translational Relevance: These results are important for designing and interpreting longitudinal studies of cone mosaic metrics in disease progression or treatment intervention in CHM

Radiation Single Event Effects (SEE) Impact on Complex Avionics Architecture Reliability

The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) has an urgent need to understand how system-level reliability of an avionics architecture is compromised when portions of the architecture are temporarily unavailable due to single event effects (SEE). The proposed activity parametrically evaluated these SEE impacts on system reliability based on mission duration, upset rate and recovery times for a representative redundant architecture. The key stakeholders for this study are NASA programs and projects that expect to use avionics architectures with electrical, electronic and electromechanical (EEE) parts susceptible to SEE when exposed to the mission expected radiation environment

Culture change in a museum: An action research analysis

The move of a museum in the western United States to larger quarters resulted in an increase in visitors and requests for tours. To respond to the greater number of tours, new volunteers (docents) were recruited and trained. But conflicts arose between the old and new docents. As Docent Chair, one of the authors worked with the Curator of Education to understand the culture change faced by the old docent group and integrate the old and new docent groups. This paper analyzes the culture change using Lewin’s Action Research model. The success of the culture integration was demonstrated when the old and new docents moved away from «this is how it should be done…» to «this is what I see…» in speaking about an event or problem. The language and perception changes were steps toward building a common meaning.A mudança, para instalações maiores, de um museu no Oeste dos Estados Unidos teve como resultado o aumento do número de visitantes e pedidos para visitas guiadas. A fim de responder a este aumento, foram recrutados e formados novos voluntários (docentes). No entanto, verificou- se o surgimento de conflitos entre os novos e os velhos docentes. Na posição de Docent Chair, um dos autores deste artigo colaborou com o Curator of Education no sentido de compreender a mudança de cultura sentida pelos velhos docentes e integrar os dois grupos. Este artigo analisa a mudança cultural utilizando o modelo de Investigação em Acção de Lewin. O sucesso da integração cultural fica ilustrado com a modificação de posturas dos grupos quando se referem a eventos ou problemas, de uma postura tipo «isto é como as coisas devem ser feitas…», para uma outra tipo «isto é o que eu acho…». As mudanças na linguagem e percepção foram passos na construção de significados partilhados